Crime
Borno missing children rise as Boko Haram steps up recruitment
Some residents who spoke on Sunday recounted the agony of their missing loved ones and expressed the fear that the rise in child disappearance cases in the state may be linked to insurgent recruitment efforts.
The development comes as the #BringBackOurGirls movement renewed calls for the Nigerian government to release the findings of the fact-finding committee on the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction.
With 78 girls still unaccounted for more than a decade later, the group urged transparency and accountability in the search for those still missing.
A video of a boy, around 10 years old, confessing to undergoing arms training along with approximately 30 other yet-to-be-identified children in a forest near Ajiri in Mafa Local Government Area of Borno State, went viral on social media at the weekend.
The video, posted by Zagazola Makama on X and reportedly recorded on January 22, 2025, captured the boy demonstrating his knowledge of handling firearms.
He confessed that he and other children of similar age were receiving military drills deep inside the forest.
“They are training us on weapons handling. Ali Shehu, Umar, Alhaji, and Malam Oro are the ones training us. We are at least 20 to 30. We are all young boys; some are bigger than me, while I am older than some of them,” the boy stated.
To support his claims, the child was handed an AK-47 rifle, which he expertly stripped and reassembled with near-perfect precision.
He also unloaded and reloaded a magazine, displaying an alarming level of proficiency in handling the weapon.
Some of the residents lamented the increasing rate of missing children in the state, an occurrence they alleged might be connected with the trending video.
One of the residents and a mother of two in Mafa, a location close to the Ajiri forest allegedly said to be the camping area for the children, Aisha Ali, confirmed the disappearance of her six-year-old child for over three years without trace.
“Around February 2022, my last born, Mustapha went missing. At the time, he was just six years old. It was during the late evening. All of a sudden, his whereabouts could not be traced, the last thing I remembered was seeing him eating while I was going to a friend’s place around 3 pm.”
She added, “Upon my return, I learnt he stepped out. We searched and searched. Just like a joke, we could not find him again. In fact, we just concluded he is dead because his whereabouts remain a mystery we can’t explain.”
Another resident in Maiduguri, the state capital, Muhammad Mamman, expressed concern as he narrated a recent experience.
“Around early last year, my brother lost his child, not that the baby girl died. She was just four years or so at the time. She just went missing. We immediately announced on the radio, yet she was nowhere to be found to date. Either dead or alive, we can’t explain,” he said.
To corroborate these experiences, an announcer in one of the popular radio stations in Borno State, who pleaded not to be identified because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said in two weeks, at least one announcement on a missing child would be made.
“We have always announced cases of missing children. I can say at least we see such cases once every two weeks. This is alarming,” he said.
Other residents called on the government for immediate action, by combing the surrounding forests for missing children.
“With that video, security agencies must rise to the task. These places are not unknown. It may and may not, but we can’t continue to hear cases of missing children on local radio and a boy came out to say that he and others have been camped in a forest receiving training, yet the government will be comfortable,” Umar Abdulrahman, a resident said.
When contacted, the state police command said there had been at least one reported case of missing children every week in the state.
In an interview, the spokesperson of the command, Nahum Daso, said many such cases had been resolved in the past with a few still ongoing.
“Yes, there have always been cases of missing children. In aggregate, we can say at least one per week.
“Often, we do get the children back. I don’t have the current statistics with me, but we have reunited many missing children with their families.
Reacting to the video, Daso dismissed the recency of the claims, saying the act of using children as foot soldiers was in the past.
“You know, some of these clips are mostly old ones. From us, we don’t have any threat in regards to maybe children being used as child soldiers, but it used to be in the past. For over a decade, we have not recorded any cases like that,” he said.
Also reacting, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Brig Gen Abdullahi Sabi Ishaq (retd.), said such operations were usually perpetrated by members of the Islamic State of West Africa.
“What you saw on that video is not part of the known activities of Boko Haram. That is the trademark of ISWAP.
“They take small almajiri children who are suffering and malnourished, get them to the bush, feed them and take care of them before training and turning them into combatants.
“Does that boy look malnourished? No. It is the evidence of good living they are having there,” he said.
When asked how the state government would address the claims by the suspect that other children were still undergoing training, he said, “You know, the war is still on and the state is using the non-kinetic model while the army is carrying out operations.
“We must acknowledge that the army is doing its best. However, I must tell you that one thing the army is seriously considering is the issue of collateral damage.
“If the Air Force visits these locations and detonates bombs, considering the little children there, the whole of Nigeria will rise and say that they have burned children. So these are some of the challenges.
“As for us, we rely on the army for this type of operation. Our Civilian Joint Task Force cannot handle it, especially as it concerns ISWAP. We relied more on military strength,” he added.
Highlighting the challenges to tackling the uprising, he said the use of traditional methods in fighting the insurgency was a serious setback.
“War is no longer fought as it was in the olden days. There is a need for technology that will prevent the soldiers from moving about in the bushes with legs and vehicles, to minimise casualties,” he added.
In a statement issued on Sunday and signed by its spokesperson, Jeff Okoroafor, the #BringBackOurGirls movement criticised successive governments for withholding the report on the abducted Chibok girls.
“The #BringBackOurGirls movement wishes to remind President Bola Tinubu’s administration of its constitutional duty to protect all citizens.
“To this effect, the administration has a duty to provide an account of the status of the rescue of the remaining Chibok girls to their families and the Nigerian people.
“We reiterate the importance of bringing closure for the families of the remaining 78 missing school children.
“Critically, the Tinubu administration has, like their predecessors, failed to release the Sabo fact-finding committee report, despite our movement’s request including through an FoI process,” the statement read.
The group recalled that on the night of April 14, 2014, 276 schoolgirls were abducted by terrorists from Government Secondary School, Chibok, in Borno State.
Following global outrage and mounting pressure, then-President Goodluck Jonathan set up the Sabo committee on May 6, 2014, to investigate the incident.
The committee’s report, submitted on June 20, 2014, confirmed the abduction, noting that while 57 girls escaped, 219 remained missing at the time.
More than a decade later, BBOG reported that 141 of the originally missing girls had regained freedom, with many resuming their education.
It, however, said 78 girls remained unaccounted for, with concerns that some may have been assimilated into terrorist enclaves.
Okoroafor also urged citizens to join the BBOG to demand comprehensive public disclosure of the tragedy and release of all investigations conducted into the abduction of the Chibok girls on April 14, 2014.
Posters bearing the photographs of seven teachers and 39 pupils and students allegedly kidnapped from Community High School, Ahoro-Esinle, and Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State have appeared across several cities and communities in the state.
The posters revealed that one of the abducted teachers, Mr. Michael Oteodokun, was reportedly killed while in captivity.
The abducted teachers were identified as Mrs. Alamu Folawe, Mr. Ojo Jonathan, Mr. Olatunde Zacchaeus, Mr. John Olaleye, Mr. Michael Oteodokun, Mrs. Oladeji and Mrs. Mary Akanbi.
Also listed on the posters are 39 abducted pupils and students, including Rashida Tajudeen (11), Ahmed Ramoni (8), Abdulsalam Toyib (4), Baraka Abioye (16), Fatimo Jimoh (15), Hassan Azeez (14), Joshua Adeleke (13), Samuel Oyedele (7), Emmanuel Oyedele (4), Idowu Taiwo (4), Christianah Akanbi (2), Juwon Sunday (7), Sikiru Salami (3), Soliu Salami (4), Ojo Joseph (8), Lydia Adewole (8), Testimony Jacob (5), Kehinde Kadosara (7), Sewa Seyi (7), Waliya Bello (4), Lydia Olohunoluwa (7), Damilare Obeirinde (8), Deborah Adebowale (5), Aisha Oguntowo (10), Lege Taiwo (12), Balkis Ayanwale (8), Asa David (10), Shuaibu Aliyu (10), Ahmed Aliyu (7), Muiz Aliyu (5), Jomiloju Ogunlola (6), Agune Ndah (8), Elizabeth Abadi (5), Tosin Abadi (9), Pius Stephen (5), Hannah Ojo (14), Habiday Ayanwale (7), Mary Gabriel (6) and Jacob Gabriel.
According to information contained on the posters, the victims were abducted on May 23, 2025, during an attack on the two schools.
The posters carried the message: “Our teachers. Our children. Our future. They must all come home.”
They also appealed to government authorities, security agencies and members of the public to intensify efforts toward securing the safe return of the victims.
The campaign further called for unity, prayers and collective action, stressing that the safety and wellbeing of children remain non-negotiable.
It, however, called for intensified rescue operations to secure the release of victims abducted during the attack.
This resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by the lawmaker representing Oriire State Constituency, Johnson Ogundele, during plenary, shortly after the House resumed from the Eid-el-Kabir (Sallah) recess.
The motion highlighted growing insecurity in parts of the Oriire Local Government Area of the state.
Presenting the motion, Ogundele recounted the May 15 attack on Ahoro-Esienle, Oyo and Yawota communities, where bandits invaded during school hours, killing a teacher, a student and an okada rider, while abducting dozens of students, pupils and teachers.
The lawmaker expressed concern over the recurring attacks in the area, saying “Oriire had witnessed increasing bandit activities since January, including the attack on the National Park Service office at Oloka village, where five forest guards were killed.
“Let me use this period to call on Governor Seyi Makinde for his swift response, deployment of security operatives, rescue efforts and personal visit to the affected communities.
“I want to equally urge the state government to intensify support for security agencies and establish a permanent military base within and around vulnerable communities and forest corridors in the area.”
The Assembly also called on the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the State Universal Basic Education Board to immediately conduct security audits of schools located near forests and border settlements across the state.
It said, “The Assembly also urges the government to expedite the installation of solar-powered security lights, perimeter fencing and CCTV cameras in vulnerable schools and to develop a comprehensive Safe School Emergency Response Protocol for public and private schools across Oyo.
“The Assembly equally rejects suggestions and calls that the State Government should negotiate with the bandits who abducted teachers and students during the coordinated attack at the community in Oriire Local Government Area of the state, on Friday, May 15, 2026.”
Seconding the motion, the Majority Leader, Sanjo Adedoyin (Ogbomoso South), renewed calls for the establishment of state police, urging the Federal Government to remove all obstacles delaying its creation.
Adedoyin said the recent rescue operations exposed the challenges conventional security agencies face while navigating dense forests, forcing them to rely heavily on local vigilantes and operatives of the state Western Nigeria Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun Corps, to penetrate difficult terrains.
He argued that the security realities confronting states had further justified the need for state police and urged the Federal Government to expedite action on the initiative.
Contributing to the debate, Olubisi Oluranti (Ogbomoso North) commended the efforts of Governor Makinde and security agencies but stressed the need for increased deployment of personnel to vulnerable communities to prevent future attacks.
Also, Gbenga Oyekola (Atiba) blamed part of the security challenge on poor management of the expansive forest reserve owned and maintained by the Federal Government.
He lamented that despite the vast forest stretching across several parts of Oyo State and neighbouring states, security presence within the reserve remained inadequate.
Oyekola further expressed concern that despite reports of mining activities in parts of the forest, including sightings of helicopters landing and departing from the area, adequate security measures had not been put in place to protect residents and legitimate operators.
Also speaking, Babajide Gabriel (Ibadan North II) called for far-reaching structural reforms of Nigeria’s security architecture.
He recalled Makinde’s previous concerns about the limitations faced by governors who are constitutionally regarded as chief security officers of their states but lack direct control over security agencies.
Gabriel appealed to the governor to recruit more personnel into the Amotekun Corps to strengthen local security operations and condemned attempts by some individuals to politicise the insecurity situation for partisan gains.
He urged all stakeholders to approach the challenge collectively, stressing that insecurity had become a national concern requiring unified action.
Dawood Olalere (Ibadan North-West) observed that kidnapping had evolved beyond forest-based criminality and was increasingly affecting urban and semi-urban communities.
He cited the reported abduction of the sister of former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, and her two sons earlier on Wednesday as evidence of the widening threat posed by kidnappers.
Olalere called for better equipment and improved weaponry for Amotekun operatives, arguing that personnel armed with locally fabricated weapons could not effectively confront heavily armed criminal gangs operating in forests and remote locations.
The House subsequently adopted several resolutions, including a call on the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Defence and relevant agencies, to establish a permanent military base in Oriire LGA.
Lawmakers also urged the Oyo State Emergency Management Agency to provide trauma counselling, psychosocial support and relief materials to affected families, while calling on traditional rulers, community leaders and local government authorities to strengthen intelligence gathering and community policing initiatives.
The Assembly further directed its Committee on Security and Strategy to undertake an oversight visit to Oriire LGA to assess the security situation, engage stakeholders and recommend urgent legislative interventions.
In his remarks, Speaker of the House, Adebo Ogundoyin, firmly “dismissed calls for the state government to negotiate with terrorists and kidnappers,” warning that “such a move could embolden criminal elements and encourage further attacks.”
While acknowledging the frustration, anxiety and impatience of families whose loved ones remained in captivity, the Speaker urged residents to continue supporting security agencies and the state government in ongoing rescue efforts.
Ogundoyin maintained that negotiating with terrorists would send the wrong signal and potentially strengthen criminal networks, insisting that the focus should remain on sustained security operations, intelligence gathering and coordinated rescue missions aimed at securing the safe release of all victims.
He, therefore, reaffirmed the Assembly’s commitment to supporting measures that would strengthen security across Oyo and prevent a recurrence of attacks on schools and communities.
A High Court sitting in Nnewi, Anambra State, has convicted two men, Chidozie Obinna and Ifeanyi Onyido, for criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, and causing grievous harm to a businessman, Chief Lawrence Ezeifeka.
Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Justice Vincent Agbata of the Nnewi Judicial Division found the defendants guilty and sentenced them to death by hanging.
Obinna, the first defendant, was convicted and sentenced in absentia after allegedly absconding while on bail during the trial.
The court heard that the convicts, alongside other members of their gang who are still at large, attacked Ezeifeka at his residence in Ekwulumili, Nnewi South Local Government Area, on December 12, 2020.
According to the prosecution, the assailants assaulted the victim, threw him from the first floor of his building, and abducted him to an unknown location. He was held captive for four days before regaining his freedom after his family paid a ransom of N7.5 million.
The prosecution further told the court that operatives of the Anambra State Police Command, working in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS), tracked and arrested the defendants.
Lead prosecuting counsel, Mrs. Mary Ukaekwe-Onyeaharam, urged the court to continue Obinna’s trial in absentia following his disappearance while on bail. She relied on provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Anambra State, 2022, and the Anambra State Practice Direction for Criminal Matters, 2023.
Four prosecution witnesses testified during the trial, including the victim, the Secretary of Ekwulumili Town Union, the victim’s son who delivered the ransom, and the investigating police officer.
In his defence, Onyido denied involvement in the crime and claimed that he was also a victim of kidnapping. However, Justice Agbata held that evidence before the court showed that Onyido received part of the ransom and failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for the funds.
The judge ruled that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, noting that the evidence presented was neither effectively challenged nor contradicted by the defence.
Consequently, the court convicted and sentenced both defendants for their roles in the offences.
(NAN)
Senior police sources confirmed on Wednesday that operatives of the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT) are probing allegations of database misuse, cyber-related offences and the unauthorised disclosure of sensitive national documents belonging to INEC.
As part of the investigation, an INEC electoral officer, whose identity has not been disclosed, has been taken into custody, while Lere Olayinka, media aide to the FCT Minister, was questioned by investigators on Tuesday at the Police Headquarters in Abuja.
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The probe followed a petition reportedly filed on behalf of INEC, alleging criminal conspiracy, cyber intimidation and the unlawful release of classified electoral records.
The controversy arose after Olayinka shared screenshots on social media purportedly showing details of a voter registration transfer involving Nollywood actor and politician, Emeka Ike, from Imo State to the Federal Capital Territory.
The post, which came amid questions surrounding Ike’s eligibility to contest a House of Representatives seat in the FCT following his criticism of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) primary process, triggered widespread reactions.
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Many Nigerians questioned how the information was obtained, alleging that it could only have come from INEC’s restricted voter registration database.
Responding to the controversy on Tuesday, INEC denied reports of a breach or hacking of its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database, insisting that the disclosure resulted from the misuse of legitimate internal access credentials by an authorised official.
Investigations revealed that the detained electoral officer allegedly initiated contact with Olayinka through Facebook Messenger before forwarding voter registration documents to him via WhatsApp.
The documents were reportedly intended to show that Emeka Ike’s voter transfer request had recently been initiated and had not yet received final approval.
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During his interrogation, Olayinka reportedly told investigators that he had no prior relationship with the INEC official and was unaware that the documents shared with him were classified.
Sources said he maintained that the electoral officer did not indicate that the information was confidential or restricted.
Meanwhile, the Department of State Services (DSS) has also launched a parallel investigation into the circumstances surrounding the disclosure of the voter information.
Police authorities are said to be considering possible charges against both the INEC official and Olayinka, including criminal conspiracy, cyber-related offences, unlawful disclosure of classified information and actions capable of causing a breach of public peace.
Vanguard
The Enugu State Police Command has recorded another major breakthrough in its ongoing crackdown on violent crimes, foiling a kidnapping attempt and neutralising two suspected criminals in separate operations across the state.
Police spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed in a statement on Tuesday that the operations led to the recovery of an AK-47 rifle, a Beretta pistol, a locally fabricated double-barrelled pistol, 30 rounds of live ammunition, a live cartridge, mobile phones and other incriminating exhibits.
According to the statement, the first operation occurred on May 30, 2026, at about 8:30 p.m. following intelligence reports that a gang of about five armed men was attempting to kidnap a resident along the Nowas–Abakpa Road axis in Enugu.
Operatives attached to the Trans-Ekulu Division, working alongside members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group, swiftly responded to the distress call and engaged the suspects in a gun duel after the criminals reportedly opened fire on the security team.
One of the suspects was fatally wounded during the exchange and later confirmed dead at a hospital, while other members of the gang escaped with suspected gunshot injuries.
Items recovered from the neutralised suspect included an AK-47 rifle, two magazines loaded with 30 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition and two mobile phones. Subsequent intelligence-led operations by the Anti-Kidnapping Sub-Unit of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) also led to the recovery of a Beretta pistol linked to the gang.
In a separate incident later that same day at about 9:19 p.m., police operatives attached to the Amechi-Idodo Division responded to reports of an armed robbery attack at a residence in Owo Community, Nkanu East Local Government Area.
The suspects were said to have invaded the home of a male resident and dispossessed him of personal belongings before police and members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group arrived at the scene.
Upon sighting the operatives, the robbers allegedly opened fire, prompting a gun battle during which one of the suspects was neutralised. Other gang members fled with suspected gunshot wounds.
Security operatives recovered a locally made double-barrelled pistol loaded with one live cartridge from the deceased suspect.
The Command said efforts have been intensified to track down and arrest the fleeing suspects, while investigations into both incidents continue.
Commending the operatives and members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group for their courage and professionalism, the Commissioner of Police, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property.
He also urged residents to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to strengthen security and public safety across the state.
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