Suspected Boko Haram terrorists have attacked a military formation in Mairari community, Guzamala Local Government Area of Borno State, with some soldiers feared killed.

Our correspondent gathered that the terrorists attacked the military post around midnight on Tuesday.

Local sources, who confirmed the incident to The PUNCH, said the attack lasted for more than two hours, with casualties feared on both sides.

Confirming the incident exclusively to The PUNCH on Wednesday, the Chairman of Guzamala Local Government Area, Umar Sheriff, said there were no civilian casualties.

According to him, the terrorists specifically targeted the military post.

He said, “The incident occurred last night around 12 am. Though I don’t have statistics regarding the casualties yet, because it’s not everything we are told. It’s a security matter. But I know that no civilian was killed.”

He described the attack as a major one, noting that the locality had not witnessed such an incident in recent times.

“They have never attacked as much as this time, but thank God, the military were able to repel them,” he stressed.

The chairman said the situation was currently calm, adding that he would visit the community on Thursday to assess the situation on the ground.

“The situation is calm. I will be there tomorrow morning (Thursday) to evaluate the situation,” he stated.

Meanwhile, local sources, who pleaded not to be identified, said both sides suffered casualties.

“I know there are military casualties. It was rumoured that seven soldiers were killed, but no one could verify that yet,” one source said.

“That attack left the entire town in tension. With the gunfire yesterday, there is no way that the terrorists will not suffer casualties. Both local forces and the military stood their ground,” another source familiar with the incident told The PUNCH.

Efforts to contact the Acting Military Information Officer of the North-East Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, Capt Mohammed Goni, for comments failed, as he neither answered nor returned calls as of press time.

Source: punchng.com

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A 28-year-old Nigerian, Adebayo Maoli, has been arrested and charged with sexual assault and two counts of committing an indecent act in Toronto, Canada, following allegations that he exposed himself to passengers on the city’s subway system.

The Toronto Police Service disclosed this in a statement seen by PUNCH Metro on Wednesday, saying the alleged incidents occurred at King and College subway stations on September 1 and October 3, 2026, respectively.

According to the police, the first incident occurred around 3pm on September 1, when Maoli allegedly exposed himself to two passengers aboard a southbound Toronto Transit Commission subway train at King Station.

The police said the victims activated the train’s emergency alarm, prompting the suspect to leave the train.

In the second incident, which reportedly occurred around 12.10am on October 3, the suspect allegedly followed a passenger who was alighting from a subway train at College Station.

“The victim got onto an escalator and the accused followed.

The accused exposed himself to the victim, who verbally confronted him, prompting him to flee the area,” the statement added.

Maoli, who resides in Toronto, was subsequently charged with one count of sexual assault and two counts of committing an indecent act.

The police said he was scheduled to appear before the Toronto Regional Bail Centre at 2201 Finch Avenue West on Friday, October 9, 2026, at 9.30am.

The statement added that investigators believed there might be additional victims. The police released an image of the suspect and appealed to members of the public with relevant information to come forward.

Source: punchng.com

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A Borno State High Court sitting in Maiduguri has sentenced a 37-year-old woman, Fatima Sanda, to two years’ imprisonment for procuring a 16-year-old girl for sexual exploitation.

PUNCH Metro learnt on Wednesday that the conviction was secured by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons on Monday.

NAPTIP disclosed in a statement published on its Facebook page that the court also ordered Sanda to pay N500,000 in compensation to the victim.

The statement read, “A High Court of Justice, Court 10, sitting in Maiduguri, Borno State, presided over by Hon. Justice Aisha M. Ndume, has convicted Fatima Sanda (37, female) for procuring a 16-year-old female victim and subjecting her to sexual exploitation by other persons, contrary to Section 16(1) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015, as amended.

“She was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment and ordered to pay N500,000 in compensation to the victim.”

The conviction came about a month after a Niger State High Court sitting in Minna sentenced a 27-year-old man, Hussaini Suleiman, to seven years’ imprisonment for assaulting an eight-year-old girl at his residence behind the Prison Quarters in Minna.

NAPTIP said Suleiman pleaded guilty to the offence.

According to the agency, the case was referred to its Niger State Command by the state command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps on April 16, 2026, following a report of the rape of the minor.

“The convict admitted to committing the offence and was arraigned before Court 8 of the Niger State High Court, Minna, on 10th September 2026,” the statement added.

Source: punchng.com

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