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Kaduna train attack: Tukur Mamu ‘put money issue’ into negotiation, says FG panel member

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A member of the presidential committee set up to facilitate the release of the train passengers abducted in Kaduna, Abdulmalik Atta, has spoken on the panel’s activities.

Atta spoke on Friday while featuring on Sunrise Daily, a programme on Channels Television.

On Wednesday, the Federal Government announced the rescue of the remaining passengers who were still in captivity.

Tukur Mamu, an aide to Ahmad Gumi, a popular Islamic cleric, was involved in negotiations for the release of the passengers abducted during the attack on a Kaduna-bound train in March.

He was, however, arrested in September at the Kano International Airport after he returned from Egypt where he had been detained on his way to Saudi Arabia for lesser hajj.

The Department of State Services (DSS) had described the outcome of its investigation on Mamu, publisher of Desert Herald, as “mind-boggling”.

Speaking on Friday, Atta said Mamu “betrayed” the federal government during negotiations for the release of the abductees.

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He said the kidnappers did not demand ransom at first, but that Mamu “put money issue” into the negotiation.

“It has been six months and one week, but we thank God everything has come to an end now, thanks to the support from the federal government through the office of the chief of defence staff,” he said.

“We were able to go into the bush and bring back the remaining 23 families, not through our making but because somebody betrayed the committee and the government. That’s in the person of Tukur Mamu, who did everything within his reach to thwart the efforts the government put in place — all in his interest.

“As we all know, he’s in the hands of the government now. Alhamdulillah, all the family members are back.

“The bandits never asked for money ab initio, but he put money issue into the whole thing and derailed the process and kept everybody for the past six months.

See also  FG lists Tukur Mamu, Kaduna-based publisher, among ’15 terrorism financiers’

“We just parted away with about $200,000. Thank God the CDS took it upon himself, and put in place a committee that never asked for one kobo.

“Every sacrifice being done so far has been personal towards ensuring the release of the victims. I am happy to tell you that I worked with credible members of the highest order.

“If I have my way, all of them will be given national honour because we had to risk our lives, went into the bush, slept in the bush, and heard the complaints of these people. Even though we knew what they did was wrong, we had to engage them.

“Going forward, our security agents must synergise their operations and the government should open more rooms for engagement.”

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Two killed as fuel-laden tanker collides with truck in Lagos

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Two people were confirmed dead following an early morning collision between a fuel-laden tanker and a tipper truck on the Lekki–Epe Expressway, Sangotedo area of Lagos state.

In a statement on Saturday, Margaret Adeseye, controller-general of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, said the accident occurred in the early hours of the day, prompting officers to rush to the scene.

“It was reported that a speeding 20-tonne tipper truck from the Epe end rammed into a stationary 30-tonne gas tanker that failed to pull over from the highway,” the statement reads.

Adeseye said the collision sparked a fire that spread to three warehouses and 10 roadside shops, including a gym and a generator house, before it was eventually brought under control.

She added that a Total petrol filling station, fully loaded with a 33,000-litre PMS tanker, narrowly escaped a major explosion.

“After the blaze was extinguished, three Sienna buses, one Toyota Corolla, and a forklift parked within the affected area were recovered. Tragically, the tipper truck driver and his assistant, both adult males, were burnt beyond recognition, while the gas tanker driver escaped unhurt,” Adeseye said.

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The agency said that efforts are ongoing to remove the remains of both trucks from the highway, though normal traffic has largely resumed at the scene.

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Cocaine trafficking: Court convicts, fines 10 Filipinos $6m

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The federal high court in Lagos has convicted 10 Filipino sailors and their merchant vessel of trafficking 20 kilogrammes of cocaine at the Apapa seaport.

The sailors were arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in November 2025 at Apapa seaport.

The vessel, MV Nord Bosporus, with registration number 9760110, arrived in Nigeria from Santos in Brazil.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said the defendants pleaded guilty to the charges and entered a plea bargain agreement.

The anti-drug agency had disclosed that its officers discovered the “Class A drug” buried under the ship’s cargo on Sunday, November 16, 2025.

The NDLEA arraigned the sailors and the vessel on a four-count charge.

The defendants are Eugene Quinos Corpuz; Mark Joseph Jardiniano; Alexis Navidad Evarrola; Francis Gerard Niones Carpio; Franz Jude Mayran; Mahinay Junniel Lagura; Mario Ganiban Malvar; Hormachuelos Lordito Guivencan; Joshua Emmanuel Hufanda; and Edwin Baltazar Reyes.

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In his judgment, Ayokunle Faji, the trial judge, found the vessel guilty for an offence under section 25 of the NDLEA Act.

The judge ordered the vessel to pay the sum of N100,000 penalty for the offence and a restitution in the sum of N5.3 million to the federal government.

The judge convicted three principal officers of the vessel who are the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th defendants. They were asked to pay N100,000 each and a restitution of $100,000 each to the federal government.

After conviction, the judge ordered the 5th to 11th defendants to pay N100,000 each in addition to a restitution of $50,000 each.

According to the NDLEA, the total money to be paid to the federal government by the vessel and the 10 sailors is $6 million and N1.1million as restitution and penalty.

Reacting to the judgment, Mohammed Buba Marwa, NDLEA chairman, said the conviction of the vessel and its crew members is a “lesson to international drug cartels and their local collaborators that Nigeria’s territorial waters are no longer a playground for the illicit narcotics trade”.

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“Let this judgment be an unambiguous signal to every shipping line, vessel owner, and sailor worldwide that if you turn your ships into floating warehouses for illicit drugs, you will not only lose your freedom but also your assets,” Marwa said.

“We have moved beyond mere seizures; we are now hitting the syndicates where it hurts most, their pockets and their operational assets.”

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VIDEO: Man caught trying to lure child hawker for sex with ₦1,000

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A man has been caught on video while allegedly attempting to lure a young girl hawking avocados with ₦1,000 for sexual purposes.

The unfortunate incident, which surfaced in a viral video, was shared by content creator LordZeus in a post shared on IG on Monday, who confronted the suspect.

When questioned, the man denied the allegation and claimed he was the girl’s father.

But the child contradicted him, stating that he approached her and asked her to follow him to a secluded place so they could “touch body,” promising to give her ₦1,000. She added that when she refused, the man brought out the cash in an attempt to persuade her.

During the confrontation, some bystanders pleaded on behalf of the suspect, claiming he was mentally unstable and alleging that the girl was not the first child he had approached.

Reacting, LordZeus challenged the defence, questioning why alleged mental illness should excuse such behaviour toward a minor.

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He also used the moment to caution parents against sending young girls out to hawk, noting that female child hawkers are often

He wrote, “Parents please, no matter how hard life gets, do not allow your girl child especially underage to hawk on the streets alone. Even If they must hawk, hawk alongside them.

“They are constantly at risk of se*xual harassment, and many of them will never speak up. I’ve hawked before, so I know exactly what life on the street is like.

“Imagine if this man was able to manipulate the little girl with just 1,000 naira , this will be unimaginable.

“Ihe na-eme nu o. Let’s do everything possible to protect our girl children. Their safety and dignity must come first before any other thing. It can only get better ”

See also  FG lists Tukur Mamu, Kaduna-based publisher, among ’15 terrorism financiers’

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