Metro
Gunmen abduct nine Edo family members, demand N260m ransom
Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted nine members of the same family, including a nursing mother and several children, along the Benin-Akure Road in Edo State.
The victims were reportedly seized at about 5 p.m. on Monday, February 2, 2026, along the Eko-Abeku-Iyowa Road in Evboneka community while returning home from school.
Head of the family, Festus Bamidele, said the abductors later released the nursing mother and her infant following a downpour on the day of the incident.
He explained that the family became aware of the abduction when the woman and her baby returned home.
According to him, three other children in pre-kindergarten classes were subsequently rescued by local vigilantes and police operatives in the community.
Bamidele, however, said four victims — aged between 11 and 26 — remain in captivity. Those still being held include his children, younger sister and sister-in-law.
“The kidnappers have contacted us and are demanding N260 million ransom,” he said.
Confirming the incident, the Edo State Police Command spokesperson, Eno Ikoedem, told PUNCH Metro said operatives of the Ekiadolor Division engaged the gunmen in a shootout during a rescue operation.
She said five of the victims were rescued unhurt, while four others were taken away by the fleeing abductors.
“The command, in collaboration with hunters and vigilantes, has launched an intensive bush-combing operation to track down the kidnappers and rescue the remaining victims,” Ikoedem stated.
The police added that the ongoing operation forms part of broader security measures aimed at dismantling criminal networks across the state.
Metro
Delta police arrest officer who shot handcuffed suspect to death in Effurun
The Delta State Police Command has arrested and transferred an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Nuhu Usman, to Force Headquarters in Abuja for disciplinary action over the extrajudicial killing of a 28-year-old suspect, Mene Ogidi.
The incident, which occurred on Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Effurun, sparked public outrage after a disturbing video went viral showing the suspect — already handcuffed and begging for mercy — being shot at close range in the head. His body was subsequently lifted and thrown into a police operational vehicle.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, CP Yemi Oyeniyi, strongly condemned the killing, describing it as a clear violation of Force Order 237 and the Nigeria Police Force’s Standard Operating Procedures.
According to the police, operatives attached to the Effurun Area Command acted on credible intelligence that Ogidi was attempting to waybill a parcel containing a Beretta pistol and four rounds of ammunition. The suspect was apprehended at the scene, but ASP Nuhu Usman, who led the team, discharged his firearm, resulting in the suspect’s death.
“Upon receipt of the report, the Commissioner of Police directed the immediate arrest of ASP Nuhu Usman and his transfer to the State Headquarters in Asaba for necessary disciplinary action,” the statement signed by Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, read.
The officer has since been queried and moved to Force Headquarters, Abuja, where he will face the Force Disciplinary Committee for sanction and possible prosecution.
The Command reiterated its commitment to professionalism, respect for human rights, and zero tolerance for recklessness and extrajudicial killings.
CP Oyeniyi extended his condolences to the family of the deceased, friends, and concerned members of the public, assuring them that justice would be served.
The video of the shooting surfaced barely two days after soldiers attached to the Guards Brigade in the Federal Capital Territory were accused of killing a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member inside his room. The army had claimed the corps member was caught in crossfire during an armed robbery response, but the deceased’s parents debunked the claim, insisting he was shot in his locked apartment.
Human rights activist Harrison Gwamnishu had earlier alleged that Usman Nuhu, a former Rapid Response Squad (RRS) operative with a history of alleged extrajudicial killings, was involved in the Effurun incident and that other officers might be shielded.
The police statement identifies only ASP Nuhu Usman as the officer who fired the fatal shot and confirms he is now in custody facing disciplinary proceedings.
Metro
Gunmen invade Ekiti church, k!ll pastor, abduct members during revival
Gunmen suspected to be bandits invaded a Christ Apostolic Church in Eda Oniyo, headquarters of Ilejemeje Local Government, opening fire on worshippers gathered for a special revival programme.
A pastor identified simply as Aregbe was killed on the spot.
Several others were injured.
An unconfirmed number of congregants are missing.
Witnesses said the attackers stormed the church around 6:45 p.m., shooting into the congregation.
Worshippers scattered into the surrounding bush. Some made it out. Others were hit.
Ilejemeje Local Government Chairman Pius Alaba confirmed the attack.
He said the pastor in charge reported that several worshippers remain unaccounted for, and the exact number of those abducted is still unknown.
“The corpse of the slain pastor has been deposited at the morgue,” Alaba said.
At least six worshippers are declared missing, raising fears they were taken by the gunmen.
Others are nursing gunshot wounds.
Panic has gripped Eda Oniyo.
A community member said residents are living in fear and appealed to government to urgently deploy security personnel to the area.
As of press time, security agencies had yet to issue an official statement on the attack.
Metro
Boko Haram Issues One-Week Ultimatum, Threatens To Kill, Marry Off 176 Abducted Women And Children In Kwara
Residents of Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State have raised alarm after suspected Boko Haram fighters reportedly issued a one-week ultimatum to the Nigerian government to secure the release of 176 abducted women and children or face mass execution.
Community members and families of the victims told SaharaReporters that the abductees delivered the message after a Jumu’ah prayer session held with their captors on Friday.
According to them, one of the victims was allowed to contact her family on Saturday and confirmed that all the abductees were alive. She also said the captors had been teaching them Arabic and Islamic studies.
A community source said the captors accused the government of not taking negotiations seriously, claiming they were spending resources to keep the victims. The militants allegedly warned that if no agreement is reached within one week, they would begin forcing some of the girls into marriage and kill others they consider “unimportant.”
Residents say the threat has heightened fear in the community, with families of the abducted living in distress as the deadline approaches.
Earlier reports indicated that the victims were shown in a video released by the captors in April, appearing weak and pleading for rescue. In the footage, an armed man claimed responsibility for the abduction of residents from Woro and nearby Kososo communities, saying the victims had been “indoctrinated.”
The group had also previously demanded a ransom of N20 million per victim, but negotiations reportedly stalled as the Kwara State Government refused to meet the demand.
Families of the abducted say they are increasingly worried about the survival of their loved ones, especially children and pregnant women, as captivity continues under harsh conditions.
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