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Fire outbreak at overcrowded prison kills 41

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PRISON FIRE

 

A fire tore through an overcrowded Indonesian prison in the early hours of Wednesday when most inmates were asleep, killing 41 people and injuring dozens of others, an official said.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze – which was mostly contained within one block that housed prisoners jailed on drug charges – at around 3 am (2000 GMT Tuesday) and evacuated the victims.

Television footage showed a massive fire raging through the prison block with thick smoke billowing from the building.

“Forty died on the scene and one died on his way to the hospital,” said Yasonna Laoly, Indonesia’s Justice Minister, adding that eight were seriously injured and 31 sustained minor injuries.

Jakarta police chief Fadil Imran earlier told the media that 72 had minor injuries.

Authorities were still investigating the cause of the incident at Tangerang Penitentiary, just outside the capital Jakarta, but suspected an electrical fault may have been to blame.

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“Based on early observation, it is suspected (the fire) happened because of a short circuit,” Imran said.

Laoly said the prison’s electrical system had not been upgraded since it was built over 40 years ago, in 1972.

“The fire spread quickly and there was no time to open some cells. When the guards found out, the fire had already spread, and that’s where we found the victims,” Laoly added.

He said police had started identifying victims but that DNA testing would probably be needed for some of the bodies that were hard to recognise.

Marlinah, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, raced to the local hospital after officials called her home to say her younger brother Muhammad Yusuf had died.

“I just hope the procedure is not complicated so I can bring my brother’s body home for burial,” she said, tearing up.

Laoly confirmed that there were two foreign nationals, a South African and a Portuguese, among the dead, but did not elaborate on their convictions.

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He said he was coordinating with Indonesia’s foreign ministry as well as relevant embassies and consulates to organise repatriation or burial.

Among the dead, one was convicted on a terrorism charge, one for murder, and multiple others on drug charges.

“I would like to convey deepest condolences to the victims’ families, I don’t want this to happen again,” Laoly said.

The penitentiary department’s website showed the jail had just over 2,000 inmates, more than three times as many prisoners than it was designed to hold.

The block where the fire broke out had a maximum capacity of 40 prisoners but housed 120, penitentiary directorate general spokesperson Rika Aprianti told Metro TV.

Overcrowded, unsanitary conditions are common in Indonesian prisons, which contain about 270,000 inmates, and jailbreaks are frequent.

(AFP)

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Kidnappers of retired Major General release video, demand cows, members’ release

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The abductors of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar, former Director of Defence Information, and his wife has released a video of the couple in captivity.

It would be recalled that the couple were abducted along the Marabar Musawa–Kafinsoli road in Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State, near Zakin Baure village.

In the four-minute video circulated on social media on Saturday, the wife of the retired general was seen conveying the abductors’ demands.

The demands included the release of three of their members identified as Sani, Aminu and Nasiru, as well as the return of livestock allegedly seized from them.

According to her account, two of the detained individuals were arrested in Jikamshi while the third was arrested in Kano.

She also appealed to the Katsina State Government and leaders of five local government areas to facilitate compliance with the demands to secure their release.

The retired general, who spoke briefly in the video, called for efforts to ensure peace, adding that the abductors had expressed interest in dialogue and peaceful coexistence.

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The notorious bandit leader, Kachallah Muhammad, who operates in parts of Katsina State, had reportedly established communication with the family of the retired general, according to a report by Daily Trust.

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Police uncover gun factory in Yobe, arrest seven suspects

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Operatives of the Yobe state command of the Nigeria Police Force have uncovered an illegal firearms fabrication factory in Potiskum, Yobe State.

The Command’s spokesman, SP Dungus Abdulkarim, in a press statement, confirmed that seven suspects were arrested as part of the renewed strategies of the Commissioner of Police aimed at combating crime and criminality across the state.

“On June 2, 2026, at about 1800hrs, acting on credible intelligence, the Potiskum Area Command led a coordinated raid in collaboration with the Divisional Police Headquarters following reports that some blacksmiths were engaged in the illegal fabrication of Dane guns and other firearms.

“Police operatives swiftly mobilised to the scene, a blacksmith workshop located at Tasha Adua along Danchuwa Road, Potiskum. During the operation, seven suspects were arrested, and the following exhibits recovered,” the state read in part.

Abdulkarim added that fabricated pistols, 24 muzzle pipes, nine gun butts, four unserviceable Dane guns, one filing machine, and one sharp cutlass were recovered.

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He said that the suspects are currently undergoing thorough investigation with a view to identifying their collaborators, possible buyers, and the intended use of the fabricated firearms.

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Usman Kanfani Jibrin, has directed officers handling the case to intensify investigation, identify other illegal firearms fabrication centres within the area, and assess the level of security threat posed by such criminal activities.

“The Command further advises members of the public to refrain from allowing their premises or facilities to be used for unlawful activities, including the fabrication of dangerous weapons.

“Residents are urged to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious movements or activities to the nearest police station or other security agencies,” the statement added.

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NDLEA intercepts drugs concealed in water purifiers from Netherlands, arrests man with 380 rounds of military-grade ammunition

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Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have intercepted high-potency illicit drugs concealed in water purifier machines shipped from the Netherlands.

The discovery was made on May 26, 2026, at a courier company, where officers found 3 kilograms of ketamine and 199 grams of MDMA hidden inside the appliances.

Femi Babafemi, the Director, Media & Advocacy of NDLEA, in a statement released on Sunday, said, “Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have uncovered consignments of high potency illicit drugs concealed in water purifier machines shipped to Lagos from Netherlands.”

In another operation in Kaduna State, operatives arrested a couple, Musa Sunday and Mercy Sunday, alongside Salomi Ezekiel, after recovering 100 jumbo bags of skunk weighing 1,246 kilograms from their residence in Gonin Gora area on May 24.

On the same day, along the Abuja–Kaduna highway at Jere, officers intercepted Sunusi Musa, a 30-year-old suspect found with 380 rounds of 7.62mm military-grade ammunition, allegedly heading to Katsina State.

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The suspect and exhibits were handed over to the appropriate security agency for further investigation.

Babafemi said, “In Niger State, NDLEA operatives acting on intelligence raided a warehouse at Gidan Kukah, Bosso Local Government Area, on May 27, where 457 kilograms of skunk were recovered.

“A suspect, Godwin Zakka, was later arrested at his residence in Minna in connection with the seizure.

“In Enugu State, operatives on patrol along the Onitsha–Enugu expressway intercepted a commercial vehicle marked JAY-158-YF on May 28, recovering 22,000 tramadol pills, 100 ampoules of pentazocine and 200 grams of bromazepam. A suspect, James Maigari Wisdom, was arrested.”

The agency said its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign continued nationwide alongside enforcement operations, with lectures held in schools and communities across Cross River, Taraba, Lagos and Anambra states, among others.

It said, “With the same zeal, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, work places and communities, among others.”

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Commending the operations, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), praised officers for sustaining both enforcement and preventive efforts and urged them to intensify the nationwide crackdown on drug trafficking networks.

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