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INSECURITY: Vice principal two others killed as bandits invade Kogi community, attempt to kidnap WAEC candidates
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Panic engulfed Iluke Bunu, a community in Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, on Wednesday morning after suspected bandits launched a deadly attack that left three people dead, including a school vice principal.
The bandits, who reportedly invaded the community in large numbers, were said to have targeted students sitting for the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), sparking fears of a mass abduction.
According to local sources, the gunmen stormed the area in the early hours of June 10, unleashing gunfire that sent residents and students scrambling for safety. The incident disrupted normal activities in the community and created widespread panic among residents.
A community member who spoke about the attack described the situation as terrifying, revealing that the sound of sustained gunfire echoed across the area as people fled to avoid being caught in the violence.
He said we woke up to heavy gunfire this morning. The bandits entered the community and there was confusion everywhere.
Residents were running in different directions for safety, while students writing their WAEC examinations became terrified,” the source said.
The source further revealed that the attackers appeared determined to abduct students and school personnel but were thwarted by the swift intervention of security operatives and local vigilantes.
According to him, soldiers stationed at a nearby military formation responded quickly after receiving distress calls and engaged the gunmen in a fierce exchange of gunfire.
He explained that if not for the prompt response of the soldiers and local vigilante groups, many students could have been kidnapped.
The security forces confronted the attackers and eventually forced them to retreat.
During the attack, three people reportedly lost their lives. Among the victims was Mr. Gani Anifowose, Vice Principal of Government Secondary School, Aharha-Bunu. Two other individuals were also killed in the violence, although details about their identities were not immediately available.
Another resident expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation in the area, noting that many community members remain traumatised by the incident.
According to him, our community is facing serious security challenges. The gunshots lasted for a long time, and people are still searching for some residents whose whereabouts remain unknown,” the resident said.
Sources within the community stated that troops from the Nigerian Army formation in Suku-Kiri Bunu led the response operation.
The soldiers reportedly engaged the attackers in a gun battle, preventing them from carrying out their mission.
During the confrontation, one of the suspected bandits was allegedly shot dead, while several others escaped into nearby forests and bushes.
The attack has renewed concerns over insecurity in parts of Kogi State, particularly in rural communities where residents have repeatedly faced threats from armed criminal groups. It has also raised fresh questions about the safety of students and educational institutions amid ongoing national examinations.
Residents have called on the government and security agencies to strengthen security presence in vulnerable communities and take decisive action to prevent future attacks on schools and innocent civilians.
Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi State has replaced his deputy, Senator Umar Abubakar Tafida Arugungu, with a former Commissioner for Finance, Ibrahim Muhammad Augie, as his running mate for the 2027 governorship election.
The decision was announced on Sunday by the All Progressives Congress National Organising Secretary, Suleiman Muhammad Argungu, at the Presidential Lodge in Birnin Kebbi.
Argungu made the announcement during a thank-you visit by political stakeholders from the Argungu Emirate to the governor.
He explained that the change followed legal advice regarding the eligibility of the incumbent deputy governor to contest alongside Idris in the 2027 election.
According to him, Tafida Arugungu was dropped as the governor’s running mate based on the advice received from legal experts.
Argungu subsequently named Augie as the new running mate to Idris, while stressing that the decision was taken with the knowledge and consent of the outgoing deputy governor.
He dismissed speculation of a rift between Idris and Tafida Arugungu, urging APC members and supporters across the state to accept the development and remain united ahead of the 2027 poll.
Speaking to journalists after the event, Idris also denied any disagreement with his deputy, assuring party supporters that he would work with Augie to advance the interests of the state.
Augie, who hails from Augie Local Government Area, served as Commissioner for Finance during the administration of former Governor Atiku Bagudu.
The governor also thanked the people of the Argungu Emirate for their continued support for his administration and called on party members to remain focused on the development of the state.
Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, has filed, among nine reliefs, a fresh N10 billion fundamental rights suit against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), alleging that the agency has prevented his wife and son from visiting him in custody.
In the meantime, El-Rufai’s son and representative of Kaduna North Federal Constituency, Mohammed El-Rufai, over the weekend celebrated his father and stepmother, Asia, on their 27th wedding anniversary.
The former minister’s originating motion marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1852/2026 and filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja on August 13, 2026, by El-Rufai’s lawyer, Ubong Akpan, also listed the ICPC chairman and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) as second and third defendants.
He alleged that his wife, Aichatou Asabe, and son, Abba el-Rufai, were prevented from accessing him despite an existing court order permitting visits by his family members and legal representatives.
The former governor asked the court to declare that his fundamental rights under Part IV of the 1999 Constitution remain enforceable despite his detention by the ICPC.
He alleged that the repeated denial of access to his family members had prevented them from providing him with food, medication and other necessities.
According to him, the alleged restriction violated his rights to dignity, private and family life as guaranteed under Sections 34 and 37 of the Constitution, as well as Articles 5 and 18 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Also alleging that ICPC officers physically restrained and intimidated his wife and son during an incident on July 7, he asked the court to declare the alleged conduct and continued denial of family access without lawful authority unconstitutional, illegal, null and void.
The former governor further sought an order directing the ICPC and other respondents to grant him unhindered and reasonable access to his family and lawyers throughout his detention, in line with an earlier order of the Federal High Court.
According to el-Rufai, the alleged actions had subjected him to “humiliation, emotional trauma, anxiety and psychological distress.”
He argued that the respondents’ conduct amounted to an unjustifiable interference with his dignity and family life and was inconsistent with constitutional protections and provisions of the African Charter.
Meanwhile, in a statement on Facebook, Mohammed described his stepmother as the “glue” of the family and praised her for her compassion, intellect and support for vulnerable people.
He recalled how Asia took him back to Zaria Academy when he was in Junior Secondary School 1, describing her as “an avid reader, a brilliant lawyer” and a woman whose compassion extended beyond her immediate family.
He said his stepmother devoted herself to supporting widows and orphans during his father’s tenure as governor, while also crediting her with shaping his values and approach to representing Kaduna North.
“Every good thing we continue to do for Kaduna North is due to the teachings and knowledge she has imparted in me since I was 11 years old. Every bad thing is my fault,” he said.
Reflecting on Asia and his father’s marriage, Mohammed said he had witnessed his stepmother’s unwavering support for his father through different periods of his life. He added that her strength and presence had remained a source of comfort, particularly as his father’s detention continues.
Abdulaziz Umar Ganduje, the eldest son of former Governor of Kano State and ex-National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has returned to the ruling party after a brief defection to the New Democratic Congress (NDC).
On Sunday, Abdulaziz was formally received back into the APC fold at the Ganduje Ward office in Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area, where he collected his membership card.
Party officials and supporters were present to witness the occasion, which was seen as a reaffirmation of loyalty to the APC structure in Kano.
Abdulaziz had earlier joined the NDC and picked up its nomination form to contest the Dawakin Tofa/Tofa/Rimin Gado Federal Constituency seat. His move was widely interpreted as aligning with the Kwankwasiyya movement of former Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, a long-time rival of his father.
His return to APC comes after the deadline for obtaining nomination forms had closed, meaning the action was symbolic rather than an immediate electoral bid. It is, however, viewed as a significant step in consolidating the Ganduje family’s political base in Dawakin Tofa.
Kano politics has for years been shaped by the rivalry between Kwankwaso’s Kwankwasiyya movement and Ganduje’s APC faction.
Abdulaziz’s earlier defection was seen as a boost to Kwankwasiyya, while his return strengthens his father’s camp ahead of the 2027 elections.
2027: Gov dumps deputy, picks ex-commissioner as running mate
el-Rufai files fresh N10b suit against ICPC for allegedly denying family access to him
Ganduje’s son returns to APC after 3 months in Kwankwaso’s NDC
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