Crime
Gunmen attack Monarch’s palace, kill 3, abduct others
While Col. Mande, a former minister of environment under Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration was not in the house, Emir Bunu was in the palace when the bandits launched the attack, Daily Trust learnt.
During the attack, the bandits also destroyed a GSM mast and burnt two generating sets located adjacent the emir’s palace.
A resident of the town who pleaded anonymity, told our reporter that upon their arrival in the town, the bandits went straight to the emir’s place and opened fire at the entrance gate in their efforts to gain access.
He said: “Gladly, the gate was locked, otherwise they would have gained access into the palace and probably reached the emir’s apartment. He was the main target because they attempted to kidnap him not long ago.
“In fact, he just returned to the town on Monday after the first attempt to kidnap him failed. The emir was silently moved to the state capital, Gusau, where he spent a week there,” the source said.
Another resident, who also did not want to be named, said when the bandits failed to gain access to the palace, they moved to the residence of the former military administrator and fired several shots at the gate, thereby damaging it.
“On their way out of the town, they killed three people and abducted some others. We don’t know the number of people abducted because when the bandits started the shooting, residents ran into the bush for safety.
“No one dared stay back when the bandits were firing shots. The magnitude of the gunshots was scary, hence, we all ran into the bush for our dear lives.
“We are calling on the government to provide enough soldiers to the town because the bandits may return again since they know the emir is in town. All they want is to abduct the emir and we don’t know why they want to kidnap him,” the resident said.
Another resident, Muhammad Inuwa said he was planning to relocate his family to Gusau as he could not endure the trauma the residents were going through due to attacks by armed bandits.
He said: “I am tired…We are struggling to cope with the economic situation and at the same time battling with banditry. The burden is too much for us to shoulder. I cannot bear it anymore.
“I am contemplating relocating my family to Gusau. At least, if they are in the state capital I can have peace of mind and concentrate on my menial job,” he said.
A father of six, Inuwa, also called on governments to come to their aid by providing them with adequate security personnel that would protect their lives and properties.
Police confirm attack
The Commissioner of Police in Zamfara, Muhammad Shehu Dalijan, confirmed the attack but said he was not aware that some people were killed.
CP Dalijan, however, admitted that one of the staff of Zurmi emir’s palace was abducted by the bandits.
“He was not abducted in the palace as being speculated. Rather, he was abducted somewhere within the town.
“I can only confirm the abduction of one person and the burning of GSM service mast,” he said.
Daily Trust reliably gathered that three people: Sarkin Gida of Zurmi Emirate, Alhaji Yusuf Buhari; a local tea seller whose shop is close to the palace and one other person were those abducted by the bandits during the attack.
A relation, who preferred not to be named, said, “Sarkin Gida was not so lucky. He was coming out from the palace when the bandits started firing at the gate. So, when he started running, the bandits shouted at him and asked him to stop.
“They warned him that even if he entered his house, they would follow him inside and abduct him. So, he stopped and they kidnapped him along with the tea seller and one other person,” he said.
It was further learnt that although the bandits did not gain access into the palace, they looted all the properties in the emir’s family house also located adjacent the palace.
Another palace source, who pleaded anonymity, said the attack had shaken the entire members of the royal family, as according to him, “Our concern is the safety of the emir. It appears this time around the bandits wanted to embarrass the entire traditional institution. We will continue praying against them.
“Although we have not received additional security operatives, the personnel of the state-owned Community Protection Guard (CPG) and members of the vigilante group have been mobilised to the palace to protect the emir.”
Daily Trust recalls that Wednesday’s attack on the palace was the second of its kind in Zamfara State, as the palace of Emir of Maru, Alhaji Abubakar Gado Maigari, was also attacked by bandits last year.
During the attack, a policeman and a physically challenged person were killed by the bandits.
Daily Trust
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.
The Sokoto State Police Command has confirmed the death of a man who was allegedly stabbed by a suspected attacker after Friday prayers in Sokoto.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Rufa’i Ahmad, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday that the deceased was among those involved in the incident that followed the stabbing of prominent Islamic cleric, Malam Musa Lukuwa.
According to Ahmad, the suspect used a knife to stab Lukuwa in the stomach immediately after the Jumu’at congregation.
He said the suspect was subsequently killed by a mob, while Lukuwa was rushed to Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), where he is receiving treatment.
The PPRO added that no arrest had been made in connection with the incident, saying the situation was under control and urging residents to remain calm and law-abiding.
The incident reportedly followed allegations that Lukuwa made remarks considered blasphemous against Prophet Muhammad, which had generated anger among some Muslim faithful.
A Sokoto-based gangster, Dahiru Maibarewa, had also reportedly threatened to kill Lukuwa over the alleged remarks, while demonstrations had taken place in parts of Sokoto metropolis.
NAN further reported that a coalition of Islamic groups had petitioned the Sokoto State Government and security agencies, calling for action against Lukuwa over remarks they described as capable of provoking violence.
At a September 4 press conference, Islamic cleric Sheikh Abubakar Yagawal urged Muslims to oppose what he described as blasphemous content by clerics, while calling for peaceful coexistence.
Yagawal, Leader of the National Sufi Council of Nigeria and a National Commissioner at the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), said Lukuwa’s alleged utterances were unbecoming and capable of triggering violence among Muslim communities.
He said the coalition had called on the Federal and Sokoto State governments, as well as security agencies, to investigate and take appropriate action over the matter.
The Nigeria Police Force has allegedly arrested the General Manager of JKD Television/Hamada Radio Network, Kaduna, Charles Abah, and a security guard following a video produced by the station about Ibrahim Kabir Masari, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Political Affairs.
The station’s management, in a statement issued on Friday, alleged that police operatives invaded its premises while searching for a staff member, Zainab Salihu Yabagi, who presented the video explainer.
According to the management, the officers insisted on seeing Yabagi in connection with the video before arresting Abah and the security guard.
The two men were subsequently taken to the Kaduna State Police Command, the station alleged.
The management described the arrests as unacceptable and called for their immediate release.
Amnesty International Nigeria also condemned the incident, describing the alleged raid as an “unlawful and outrageous invasion” of the station’s premises.
The organisation alleged that Abah and the security guard were arbitrarily arrested, adding that police authorities had been seeking Yabagi over the video and had previously declared her wanted.
Amnesty International said the incident reflected a wider pattern of alleged attempts to intimidate newsrooms and create a climate of fear among journalists in Nigeria.
It maintained that public officials, regardless of their positions, should remain open to scrutiny and criticism in the public interest.
JKD TV/Hamada Radio Network is chaired by Yusuf Mamman, a former Nigerian ambassador to Spain and former spokesman for former military Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida.
A 20-year-old woman has recounted how a Nigerian man dragged her into a wooded area in Wrexham, Wales, and raped her after offering to escort her home from a night out.
The victim, whose identity has been withheld, said the attack occurred on September 7, 2025, after 24-year-old Gift Oladele approached her while she was walking home.
According to an account published by the Daily Mail on Wednesday, Oladele told the woman that he was heading in the same direction and offered to accompany her.
However, when they reached an isolated area, he allegedly grabbed her over the mouth and dragged her into the woods.
“He was a lot bigger than I was. I tried pushing him away, but he overpowered me,” the woman said.
She said Oladele covered her mouth and prevented her from calling for help before violently assaulting her.
The victim said she feared that she would be killed after Oladele allegedly asked if it was her first experience of rape.
“My brain just switched into survival mode. It was weird. It was either I do what he says and get home to my mum, or he is going to kill me,” she recalled.
She said the attacker struck her six times on the head and left bruises on her body.
According to her, after the assault, Oladele allegedly told her, “I think you’ve had enough now. At least you have been raped by someone good-looking.”
She also alleged that he threatened to track her down if she reported the incident and warned that he could take photographs of her and publish them online.
Despite the threats, the woman immediately told her parents what had happened after arriving home at about 3:30am, prompting her father to contact the police.
“I felt numb. I was hysterical. My brain couldn’t figure out what had just happened,” she said.
Oladele was arrested the following day at his cousin’s residence in Wrexham. Police reportedly discovered that he had attempted to conceal a mobile phone, which subsequently revealed internet searches relating to sexual attacks.
Oladele was sentenced at Caernarfon Crown Court in April to 17 years in prison after being convicted of rape and sexual assault. He was also given an extended licence period of eight years, bringing the total sentence to 25 years.
He had been convicted at Mold Crown Court in March after denying the offences and claiming that the victim had consented.
The court also imposed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a restraining order protecting the victim for life.
At the time of the Wrexham attack, Oladele was reportedly on bail over another rape allegation in Manchester dating back to November 2024. He had also previously been jailed in 2022 for a sexually motivated attack.
Oladele, a Nigerian citizen born in Italy, had previously challenged attempts by UK authorities to deport him to Nigeria on human rights grounds.
Following his earlier prison sentence, the authorities sought to deport him, but he argued that removal would violate his right to private and family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
An immigration tribunal subsequently ruled in his favour, holding that his deportation would be disproportionate. Two subsequent appeals by the Home Office were also rejected.
Reacting to the decision, the victim’s mother questioned why her daughter’s rights appeared not to have received similar consideration.
Wrexham Chief Inspector Caroline Mullen-Hurst described Oladele as “a dangerous predator” and commended the victim for her courage in reporting the attack.
She said Oladele showed no remorse for his crimes and forced the victim to relive the traumatic experience during the trial.
The victim said the assault had continued to affect her physical and emotional wellbeing, including making it difficult for her to eat.
She added that there were times when she cried uncontrollably and struggled with thoughts about continuing to live.
A suspected motorcycle thief has been beaten and burnt to death by a mob in Ikpe Ikot Akpan Village, along the Ikot Ekpene–Uyo Road in Akwa Ibom State.
The incident occurred at about 7:05 a.m. on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, after the man was allegedly caught attempting to steal a motorcycle belonging to a resident, identified as Idoroenyin Udo.
According to the police, the motorcycle owner resisted the alleged theft and raised an alarm, prompting residents to chase and apprehend the suspect.
Instead of handing him over to the police, however, the mob allegedly attacked him and subsequently set him ablaze. He suffered severe burns and died at the scene.
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has launched an investigation and deployed operatives to the area to identify and arrest those involved in the mob action.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, condemned the incident and warned residents against jungle justice.
He stressed that an accusation does not amount to guilt and urged residents to hand suspected criminals over to law enforcement agencies for proper investigation and prosecution.
The police said efforts are ongoing to apprehend everyone connected with the incident, adding that those found culpable will face the full weight of the law.
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