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.”
A 16-year-old boy, Favour Ayogu, who was allegedly abducted in Igboeze South Local Government Area of Enugu State, has been rescued in Onitsha, Anambra State, after his abductors reportedly abandoned him near a security checkpoint.
Ayogu was rescued on the evening of September 13, 2026, by a joint security patrol team operating along Oguta Road, Onitsha.
According to the Anambra State Police Command, the teenager was found at Ekene Junction after unidentified persons reportedly pushed him out of a black Toyota Highlander SUV close to a security checkpoint.
The patrol team immediately intervened and rescued the victim, thereby preventing what the police described as further danger to his life.
Following the rescue, the Command said it had intensified surveillance and intelligence-led operations to identify and apprehend members of the suspected criminal gang responsible for the abduction.
The police also appealed to residents of Igboeze South and Ibagwa-Aka in Enugu State who may have useful information about Ayogu or his family to contact the nearest police station or the Anambra State Police Command in Awka.
The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, commended the security personnel involved in the rescue and directed officers to sustain strategic checkpoints, intelligence-led patrols and coordinated security operations across the state.
The Command assured residents and visitors that it would continue to intensify efforts to prevent criminal elements from using Anambra as a safe haven.
At least nine passengers have been killed after gunmen opened fire on a commercial bus at Dungus Junction in Kuru community, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The attack reportedly occurred around 9:40 p.m. when the bus, which was travelling towards Jos, stopped at the junction to drop off some passengers.
Several other passengers were reportedly injured in the attack and rushed to hospitals for treatment.
Lawan Suleiman, a neighbour and teacher of one of the victims, identified the driver as Ibrahim and said three of the victims were from his community in Bukuru.
“The driver is Ibrahim and he was my student. Three of them are from our community here in Bukuru. Their bodies have been deposited at the hospital. But relatives are preparing to collect them for burial,” Suleiman said.
The bus was reportedly riddled with bullets, with bloodstains visible inside the vehicle after the attack.
Rwang Tengwong, spokesman for the Berom Youth Moulders (BYM), also confirmed the incident, saying the victims were passengers travelling to Jos when the attackers opened fire on the vehicle.
Tengwong said one of those killed was a member of Operation Rainbow.
“The incident happened around 9.40 p.m. The victims were all passengers travelling to Jos when the terrorists opened fire on the vehicle. Among those killed was a member of Operation Rainbow. It is a very sad development and we lament the loss of lives,” he said.
He added that some passengers sustained gunshot injuries and were taken to hospitals, while some of the injured reportedly later died.
The attack has raised fresh concerns over the safety of commuters travelling along the route at night amid continuing security challenges in parts of Plateau State.
As of the time of filing this report, the Plateau State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
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.
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