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A 400-level student of the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU), Lapai, Niger State, Ismail Magaji, has reportedly been killed by a stray bullet during a military operation in New Bussa, Borgu Local Government Area of the state.

Mr Magaji, a student of the Department of Public Administration, was reportedly caught in the gunfire following a communal dispute in the Wawa community under the Borgu Kingdom on Thursday.

According to reports, the military personnel were operating in the area following a land dispute that had allegedly triggered sporadic shooting.

The circumstances surrounding the student’s death could not be independently verified as of the time of filing this report.

Mr Magaji was said to have been preparing for his final examinations before the university’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) embarked on an indefinite strike.

According to reports, the student had remained at home for about two weeks in anticipation that the industrial action would be called off before eventually travelling to his hometown.

He was reportedly expected to commence his final examinations around 5 September.

A course mate, Yahaya Lawal, described the deceased as a promising student whose life was cut short at a time when he was preparing to complete his university education.

“Ismail Ishaq Magaji, described as a promising 400-level student of Public Administration at IBBU, should have been in the classroom preparing for his examinations and future in order to contribute to the development of society,” Mr Lawal said.

He described the deceased as gentle, calm, accommodating and friendly.

“We will surely miss his gentility, calmness, gravity and simplicity. He was a very friendly person, very accommodating. It is very unfortunate and worrisome that he was killed by those paid to protect us in society,” he said.

Mr Lawal prayed for the repose of his soul and strength for his family.

“May Allah forgive Ismail Ishaq Magaji all his shortcomings, grant him Aljannatul Firdaus, and give his family the strength to bear this unbearable loss,” he said.

As of the time of filing this report, there had been no official statement from the Niger State Government, the Nigerian Army, or other relevant security authorities concerning the reported death.

The circumstances of the shooting, including the identity of the personnel involved and whether an investigation has commenced, also remain unclear.

The incident has sparked concern among students and residents over the safety of civilians caught in security operations and communal conflicts.

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The Chairman of Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State, Blessing Albert Ebhodaghe, popularly known as BB, has reportedly threatened to demolish a hotel allegedly used by members of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for a political meeting.

The allegation is contained in a leaked voice recording circulating in the state. In the recording, a voice purportedly belonging to the council chairman warned against allowing members of the opposition party to hold further meetings at the hotel.

According to the recording, the speaker threatened that buildings and businesses belonging to the hotel owner could be demolished if the NDC held another meeting at the facility.

The voice is heard saying, “The government will bring down any building or business of any person that attends any NDC meeting in his hotel.”

He also claimed that the government owned the land on which the hotel was built.

When asked whether the statement amounted to a threat from the government, the voice allegedly responded, “Yes, it’s a threat from the government and me.”

The allegation against the Esan West council chairman has raised fresh concerns among political stakeholders in Edo State about the treatment of opposition groups and their supporters ahead of future political activities.

Attempts to obtain comments from the council chairman, Ebhodaghe, were unsuccessful. He did not respond to messages seeking clarification, while calls to his phone were not answered as of the time of filing this report.

The allegation comes amid wider concerns over disruptions to NDC activities in some parts of the country.

SaharaReporters recently reported that the NDC identified eight of its members who it said sustained gunshot injuries during an alleged attack on its monthly ward meeting in Obuofia, Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State.

The victims identified by the party were Onovo Donald Ekene, Ngene Godwin Madueke, Ogbodo Gloria, Onovo Victor, Maduabuchi Ugwu, Nnaemeka Nelson, Chinonso Nwagbara and Obinna Daniel Owo.

The incident reportedly occurred on Saturday afternoon at Ihuani Awkunanaw in Obuofia, the ancestral home of the Awkunanaw people and hometown of the NDC governorship candidate in the state, Sir Christian Chinyeaka Ohaa.

In a statement issued by Ohaa’s Media Aid, Hon. Sampson Ukwu, the campaign said NDC members had gathered for the party’s statewide monthly ward meeting when armed hoodlums allegedly invaded the venue and opened fire.

“The following 8 persons sustained gunshot injuries,” the statement said before listing the alleged victims.

The party also alleged that canopies, chairs and other political materials were vandalised and destroyed during the attack.

“This is a clear act of political thuggery and an attempt to intimidate members of the opposition through violence,” the statement said.

The NDC further alleged that the incident was part of a pattern of disruptions targeting its political activities in Nkanu West, claiming that similar incidents had previously occurred in Akpugo and Obe wards.

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A mother and her four children have died in a fire that engulfed their home in Okochiri Community, Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State, in the early hours of Friday, September 18, 2026.

The victims were reportedly trapped in the building as the fire spread through the house. Sources in the community said the inferno was eventually extinguished through the efforts of youths who mobilised to the scene.

The fire was reportedly caused by petrol, which caught fire after coming into contact with a spark. The circumstances surrounding how the petrol ignited, however, remain subject to investigation.

Confirming the incident to newsmen, the Commander of the Civilian Joint Task Force in Okrika, Mr Igwe Godswill, said details of the incident were still sketchy.

He said when members of the task force arrived at the scene, they discovered that four children and their mother had been burnt to death.

“We just heard the news this morning about the fire. There are no proper details as to what happened, but when we got there this morning, we saw that about four children and their mother, a total of five persons, were burnt and had died,” he said.

Godswill added that the police had already arrived at the scene and commenced the process of gathering information about the incident.

“But the police had already arrived and taken proper details of what happened. It is so disheartening that this is happening again in our community.

“When we got there this morning, the fire had been put out and the police had already come to the scene. I believe proper investigation will be carried out,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the Rivers State Police Command confirmed the incident, stating that a woman and three of her children died in the fire, while other persons sustained injuries.

The Command’s spokesperson, ASP Blessing Agabe, also disclosed that property worth thousands of naira was destroyed in the inferno.

Agabe said investigation was ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine the cause of the fire outbreak.