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Operators of Delta Yahoo academy facing trial – Police

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The Delta State Police Command says some suspected operators of an Internet fraud academy, known as Hustlers Kingdom, in the Warri area of the state where about 123 suspects were arrested, are facing trial.

The Delta Police Public Relations Officer, Bright Edafe, disclosed this in an exclusive telephone conversation with PUNCH Metro on Monday.

PUNCH Metro had reported in September that soldiers from the 3rd Battalion Nigerian Army Barracks stormed an estate in the Warri area of the state and raided the HK, which was reportedly engaged in training cybercriminals, arresting 123 suspects who were handed over to the police for further investigation and prosecution.

Edafe had, in a post on his X page last Wednesday, narrated how the suspects were arrested.

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He disclosed that one of the suspects contacted his family member via the laptop given to him by the academy operators.

The PPRO further narrated that upon informing his family about the trap he was caught in, the family contacted the military, leading to the arrest of the suspects, most of whom were teenagers.

He had also noted that the suspects were lured into a trap with promises of learning BTC trading and Forex, only to find themselves in Hustlers Kingdom, a notorious cybercrime training network.

“We are here at the Ekpan Police Station, Effurun Divisional HQ, where we will be parading about 123 suspected Internet fraudsters who were engaged in the business of Internet fraud.”

“Their modus operandi is that they engage their agents, who go on social media to flaunt wealth, which most times isn’t even theirs, and convince unsuspecting boys aged 17, 18, 19, and 20 that they want to teach them forex and crypto business.”

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“They lure some from Kaduna, Akwa Ibom, and Oyo to that particular estate and beat them up, feeding them only when they feel like it,” he had said.

In a follow-up conversation on Monday, the Delta police spokesperson informed our correspondent that some of the operators had been arrested and were currently facing trial.

“Those arrested have been charged to court,” Edafe said in a terse WhatsApp message.

Meanwhile, one of the students arrested in the academy, Gbolahan Olaide, has shared the experience of how he was allegedly held captive for nine months in the academy.

Olaide, in a post on Monday by Edafe, explained that he was lured to Warri by a friend with a promise to provide financial assistance for his trip to Cairo, Egypt after he struggled to raise N150,000.

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“I needed money to complete my travel plans, so a friend invited me to Warri to help. But when I arrived, things took a dark turn,” Olaide said.

According to him, a vehicle picked him up at the park, but he was taken to a different location and locked in a house with other victims.

“They told me I couldn’t go back, and they forced me to learn internet fraud. They even beat me when I said I wanted to return home,” he said, adding that he was beaten until he lost control of his bodily functions and began spitting blood.

He stressed that despite the brutality, he was coerced into participating in fraudulent activities targeting unsuspecting victims on social media.

“The process involved hacking Facebook accounts by using phone numbers as passwords and deceiving foreigners into helping us financially by pretending to be in a relationship with them,” Olaide said.

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The PPRO, however, said that the authorities in Warri were investigating the case, and Gbolahan, alongside others held in similar conditions, would be charged in court.

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Crime

Gunmen Ambush Joint Security Team, Kill Police Inspector, Injure Another

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A police inspector has been killed and another officer seriously injured after gunmen allegedly ambushed a joint security team in Jigawa State.

The incident occurred on Saturday, August 22, 2026, after security personnel responded to reports of farmland destruction in Gwaram Local Government Area.

According to a security report obtained by Zagazola Makama, the attack took place at about 3pm in a forested area.

The joint team comprised personnel from Gwaram and Fagam police divisions, the 35 Police Mobile Force and local security outfits. Members of the Vigilance and Community Response Unit (VCRU) and Operation Salama also participated in the operation.

The report said the team had been patrolling the area following recurring complaints involving suspected herders and farmland destruction.

The personnel reportedly came under attack after entering the area, with the assailants said to have used arrows.

Inspector Bukar Wakili, attached to Gwaram Division, was reportedly struck in the face and sustained serious injuries.

Another officer, Inspector Mohammed Shafiu of the VCRU in Dutse, was also injured during the incident.

Both officers were taken to a hospital, where Shafiu was confirmed dead, according to the report.

Bukar was later referred to the Malam Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital for further medical treatment.

The identities and affiliation of the attackers have not been independently confirmed, and no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Additional tactical teams were subsequently deployed to reinforce the security personnel and support efforts to identify those responsible.

Police have opened an investigation into the incident and maintained a security presence in the affected area.

The attack comes amid recurring disputes involving farmers and herders in parts of northern Nigeria, where disagreements over farmland and grazing routes can sometimes escalate into violence.

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Crime

End of the Road: Man Dies While Attempting to Steal Transformer Cables

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A young man suspected of attempting to steal cables from a transformer was found dead after reportedly being electrocuted along Trademore Road in Lugbe, Abuja, in the early hours of Friday.
The deceased was reportedly found crouched and lifeless near the transformer, with his body said to have become stiff, suggesting he may have been electrocuted when power was restored.
Residents said there had been no electricity supply in the area on Thursday night before the incident occurred.
The discovery attracted a crowd of residents, who expressed concern over the increasing activities of cable vandals in different parts of the Federal Capital Territory.
Rasheed Ogunyemi, a resident of Iddo Seriki along the Airport Road, said residents in his area often contribute money to repair their transformer, only for vandals to return and cut the cables.
The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, confirmed the incident, stating that the deceased’s body had been evacuated and deposited at a mortuary in Gwagwalada for autopsy.

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Crime

Over 60 Worshippers Abducted as Terrorists Attack Niger Mosque During Prayer

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More than 60 worshippers are feared to have been kidnapped from the Central Mosque in Dekara town, Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, during Jumu’at prayers on Friday.

The incident occurred when suspected terrorists, said to be operating in large numbers, stormed the mosque while the prayers were ongoing.

According to sources, the attackers fired several shots before rounding up some of the worshippers and taking them into the surrounding forest.

A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Borgu Local Government Area witnessed several security incidents on Friday, including attacks on three communities.

“So many things happened in Borgu LGA on Friday. Terrorists attacked three communities, including Dekara. In Dekara, they went to the Central Mosque while Jumu’at prayer was ongoing and kidnapped more than 60 people. But they did not injure anybody,” the resident said.

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Crime

APC Chairman Dies After Collapsing at Reconciliation Meeting

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The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, Oyewole Mayowa Solomon, has died after reportedly collapsing during a party reconciliation meeting in Iyara, the council headquarters.

Solomon reportedly slumped suddenly while participating in the meeting convened on Friday by a former Ijumu council chairman, Funsho Olumoko, as part of efforts to resolve internal disagreements and promote unity among APC stakeholders in the area.

An eyewitness said the incident caused confusion among participants, who immediately attempted to revive the party chairman before rushing him to a hospital in Kabba.

He reportedly died shortly after arriving at the hospital.

The development shocked party leaders and other stakeholders who had gathered for the reconciliation meeting, which was aimed at strengthening the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The meeting was expected to bring together party leaders, ward and local government executives, women and youth leaders, as well as government appointees from the 15 wards in Ijumu.

The incident occurred amid renewed efforts by APC stakeholders in the council to resolve longstanding disagreements and restore unity within the local chapter.

Earlier in the month, party leaders in Ijumu had endorsed President Bola Tinubu and Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, for second terms.

However, that gathering was reportedly disrupted by disagreements over the leadership of the local government, with Solomon and some other officials said to have walked out of the meeting.

Olumoko, who organised Friday’s reconciliation meeting, had previously been mandated by the Ijumu Consultative Forum to facilitate dialogue among political stakeholders in the council.

Solomon’s sudden death is expected to create fresh uncertainty around the ongoing reconciliation efforts within the Ijumu APC, coming barely two weeks after stakeholders renewed calls for unity ahead of the 2027 elections.

The cause of his death had not been officially disclosed as of the time of filing this report, while efforts to obtain an official reaction from the APC were ongoing.

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Crime

BREAKING: ADC Chairman in Enugu Dies in Suspected Murder, Two Arrested

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Tension and grief have gripped the political community in Enugu State following the suspected murder of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Chairman in Udenu Local Government Area, Chisimdiri Emmanuel Ngwu.

Ngwu, described as one of the longest-serving members of the ADC in the state, was reportedly found dead in the early hours of Wednesday, August 19, 2026, under circumstances that have raised concerns among his family, friends and political associates.

A family source told our correspondent that Ngwu woke up early on Wednesday, left the house and never returned alive.

The source said the family became worried after they noticed he was missing, only to later discover his lifeless body outside the compound.

“We woke up and didn’t see him, only to discover his lifeless body in front of our compound,” the source said.

The source further alleged that scratches were found around Ngwu’s neck and that his neck appeared to have been twisted backwards, raising suspicions about the circumstances of his death.

The incident has sparked concern within the ADC in Udenu and the wider political community in Enugu State, with calls for security agencies to thoroughly investigate the matter and bring anyone found responsible to justice.

Meanwhile, two persons have reportedly been arrested in connection with the incident.

Their identities and the specific circumstances surrounding their arrest were not immediately known as of press time.

Ngwu’s death has since sent shock waves through the ADC, with party members and associates mourning his death and demanding a transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

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