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Residents of Kebbe town in Kebbe Local Government Area of Sokoto State are living in fear after suspected bandits demanded N40 million from the community and threatened to attack if the money is not paid.

The threat was reportedly delivered through a resident, Abara Jaji, who was intercepted by the bandits while on his way to fetch firewood.

A source familiar with the incident told Daily Trust that Jaji was travelling along a route reportedly used by the bandits when he spotted them and fled, abandoning his motorcycle.

The source said the bandits pursued him on motorcycles, caught up with him and surrounded him.

According to the source, the bandits asked Jaji where he was from. Jaji, who was reportedly trembling with fear, told them he was from Kebbe while pleading that he had no money.

The bandits then gave him a Tecno phone, containing a SIM card, and instructed him to deliver it to the District Head of Kebbe or his representative. The phone reportedly came with the words, “Sha kidanka bakauye.”

They reportedly demanded N40 million from the community, threatening to attack the town and burn properties if the money was not paid.

A witness, who requested anonymity, said Jaji arrived at the residence of the District Head, Sarkin Kabin Kebbe, Alhaji Muhammad Labbo Margai, at about 9:30am on Tuesday and met his representative, Murtala Muhammad.

He said Jaji explained that the bandits had sent him with the phone.

According to the witness, the bandits later called the phone and repeated their demand for N40 million.

Murtala reportedly told the callers that the matter concerned the entire community and that he could not make the decision alone.

He subsequently took Jaji to the DPO, where other security officials in the local government were also present.

“While they were explaining the situation to the security officials, the bandits called again. The call was put on hands-free, so everyone heard what the bandits were demanding,” the witness said.

However, another source familiar with the development said a person close to the security authorities told him that arrangements were being made to raise the money, with payment expected on Sunday.

The development has reportedly triggered fear among residents, with some already leaving the town.

“Just now, my mother and a younger sister who came home for a post-natal bath have left the town because of the fear that failure to fulfil the promise could become a problem. Some people are not sleeping in their houses now,” the resident said.

He said residents had yet to see any additional deployment of security personnel in the town.

“We do not want them to be given the money because if they are paid, they will continue imposing such levies on us from time to time, just as they are doing to Gwandi village.

“If they are given the money, it will open the way for them to continue extorting us. We want more security personnel deployed so that even if they attack, they can be repelled,” he said.

Another resident who was present when Jaji delivered the message also confirmed the development.

He said the bandits threatened to enter the town and kill residents if their demand was not met.

According to him, the bandits initially wanted the money to be paid on Tuesday, but the representative of the Sarkin Kabin Kebbe asked for time to consult the community before a decision was made.

He said the threat affected commercial activities in the town, with the market recording low patronage on Tuesday, while many residents, particularly women, fled in fear.

He added that some residents had started leaving the town because of fears of an attack.

The residents opposed payment of the money, instead calling for increased security presence in the community.

The spokesperson of the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufai, said the command was aware of the development and was working on it.

“They’re fully aware and they’re working on it,” he said.

Attempts by Daily Trust to obtain comments from the Chairman of Kebbe Local Government Area, Hon. Musa Garba Kuci, and the Sokoto State Government spokesperson, Abubakar Bawa, were unsuccessful, as they did not answer calls or respond to text messages sent to them.

The latest threat comes amid a series of deadly attacks in Kebbe Local Government Area in recent weeks.

On August 3, ASP Bala Wakili was killed while exchanging fire with bandits at Zugu village in Kebbe LGA. Two patrol vehicles were also set ablaze—one belonging to the police and the other to the Sokoto Community Guard Corps, according to sources.

On August 14, four soldiers were killed when bandits attacked Kebbe town.

The same day, 34 people were killed in an attack on Ungushi village in Kebbe LGA.

Following the attacks, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 8 Division deployed additional security personnel and weapons to the area.

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The Ogun State Government has issued a fresh flood alert ahead of the second phase of the 2026 rainy season, urging residents in vulnerable communities to remain vigilant and relocate to safer locations where necessary.

The state Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, said the warning followed a forecast by the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet), which identified Ogun among the states expected to experience heavy rainfall in the coming weeks.

According to NiMet’s Seasonal Climate Prediction, the second phase of the 2026 rainy season is expected to begin in September, with Ogun projected to experience intense rainfall averaging about 360mm during the month.

Oresanya said the state government would continue to monitor weather forecasts and hydrological conditions in collaboration with NiMet, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority and other relevant stakeholders.

The Commissioner warned that the expected rainfall could increase the risk of river and coastal flooding in parts of the state, particularly due to prolonged rainfall, controlled overflow from Oyan Dam and tidal fluctuations that could slow the flow of the Ogun River.

He explained that the combined effect of these factors could temporarily oversaturate wetlands and floodplains, increasing the risk of flooding in vulnerable communities.

Oresanya advised residents in Isheri, Arepo, Mawere, Magboro, Akute and Warewa, as well as parts of Abeokuta, to remain vigilant and relocate to safer locations where necessary.

He said the advisory also covers coastal communities including Makun-Omi, Iwopin, Oni, Ifaara and Igele in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area; Ebute-Imobi in Ijebu East Local Government Area; Tungeji Island and Agosasa in Ipokia Local Government Area; and communities located along the floodplains of the Ilo and Iju rivers.

The Commissioner also urged fish farmers operating within floodplains and river corridors to harvest their stocks promptly to minimise potential losses from flooding.

He specifically advised fish farmers in Eriwe, Yemule, Ilase and Ayegbami, as well as those in other vulnerable communities, to heed the warning without delay.

The state government said the first phase of the rainy season, which lasted from mid-March to July, recorded intense rainfall and isolated flash floods in some parts of Ogun, but with comparatively minimal impact.

Oresanya attributed the relatively low impact to proactive measures adopted by the government, including sustained public awareness and education, regular maintenance of rivers, streams and drainage channels, as well as improvements in waste management services.

“Particular attention had been given to major river channels and waterways, including Sokori River and its tributaries, Opa-Aro, Adiyan, Eruwuru, Yemule, Gbogidi Canal and Ijamido rivers and streams, among others,” he said.

The Commissioner called on relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Local Government Authorities, emergency response organisations, community leaders and other stakeholders to intensify flood-response activities, regularly monitor vulnerable locations and ensure that drainage channels remain free of obstructions.

He also urged community leaders to strengthen public awareness campaigns in their respective areas, stressing that timely information and early action were critical to reducing the impact of possible flooding.

“The state government would continue to monitor weather forecasts and hydrological conditions in collaboration with NiMet, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority and other relevant stakeholders.”

Oresanya assured residents that the government would sustain its efforts to minimise the adverse impact of flooding across the state and appreciated residents for their cooperation with measures that contributed to the relatively low impact recorded during the first phase of the rainy season.

He urged residents to take the advisory seriously and remain responsive to further updates from the government and relevant emergency agencies.

Meanwhile, the state government’s call for residents in vulnerable areas to relocate has generated mixed reactions, with some residents appearing unprepared for the possibility of flooding.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment, who also doubles as the General Manager of the state Waste Management Authority, Akintunde Farook, called for improved attitudes among residents towards waste disposal and other measures to help mitigate the expected impact of flooding.

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A Nigerian Air Force personnel, Daniel Dominic, has narrated how armed men invaded his residence in Rimi Village, Kaduna State, abducting two of his children and briefly taking his wife captive during a night raid.

Dominic said the incident occurred between 10pm and 11pm on Sunday after he had left home for work, where he was scheduled for a night shift.

According to him, his wife first called to alert him that suspected kidnappers had entered their neighbourhood, but she did not initially realise that the attackers had already broken into a neighbour’s compound and were moving towards their residence.

He said the attackers, numbering more than 10 and armed with rifles and machetes, first abducted a neighbour, identified as a laboratory scientist working at the General Hospital, Sabon Tasha, Kaduna.

The victim, according to Dominic, is the brother-in-law of Gurara TV Chief Executive Officer, Comrade Ernest Thyek Maidawa.

The Air Force personnel said the attackers subsequently broke through his fence and gained entry into his house through a window after dismantling the burglary protection.

Narrating the incident, Dominic said his wife hid their three children—Derick, Damina and Dominion—in a kitchen cabinet before the gunmen entered the house.

“My wife hid the children in my kitchen cabinet. They are three children – Derick, Damina, while the third one is Dominion,” he said.

He said his wife attempted to deceive the attackers by presenting herself as the only person in the house.

“When they came in, they now asked her, ‘Where is the money? Where is the money in this house?’ She said there was no money. They then asked her about her husband and she told them that her husband had gone to work.

“They asked her about the children and she said the children had gone for holiday to their uncle’s place. She was just lying to them, trying to distract them.”

Dominic said the gunmen, however, became suspicious and took his wife outside, where they had already tied his kidnapped neighbour.

He said the attackers later returned to search the house and discovered the three children hiding inside the kitchen cabinet.

According to him, Derick is 13 years old and would turn 14 in December, Damina is 11 and would turn 12 on Saturday, while Dominion is seven years old.

“They now took the first one and the second one and went to where my wife was,” he said.

Dominic said the gunmen accused his wife of lying to them after discovering the children, before forcing her and the two older children to move with them into nearby farmlands.

He said the attackers used tall crops in the area as cover while moving towards the bush.

However, Dominic said his wife, who was reportedly struggling to keep up with the attackers, eventually fell repeatedly along the route.

“After they had trekked many miles, my wife was not feeling too well. She was just falling down on the road. So, maybe they felt that this one was going to slow us, so they asked her to go back,” he said.

According to him, the kidnappers instructed his wife to return home and tell him to begin raising money, after telling her that they knew he was a soldier and considered him a “big man” at his workplace.

He said he arrived home shortly after the attackers had left, initially unaware that his children had been abducted

“I saw my gate locked, I saw the hole. My thinking was maybe they tried to come into the fence and enter the house, maybe they heard some noise and left,” he said.

Dominic said his suspicion changed after he inspected his neighbour’s compound and discovered that the gate was open and a large hole had been created in the fence.

He subsequently went towards the rear of his house and called out to his wife, but received no response.

He said his seven-year-old son, Dominion, who had been left behind by the attackers, eventually opened the gate.

“The next thing he told me was, ‘Daddy, they’ve carried Mummy, Derick and Damina. They kidnapped Mummy, Derick and Damina,’” Dominic recounted.

He said his wife later returned and confirmed that the two children had been taken into the bush.

The family subsequently spent the night at his mother’s residence before returning home the following morning, according to him.

Dominic said the kidnappers later contacted him around 9am this Monday morning using his wife’s mobile phone, which they seized from her.

He said he immediately recognised that the callers were the same men who had abducted his children.

“When I saw it, I knew that they were the ones,” he said.

The father said he asked to speak with his children and was allowed to do so.

“I asked them, ‘Are they beating you? Are they dragging you? Are they maltreating you guys?’ My children said no,” he said.

Dominic said the kidnappers subsequently told him that they would not kill his children and promised to contact him later.

“They said they were not going to kill my children. They said I should not worry and that later they would call me,” he said.

However, he said the abductors had not contacted him again as of the time of the interview, leaving the family uncertain about what would happen next.

Dominic said he had officially reported the incident to his superiors and that security personnel had visited the area to obtain information that could assist in locating the victims.

He appealed for urgent intervention to secure the release of his two children and ensure the safe return of his kidnapped neighbour.

The incident comes amid renewed concerns over attacks and kidnappings in vulnerable communities across Kaduna State.

SaharaReporters had earlier reported that armed bandits invaded Rimi Village in Kaduna under the cover of darkness on Sunday and abducted the brother-in-law of Gurara TV Chief Executive Officer, Comrade Ernest Thyek Maidawa.

Gurara TV had appealed to security agencies and other relevant authorities to treat the abduction as an emergency and deploy necessary resources to rescue the victims.

The station also urged residents with credible information that could assist security agencies in locating the victims or apprehending the attackers to immediately report to the appropriate authorities.

Efforts to obtain an update from the Kaduna State Police Command were unsuccessful, as its spokesperson, DSP Mansur Hassan, neither answered calls to his phone nor responded to a message sent to him.