Armed bandits attacked a mosque in Marnona village in Wurno Local Government Area of Sokoto State, k!lling one worshiper and abducting several others, during morning prayers.

It was gathered that the attackers, reportedly armed with sophisticated weapons, stormed the mosque in the early hours of Sunday, August 10, 2025. and opened fire indiscriminately on worshipers, sending the community into panic.

The victim identified as Alhaji Shu’aibu Marnona was laid to rest on Monday.

The Sokoto State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Isah Achida, confirmed the incident on Tuesday.

He condemned the assault, describing it as “barbaric” and “an act of cowardice.

“Targeting innocent worshipers in a sacred place is a direct attack on our humanity and our faith. The perpetrators must be brought to justice, and our people must remain united to defeat this menace,” Achida said.

Achida assured residents that the state government, in collaboration with security agencies, is working to curb banditry across Sokoto, while expressing sympathy to the bereaved families and wishing the injured a swift recovery.

Security sources believe the assailants may have come from camps hidden in the forests bordering Sokoto and Zamfara states, notorious for harbouring armed groups.

The attackers fled before security operatives arrived at the scene.

Police spokesperson, DSP Ahmed Rufai, said the command has launched an investigation and will issue a detailed statement soon.

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Operatives of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have commenced investigation of one Duru Ikechukwu Damian arrested by the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, for allegedly failing to declare the sum of $59,000 (Fifty Nine Thousand United States Dollars).

Damian was intercepted by operatives of the NCS during a routine check at the AML/ CFT Currency Declaration Desk on Monday, August 11, 2025 at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

Upon his arrest, the suspect, who was scheduled to travel on Emirates Airline to Dubai, claimed he had only $10,000 (Ten Thousand Dollars) on him.

However, when a search was conducted on him, a sum of $49,000 was discovered undeclared, totalling $59,000.

During the handing over to the EFCC on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, the Area Comptroller in charge of the NCS at the Airport , E. I. Harrison said: “Today, we are having a process that we have been doing over a period of time now. When we intercept currencies, we do the needful of handing over to the appropriate agencies of government.

“We have carried out sensitization and we have had public announcements… Presently, at the airport, announcements are being made, at intervals, on the need for travellers to declare their currencies or equivalents. Also, the electronic signages in the halls display these messages. Yet, at intervals, we also have people who fail to adhere to the extant laws and regulations…”, he said.

While receiving the suspect, the acting Zonal Director, Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, EFCC, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE1 Ahmed Ghali, said: “We are here to take over one of the recalcitrant Nigerians who do not want to abide with the law in relation to money laundering. But we will not relent in enforcing the law. All that we are saying is that laws are meant to be obeyed. So, we will always do our best, in line with our mandate, to ensure that any individual who violates the law does not go scot‑free.”

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The State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SH-ACU) in Uganda, working alongside the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), has arrested seven people accused of swindling a Nigerian businessman out of USD 70,000 in a sophisticated fake gold deal.

The suspects — four Congolese and three Ugandan nationals, allegedly posed as suppliers and agents for two companies, Legacy Refinery Limited and Emerod Agency Limited, convincing Mr. Mark Gbillah that they could deliver seven kilograms of gold. Investigations later revealed that neither company had any genuine gold to supply.

Those arrested have been named as Paluku Kisasi, Safari Akonkwa, Isaac Mpende, Abdul Madjid Kahirima, Mabwongo Prince, Kajjubi Tevin Kyome, and Tibasiima Barbra, alias Katushabe Sharon.

Addressing journalists at the Unit’s offices at the Parliamentary Building in Kampala on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, Senior Officer Mr. Bamwiine Muhorozi said the operation was set in motion after the victim reported the matter.

“We worked with Mr. Gbillah to set up a controlled meeting with the suspects, leading to their arrest before they could solicit more money,” he said.

A search of the suspects’ rented premises in Muyenga uncovered about 150 kilograms of fake gold bars and imitation gold nuggets, allegedly used to lure unsuspecting investors.

The arrests come amid a surge in gold fraud targeting foreign businesspeople.

Earlier this year, a Turkish investor lost Shs 550 million (about USD 150,000) in a similar scam, while in mid-2024 another businessman was defrauded of USD 105,000 in a bogus deal involving 20 kilograms of non-existent gold.

Regional data shows that between early 2021 and March 2022, investors in Uganda and Kenya lost an estimated USD 25 million to gold scams, with some cases involving more than USD 8 million.

Mr. Bamwiine noted that while SH-ACU has intercepted several gold scams in recent years, this case was significant because the suspects were caught in the act.

He urged investors to verify business transactions with the relevant authorities and to promptly report suspicious dealings.

The suspects are expected to be charged in court in the coming days.

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