The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has rescued 23 foreign nationals from captivity and arrested 14 suspected transnational kidnappers in Nasarawa State.
The spokesperson of the command, SP Josephine Adeh, who disclosed this in a statement on Friday, October 31, 2025 said the rescue operation was conducted by operatives of the command’s Scorpion Squad at Angwan Adamu Ruga Fulani Zone B, Riverside, Ado Mararaba, followed a report indicating that some foreign nationals had been lured into Nigeria under the pretext of lucrative job offers.
According to the PPRO, the victims were held hostage by their gang who demanded ransom payments from their families.
“In a major breakthrough against kidnapping and human trafficking, operatives of the FCT Police Command’s Scorpion Squad, have successfully arrested fourteen (14) suspected kidnappers and rescued twenty-three (23) victims, all foreign nationals, from captivity. The intelligence-led operation took place at about 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, 22nd October 2025, at Angwan Adamu Ruga Fulani Zone B, Riverside, Ado Mararaba, Nasarawa State,” the statement read.
“The operation followed a report indicating that several foreign nationals had been lured into Nigeria under the pretext of lucrative job offers.
“Upon arrival, they were held hostage by their abductors, who demanded ransom payments from their families via WhatsApp and other online platforms.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the syndicate is coordinated by one Abubakar Jigiba, a transnational criminal kingpin with known residences in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, and Nigeria.
“His younger brother, Sougule Zoubere, handles the recruitment, kidnapping, and smuggling of victims from Mali into Nigeria, where they are detained pending ransom payments. The group demanded four million CFA (N10,000,000) for each victim.
“Further investigations revealed that the victims were trafficked into the country through illegal border routes in a journey lasting about three days. They were subsequently confined in two fortified two-bedroom apartments under inhumane conditions.
“Acting on actionable digital and reconstructive intelligence, the Scorpion Squad traced the hideout to the above address where a total number of twenty-three (23) victims, comprising fourteen (14) males, eight (females, and one (1) child, all unhurt, except one who sustained a minor ear injury and has been taken to the National Hospital, Abuja, for medical attention.
“The following suspects were arrested in connection with the crime: Bubakari Cisse (40), Karamogo Dembele (25), Musa Kamsoko (23), Amadou Traore (25), Sareba Traore (24), Zoumana Diara (23), Umar Koulibaly (26), Alasgara Sagara (20), Berthe Saidu (23), Abdullahi Napo (32), Isah Goita (26), Lorita Traore (22), Mohammed Siaaibe (23), and Haruna Dembele (37).
“Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the principal suspect, Abubakar Jigiba, his brother Sougule Zoubere, who are currently at large.
“The Commissioner of Police, FCT, CP Miller G. Dantawaye, psc, commended the Scorpion Squad for the swift operation, and called on members of the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the command via its emergency numbers: 08032003913, 08028940883 CRU: 08107314192.”
Nollywood actress, Doris Ogala, has been reportedly arrested following a heated online dispute linked to her recent allegations against a Lagos-based pastor, Chris Okafor.
It was reports that the arrest occurred on Saturday, December 20, 2025, during a live video session in which Ogala was speaking with an online personality.
While the livestream was ongoing, she confirmed that police officers were present inside her home.
She was also heard scolding a woman identified as Charity for allowing people into the house despite earlier warnings.
The interviewer advised her to keep her phone active and asked whether the officers had a warrant.
Shortly after the incident, comedian and former Big Brother Naija housemate Dee One announced on Instagram that Ogala had been arrested.
He stated that he had earlier cautioned the actress and added that she would now have to answer questions in court over the matter.
The situation followed a social media post by Ogala, in which she shared an image allegedly showing the cleric in a private setting.
In the post, she accused him of deceit and claimed she had video evidence to back her claims.
The controversy gained more attention after the pastor recently married a woman identified as Pearl earlier in the week.
The wedding reportedly went ahead despite Ogala’s online accusations, which included claims of betrayal, emotional manipulation and a broken promise of marriage after what she described as a long-term relationship.
Over the past few days, Ogala had shared emotional videos online in which she accused the cleric of damaging her life.
She claimed the relationship began around 2017 and alleged that she ended her previous marriage at his request, only to be left distressed after the relationship suddenly ended.
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, has stated that terrorists in the country do not represent any religious group.
Addressing newsmen on Saturday in Sokoto, he stated that bandits are common criminals who merely seek available targets to attack.
He warned political leaders and the international community against politicising the country’s worsening insecurity.
Tambuwal described the recent designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern by United States President Donald Trump as quite unfortunate.
He insisted that the designation does not reflect the true nature and complexity of Nigeria’s security challenges.
“I would like to believe that President Trump and the American government did not fully grasp or appreciate the Nigerian situation. What we are facing is not a religious crisis but a security crisis affecting Nigerians of all faiths and backgrounds.
“These marauders do not represent any religion. How else can one explain what they are doing in Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi and other states? They are common criminals, attacking every soul they come across.
“You can’t even go to the mosque or the church safely. So this is not about a particular section of the country or a particular religion. It is about Nigeria,” he said.
The former governor aligned himself with the Vatican’s position on Nigeria, noting that the Pope had rightly acknowledged that Nigerians, Christians and Muslims alike, are victims of widespread insecurity.
He emphasised that insecurity has become a national issue that transcends politics, ethnicity, and religion, insisting that collective action is urgently needed.
He called on the United States and other global partners to reconsider their stance and instead support the administration of President Bola Tinubu in addressing the crisis.
“It’s not about Bola Tinubu as a person. It’s not about APC or party politics. It’s about our country. Any country, America, France, the UK, Canada, that can support Nigeria to overcome insecurity should please do so,” the former governor added.
The presidency said no amount of opposition pushback would stop the implementation of the laws in January, while dismissing claims that it secretly altered some provisions of the newly enacted tax reform laws.
It was reports that the tax reform laws, which faced stiff opposition from federal lawmakers from the northern part of the country before their passage, are scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026.
President Bola Tinubu signed the four tax reform bills into law, marking what the government has described as the most significant overhaul of the country’s tax system in decades.
According to the Federal Government, the reforms are designed to simplify tax compliance, expand the tax base, eliminate overlapping taxes, and modernise revenue collection across federal, state, and local governments.
However, the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and several civil society organisations have called for the suspension of the implementation of the laws.
The call follows alleged discrepancies between the tax laws passed by the National Assembly and the versions gazetted and released to the public, raised by a member of the House of Representatives, Abdussamad Dasuki.
Dasuki, who made the allegations during plenary, insisted that the content of the gazetted tax laws did not reflect what members debated, voted on, and passed, warning that, if not addressed, the alleged alterations could render the new tax laws legally vulnerable because they lacked legislative approval.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker further urged the speaker to ensure that all relevant documents, including the harmonised versions, votes, and proceedings of both chambers, were brought before the Committee of the Whole for scrutiny by all members.
In response to the opposition outrage, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, in an interview with Punch, insisted that there was no evidence that the laws had been altered.
While describing the criticisms as opposition noise, aimed at creating controversy around government policy, Ajayi argued that allegations that the tax documents were altered had not been established by any constituted authority.
According to him, the tax laws were enacted through due process and would take full effect from January 1, 2026, with relevant government agencies already mobilised to ensure smooth implementation.
He stressed that the implementation committee had been working for the past six months and would not be distracted by what he described as attempts to undermine the policy.
He said, “Opposition elements can say whatever they want, even when it is very obvious to every rational person that all they seek to do every time is to pollute the waters and create a toxic environment around policy issues.”
Ajayi noted that the House of Representatives had already established a committee to examine the allegations, led by the Chairman of the House Committee on Finance, James Faleke.
According to him, the appropriate course of action is to allow the committee to carry out its assignment and present its findings.