Metro

Police Exhume Bodies Of Kidnap Victims Killed After N11m Ransom Payment

Published

2 hours ago

June 3, 2026

Operatives of the Edo State Police Command have exhumed the bodies of two kidnap victims allegedly killed by their abductors in Isiukhu Community, Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State.

It was gathered that one of the victims, 66-year-old Mrs Favour Nosakhare, was killed despite the family reportedly paying N11 million ransom to secure her release.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Eno Ikoedem, confirmed this in a statement released on Wednesday.

According to her, the exhumation followed the arrest of a 23-year-old suspect, Musa Haruna, who is believed to be part of a kidnapping and armed robbery syndicate operating in the area.

She also gave the names of the other victims as Mrs Emmanuel Annabel Osasere, 28, and Miss Rejoice Otikpere, 26, a domestic aide.

The victims were abducted on May 9, 2026, when armed men invaded their residence.

The police spokesperson said, “Days after the abduction, the kidnappers contacted members of the victims’ family through a video call during which the women were seen being brutally flogged and tortured while their captors demanded ransom for their release.”

She added that the development triggered a strong response from the police, leading to intensive rescue operations involving tactical teams, intelligence gathering, and drone surveillance across forests and suspected hideouts in Ovia North-East and adjoining areas.

On May 19, 2026, operatives reportedly located the gang along the powerline inside a forest, where a gun duel broke out. The suspects engaged the police in a fierce gun battle but were overwhelmed. However, they escaped with gunshot injuries, while a blood-soaked jacket and expended AK-47 ammunition were recovered from the scene.

“The painstaking investigation subsequently led to the arrest of Musa Haruna, male, 23 years, who is a member of the kidnapping syndicate notorious for kidnapping and armed robbery activities along the Benin–Lagos Road and Old Benin–Akure Road corridors,” the police spokesperson said.

She further stated that during interrogation, the suspect confessed to the crime and led operatives to a thick forest in Ogwa Community, where two decomposing bodies were recovered on June 2, 2026.

She said one of the bodies was identified by the family as Mrs Favour Nosakhare.

The police added that investigations are ongoing to arrest other members of the syndicate still at large, noting that tactical and intelligence-driven operations have been intensified.

The spokesperson assured that the Command is confident that the remaining suspects will be brought to justice soon.

Speaking in an interview, the daughter of the deceased said the family paid N11 million ransom and provided other items demanded by the abductors before her mother was killed.

Speaking on his involvement, Musa Haruna, who identified himself as a cattle herder, confessed that the gang operates along the Benin–Lagos and Benin–Akure expressways.

Haruna alleged that the seven-member syndicate was responsible for a series of kidnapping operations in the area.

He claimed that he was recruited into the criminal network by a gang member known simply as “Doctor”.

Metro

Four Terrorists To Die By Hanging Over Owo Catholic Church Attack

Published

2 hours ago

June 3, 2026

Lydia Obinna

Four terrorists convicted for their roles in the June 5, 2022 attack on Saint Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, have been sentenced to death by hanging.

The judgment was delivered on Wednesday by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The attack, which shocked the nation, claimed the lives of 43 worshippers who had gathered for service at the church.

The four convicts sentenced to death are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, 25; Al Qasim Idris, 20; Jamiu Abdulmalik, 26; and Abdulhaleem Idris, 25.

Another defendant in the case, Momoh Otuho Abubakar, 47, was discharged and acquitted by the court.

Justice Nwite found the four convicted terrorists guilty on all nine counts filed against them. Following their conviction, the court ordered that they be hanged until they are dead.

The ruling brings to a close a major legal case connected to one of Nigeria’s deadliest attacks on a place of worship in recent years.

Metro

Adamawa Police Operatives Arrest 11 Suspected Shilla Gang Members

Published

3 hours ago

June 3, 2026

Lydia Obinna

Operatives of the Adamawa State Police Command have arrested 11 youths suspected of belonging to a criminal gang known for robbery activities, particularly in and around Yola, the state capital.

The police said the suspects were arrested on May 31, 2026, during an operation carried out by officers from the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in collaboration with other tactical units. The operation was conducted under the directive of the Commissioner of Police, Kabir Hassan.

According to the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Suleiman Nguroje, the coordinated raid focused on criminal hideouts located in Yola North and Yola South Local Government Areas.

The suspects arrested were identified as Aliyu Idris, 18; Mukhtar Abubakar, 28; Amir Dan Asabe, 23; Joel Timothy, 23; Isaac Isah, 26; Hassan Salisu, 19; Nyon Ayuba, 32; Saidu Musa, 22; Adamu Yau, 20; Adamu Muhammed, 36; and Nasiru Bala, 20.

Nguroje said investigations linked the suspects to gangster activities, violent attacks, unlawful possession of dangerous weapons, and the use and distribution of illegal drugs.

“Police investigations linked the suspects to acts of gangsterism, violent attacks, unlawful possession of dangerous weapons, as well as the consumption and distribution of illicit drugs,” Nguroje explained.

Items recovered during the operation included knives, daggers, machetes, and cutlasses, which police alleged were used in carrying out criminal activities.

The Command said investigations are ongoing as efforts continue to tackle crime and improve security across the state.

Metro

Iswap Fighter Surrenders, Hands Over Gun To Troops In Borno

Published

3 hours ago

June 3, 2026

Lydia Obinna

A member of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has surrendered to troops of Operation Hadin Kai in Guzamala Local Government Area of Borno State.

According to counter-insurgency and security expert, Zagazola Makama, the insurgent, identified as Bakaka Bukar, surrendered to troops at the Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Mairari at about 6:00 p.m. on June 1.

Makama said Bukar handed over an AK-47 rifle to the troops and expressed his readiness to abandon insurgency and live peacefully within society.

He explained that preliminary investigations showed that the former fighter escaped from the Arinna Maimasalaci enclave, a known ISWAP stronghold reportedly controlled by a terrorist commander known as Abu Salim.

Makama noted that the surrender reflects the progress being made through ongoing counter-insurgency operations and the growing pressure being placed on terrorist camps across the North-East.

Following initial screening and documentation, military authorities moved Bukar to the Bulunkutu Rehabilitation Centre in Maiduguri. There, he will take part in the Federal Government’s deradicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration programme designed for former insurgents.

Speaking on the development, Makama said:

“The recent military offensives, combined with sustained air and ground operations, have continued to weaken terrorist networks and encourage defections among insurgent ranks.

“The security situation across the theatre remains calm but unpredictable, while troops maintain high morale and operational effectiveness in ongoing efforts to restore lasting peace in the region.”