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.

Five soldiers and six terrorists died in a firefight between troops of the Nigerian Army and members of the Lakurawa terrorists in the Gudu LGA of Sokoto state.

Abubakar Abdullahi, the coordinator of the joint media coordination centre for operation Fansan Yamma, in a statement issued on Thursday, said the operation was carried out by the troops of the defence headquarters special operations brigade.

“On Jan 11, the troops of defence headquarters special operations brigade conducted a coordinated offensive operation against Lakurawa terrorists and made contact in Gudu local government area of Sokoto state,” the statement reads.

“Despite this success, the operation came at a heavy cost, as five gallant soldiers tragically lost their lives in the line of duty.”

Abdullahi added that the troops recovered four AK-47 rifles, 160 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, and a box of 12.7mm ammunition during the operation.

He urged members of the public to remain vigilant and observant in their communities while advising them to report any suspicious activity to security agencies.

“Public cooperation is crucial for protecting lives and maintaining peace in our communities,” he added.