In its fight against crime, the Niger State Police Command has made numerous arrests of suspected assassins, thugs, illegal immigrants, and other criminals across the state.
SP Wasiu Abiodun, the command’s PR officer, made this known in a press release released in Minna.
According to him, a police patrol team from Beji, Beji, and vigilante members stationed at Railway Crossing, Bosso LGA, intercepted two suspects at about 12:45 a.m., Mohammed Mohammed (40 years old) and Mohammed Usman (both 35 years old).
A local gun, a live cartridge, and about 13 000 were recovered after a search on them.
The suspects admitted during questioning that one Dogo of Beji had hired them to kill a man near the railway crossing. They disclosed that Dogo promised an additional $100 000 in service charge at the beginning of the agreement after paying them $13,000 in transportation.
The intended victim had married Dogo’s ex-wife, according to preliminary investigation, and the intended victim had sought revenge. Dogo is still being apprehended, but efforts are still being made.
The Command’s Anti-thuggery Squad also stormed the Minna areas of Soje A, Soje B, and Kpakungu between 2 and 5 a.m. in a separate operation. A digger, knives, cutlasses, and suspected stolen solar batteries were among the nine suspects who were detained for thuggery.
Sani Musa (18 years), Nura Musa (18 years), Idris Aliyu (16 years), Ibrahim Mohammed (26 years), Abubakar Mohammed (27 years), Abdulhadi Mustapha (25 years), Jamilu Mustapha (18 years), Bilal Saminu (14 years), and Jafar Saminu (22 years) are the suspects.
Mustapha Saleh, age 28, of Shiroro was detained by police in the same way for selling suspected cannabis and cultivating it. While his accomplice, one Shuaibu, is still at large, two bags of the recovered cannabis are found.
Following information from the Fadikpe community, GRA Division agents in Minna detained two suspected illegal immigrants from Senegal, Saidu Jah (25 years) and Sirinjuf Jibrin (25 years). The Nigeria Immigration Service has received the suspects’ additional documentation, but they only spoke French and were unable to explain their stay.
In Tunga, Minnesota, police detained Hadiza Bala a. k.a. Mama Sabir for pouring hot water on her neighbor during a fight. On the chest and face, the victim experienced severe burns. The suspect has been charged with grievous harm and attempted culpable homicide in court.
According to the Northeast Governors Forum, a multifaceted approach cannot be used to address the security issues plaguing the area.  ,
At the Forum’s 12th rotational meeting on Saturday, the governor of Borno State, Babangana Zulum, identified the key issues as, among others, education, healthcare, strengthened security, and infrastructure development.
The governors praised President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to put an end to the region’s insurgency, but they also reaffirmed the need to address root causes like youth restiveness, unemployment, vocational and technical education, poor road networks, and inadequate poverty reduction programs.
They are also requesting the Federal Government’s cooperation to promote the establishment of small and medium-sized businesses and provide an enabling environment for both local and foreign investors.
“We must reiterate our plea for non-kinetic solutions to the problems. By addressing youth unemployment’s root causes, among other things, by enhancing technical and vocational education, enhancing our road networks, revitalizing agriculture, and enhancing programs to combat poverty, security, and healthcare, among others.
We must take action to revitalize our region, in particular.
In addition to the recent announcements by the national hydrological services agency’s 2025 flat outlook and the Nigerian meteorological agency’s seasonal climate predictions, “we must take practical steps that will attract both local and foreign investments, and promote the establishment of large and small-scale enterprises.”
It is advised that your excellencies immediately give the creation of robust mitigation strategies a prior priority in these authoritative forecasts.
Read more about how Wike Votes In Rivers LG Polls Reject Concerns About BVAS Non-Usage.
Dr. Agbu Kefas, the governor of Taraba State, earlier, appealed to the governors of the northeastern region to join the chorus in calling on the NorthEast Development Commission to take immediate action to repair the Namai bridge, which has been in disrepair since August last year and has claimed lives.
In the most recent boat accident in Sokoto State, a 29-year-old’s corpse has been discovered.
After another boat accident in the state’s Shagari Local Government Area on Friday, tragedy struck, leaving many passengers feared missing.
Aminu Bodinga, the Special Adviser to Governor Ahmed Aliyu at the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), confirmed the development to journalists and said the incident took place on Thursday.
According to him, search and rescue operations were being conducted at the scene of the accident using SEMA officials.
According to Channels Television, local divers have recovered the corpse of a 29-year-old victim from the river in collaboration with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), and SEMA.
READ MORE: As Another Boat Capsizes In Sokoto, Many Are Feared Missing.
Nine victims of the mishap have already been saved, and an 80-year-old woman is still missing as the rescue operation progresses, according to the report’s filing.
Following the incidents at , Kojiyo village in the Goronyo local government area, and Garin-Faji village in Sabon Birni, this is the third boat accident to occur in the state in the past two weeks.
The 2026 Hajj exercise’s successful coordination has been made public by the Nigerian National Hajj Commission.
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Saudi authorities will take place in November 2025, as stated in a statement showing the crucial timelines on Friday. This will officially mark the start of the Hajj preparations.
All camp booking payments must be completed and service contract agreements confirmed by January 4, 2026.
The deadline for uploading transportation and accommodation contracts to the Nusuk Masar portal on February 1st, 2026 will follow this.
The commission made a point of highlighting the final day for visa issuance, 2026, and stating that there will be no extensions under any circumstances.
A US Romance Scam Scam In US Pleads Guilty To $ 405,000?
Additionally, NAHCON has set a crucial deadline for states and licensed operators to secure their slots in the pilgrimage, October 8, 2025.
The organization urged state boards, private tour operators, and intending pilgrims to strictly follow the schedule, stressing the importance of strict schedule control to prevent disruptions to Hajj activities.
Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson has revealed that Daniel Chima Inweregbu, a 40-year-old Nigerian, admitted guilt to a more than $ 40,000 romance scam before United States District Judge Nanette Jolivette Brown.
According to a statement from Shane M. Jones, the public information officer for the United States Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Louisiana, the United States Department of Justice, admitted to pleading guilty to two of the charges pending against him, including conspiracy to defraud, wire fraud, and using an assumed name to carry out a mail fraud scheme in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1341, 1342, 1343, and 1349 (Count 1), and conspiracy to commit money laundering in violation of
Inweregbu’s plea stemmed from his involvement in a protracted romance scam aimed at American citizens.
Inweregbu and his co-conspirators carried out a “romance scam” between at least July 1, 2017, and December 16, 2018, using deceptive and fabricated promises and representations to extort money and property from numerous American women, including four victims.
In particular, the statement claimed that Inweregbu and his associates used the alias “Larry Pham” (allegedly a middle-aged man) to draw middle-aged female victims into their social media and online dating profiles.
The co-conspirators, including Inweregbu, communicated with victims via email and online messaging platforms to make an appeal to them for companionship. When the victim responded favorably, he and his associates started fostering romantic bonds that emotionally bind them to “Larry Pham” in the victim’s mind.
READ ALSO: Thai Court Terminates PM Due to Cambodian Call Row.
The defendant and his accomplices, who posed as Larry Pham, demanded that victims send them money through various deceptive schemes and ruses to domestic bank accounts they established and managed once the relationship was established.
Over $ 405,000 was lost to the victims of Inweregbu’s scheme, both in actual and intended damages. The victims’ funds were directed through intermediaries, according to the statement read in part as he and his co-conspirators laundered the funds by engaging in financial transactions with the proceeds of their wire and mail fraud scheme, which was intended to conceal and conceal the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the proceeds.
Inweregbu could receive up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $250, 000 for Count One. He could receive up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $500,000 fine under Count 12; Additionally, he is required to pay a $100 special assessment fee per count.
According to the statement, Judge Brown will be sent to court on December 4, 2025.
Voters are being cast in the council election that is taking place in the 23 local government areas of Rivers State, which will have 6,866 polling locations.
Six months and two days after the Supreme Court’s ruling overturned the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission’s (RSIEC) local government election held on October 5, 2024).
The 319 wards of the state, which are home to significant oil assets and are widely regarded as the economic hub of the South-South region, are where the elections are taking place.
Permanent voter cards (PVCs) are a file photo. Credit: INEC
The outcome of the elections could influence the 2027 governorship election, which will also be of interest to the major political parties.
The RSIEC appealed to Rivers residents on Friday to come out in their numbers and peacefully exercise their civic duty to vote in the elections in light of concerns about the exercise.
The RSIEC Chairman, Michael Odey, advised eligible voters to conduct themselves in accordance with electoral rules during a pre-election broadcast prior to the election.
He claimed that adequate security had been put in place to safeguard lives and property with the assistance of the police.
The RSIEC chairman also provided assurance to the electorate that all polling locations, including the rural and riverine communities, will have voting materials delivered right away.
A Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) is used by an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) official to verify a voter’s identity at a polling station in Maiduguri on February 25, 2023, during the presidential and general elections in Nigeria. (Photo by Audu MARTE/AFP)
Odey had stated in a previous joint media exchange with the police that the movement restriction would begin on Saturday at 12 am to 6 pm.
Show of force
Security personnel also demonstrated force on Friday to reassure residents of their safety in the state.
FILES: policiers
The Rivers State Police Command’s Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, was the location of the exercise.
A convoy of patrol vehicles was present from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Federal Army, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), and other allied organizations.
Policemen appear in a law enforcement display.
Before, during, and after the polls, the joint team demonstrated operational readiness to maintain peace and order in the major streets in the Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
Read more about APC Group suing Tony Okocha, Rivers Electoral Commission, in LG Poll.
Olugbenga Adepoju, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, earlier in the week, assured residents that the elections would have adequate security measures.
Adepoju claimed that the use of personnel and logistics would result in a fair and credible exercise.
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Emergency Regulation
Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retired), who was sworn in by President Bola Tinubu on March 19, 2025, is currently in charge of Rivers’ emergency.
Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (retd.) is sworn in by President Bola Tinubu. On March 19, 2025, Rivers State in Abuja was its sole administrator.
Following a power play between Sim Fubara and Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Sim Fubara was suspended as governor.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Nyesom Wike pose for a photo at the beginning of his presidency on May 29, 2023. (Facebook/Sir Siminalayi Fubara)
Ngozi Odu, Fubara’s deputy, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly were also suspended.
However, after President Tinubu intervened, Fubara and Wike eventually settled their differences.
Rotimi Amaechi, a former minister of transport and member of the opposition coalition, hails from Ikwerre, while Wike hails from the Obior-Akpor LGA.
Observers Poll Against Poll
However, some observers have criticized the government’s choice to run elections through a state electoral commission led by a nominee for the office of the sole administrator.
Chetam Nwala, a lawyer, urged Tinubu to restore democracy in the oil-rich Niger Delta state after claiming that the elections were in the people’s best interests.
He stated on Channels TV’s and Sunrise Daily’s programming on Friday that the election in Rivers State is not in the people’s best interests, and that is why people might not vote in favor.
The election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates was criticized by TAF Africa’s CEO, Jake Epelle, who described it as a deliberate attempt to deceive the state’s citizens.
The PDP and APC candidates’ combinations are like a concoction intended to benefit Rivers State’s innocent citizens.
Don’t trust the PDP people because they mix up to cover their tracks. They are attempting to make it look good in every way. A bad apple won’t look good on its own. During an interview on Channels Television’s , Sunrise Daily on August 7, Epelle claimed that it was unlikely to occur.
The Supreme Court invalidated the election in the Supreme Court’s ruling that invalidated the Electoral Act’s gross violation.
Rivers LG chairmen during the ceremony’s oct-2024 swearing in ceremony. Facebook/Sir Siminalayi Fubara
Justice Jamilu Tukur, who was reading the decision, stated that the RSIEC’s decision was void because it continued to register voters even after the election date was announced.
The court determined that Section 150 of the Electoral Act was clearly violated when processes that led to the organization of a local government election were cut short.
