Crime
Breaking! Missing rifles: Gunmen kill 20, kidnap all male from Community
At least 20 people from the Randa Community in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State were killed after terrorists loyal to notorious terror kingpin, Lawalli Damina, kidnapped the entire male residents of the community over missing rifles.
The rifles were said to belong to two fighters of the terror kingpin who were killed by another gang member after they clashed over a girl in the community.
Randa, which is under Mutumji ward, is in the Dansadau Emirate and sits at the edge of Kuyanbana forest in the ungoverned boundaries with Katsina, Kaduna, Kebbi and Niger states.
It was reported last year September how bandits attacked the Forward Operating Base in Mutumji, killing nine air force personnel, two policemen and one personnel of the Nigerian Army.
The bandits reportedly also stole weapons and other equipment before setting the base ablaze. Since then, the Nigerian government has not redeployed security personnel to the area.
Bandits have imposed a protection levy on residents of the almost 40 communities in the area following the withdrawal of security personnel from the area.
How the latest kidnap happened
A traditional leader in Mutumji, Abdulkadir Abdullahi, told PREMIUM TIMES that Randa has since paid their protection levy and entered a peace truce with the bandit kingpin, Mr Damina, whose fighters have unrestricted control over the community.
Last week a fight broke out among the fighters as they fought over a lady who visited from the Shinkafi area.
Mr Abdullahi said one of the armed bandits identified only as Gora, met two of his colleagues with a lady identified as Zaliha. After a quarrel broke out, Mr Gora withdrew from the community in annoyance. He, however, ambushed his colleagues at the outskirts of the town, while they were returning to the forest. He killed them on the spot and fled.
The rifles of the deceased bandits went missing.
The traditional leader said following the incident, the bandits’ leader, Mr Damina, visited the community and compelled the community members to bury the deceased gunmen according to Islamic teachings.
After the burial rituals, Mr Damina summoned all adult male members to a meeting at a mango plantation on the outskirts of the town, where he demanded the two missing rifles.
“Unknown to the locals the location was surrounded by armed bandits, Mr Damina abducted them after they denied knowledge of the missing rifles, he insisted that the rifles were within the community.
“He abducted over 270 locals from Randa. He said he has forgiven them for the killings of his boys but insisted that the community must bring the missing rifles.
“As I spoke to you now, over 20 people died from suffocation, trauma, and other sicknesses because they were locked up in overstretched structures.
“Some of the abducted persons have died of heart attack after one of them was slaughtered in their presence, others were shot at close range after they denied knowledge of the missing rifles.
“Three of the abducted person have escaped. We have reported the incident to the government authorities but there has been no response from them over the week. Now he (Mr Damina) has placed N60 million for the missing rifles before releasing the abducted locals.
He said the abducted locals are still being held captive while women who were left behind in the Randa community have fled to Dansadau town and other neighbouring places.
The Zamfara State Government is yet to speak on the incident.
The Zamfara State commissioner of Security and Home Affairs, Mamman Tsafe, told our reporter to give him an hour before commenting on the incident. However, hours later he did not respond, and his phone was switched off.
The police spokesperson in the state, Muhammed Shehu, did not respond to phone calls and text messages to comment on the incident.
The troubled area
The Dansadau Emirate alone covers 492 square kilometres out of the 1180 square kilometres of Zamfara State, which is over one-third of the landmass of the state. The area has land suitable for farming and rearing livestock.
Findings revealed that despite the landmass and population of Dansadau Emirate, less than 100 security agents are patrolling selected places in the emirate. The residents said this has exposed them to the terror of the bandits.
Two police officers have been killed after suspected armed herders ambushed the convoy of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Ayilamo, Logo Local Government Area of Benue State.
The latest attack occurred on Monday evening, barely four days after another deadly incident in the community reportedly left four policemen and seven residents dead.
Community sources said the DPO had travelled to Makurdi on official duty and was returning to Ayilamo when his entourage came under attack.
One of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the victims were among newly deployed Mobile Police officers stationed in the area.
He said the officers were attacked at about 6pm while travelling from Ayilamo to escort the DPO back to the community from Makurdi.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, DSP Peter Aondongu, said two officers attached to the DPO’s entourage were killed in the attack.
“The DPO came to Makurdi to collect some things, and while returning to Ayilamo, he was attacked and lost two of his men in the attack,” Aondongu said.
The latest incident has raised fresh concerns over the security situation in Ayilamo, where repeated attacks have resulted in casualties among security personnel and residents.
The Nigeria Police Force has placed its formations nationwide on red alert following intelligence reports of planned terrorist attacks on worship centres, schools, NYSC orientation camps and other public places.
The alert followed fresh intelligence indicating increased mobilisation of terrorist elements for possible coordinated attacks on vulnerable targets across the country.
Police authorities also reportedly received intelligence on the movement of armed elements from Katsina through Kaduna towards Plateau State.
The operational order was contained in a police wireless message dated September 13, 2026, with reference number CB: 0900/FDPS/DOPS/FHQ/ABJ/VOL38/68, issued by the Department of Operations at Force Headquarters, Abuja.
Marked “Security General” and tagged “Treat as Very Important,” the message was circulated to Assistant Inspectors-General of Police overseeing Zones 1–17, Mobile Police formations, counter-terrorism and other specialised units, as well as Commissioners of Police in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The police directed formations to intensify vigilance and take proactive measures to prevent criminal and terrorist elements from carrying out attacks.
The warning specifically highlighted places of worship, educational institutions, NYSC orientation camps and other vulnerable public locations as potential targets.
A 16-year-old boy, Favour Ayogu, who was allegedly abducted in Igboeze South Local Government Area of Enugu State, has been rescued in Onitsha, Anambra State, after his abductors reportedly abandoned him near a security checkpoint.
Ayogu was rescued on the evening of September 13, 2026, by a joint security patrol team operating along Oguta Road, Onitsha.
According to the Anambra State Police Command, the teenager was found at Ekene Junction after unidentified persons reportedly pushed him out of a black Toyota Highlander SUV close to a security checkpoint.
The patrol team immediately intervened and rescued the victim, thereby preventing what the police described as further danger to his life.
Following the rescue, the Command said it had intensified surveillance and intelligence-led operations to identify and apprehend members of the suspected criminal gang responsible for the abduction.
The police also appealed to residents of Igboeze South and Ibagwa-Aka in Enugu State who may have useful information about Ayogu or his family to contact the nearest police station or the Anambra State Police Command in Awka.
The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, commended the security personnel involved in the rescue and directed officers to sustain strategic checkpoints, intelligence-led patrols and coordinated security operations across the state.
The Command assured residents and visitors that it would continue to intensify efforts to prevent criminal elements from using Anambra as a safe haven.
At least nine passengers have been killed after gunmen opened fire on a commercial bus at Dungus Junction in Kuru community, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The attack reportedly occurred around 9:40 p.m. when the bus, which was travelling towards Jos, stopped at the junction to drop off some passengers.
Several other passengers were reportedly injured in the attack and rushed to hospitals for treatment.
Lawan Suleiman, a neighbour and teacher of one of the victims, identified the driver as Ibrahim and said three of the victims were from his community in Bukuru.
“The driver is Ibrahim and he was my student. Three of them are from our community here in Bukuru. Their bodies have been deposited at the hospital. But relatives are preparing to collect them for burial,” Suleiman said.
The bus was reportedly riddled with bullets, with bloodstains visible inside the vehicle after the attack.
Rwang Tengwong, spokesman for the Berom Youth Moulders (BYM), also confirmed the incident, saying the victims were passengers travelling to Jos when the attackers opened fire on the vehicle.
Tengwong said one of those killed was a member of Operation Rainbow.
“The incident happened around 9.40 p.m. The victims were all passengers travelling to Jos when the terrorists opened fire on the vehicle. Among those killed was a member of Operation Rainbow. It is a very sad development and we lament the loss of lives,” he said.
He added that some passengers sustained gunshot injuries and were taken to hospitals, while some of the injured reportedly later died.
The attack has raised fresh concerns over the safety of commuters travelling along the route at night amid continuing security challenges in parts of Plateau State.
As of the time of filing this report, the Plateau State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
The Enugu State Police Command has ordered an investigation into two separate incidents of alleged disruption of political gatherings in Nkanu West Local Government Area of the state.
The incidents reportedly occurred on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at Ndiuno-Obuoffia community and St. Joseph Primary School, Agbani.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Command’s spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, said the Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to thoroughly investigate the incidents and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
According to the statement, armed hoodlums allegedly disrupted a National Democratic Congress (NDC) ward meeting at Ndiuno-Obuoffia with sporadic gunshots, leaving two attendees injured.
In a separate incident at St. Joseph Primary School, Agbani, hoodlums allegedly destroyed canopies and chairs arranged for a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rally.
The police said operatives were promptly deployed to both locations after receiving reports of the incidents to prevent further breaches of peace and track down the fleeing suspects.
The Command, however, noted that neither of the political gatherings had been formally brought to the attention of the police for security coverage.
CP Giwa reiterated his warning that all political activities in the state must be conducted peacefully and in accordance with the law.
He stressed that electoral offences are punishable under the law and warned political parties, candidates, supporters and other stakeholders against violence, intimidation, destruction of property and other acts capable of disrupting public peace or the electoral process.
The Commissioner urged political parties and other stakeholders to notify the police ahead of campaigns, meetings, rallies and other political gatherings to enable the Command to make adequate security arrangements.
He assured residents that the police would continue to maintain a peaceful and secure environment for lawful political activities while dealing decisively with anyone found violating the law.
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