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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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Gunmen attack church in Ekiti, kill pastor, abduct worshippers

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Some yet-to-be-identified gunmen have attacked a Christ Apostolic Church in Eda Oniyo Ekiti, Ilejemeje Local Government Area of Ekiti State, killing a pastor and abducting an unspecified number of worshippers.


According to reports, the attack, which occurred during a church programme on Tuesday night, has thrown the community into panic, with residents expressing fears over rising insecurity in the area.


Sources in the community said the assailants, who were armed and arrived in numbers, stormed the church located on the outskirts of the town, shot the pastor dead and whisked away several worshippers into a nearby forest.


Sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said efforts were ongoing to determine the exact number of abducted victims.


“The invaders were many. They killed the pastor and took away some worshippers. We cannot say the number yet. Moves to collate those who are missing have begun. The community is in a panic mode for now,” the source said.

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The Police Public Relations Officer in Ekiti state, Sunday Abutu, who confirmed the incident, said the Commissioner of Police, Michael Falade, has ordered a thorough investigation and a manhunt for the perpetrators.


“The Police in collaboration with the Nigerian Army, the Amotekun Corps, the Agro Marshal, the Vigilantes and the local hunters have commenced an aggressive bush combing operations and a serious manhunt on the perpetrators in order to ensure the rescue of the victims and the arrest and prosecution of the culprits,” Abutu said.


He added that the police were working to ensure the safe rescue of the victims and the arrest of those responsible.



“The commissioner of Police calls for calm as necessary steps are currently being taken to salvage the situation and forestall recurrence.


“Members of the public are charged to be security conscious, vigilant and promptly report any suspicious person or group of persons found within their environments to the police and other security agencies for necessary proactive actions,” he added.

See also  Fire razes Rivers house of assembly amid Fubara impeachment rumour

Abutu also advised religious leaders to notify the police before organising late-night gatherings to enable adequate security arrangements.


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Couple beats adopted daughter to death in Lagos

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The Igando community in Lagos state  has been thrown into deep mourning following the death of a 10-year-old girl, who was allegedly beaten to death by her adopted parents, Paul Onyeama and Adline Ogbonna.

According to reports, the incident occurred on Sunday, following weeks of alleged abuse.

The couple, who lived on Jemesi Papa Street, reportedly subjected the minor to persistent maltreatment, including frequent assaults and sending her on strenuous errands despite her young age.

The girl, identified as Faith, was said to have fallen ill for about two weeks, but the alleged abuse reportedly continued unabated.

A resident of the area, said the situation escalated on Sunday when the husband and wife were said to have severely beaten the ailing child, leading to her death.

He said, “The couple had adopted a 10-year-old girl. They had been consistently maltreating and assaulting the child, while also sending her on unnecessary errands.

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“I was informed that the girl had been sick for about two weeks, yet the abuse continued. Yesterday, both the husband and wife allegedly beat the child severely despite her condition, and sadly, she died.”

It was gathered that the suspects later rushed the victim to a hospital, where she was confirmed dead on arrival.

Youths in the area, who were reportedly angered by the development, apprehended the woman.

The husband had allegedly left home earlier to procure a tricycle to dispose of the girl’s corpse, was also held by the youths.

“The moment the girl died, they kept her corpse in the room and acted as though nothing had happened. The wife even came out this morning to cook in the kitchen like nothing had happened.

“It was residents who had been observing what was going on that raised the alarm about the whereabouts of the girl before they discovered that she had died. If they had succeeded in disposing of the body, no one would have known her whereabouts,” a resident said.

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Police operatives were thereafter deployed to the scene, leading to the arrest of the couple and the recovery of the child’s body.

“Our preliminary findings revealed that the child was already dead before she was brought to the medical facility. The case will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, for further investigation,” a source said.

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EFCC arrests Cameroonian businessman for alleged ₦1.5bn bank fraud in Lagos

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Operatives of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ikoyi, Lagos, have arrested a Cameroonian businessman, Bekono Eric, for allegedly defrauding a first-generation bank of about N1.5bn.

A statement by Dele Oyewale, the Commission’s spokesperson, described the 47-year-old suspect as a member of a suspected trans-border syndicate that allegedly specialises in credit card fraud.

He was arrested on Thursday, April 23, 2026, in the Ikorodu area of Lagos.

According to the EFCC, investigations revealed that members of the suspected syndicate allegedly open bank accounts in Nigeria, obtain Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards and PINs, and then move to neighbouring countries where they allegedly used the cards to carry out fraudulent transactions on accounts belonging to customers with high balances.

The suspect will be charged in court as soon as investigations are concluded.

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