Metro
Bandits reject N3m ransom to release abducted villagers
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Bandits in Zamfara State have rejected N3m offered as ransom for the release of 26 abducted persons from Gidan-Goga village, Maradun Local Government Area.
An indigene of the village, Abubakar Shehu, whose three daughters are among the abductees, disclosed this on Monday in a phone interview with The PUNCH.
He clarified that 26 individuals were abducted during the attack, not 50 as earlier reported by some media outlets.
Shehu explained that the abductees, include 19 females and six males, with one of his daughters preparing for marriage before her abduction.
“We raised N3m to offer to the bandits, but they rejected it,” Shehu lamented. “When we informed their leader about the amount, he dismissed us, saying we were not serious, and then switched off his phone. Since then, we have been unable to reach him.”
Recounting the incident, Shehu said, “The bandits attacked our community on Sunday and took away 26 people, all of whom are my neighbours. They contacted us to demand payment for their release but did not specify the amount they wanted.”
The community, which has faced repeated attacks from the bandits, remains on edge. Shehu noted that the bandits operate from a camp near the village and have been a persistent threat for a long time.
He added that despite reporting the incident to security agencies in the area, no action had been taken.
“We have informed the security personnel in the local government, but nothing has been done to address the situation. This is not the first time our village has been attacked,” he said.
Many residents have fled Gidan-Goga due to the frequent bandit attacks, though some, like Shehu, have stayed behind due to a lack of alternatives.
Efforts to reach the Zamfara State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Shehu Dalijan, for comments were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to calls.
Metro
‘I Hit Her With a Pistol, Hacked Her With Machete’ — Suspect Confesses to Killing Girlfriend in Enugu
A 30-year-old man, Emmanuel Okpara, has allegedly confessed to killing his girlfriend, Chinyere, in Enugu State on September 19, recounting how a heated argument reportedly escalated into a violent confrontation that left her dead.
In a video recording, Okpara narrated how he met the deceased on Facebook in 2023 while he was living in Nekede, Imo State.
He said he later relocated to Enugu State in December 2025, while Chinyere was serving as a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member in Port Harcourt.
According to the suspect, their paths crossed again in March 2026 after Chinyere returned to Enugu following her service year. The two subsequently began a romantic relationship.
Okpara claimed that Chinyere, who had recently completed her NYSC programme, visited him at his residence, where he allegedly told her he could cure sexually transmitted infections, including hepatitis, HIV and syphilis.
He alleged that the disclosure triggered an angry reaction from Chinyere, who accused him of being responsible for infecting her with HIV.
The disagreement reportedly degenerated into a physical altercation, during which Okpara claimed Chinyere struck him on the head with a pistol.
He said he managed to seize the weapon and repeatedly struck her on the head with it, causing her to collapse.
The suspect further admitted to allegedly using a machete to inflict severe injuries on her wrist, head and neck.
Okpara also claimed he was under the influence of hard drugs at the time of the incident.
Recounting what happened after the alleged killing, the suspect said he wrapped Chinyere’s body in nylon and remained inside his apartment with the corpse, adding that fear and confusion prevented him from knowing what to do next.
He disclosed that he stayed with the body for three days before neighbours, reportedly alerted by a foul smell coming from the apartment, broke into the residence.
The neighbours allegedly discovered Okpara inside the apartment with Chinyere’s decomposing body.
The suspect also revealed that he deliberately damaged the deceased’s phone to prevent anyone from reaching her.
The circumstances surrounding the killing, including the suspect’s allegations about the argument and his claimed drug use, remain subject to further investigation.
Metro
Court orders rapist’s name announced on radio
The Jigawa State High Court No. 11, sitting at Ringim, has sentenced a 50-year-old man to 10 years imprisonment for raping an 11-year-old girl.
The court, presided over by Hon. Justice Muhammad El-Usman, delivered the judgment on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, convicting one Abubakar Biniya of Galadanchi Quarters, Ringim Local Government Area.
The convict committed the offence in January 2024, at Galadanchi quarters, Ringim, where he allegedly had unlawful carnal knowledge of the minor.
In proving its case, the prosecution called six witnesses and tendered five exhibits, including a medical report, before the court.
The convict, however, testified in his defence and did not call any other witness.
Delivering judgment, Justice El-Usman said, “The prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, and the court has found the defendant guilty as charged.”
The judge said, “The court has considered the plea for leniency made by the convict and the fact that he is a first offender.”
He, therefore, sentenced him to 10 years custodial sentence for the offence of rape.
Justice El-Usman also ordered that, “The convict is to pay a compensation of N5000 to the victim.”
The court further ordered that the name of the convict be entered into the Jigawa State Sexual Offenders Register maintained at the Ministry of Justice.
It also ordered public shaming of the convict through radio announcement, relying on Section 3 (2), (4) and (5) of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law, No. 02, 2021.
The parties were given three months within which to appeal the judgment.
Shedding more light on the judgment, the Director, Information and Protocol, High Court of Justice, Jigawa State Judiciary, Abbas Wangara, confirmed the development.
Wangara said, “The High Court No. 11 sitting at Ringim has sentenced Abubakar Biniya to 10 years imprisonment for raping an 11-year-old girl.”
He said, “The court also ordered compensation and publication of his name in the sexual offenders register.”
He added that, “The judgment is in line with the VAPP Law 2021 as part of measures to deter sexual offenders in the state.”
Meanwhile, on the same date, the court discharged three other persons standing trial for different offences.
Wangara disclosed that, “The court discharged one Sale Kurma, 55, of Tsinaho Village, Taura LGA, who was charged with rape.”
He also said, “The court discharged Mansur Ahmed, 22, of Tsira Village, Ringim LGA, for rape, and Haruna Ahmadu of Marawa Village, Ringim LGA, charged with criminal conspiracy and robbery.”
According to him, “They were discharged for failure of the prosecution to establish the charges against them.”
The prosecution was led by Aisha Umar Zandam (Mrs), DDPP, and Binta Yusuf Abubakar (Mrs), ADPP, Ministry of Justice, Dutse, while the defence counsel was A.H. Hassan, Esq., of Nexus Legal Hubs, Kano.
Metro
Gunmen Abduct 20 Corps Members In Imo
Gunmen have abducted 20 corps members serving under the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) along the Owerri–Onitsha Road by Umunoha community in the Mbaitoli Local Government Area of the state.
Confirming the unfortunate incident, in a telephone conversation with Channels Television, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Imo State Police Command, Henry Okoye, said the corps members were reportedly travelling in a commercial bus from Ibadan, Oyo State, to different orientation camps in the South-East and South-South states when they were intercepted by the gunmen.
He said the Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso, visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment, while the police and other security agencies have intensified efforts to rescue the victims unhurt and unconditionally.
Okoye added that security operatives were currently combing surrounding bushes, while a Rapid Response Team (RRT) had also been deployed to track down the kidnappers and secure the safe release of the corps members.
The incident came weeks after the police said that 11 people, including an unidentified number of corps members serving under the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), were rescued after gunmen attacked vehicles along the Aloma–Egane Expressway.
The abduction reportedly occurred at about 4:40 p.m. on Wednesday, August 26, around Ogene Zaria, near the Ogene Zaria–Onicha-Igo Junction.
The armed men reportedly emerged from the bush and blocked two buses travelling in opposite directions, before abducting some of the passengers while others escaped into the bush.
The victims were, however, rescued by Joint security forces comprising the police, military, Department of State Services (DSS), and other auxiliary forces on August 31.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, told journalists that the corps members were rescued from Egume Forest in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State, after a coordinated security operation.
President Bola Tinubu has hailed the rescue, saying the well-coordinated Search and Rescue (SAR) operation carried out by a combined team of personnel from the military, the Nigerian Police Force, the Department of State Services, and local vigilantes safely rescued all the abductees, comprising eight males and 13 females, from the den of kidnappers in the forests of Ofu on Monday afternoon.
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