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Police Arrest Suspected Masterminds Of Abuja-Kaduna Road Abductions, Others
Operatives of the Kaduna State Police Command have arrested the masterminds of the kidnapping and murder of students of Greenfield University and the abductions along the Abuja-Kaduna highway.
One of the arrested suspects is a notorious terrorist leader Ibrahim Abdullahi popularly known as Mande, who masterminded and participated in the kidnapping and murder of students of Greenfield University and most of the kidnappings along the Abuja-Kaduna highway.
Parading the suspects at the Kaduna Police Command Headquarters on Thursday, the Force Public Relations Officer Muyiwa Adejobi said Mande was arrested based on credible information at the Abuja-Kaduna Road flyover by Rido Junction in Chikun Local Government Area.
He explained that the suspect has confessed to being a leader of a kidnap syndicate terrorising the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway and ranked among notorious bandits like Dogo Gide and Bello Turji.
The Force PRO further disclosed that police operatives also arrested another notorious kidnap gang leader who masterminded the September 2023 attack on the Saint Raphael Catholic Church at Fadan Kamantan where a seminarian and the church were burnt.
“Regrettably, the suspects had already set ablaze the priest’s residence before the arrival of the authorities. Despite the valiant efforts of operatives, one seminarian Stephen Naaman tragically lost his life in the inferno, and property worth millions of Naira, including a Honda vehicle and a motorcycle, were consumed by the fire.
“However, due to diligence and tireless pursuit of the issue by the police, on the 22nd of March, 2024 one Yakubu Saidu, the mastermind and leader of the notorious kidnapping gang, was apprehended and he confessed to his involvement in the heinous crime”.
Police operatives also arrested a suspect Shedrack John for allegedly aiding kidnappers by providing medical services to injured bandits in the forest as well as those other suspects Auwal Hassan, Auwal Ahmed, and Auwal Adamu.
The Force spokesman assured that the police leadership of IGP Kayode Egbetokun remained steadfast in its resolve to uphold the rule of law, ensure the safety and security of all citizens, and combat criminal activities across the country.
“These recent achievements along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway underscore the zeal of the Force in fulfilling our mandate of protecting lives and property. This special intervention and operation would be replicated in other major expressways and cities across the country through the establishment of the Special Intervention Squad (SIS) by the IGP,” he said.
“We will continue to collaborate with relevant stakeholders, employ innovative strategies, and harness the full force of the law to root out criminal elements and create a conducive environment for peaceful coexistence and socio-economic development.
“As we forge ahead, the Nigeria Police Force extends its gratitude to members of the public for their continued support and cooperation. Together, we will build safer communities, foster trust between the police and citizens, and strive towards a Nigeria where all individuals can live without fear of crime or violence.”
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed the sudden death of Mr. Abubakar Lawal, a Nigerian professional footballer, in Uganda.
In a statement by the Acting Spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa on Tuesday in Abuja, the ministry expressed its profound sorrow over the tragic loss and extended heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, teammates, and the entire Nigerian football community.
Lawal, a former Nigerian Under-20 International, was a key player for Uganda’s Vipers Football Club at the time of his death. In addition to his sporting career, he was also a final-year Business Administration student at Cavendish University.
According to Ebienfa, officials have been in contact with the Nigerian High Commission in Kampala, which is coordinating closely with local Ugandan authorities to determine the circumstances surrounding Lawal’s untimely demise.
Also a thorough investigation is underway, including an autopsy to verify the cause of death, with full consular assistance being provided to his family.
The ministry also underscored Nigeria’s strong bilateral relations with Uganda, expressing confidence that the Ugandan authorities will handle the investigation with utmost seriousness and sensitivity. The public has been urged to refrain from speculation and allow the investigation to proceed unhindered.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed its commitment to safeguarding the welfare and rights of Nigerian citizens abroad as it continues to monitor the situation closely. The loss of Abubakar Lawal marks a somber moment for the nation, and his contributions both on and off the field will be deeply missed.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Unrelenting Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has dragged Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, through the court for what she described as defamatory statement against her person.
The Senator, representing Kogi Central in the upper chamber, on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), raised concerns after her Senate seat was reassigned following a reshuffle triggered by opposition members switching to the majority Caucus.
She resisted the relocation, leading to a confrontation between her and the Senate President.
However, in a suit filed before the Federal Capital Territory High Court on 25 February 2025, the President of the Senate, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the Senior Legislative Aide to the Senate President, Mfon Patrick, were listed as the second and third defendants.
In the suit, marked CV/737/25, Akpoti-Uduaghan, through her lawyer, Victor Giwa, Natasha alleged that defamatory statements were made by the Senate President and published by his aide on Facebook.
According to him, the post, entitled “Is the Local Content Committee of the Senate Natasha’s Birthright?” included a statement suggesting that Akpoti-Uduaghan believed being a lawmaker was only about “pancaking her face and wearing transparent outfits to the chambers.”
Giwa argued that the statement was defamatory, provocative, and disparaging, lowering his client’s dignity in the eyes of her colleagues and the public.
She asked the court to make “A declaration that the words, ‘It is bottled anger by the Kogi lawmaker, who knows nothing about legislative rules. She thinks being a lawmaker is all about pancaking her face and wearing transparent outfits to the chambers,’ used and written by the third defendant at the prompting of the first and second defendants, were defamatory and intended to cause public opprobrium and disaffection toward the claimant.”
She also urged the court to restrain the defendants and their associates from making further defamatory statements against her on any platform.
The plaintiff also asked the court for “an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, whether acting by themselves or through their agents, privies, assigns, or associates, from further publishing or causing to be published the said defamatory words or any similar publications about the claimant on social media or in any other manner capable of defaming her.”
Furthermore, Akpoti-Uduaghan asked the court to order the defendants to pay her N100 billion in general damages and N300 million as litigation costs.
“An order for the payment of the sum of N100,000,000,000 as general damages. An order for the payment of the sum of N300,000,000 as the cost of action,” she prayed the court.
By Gloria Ikibah
The South East Caucus in the House of Representatives has urged the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to reconsider the closure of the Onitsha Bridgehead Medicine Market in Anambra State.
Leader of the caucus, Rep. Igariwey Enwo, who made the plea at a press conference on Tuesday in Abuja, strongly cocondemned the activities of traders dealing in fake and substandard drugs, and said the continued lockdown of the market was having widespread negative effects.
Naijablitznews.com recalled that NAFDAC had recently sealed over 4,000 shops in Onitsha, 3,027 in Lagos, and another 4,000 in Aba as part of its nationwide crackdown on counterfeit and substandard medicines.
The Agency last week had said the markets remains lockdown.
Rep. Igariwey denounced those involved in the sale and distribution of fake and adulterated medications, describing them as “merchants of death and economic saboteurs” whose activities not only endanger public health but have also led to loss of lives.
He also commended NAFDAC for taking decisive action against these illegal operators but urged the agency to ensure that innocent and law-abiding traders are not unfairly punished alongside the culprits.
The caucus stressed that sealing the entire market has far-reaching consequences, particularly for medicine users in the South East and South-South regions, where the market serves as a major pharmaceutical hub.
The caucus therefore called for a targeted approach that prosecutes offenders while allowing legitimate businesses to continue operating.
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