Category Nigeria News

After gunmen allegedly abducted a resident of Eruku, a community in Kwara State’s Ekiti Local Government Area, on Sunday, tension resurfaced there.

Following a kidnapping incident in the same town, 38 worshippers were freed just one week later.

Around noon, it was discovered that the attackers had taken control of a farmland along the Eruku–Koro Road.

The attackers, who are reportedly four in number, had cutlasses and AK-47s on them.

Under the condition of anonymity, a community leader explained that the attackers attacked during regular work hours and escorted away Eruku native Annas Aasanru.

According to the source, “They entered the farmland with cutlasses and AK-47 rifles, kidnapped a man named Annas Aasanru, then fled into the bush.”

Read more about Abduct 11 Residents, Bandits Strike Kwara Community, and Read More.

In recent weeks, there have been two significant kidnappings in Kwara State that have occurred within a week.

A Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) branch in Eruku was attacked on November 18 by gunmen during its midweek service, killing three worshipers, abducting 38 members, including the pastor, and cause chaos and panic in the congregation.

The bandits initially demanded $3 billion for the victims’ release, but later reduced the ransom to $760 million.

Bandits abducted 11 residents in the same local government area a few days after the Eruku attack.

More than 20 gunmen stormed the neighborhood while firing indiscriminately at a large herd of cattle. A stray bullet reportedly struck the elderly woman during the attack.

Seven of the abducted people belong to the same family, according to a community leader who spoke under the guise of anonymity. A pregnant woman, two nursing mothers, and several young children are among the victims.

Two suspected car thieves have been detained by the Rivers State Police Command, and two have been recovered.

Grace Iringe-Koko, the police public relations officer, released a statement on Sunday disclosing this.

The suspects, 43-year-old Abubakar Abdulsalam and 35-year-old Shagari Shehu, were apprehended on November 20, 2025, around 6 p.m., according to a statement from the Command on Sunday.

According to the police, the arrests were made in response to reliable information that alerted authorities to the suspects’ locations.

Read more about the police officer’s investigation into the controversial arrest of the Lagos bus conductor.

Police recovered two stolen vehicles during the operation: a white Toyota Hilux with a fake registration number, GWA 453 GR, and an ash-colored Toyota Corolla with an fake number plate, LSD 420 BT.

Both vehicles have been taken into custody by the police for further investigation.

According to The Command, detectives are looking into the suspects’ level of involvement as well as potential connections to other state-based car theft syndicates.

As the investigation gets going, according to the police, additional arrests might come along.

Olugbenga Adepoju, the commissioner of police for Rivers, applauded the officers’ swift action and thanked the public for their assistance.

He reiterated the Command’s commitment to preventing crime and ensuring residents’ and visitors’ safety.

Tunde Bakare, the lead pastor of the Citadel Global Community Church, has urged President Bola Tinubu to apologize in public for the insecurity-ravaged communities.

The gesture, according to Bakare, will represent a commitment to justice and national harmony, as he said on Sunday during his State of the Nation address in Lagos.

The cleric reaffirmed the president’s initial steps in addressing the crisis but argued that more serious measures were needed to restore confidence.

Read more:  It’s Shameful Our Senators Play Politics While US Congress Actions Kills — Bakare

He argued that the government must first acknowledge its decades of inaction against terrorism, bandits, and other violent crimes.

The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) says the business is resuming providing its customers with free prepaid meters after a heated upup over estimated billing and customer fault with its meters.

In the days to come, the installation work under Tranche B of the Meter Acquisition Fund (MAF) and Phase 1 of the Distribution Sector Recovery Program (DISREP), two initiatives aimed at bridging the metering gap, will be conducted.

A total of 33, 450 smart meters will be deployed under the MAF Tranche B, and 22, 104 meters will be deployed under Phase 1 of the DISREP, according to a statement released and signed by the Company’s Coordinating Head, Corporate Services, Angela Olanrewaju.

Unmetered customers on Band A feeders are prioritized in the meter rollout under MAF, while Bands A and B will receive priority as Bands A and B.

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IBEDC reiterated that customers should not pay any money to an installer or IBEDC staff because both the meters and the installation procedure are completely free.

She continued, “The installation is also free, and the meters are completely free. Customers are not permitted to pay anyone in any way. Anyone who wishes to make a payment request should contact [email protected] or [email protected].

The business explained that IBEDC supports the MAF initiative through a NERC-established market-supported mechanism, which allows DisCos to close the metering gap across the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).
The initiative is intended to promote nationwide metering and complements the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI). MAF meters are available for customers at no extra cost, but it will run concurrently with the MAP scheme.

IBEDC also urged customers to grant installers access to their premises if they had a valid ID when conducting the exercise, as denial of access could cause the premises to be disconnected.

Olanrewaju also warned against tampering with or bypassing the new meters, claiming that doing so would result in serious penalties.

Customers who have outstanding arrears are encouraged to call the IBEDC office to request resolution (to facilitate the transition to prepayment mode).

However, it stated that paying late fees won’t prevent a person from receiving a free meter under this arrangement.

Seven kidnapped victims have been rescued by Operation MESA in the Tsanyawa Local Government Area of Kano State during a late-night operation.

The rescue came after residents of Yankamaye Cikin Gari reported an attack by armed bandits that were received at around 11 p.m. on November 29, 2025.

According to security sources, the troops responded “swiftly” to the alert and confronted the attackers while working together with members of the Nigerian Air Force and the Nigerian Police. Before the troops arrived, the bandits had already killed a 60-year-old woman.

Read more about how troops kill four militias and recover their weapons in Taraba.

The 3 Brigade’s Assistant Director Army Public Relations, Captain Babatunde Zubairu, said in a statement that the forces continued to pursue the fugding bandits as they made their way to Rimaye. He claimed that the troops successfully saved the abducted victims after engaging them in a large amount of fire.

Four kidnapped victims are still missing despite the successful rescue of seven people. The bandits escaped toward the Kankia Local Government Area of Katsina State, according to Captain Zubairu, and “search efforts are still being made to locate them.”

Residents are being urged to continue supporting security operations by the Commander of the 3 Brigade, who praised the personnel for what he termed “bravery and prompt response.” We ask the public for timely and reliable information to support ongoing efforts to stop criminal activity, he said.

In a quick and coordinated response to the resumptive communal violence in Usmanu Village, Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State, troops from the Nigerian Army neutralized four armed militia members and recovered weapons.

According to reliable information, the operation came after long-standing land disputes between the Shomo and Wurkun communities.

Property was destroyed, including houses, as a result of the conflict escalated into armed clashes. 6 Brigade immediately dispatched forces to restore order and stop further deterioration in security conditions.

According to a statement released on Sunday, a spokesman for the 6 Brigade, lieutenant Umar Mohammed, a public relations officer for the Nigerian Army, reports that when the troops arrived in the area, armed assailants were erupting from the Fadama axis. Four of the attackers were neutralized by the soldiers during a brief but intense exchange that ended.

Read more about how police in Kogi saved five kidnapping victims.

Three Dane guns, one made of AK-47 rifles, twenty-five rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, twenty-five rounds of ammunition, and two motorcycles were recovered as a result of subsequent exploitation of the area.

One Nigerian Police Force (NPF) employee who was found operating alongside the armed militia was detained in a development that highlights the complexity of the conflict.

He is currently being looked into further and subjected to profiling to determine his level of involvement.

Brigadier General Kingsley Chidiebere Uwa, the commander of 6 Brigade/Sector 3 Operation Whirl Stroke, commended the soldiers for their swift action, bravery, and adhering to professional engagement standards. He reaffirmed the Brigade’s will to eradicate criminal elements from Taraba State and maintain operational momentum in all spheres of responsibility.

Brigadier General Uwa reaped the Brigade’s unwavering commitment to restoring lasting peace and stability to the people of Karim Lamido and Taraba State as a whole.

He urged people to embrace peaceful coexistence and continue to support security forces with reliable, timely information.

As stability is gradually being restored, the Nigerian Army urged residents to remain calm and uphold the law.