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PHOTOS: Local hunters rescue kidnapped victim, neutralise gang leader and arrest two in Yobe

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A local hunters’ group has successfully rescued a kidnapped herder, Alhaji Babawuro, from captivity in Yobe State without payment of ransom, following a coordinated operation with security authorities.

Sources told security analyst Zagazola Makama that the Babawuro, a resident of Kurbunga village under Shamka District of the Ngelzarma Emirate in Fune Local Government Area, was abducted at about 2:00 a.m. on November 29, 2025, and taken to an unknown location.

The incident was reported to the Damagum Police Division on November 30, after which the kidnappers contacted the victim’s family and demanded a ransom of N50 million.

“It was the fifth time the victim had been kidnapped, apparently due to his status as a wealthy herder,” the sources said.

They explained that while negotiations were ongoing and the police were making arrangements to transfer the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation, the Special Adviser on Security Matters to the Yobe State Governor and the Emir of Ngelzarma held consultations with the Commissioner of Police.

According to the sources, it was agreed that a hunters’ group with proven expertise in kidnap rescue operations should be engaged to assist the police.

“The hunters subsequently took over negotiations, which were reduced to N7 million, while efforts were intensified to trace the kidnappers,” the sources said.

“They added that the hunters traced the victim and the kidnappers to Sandi village in Gulani Local Government Area.

“At about 4:30 a.m. on Thursday, December 11, the hunters stormed the hideout and successfully rescued the victim without paying any ransom,” the sources said.

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During the operation, the leader of the kidnap gang, identified as Ahmadu Shuwa, also known as “Sumo,” was neutralised, while another suspect, Mohammed Bello, sustained gunshot injuries.

Two other members of the gang were arrested and have confessed to the crime.

The rescued victim, who has since reunited with his family, was treated at the State Specialist Hospital, Damaturu, and later reported the incident at the Damagum Police Station.

Efforts are ongoing to recover the weapons used by the kidnappers ahead of handing over the suspects and exhibits to the Nigeria Police for further investigation and prosecution.

The hunters’ group were commended for their role in the successful rescue operation.

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Crime

Police arrest housewife for slitting husband’s throat in Katsina

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The Katsina State Police Command has arrested a 23-year-old housewife, Sadiya Lawal, for allegedly attempting to kill her husband by slitting his throat while he was asleep in Katsina metropolis.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Sadiq, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists on Monday.

Sadiq said the command arrested a housewife in connection with an attempted murder in Katsina metropolis.

He said the victim, identified as Jamilu Ibrahim, reported at the Central Market Police Division at about 9 a.m. on Monday that his wife allegedly attacked him with a knife while he was asleep earlier the same day.

According to the police, Ibrahim sustained a deep cut to the neck and was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, where he is currently responding to treatment.

The police said officers visited the scene, arrested the suspect, and recovered the knife allegedly used in the attack.

The suspect remains in custody and will be charged to court after investigations are concluded.

Sadiq said, “Today, June 29, 2026, at about 9:00 AM, one Jamilu Ibrahim, m, reported at the Central Market Division, Katsina, that on the same date at about 5:30 am, while he was asleep, his wife, one Sadiya Lawal, f, age 23, attacked him with a knife in an attempt to slit his throat. The victim sustained a deep cut injury to the neck.

“Following the report, the victim was immediately rushed to the nearest hospital for immediate medical attention, where he is currently responding to treatment.

“The scene was visited, the suspect arrested, and the sharp knife suspected to be used in the commission of the offense. The suspect is in custody under investigation and will be charged to court upon completion of the investigation.”

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The command also said its operatives foiled a bandits’ attack in Dandume Local Government Area, recovering two motorcycles and a machete after a gun battle with the fleeing suspects.

Sadiq said the fleeing suspects abandoned two operational motorcycles and a machete, which were recovered by the operatives, while efforts were ongoing to arrest them.

According to the statement, the attempted bandits’ attack occurred on June 28, 2026, when a distress call was received at the Dandume Police Division reporting that a large group of armed bandits riding motorcycles had been sighted along the Kadisau-Sheme Road in Dandume LGA.

The spokesperson said the Divisional Police Officer immediately mobilised operatives of the Violent Crimes Response Unit and the Katsina State Community Watch Corps to the area, where they engaged the hoodlums in a gun duel and forced them to flee.

“In sustained efforts against all forms of crime and criminality, the Katsina State Police Command, under the leadership of CP Aliyu Umar Fage, psc(+), mnips, has successfully foiled a bandit attack in Dandume LGA and arrested a housewife for attempted culpable homicide in a separate domestic incident in Katsina Metropolis.

“On June 28, 2026, at about 6:30 PM, a distress call was received at the Dandume Divisions that a large group of armed bandits riding on motorcycles was sighted along the Kadisau-Sheme Road, Dandume LGA. Upon receipt of the report, the DPO quickly mobilised operatives from the Violent Crimes Response Unit (VCRU) and the Katsina State Community Watch Corps (KSCWC) to the scene. The team engaged hoodlums in a gun duel. Due to superior firepower and tactics, the suspects were forced to retreat and flee the scene.

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“The fleeing suspects abandoned two operational motorcycles and one machete at the scene, which were recovered as exhibits by the operatives. Efforts are currently ongoing with a view to arresting the suspects,” he said.

Reacting to the incidents, the state Commissioner of Police, Aliyu Umar Fage, commended the officers involved in repelling the bandits and reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property across the state.

He also cautioned residents against domestic violence, urging families to resolve disputes through peaceful and lawful means.

“The command remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of all residents. We also urge members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information that will aid the police in combating crime and criminality,” the commissioner said.

In May, the command foiled separate kidnapping and cattle-rustling operations in Kankara and Malumfashi Local Government Areas of the state.

The command also rescued 11 abducted passengers and recovering 25 stolen cows.

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Crime

Motorist stabs LASTMA officer during enforcement

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A commercial bus conductor allegedly stabbed an official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority with a screwdriver during a traffic enforcement operation at Ile-Epo, inward Abule-Egba, along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.

The spokesperson for LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.

Taofiq stated that the suspect, identified as Lekan Olasunkanmi, had been arrested and handed over to the police for investigation and possible prosecution.

He noted that the incident occurred while a LASTMA patrol team was carrying out a routine operation to remove traffic obstruction caused by a Volkswagen commercial bus with registration number LSR 989 XG at the busy Ile-Epo Market corridor.

Taofiq added that the driver of the vehicle resisted the enforcement operation before the conductor allegedly armed himself with a screwdriver and attacked one of the traffic officers.

“The driver of the commercial vehicle vehemently resisted lawful enforcement procedures. In a shocking escalation of events, the vehicle’s conductor, later identified as Mr Lekan Olasunkanmi, armed himself with a screwdriver and violently attacked a LASTMA officer, inflicting a stab wound during the altercation,” the statement read.

He noted that the injured officer was immediately taken to a nearby hospital, where he received emergency treatment and was responding positively.

Taofiq added that the incident was reported at the Abattoir Police Division, while the suspect was taken into police custody.

He stated, “Consequent upon the attack, the matter was promptly reported at the Abattoir Police Division, while the suspect was apprehended and taken into police custody for further investigation and possible prosecution.

“During the security preliminary interrogation, the suspect reportedly admitted to bringing out the screwdriver and confessed that he mistakenly stabbed the LASTMA officer during the confrontation.”

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Reacting to the incident, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, condemned what he described as the growing trend of attacks on traffic management personnel while performing their lawful duties.

He warned that the Lagos State Government would not tolerate assaults, intimidation or harassment of traffic officers.

“Anyone found attacking LASTMA personnel in the course of their lawful duties will face the full weight of the law.

“Our officers are deployed across the state to facilitate seamless movement of people, goods and services, as well as to ensure strict compliance with extant traffic regulations.

“Any act of violence against them constitutes an affront to public order and the rule of law and will not go unpunished,” Bakare-Oki was quoted as saying.

He also urged motorists, commercial transport operators and other road users to comply with the provisions of the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, 2018, stressing that cooperation with traffic management officials was essential to achieving a safer, more efficient and orderly transport system.

The LASTMA boss further appealed to transport unions and commercial vehicle operators to sensitise their members on the need to respect law enforcement and traffic management officials.

This is not the first time traffic officers have been attacked during enforcement operations.

PUNCH Metro reported in November 2024 that a commercial driver fled after causing bodily injuries to a LASTMA officer in the Mile 2 area of the state.

Taofiq had stated that LASTMA operatives had accosted the driver for violating traffic regulations, but he resisted arrest.

He had noted that in an attempt to evade arrest, the driver sprayed his vehicle and some of the officers who had taken over the vehicle with petrol, set the bus on fire and fled the scene.

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Crime

Police hunt kidnappers in Lagos, Ogun forests during Operation Kasoye

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Security operatives from Lagos and Ogun states have launched a joint offensive against criminal networks operating along the border corridor between the two states, leading to the arrest of 88 suspects, the rescue of five kidnapped victims, the recovery of arms and ammunition, and the death of four suspected criminals during encounters with security personnel.

The operation, codenamed Operation Kosaye, a Yoruba phrase meaning “there is no hiding place,” was initiated by the Nigeria Police Force to dismantle kidnapping syndicates, armed robbery gangs and other violent criminal groups exploiting forests and border communities between Lagos and Ogun states as hideouts.

The development followed coordinated operations by the Lagos and Ogun State police commands, with operatives combing forest locations and criminal hideouts along the J3/J4 axis of Ogbere in Ogun State and other identified flashpoints around the two states.

The operation had already yielded significant outcomes, including the rescue of five kidnap victims, the arrest of 88 suspects and the neutralisation of four suspected kidnappers.

The operation was formally launched by the police at the Police Training School, Iperu-Remo, Ogun State, where the Commissioners of Police in Ogun and Lagos states, Bode Ojajuni and Tijani Fatai, respectively, outlined the objectives of the initiative.

Ojajuni said the operation was designed to flush out kidnappers and other violent criminals hiding in forests, border communities and ungoverned spaces across the two states.

He said the name “Kosaye” captured the mission of the security operation, ensuring that criminals had no safe haven within the Lagos-Ogun axis.

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Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun have commended the security initiative, describing the operation as evidence of the importance of inter-state collaboration in tackling insecurity.

Sanwo-Olu, in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, praised the police and other security agencies for what he described as a “massive onslaught” against criminal elements.

The governor said the results recorded under the operation demonstrated the effectiveness of intelligence-led policing and cooperation between neighbouring states.

“We will continue to work with the police and other security agencies to ensure that our state is safe and secure for residents and visitors.

“We appreciate the huge efforts of the police as directed by Inspector-General Olatunji Disu, in arresting the suspects and the cooperation of our neighbours, Ogun State. This is the way it should be,” Sanwo-Olu said.

He urged residents to continue supporting security agencies by providing timely information on criminal activities and suspected hideouts.

“We will do our best to ensure that our law enforcement agencies are well motivated through the Lagos State Security Trust Fund,” the governor said.

Abiodun, on his part, described the operation as a proactive and intelligence-driven response to emerging security threats.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, the governor said the collaboration between both states had restored public confidence in the ability of security agencies to protect lives and property.

“The achievements recorded under ‘Operation Kosaye’ have restored public confidence in the Nigeria Police Force and reinforced the commitment of security agencies to the protection of lives and property,” Abiodun said.

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He added that the sustained security offensive had made Lagos and Ogun increasingly difficult environments for criminals seeking to exploit state boundaries.

“The sustained offensive against criminal elements has effectively made Ogun and Lagos States increasingly hostile to kidnappers, bandits and other violent criminals who had attempted to exploit the shared border communities as safe havens,” he said.

Abiodun also commended the Inspector-General of Police, as well as the Lagos and Ogun police commissioners and participating officers, for their roles in the operation.

According to him, the exercise showed that criminals could only be effectively tackled when security agencies shared intelligence and operated beyond jurisdictional limitations.

“Operation Kosaye has demonstrated the importance of collaboration, intelligence sharing and coordinated inter-state action in tackling emerging security threats,” he said.

The Ogun governor urged other states to adopt similar joint security frameworks to prevent criminals from taking advantage of administrative boundaries to evade arrest.

Security authorities said the operation would continue as operatives intensify surveillance and intelligence gathering across forests, border communities and other locations identified as possible criminal hideouts.

Lagos and Ogun State governments also reaffirmed their commitment to providing logistical support, technology and other resources to strengthen security operations across the two states.

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