Gunmen have kidnapped at least 15 residents, among them Malam Ghali Junaidu, the headmaster of Gatakawa Primary School, along with his wife, his younger brother Ibrahim, and Ibrahim’s wife.

According to a tweet from Bakatsine, a source in Northwest Nigeria, the attack took place on Thursday night in the Gatakawa community, located in the Ƙankara Local Government Area of Katsina State.

During the assault, one individual was injured as the attackers unleashed violence, instilling panic and fear among the residents.

This abduction follows closely on the heels of a recent raid by bandits at Ƙankara General Hospital, underscoring the escalating insecurity in the region.

In that earlier incident, a medical doctor on duty, Dr. Murtala Sale Dandashire, was shot, and no fewer than five people were abducted from the hospital.

Bakatsine reported this while sharing an image of the injured doctor on his popular X page.

He stated: “Last night, bandits stormed Kankara General Hospital in Ƙankara LGA of Katsina State, shooting Dr. Murtala Sale Dandashire and abducting five individuals.”

He emphasised the urgent need for enhanced security in hospitals across Katsina State, noting that in the past three months, bandits have targeted three hospitals: Kurfi General Hospital, Mai Tsani Hospital in Dutsin-ma LGA, and Kankara General Hospital.

Dr. Murtala Sale Dandashire, a native of Kankara LGA, was the best graduating medical student of 2019 from the prestigious Medical School of ABU Zaria.

A Nasarawa State High Court has remanded Timilehin Ajayi, an acclaimed gospel singer, after he was found in possession of the severed head of Salome Adaidu, a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member.

The remand was confirmed in a statement from the Nasarawa State Police Command posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday.

The statement noted that Ajayi was charged to court and remanded in prison custody pending his formal arraignment.

The incident unfolded when Caleb Umaru, the church’s Bible Study Teacher and General Secretary, reported that a church member had seen Ajayi acting suspiciously near a river.

The member alerted others after Ajayi disposed of a bag in the river, which was later retrieved and found to contain the severed head of his girlfriend, Adaidu.

Ajayi, who admitted to the crime, claimed that he killed Adaidu after discovering she was cheating on him.

However, the deceased’s family refuted his claims, stating that Adaidu was never in a relationship with Ajayi and was allegedly kidnapped, not visiting him as earlier reports suggested.

Armed internet fraudsters fatally shot an officer after opening fire on a team of anti-graft operatives in Anambra on Friday.

The officers were on a mission to corner a cluster of suspected cybercriminals, widely known as Yahoo Boys, when they were met with lethal violence on Friday morning, The Gazette learnt.

One officer was shot dead on the spot and another sustained serious injuries and remained hospitalised in critical condition as of Friday night, The Gazette heard.

The officers had travelled to Anambra on the assignment from their zonal headquarters in Enugu.

A male suspect has been taken into custody for the murder, an official said. His identity was not immediately disclosed, and whether he had contacted a lawyer remained unclear.

A spokesman for the EFCC said he would find out about the incident when reached by The Gazette. A police spokesman in Anambra did not immediately comment.

The attack came as chairman Ola Olukoyede was recalibrating the agency’s protocol on raiding white-collar criminals. Yahoo Boys were hitherto largely known to be unarmed and, therefore, easily to take into custody.

The deceased officer was identified as an assistant superintendent who had recently completed a promotional examination. The Gazette has withheld his identity to allow time for his family to be officially notified.

Anti-graft agents expressed apprehension over the development, with some telling The Gazette the agency’s personnel insurance had been moribund for years.

“We no longer have life insurance,” an officer said under anonymity to discuss internal administrative policies. “The last time family members of an officer who died on duty were compensated was under Farida Waziri.”

“So the families of the officer that died today won’t be getting anything,” another officer added. “So can we say he died for nothing?”