The Kogi State Police Command has revealed how security forces rescued 15 National Youth Service Corps members and six other abducted persons from kidnappers in Egume Forest, Ofu Local Government Area of the state.

The Commissioner of Police in Kogi State, Naziru Kankarofi, disclosed this on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday.

Kankarofi said security forces launched a search-and-rescue operation immediately after receiving the alert, with military, police, Department of State Services operatives, local vigilantes and hunters involved in the operation.

He said the involvement of local hunters and vigilantes was crucial because of their familiarity with the terrain.

“As soon as we were alerted, we put all necessary measures in place to ensure they were rescued and returned to their families. An emergency meeting was convened by all the service commanders: the Brigade Commander, the Commissioner of Police, and the Director of DSS,” Kankarofi said.

He explained that the security commanders subsequently designed a search-and-rescue operation which began immediately and was intensified after the location of the abductors was narrowed down.

“We fashioned out a search-and-rescue operation, which commenced immediately. As the situation unfolded, we narrowed down to a particular spot and sought the support of local vigilantes and hunters who know the terrain very well.”

According to the commissioner, the operation culminated in a gun battle at the kidnappers’ camp on Monday afternoon, during which the victims were rescued.

“The operation commenced in earnest on Sunday. To God be the glory, around 4:00 p.m. yesterday, we arrived at the camp of the kidnappers. There was a serious gun battle; they were eventually overpowered, and all the corps members were rescued.”

Kankarofi said two of the rescued persons sustained gunshot injuries during the exchange of fire.

“Unfortunately, two people suffered gunshot injuries to their right legs: one corps member and one civilian who was abducted from the second vehicle.”

The police commissioner said the corps members were travelling from Bayelsa when they were attacked after entering Kogi State along the Itobe-Ajaokuta Highway.

“When they entered Kogi along the Itobe–Ajaokuta Highway around 5:00 p.m., they were attacked and abducted into the bush alongside passengers from another vehicle coming from the opposite direction.”

He said four suspected kidnappers were killed during the gun battle, while several others escaped with bullet wounds.

“Four of the kidnappers were killed during the exchange of fire, and several escaped with bullet wounds. A search-and-rescue operation has been going on since yesterday to mop up the area and arrest the fleeing suspects.”

Kankarofi added that security forces remained in the area to track the fleeing suspects, while the Kogi Command had also contacted its counterpart in Enugu State to block possible escape routes.

“As I am talking to you now, all our officers—military, police, DSS operatives, and hunters—are still at the operational theatre, and we are awaiting outcomes.”

“This morning, I also linked up with the neighbouring command in Enugu State because that area leads into Enugu, and arrangements have been made to ensure their forces block their end of the region.”

The rescue followed the abduction of the 15 corps members and six other persons in Egume Forest, Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State.

The Director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, had earlier said the victims were rescued following a coordinated operation involving security agencies.

Meanwhile, Kankarofi urged residents and travellers to remain calm, describing the incident as an isolated case.

“These are just isolated cases.”

He said Kogi remained generally peaceful, adding that security agencies were responding promptly to security threats across the state.

“Kogi State has been generally peaceful and calm. The security forces here are very effective and respond promptly; that’s why when such situations happen, you get to know about them.”

The commissioner also encouraged travellers to continue using roads in the state, assuring them of the presence of security personnel.

“But generally, the state is calm. You can feel free to travel through Kogi State with nothing to worry about.”

Source: punchng.com

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The Ogun State Government has issued a fresh flood alert ahead of the second phase of the 2026 rainy season, advising residents in vulnerable communities to remain vigilant and relocate to safer locations where necessary.

The warning, according to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, followed a forecast by the Nigeria Meteorological Agency identifying Ogun among the states expected to experience heavy rainfall during the year.

Oresanya said the first phase of the rainy season, which ran from mid-March to July, witnessed intense rainfall and isolated flash floods in some parts of the state, but with comparatively minimal impact.

He was quoted as attributing the modest flash flood impact to the proactive measures adopted by the government, including sustained public awareness and education, regular maintenance of rivers, streams and drainage channels, as well as improvements in waste management services.

He said that “particular attention had been given to major river channels and waterways, including Sokori River and its tributaries, Opa-Aro, Adiyan, Eruwuru, Yemule, Gbogidi Canal and Ijamido rivers and streams, among others”.

Oresanya added that NiMet’s Seasonal Climate Prediction indicated that the second phase of the 2026 rainy season was expected to commence in September, with the state projected to experience intense rainfall averaging about 360mm during the month.

He stated further that rainfall in inland parts of the state was expected to decline from October into early November.

The Commissioner, however, warned that “the period could bring river and coastal flooding to some parts of the state due to prolonged rainfall, controlled overflow from Oyan Dam and tidal fluctuations, which could impede the flow velocity of the Ogun River”.

He explained that “the combined effect could result in temporary oversaturation of wetlands and floodplains, increasing the risk of flooding in vulnerable communities.

“We therefore advised residents in Isheri, Arepo, Mawere, Magboro, Akute and Warewa, as well as parts of Abeokuta, to remain vigilant and relocate to safer locations where necessary.

“This advisory also covers coastal communities including Makun-Omi, Iwopin, Oni, Ifaara and Igele in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area; Ebute-Imobi in Ijebu East Local Government Area; Tungeji Island and Agosasa in Ipokia Local Government Area; and communities located along the floodplains of the Ilo and Iju Rivers”

The Commissioner also urged fish farmers operating within floodplains and river corridors to harvest their stocks promptly to minimise potential losses arising from flooding.

He specifically advised fish farmers in Eriwe, Yemule, Ilase and Ayegbami, as well as those in other vulnerable communities, to heed the warning without delay.

Oresanya called on relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Local Government Authorities, emergency response organisations, community leaders and other stakeholders to intensify flood-response activities, maintain regular monitoring of vulnerable locations and ensure that drainage channels remain free of obstructions.

He also urged community leaders to strengthen public awareness campaigns in their respective communities, noting that timely information and early action remained critical to minimising the impact of potential flooding.

The Commissioner said the state government would continue to monitor weather forecasts and hydrological conditions in collaboration with NiMet, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority and other relevant stakeholders.

He assured residents that the government would sustain its efforts to minimise the adverse impact of flooding across the state, while appreciating residents for their cooperation in the measures that had contributed to the relatively low impact recorded during the first phase of the rainy season.

He urged residents to take the advisory seriously and remain responsive to further updates from the government and relevant emergency agencies.

Source: punchng.com

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The Indigenous People of Biafra has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, demanding the immediate listing and hearing of its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu’s appeal or face a boycott of the 2027 general election across the South-East and other parts of “Biafraland.”

The ultimatum was issued in a press statement released on Tuesday by IPOB’s spokesman, Emma Powerful, who said the development followed renewed concerns by Kanu’s family over the delay in hearing the appeal against the IPOB leader’s conviction and life sentence.

Powerful said Kanu had written to the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the President of the Court of Appeal, seeking the immediate listing and hearing of his pending cases.

He accused the Federal Government of avoiding the court after moving swiftly to secure Kanu’s conviction.

He warned that the group would consider mobilising for a boycott of the 2027 elections if the government failed to act within the stipulated period.

The statement read, “IPOB is giving the Federal Government 14 days to list and hear Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s appeal. If they refuse, we will consider boycotting the coming elections across Biafraland and beyond. A government that cannot face its Court of Appeal has no right to demand our votes.

“The Federal Government has not filed a respondent’s brief; it has not listed the appeal, and it has not come to court. A country that rushed to convict is now too frightened to defend the conviction.

“The Federal Government was in a hurry to prosecute and convict Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Now that the conviction is before the Court of Appeal, that same urgency has disappeared. No meaningful progress. No urgency to defend the conviction.

“Nigeria must answer two simple questions: Under which extant written law was Mazi Nnamdi Kanu convicted on November 20, 2025? What specific crime, cognisable under Nigerian law, justifies his continued detention after nearly six years?”

The group faulted the Supreme Court’s decision, which overturned Kanu’s discharge and acquittal by the Court of Appeal, insisting that the apex court exceeded its constitutional powers by pronouncing on individual counts that had already been quashed by the Court of Appeal.

It insisted that Nigeria must therefore defend both the conviction and the jurisdictional foundation upon which the resumed trial was built.

The statement also faulted those arguing that an election boycott would lead to rigging, insisting that a collective refusal to participate would send its own message.

“At some point, people must ask whether repeatedly participating in a process they believe is structurally incapable of delivering justice is itself the definition of political progress.

“A collective refusal to participate sends its own message: a people have withdrawn their consent from a system they no longer trust,” the statement added.

Source: punchng.com

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