Metro News

Again, bandits raid Kaduna, Zamfara, massacre 62, kidnap 62, burn 70 houses

Published

5 years ago

March 22, 2022

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The senseless orgy of violence in the northern part of the country has claimed 60 lives in Kaduna and Zamfara states.

Twenty-five persons, including two military personnel, were reportedly killed, while a riot policeman allegedly shot a passerby and no fewer than 70 houses were razed on Sunday following an attack by terrorists on Agban Kagoro in the Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The two local governments are in the Southern Kaduna area of the state and share boundaries.

In Zamfara State, bandits killed 37 persons and kidnapped 62 others in Juyi and Doruwa villages in the Bungudu Local Government Area, while 20 others were killed in Ganar-Kiyawa village in the Bukkuyum Local Government Area on Saturday.

The Kaduna killings sparked protests on Monday as irate youths from the affected area blocked the road and attacked travellers.

It was learnt that a bus was set ablaze during the protest as riot policemen fired into the protesting youths, with a bullet allegedly hitting one of the protesters.

This forced the state government to impose a 24-hour curfew on the Jema’a and Kaura local government areas of the state.

The Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, who announced this in a statement, said the measure was to allow security agencies to save lives and property, and restore law and order in the areas.

The statement said the government appealed to residents of the local government areas to cooperate with security agencies to restore peace, law and order.

The commissioner quoted Governor Nasir El-Rufai to have condemned the violence that left many dead and property destroyed.

The statement titled, ‘KDSG declares 24-hour curfew in Jema’a and Kaura LGAs’, read, “Following advice from security agencies, the Kaduna State Government has declared a 24-hour curfew in Jema’a and Kaura local government areas with immediate effect. This is to assist the security agencies to stabilise the situation in the areas, save lives and property, and enable the restoration of law and order.

“A statement from the Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs said the security agencies had full authorisation to enforce the curfew. The government appeals to all residents of the Jema’a and Kaura local government areas to cooperate with the security agencies in the urgent task of restoring peace and upholding law and order.

“The government condemns the violence and all acts of lawlessness that have occurred in the area.”

The District Head, Kukum community in the Kagoro Chiefdom, Mr Jashua Kagoya, who narrowly escaped the attack, said the terrorists invaded the community in a military van with sophisticated weapons and took vantage positions.

According to him, the villagers retired home after their normal activities when they suddenly heard gunshots around 8pm and they had to flee the community.

Kagoya stated, “As you can see, my personal house is completely razed down, but I thank God that my family members and I were able to escape the attack.

“It is very sad that such carnage has been meted out on the peace loving people of Kagoro. We condemn this act in totality and we’re calling on the government to rise to its primary responsibility of protecting lives and property.”

The district head disclosed that 23 corpses had been recovered, while a search was on for others.

The Wakilin Yanmma of Kagoro Chiefdom, Mr Yanshen Sunday, said when he heard gunshots, he contacted the Commandant of the Operation Safe Haven, who promised to respond immediately, which he did.

Sunday said, “While we were trying to figure out what was happening, I saw two military vans and thought the military men came to defend our community, but to my greatest surprise, they were the attackers.

“Before we knew it, the whole place was on fire. We have recovered 23 dead bodies, but I cannot ascertain the number of houses burnt down.

“While some youths were reacting to the killings, a riot policeman was alleged to have shot dead a passerby, which escalated the tension in the Jema’a Local Government Area.”

A resident of the community, Mr Derek Christopher, said the terrorists came in large numbers in military vans, buses and motorbikes.

He stated, “Two military officers were killed by the attackers.

“Before now, a lot of locals could not access their farmlands for fear of being killed. We’re calling on the government to immediately deploy security in the Agban community to ensure that the people are safe.”

An indigene of the Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State, Sani Ibrahim, told one of our correspondents that the terrorists, who rode on motorcycles, attacked Juyi and Dorawa villages of the Kekun Waje around 2pm on Saturday and killed 17 villagers and kidnapped 62 others.

Ibrahim said the terrorists, who were in large numbers, carried sophisticated weapons opened fire on anyone in sight immediately they got to the villages.

He stated, “They came to our village around 2pm on Saturday and immediately opened fire on anyone they came across.

“I was lucky to escape to Bingi village, because they did not see me as I was hiding behind one of the trees in the village, but one of my children was killed.”

Ibrahim added that the two villages were currently deserted as the residents had fled to other places for safety.

He also said apart from the 62 persons kidnapped during the attack, there were over 50 persons at the terrorists’ camp, who were kidnapped some weeks earlier.

Another indigene of the Bukkuyum Local Government Area of the state, Mohammed Isa, said the terrorists killed 20 persons in Ganar-Kiyawa village on Sunday.

According to Isa, the bandits invaded Ganar-Kiyawa village around 9am and killed 20 persons and wounded many others.

He said the bandits, who were carrying AK-47 rifles, invaded the village and started shooting in different directions.

In a statement, the Special Adviser to Governor Bello Mattawale on Media, Zailani Bappa, said the governor was deeply saddened by the recent bandits’ attack on some communities in the state.

Matawalle was quoted to have said the dastardly and cowardly attack was coming at a time when peace was fast improving in the state, adding that it would not deter the efforts of his administration at achieving it.

While condoling with the families of the victims, the governor ordered the Ministry for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management to immediately release relief materials to victims of the attack and their families.

The Christian Association of Nigeria in Kaduna State condemned the attack, describing it as sad.

The Chairman, CAN in the state, Rev John Hayab, condemned the latest attack and killings in Kagoro without any substantial action from the government and security forces.

The cleric in a statement titled, ‘When will the killing of innocent people in Kaduna stop?’ maintained that citizens of the state were tired of the never ending rhetoric without concrete actions to protect lives and property.

Hayab, who’s also the Vice-Chairman of CAN in the northern states, called on citizens to rise up and protect themselves since the government had failed to do so.

Metro News

NDLEA arrests South African woman with drug shipments, seizes large consignment of drugs at Lagos airport

Published

18 hours ago

October 11, 2026

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives have arrested a South African, Gebashe Sithandiwe Jessie, with 30 parcels of Thai Loud, a strain of cannabis, weighing 32.74 kilogrammes, at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, Rivers State.

According to a statement issued on Sunday by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the drugs were concealed in two travelling bags.

The statement added that the suspect travelled from Thailand through Doha aboard Qatar Airways flight QR1431.

“She confessed to having previously trafficked through other African countries, and was expanding her route to Port Harcourt when she was caught.”

Similarly, NDLEA operatives at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, intercepted a shipment of 354,000 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg weighing 307.20kg from Pakistan.

Babafemi said the consignment arrived aboard a Royal Air Maroc flight on September 29 and was placed under surveillance before a joint examination on Tuesday, October 6, uncovered the drugs in nine cartons.

In a separate operation at the Lagos airport, NDLEA officers intercepted 70 parcels of Colorado, a synthetic cannabinoid, weighing 75.90kg in six Ghana-Must-Go bags contained in a consolidated cargo from the United Kingdom.

The statement said the shipment was monitored after arriving on September 29.

A clearing agent, John Edrah, 54, was arrested on September 30, while an Uber driver, Taofiq Ajibola, 54, was apprehended while collecting one of the bags at a logistics company in Mafoluku, Oshodi.

The agency said Adetunji Adebayo and Kazeem Damola Dosunmu, 48, a clothing trader, were subsequently arrested when they came to collect the remaining five bags.

According to Babafemi, Ajibola said the drugs were sent by a UK-based associate, Lukman Sa’idu, while Dosunmu claimed his consignment came from another UK-based man identified as Yusuf.

In Cross River State, NDLEA operatives arrested 46-year-old Adama Inuwa at Iyala Nkun village, Ikom Local Government Area, on Sunday, October 4, following surveillance.

Babafemi said the operation led to the recovery of 181 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 1,100kg and 17.15kg of cannabis seeds.

In Edo State, officers intercepted a black Toyota Camry conveying 1,049 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 702.83kg at Otuo, Owan East Local Government Area, on Monday, October 5.

The agency said Monday Orji, 52; Monday Lawal, 40; and Precious Uduegele, 20, were arrested in connection with the seizure.

In a separate raid at Asoro, off Sakponba Road, Benin City, operatives arrested 26-year-old Ojugo Mercy with 989 grammes of Loud, 13 grammes of Colorado and 83 grammes of methamphetamine.

In Ondo State, a 21-year-old suspect, Happy Endurance, was arrested at her hideout in the Shasha area of Akure on October 5, with 29 bags of cannabis weighing 290kg.

The statement added that a separate raid on an apartment at Oba-Ile, Akure, on the same day led to the arrest of 42-year-old Tunde Adebayo, with 35 bags of cannabis weighing 351kg.

In Taraba State, NDLEA operatives, supported by soldiers, arrested Abdulrasheed Mohamed, 31, and Abubakar Saidu, 37, at Chanchanji village, Wukari Local Government Area, on Friday, October 9.

Babafemi said the suspects were found with 166,200 tablets of tramadol 225mg weighing 107kg.

In Kano State, a stop-and-search operation along the Kano-Maiduguri Road on October 9 led to the arrest of 32-year-old Yahaya Musa with 24,990 capsules of tramadol, 50,000 tablets of diazepam and 22,000 tablets of Exol-5.

In Kaduna State, operatives on patrol along the Zaria-Kaduna Expressway arrested 29-year-old Mohammed Musa with 31 jumbo bags and 775 blocks of skunk weighing a combined 1,027kg.

The agency also arrested Musbau Balogun Adekunle in Orile, Lagos, on Tuesday, October 6, with 32.51kg of skunk and 52.65kg of cannabis seeds, bringing the total seizure to 85.16kg.

In Plateau State, NDLEA operatives raided the residence of 45-year-old Christian Chukwudi Uju at Rukuba Road, Jos, on Thursday, October 8, recovering methamphetamine, firearms and ammunition.

According to the statement, the items seized included 47 grammes of methamphetamine, two pump-action rifles, one locally made gun, 199 live cartridges, five rounds of 7.62mm ammunition and one round of 9mm ammunition.

The agency said its War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaign also continued across the country, with lectures delivered to students and staff of schools in Oyo, Ebonyi, Niger, Kano, Lagos and Ogun states.

Among the institutions reached were Progressive Grammar School, Tede, Oyo State; Eghugo Technical College, Afikpo, Ebonyi State; Baptist High School, Lambata, Niger State; and Ipara Senior and Junior Community Secondary School, Badagry, Lagos State.

Commending officers involved in the operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), praised personnel of the Lagos, MMIA, PHIA, Taraba, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Cross River, Ondo and Plateau Commands.

Babafemi said Marwa commended the officers “for their professionalism and intelligence-driven approach to the various successful operations” and urged them “to continue with the current balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency.”

Metro News

NDLEA arrests 83-year-old ex-convict with Colorado, meth in Abia

Published

20 hours ago

October 11, 2026

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Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have rearrested an 83-year-old grandmother, Uloma Uchechi Sunday, with consignments of methamphetamine and Colorado.

The arrest comes barely a year after the grandmother was convicted of drug-related offences.

Uloma was first arrested on May 17, 2025, alongside her 32-year-old daughter, Chisom Uchechi, at the same residence.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.

According to Babafemi, the octogenarian was arrested on Wednesday, October 7, at her residence in Ite-Uzo, Umuaguma, Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State, with the substances allegedly tied around her waist with a wrapper.

Her arrest followed credible intelligence indicating that she operated a notorious drug joint allegedly harbouring criminal elements terrorising the community.

During her first arrest in May, operatives recovered 50 grammes of methamphetamine, 522 grammes of skunk, 260 grammes of fresh cannabis leaves and 12 grammes of tramadol from the Uloma and her daughter.

According to the statement, “Both pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment or a fine of N200,000 each. They paid the fine and were released by the court”

The NDLEA spokesman alleged that the elderly woman returned to the illicit drug trade after her release.

“Undeterred, the notorious old woman promptly returned to the criminal trade and escalated the scale by setting up a drug joint where she harbours dangerous characters,” the statement added.

Metro News

Varsity lecturer dies after sex romp with prostitute in hotel room

Published

5 days ago

October 7, 2026

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A senior lecturer at the Edo State-owned Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, identified as Dr. Matthew Uwuigbe, has repeatedly died in a hotel room after an alleged sexual encounter with a 21-year-old commercial sex worker, identified as Angela Defa Jacob.

The incident, according to a report by Punch online, happened on Sunday at a hotel in the Mosco area of Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State.

It was gathered that the lecturer had checked into the hotel with the sex worker and died moments after the romp.

Spokesperson for the Edo State Police Command, Eno Ikoedem, who confirmed the incident, said three persons have been arrested in connection with the incident.

She said, “On October 5, 2026, at about 8 pm, the command received a report that Matthew Uwuigbe, a lecturer at Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, had lodged at a hotel in Ekpoma and engaged the services of a 21-year-old sex worker, Angela Defa Jacob.

“He subsequently sent the woman to purchase water for him, and upon her return, she found him lying dead in the room.”

Ikoedem said the hotel owner, the manager and the sex worker are currently in custody while investigation continues. The corpse, she added, has been deposited at the Oriaifo Memorial Hospital mortuary.

The university’s Public Relations Officer, Otunba Mike Ade Aladenika, confirmed that Uwuigbe is a staff member of the institution, but said the incident occurred outside the campus.

“We are not denying that he is our staff, but whatever he did and what happened, it is his private life. The girl in question is not our student, and everything happened outside our institution,” he told the News outlet.