The Defence Headquarters said two notorious terrorists, Abu Radde and Umar Black, operating in the North West theatre of operations, surrendered to troops of Operation Fansan Yamma on January 19.

This was contained in a statement by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj Gen Edward Buba, on Tuesday.

Buba said the surrendered terrorists had been operating in Batsari and Safana Local Government Areas of Katsina State.

According to him, the surrender was occasioned by ongoing synchronised offensive operations by the ground troops and the air component, which resulted in several terrorists being dislodged from their enclaves with high casualties.

The Defence spokesman said the troops recovered assorted weapons and ammunition, as well as secured the release of 15 hostages held by the terrorists during the operation.

He reiterated that the troops are nevertheless sustaining the momentum as they continue the hunt for notorious terrorist leader, Bello Turji, among others.

“On the whole, troops will continue to eliminate threats posed by terrorists and destroy them on the battlefield.

“The terrorists will either surrender or be buried on the battlefield.

“Additionally, troops continue with their operations to create conditions whereby terrorists are denied the ability to carry out acts of terror against citizens,” he said.

A police inspector, Lawal Ibrahim, from the Kwali Division, was found dead at the Palasa Guest Inn in Gwagwalada after allegedly engaging in a sexual encounter with a woman he had met online.

The incident occurred on Thursday morning when Ibrahim checked into the hotel with Maryam Abba, whom he had invited from Dutse, Jigawa State.

According to eyewitnesses, the two had a sexual encounter on Wednesday night, followed by another round of sex early on Thursday.

However, after the second round, Maryam reportedly noticed that Ibrahim’s breathing became erratic, and he stopped responding.

She reportedly sprinkled water on him in an attempt to revive him, but he remained unresponsive.

The woman then raised the alarm and alerted the hotel manager, Danlami Palasa, who contacted the police.

The police arrived at the scene and found Ibrahim’s lifeless body in the hotel room.

The officer was later taken to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, where doctors confirmed his death. His body was deposited in the hospital’s mortuary.

Items found in the hotel room included a watermelon, a suspected aphrodisiac, Ibrahim’s phone charger, and his police identity card.

An anonymous police officer at the Gwagwalada division confirmed the incident, stating that Maryam was arrested and the investigation was underway.

The spokesperson for the FCT Police Command, SP Adeh Josephine, could not be reached for comments.

By Francesca Hangeior

The Ogun State Community, Social Orientation, and Safety Corps otherwise known as So-Safe Corps has apprehended 54-year-old Adelani Oriyomi at a burial ground in Kere, Obada-Oko, Abeokuta, Ogun State, while allegedly attempting to exhume a human skull.

This was disclosed in a press statement issued on Tuesday by the Commander of So-Safe Corps, Soji Ganzallo, through the office of the Director of Information and Public Relations of the Corps, Assistant Commander Moruf Yusuf.

Ganzallo said, “At about 2:35 a.m. on January 21, 2025, officers of the So-Safe Corps on routine patrol observed suspicious activity on a parcel of land behind a church.

“The suspect, identified as 54-year-old Adelani Oriyomi, was spotted trying to hide.

“Once the coast seemed clear, he resumed digging the tomb to allegedly retrieve a human skull. However, the officers returned to the scene, apprehending him before he could escape.”

The statement revealed that the suspect, a resident of Kere, Obada-Oko in Ewekoro Local Government Area, confessed to the crime during interrogation.

He was said to have admitted that on January 18, 2025, he had exhumed a skull from a tomb on a plot of land behind his residence.

Oriyomi reportedly confessed that he was attempting to retrieve another skull to complete the number required for a money ritual preparation known as ‘Osole’ when he was caught.

The suspect was also said to have confessed to being a serial offender, having sold nearly ten skulls in the past.

Oriyomi, during the interrogation, also explained that he had previously been arrested for similar offences committed at Ado-Odo and served two years of imprisonment and a further six years and nine months at the Oba Correctional Centre following another conviction in Obada-Oko.

Ganzallo confirmed that the suspect and the recovered exhibit—a fully dried human skull—have been handed over to the Nigeria Police Force, Obada Divisional Headquarters, for further investigation and possible prosecution.

The So-Safe Corps Commander urged community leaders to thoroughly screen tenants and visitors to prevent harbouring undesirable individuals.

He emphasised that such vigilance could ensure 70% of home security, with the remaining 30% relying on alertness to external threats.