Crime
Anambra police rescue 4 children sold in Bauchi State
By Our Reporter
Anambra Police Commissioner Nnaghe Obono Itam has announced that four children who were sold in Bauchi State were recovered in Anambra state.
This is coming as the Commissioner announced that by the end of this year 2025 , the rate of crime would have been reduced to thirty percent in line with the Gov Charles Soludo security program known as Operation Udo Ga Di.
The Commissioner of Police, Nnaghe Obono Itam, while speaking to reporters in Awka also stated that security operatives in the state will do everything within their power to reduce the crime rate by 30 percent in 2025.
He called on stakeholders in the state, including the Traditional Rulers and President Generals of various communities, and residents, to partner with the police for effective policing.
The State Commissioner of Police made the statement on Monday while briefing journalists at the police headquarters in Amawbia, Awka South Local Government Area, on the activities of the command in 2024.
During the briefing, 13 criminal suspects involved in murder, kidnapping, and other criminal activities were paraded.
The police commissioner revealed that in 2024, they arrested 325 criminal suspects, secured 30 convictions, and rescued 14 kidnapped victims.
Speaking on the fate of the four children he announced that the suspects confessed to the crime and narrated the role each of them played.
Itam said that one of the children had been identified, and efforts were already in place to reunite the child with their parents.
“The Command wishes to use this opportunity to request that you, the media, assist in sharing the pictures of these innocent children for possible identification and reunification with their parents,” he said.
He further stated that in the early hours of December 24, 2024, a joint security operation led by the Nigeria Police Force, comprising the military, civil defense, and Anambra Vigilante operatives, successfully dismantled a criminal camp located in Nimo, Njikoka Local Government Area.
According to him, the operation resulted in the destruction of several makeshift structures within the camp, the recovery of 19 unexploded improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and significant injuries inflicted on fleeing suspects.
He said the operation followed credible intelligence regarding the activities of the criminal gang in the area, coupled with information obtained during the interrogation of suspects arrested in ongoing police operations across the state.
Itam also reported that police operatives attached to the Special Anti-Cultism Squad, Enugu-Ukwu, acting on credible information, arrested one Miracle Mwakalor, 18 years old, from Umubele village, Awka-South Local Government Area, on December 6 and they recovered one AK-47 rifle and one magazine from him.
According to him, the operatives raided the criminal gang’s den during a debrief about their plans to commit havoc in Nibo, Awka South Local Government Area.
He said that while Miracle was apprehended, his other gang members escaped and during interrogation, he confessed to the crime and led the operatives to an apartment in Ubuofu, Awka, where the recovered rifle had been hidden in the roof.
The commissioner stated that the command rescued four children allegedly stolen from their parents in Bauchi State and sold into the state. He called on those looking to adopt children to follow the proper process by going to orphanages rather than buying stolen children.
“Police operatives attached to the Anti-Cultism Squad in Enugu Ukwu, Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State, raided an identified black spot in Umunaga Village, Awka South LGA, in the late hours of Saturday, December 7, 2024. During the operation, one Okechukwu Chinwuko (27 years) of Umunaga Village and Ezenwa Chinedu (22 years) of Umuneri Village were arrested. Other incriminating items recovered included one pump-action gun, four live cartridges, a cutlass, criminal charms, and substances suspected to be hard drugs. The operatives also rescued two female victims who had been sexually assaulted by the suspects,” he stated.
The commissioner also noted that they had suspects who murdered their brother and buried him in a shallow grave in a compound at Oko. The deceased, Chibuzor Okeke, was accused of burglary and theft.
According to him, his brother, Chidiebere Okeke, and his cousin, Emebo Ogochukwu, caught him and beat him into unconsciousness and Chibuzor was rushed to the hospital, where he was confirmed dead, inorder to cover up the incident, the two suspects dug a shallow grave in their compound and buried Chibuzor.
By Our Correspondent
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Shehu Nadada, to Imo State to coordinate the search-and-rescue operation for 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps members and other passengers abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Road.
The victims were reportedly abducted on Thursday, October 1, 2026, around Umunoha in Imo State.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, CSP Anietie Iniedu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday.
According to the statement, Nadada arrived in the state alongside two Commissioners of Police and immediately conducted an on-the-spot assessment of the incident and the ongoing rescue operation.
He also reviewed the operational strategies, deployment of personnel and available assets, while issuing additional directives aimed at strengthening the coordinated response.
The assessment was conducted alongside the Imo State Commissioner of Police, CP Audu Garba Bosso; the Commissioner of Police in charge of Federal Operations, CP Akpan Anifiok; the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Police Mobile Force; other service commanders and members of the management team of the Imo State Police Command.
Iniedu said the search-and-rescue operation had been intensified, with additional tactical teams and operational assets deployed to identified areas.
He added that the operation was being supported by intelligence-led tracking of the abductors and coordinated efforts with other security agencies.
Nadada assured members of the public that the police remained committed to securing the safe release of the abducted persons.
“The Nigeria Police Force is committed to securing the safe rescue of the 20 abducted persons and will sustain the operation until the mission is successfully concluded,” Iniedu quoted Nadada as saying.
The police boss urged members of the public and the media to remain calm and vigilant, while appealing to anyone with credible information that could assist the operation to contact the police or the nearest security formation.
He assured the public that all information received would be treated with strict confidentiality.
The police said further updates would be provided as the rescue operation progresses.
Five men have been arrested and arraigned before a Chief Magistrate’s Court in Maiduguri, Borno State, after police allegedly found them wearing T-shirts bearing the words “Tinubu Must Go.”
The defendants were identified as Baba Aji Gremami, 44; Mustapha Abba Yemen, 28; Abbacha Mohammed Ali, 32; Adam Umar Gubio, 21; and Abdulhamid Mohammed, 21.
According to a First Information Report issued by the State Criminal Investigation Department, the incident occurred on September 25, 2026, near West End Roundabout in Maiduguri.
Police charged the five men with criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance, disturbance of public peace and thuggery under Sections 60, 78, 79 and 392 of the Borno State Penal Code.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges when they appeared before Chief Magistrate Court I in Maiduguri.
Their lawyer subsequently applied for bail. The court adjourned the matter until October 6, 2026, to rule on the bail application, while the substantive trial has been scheduled for October 26.
The case has drawn attention because the alleged conduct involved wearing clothing displaying a political message.
Amnesty International criticised the prosecution, describing the arrests as arbitrary and arguing that peaceful political expression is protected by fundamental human rights. The organisation called for the immediate release of the five men and urged authorities to discontinue the case.
Amnesty International also expressed concern that the prosecution could have implications for political expression and opposition activities in Borno State.
The case has generated reactions on social media, with some commentators questioning whether the display of political messages on clothing should constitute a criminal offence.
There have also been allegations that a prominent politician in Borno State may have influenced the arrests. The allegation has not been independently verified.
Efforts to obtain a comment from the Borno State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Kenneth Daso, were reportedly unsuccessful as of the time of filing.
The defendants remain subject to the court process, and the allegations against them have not been established in court.
The Jigawa State Hisbah Board has arrested eight people in Kazaure Local Government Area over alleged homosexual acts, according to the board.
The board’s Public Relations Officer, Dauda Hadejia, disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday, September 26, 2026.
Hadejia said the arrests followed a complaint filed by a 22-year-old man, who alleged that nine individuals had engaged in sexual acts with him on different occasions.
According to the statement, the complainant also claimed that he later contracted HIV, which he attributed to the alleged encounters. He reportedly appealed to the Hisbah authorities for justice, describing the alleged conduct as deceptive and harmful to his life.
Following the complaint, Hadejia said Hisbah operatives launched an investigation and began searching for the nine individuals named by the complainant.
“So far, eight suspects have been arrested, while efforts are ongoing to arrest the remaining suspect,” Hadejia said.
He added that the eight arrested individuals reportedly admitted during preliminary investigations to having engaged in sexual acts with the complainant.
Hadejia said the board had gathered information and evidence that would be presented before a court. He added that the investigation remained ongoing and that the suspects would be charged upon its completion.
The Deputy Commander-General of the Jigawa State Hisbah Board, Dr. Hussain Baban, reportedly urged parents to pay closer attention to their children’s upbringing and the people with whom they associate.
He also called on members of the public to be mindful of the consequences of their actions and to uphold religious and moral values.
The board further expressed appreciation to the Jigawa State Government for its support and cooperation in carrying out its responsibilities.
A newly married couple, Funmilayo Bamidele and her husband, Reverend Abiodun David, have been abducted along the Iyemero-Eruku Road, a border route linking Kwara and Kogi states.
The couple were reportedly returning from their engagement ceremony in Eruku on Saturday evening when armed men intercepted their vehicle and abducted them alongside four other passengers.
According to sources, the vehicle was initially expected to take the Isanlu Road. However, the driver reportedly chose an alternative route to drop off the best man and other members of the group at Iyamoye in Kogi State.
The vehicle was subsequently intercepted by armed men along the Iyemero-Eruku Road, leading to the abduction of all the occupants.
A photograph of the newly abducted couple has since emerged following the incident, while details about the whereabouts of the other passengers remain unclear.
Confirming the incident on Sunday, Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, said soldiers had been deployed to search the surrounding bushes and rescue the victims while also pursuing the suspected kidnappers.
Ojo disclosed that the vehicle used by the victims was later found abandoned at a former police station in Ayetoro, Ekiti State.
He added that police operatives from Kwara, Kogi and Ekiti states were working jointly on the rescue operation because the incident occurred around the border communities of the three states.
Authorities have yet to disclose further details on the identities of the suspected abductors or whether any contact has been established with the victims.
At least five miners have been killed and two others injured after gunmen reportedly ambushed them at a mining site in Plateau State.
The incident occurred at about 1 p.m. on Saturday, September 26, in Marit village, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area.
According to community sources, the miners were carrying out their legitimate activities when they came under attack. The incident has plunged the community into mourning and renewed concerns over the safety of residents in the area.
Confirming the attack, the National Publicity Secretary of the Berom Youth Moulders Association, Rwang Tengwong, said five people lost their lives while two others sustained injuries.
“It is a very sad and painful development. Our people are once again mourning the loss of lives to violence,” Tengwong said, while calling on security agencies to intensify efforts to protect communities and prevent similar incidents.
A community member, Simon Mundat, also described the attack as devastating and appealed to the authorities to strengthen security in the area.
“We are deeply saddened by this attack. We appeal to authorities to strengthen security in the area so that our people can go about their legitimate activities without fear,” he said.
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