Crime
October 1 protest: Police man flashpoints, APC, opposition clash
State commands of the Nigeria Police Force have deployed men in flashpoints as organisers of the October 1 protest insist on going ahead with the demonstration on Independence Day as planned.
If the protest holds, it will be the second time in two months that angry Nigerians would hit the streets in disapproval of the hardship in the country occasioned by the hike in petrol price and electricity tariff and the floating of the naira by President Bola Tinubu’s government.
According to the organisers, the #FearlessOctober1 demonstration is a continuation of the #Endbadgovernance protest, which took place from August 1 to 10. They added that the latest demonstration was necessitated by the failure of the Federal Government to address their demands, which include hunger in the land, rising cost of hunger, insecurity, government’s wastefulness, electoral reforms, human capital development amongst others.
The group explained that the FCT protest would be held at the Eagle Square, the same venue of the Independence Day parade, while the Lagos protest would take place at the Ikeja Under Bridge.
On Sunday, human rights advocate and leader of the protest, Omoyele Sowore, said they were “fully prepared” for the protest, adding that they would hit the streets at 7am on the scheduled date.
“We are fully prepared. Our organisers are on the ground and would not be going into hiding. These are revolutionary times, Nigerians will hit the streets en mass starting from 7am on October 1,” he said.
In Lagos, the protest organisers plan to commence their march at the Ikeja Under Bridge at 7:30am.
North
Checks revealed that the Niger State Police Command has deployed personnel and security assets to avert any breakdown of law and order during the Independence Day celebration in the state.
In Suleja, a major town in Niger, six people were feared killed when protesters reportedly attempted to invade a police station during the #Endbadgovernance protest.
On Sunday in Minna, the state capital, gun-wielding security operatives were stationed in some of the major places, including popular markets and road junctions. Police patrol vehicles had also started moving around the city to ensure that peace was maintained in the state.
The Niger State Police Command spokesman Wasiu Abiodun said, “The Niger State Police Command shall deploy an adequate number of personnel and operational assets for public safety and orderliness. The state Commissioner of Police, Shawulu Danmamman, directed Area Commanders, Tactical Commanders and DPOs to ensure that police visibility was enhanced in their various areas to avert any act of breach of public peace.
“The Command had also engaged labour leaders, trades unions, youth and students leaders in the state and other critical stakeholders towards ensuring and sustaining the relative peace that is being enjoyed for economic growth and development of the state.”
The Kano State Police Command has also deployed its personnel to strategic positions.
“We want to ensure peace and order because we always learn from the past,” the command’s PPRO, Abdullahi Haruna, said.
Haruna added that the command had also engaged the leadership of the Nigerian Patriotic Front Movement, which had indicated its intention to stage a peaceful protest on Tuesday.
“We reminded them of the dangers associated with such a protest, especially in Kano, in view of its nature,” he added.
He assured residents of adequate security, saying the command was fully prepared for any eventuality.
In Kaduna, the state police command has taken proactive measures to prevent potential violence during the planned protest in the state.
A senior police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, confirmed the deployment of personnel across the state aimed at avoiding a repeat of the August protest, which turned violent in the state.
“The ban on public processions is still in force, but we are taking proactive measures to ensure public safety. For security reasons, I cannot reveal the exact number of personnel deployed,” the officer said.
The Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Bethrand Onuoha, advised organisers of the protest to reconsider their plan and give government more time to fix the nation’s economy.
Onuoha stated this on Saturday while engaging with members of the Take It Back Movement, Kogi State chapter at the command’s headquarters in Lokoja.
A statement on Sunday by the PPRO, Kogi Command, William Aya, read in part, “The CP advised the group to reconsider their planned protest and give government more time to fix the economy of our dear nation.”
Onuoha noted that he called the meeting in response to the letter he received from the Take It Back Movement on Friday.
“The group has the right to peaceful protest in accordance with extant Laws, but we want to avoid playing into the hands of disgruntled elements or hoodlums and to avoid or prevent them from hijacking the process and unleashing mayhem on innocent citizens, destruction of their property, as well as damage of critical infrastructure which will in turn have serious adverse/negative impact on the nation’s economy.”
Ramhan Nansel, the PPRO, Nasarawa command, told The PUNCH they have deployed men across the 13 Local Government Areas of the state to ensure peace during the Independence celebrations.
He said, “The command is fully prepared for the October 1 celebration, and whatever may arise before, during, and after the celebration. Manpower, assets and all our resources have been mobilised to ensure the state is peaceful from now on.”
The Borno State command says it has deployed personnel to maintain law and order in strategic places across the state.
The command’s PPRO, ASP Nahum Daso, said, “We have adequately deployed our men within the state to safeguard lives and property and we are ready to prevent any breakdown of law and order ahead of the Independence Day celebration.”
The PPRO, Katsina State Command, Abubakar Sadiq, told The PUNCH in Katsina on Saturday that the command has mobilised “both human and intelligence resources” for the safety of all, before, during and after the protest.
“We have taken proactive measures to ensure public safety and security, and adequate personnel have been deployed to ensure no breakdown of law and order, adequate intelligence gathering, surveillance, and enhanced patrols throughout the state.”
In Kwara, the state command invited the organisers of the protest for first-hand information on the motive of the protest and to ensure miscreants don’t hijack the protest.
The command spokesperson, Toun Ejire-Adeyemi, said, “The police commissioner invited the organisers of the protest to the police headquarters for a meeting on the proposed protest. The purpose is to engage them in a discussion to know the route that the protesters would take so as to give them adequate security and protect hoodlums who might join the protest with the ulterior motive of attacking government property and make it bloody.”
PUNCH
A police corporal attached to the Ajaokuta Division of the Kogi State Police Command has reportedly shot his girlfriend dead before taking his own life with his service rifle.
The incident allegedly occurred around 9 p.m. on Friday, October 23, 2026, leaving both the officer and the woman dead.
According to a report by Veracity News, the officer allegedly shot the woman at close range before turning the weapon on himself.
The circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear, while the motive behind the alleged killings has yet to be established.
The bodies of the deceased were reportedly evacuated to a mortuary as investigations into the incident commenced.
Efforts to obtain an official reaction from the Kogi State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Saliu Afusat, could not be reached for comment, according to the publication.
The incident is expected to be investigated to establish the circumstances leading to the deaths and determine the events that preceded the shooting.
As of the time of filing this report, no further details about the identities of the deceased or the outcome of the investigation had been provided in the original report.
Editor’s note: The incident and details in this report have not been independently verified. An official statement from the Kogi State Police Command would be needed to confirm the circumstances of the deaths.
A young woman identified as Messioma Nwaora, who was earlier reported missing, has reportedly been found dead in Uga, Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Unverified reports circulating on social media allege that her former boyfriend, identified as Chima Emmanuel and said to be from Ebonyi State, killed her after she ended their relationship. The reports further claim that he strangled her with clothing, placed her body in a bag and transported it on a commercial motorcycle, popularly known as an okada.
The alleged confession and the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death have not been independently verified. Therefore, it cannot be conclusively established that the former boyfriend killed her.
As of the time of filing this report, the Anambra State Police Command had not issued an independently confirmed statement establishing the cause of death, confirming the identity of the deceased or stating whether a suspect had been arrested.
The reported death has prompted calls for a thorough investigation. Outstanding questions include where the body was recovered, how the woman died, whether Chima Emmanuel has been detained and whether investigators have obtained evidence linking him to the incident.
Further details are expected as reliable information becomes available.
A birthday party organised by popular Enugu socialite Nnaji Izuchukwu, popularly known as Stone, at Bull Hotel, Asata, Enugu, reportedly turned chaotic following a misunderstanding that allegedly prompted the hotel management to invite the police.
Stone, who was the celebrant, reportedly died from gunshot injuries sustained during the ensuing police operation.
Information available to Everydaynewsngr.net indicated that the misunderstanding at the birthday party degenerated into chaos, prompting the hotel management to call in operatives of the police Anti-Cultism Section.
In the confusion that followed, Stone was said to have attempted to escape through a window alongside another person before he sustained gunshot injuries.
However, the exact circumstances surrounding the shooting remained unclear as of the time of filing this report.
The Enugu State Police Command has since confirmed Stone’s death and ordered an investigation into the incident.
In a press release issued on Friday, October 23, 2026, the command said the Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, had directed a thorough investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the death and determine whether the operation and use of firearms complied with established operational standards and applicable laws.
According to the police, operatives of the Anti-Cultism Section of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) stormed Bull Hotel during an intelligence-led operation targeting Nworie Chidera Kelvin, popularly known as Akidi, an alleged drug dealer and member of the Vikings Confraternity.
The police said Akidi was suspected of involvement in several cases relating to cultism and unlawful possession of firearms.
The operation reportedly led to the arrest of Akidi and nine other suspects, comprising males and females aged between 17 and 28.
The police also said quantities of dried weeds suspected to be cannabis, a weighing scale allegedly used for measuring illicit drugs, and ₦43,400 in cash were recovered during the operation.
Giving its account of how Stone died, the command said preliminary findings indicated that he and another suspect jumped through a window in an attempt to escape.
The statement added that an operative pursuing the two suspects was allegedly confronted by them as they attempted to disarm him.
According to the police, the officer’s firearm discharged during the ensuing struggle, leaving Stone with gunshot injuries, while the other suspect escaped.
Stone was rushed to a hospital, where he was later confirmed dead. His remains have been deposited in a mortuary for preservation and autopsy.
CP Giwa has directed the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Intelligence Department to establish the facts of the incident and determine whether the officers involved complied with operational standards and applicable laws.
The commissioner assured that any officer found culpable would face appropriate disciplinary action.
He also urged Stone’s family, associates and members of the public to remain calm, stressing that professionalism, ethical conduct and strict adherence to operational standards, particularly those governing the use of firearms, must be upheld during police operations.
The police statement was signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, on October 23, 2026.
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Edo State Command, has launched a manhunt for a 28-year-old awaiting-trial inmate, Osita Thomas, who escaped while being taken to court for trial.
Thomas, an inmate of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Auchi, reportedly escaped last week during a court appearance over charges bordering on conspiracy and stealing.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Aminu Suleman, disclosed the development in a statement dated October 21, 2026, and made available to journalists in Benin City on Thursday.
Suleman said the Controller of Corrections in Edo State had directed intensified efforts towards apprehending the fugitive, assuring residents that security measures across custodial facilities had been strengthened to prevent similar incidents.
The Command appealed to members of the public with useful information about Thomas’s whereabouts to report to the nearest police station or custodial centre.
It also released two telephone numbers, 08038075882 and 08039243704, through which information could be provided to security authorities.
Meanwhile, an official of the Correctional Service attributed the escape to inadequate manpower, explaining that the officer escorting Thomas to court could not abandon other inmates in his custody to pursue the fleeing suspect.
According to the official, pursuing Thomas would have exposed the remaining inmates to possible escape.
The official further raised concerns over worsening personnel shortages in the Service, alleging that more than 1,000 officers were expected to retire this year without corresponding plans for fresh recruitment.
He called on the Federal Government to urgently address the manpower deficit, warning that inadequate personnel could continue to undermine the effective management and security of custodial facilities across the country.
An alleged employment racket involving 21 job seekers and N8.29 million has landed an Enugu-based businesswoman, Stella Ezinne Egotanwa, in the net of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The 45-year-old businesswoman is being investigated for allegedly collecting money from unsuspecting applicants under the guise of securing employment for them at a psychiatric hospital in Enugu State.
The EFCC, in a statement posted on its official X handle on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, disclosed that the suspect allegedly collected the money between December 28, 2025, and June 30, 2026, through bank accounts belonging to different Point of Sale (POS) operators.
According to the commission, trouble began for Egotanwa when 16 aggrieved job seekers petitioned the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), accusing her of collecting N6.193 million from them without delivering the promised jobs.
The petition subsequently led to her arrest by NSCDC operatives in Anambra State on July 30, 2026.
However, the case took another dimension when five additional victims approached the EFCC, alleging that the businesswoman had similarly defrauded them of N2,098,200 through promises of employment at the same hospital.
The fresh petitions brought the number of alleged victims to 21, with the total amount involved rising to N8,291,200.
One of the victims, who narrated his ordeal to investigators, claimed to have paid Egotanwa N1.05 million on December 28, 2025, believing that she had the connections to secure the promised employment.
“I made the payment in good faith because I believed that the employment opportunity she presented to me was genuine.
“However, after making the payment, the promised employment did not materialise. I subsequently experienced difficulty reaching her and there were periods she did not respond to my calls or messages,” the petitioner stated.
The anti-graft agency further disclosed that Egotanwa was already awaiting trial in a separate case involving a similar alleged employment scam.
It added that the suspect had admitted to the alleged offence during interrogation and would be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of investigations.
The EFCC maintained that investigations were ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the alleged fraudulent recruitment scheme.
Clarify the EFCC’s role in her arrest
Use consistent language for alleged victims
Tighten the opening for stronger impact
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