Crime
Police told me to avoid some Lagos bus-stops – Robbery victim
Bewildered Olowu-Oyebayo wondered why those expected to secure the lives and property of citizens would tell her to avoid some bus-stops – Ketu Tipper bus-stop, Church bus-stop, Toll Gate, Ogudu bus-stop, Glass House, including Kosofe area – adding that she was not in doubt that the police knew how deadly those bus-stops were and had done nothing to rid them of criminals.
Narrating her ordeal to our correspondent, Olowu-Oyebayo said she was returning from her office on the Island on Friday, November 25, and owing to the traffic on her way, the staff bus she boarded got to Tipper bus-stop, Ketu, at around 8:00pm.
“It was around five minutes to eight (7:55pm) that I alighted at the bus-stop and I waited for other people to join me as I usually do so that we could move together. I saw two guys at the front and somehow I became suspicious. I asked those we were walking down together if they weren’t suspicious of the two men at our front, but they dismissed my fears and we continued walking.
“Before we knew it, some men started walking towards us from the back and the ones at our front suddenly stopped. Seeing that I was already panicking, those we were walking together started flagging down oncoming cars to see if any would stop to pick us from the place.
“The guys behind us and those ahead now rushed closer to us and one of them started saying ‘Collect her bag, collect her bag.’ On hearing that, I held tight to my bag. Two of them descended on me and began to drag my handbag with me while others were hitting me.
“By this time, those men we were walking together had fled from the scene, perhaps to see if they could get help.
“People were passing by and vehicles were driving by, but no one cared to help me. Instead, people close to the area moved away to a safe distance.
“I held on to my handbag and with my laptop back on my back, I fell to the ground so that the criminals would not be able to take my laptop bag.
“They dragged me on the ground, pulled my hair, beat and injured me until I could no longer hold on to my handbag.
“By the time the men who were walking with me earlier would return with some other people, the criminals had taken my handbag and fled,” she narrated.
Olowu-Oyebayo said the criminals also went away with her mobile phones and bank (ATM) cards.
She expressed surprise that some traders around there told her that she should not have alighted around there at that time of the night, adding that the traders said it was a regular occurrence in the area by “Flower boys.”
She said on getting home later that night, she tried to use her husband’s phone to block her bank accounts but she realised that the money in one of the accounts had been cleared by the criminals.
Having been advised to report the incident at a police station, especially because she lost her ID card and office access card, Olowu-Oyebayo said she visited the Alapare police station as directed by a team of policemen on patrol on the day after the incident.
She said, “On getting to the police station at Alapere with my husband, the officers on duty, after taking my statement, affirmed that they were aware of the criminal activities around Tipper bus-stop.
“To my shock, one of them advised me against stopping at Ketu Tipper bus-stop, Church bus-stop, Toll Gate, Ogudu bus-stop, Glass House, including Kosofe area whenever I’m coming from the office in the evening.
“I was shocked because I couldn’t imagine the fact that the police were aware of these criminal activities and nothing was being done about them. It was also shocking that those who are supposed to protect us are telling us to run away from bus-stops instead of ridding those bus-stops of criminals and making Lagos safe for all.”
She added, “One of the officers said those boys seemed to rub oil or okra on their bodies whenever they went for such operations. The officer, a female, said she had once caught one of the criminals but he slipped from her hands because of what he rubbed on his body.
“Another officer said sometimes the boys would be operating behind them while on patrol and there was no way they could cover everywhere at the same time.
“I wonder who to trust for our security in this state and nation if our police are talking this way. Obviously, there is more to these crimes than meet the eye.”
Our correspondent reached out to the Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, regarding the incident and the PPRO said he was hearing such complaint for the first time and promised to take it up.
“This is new to me and I’m hearing it for the first time. We are going to investigate the matter.
“If truly police officers said that, then it’s an indictment on the profession and it’s highly unprofessional, because rather than curb the crimes in those area, citizens are being told to avoid the areas.
“But as I said, we will look into it,” SP Hundeyin said.
“Again, I will like to advise the victim to bring this to the notice of the Divisional Police Officer, because he is responsible for the security in that area. This is why, since I came on board, I’ve continued to publish the phone numbers of all divisional police officers on my social handles and my WhatsApp profile. That’s because I want every citizen to have access to the DPOs.
“And being senior officers, your information is safer with them.
“At my own end, I will ensure that those areas are no longer known for such crimes,” Hundeyin added.
By Our Correspondent
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Shehu Nadada, to Imo State to coordinate the search-and-rescue operation for 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps members and other passengers abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Road.
The victims were reportedly abducted on Thursday, October 1, 2026, around Umunoha in Imo State.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, CSP Anietie Iniedu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday.
According to the statement, Nadada arrived in the state alongside two Commissioners of Police and immediately conducted an on-the-spot assessment of the incident and the ongoing rescue operation.
He also reviewed the operational strategies, deployment of personnel and available assets, while issuing additional directives aimed at strengthening the coordinated response.
The assessment was conducted alongside the Imo State Commissioner of Police, CP Audu Garba Bosso; the Commissioner of Police in charge of Federal Operations, CP Akpan Anifiok; the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Police Mobile Force; other service commanders and members of the management team of the Imo State Police Command.
Iniedu said the search-and-rescue operation had been intensified, with additional tactical teams and operational assets deployed to identified areas.
He added that the operation was being supported by intelligence-led tracking of the abductors and coordinated efforts with other security agencies.
Nadada assured members of the public that the police remained committed to securing the safe release of the abducted persons.
“The Nigeria Police Force is committed to securing the safe rescue of the 20 abducted persons and will sustain the operation until the mission is successfully concluded,” Iniedu quoted Nadada as saying.
The police boss urged members of the public and the media to remain calm and vigilant, while appealing to anyone with credible information that could assist the operation to contact the police or the nearest security formation.
He assured the public that all information received would be treated with strict confidentiality.
The police said further updates would be provided as the rescue operation progresses.
Five men have been arrested and arraigned before a Chief Magistrate’s Court in Maiduguri, Borno State, after police allegedly found them wearing T-shirts bearing the words “Tinubu Must Go.”
The defendants were identified as Baba Aji Gremami, 44; Mustapha Abba Yemen, 28; Abbacha Mohammed Ali, 32; Adam Umar Gubio, 21; and Abdulhamid Mohammed, 21.
According to a First Information Report issued by the State Criminal Investigation Department, the incident occurred on September 25, 2026, near West End Roundabout in Maiduguri.
Police charged the five men with criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance, disturbance of public peace and thuggery under Sections 60, 78, 79 and 392 of the Borno State Penal Code.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges when they appeared before Chief Magistrate Court I in Maiduguri.
Their lawyer subsequently applied for bail. The court adjourned the matter until October 6, 2026, to rule on the bail application, while the substantive trial has been scheduled for October 26.
The case has drawn attention because the alleged conduct involved wearing clothing displaying a political message.
Amnesty International criticised the prosecution, describing the arrests as arbitrary and arguing that peaceful political expression is protected by fundamental human rights. The organisation called for the immediate release of the five men and urged authorities to discontinue the case.
Amnesty International also expressed concern that the prosecution could have implications for political expression and opposition activities in Borno State.
The case has generated reactions on social media, with some commentators questioning whether the display of political messages on clothing should constitute a criminal offence.
There have also been allegations that a prominent politician in Borno State may have influenced the arrests. The allegation has not been independently verified.
Efforts to obtain a comment from the Borno State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Kenneth Daso, were reportedly unsuccessful as of the time of filing.
The defendants remain subject to the court process, and the allegations against them have not been established in court.
The Jigawa State Hisbah Board has arrested eight people in Kazaure Local Government Area over alleged homosexual acts, according to the board.
The board’s Public Relations Officer, Dauda Hadejia, disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday, September 26, 2026.
Hadejia said the arrests followed a complaint filed by a 22-year-old man, who alleged that nine individuals had engaged in sexual acts with him on different occasions.
According to the statement, the complainant also claimed that he later contracted HIV, which he attributed to the alleged encounters. He reportedly appealed to the Hisbah authorities for justice, describing the alleged conduct as deceptive and harmful to his life.
Following the complaint, Hadejia said Hisbah operatives launched an investigation and began searching for the nine individuals named by the complainant.
“So far, eight suspects have been arrested, while efforts are ongoing to arrest the remaining suspect,” Hadejia said.
He added that the eight arrested individuals reportedly admitted during preliminary investigations to having engaged in sexual acts with the complainant.
Hadejia said the board had gathered information and evidence that would be presented before a court. He added that the investigation remained ongoing and that the suspects would be charged upon its completion.
The Deputy Commander-General of the Jigawa State Hisbah Board, Dr. Hussain Baban, reportedly urged parents to pay closer attention to their children’s upbringing and the people with whom they associate.
He also called on members of the public to be mindful of the consequences of their actions and to uphold religious and moral values.
The board further expressed appreciation to the Jigawa State Government for its support and cooperation in carrying out its responsibilities.
A newly married couple, Funmilayo Bamidele and her husband, Reverend Abiodun David, have been abducted along the Iyemero-Eruku Road, a border route linking Kwara and Kogi states.
The couple were reportedly returning from their engagement ceremony in Eruku on Saturday evening when armed men intercepted their vehicle and abducted them alongside four other passengers.
According to sources, the vehicle was initially expected to take the Isanlu Road. However, the driver reportedly chose an alternative route to drop off the best man and other members of the group at Iyamoye in Kogi State.
The vehicle was subsequently intercepted by armed men along the Iyemero-Eruku Road, leading to the abduction of all the occupants.
A photograph of the newly abducted couple has since emerged following the incident, while details about the whereabouts of the other passengers remain unclear.
Confirming the incident on Sunday, Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, said soldiers had been deployed to search the surrounding bushes and rescue the victims while also pursuing the suspected kidnappers.
Ojo disclosed that the vehicle used by the victims was later found abandoned at a former police station in Ayetoro, Ekiti State.
He added that police operatives from Kwara, Kogi and Ekiti states were working jointly on the rescue operation because the incident occurred around the border communities of the three states.
Authorities have yet to disclose further details on the identities of the suspected abductors or whether any contact has been established with the victims.
At least five miners have been killed and two others injured after gunmen reportedly ambushed them at a mining site in Plateau State.
The incident occurred at about 1 p.m. on Saturday, September 26, in Marit village, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area.
According to community sources, the miners were carrying out their legitimate activities when they came under attack. The incident has plunged the community into mourning and renewed concerns over the safety of residents in the area.
Confirming the attack, the National Publicity Secretary of the Berom Youth Moulders Association, Rwang Tengwong, said five people lost their lives while two others sustained injuries.
“It is a very sad and painful development. Our people are once again mourning the loss of lives to violence,” Tengwong said, while calling on security agencies to intensify efforts to protect communities and prevent similar incidents.
A community member, Simon Mundat, also described the attack as devastating and appealed to the authorities to strengthen security in the area.
“We are deeply saddened by this attack. We appeal to authorities to strengthen security in the area so that our people can go about their legitimate activities without fear,” he said.
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