Crime
Farmer Beheads two Elders to avenge Parents’ deaths
Ignatius claimed that he carried out the attacks to avenge the deaths of his parents and brother.
The suspect was arrested by the police in the state following the gruesome killings of two prominent elders, identified as 75-year-old Oko Okon and 73-year-old Okon Akpan.
It was gathered that the first victim, Okon, was found dead in his home on May 24, with no immediate clue as to the identity of his killer.
Before residents could recover from the shock, Akpan was also murdered in a similar manner the following day.
The incident, however, reportedly heightened tension in the riverine community and forced many residents to flee their homes and farm settlements.
A source at the State Criminal Investigation Department of the Cross River State Police Command, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment on the matter, said investigations later led detectives to the suspect.
The source said, “It started on May 24, 2026, when he went to the house of Oko Okon in Abanyama, Creek Town, where he met the man sleeping in his room. He strangled and killed the 75-year-old, who lived alone.
He not only killed him but also beheaded him and dumped the body behind the deceased’s house.
“He thereafter took the severed head to his late father’s farm settlement in the same Abanyama community and buried it in a shallow grave.”
The source added that the suspect struck again the following day.
“On May 25, he went to the house of another elder, Okon Akpan, a 73-year-old man in the same community. He entered through the backyard and met the deceased in front of his house around 5:20am.
“He held him from behind and strangled him to death. He thereafter moved the body to his late father’s farm settlement, where he dismembered it and buried the different parts in separate shallow graves,” the source added.
According to the source, the suspect’s alleged crimes were uncovered after members of the community identified him as the person last seen with a mattress belonging to one of the deceased.
Operatives of the homicide section subsequently arrested him while he was allegedly attempting to sell the mattress.
Following his arrest, the suspect reportedly led detectives to several shallow graves where body parts of the victims were exhumed and later deposited at the General Hospital, Creek Town.
In a confessional statement Akaniyene confessed to the killings during interrogation.
“I am a farmer and I am 49 years old. I killed the two elders because they were among the people responsible for the deaths of my brother and my parents in 1999.
“We are from Akwa Ibom State, but my parents had lived in Cross River for many years. I was even born in Abanyama,” he said.
The suspect alleged that the tragedy stemmed from a longstanding family dispute involving his father and two elder brothers, Kokoite and Ekperite.
According to him, his father repeatedly complained to community leaders about the conduct of the two brothers, who were eventually arrested, prosecuted and imprisoned.
He claimed that after their release from prison and despite efforts by the police to restore peace, members of the community allegedly attacked one of the brothers again.
“They shot him and inflicted machete cuts on him. My other brother escaped to Lagos because he feared he would be killed too,” he alleged.
Akaniyene further claimed that the death of his brother devastated his mother, who later died, while his father passed away about a year afterwards.
“After the death of Ekperite, my mother was traumatised. She became very sick and did not survive the agony of losing her son.
“My father died about one year after the death of his wife. He could not bear the pain of losing his son and wife within a short time.
“I was left alone in the village and I vowed to avenge the deaths of my parents and brother, which I eventually did. Though I regret doing it now, it was anger that pushed me to do it,” he said.
Reacting to the incident, the spokesperson for the Cross River State Police Command, Ewa Sunday, said reports linking the suspect to the killing of more than 30 persons remained unverified.
He said, “The unfortunate incident of the alleged serial killer case in Odukpani community quickly spread, with some sources alleging that over 30 bodies were involved in these gruesome acts.
“Our immediate concern is to ensure a thorough, professional and impartial investigation into the alleged incidents in Creek Town.
“While the suspect is currently in custody and has made certain statements during interrogation, these remain subject to verification. The matter is under active investigation.
“We urge the public to remain calm, avoid speculation and allow investigators to do their work. Further developments will be communicated.”
Punch
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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