Crime
‘Health Workers’ allegedly turn criminals, terrorise Schools, abduct teachers
Alarm has been raised over recent incidents of masked armed men in collaboration with Environmental Health workers barging into schools within Ogidi, Nkpor, Enekwasumpu Obosi communities in Idemili North Local Government Area (INLGA) to abduct teachers under the guise of enforcing fumigation levy for the Anambra State Government.
According to the excerpts from ‘Kulele Zone phone-in Wazobia FM radio programme,’ our reporter gathered that the abducted teachers, principals or proprietors after being subjected to inhuman treatment and humiliation were further forced to pay between 100,000 to 350,000 naira to bail themselves.
A caller into the programme who said she witnessed the assault in one of the schools, claimed she saw when the team of masked armed men stormed St Joseph Catholic school, Enekwasumpu.
According to her, the St Joseph Catholic School security guard tried to resist them but they overpowered him hitting him with the butt of their rifle and tied him up. The masked men went further to arrest and force the teachers into the security van which left children scampering for safety.
Even those of us at the street took cover because of the fierce looking masked operatives. It was later we learnt that they came with health workers from Idemili North Health Authority to demand for fumigation Levy”.
Another caller said that the same group came to another school at Ogidi where her neighbour’s children school to abduct their teachers which made her neighbour to stop her children from going to school till further notice with the fear that if they could not see a teacher to arrest, they might start arresting school children for bail or ransome.
Another victim (name witheld) who spoke to the our reporter anonymously also alleged that the same daredevil group came to their school at Ogidi in company of INLGA Environmental Health workers to whisk away virtually all the teachers within the school premises without any official notice or demands living the pupils without their teachers and caregivers.
She said that the Health workers after serious humiliation and manhandling, further extorted over 100,000 naira from the school proprietor without receipt nor was the money paid into State Government’s official account.
“As soon as I opened the gate a team of armed men on mask with a Vigilante vehicle, suspected to be special force a.k.a Ebubeagu started harassing us saying they were sent by the INLGA Environmental health to come and arrest all the teachers present in my school.
“I asked them what offence did we commit to warrant such humiliation. They said that I locked the gate against them.
“They forcefully pushed every staff of my school into the security van leaving the school children scampering for safety.
“They did not allow us to make any calls. It was when there vehicle could not contain all my staff that they reluctantly allowed two of our staff to stay behind in the school.
“Getting to the INLGA Health Authority adjacent to the INLGA secretariat, Ogidi. All our teachers were forced to remove our shoes and sit on the bare floor like common criminals.
“After hours of detention with the safety of the nursery and primary school children hanging on the balance, our school proprietor came to bail us from one Madam Ebere, who said she was the Chief Taskforce of the INLGA Environmental Health after much negotiations from about #350,000, she accepted to collect #130,000 which was the last money in the proprietor ‘s account. We requested for receipt or account number for remittal but they insisted we withdrew cash from POS to bail ourselves,” she said.
Meanwhile, she said that while they were still in detention at the Environmental Health Authority, Ogidi another group of teachers from another school from Obosi were also arrested and brought in by the same team of masked AVS in collaboration with the health workers and were also subjected to the same inhuman treatment they passed through.
“Our school is Government approved. We are law abiding and we pay all revenues and ensure we contribute our quota or tax payment because we support the good works of our Solution Governor, Prof Charles Soludo.
“Even, if they made any other requests for payment and issued us demand notice, we would have looked into that through our association to know the ones to pay in order to checkmate exploitation or multiple taxation and gotten back to them amicably but there was nothing like demand notice for anything only to use brute force to dehumanize and exploit unsuspecting citizens,” she said.
When contacted, the Director, Environmental Health Department, INLGA, Mrs Beatrice Anene who declined to give detail of the incident, said she’s aware of the activities of the enforcement team.
According to Mrs Anene, “Yes I am aware of the incident involving my staff and some schools. Ask the school what they did. I will send you the phone number of the person you will call to get any response you want”.
When our reporter contacted the person, he refused making any comments but rather frowned at the fact that the Director of Environmental Health gave out his phone number without informing him and switched off his phone.
The abductors, who attacked schools in Esinele, Yawota and Alawusa communities on May 15, are said to be demanding the release of detained terrorist commanders, payment of ransom, two Hilux vehicles and the implementation of Sharia-related law.
The two commanders whose release is reportedly being sought are Mahmud Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a or Abbas Mukhtar, and his deputy, Abubakar Abba, alias Isah Adam or Mahmud Al-Nigeri, also called Mallam Mamuda.
The duo are leaders of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimeena Fii Bilaadis Sudan, JAMBS, also known as Ansaru — a breakaway faction of Boko Haram — and are alleged to have aided and abetted acts of terrorism in the country between 2013 and 2015.
They are also linked to the 2022 Kuje prison break.
They were arrested between May and July 2025 and are currently standing trial on terrorism charges before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CR/464/2025, with their trial commencing on January 15, 2026.
Usman was sentenced to 15 years in prison by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on September 11, 2025, after pleading guilty to one count of illegal mining — which he admitted he used to fund arms procurement for terrorism and kidnapping.
He denied 31 other counts and remains in DSS custody pending trial on those charges.
Other reports indicate the ransom demand stands at ₦1bn, to be paid into a bank account in the Republic of Benin. PUNCH Online could not independently verify this figure.
Security analysts have warned that releasing the commanders would pose serious risks to national security.
A retired Brigadier-General, Bashir Adewinbi, speaking with Saturday PUNCH said the situation had put the government in a tight corner, warning that paying ransom or releasing terrorist commanders would embolden criminal groups and fund further attacks.
Another retired Brigadier-General, Peter Aro, urged the government to first establish proof that the abductees were still alive before taking any decision, noting that prolonged captivity posed serious risks, particularly for young children.
The Oyo State Government has declined to comment on the demands or the state of negotiations, with the Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, saying it would be “unhelpful” to disclose the government’s strategy while efforts to secure the victims’ release were ongoing.
On May 17, two days after the attack, the abductors released a video showing the beheading of one of the kidnapped teachers, Michael Oyedokun, a mathematics teacher at Community High School, Ahoro-Esinele.
Governor Seyi Makinde confirmed the killing in a statement on Monday, May 18, describing it as deeply painful.
By Okey Maduforo Awka
A total of eight suspected fake Pastors were on Friday arraigned before the Awka High Court in Anambra state.
Recall that Governor Charles Soludo had at a church service in Awka announced that some suspected fake Pastors are already under the custody of the state government for activities that are unbecoming of their roles as servants in God’s Vineyard.
Recall also that at the peak of the clampdown on fake Native Doctors, the affected Native Doctors protested that the Anambra state government has been neck deep in selective justice contending that the fake Pastors obtain their powers from Native Doctors.
They queried why their colleagues are being arrested while their clients who are Pastors are left to walk the streets freely.
It was against this backdrop that the Anambra state government beamed it’s searchlight on the activities of some Pastors which led to the arraignment of eight suspected fake Pastors.
It was gathered that the alleged fake pastors violated the 2025 Homeland Security law established by the administration of Prof Charles Soludo.
The Senior Special Assistant to Soludo on New Media Sir Ejimofor Opara who confirmed the development said the Homeland security law was passed in February 2025 and it frowns at certain forms of religious practices that are deemed inimical to the public, especially as it pertains to creation of illegal wealth.
Last year, some native doctors who were promoting get-rich-quick practices (Okeite rituals) were also arrested and prosecuted accordingly with some of them serving jail terms while othere are currently undergoing trial.ls.
The names of those arraigned before the High Court include; Peter Chukwu, Chinedu Egwuonwu, Bishop Emeka Nwankpa, Ebele Nnachukwu and Ekeleme Chris Ugochukwu.
Others are Ndubisi Nnachukwu,
Miracle Iruoma and Chukwukadibia Ogwuama.
The State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Tobechukwu Nweke, SAN, is leading the prosecution.
The Muslim community in Oyo State has condemned the Sharia-related demands reportedly made by terrorists holding teachers and pupils abducted from schools in Oriire Local Government Area, declaring that the criminals do not represent Islam or Muslims.
The position came as public and private schools across Oyo State’s 33 local government areas shut down in solidarity with the abducted victims.
Also, security analysts in separate interviews, offered differing views on how the Federal Government could respond to the terrorists’ demands.
The abductors, who attacked three schools in Esinele, Yawota and Alawusa communities on May 15, reportedly demanded the release of detained terrorist commanders, payment of ransom, two Hilux vehicles and the implementation of Sharia-related law before freeing the captives.
In a statement issued on Friday and jointly signed by its Chairman, Alhaji Ishaq Sanvni, and Secretary-General, Alhaji Murisiku Siyanbade, the Muslim community in Oyo State described the terrorists’ action as criminal and contrary to Islamic teachings.
The group said attempts by the abductors to justify their actions through religious rhetoric amounted to a distortion of Islam.
“Islam forbids kidnapping, terrorism and the extortion of innocent citizens. Legitimate Sharia promotes justice, peace and the sanctity of human life, values that stand in direct opposition to the activities of criminal groups,” the statement said.
The organisation added that terrorists could not claim to speak on behalf of Muslims.
“Terrorists do not represent Islamic values and cannot speak for Muslims,” it stated.
Quoting Chapter 5 Verse 32 of the Holy Qur’an, the community stressed that Islam places a high premium on the protection of human life and urged security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue those in captivity.
The development came amid growing concerns over the fate of the abducted teachers and pupils.
A traditional ruler in one of the affected communities, the Eleshi of Esiele, Oba Tajudeen Abioye, appealed to the government to secure the release of the victims.
“We are aware of the ransom demands of the terrorists, but we are helpless. We are looking up to the government and pleading for intervention,” he said.
Schools shut in 33LGAs
Findings by revealed that the management of private schools issued a statement on Wednesday directing all schools to shut down from Friday, June 5.
One of the internal memos obtained by our correspondent in Ibadan, the state capital, on Wednesday read, “Due to the situation at hand and the ongoing protest in the state, all pupils and students should stay at home until further notice. No school for now until further notice.”
Also, a message circulated to private schools by the Ibadan District Chairman of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, Joshua Olaoluwa, and obtained by Saturday PUNCH, read, “Good day, all school owners/administrators. Due to the recent kidnapping of teachers and students in Oriire LGA and rising security concerns, all NAPPS member schools in Ibadan District will be closed on Friday, June 5, 2026, as a mark of solidarity and for prayers for the victims’ safe release and the protection of all schools.
“If anyone tries to disrupt school activities before or after Friday, please record a video if it is safe to do so, report to the nearest police station, and inform your NAPPS LGA coordinator and the district office immediately.”
The state Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Fatai Hassan, had earlier disclosed that all public secondary and primary schools would remain closed until the abductees are rescued alive.
Speaking in Ibadan, the chairman of the Parents-Teachers Association of one of the affected schools, who requested anonymity, said, “We had already held a meeting over the closure of the school. You know this is more or less a remote area. It is not that remote, but we cannot compare schools in this environment with those around the Agbowo-UI, Bodija, Sango or Mokola axis.
“But we had to consider those students writing their terminal examinations. Otherwise, we would have joined the public protest since Monday. We eventually shut down the school on Wednesday,” the source said.
It was gathered that the bandits entered the community at about 1am, shooting sporadically to scare residents. They reportedly destroyed two houses before picking up the victim and whisking him away to an unknown destination. The boy, identified as Oluwatobi, is said to be the son of a pastor in the community, Isaac Olaosebikan.
A source said that, on hearing the sporadic gunshots, residents of the community fled their homes and ran to neighbouring communities for safety.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abayomi, who confirmed the incident in a WhatsApp message, said efforts were ongoing to rescue the victim and apprehend the perpetrators.
He said, “The Ondo State Police Command has commenced an intensive manhunt for suspected kidnappers who abducted a nine-year-old boy during a violent attack on residents of Ugbosi Quarters, Idogun, in Ose Local Government Area of the state.
“The incident was reported in the early hours of Friday, 5th June 2026, at about 2:30 a.m. by Mr. Olaosebikan Isaac and Mr. Joel Owalekan, both residents of Ugbosi Quarters, Idogun. According to their reports, at approximately 1:30 a.m. on the same day, a group of armed men invaded the community, firing gunshots sporadically and causing panic among residents.
He added that personnel of the command and the Amotekun Corps had been mobilised to the scene and had launched a coordinated search-and-rescue operation.
“Security operatives combed the surrounding forests and likely escape routes in a bid to rescue the abducted child and apprehend the perpetrators,” the PPRO stated.
Jimoh also noted that investigations had commenced while relevant exhibits had been recovered and documented to determine the circumstances surrounding the attack and track down those responsible.
“The State Commissioner of Police, Ondo State Command, CP Felix Ohagwu, has directed all tactical teams, intelligence units and other relevant security assets to intensify efforts toward the immediate rescue of the victim unhurt and the arrest of the perpetrators.
“The Command is also working closely with other security agencies and local vigilante groups to ensure that the criminals are brought to justice.”
Ogunleye was arraigned on Wednesday alongside three other suspects before a Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.
The Ekiti State Police Command said the suspects were brought before the court after the conclusion of investigations into the matter.
The prosecutor, Akinwale Oriyimi, informed the court that the case file had been forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice.
Oriyimi subsequently requested the court to remand the defendants pending further directives from the DPP.
Ruling on the application, the Chief Magistrate, Abayomi Adeosun, ordered that Ogunleye and the other defendants be remanded at the Ado-Ekiti Correctional Centre pending further proceedings.
Kano Times recalls that Ogunleye was declared missing on May 20 after her vehicle was reportedly found abandoned along the Ipere–Iludun Ekiti Road.
Reports at the time indicated that she was allegedly abducted by suspected gunmen shortly after leaving the local government secretariat.
She was later found unharmed during a joint operation involving security agencies.
However, police investigations later alleged that the kidnapping was staged in a bid to raise money to offset financial obligations and outstanding political commitments.
Reacting to the development, the Chairman of Ilejemeje Local Government Area, Pius Dada, condemned the alleged act.
Dada described the incident as embarrassing and unacceptable, warning that such actions could undermine public confidence in government officials and security agencies.
He further stated that no public office holder would be protected from prosecution if found culpable of any wrongdoing.
-
News5 days agoPower Doesn’t Last Forever, It Has Expiry Date — VeryDarkMan Warns Wike
-
Politics4 days agoSpeaker suspended over anti-party activities
-
Crime5 days agoEnugu Police Foil Kidnap Attempt, kill 2 Suspects, Recover AK-47, Other Weapons
-
Crime4 days agoPosters of Abducted Seven Teachers, 39 Pupils Flood Oyo Communities
-
Politics2 days agoSenate: Enugu West Aspirant OAU Onyema Quits NDC, Alleges Manipulation of Party Primaries
-
News4 days agoRights Group Petitions IGP, Seeks Probe of Police Role in Controversial Enugu Land Disputes
-
Crime4 days agoAbducted Students: Oyo Assembly refuses to negotiatie with bandits
-
News4 days agoPolice Declare 6 IPOB Members Wanted Over Protests Against Kanu’s Jail Terms