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
Gunmen have abducted the All Progressives Congress Chairman of Rogo Local Government Area of Kano State, Alhaji Abdullahi Fanka, killing two people during the attack.
The incident occurred around 11pm on Monday when the gunmen invaded the community and opened sporadic gunfire, forcing residents to flee their homes.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the two victims were killed while attempting to prevent the gunmen from abducting Fanka.
“The two people killed couldn’t stop them from whisking away the party chairman because they were in possession of sophisticated weapons,” the resident said.
The latest incident occurred barely 24 hours after gunmen attacked Rantan community in Bebeji Local Government Area, killing the APC Chairman of Rantan Ward, Alhaji Garba Buba, and another resident identified as Sulaiman Zunduma.
The Kano State Police Command has launched an investigation into the Rantan attack and commenced efforts to apprehend the perpetrators.
The attacks followed another incident in Chiromawa community in Garun Mallam Local Government Area, where suspected bandits abducted the Sarkin Noman Kano, Alhaji Yusif Nadabo, on Saturday night.
Nadabo was later rescued by the police following a joint response by security operatives and residents. Three residents were reportedly injured during the operation.
The three incidents occurred in neighbouring parts of Kano State within about 72 hours, heightening concerns over the spread of kidnapping and armed attacks across the state.
The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Muhammad Matawalle, had on Monday announced that the Federal Government was developing a five-year defence and security plan in response to recent security challenges, including the attacks in Kano.
As of the time of filing the report, attempts to obtain an update from the Kano State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, were unsuccessful. Calls to his telephone were unanswered, while a WhatsApp message sent to him had not received a response.
The Nigerian military has confirmed the rescue of 21 kidnapped victims, including 15 members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), in Kogi State.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Michael Onoja, disclosed this on Monday while giving an update on military operations across the country.
Onoja said the victims, comprising eight males and 13 females, were rescued from the Egume-Ochaja forest stretch in the 2 Division area of operation.
He said 15 of the rescued victims were NYSC members who were among those abducted last week while travelling from Abuja to Bayelsa State.
The director said the military had also sustained operations against terrorists and criminal elements, particularly in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, following recent abductions in the area.
He said troops were collaborating with other security agencies and state government institutions through intelligence sharing and identification of areas requiring security intervention.
Onoja cited the rescue of 308 abducted persons, predominantly women and children, from Kainji Lake National Park on Aug. 5 as evidence of the security forces’ capacity to locate and rescue victims.
He assured residents of Borgu and neighbouring communities that military operations would continue until threats posed by terrorists and criminals were sufficiently degraded.
The general urged families of abducted persons to remain calm and avoid actions that could compromise ongoing rescue operations, stressing that credible information remained vital to the efforts of the security agencies.
He said the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, remained committed to rescuing abducted persons, protecting civilians and facilitating the return of internally displaced persons to their communities.
Giving an account of military operations in August, Onoja said troops neutralised more than 332 terrorists and criminals, arrested 373 others and rescued 610 kidnapped victims.
He added that 201 terrorists surrendered to the troops, while 88 arms and 2,077 rounds of ammunition were recovered during the month.
The military, according to him, also recovered 686,800 litres of stolen crude oil products and destroyed 21 illegal refining sites as part of efforts to tackle oil theft and economic sabotage.
Onoja attributed the operational gains to intensified kinetic and non-kinetic operations, improved intelligence gathering and enhanced collaboration among security agencies.
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has disclosed that more than 40 personnel of the commission have been dismissed over alleged corruption and financial misconduct in the last three years.
Olukoyede made the disclosure in Abuja during a media interaction to mark his third year in office as EFCC chairman.
He also revealed that about five other officials were currently facing prosecution for alleged corrupt practices, while case files involving some others were being prepared for prosecution.
According to him, the disciplinary measures were part of efforts to ensure that EFCC personnel are held to the same accountability standards the commission applies to members of the public investigated for financial crimes.
Olukoyede stressed that officers fighting corruption must maintain personal integrity and remain above reproach.
“You must be sure that your hands are clean. You can’t be fighting corruption when your hands are soiled with corrupt practices,” he said.
Three persons were reportedly shot dead in separate incidents in Awka, the Anambra State capital, on Sunday, in attacks suspected to have been carried out by cultists.
The first incident occurred in the densely populated Amaenyi area of Awka, where two men were reportedly shot dead.
The attack triggered panic and a stampede, during which several people were said to have sustained injuries.
The second incident occurred on SM Okeke Street, where a popular comedian and town crier in Awka, Mr Aiza Nwosu, was shot dead by suspected cultists.
Sources said Nwosu was allegedly monitored and trailed by his assailants from his residence before they attacked him.
Nwosu was well known in Awka as a comedian and town crier. He usually carried out his duties with a Hilux truck fitted with loudspeakers, driving around the city while playing loud music and making public announcements.
According to reports by Daily Post, Nwosu was driving along SM Okeke Street with his music blaring when the assailants, who were reportedly trailing him in a Toyota Corolla with tinted windows, opened fire on him.
He reportedly died inside his vehicle while the music continued to play. The vehicle subsequently veered off the road and landed in a ditch, suggesting that he may have been caught completely unaware by the attack.
While residents who knew Nwosu described him as having no history of cult membership, some sources alleged that his son was a known member of the Vikings Confraternity.
Awka has for years been associated with violent clashes involving rival cult groups, with several lives reportedly lost in such confrontations.
The latest incidents have raised fears of a possible resurgence of cult-related violence in the city.
As of the time of filing this report, the Anambra State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement on the killings.
Residents have called for increased security surveillance and swift investigation to prevent further violence and identify those responsible for the attacks.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
The Anambra Joint Task Force on Security has arrested nine suspected gunmen and recovered two vehicles, three firearms and other items during a stop-and-search operation in Isuofia, Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The suspects, comprising seven males and two females, were arrested in the early hours of Friday, August 28, 2026, when security operatives intercepted two vehicles at a checkpoint in the community.
The operation was led by the Chief Superintendent of Police, CSP Austin Elaigwu, in collaboration with personnel of the Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Army, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Immigration Service and operatives of the Agunechemba Security Outfit.
The vehicles, a custom-coloured Toyota Sienna and an ash-coloured Toyota RAV4, were subjected to a thorough search following their interception.
Security operatives subsequently recovered three AK-47 rifles, one pump-action gun, charms and other items considered relevant to the ongoing investigation.
The suspects and the recovered items were immediately taken into custody for questioning and further investigation.
During preliminary interrogation, the suspects reportedly claimed to be security operatives based in a neighbouring state.
However, they allegedly failed to provide satisfactory explanations regarding their identities, affiliations, possession of the firearms and the purpose of their movement into Anambra State.
The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, psc, mnips, commended the operatives for the successful operation.
He urged them to remain vigilant, noting that the recovery was the result of intelligence-led policing and effective stop-and-search operations.
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