Crime
Police station attacked, 3 officers shot as terror takes over Lagos Communities
Suspected hoodlums have unleashed a reign of terror in some border communities in Ogun and Lagos states, killing a 40-year-old man, Fatai Asha, who was shot in the process.
No fewer than nine communities under Sagamu and Ikenne/Remo on the Ogun side of the border were under attack during the invasion by the suspected hoodlums which degenerated and extended to neighbouring communities in Lagos.
Affected communities include Eyin Ogbe, Maya and Odogunyan in Lagos State and Fakale, Igbosoro, Igode, Iki, Liadi and Maya in Ogun.
The deceased, a cobbler, was said to be standing in front of his house in Iraye when the suspected hoodlums came shooting and he was hit by stray bullets but neighbors rallied around and rushed him to a Sagamu hospital where he gave up the ghost.
The assailants were said to have then stormed a nearby police station and shot three policemen.
Residents claimed a similar invasion happened earlier in the year, saying the latest, which occurred about two weeks ago, has crippled academic, commercial and religious activities in the area.
It was learnt that some shops were not spared during the latest invasion as they were reduced to ashes while goods worth millions of Naira were carted away as the suspected hoodlums operated unchallenged.
When our correspondent visited some of the affected communities, some buildings were seen vandalized while their occupants had fled.
Findings also showed that two public schools, Ipaye Community High School and United African Methodist Church Nursery & Primary School, Eleja Iraye, founded in 1955, had been shut down for fear of attacks while the only health center in Ipaye was under lock and key. Some teachers in the schools, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, said hundreds of students had stayed away for fear of being molested by the suspected hoodlums.
Lamentations galore
Lamenting the incidents, 75-year-old Tawa Lawal said goods worth over N250, 000 were carted away from her shop during the latest invasion.
An event planner, Mariam Owode, said one of the victims, a trader in Ipaye, lost about N1m to the invasion as her shop was razed by the suspected hoodlums.
‘’In apprehension, she has fled the community to an undisclosed location because she recently stocked the shop from a loan took’’, Owode said.
A young woman was seen with an infant taking inventory in her husband’s shop who deals on cell phones and complimentary services after the shop was attacked during the invasion.
She lamented, ‘’Our-four-year old investment has disappeared in a jiffy and I have been feeding my baby with soaked gari.
“On a fateful day, my husband had hurriedly locked the shop and ran for safety but 30 minutes later, he received a call that his shop was being looted by the hoodlums. “At the last count, items worth over N900, 000 are gone and we are left with nothing.’’
Another resident, Titilayo Ashamu, said during the invasion, over 40 motorcycles were snatched at gunpoint while the suspected hoodlums made away with valuables including plasma televisions, cell phones and household items even as they molested female residents.
Narrating the incident, an Islamic cleric, Yusuf Bello, whose teeth were damaged, said he was fortunate to be alive despite the attack on him.
“They broke into our house in a bid to kidnap my two brothers and I raised the alarm after which they pounced on me and destroyed my teeth in the process”, Bello stated.
‘’After they left, neighbours rallied around me, put me on a bike and took me to hospital in Lagos State because the health centres within our environment were also sacked by the attackers.
“But we ran into the hoodlums in Lagos communities and they attacked us again, snatched the motorcycle but we managed to return home.
‘’The day after, my neighbour assisted me to a dental centre but, unfortunately, there was no remedy as the staff said I ought to have been there when the injury was fresh.’’
Genesis of invasion
Findings revealed that the communities had been peaceful until recently when hoodlums first attacked Ipaye without security forces challenging them.
Residents claimed policemen only visited the affected areas after the hoodlums had finished operating.
‘Three policemen shot’
A spokesperson for Ogun State Police Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, speaking on the hoodlum’s activities in the communities, said the Command was doing its best to ensure that peace reigns there.
Oyeyemi told Sunday Vanguard: “There is a suspected land grabber behind the attack. Three policemen were injured in the process and are currently receiving medical treatment.
“We are after the suspect and I am sure we will get him because nobody is bigger than the law.
“We cannot fold our arms and watch him operate with impunity especially when the shooting of policemen is involved.”We are after him and will not relent until we get him.
“The Command is doing everything possible to fish him out of his hiding place.”
The alleged daylight robbery of motorists and commuters by men in military and police uniforms along the Okigwe axis of the Enugu–Port Harcourt Road is becoming too brazen to ignore.
For motorists travelling from Enugu towards Okigwe, the ordeal reportedly begins shortly after Lokpanta, where a series of checkpoints can quickly turn an ordinary journey into an encounter with fear, intimidation and demands for money.
What makes the situation particularly disturbing is the difficulty in identifying the security personnel manning some of these checkpoints. On some occasions, their vehicles are unmarked. At other times, motorists say it is difficult to determine whether the men are police officers, soldiers or personnel of another security formation.
Yet, according to accounts from commuters and motorists, the alleged modus operandi remains remarkably similar.
A commercial bus is stopped and searched. Two or three young passengers may be singled out and labelled “Yahoo boys” — a term commonly used to describe suspected internet fraudsters. From there, an alleged demand for money follows, with some victims reportedly told to produce N50,000 or more.
The demand, according to the accounts, is often required in cash.
The victim is then left with little choice but to mount an okada to the nearest Point-of-Sale terminal, frequently around the Hausa settlement at Lokpanta, withdraw the demanded cash and return to the checkpoint.
For private motorists, the allegation takes a slightly different form. The vehicle may suddenly be described as stolen or suspicious. Instead of a formal verification process, the alleged encounter reportedly degenerates into negotiation, with the motorist expected to pay an agreed amount before being allowed to continue the journey.
Then the checkpoint goes back to business as usual.
The most troubling aspect of these allegations is not merely the money reportedly extorted from motorists. It is the mystery surrounding the identity and authority of the men operating the checkpoints.
Who are they?
Which security formation do they belong to?
Who deployed them?
And under whose authority are they operating?
One victim reportedly became so concerned about the identity of the personnel that he contacted an Army officer for assistance. The officer, in turn, reportedly reached out to police and Army formations in Abia State to establish whether the men were operating under their command.
The response, according to the victim’s account, was that none of the formations contacted recognised the team as theirs.
That raises an even more disturbing question: if they are not from Abia, Imo, Ebonyi or Enugu security formations, where exactly did they come from?
The Enugu–Port Harcourt corridor is one of the most important transportation routes in the Southeast. Thousands of people use it daily for business, work, family commitments and interstate travel. Security checkpoints are supposed to provide protection, prevent crime and reassure travellers.
They should not become sources of fear.
Of course, legitimate security operations must be distinguished from allegations of criminal conduct. Police officers and soldiers have a responsibility to stop suspected criminals, inspect vehicles and investigate suspicious movements. But where money is demanded from citizens without transparent legal justification, where suspects are allegedly forced to withdraw cash from POS operators, and where the identity of the personnel involved cannot be established, the matter demands urgent investigation.
There is also a wider security concern.
If genuine security personnel are involved, their respective commands need to identify them and establish whether their conduct is authorised.
If they are not genuine security personnel, then the possibility of criminals impersonating police officers or soldiers becomes even more serious.
Either way, the authorities cannot afford to look away.
The repeated complaints from motorists along the Okigwe axis deserve more than informal assurances. The police, Army and other relevant security agencies should investigate the checkpoints, establish the identity of the personnel operating them and make public the formations responsible for security operations along the route.
The Abia State, Imo, Enugu and Ebonyi Government and the relevant local authorities also have a responsibility to demand answers.
For too long, motorists have reportedly endured harassment, intimidation and alleged extortion along this stretch of road.
The question is no longer whether travellers are complaining.
They are.
The real question is: who are the men behind these checkpoints, who authorised them, and why are motorists allegedly being forced to pay cash before they can continue their journeys?
That question requires an answer — and it requires one urgently.
By Chinedu Sabastine
ENUGU — A Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Valentine Chimaobi Nwajiagu, was allegedly attacked on Sunday by a member of the Knights of St. John International, Sir Iyke Nwatakwocha, at St. Anthony Catholic Church, New GRA, Trans-Ekulu, Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The incident reportedly occurred shortly after the 6am Mass, during which Fr. Nwajiagu participated in a priestly exchange programme at the parish.
Fr. Nwajiagu is the Assistant Parish Priest of Assumption Catholic Church, Nkwo Nike, Enugu.
Sources said Nwatakwocha, who was allegedly visibly angry, confronted the priest and damaged his vehicle. He was also said to have threatened some worshippers who attempted to intervene.
The reason for the alleged confrontation was not immediately known as of the time of filing this report.
However, some worshippers claimed that the same individual had allegedly confronted Fr. Nwajiagu earlier in the year at his parish, raising concerns that Sunday’s incident may have been a recurrence.
The worshippers urged the Catholic Diocese of Enugu to investigate the incident and take appropriate measures to prevent further confrontation involving the priest.
The allegations could not be independently verified as of press time.
Efforts to obtain the reactions of Fr. Nwajiagu, Nwatakwocha, the Knights of St. John International and the Catholic Diocese of Enugu were ongoing as of the time of filing this report.
Troops of the newly established 15 Brigade of the Nigerian Army have dismantled three suspected IPOB/ESN camps and recovered weapons, explosives, and other logistics during an operation in Anambra State.
The operation was conducted in the early hours of Saturday, August 15, 2026, following intelligence on the activities of suspected IPOB/ESN members operating around Osuakwa, along the boundary between Ihiala and Ogbaru Local Government Areas.
The troops, operating under Joint Task Force South East, Operation UDO KA, carried out the operation alongside personnel of the Department of State Services and members of the Agunechemba Vigilante Group.
According to the Nigerian Army on X on Saturday, the joint force came under hostile fire during the operation but “responded decisively, overwhelming the criminals after a fierce firefight.”
A cache of weapons, explosives and other items, including one FN rifle with 10 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, one pump-action shotgun with five cartridges and 15 sticks of dynamite, four motorcycles, one gas cylinder, three hybrid batteries, two car batteries and three handheld radio chargers.
The Army said three suspected IPOB/ESN members were killed during the operation, while the three camps were successfully overrun and destroyed.
Troops also recovered a cache of weapons, explosives and other items, including one FN rifle with 10 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, one pump-action shotgun with five cartridges and 15 sticks of dynamite.
Other recovered items included four motorcycles, one gas cylinder, three hybrid batteries, two car batteries and three handheld radio chargers.
Further exploitation of the area led to the arrest of a suspected IPOB/ESN member identified as Chijioke, alongside a man and a woman suspected of being accomplices. The three were reportedly found in the company of six children.
The Commander of 15 Brigade commended the troops, DSS personnel and members of the Agunechemba Vigilante Group for their “courage, discipline and outstanding inter-agency cooperation.”
He described the operation as “another major setback for criminal and terrorist elements seeking to undermine peace and security in the South East.”
The Nigerian Army also assured residents that the newly established brigade would continue to sustain intelligence-led operations in collaboration with other security agencies and local stakeholders.
The Brigade said it remains committed to “denying all criminal elements freedom of action” and ensuring the safety and security of law-abiding residents across Anambra State and the wider South-East region.
Chief Sir Joseph Ebere Ezeokafor, chairman of Jezco Group of Companies, popularly known as Jezco, has regained his freedom after spending several days in the custody of his abductors.
Ezeokafor, the father of popular social media personality Jowi Zaza, was abducted in the early hours of Tuesday while on his way to a prayer ground in Awka, Anambra State.
The businessman was reportedly released near the boundary between Anambra and Enugu States, close to Ebenebe, near Awka. A family member was said to have picked him up late at night after his release.
His freedom followed ransom negotiations between the kidnappers and his family. The abductors had initially demanded N700 million before reportedly increasing the ransom to N1.5 billion.
However, following negotiations, the family eventually agreed to pay an undisclosed amount to secure his release.
Details of the final amount agreed upon, including whether the full sum was paid before or after his release, were not immediately available.
His release has brought relief to his family, friends, business associates and well-wishers, following widespread concern over his abduction across Anambra State and beyond.
Ezeokafor is the founder of Jezco Oil and Lubricants, a company he established in 1980 and subsequently expanded into other areas of manufacturing and business.
The circumstances surrounding the abduction and release, as well as the identities of the abductors, remain unclear.
Relatives of some of the 52 kidnapped residents of Borno State have resorted to selling their houses in anticipation of ransom demands by the kidnappers.The victims were kidnapped by gunmen from different parts of the state on April 15.The spokesperson for the families of the victims, Hassan Yati, said that one of the relatives whose two sons were kidnapped had been defrauded of N1.5m out of the N3m demanded by individuals posing as the abductors.He said the family later discovered that the actual terrorists had neither demanded the money nor authorised anyone to collect ransom on their behalf.Yati added that the incident had compounded the financial burden on families already struggling to cater to their children.He also revealed that a woman whose only daughter was kidnapped had sold her family house in the Biu Local Government Area of the state.“Initially, we thought it was money the kidnappers wanted. One of the parents with only daughter kidnapped told me she sold her family house in Biu in anticipation, only to hear otherwise.“Even me, I put our family house up for sale, but no one is talking to us again,” he stated.Yati said he decided to sell his family house because his younger brother and his wife were among those abducted on April 15.
He explained that he had been under pressure from other relatives of the victims, who accused him of withholding information about efforts to secure the release of their loved ones.“The rest of the parents bombard me with calls and messages. They now accuse me of hiding information,” he said.Yati said efforts to get the attention of the government had so far yielded no result, leaving the families to endure what he described as prolonged silence from the authorities.A parent who sold her house, Monday Bako, expressed frustration, saying her daughter was kidnapped on January 13.Bako, a food vendor, said, “They kidnapped my daughter since 13th of January till today. I have no idea of where they are and who held her captive. We have not heard anything about her and others abducted in our community.“I later sold my house to raise money in case we hear any information. We thought they would demand ransom but unfortunately, nothing has been demanded.”Another relative, whose wife and three-month-old baby are in the terrorists’ den, appealed to the government to expedite action towards their release.“We are tired of waiting. We are dying in silence. Our appeal to the government is for them to come to our aid,” the source said.
Headline
-
Crime4 days agoBREAKING! Jezco CEO Kidnap: Ransome rises to N1.5bn After Family Agrees to N700m
-
Sports5 days agoKatsina United Defender Ozor Reportedly Shows Signs of Life at Mortuary
-
Education4 days agoStudents Ejected From NAU Examination Hall Over Failure to Buy Lecturers’ Textbooks
-
Crime5 days agoPolice Intercept N6.2m Worth of Hard Drugs, Arrest Two Suspected Dealers in Anambra
-
Foreign3 days agoFamily Seeks Help to Locate Enugu Man in Dallas After Viral Social Media Post
-
News3 days ago15 Dead, 200 Buildings at Risk as Sand Mining Ravages Anambra Community
-
Crime4 days agoGunmen attack four communities, kill two, burn houses
-
News5 days agoAir Peace operations disrupted as aviation unions ground 70 flights