Category Nigeria News

Police operatives have intercepted two suspected gunrunners and recovered a cache of weapons during a recent operation.

Force spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.

He said the operatives attached to the Katsina State Command, acting on credible intelligence, intercepted two suspected gunrunners along the Ingawa–Karkarku village road in the early hours of Monday.

Adejobi identified the suspects as Abdussalam Muhammed (25) and Aminu Mamman (23), both residents of Baure village in Safana Local Government Area of Katsina State, saying they were arrested around 4: 35 a. m. while travelling in a blue Volkswagen Golf car with registration number RSH-528 BV.

A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of a General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), 1, 063 rounds of 7.62x39mm AK-47 ammunition, and 232 rounds of 7.62x69mm PKT ammunition concealed inside.

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According to police authorities, preliminary investigations revealed that the arms and ammunition were being moved from Hadejia in Jigawa State to Safana Local Government Area in Katsina State for distribution to criminal networks operating in the region.

The suspects are currently in custody while further investigations are underway to trace the source of the arms, the intended recipients, and their wider criminal affiliations.

On his part, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, commended the police operatives for the swift response, urging them to sustain the momentum.

He reiterated the Force’s commitment to dismantling organised criminal networks nationwide and called on the public to continue providing timely and credible information to aid security operations.

See the full statement below:

‎PRESS RELEASE
POLICE INTERCEPTS SUSPECTED GUNRUNNERS, RECOVERS GPMG, OVER 1, 295 ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION.

The Nigeria Police Force has once again recorded another significant breakthrough in its ongoing efforts to combat illegal arms trafficking and other forms of violent crime across the country.

On September 1st, 2025, at about 4: 35 am, a patrol team of police officers attached to the Katsina State Command intercepted two gun runners along the Ingawa–Karkarku village road, Katsina State. The suspects, identified as Abdussalam Muhammed (25) and Aminu Mamman (23), both male residents of Baure village in Safana Local Government Area, Katsina State, were apprehended following credible intelligence on their activities and swift tactical response of Police operatives.

Upon searching their operational vehicle, a blue-colored Volkswagen Golf with Reg No RSH-528 BV, the following exhibits were found concealed inside the vehicle, One (1) General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), 1, 063 rounds of 7.62x39mm AK-47 ammunition, and 232 rounds of 7.62x69mm PKT ammunition. Preliminary investigations indicate that the illegal arms and ammunition were being transported from Hadejia in Jigawa State to Safana LGA in Katsina State for distribution to notorious criminal elements.

The suspects are currently in custody, and an in-depth investigation is ongoing to uncover the source, destination network, and possible affiliations of the recovered arms.

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph. D., NPM, applauds the operatives’ gallantry and quick response and encourages them to maintain the pace. The IGP reiterates the Force’s commitment to eradicating all forms of organized crime. Public members are encouraged to continue providing the Force with accurate and timely information that can help secure lives and property.

DCP OLUMUYIWA ADEJOBI, MNIPR, MIPRA, FCAI, and
OFFICER FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS,
FORCE CENTRE
ABUJA.

The state’s planned bye-elections process has been condemned by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, calling it “a kangaroo exercise.”

The party called the move “illegal, unconstitutional, and a blatant disregard of a subsisting court order” in a statement released on Monday by Chris Nehikhare, the party’s publicity secretary for the Caretaker Committee of the PDP in Edo State.

The party claimed that “the body or group of people parading themselves as the organizers of this exercise are unauthorised and lacked the authority to hold elections of this nature.”

Additionally, PDP pointed out that councillors’ mandates were already in place in each of the state’s 192 wards, and that they would not be effective until September 2026.

This democratic mandate cannot be stifled by fabricated processes, it remarked.

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The party also claimed that the Edo State government “runs the state in complete disregard for democratic norms, in total disregard of the law, and in complete disregard of judicial pronouncements.”

The PDP claimed that the planned exercise was “nothing short of a civilian coup against the people of Edo State” and that it was intended to “seize control of our councils by hook or by crook, undermining the will of the people, and destabilizing grassroots governance.”

The party demanded that the government “retrace its steps, uphold the rule of law, and stop causing Edo to suffer an avoidable political crisis.”

The former governor Nasir El-Rufai’s recent comments on a television show, in which he accused the federal and state governments of “bribing bandits” to achieve peace, have been condemned by the Kaduna State Government.

The Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr. Suleiman Shuaibu, said El-Rufai’s comments are “calculated, malicious lies designed to undermine security efforts, incite public anger, and legitimise criminality.”

The former governor’s recent actions posed a direct threat to peace and development, according to the statement, who also claimed that he had plotted to “provoke, manipulate, and incite,” and that it would not allow him to repress the state into violence.

The former governor’s activities increased in response to the defeat of his political allies in the by-elections on August 16 in the opinion of the Commissioner.

The Commissioner declared, “This Government will not fold its arms and allow a discredited former leader who abandoned the state to suffocate it to cause chaos and bring the state into a new era of ethno-religious tension, insecurity, and economic stagnation.”

In free, fair, and transparent elections that affirmed the people’s confidence in Senator Uba Sani’s progressive leadership and Senator Shuaibu’s leadership, his rejected candidates and the incoherent coalition he assembled were resoundingly defeated, according to Shuaibu.

El-Rufai has chosen to sabotage this democratic outcome in order to refuse to accept it with dignity.

READ ALSO: El-Rufai’s claim that he has power against bandits is baseless.

El-Rufa allegedly convened “an illegal and chaotic meeting” with his political associates on August 30 that turned into a series of violent incidents, including gunshots to endanger innocent people, according to the government.

El-Rufai made a false claim that the government sponsored thugs to disrupt the meeting, which was true to form, according to the statement.

Why would a Governor who has just won the hearts of the people with credible elections need to disrupt a gathering of losers? El-Rufai’s desire to return Kaduna to the violence and fear that defined his rule is exposed in this narrative, which insults the intelligence of Kaduna residents as well.

The Commissioner also pointed out that El-Rufai’s accusations had already been refuted by the Office of the National Security Advisor (ONSA), insisting neither the Federal Government nor any of its subordinates had ever paid bandits.

Instead, Shuaibu noted that both the federal and the state governments have repeatedly urged Nigerians to never pay ransom and to pursue justice through coordinated military and community engagement plans.

He claims that security improvements made by Governor Uba Sani’s administration were evident in previously troubled regions like Igabi, Giwa, Kajuru, Kauru, Kachia, and Birnin Gwari. Boderi, Baleri, and Sani Yellow were among the infamous bandit leaders who were eliminated, according to him, while Ansaru members were also detained.

It is “beyond shameful for a former governor who once held the highest office in the state to publicly deny these hard-won victories and insult the memory of brave officers who lost their lives in the service,” he said.

The government contrasted El-Rufai’s eight years in office with Uba Sani’s nearly two years, which the organization claimed focused on dialogue, development, and division, which it described as “division and intimidation.”

According to the statement, “It is well known that El-Rufai’s time as governor was characterised by ethno-religious division, disregard for human life, a climate of fear, and the systematic marginalization of whole communities.”

Uba Sani, the president, has a new direction that emphasizes healing, dialogue, inclusion, and sustainable development. The Government has cultivated trust and ownership in security strategies through dialogue with traditional rulers, local leaders, and rural communities. Birnin Gwari, formerly bandit-infested areas, are among the beneficiaries of the Kaduna Peace Model, which has produced measurable outcomes. The people are beginning to see hope again as farmers return to their land, and children are back to school.

With millions of citizens integrating into the financial system and upgrading facilities across the 23 local government areas, the statement also lists accomplishments in education, healthcare, and infrastructure.

El-Rufai was advised by the commissioner to abstain from violent behavior, citing the security agencies’ high alert status.

He declared, “This will not be tolerated by the Kaduna State Government.” Within the bounds of the law, this administration will take all necessary steps to preserve the stability and peace that our citizens have worked so hard to rebuild.

No one can destabilize the state, no matter how well-established or powerful they are. Kaduna State’s peace is a non-negotiable.

A middle-aged man was killed by yet-to-be-identified gunmen, according to the Ebonyi State Police Command.

The victim was allegedly murdered over the weekend in the Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State’s Court Area.

The police spokesperson, SP Joshua Ukandu, confirmed the incident to Channels Television on Monday morning via a text message, claiming that the area’s police were conducting an investigation and that officers had been dispatched to the location.

He added that normalcy has since come back.

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Yes, the command is looking into Okposi’s fatal shooting. Officers have since been dispatched to the area, according to Ukandu, and normalcy has since returned.

Ajah Chinonso-Consider, the head of the Ohaozara Local Government Area, has argued that there must be an end to extrajudicial killings.

According to Chinonso-Consider, the local government has always been regarded as a place of harmony, cohesion, and peace, which promotes economic growth and development in Uburu, Okposi, and Ugwulangwu, three distinct communities.

We can’t let criminal elements’ activities destabilize or tarnish our country’s reputation. ”

As security agencies have already launched swift investigations to ensure that the perpetrators of this evil act are apprehended and brought to justice, he continued, “I call for calm, collaboration, and cooperation from all residents.”

In and out of Okposi between the hours of 6 p.m., according to a statement, as part of preventive and proactive measures, with immediate effect, movement of motorcycles (bikes) and tricycles (keke) was reported. m. and 6 a. m. daily is prohibited by this.

The bike and ‘keke’ curfew is described as a security measure intended to aid security personnel in removing criminal elements and preventing further incidents.

I ask that Ohaozara’s stakeholders, traditional rulers, civil society organizations, religious leaders, town union executives, and community leaders who have aided in keeping Ohaozara peaceful, continue to lend their unwavering support.

We must protect Ohaozara from the threat of extrajudicial killings, violence, and other criminal activity because we do not have any other place to live.

Umaru Bago, the governor of Nigeria, has disbanded his cabinet.

The governor made the announcement at the Minna Council Chamber’s State Executive Council meeting.

Bago praised them for their efforts to advance the state and wished them the best of luck in the future.

However, the governor claimed to have retained his chief of staff, deputy chief of staff, and other key personnel.