Crime
CHRISTMAS: How kidnappers, gunmen scared Igbos away from S’East villages
In a video he made apparently out of frustration, he said: “ Almost 90% of those who returned to Nigeria from abroad for Christmas could not travel to their villages in the South East because of insecurity. The foreign currencies they would have spent with their people are being spent in Lagos hotels. Their village people are even coming to Lagos to see them.
“All these are happening because the people of South East do not want to listen and the ultimate losers are the poor people in the villages. As a result of this ugly development, the economy of South East is going down the drains. As it stands, everything in the South East is in shambles. The Christmas celebration in the South East is total rubbish because people are afraid to go home. It is the people that invited this calamity on themselves and blaming outsiders for their woes”.
Saturday Vanguard discovered that the era of conducting traditional marriages in cities in the South East resurfaced during this Christmas. For instance, a Nigerian from Nsukka in Enugu State who lives abroad and was to get married to a lady from Isiukwuato in Abia State had to perform the ceremony in Enugu city because of insecurity, especially along the Enugu – Okigwe axis. Also, the renewed robbery and touting by government task forces claiming to be generating revenue for the state in Onitsha, Anambra State, scared many people from returning home for Christmas.
In Enugu State, the killings in Ehamufu in Uzo local government area jolted many people and this made them to cancel coming home for Christmas. As a result, many people conducted their annual family meetings via WhatsApp and zoom as they could not meet physically.
Unlike in the past, churches in the major cities in the South East were jam-packed during this Christmas because most people did not travel to the villages.
A critical look at this year’s Christmas season in Imo state showed that generally, people did not return in their villages in numbers as in previous years.
All the respondents, who spoke on the development, were unanimous in their submissions that the level of insecurity in the South East geo-political zone and the poor economic climate in the country, were largely responsible for the non-return of Ndigbo, to their country homes.
A retired banker, Mr. Sylvester Egbe, said: “I must tell you that people, generally did not return to their ancestral homes for this year’s Yuletide as was the case in the previous years.
“Personally, I was called from home on Thursday of the preceding week not to return for Christmas due to palpable insecurity in our area.
“A good example of the heightened insecurity in the state, was the sad assassination of a promising young man, who was given the Labour Party’s House of Assembly ticket, in my local government area, Onuimo.
“He was gruesomely murdered, about two or three Thursdays ago in the night in my town.
“His house and vehicle were completely burnt, while his wife and children were beaten to stupor! Similarly, his neighbour, a welder, was also killed.
“A week prior to this ugly incident, no fewer than four people were killed near Umuna and three days later, people were shot along Umunachi”.
Making particular reference to December 11, 2022, when he was billed to go home for a family meeting, Mr. Egbe said he did not see any vehicle loading opposite the Correctional Centre, Owerri.
“I had to return to my house, sent text messages to people at home and the meeting was cancelled. The level of insecurity became so bad that our yearly town union meeting, held at home every December 26, was suspended due to insecurity.”
Another retired banker, Mr. Cyril Obi, who responded via WhatsApp, said: “Members of my family and I, did not travel home this Christmas. The same is also true of my siblings and members of their families because of economic crunch and security challenges in my area, Awo-Omamma.
“From enquiry, many homes were unoccupied. Those who returned were extremely scanty and very boring for those who made it home.”
Texting a message from his Okwu Emekuku country home, Owerri North local council area of the state, Sir Seth Agukwu said: “Just a few of our people came home for the Christmas. It could be for security reasons or financial issues.”
A former lecturer in Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, AIFCE, Owerri, Dr. Anthony Ekwe, said: “Many people didn’t come home as in the past in my area, Emii, Owerri North local government area. This mainly is due to the economic crunch facing many Nigerians.
Sir Chidi Osuji said that although he spent the Christmas in Port Harcourt, he was not sure of returning to his village for the New Year.
“May be I will look for a very strong disguise that will enable me move about in the village”, Osuji said.
Contributing also to the enquiry, Mr. Chimezie Ugochukwu said that his area was completely empty as “people did not come home for Christmas”.
Ugochukwu said: “My area is completely empty, people did not come home for Christmas. I reached a friend who told me it’s better to manage in the city, since people did not travel much due to the economic situation of the country.”
The National Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Samuel
Anyanwu, blamed the festering insecurity in the South East, on “the absence of love, unity and peace amongst stakeholders in the society”.
According to him, “once members of different political parties begin to see themselves as a people created by one God, the issue of acrimony, rancour and backbiting, will be a thing of the past”.
He described as unfortunate, regrettable and unwholesome, the behavior of some supposed leaders who, he said, “should be in the business of making peace, but end up creating crisis in the society”, and admonished them to turn a new leaf.
In Abia State, the celebration was low key because of insecurity
Although there has been a significant improvement in the security situation in the state especially this Yuletide, not too many people returned to their communities, unlike before due to accumulated fear.
Investigation by Saturday Vanguard revealed that many communities which were a beehive of activities during this time in the previous years, were very dry and empty.
Speaking on the issue, the former General Manager, Abia Line Network Transport, Hon. Ugochukwu Uwaeke, from Isuochi in Umunneochi local government area, said many people did not return home for fear of the unknown.
Recall that Umunneochi has been a hotbed for insecurity in Abia State in the recent times due to the atrocities of suspected herdsmen and bandits.
His words:”People did not return as before principally because of insecurity in our area.”
He, however, noted that there was no incident of insecurity in the area during the festivities, and attributed it to the combined efforts of local vigilante groups and the conventional security agencies.
“There is improved security and the presence of the police and Army. Efforts of our local vigilante, supported by the community and some individuals, are paying off,” he said.
Uwaeke, however, attributed the emptiness of the communities to accumulated fears people had over time about insecurity in the area.
He added: “Due to previous fears, people did not return home as before. Even those who returned have not been moving around as they used to. Everybody is somehow, hiding for fear of the unknown.
“We thank God there was no incident of insecurity in the area this time except in the first week of December, but the military responded promptly, and since then, everywhere has been calm”.
Similarly, Dr Isaac Nkole, from Ndioji Abam Community in Arochukwu LGA, told Saturday Vanguard that the area did also not witness mass return of the people residing abroad due to insecurity.
He noted that, although there was no case of security breach in the area during the festivities, there was fear of attack by herdsmen among locals.
“This is the worst Christmas in Abam. After the clash with herdsmen about three months ago, everybody is being careful and circumspect.
“ There is fear everywhere. Everywhere is dry. APC Government has failed us. It has proven it cannot secure Nigerians.
“ People complain of insecurity and now of hunger. Things have never been this bad”, he agonized,” Nkole said.
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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