Gunmen suspected to be cultists shot and killed the zonal commander of a local security outfit codenamed OSPAC in Omoku, the headquarters of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, identified as Ozomela Stephen Nwaocha, on Tuesday evening.

Also killed were three women, including the commander’s sister, who were with him during the attack.

The assailants reportedly attacked the vigilante commander while he was relaxing outside his compound with the women along Oba Road in Omoku.

It was gathered that the killing may have been a reprisal following a violent clash linked to a community dispute.

A source told our correspondent that a youth meeting had been disrupted earlier on Tuesday after armed security personnel and OSPAC members allegedly stormed the venue and opened fire, leaving two youths with gunshot injuries.

Videos of the aftermath of the attack circulating on social media and seen by our correspondent on Wednesday showed multiple casualties, including the three women.

Residents, some believed to be relatives of the victims, were seen crying at the scene, while others carried the injured into a vehicle.

A source told our correspondent that the incident had caused panic in the area, with some residents fleeing to safer locations and business activities disrupted.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter, said, “As I speak to you, many businesses and markets have remained shut since Tuesday.

“Many residents have also fled to neighbouring communities for safety because of fear. There is serious panic here.”

Confirming the incident in a voice note, the Public Relations Officer of OSPAC in Rivers State, Nkem Godknows, said the gunmen attacked the vigilante commander while he was sitting with his sister and her friend near his residence.

Godknows said the incident occurred around 5 p.m. on Tuesday, adding that the three women died instantly after they were hit by the attackers’ bullets.

He further said two other victims sustained gunshot wounds and were rushed to hospital, where they are receiving treatment.

He said, “It was about 5:05 p.m. Our commander was hanging out with his sister and friend around his neighbourhood. Before you know it, the gunmen got there and shot him dead.

“There are three women that died on the spot, while two others are in the hospital with bullet wounds.

“We reported to the police immediately. My call to the people of Omoku and ONELGA in general is that they should remain calm. Nobody should panic.

“By God’s grace, OSPAC and the security agencies are on top of the matter. I also appeal to the government and the security personnel to come to the aid of OSPAC because we are not properly taken care of.

“We are not paid. We have no source of income.”

When contacted on Wednesday afternoon, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Blessing Agabe, confirmed the attack and expressed sadness over the incident, describing it as a setback to the relative peace being enjoyed in the state.

Agabe said the command strongly condemned the attack and reiterated its commitment to ensuring that those responsible are arrested and prosecuted.

She said, “I can confirm the incident. The Rivers State Police Command is saddened by this incident, which has disturbed the relative peace being enjoyed in the state.

“The command condemns this act in its entirety and assures that the perpetrators will be brought to justice.

“The Rivers State Police Command seeks credible information from members of the public that will assist us in our ongoing investigation.”

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Badagry Area Command, has uncovered a suspected fake university operating from a three-bedroom apartment in Ilado, Olorunda Local Council Development Area of Lagos State, rescuing 106 youths allegedly recruited into the scheme.

The command also arrested the alleged proprietor of the institution, who was accused of luring young people from across Nigeria and neighbouring West African countries with promises of admission into a foreign university.

The operation was carried out in the early hours of Monday following days of intelligence gathering and covert surveillance by NSCDC operatives.

According to the corps, the suspected institution was operating without an official name, registration, signboard or recognised campus, while allegedly presenting itself online as a distance-learning centre affiliated with a foreign university.

Students of the fake Lagos university during the raid by NSCDC…Photo Credit: NSCDC
On Monday, the Badagry Area Commander of the NSCDC, Chief Superintendent Gbenga Ekunola, said the raid followed credible intelligence about activities at the apartment.

“We got reliable intelligence about the activities going on there. Our officers monitored the place for days before moving in. We have arrested the proprietor, who is assisting with our investigation, while the students have been taken into our protective custody,” Ekunola said.

Investigations revealed that the rescued youths, mostly between the ages of 19 and 24, came from several Nigerian states, including Kogi, Oyo and some northern states. Others reportedly travelled from neighbouring countries such as Niger, Cameroon and Togo after being recruited online.

Preliminary findings indicated that the victims were persuaded to pay admission and processing fees ranging from ₦200,000 to ₦1.5 million, while some foreign nationals reportedly paid between $400 and $500 after being promised admission into a foreign tertiary institution.

The NSCDC further discovered that the admission offer allegedly came with a recruitment condition requiring participants to bring in more students in exchange for commissions.

Investigators said the arrangement allegedly operated like a Ponzi or chain-marketing scheme, with participants promised increasing financial rewards based on the number of new recruits they brought into the programme.

One of the victims reportedly told investigators that after paying $400, he convinced his brother in Kogi State to enrol and had already started receiving referral commissions.

The command also uncovered another dimension of the operation, alleging that some participants were involved in promoting unidentified products online while earning percentages from product sales and recruitment.

Expressing concern over the incident, Ekunola said many parents were unaware of what their children were actually doing in Badagry.

“We have started contacting their families. One parent told us her child informed the family that he came to Badagry to learn a trade, not to attend a university. That shows many of these parents were completely unaware,” he said.

He said all the rescued youths would be profiled before being reunited with their families after investigations.

The area commander added that anyone found culpable in operating the alleged fake institution would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.

The NSCDC said investigations had been expanded to uncover the full network behind the operation, identify other collaborators and determine whether similar schemes are operating in other parts of the country.

The discovery has renewed concerns over the growing number of fraudulent online admission schemes targeting young Nigerians and foreign nationals seeking opportunities to study abroad.

Minister of Defence, Gen Christopher Musa (retd.), on Tuesday vowed to take legal action against those behind reports of his rumoured resignation, saying he was “shocked” by the reports and had no knowledge of their origin.

“I am not going anywhere. I have never discussed this. I don’t even know who the person is that brought that information.

“But whoever it is, we will take legal action against them,” Musa said after emerging from closed-door talks with President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.

Musa arrived at the Villa at approximately 3pm and departed well after 4pm on Tuesday, amid the swirling rumours about his tenure.

Emerging from the meeting, the minister denied any discussion of resignation and said the reports were the handiwork of people uncomfortable with the administration’s improving security record.

“Whoever it is, we will take legal action against them. I am sure we will get them.

“He will come and explain who gave him such information,” Musa said.

He described the rumours as a deliberate attempt to undercut public confidence in the administration’s security gains.

“We are surprised. I was shocked when I saw that. I don’t know where that came from.

“But you always expect that there will be people who will not be happy when things are going well.

“Security is improving, things are getting better, and for them, that is a sad point. They always want to make it look as if it is not so,” he said.

He said the private meeting with the President was a routine security briefing and that Tinubu had expressed satisfaction with the military’s performance.

According to him, “I just came back from briefing Mr President on the current security situation, and he is very happy with us. We are going to continue doing well.”

He also appealed for continued civilian cooperation with security forces, framing it as indispensable to the campaign against terrorism and banditry.

Musa stated, “I want to seize this opportunity to appreciate Nigerians for all the support.

“The support has been massive. To defeat the terrorists and the bandits is a whole-of-society approach. Nigerians have keyed into it, and things are getting better, and they will continue to improve.”

Musa was nominated as Defence Minister by the President on December 2, 2025, having previously served as Chief of Defence Staff from July 2023.