The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has seized more than 7.6 million tramadol pills and 76,273kg of cannabis varieties in coordinated operations across several states.
According to a statement issued by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media & Advocacy, the seizures were made during intelligence led raids in Delta, Imo, Adamawa, Ekiti, Ondo, Lagos, Abuja, Niger and Edo States.
In Asaba, Delta State, operatives found 3.8 million tramadol tablets and 252 litres of codeine syrup in a warehouse. Another 1.2 million tramadol pills were intercepted along the Onitsha–Owerri Road in Imo State.
In Adamawa, officers seized over 1.5 million tramadol and exol-5 capsules hidden in bags of slippers, while additional arrests followed in Kano and Niger States.
Major cannabis warehouses in remote forests were destroyed in Ekiti and Ondo States, where more than 68,000kg of cannabis was either seized or set ablaze. Five suspects were arrested in Igoba forest, Ondo, with 5,442kg recovered.
Further arrests and seizures were recorded in Lagos, Abuja and Edo, including consignments of Canadian Loud, Colorado and skunk.
The NDLEA also continued its drug education campaigns in schools and communities under the WADA initiative.
The Nigeria Police Force, Oyo State Command, has said that it has commenced investigation into the kidnap of a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr Wale Oriade in Ibadan.
The command Public Relations Officer, Mr Adewale Osifeso, stated this while confirming the incident to Radio Nigeria.
Mr Osifeso said the APC chieftain in Ibadan South-West Local Government Area, was kidnapped by gunmen on Wednesday at around 7:00 p.m. in his office located at Elewure NNPC, Akala Expressway, New Garage, Ibadan.
Radio Nigeria gathered that Mr Oriade was kidnapped by three gunmen, who forced him into a blue Micra to an unknown destination.
At the time of filing this report, the abductors were yet to contact the family of the victim.
The Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Mr Lanre Ogunlowo has confirmed the abduction of six real estate marketers at Oyebola Village in the Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of the state.
Confirming the incident in Abeokuta, Mr Ogunlowo said the victims, who are employees of a Lagos-based real estate firm, were abducted on Friday while inspecting their company’s land in the area.
The Ogun State Commissioner of Police stressed that the command had since launched a rescue operation and was committed to securing their safe return.
Residents of Ogun State have been urged to remain calm, vigilant, and to desist from sharing unverified information capable of creating fear.
The Commissioner of Police, Dr Lanre Ogunlowo gave the advice when he deployed Policemen and other security operatives to Ajebo community in Obafemi-Owode Local Government following a viral video circulating on social media that herdsmen were preparing to unleash violence on the host community.
Dr Ogunlowo noted that the operatives deployed to undertake thorough intelligence-led assessment in and around Ajebo community found out that no arms or suspicious activities were detected during the operation.
He added that the officers also discovered that the Fulani settlers in Ajebo were not hostile migrants but long-standing residents, living peacefully within the community.
The Police Commissioner said the combined team of security agencies would be maintaining surveillance within the forest area, approximately 10 kilometres from the main community, adding that their presence was strictly precautionary measure.
Dr Ogunlowo reassured residents of of their safety, pointing out that proactive intelligence measures remained fully in place.
Meanwhile, the state’s Police Public Relations Officer Omolola Odutola, said that the town’s monarch, Oba Rueben Oluwole and the Baale of Alapako had been invited to a meeting with the Commissioner of Police for clarification over allocation of land to the settlers.
The Anambra State Police Command has rescued a three-year-old girl in Nnobi, Idemili South Local Government Area, following reports of conspiracy, child theft, and illegal harbouring.
This was released in a press statement by the Anambra State Police Command Spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, on Saturday.
The child was allegedly abducted by Chioma Anioma, an apprentice in the victim’s household. After realising police were closing in, Chioma reportedly sold the child and fled to Calabar, Cross River State, to evade arrest.
The girl was abducted in Atani, Ogbaru Local Government Area, but was rescued in Nnobi, Idemili LGA, after being sold.
Ikenga confirmed that officers from the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu, recovered the child in the early hours of Friday through persistent, intelligence-led operations. The child has since been safely reunited with her parents.
The statement read in part: “The Anambra State Police Command wishes to inform the public that operatives attached to the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu, successfully recovered a stolen three-year-old girl following a case transferred from Ogbaru Division, Atani, involving conspiracy, child stealing, and harbouring.
“The operatives rescued the child at Nnobi, Idemili South LGA, and have since reunited her with her parents.
“Preliminary investigations revealed the child was stolen by Miss Chioma Anioma, an apprentice in the victim’s family. Upon realising police were closing in, the suspect fled to Calabar after selling the child to another suspect who remains at large.
“To evade further police pursuit, Chioma abandoned the child at Nnobi before alerting the parents to her location.
“Intensive efforts continue to identify and arrest all suspects involved in the abduction and trafficking syndicate.”
SP Tochukwu Ikenga disclosed that the command began investigating a child theft report received on September 4, 2025.
Swift action led by officers from the Gender Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department in Awka resulted in the arrest of the prime suspect, Samuel Ibe. His confession subsequently led to the arrest of his mother, Agatha Ejeweh (35), and younger brother, Ejeweh Chigozie Chidera (15).
The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora has condemned the attack on St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, where armed men reportedly abducted students, teachers, in the early hours of Friday.
In a statement issued on Friday by the Diocesan Secretary, Rev. Fr. Jatau Luka Joseph, the Diocese said the assailants invaded the school at midnight, during which a security personnel was shot and several members of the school community were taken away.
The statement read, “This is to inform us that armed attackers invaded St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Niger State, in the early hours of 21st November 2025, abducting some pupils, students, teachers, and a security personnel who was badly shot.
“The incident occurred between 1:00 am and 3:00 am, causing fear and distress within the school community.”
The Diocese condemned the attack and expressed deep concern for the safety of the kidnapped children and their families.
It said security agencies were immediately informed and have begun coordinated efforts to ensure the safe rescue and return of the victims.
The Bishop assured the public that the Diocese is actively collaborating with security operatives, community leaders, and government authorities to secure the victims’ safe return.
The Diocese appealed for calm, urged the public to support ongoing security operations, and called on everyone to pray for the safe and quick rescue of those abducted.
It also reaffirmed its commitment to the protection of children and said further updates would be provided as verified information becomes available.
“May the Lord grant quick release to those abducted and continue to protect His people from all danger,” the statement added.
The incident comes days after a similar attack in Maga, Kebbi State, where 25 students were seized, raising concerns about the increasing insecurity in schools across the region.
In Kwara State, over 50 schools were shut down on Thursday following bandit attacks.
President Bola Tinubu cancelled planned trips to South Africa and Angola to coordinate the government’s response to the worsening security situation.
The Niger State Government has condemned the abduction of pupils from St. Mary’s School in the Papiri area of Agwara Local Government Area, describing the incident as “deeply saddening and avoidable.”
In a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Abubakar Usman, the government confirmed that the exact number of abducted pupils has not yet been established, as security agencies are still carrying out assessments and gathering accurate information.
The statement revealed that the government had earlier received credible intelligence indicating elevated security threats across parts of the Niger North Senatorial District.
Acting on these reports, the State Government said it directed the suspension of all construction activities and the temporary closure of boarding schools within the affected areas as a proactive safety measure.
Despite this directive, St. Mary’s School allegedly reopened and resumed academic activities without notifying or obtaining clearance from the government, a violation which, according to the SSG, exposed pupils and staff to severe risk.
Security agencies have since launched a full-scale investigation and intensified search-and-rescue operations to ensure the safe return of the abducted pupils.
The Niger State Government says it remains in constant communication with security formations and will continue to provide updates as the situation develops.
The government appealed to school owners, community leaders, and stakeholders across the state to strictly adhere to all security advisories issued in the interest of public safety. It reiterated that the protection of lives—especially those of children—remains the administration’s highest priority.
Citizens were urged to remain calm and support security agencies with credible information that may aid ongoing rescue efforts.
Gunmen have reportedly kidnapped an undisclosed number of students during an attack on St. Mary’s Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, Niger State.
It was learnt that the attackers stormed the school, said to be a private Catholic school located in the Agwara Local Government Area of the state, in the early hours of Friday.
Sources said the gunmen arrived in large numbers, riding on over 60 motorcycles and accompanied by a van.
They were said to have shot the school’s gatekeeper, leaving him with serious injuries.
A source in Agwara who confirmed the incident said, “Yes, it happened between 3 and 4 a.m. The number of students abducted is not yet confirmed.”
Another source claimed that some teachers were also forcibly taken away during the attack.
“In the middle of the night, our community was shaken by a deeply tragic event. Bandits invaded St. Mary’s Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, Agwara LGA, Niger State. A Catholic private boarding school for boys and girls.
“Students and teachers were forcefully taken away during the attack.
“This is an extremely distressing moment for families, the communities, and Niger State as a whole. These are innocent young students and dedicated educators whose lives and futures are now at risk. Their safety must be a priority,” the source said.
As of the time of this report, the exact number of abducted individuals had yet to be confirmed by authorities.
However, community sources fear that the number of people kidnapped may be significant, with some claiming that it could exceed 100.
Meanwhile the Niger State Police Command has confirmed the abduction of the students.
In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said tactical units, alongside military components and other security operatives, had been deployed to the area.
Abiodun stated that the combined security forces were currently conducting extensive search operations across the surrounding forests in an effort to ensure the immediate and safe rescue of the abducted students.
Commissioner of Police, CP Adamu Elleman, called on residents to remain calm and cooperate with security operatives by providing credible information that could assist ongoing rescue efforts.
Elleman, however, said that the incident would be thoroughly investigated, stressing that appropriate actions would be taken against the school management for continuing academic activities despite the state government’s earlier directive ordering the closure of schools in the area due to heightened security threats.
A 24 year old suspected cultist, Sulaiman Laja has been apprehended by Operatives of Ogun State Police Command in Igbesa area of the State.
The suspect, a member of the dreaded Aiye confraternity had been accused of allegedly terrorizing residents of Igbesa and its environs before his arrest.
The Police Public Relations officer, Omolola Odutola confirmed the arrest of the suspect in a statement in Abeokuta.
She explained that the suspect who was sighted in a disguised appearance took the officers attached to Igbesa Divisional Police to his hideout where a thorough search led to recovery of a serviceable single-barrel gun, strongly believed to have been used for criminal activities within the community.
The Command’s Spokesperson said the suspect and the recovered exhibit would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation and prosecution.
She reaffirmed commitment of the command to flushing out criminal elements and restoring peace, safety, and public confidence across all communities in the state.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a wanted drug baron, Mr. Frank Chijioke Ibemesi, alias Chisco Bee, after weeks of intelligence gathering and surveillance.
According to a statement issued in Abuja by the Director, Media & Advocacy of NDLEA, Mr Femi Babfemi, operatives of the agency’s Special Operations Unit picked up the 42-year-old suspect, who is the Managing Director of Franc CJ Ibemesi Nig. Ltd., at his Daisy Garden Hotel on Ago Palace Way, Isolo, Lagos, in the early hours of 15 November.
NDLEA officers later led him to his warehouse on Pius Ezeobi Street, where they recovered 42 jumbo bags and four cartons of “Loud” cannabis weighing 1,762.8kg.
They also seized foreign currency found on him, including $11,600, £2,000, €2,200, and 50 Canadian dollars.
The agency also disrupted a major cannabis-processing syndicate in the Orita-Apeje and Araromi-Okeodo forest reserve in Ife South LGA, Osun State.
Operatives seized 11,135kg of skunk, two trucks used for distribution, and arrested seven suspects: Lucky Abiodun, Julius Amos, Victor Ngbikili, Sunday Oduegwu, Ibrahim Akanni, Eze Godstime, and Fred Ifeanyichukwu.
Across Edo State, NDLEA officers recovered 1,902.1kg of skunk, including 184.1kg along Oza/Igbanke road, 672kg from Utese forest, and 494kg from a Mercedes-Benz vehicle on the Benin–Akure road where a suspect, Felix Edah, 45, was arrested.
Another suspect, 51-year-old Lucky Abagha, was caught with 552kg of cannabis in a separate vehicle.
In Ogun State, operatives arrested four suspects—Micheal Okoh, Offor Agada, Raphael Nkemjika, and Nwabueze Franklin—with 68kg of skunk and 3.150kg of methamphetamine along the Ijebu-Ode Expressway.
In Taraba State, the agency arrested 50-year-old Danjuma Tukura, with 172kg of skunk at Sunkani in Ardo Kola LGA, and 24-year-oldWisdom Titus, 24, with 84kg at Takum.
NDLEA officers in Adamawa recovered 396,000 tramadol capsules from Ahmed Isyaku Nda, 50, at Aliyu Mustapha International Airport in Yola.
In Nasarawa, they evacuated 785kg of skunk from the warehouse of a dealer still at large in Asob Maraba Karu.
Multiple seizures were also recorded in Lagos where two suspects, Jamiu Kunle Kardoso and Oriyomi Waliu, were arrested in Surulere with 65.150kg of Canadian Loud, while Taofeek Moraina was arrested in Oyingbo with 141kg of Ghana Loud.
In Kwara State, operatives intercepted a truck conveying 197 blocks of skunk weighing 78.565kg and 155 cartons of rubber solutions on the Ilorin–Jebba Expressway and the driver, Umar Yakubu, was detained.
A commercial bus was also intercepted at Eiyenkorin with 20 blocks of skunk concealed in a 50-litre jerrycan, leading to the arrest of the driver, Ibrahim Bello.
Meanwhile, NDLEA commands across the country continued War against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaigns in schools, worship centres, workplaces, and communities in Zamfara, Ebonyi, Jigawa, Enugu, Lagos, and Ogun States.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended the commands involved and urged officers nationwide to sustain the agency’s push for a drug-free Nigeria.
The Ogun State Police Command has foiled a robbery attempt in Sagamu, following a swift response by officers from the Sakura Division.
Police spokesperson Ms. Omolola Odutola said in a statement from Abeokuta that the incident occurred around 1:45 a.m. on Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
According to her, a distress call from the Chairman of the Community Development Committee (CDC), Okearedi, Araromi—off the Sagamu–Ijebu Ode Expressway—reported that five armed hoodlums were attempting to break into a house.
Operatives immediately mobilised to the scene, forcing the suspects to flee in different directions.
Police pursued the gang and recovered their operational vehicle, a black Lexus with registration number (Ogun TTD 452 TT), at the entrance of the community.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Lanre Ogunlowo, commended the officers for their prompt action and professionalism.
Ms. Odutola added that the command had intensified patrols and deployed more personnel to identified crime flashpoints across the state to ensure public safety during the end-of-year period.
She also urged residents to remain vigilant, especially when returning home late at night.
The Ogun State Police Command has uncovered a human trafficking and kidnapping syndicate operated by Cameroonian nationals who lured victims into Nigeria under the guise of visa processing.
A statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Omolola Odutola, indicates that on the 4th of November, 2025, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Eleweran, responded to a distress call from a Cameroonian lady who reported being deceived into Nigeria by one Donald, a fellow national, who promised to secure a Canadian visa for her.
The victim, alongside her 23-year-old sister, was held hostage in Mowe, Ogun State, until she escaped on the 3rd of November and alerted the Police.
Following the tip-off, operatives stormed a two-bedroom apartment in Pakuro, Mowe, where another victim, Kengne Maeva, was rescued unhurt. Two suspects , Ndzana Kamga Isidore and Tingue Stephen were arrested, while the principal suspect, Donald, remains at large.
Preliminary findings revealed that the victims’ relatives in Cameroon had paid a ransom of three point six million CFA into the fugitive’s bank account.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Ogunlowo, has directed continuous surveillance and engagement with community leaders to report suspicious foreign nationals renting apartments across the state.
The Command assured that it remains committed to protecting lives and property while ensuring that criminals find no safe haven in Ogun State.
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed judgment for November 20, 2025 in the terrorism trial of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Justice Omotosho chose the date on Friday while ruling after Kanu failed to open his defence having exhausted the six days allocated to him by the court to conduct his defence.
The judge said Kanu, having failed to utilise the opportunity granted him to conduct his defence, he cannot claim to have been denied the constitutionally guaranteed rights to fair hearing.
The Police Command in Ondo State says it has rescued an abducted lady, Oluwaseun Adebayo, and arrested four suspects connected with the incident in Akure, the state capital.
The Command’s spokesperson, DSP Olushola Ayanlade, said this in a statement made available to newsmen in Akure.
Ayanlade, who said the rescue followed prompt action after an alert from a public-spirited citizen, explained that the incident occurred on November 4 at about 6:30 p.m.
He said subsequent investigations revealed that the victim, Adebayo, was abducted along Weluwelu Street, Ilekun, Oda, in Akure South Local Government Area of the state.
“A good Samaritan notified the Police that four young men driving an unregistered Toyota Camry, had forcefully abducted a lady, and were headed towards Shoprite roundabout in Akure.
“Acting swiftly on the intelligence, the command’s personnel immediately mobilised and strategically blocked the suspects’ route.
“They successfully intercepted the vehicle leading to the arrest of all four assailants and the immediate rescue of the victim.
“Meanwhile, the victim was being taken to an unknown destination before the prompt intervention of our operatives,” he said.
Ayanlade explained that the timely coordination between the alert and police response proved pivotal in foiling what could have become another tragic case of abduction.
“In continuation of the investigation, the unregistered Toyota Camry Muscle Camry, used by the suspects, has been recovered as an exhibit.
“Meanwhile, the four suspects remain in custody as discreet inquiries continue to uncover further details surrounding the incident,” the spokesperson said.
He, therefore, said the Commissioner of Police (CP), Adebowale Lawal, commended the professionalism and swift response of his men, and also appreciated the vigilante members whose timely information aided the success of the operation.
Ayanlade said the CP emphasised that such collaboration underscored the growing trust between the police and the people, a key pillar of modern policing.
The Oyo State Police Command has arrested six suspected armed criminals in the Ikoyi-Ile area of Orire Local Government.
In a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr AdewaleOsifeso, the suspects were linked to cases of armed robbery, kidnapping, and other violent crimes that had terrorized the Ikoyi-Ile community.
Mr Osifeso said key members of the gang were apprehended in the Igbo-Awe Forest, near Iboran Village.
Items recovered from them include one AK-47 rifle with 15 rounds of ammunition, two mobile phones, four empty magazines, a Nigerian Army jungle hat, a life jacket, and a pair of army uniforms.
The police spokesman urged residents to report any suspicious activities promptly to help security agencies prevent crime across the state.
The National Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Ogun State Command, has arrested three persons with large consignment of cannabis sativa weighing 1,779 kilogrammes.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASN Haris Musa, on Sunday, in Abeokuta. The suspects, Rauf Asogba (28); Seun Olaniyi (24) and Ayinla Adeniyi (50) were intercepted by the operatives of the Command while transporting the illicit substance from Imeko axis en route Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on Saturday.
The spokesperson said the illicit consignment were concealed in a J5 vehicle and was uncovered following sustained surveillance and tactical maneuvering by the Command’s operatives. He noted that the seizure was one of the Command’s most remarkable operations in recent times, which has further demonstrated the NDLEA’s unwavering commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks and curbing the circulation of illicit substances in Ogun State.
In his reaction, the State Commander, CN Tijjani Rabe, commended the professionalism, courage, and dedication displayed by the officers involved in the operation.
He reaffirmed the Command’s determination to sustain the momentum in the ongoing war against drug abuse and illicit trafficking across the State.
Commander Rabe also appealed to members of the public to continue supporting the Agency by providing credible and timely information that would aid the NDLEA in achieving its vision of a drug-free Ogun State and, by extension, a drug-free Nigeria.
The Kebbi State Police Command has arrested two suspected kidnappers and rescued a 14-year-old boy unhurt during a joint security operation in Ka’oje, Bagudo Local Government Area of the state.
The suspects, identified as Aliyu Alhaji Shehu (alias Altine), 25, and Abubakar Umar (alias Bube), both from Orda village in Bagudo LGA, were apprehended following a gun battle between police operatives and the kidnappers in Sada forest.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Nafi’u Abubakar, the operation followed a report that a gang of five armed men had, on October 18, invaded the home of one Alhaji Buda Sambo, abducting his 14-year-old son, Aliyu Buda, and whisking him away to an unknown destination.
“Acting on credible intelligence, the Divisional Police Officer, Ka’oje, mobilised a combined team of policemen and local vigilantes who pursued the hoodlums into Sada forest and engaged them in a fierce gun duel. “As a result of the superior firepower of the team, the kidnappers fled into the forest with suspected gunshot wounds,” the statement partly read. The police said the kidnapped boy was later rescued unhurt and reunited with his family after receiving medical attention.
During a search operation, a locally made revolver and one live ammunition were recovered from the residence of one of the suspects.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the arrested suspects and their fleeing accomplices identified as Dogo, Magaji, Bande, and Janyo, all from Bagudo and Orda villages were responsible for multiple kidnapping incidents, including the abduction of a 70-year-old man, Alhaji Alti, on October 28.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Bello Sani, commended the Ka’oje Divisional Police Officer and his team for their professionalism and swift response.
He urged them to sustain the synergy with local vigilantes to combat kidnapping and other violent crimes in the area.
The commissioner further directed that the case be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Birnin Kebbi for further investigation and efforts to track down the fleeing suspects.
He appealed to residents to remain calm, vigilant, and continue to support security agencies with credible information to aid ongoing operations.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has secured the conviction of a teacher accused of sexual violence against a minor, advancing the Federal Government’s drive to protect children from abuse and implement the Violence against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act of 2015.
The Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Osho-Adebiyi, sentenced a 19-year-old teacher, Mr. Abdullahi Abbass, to life imprisonment without an option of fine for sodomizing a nine-year-old male pupil of a school where he worked in Kwali.
The convict, who was the child’s class teacher, on March 19, 2025, after school hours, sent another pupil to lure the victim from his home under a false pretext.
He then sodomized the child on the street where he lived.
Despite threats from the convict, the child reported the assault to his mother, leading to Abbass’s arrest by the police and subsequent case transfer to NAPTIP.
The court found him guilty of an offence punishable under Section 2 of the VAPP Act, 2015.
The defendant was arraigned on a two-count charge of rape and sexual abuse and was convicted on October 29, 2025.
The Director-General of NAPTIP, Mrs. Binta Adamu Bello, commended the judiciary for the landmark judgment and thanked partners for their support during the prosecution.
She expressed hope that the conviction would serve as a deterrent and confirmed that the convict’s name would be entered into NAPTIP’s Sex Offenders Register.
The Director-General had recently strengthened the agency’s VAPP Department through capacity-building initiatives for operatives, leading to swift interventions and diligent case prosecutions.
The Nigeria Police Force, Oyo State command, says it has begun investigation into a robbery incident that occurred on Monday at Oshuntokun, Bodija area of Ibadan.
The public relations officer of the command, Adewale Osifeso stated this in a statement made available to newsmen.
The PPRO explained that some suspected armed robbers at about 8’o clock in the morning attacked and dispossessed a yet-to-be-identified man of a large sum of money.
The victim, who was driving a metallic grey Nissan Primera with registration number Lagos, EPE 901 PS, was reportedly trailed by the suspects.
Mr. Osifeso stated that police operatives on patrol engaged the suspects shortly after the robbery, in which one police officer sustained severe injuries.
The police spokesperson said the injured officer was receiving treatment at a secured medical facility and assured residents that the suspects would be apprehended
He equally urged members of the public to provide credible information that could aid the arrest of the suspects.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons on Sunday said it has uncovered a large-scale child trafficking and illegal adoption syndicate operating out of Benue State and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The operation, which involved field teams in Nasarawa, Lagos and Enugu, led to the rescue of 26 trafficked children, out of more than 300 reportedly sold across multiple states for between ₦1 million and ₦3 million per child.
A statement by the Agency’s Chief Press Officer, Vincent Adekoye, read “About 274 others are still being traced, as investigations intensify to unravel the full extent of the syndicate’s activities,” .
Adekoye revealed that the operation also led to the arrest of a 60-year-old orphanage owner and founder of a well-known non-governmental organisation, .
The suspect, a prominent member of the Orphanage Owners’ Umbrella Body in Nigeria and founder of the National Council of Child Rights Advocates of Nigeria, was arrested alongside three alleged accomplices in a coordinated sting led by NAPTIP’s Makurdi Command.
According to the Agency, the syndicate disguised itself as a humanitarian initiative called the “Back to School Project”, a front used to deceive crisis-ridden communities in Benue’s Guma Local Government Area into surrendering their children for supposed educational sponsorship.
Parents were deceived into signing consent forms or verbally agreeing to release their children, with promises that they would see them again after three years. Over 300 children were reportedly handed over to the suspects. Some parents were unaware or did not sign any consent forms.
The children, aged between one and thirteen years, were transported to orphanage homes in Abuja and Nasarawa States, where they were allegedly sold to interested couples under the guise of adoption for amounts ranging from ₦1m to ₦3m per child.”
NAPTIP said the children’s identities were altered to frustrate tracing efforts, with new names and fabricated birth records issued through some complicit officials.
Four orphanages linked to the network, located along Kaigini, Kubwa Expressway, Abuja; Masaka Area 1, Abacha Road, Mararaba; and behind the International Market, Mararaba, have been sealed pending investigation.
NAPTIP’s Director-General, Binta Bello, condemned the operation as “unbelievable and mind-bugling,” calling it a “national crisis” that demands urgent government and public response.
“This is unacceptable, and those already arrested in connection with this wicked act shall be made to face the full wrath of the law.“Our Children are not commodities to be displayed in Orphanages and sold at will to the highest bidders. This must stop”, the NAPTIP Boss stated.
A 2023 report by UNICEF and NAPTIP estimated that thousands of children are trafficked each year through fake orphanages, often in collaboration with corrupt officials who falsify adoption papers.
The Delta State Police Command has arrested a 20-year-old herbalist, Amechi Okwuokenye, and his 26-year-old brother, Smart Okwuokenye, for allegedly kidnapping and killing two men in Owa-Alidima, Ika North East Local Government Area of the state.
The Command’s spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, saying the victims’ bodies had been recovered and deposited in the mortuary for autopsy.
According to the statement, the incident began on September 30, 2025, when one of the victims, 22-year-old Friday Liberty, visited the herbalist but never returned home.
The statement noted that Liberty’s family, who became worried about his disappearance, later received information from his girlfriend explaining that he had gone to see a certain herbalist.
The girlfriend of the deceased then informed the family that she heard a conversation about the said Friday Liberty and a certain herbalist, and advised that they should reach out to the herbalist.
The family contacted the herbalist, who denied seeing him but promised to do some spiritual incantations so their brother could return alive.
According to Edafe “After spending so much money to find the missing victim and the result was not forthcoming, the case was reported to the Agbor Area Command via a petition on 14th October 2025,” .
Following the petition, the spokesperson said the detectives launched an investigation and identified the herbalist as the last person to have had contact with the missing victim.
Surveillance was laid around his shrine at Owa-Alidima in Ika North East LGA, for days, until he was arrested on 23rd October 2025, in his shrine while hiding inside a refrigerator,” the statement continued.
Upon his arrest, the herbalist allegedly confessed that he and his brother kidnapped both Liberty and a motorcycle rider identified as Isioma Ugbeje.
They further stated that Friday Liberty has been his long-time customer who frequently visits him to hypnotise clients so they could give him money easily.
According to Edafe, the suspects later demanded a ransom of ₦10 million from their victims’ families.
When they noticed that the plan was not working, they murdered the victims and dumped their bodies in a soakaway pit by the shrine,” the statement read.
Edafe confirmed that the suspects were now in custody and that investigations were ongoing.
The Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, Olufemi Abaniwonda, assured all that justice would be served.
The Osun State Police Command has arrested twelve suspected members of unlawful Society Groups.
The State Commissioner of Police, Mr.Ibrahim Gotan stated in a Statement by The State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Abiodun Ojelabi made available to Newsmen.
Mr.Gotan explained that the suspects were arrested during an onslaught launched as part of its efforts towards reducing cultism and other criminal activities in the State.
The Statement states ” On 13/10/2025 at about 1700hrs, upon a distress call received from the complainant that, some armed hoodlums suspected to be members of unlawful society invaded Kajogbola Area, Iree town with cutlasses and some other dangerous weapons demanding for money from the residents of the Area, that one pharmacist was attacked by the hoodlums in the process and inflicted injuries on his head with cutlass.”
” Following a distress call received, Anti-cultism unit of the Command swung into action together with Police personnel from Iree Division, five suspects were apprehended at the scene and exhibits were recovered from them. Suspects confessed to be members of Eiye confraternity. Further investigation led to the arrest of additional four suspects in a hotel at Iree.” The Statement reads further
The State Commissioner of Police urged youths to focus on their education and avoid unlawful act that could jeopardize their future.
Mr. Gotan said the suspects would be charged to court upon the completion of investigation.
He added that the Osun State Police Command would not spare anyone involved in cultism and other criminal activities.
The suspects including ; Dolapo Abioye,Olaoye Tunde, Olanrewaju Emmanuel,Ganiyu Saheed,Ashifat Ishaq,Ayoola Sodiq, Blessing Olayele, Gbadamosi Ibrahim, Kehinde Folasade, Oluwasegun Michael, Okupe Boluwatife and Kilanko Ismail.
Items recovered from the Suspects are; One Camry Spider, One Muscle Camry, an Unregistered Black Lady Motorcycle,three locally made pistols, seven live cartridges, UTC Axe and Charms.
A 36-year-old Nigerian woman, Gbemisola Akayinode, has been arrested and charged with felony murder after her 9-year-old daughter, Oluwasikemi, died from heat exposure (hyperthermia), when left inside a car in Texas for several hours.
The Harris County Sheriff, Ed Gonzalez, confirmed the arrest in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on October 17, noting that the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences ruled the child’s death a homicide.
He wrote, “Arrest update: today, #HCSOTexas Homicide Detectives and our Violent Criminal Apprehension Team (VCAT) arrested Gbemisola G. Akayinode for the murder of her nine-year-old daughter, Oluwasikemi Akayinode. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences ruled the death a Homicide, as a result of hyperthermia.
“Gbemisola (11-17-88) is being charged with Felony Murder and being booked in the Harris County Jail.”
According to earlier reports by Sheriff Gonzalez, detectives had responded to a call on July 1 at an industrial complex on Mayo Shell Road in Galena Park, near Houston, where a 9-year-old girl was left unattended inside a vehicle.
“The child was transported to LBJ hospital and pronounced deceased,” the report read.
ABC News, in a report on Monday, noted that court documents revealed that Oluwasikemi died on July 1 after being left in the vehicle for more than eight hours on a 99-degree day while her mother went to work at a manufacturing plant nearby.
It explained that Gbemisola reportedly arrived at work around 5:45 a.m., leaving her daughter in the car with food, a rechargeable fan, ice cubes, and water, and lowered the car’s back windows halfway and gave the child melatonin to help her sleep.
When she returned to the car around 1:53 p.m., after finishing her shift, the mother found her daughter unresponsive and blue, after which she screamed for help.
The documents were said to have further revealed that Gbemisola said she had taken Oluwasikemi to work with her several times previously, including the day before.
She said she brought her daughter with her because she didn’t have money for day care until her next paycheck, but investigators determined the foreman at her job was paying for day care for her, court documents said.
Local outlet KHOU11 also reports that the court documents revealed Akayinode blamed the girl’s death on prescription medicine given for ADHD, but also admitted that she gave the victim melatonin that morning and the night before.
The Daily Mail added that Sheriff Ed revealed Akayinode had also left a shade up in the front window of the car, making it difficult for passersby to see inside.
CPR was reportedly started on Oluwasikemi, who was then taken to nearby Harris Health Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, and the medical examiner’s office ruled her death a homicide as a result of hyperthermia.
The report added that Oluwasikemi’s death was one of four child fatalities involving hot cars in Texas during the first two weeks of July.
According to the report, a mother in Texas reportedly claimed in September that while she slept, her two children died in a hot car after they made their way out of their house and into the vehicle.
In August, another Texas mother was said to have “intentionally” left her 15-month-old in a hot car while she worked, and the baby died.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, is raising the alarm over a dangerous new trend: traffickers are using social media and online job platforms to recruit Nigerians for exploitation.
Speaking on Radio Nigeria’s Paramount FM 94.5, NAPTIP’s Ogun State Commander, Mrs Bosede Jimoh, stated that these digital tactics are used to lure victims into forced labour, sexual exploitation, and organ harvesting.
In response, she explained that the agency has intensified its fight.
“We have launched aggressive awareness campaigns in schools and communities,” Jimoh said.
The goal is to equip young people and parents with the knowledge to identify and resist suspicious online offers.
The Commander highlighted a major success: the Schools Anti-Trafficking Education and Advocacy Project (STEAP).
This initiative, which is funded by the Government of the Netherlands and implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development in partnership with NAPTIP, has already sensitised over 21,000 students across 10 schools in Ogun State, with plans to reach 40 more.
Mrs Jimoh credited the federal government and inter-agency collaboration with the Police, NSCDC, DSS, and Immigration for enabling swift responses to trafficking cases.
She also confirmed that NAPTIP provides rescued victims with counselling, empowerment, and educational support, with some survivors even joining the agency’s workforce.
The Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Geoffrey Nnaji, has resigned from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet amid controversies surrounding his academic records and allegations of certificate forgery.
Nnaji, who was appointed in August 2023, announced his resignation in a letter to the President on Tuesday, expressing appreciation for the opportunity to serve.
Confirming the development in a statement on Tuesday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has accepted the resignation of Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, following some allegations against him. President Tinubu appointed Nnaji in August 2023.
“He resigned today in a letter thanking the President for allowing him to serve Nigeria. Nnaji said he has been a target of blackmail by political opponents. President Tinubu thanked him for his service and wished him well in future endeavours.”
Nnaji’s resignation comes amid a lingering controversy over alleged certificate forgery and questions surrounding his academic qualifications from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Nnaji and the Enugu State Government had traded words over allegations that he presented forged certificates.
The dispute intensified after the Federal High Court in Enugu rejected Nnaji’s bid to stop the University of Nigeria from releasing his academic records.
The court had ruled that the institution was within its rights to release the minister’s academic details in response to a freedom of information request, a decision that fuelled further public scrutiny.
Nnaji, however, maintained that he was being blackmailed by political opponents determined to tarnish his reputation.
