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Bandits abduct six in fresh Kaduna attack
Barely a week after the abduction of 177 church worshippers in the Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, bandits have again struck in the area, abducting six residents of Unguwar Barkonu in Maraban Kajuru.
The latest attack occurred in the early hours of Sunday in Kufana Ward, even as the Christian Association of Nigeria held special prayers for the safe return of the previously abducted worshippers.
A resident of the community, Steven Kefas, said the armed men invaded the area around 1 am, breaking into several houses and abducting six residents.
“Bandits stormed our community at about 1 am, broke into houses and forcefully took six people away to an unknown destination,” Kefas said.
Expressing frustration over the location of the attack, he added, “This incident didn’t occur in a remote village with no access to a road.
It happened right at the heart of Kajuru, in Kudana, where people expect some level of security presence.”
Kefas further lamented the absence of a rapid security response.
“As of the time of filing this report, there was no response from the police or other security agencies. The community was left on its own,” he said.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of CAN in Kajuru Local Government Area, the Rev. Enoch Kaura, said the attack took place around 11 pm on Saturday when bandits invaded the community.
“They surrounded the entire area and created fear among residents,” Kaura said. “But when neighbours raised the alarm, and people started coming out of their houses, the attackers fled, making away with six residents.”
Kaura described the recurring attacks as deeply troubling, especially coming so soon after the abduction of church worshippers.
“It is painful that while families are still crying and praying for the return of the 177 abducted worshippers, bandits have struck again. This has created fear and anxiety in the entire Kajuru axis,” he said.
Efforts to obtain official reaction from the Kaduna State Police Command were unsuccessful.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, could not be reached as his telephone line indicated ‘not reachable’, while a text message sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, a special prayer session for the safe return of the 177 abducted worshippers was held on Sunday at Tawaliu Baptist Church in Maraban Kajuru.
The prayer gathering attracted Christian leaders from across Kaduna State and parts of northern Nigeria.
Families of the abducted worshippers, some of whom were visibly emotional, attended the service as they continued to wait anxiously for news of their loved ones. Church leaders used the occasion to call on government and security agencies to intensify efforts to secure the release of all abducted persons and restore peace to the area.
This is Chukuku, along Kuje – Gwagwalada road, Kuje Area Council of the FCT.
Wike don reach here.
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The husband of a woman accused of killing their two-year-old son stood by her in court on Thursday as she pleaded not guilty to a first-degree murder charge.
Corie Walsh, 40, appeared briefly before a judge on September 24 during a preliminary hearing in the case involving the death of her son, Barrett Walsh.
Walsh appeared in a bright red jail uniform with her hair tied back during the roughly three-minute hearing. She stood beside her attorney, who told the court that the defence had subpoenaed her treatment records from the jail.
The records, attorney Andrea Lyon later said, were requested to determine whether Walsh was receiving the mental-health treatment she needs.
The defence is also seeking to have Walsh released before trial to a hospital for treatment, despite a judge rejecting an earlier request this month.
Walsh’s husband, Michael Walsh, sat in the public gallery during Thursday’s hearing alongside an elderly couple who appeared visibly emotional.
As Walsh was led from the courtroom after the hearing, she made eye contact with her husband.
Outside the courthouse, friends comforted Michael, with one supporter telling him, “She will get through this, she’s strong.”
Michael was later heard telling another supporter that he had been “packing up” the family home.
Speaking to reporters outside court, Lyon said Walsh’s family remained firmly behind her.
“Her whole family is here today — her husband, mother, mother’s best friend,” the attorney said.
“They love her and this is not — she’s never been violent… she was psychotic. They all know that and want her to get better. This is not who she is,” Lyon added.
According to court documents, Walsh’s two older children discovered Barrett with a rope around his neck and his feet off the ground in the basement of the family’s home in Frankfort, a suburb about 30 miles southwest of Chicago.
The children reportedly ran to a neighbour’s house for help.
The neighbour called 911 and attempted CPR on the toddler, but he had no pulse and was cold to the touch. Barrett was pronounced dead at the scene.
An autopsy determined that the child, affectionately known as “Bear,” died from “asphyxia due to ligature compression of the neck,” according to court records.
Police later found Walsh fully clothed in a bathtub containing bloodied water. Investigators allege that she had attempted to kill herself by cutting her wrists and thighs with a dull kitchen knife.
Court documents further allege that Walsh confessed to killing her son and described him as the “anti-Christ” and “devil.”
The case has drawn particular attention because prosecutors allege Walsh had become intensely focused on the high-profile case of Lindsay Clancy, a Massachusetts mother accused of killing her three children.
Clancy’s defence argued that she suffered from postpartum psychosis and was legally insane when she fatally strangled her children with exercise bands. Her trial ended in a hung jury and mistrial.
According to Walsh’s defence team, she had discussed the Clancy case with neighbourhood friends shortly before Barrett was found.
During an earlier hearing, defence attorney Robert Kerr said Walsh had sent several “confusing” and “out of character” messages about the Clancy case.
Kerr told the court that Walsh had initially expressed one view about Clancy’s case before suddenly changing her position.
A witness reportedly described Walsh as abruptly saying that Clancy was “100% not guilty”, prompting friends to question whether she was okay and whether someone should check on her.
Walsh’s lawyers have argued that she was “severely mentally ill” and experiencing a psychotic episode when Barrett died.
The defence has also rejected suggestions that Walsh deliberately copied Clancy.
“Describing Corie to have copied Lindsay is to take an easy bait,” Kerr said during a previous hearing, according to a transcript.
Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has raised concerns about his personal safety ahead of the 2027 general elections, saying he is not certain he will be alive when Nigerians go to the polls.
Obi made the remarks during an interview on Arise TV on Thursday, where he discussed the political environment ahead of the election and called for a peaceful and democratic process.
The former Anambra State governor said he had been subjected to petitions and investigations in different places, adding that he remained uncertain about what could happen to him before the election.
“As I speak to you, I have also petitioned, I’ve been investigated everywhere. I still hear that I’m not even sure whether I’ll still be alive at the end of this,” Obi said.
He said he was relying on God for protection, while expressing uncertainty over the circumstances surrounding him.
“I’m praying to God for His protection because at this stage, I’m not sure what is happening,” he added.
Obi also appealed to political actors, particularly state governors, to create an environment where presidential candidates and other contestants can campaign freely ahead of the 2027 polls.
According to him, governors have the right to support candidates of their choice, but should not prevent candidates from opposing parties from carrying out their campaigns.
“Some of them will be campaigning for presidency tomorrow. They will be campaigning for other offices tomorrow. Let’s have peace,” he said.
The NDC candidate recalled his tenure as governor of Anambra State, saying he allowed politicians from other parties to campaign in the state, including those supporting candidates who were opposed to him.
Obi’s comments come amid increasing political activity and debate over the conduct and security of the 2027 elections. He has repeatedly called for a peaceful, credible and issue-based electoral process, while urging political actors to avoid actions that could undermine democratic participation.
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