Crime
Abductions surge: Northern govs demand mining suspension, unveil N228bn security fund
Northern governors and traditional rulers on Monday called for a six-month suspension of mining activities across the region, blaming illegal mining for the worsening insecurity in many states.
The northern leaders also announced plans to mobilise N228bn to fight bandits terrorising communities across the region.
Under the arrangement, each state and its local governments will contribute N1bn monthly, to be deducted at source under an agreed framework.
This means that the 19 northern states will raise N228bn annually.
They said the fund would provide sustainable financing for joint operations, intelligence-driven interventions and coordinated security responses across the North.
These were contained in a communiqué issued after a joint meeting of the Northern States Governors’ Forum and the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council held at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, Kaduna.
In recent weeks, multiple school raids have rocked the region, leaving families traumatised and several communities deserted.
No fewer than 500 students and residents have been kidnapped by criminal gangs from schools and communities, forcing authorities to shut down schools in several states.
On November 17, 2025, armed men attacked the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, abducting 24 schoolgirls. The school’s vice-principal was killed during the attack. The students were freed a few days later.
Four days later, on November 21, gunmen invaded St. Mary’s Catholic School in the Papiri community, Agwara LGA of Niger State, abducting hundreds of pupils and staff.
Church and local officials later confirmed that 303 students and 12 teachers were taken away.
The escalating attacks prompted several states to order the temporary closure of schools in Kebbi, Bauchi, Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba, Plateau, Niger, Katsina and Kwara states. The Federal Government also ordered the closure of 41 Federal Unity Colleges nationwide.
In response to the crisis, President Bola Tinubu last Wednesday declared a nationwide security emergency, directing immediate recruitment by the army, police and intelligence agencies.
He also urged the National Assembly to begin the process of legalising state police to curb kidnappings and terrorist attacks.
At Monday’s meeting, the northern leaders endorsed the state policing initiative, reversing decades of political opposition to multi-level policing.
The meeting, chaired by the Governor of Gombe State and NSGF Chairman, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, had in attendance the 19 northern governors and chairmen of the 19 states’ traditional councils.
The high-level meeting was attended by Governors Uba Sani (Kaduna), Mohammed Bago (Niger), Inuwa Yahaya( Gombe), Umar Namadi (Jigawa), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Nasir Idris (Kebbi), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Hyacinth Alia (Benue), and Usman Ododo (Kogi), while others were represented by their deputies.
The participants insisted that decentralised policing had become inevitable.
“The Forum reaffirms its wholehearted support and commitment to the establishment of state police,” the communiqué stated, urging federal and state lawmakers from the region to “expedite action for its actualisation.”
On illegal mining, the forum asserted that criminal mining networks were fuelling violence and providing resources for armed groups.
As a corrective measure, they asked President Tinubu to direct the Minister of Solid Minerals to suspend mining activities to allow for a full audit and revalidation of licences.
“The Forum observed that illegal mining has become a major contributory factor to the security crises in Northern Nigeria,” it said. “We strongly recommend a suspension of mining exploration for six months to allow proper audit and to arrest the menace of artisanal illegal mining.”
To strengthen the fight against insecurity, the governors also announced the creation of a regional Security Trust Fund.
“Each of the 19 Northern states and their local governments will contribute N1bn monthly, to be deducted at source, into a dedicated security fund. The framework for the fund will be finalised soon,” the communiqué added.
The forum commended the President for securing the release of recently abducted schoolchildren and praised the sacrifices of the armed forces.
They pledged their “renewed and total support” for military action to eliminate insurgent enclaves.
They also extended sympathies to the governments and people of Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Sokoto, Jigawa, Kano, Borno and Yobe states over recent killings, abductions and Boko Haram attacks.
Speaking at the opening session, Governor Yahaya warned that insecurity had reached a point where “the future of the northern region is being mortgaged.”
He emphasised that the crisis was multi-layered, driven by years of underdevelopment, weak policing and economic hardship. “The targeting of our schools is a direct assault on our collective future,” he said.
He also warned that failure to address the rising population of out-of-school children and the persistence of the Almajiri system would continue to fuel radicalisation.
The NSGF chairman praised Tinubu for “leaving no stone unturned” in efforts to secure the release of abducted students.
He reiterated that only massive investments in infrastructure — roads, rail lines, power and digital connectivity — would unlock the region’s economic growth.
Yahaya also stressed the governors’ long-standing support for state policing, citing its inclusion in their May 2025 communiqué.
Also speaking, the Sultan of Sokoto and Chairman of the Northern Traditional Rulers Council, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, urged the governors to double their efforts and work with absolute unity to rescue the North from its mounting challenges.
He dismissed speculations that the meeting was an emergency intervention triggered by recent attacks, saying it had been long scheduled for review and assessment.
“This meeting was supposed to be held in September but was put off a couple of times for various reasons. It is not an emergency meeting,” he explained.
The Sultan expressed the full support of the traditional institution for the governors, pledging collaboration in the fight against insecurity, poverty and social dislocation.
“As leaders, we need to tell ourselves the truth. But I want to assure you — just listen to the governors — we are 100 per cent with you in this drive to make the North a better place because we don’t have any other place to be,” he said.
He urged political leaders to resist divisive tendencies and remain open to constructive criticism, saying that “listen to critics. Listen to criticisms. Make amendments whenever they arise.”
Abubakar said traditional rulers would continue offering counsel and support when needed. “You have our confidence, you have our trust. You can reach out to us any time of the day,” he told the governors.
He also renewed his call for continuous prayers for national leaders.“Please pray for our leaders. When you pray for them, and they do good things, we all enjoy it.”
NSA visits Niger school
Meanwhile, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, on Monday visited the Proprietor of St. Mary Private Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools, Papiri, Agwara LGA, Bishop Bulus Yohanna of the Kontagora Diocese.
The NSA was at the school to commiserate with the authorities over the abduction of more than 265 students and teachers.
He was accompanied by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Bernard Doro, the Director General of the Department of State Services, Oluwatosin Ajayi and Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Northern Nigeria, Rev. Joseph Hayab.
Ribadu told parents and school officials that the abducted children were safe and would return soon, assuring them that security had been strengthened in the area.
“This is a very solemn and difficult moment for us… Mr President is in pain. He suspended his journey to focus on this,” Ribadu said.
He urged unity in the face of the attack, saying, “Let us not allow bad people to divide us.”
Ribadu praised Bishop Yohanna for his resilience, adding that international partners, including the United States, the United Kingdom and France, were offering support.
“The children will come back safely. Evil will not win,” he assured.
Earlier, Bishop Yohanna thanked the NSA and President Tinubu for their visit and presented a report before proceeding into a closed-door meeting.
FCT police foil attack, arrest suspect
In another development, the Federal Capital Territory Police Command has foiled a planned attack on an unnamed community following a targeted operation by its Anti-Kidnapping Unit.
The operation followed a surge in kidnappings in the ACO community in Gwagwalada and in Bwari, prompting the Commissioner of Police to order intensified efforts to dismantle the network behind the attacks.
FCT police spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, said intelligence later revealed that the gang had fixed another raid for December 1, with plans to abduct residents for ransom.
Acting on the tip-off, operatives on November 30 arrested a wanted kidnapper and armed robbery suspect, Sani Mohammed Umar, also known as Boko. His mobile phone, allegedly used to coordinate gang activities, was recovered.
Investigations linked Umar to earlier attacks in ACO, Dupa and Gwagwalada, as well as multiple robberies in Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali. He reportedly admitted that his gang members were waiting for him at Gada Biyu Hills, Kwali, ahead of the planned assault.
Adeh said the Anti-Kidnapping Unit moved into the forest around 11:01 p.m., laid an ambush and came under fire from the heavily armed gang. A 30-minute gun duel followed, during which three bandits were killed, while others fled with gunshot wounds.
Recovered items included three AK-47 rifles, three magazines and 33 rounds of live ammunition.
She added that police and troops of the Army’s 176 Battalion had launched a joint operation to comb the forest and block escape routes, while medical centres were directed to report persons with gunshot injuries.
Bandits levy Sokoto villages
Residents of Bakale village in Kilgori district, Yabo LGA of Sokoto State, are panicking after suspected bandits demanded a ₦20m levy from the community.
An audio message circulating on social media captured the gang leader directing the village head to mobilise payment, warning that refusal would trigger attacks and mass abductions.
A community leader said Bakale was not the only settlement under pressure, listing affected villages across Kilgori and Torankawa districts, including Bazar, Alkalije, Gari, Dagel, Adarawa, Kwaidaza, Runji, Tudu, Tile, Kibiyare and Barmadu. Levies reportedly range from ₦3m to ₦20m.
He added that recent attacks left six people dead in Alkalije and four in Tile.
The spokesperson of the Sokoto Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, did not respond to calls seeking comment.
Ekiti urges calm, says borders fortified
The Ekiti State Government has urged residents to remain calm despite reports of bandit activity in neighbouring Kogi and Kwara states.
Special Adviser on Security Matters, Brig. Gen. Ebenezer Ogundana (retd.), told journalists after a quarterly security meeting that Ekiti remained “one of the safest states,” citing increased military and police presence along border towns and improved intelligence networks.
He said traditional rulers and local government chairmen had been briefed to reassure residents and escalate credible information promptly.
“We want our people to be vigilant and report anything unusual. We have the resources to verify every piece of information,” he said.
Ogundana added that the state was working to prevent the spill-over of attacks affecting farmers, herders and rural communities in neighbouring states.
Ondo boosts Amotekun operations
Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has reiterated his administration’s commitment to enhancing security, pledging continued support for the Amotekun Corps.
Speaking at the inauguration of the corps’ Command and Control Centre and Training Auditorium in Akure, Aiyedatiwa said the facility would strengthen intelligence coordination, tactical readiness and rapid response.
He praised Amotekun Commander, Adetunji Adeleye, for his leadership and promised more logistics, welfare and training support. He also lauded the late former governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, for championing Amotekun’s establishment.
Adeleye said the corps’ evolution since 2020 showed that local security structures—with strong political backing—could tackle emerging threats. The governor recently approved the recruitment of 500 new officers.
Enugu deploys drones
Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, on Monday, unveiled two long-range security drones, 10 patrol vans, 40 motorbikes and 400 bullet-proof helmets and vests to boost operations.
Speaking at the Command and Control Centre, Mbah said despite an 80 per cent drop in violent crimes, more equipment was needed to fight rising kidnapping incidents, especially in Udenu and border communities with Benue and Kogi.
The drones, equipped with day and night-vision cameras, will support surveillance in high-risk areas.
Security operatives are expected to begin expanded patrols and aerial monitoring immediately.
Kebbi steps up NYSC camp security
The Kebbi State Commissioner of Police, Bello Sani, has strengthened security at the NYSC orientation camp in Basaura, Jega LGA.
During a visit to the camp, he warned security personnel against complacency and emphasised inter-agency collaboration for a safe orientation exercise. A closed-door review of the camp’s security architecture was held with military and government officials.
Police spokesperson Nafi’u Kotarkoshi said discussions focused on early warning systems and rapid response mechanisms.
The attack, which occurred at about 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, threw the community into mourning and heightened concerns over security in the area.
Confirming the incident in a statement issued on Wednesday by its spokesperson, ASP Saliu Afusat, the Kogi State Police Command said a large number of armed bandits, operating on about 40 motorcycles, invaded the school with the suspected intention of abducting students and other residents.
The statement said the Divisional Police Officer of Kabba ‘A’ Division immediately mobilised a joint security response after receiving distress calls, deploying personnel from the police division, the Police Mobile Force, and tactical teams.
It added that military personnel and local vigilante groups already stationed in the area also joined the operation.
“The combined security operatives engaged the hoodlums in a fierce gun duel, forcing the criminals to flee into the surrounding bush.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there is presently no conclusive evidence of a successful mass abduction of students or other residents.
The Command, however, confirmed that three persons were killed during the attack.
“They include Mr Ganiyu Anifowose, the Vice Principal of UBE Secondary/Primary School, Iluke; Mr Sunday Jacob Alhassan, aged 70 years; and Sunday Ayele, aged six years.”
The police said one of the attackers was neutralised during the exchange of gunfire, while a member of the joint security team sustained gunshot injuries and is currently receiving treatment.
The Commissioner of Police has ordered sustained bush-combing operations and confidence-building patrols in the affected area. According to the Command, joint security operatives are still conducting intensive operations to apprehend fleeing suspects and prevent further attacks.
Members of the public were urged to remain calm and assist security agencies with credible information.
“Further developments will be communicated as investigations and operations progress,” the statement added.
The Edo State Government has ordered the temporary closure of three public secondary schools in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area following intelligence reports of a potential kidnapping threat targeting students.
The affected schools are Ososo Grammar School, Ososo Comprehensive High School and Makeke Secondary School.
The directive, issued through the State Ministry of Education, followed security advisories warning of possible attacks on educational institutions in the area.
In a circular signed by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Enodolomwanyi Otamere, the government said the closure was a precautionary measure aimed at protecting students, teachers and host communities pending further security assessments.
Sources familiar with the development revealed that intelligence gathered by security agencies, including the Department of State Services (DSS), indicated that suspected criminal elements were plotting attacks on schools in Edo North Senatorial District.
According to the sources, kidnappers may have shifted focus to schools after previous attempts to abduct wealthy individuals reportedly yielded little financial gain. Security operatives were also said to have intercepted information suggesting that attacks on schools could attract quicker attention and higher ransom payments.
Tension heightened after the arrest of a suspect allegedly caught conducting surveillance around Makeke Secondary School in early June. Investigators believe the development may be connected to the reported threat.
Following the intelligence reports, security agencies advised the state government to take preventive measures, including strengthening security around schools and other public facilities. Recommendations reportedly included increased patrols, enhanced intelligence gathering and closer collaboration with local vigilante groups and community security outfits.
The ministry announced that all academic and administrative activities in the affected schools have been suspended until further notice.
However, candidates participating in the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) will continue to sit for their papers under enhanced security arrangements.
The government said security personnel and community stakeholders would work together to ensure the safety of examination candidates throughout the exercise.
School authorities have been directed to facilitate the safe return of students to their parents and guardians, secure school facilities and maintain close communication with security agencies during the closure period.
The state government appealed to residents to remain calm and cooperate with security personnel, assuring them that efforts are underway to neutralise any threat and restore normal academic activities as soon as possible.
Gunmen have abducted the Vice Chairman of Ifedayo Local Government Area of Osun State, Hon. Debo Farounbi, during an attack on Ora community along the Osun/Kwara boundary.
The incident reportedly occurred around 10 p.m. on Tuesday when the armed men invaded the community and fired several gunshots into the air, throwing residents into panic.
Farounbi was reportedly abducted alongside three other persons during the attack.
However, security operatives, including military personnel and local vigilantes stationed in the area, engaged the attackers in a gun battle, forcing them to abandon three of the victims.
According to residents, the gunmen eventually escaped with Farounbi after the exchange of gunfire.
One resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said the attackers had initially succeeded in moving the victims toward a nearby bush before security operatives intervened.
“Four people, two Fulani women and two men including the Ifedayo Local Government Vice Chairman, Debo Farounbi were abducted. But the resistance put up by the military made the perpetrators to abandon three people.
“They however went away with Farounbi. Our people did not sleep throughout the night. We are in serious fear. The incident happened around 10 p.m. on Tuesday,” the resident said.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Osun State Police Command, Abiodun Ojelabi, said security agencies had launched efforts to rescue the council vice chairman.
“One person was abducted. He is a local government vice chairman, Hon. Debo Farounbi. Immediately the incident happened, the military, police and others responded. Efforts are in place to rescue the man. It is abduction until we are able to prove that it is a case of kidnapping,” Ojelabi stated.
A middle-aged woman has been arrested by the police in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State for allegedly throwing her five-year-old physically challenged son into a river after a self-proclaimed prophet reportedly told her that the child was a python.
The suspect was apprehended by angry residents shortly after the incident at a riverbank in the community.
According to reports, the woman confessed that she acted on the instruction of a spiritualist based in Benin City, who allegedly convinced her that the child was responsible for her inability to have more children.
The woman explained that she had suffered several miscarriages after giving birth to the child and sought spiritual assistance in an effort to overcome her fertility challenges.
In a video circulating on social media, the suspect reportedly said: “Every pregnancy ended in miscarriage. A seer told me to put my five-year-old child inside the river and that I would be able to give birth again. The seer said if I put my baby inside the river, the child would turn into a python.”
She claimed the spiritualist convinced her that the physically challenged child was a spiritual obstacle preventing her from conceiving successfully.
Acting on the alleged advice, she reportedly took the child to a nearby river and threw him into the water.
Residents who noticed her suspicious movements near the riverbank reportedly rushed to the scene but arrived after the child had already been thrown into the river.
The woman was immediately detained by community members and later handed over to law enforcement authorities.
The incident has sparked outrage among residents, child rights advocates and public health experts, who condemned the role of superstition and misinformation in the tragedy.
The suspect is currently in police custody and is expected to face prosecution.
Meanwhile, community leaders and human rights groups have called for the arrest and prosecution of the self-styled prophet alleged to have influenced the woman to commit the act.
Police authorities are yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
The Enugu State Police Command has dismissed as false a viral social media report alleging that armed herdsmen attacked a school in Ezeagu Local Government Area of the state.
The Command said investigations and security assessments conducted following the circulation of the report confirmed that no such incident occurred in Ezeagu or any other part of Enugu State.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, the Command described the report as a deliberate fabrication capable of creating fear, panic, and confusion among residents, particularly school administrators, teachers, students, and parents.
According to the police, operatives immediately carried out on-the-spot security assessments, intelligence gathering, operational checks, and discreet investigations, all of which established that the alleged attack never took place.
The Command condemned the spread of false information and warned that those responsible for originating and disseminating the report would be identified and prosecuted.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, has directed the Command’s Tactical and Intelligence Units to intensify efforts to track down the perpetrators and ensure they face the full weight of the law.
The police boss reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to protecting lives and property and maintaining peace and public order across Enugu State.
He urged residents to disregard the report, remain calm and vigilant, and continue to report suspicious activities to security agencies.
The Command also encouraged members of the public to make use of its emergency lines — 08032003702, 08086671202, 112, 09134666668, and 09134448093 — to report security concerns.
The police reiterated that misinformation and alarmist reports pose a threat to public peace and warned against the dissemination of unverified information capable of causing unnecessary panic.
-
Crime4 days agoFULL LIST: What Kidnappers are demanding before releasing Oyo pupils, teachers
-
Good Morning Mr Governor3 days agoGovernor Mbah’s Compassion Reaches Ikem as ENSOCU Identifies Indigent Persons for Life-Changing Support
-
News5 days agoControversial Enugu Centenary Land: Has A Daniel Truly Come to Judgment?
-
Crime5 days ago
School abduction: Oyo Muslims demand for Sharia law as Schools shut in 33LGAs
-
Politics19 hours agoSenate: Aspirant Petitions EFCC Over Alleged N20m Extortion by NDC Screening Committee
-
Politics3 days ago2027: Ebonyi commissioner resigns, dumps Nwifuru For Odii
-
Politics3 days agoEbonyi 2027: Can Odii Ride the Winds of Change to Turn the Tables?
-
Politics4 days ago2027: Enugu’s Backing for Tinubu, Mbah Shows Political Maturity — Nwoye