Category Nigeria News

The Catholic Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary was abducted by gunmen from the Etsako East Local Government Area of the State on July 10, 2025, according to the Edo State Police Command, making every effort to secure their release.

The police command made this statement as a response to concerns raised after a viral video of the seminarians being filmed and requesting assistance surfaced online.

The Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Moses Joel Yamu, claimed that CP Monday Agbonika, the police commissioner, was directly helming the rescue efforts in a statement released on Sunday.

Also read: Gunmen Kill Security Agent and Abduct Three Seminarians in Edo.

“The Anti-Kidnapping Unit and other tactical teams immediately mobilized to ensure the victims’ safe rescue,” the statement read. A tactical Division has also been established in the Ivieukwa Community to improve security and technical intelligence in the area, “in support of these efforts,” the statement said in part.

The police continued, adding that they were putting together coordinated operations and advanced intelligence with security experts.

Yamu believes that the joint approach emphasizes the urgency of the rescue mission.

The police urged parents, guardians, and the Catholic Diocese of Auchi to remain calm while responding to concerns raised by a viral video of the abducted seminarians, insisting that their safety remained a top priority.

The Catholic Diocese of Auchi, parents, guardians, and the general public know about the recent viral video involving the boys, and we want to let everyone know that the Edo State Police Command is steadfast in its efforts to rescue the seminarians.

In this challenging time, the families have “we deeply sympathize with them” and applaud their patience and cooperation with security agencies, the statement continued.

The Command reiterated its commitment to safeguarding lives and property, and it also made an appeal to the public for assistance and cooperation as operations get more intense.

It stated that updates would be made as the process progressed without compromising the boys’ safety.

During the alleged murder of a member of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), an official was reported to have been killed at the Catholic minor seminary in Ivianokpodi, Agenebode.

The Catholic Bishop of Auchi Diocese, Gabriel Dunia, pleaded with President Bola Tinubu, Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, and security forces to urgently rescue the seminarians who were suffering in the wake of the viral video.

Bishop Dunia expressed regret over the 35 days of armed strangers’ association and pleaded with the public to pray for their release in a statement released by the Diocese’s Director of Communications, Rev. Dr. Peter Egielewa on Thursday.

The bishop urged the president, governor, and all other national security forces to “do the needful and assist in rescuing our children from the clutches of the kidnappers.”

General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), former military president, is being celebrated on his 84th birthday with former president Goodluck Jonathan and other Nigerians.

Jonathan described him as a nationalist and one of Nigeria’s most outstanding leaders in a ceremony ceremony at his Hilltop residence in Minna on Sunday.

“We praise God that this nation has produced many leaders since independence, but General Ibrahim Babangida stands out as one who gave his all as a military head of state.” His residence has become a “Mecca” for Nigerians from all over the nation, which speaks volumes about his personality.

He doesn’t hold any sectarian positions, but he does believe in the unity of Nigeria. He has friends from all over the nation. We’ll keep honoring him and wishing for his long life so that he can continue to lead the younger generation, Jonathan declared.

During the 2019 presidential election, Segun Showunmi, the former president, and former Atiku Abubakar spokesperson, accompanied the former president with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Ogun State.

In his remarks, Showunmi referred to Babangida as a leader who had courage and vision and whose experience is still important to the country.

General Babangida is one of the leaders of Nigeria who has the audacity and courage to pursue big ideas. His wisdom is always needed at crucial points in our nation’s development, he said, and we thank God that he is still with us.

Operatives of the Akwa Ibom Police Command has smashed a cultist and robbery syndicate, resulting in recovery of several stolen items.

Already, the cultist and robbery suspect, who had been terrorising some residents of Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area, is cooling off his feet in the police cell.

Spokesperson of the Command, Timfon John, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.

READ ALSO: Police Arrest Officer, Civilians For Extortion And Armed Robbery In Edo

“On Thursday, August 14, 2025, at approximately 7: 00 PM, operatives of the Command successfully arrested a suspected notorious cultist and armed robbery suspect who has been terrorizing residents of the Ikot Ekpene and surrounding areas”, the statement read.

“Acting on credible intelligence, operatives of the Command apprehended the suspect, one Inima Sunday Akpan, a male from Abak Itiat Ikwuk Village in Ini Local Government Area, who had been in hiding in Ibiaku Village near Uyo City Polytechnic. Akpan has an history of involvement in multiple armed robbery cases, including recent incidents in Ikot Otor, Ikot Uboh, and Ikot Osurua, where a lawyer (name withheld) was shot and several others were injured. Other members of his gang have already been apprehended”.

She said a new Daylong motorcycle, one 32-inch Itec television, one LG home theater/sound system, one amplifier and one foam were recovered from the suspect.

Operative operatives have arrested eight suspected kidnappers and recsued a kidnap victim in its war against kidnappings and other violent crimes in the country.

The operation held in Kaduna and Delta State, Force spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi, said in a statement on Sunday.

He said firearms, ammunition, and fabricated weapons were also recovered during the exercise executed by tactical units in Kaduna and Delta States.

Identiying the kidnap victim as Hussaini Ibrahim from Jagindi Tasha Village, Adejobi said operatives of the Kaduna State Police command launched a coordinated rescue operation which successfully yielded results when the abductors abandoned the victim in a nearby forest.

READ ALSO: Police Arrest Officer, Civilians For Extortion And Armed Robbery In Edo

“In Kaduna State, following the abduction of one Hussaini Ibrahim from Jagindi Tasha Village, Jema’a LGA, operatives of the state Police command launched a coordinated rescue operation which successfully yielded results when the abductors abandoned the victim in a nearby forest,” he stated.

“Follow-up investigations led to the arrest of four suspects directly connected with the abduction, named Umar Yusuf Jabiri of Jagindi Tasha, Buhari Muhammad, a.k.a. “General” of Bayya village, Ahmadu Nasiru of Gidan Waya and Zakari Saleh and the recovery of one AK-47 rifle and two (2) locally fabricated Ak-47 rifles.”

See the full statement below:

INTERNAL SECURITY: POLICE OPERATIVES RESCUE ONE, ARREST EIGHT SUSPECTED KIDNAPPERS, RECOVER CACHE OF ARMS AND AMMUNITION IN DELTA, KADUNA STATES.

In a recent series of coordinated intelligence-led operations, the Nigeria Police Force has again made significant breakthroughs in its ongoing fight against kidnapping and gun running. These operations, executed by tactical units in Kaduna and Delta States, led to the arrest of eight high-profile suspects and the recovery of assorted firearms, ammunition, and fabricated weapons.

In Kaduna State, following the abduction of one Hussaini Ibrahim from Jagindi Tasha Village, Jema’a LGA, operatives of the state Police command launched a coordinated rescue operation which successfully yielded results when the abductors abandoned the victim in a nearby forest. Follow-up investigations led to the arrest of four suspects directly connected with the abduction, named Umar Yusuf Jabiri of Jagindi Tasha, Buhari Muhammad, a.k.a. “General” of Bayya village, Ahmadu Nasiru of Gidan Waya and Zakari Saleh and the recovery of one AK-47 rifle and two (2) locally fabricated Ak-47 rifles.

In a related development, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit acting on credible intelligence intercepted a suspicious waybill from Jos, Plateau state headed for Gusua, Zamfara state. Detailed search conducted led to the recovery of an Ak-47 rifle hidden inside a sack. Follow-up investigation on the origin of the waybill led to the arrest of two suspects, one Abdulmumin Sani and Naziru Musa who had arrived in Gusau to take delivery of the firearm from Kaduna State.

Meanwhile, in Delta State, operatives of the CP-Special Assignment Team (CP-SAT), supported by the X-Squad and Buffalo Patrol units, raided a kidnapping gang hideout along Ibusa Road. One Chiadiji Collins, a.k.a. “Smooth,” aged 42, a notorious suspected kidnapper linked to multiple abductions in the Ibusa, Ogwashi-Uku, and Asaba axis, was apprehended. A subsequent search of his residence in Ewulu community, Aniocha South LGA, led to the recovery of one AK-47 rifle and forty rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition. Further investigations led to the arrest of a second suspect, Ezechie Andrew, who was found in possession of two pump-action guns and two live cartridges.

All suspects are currently assisting the Police in series of investigations to apprehend other members of their gangs. The suspects will be charged to court upon conclusion of all investigations.

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olukayode Adeolu Egbetokun Ph.D, NPM commended the tactical precision, professionalism, and bravery of the operatives involved in these successful operations which are reflections of proactive intelligence gathering. He again reaffirmed the commitment of the Force to remain ahead of criminal elements through intelligence-led policing, inter-agency collaboration, and robust community engagement. He further urged citizens to remain vigilant, provide timely information, and support the police in its efforts to combat crimes and maintain law and order.

A traditional ruler in Rivers State, Nwachukwu Nnam Obi III of Ogbaland, has urged Rivers people to rediscover the bonds that unite them as Africans, even amid political disagreements, stressing that internal understanding and mutual respect remain the foundation for lasting peace.

At a virtually during a peace Town Hall Meeting in Port Harcourt on Friday, the monarch from Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area of the State said what has united the state, like in many other African communities, is not just the laws of the nation, but internal knowledge of personal understandings.

He lamented the public deterioration of political disagreements into personal attacks, particularly against elders, and described the situation as a shameful departure from the state’s values.

While acknowledging concerns over the legality of the emergency rule declared in Rivers State, King Nnam Obi III thanked President Bola Tinubu for the decision, saying it may compel those unwilling to listen to embrace dialogue.

“If emergency rule is the way to bring peace, there is no problem”, he stated.

]READ ALSO] 2027: Replacing Tinubu With Jonathan Not Solution, Nigeria Needs System Overhaul – Activist, Farotimi

On the August 30 local government elections, the monarch admitted that the current process might fall short of ideal democratic standards but maintained that it could mark the beginning of restoring democratic governance.

He cautioned that despite the heavy burdens Rivers State has carried, the people must not allow internal conflict to destroy the state.

“Sometimes, you play the fool to be wise”, he remarked, adding that no one who understands the extent of the state’s losses should oppose peace efforts.

Earlier, the convener of the Rivers Peace Initiative, one of the groups that organised the Town Hall Meeting, Obinna Egbogidi, stressed the need for sustained dialogue.

He said Rivers people can disagree without becoming enemies, cautioning that “No ambition is worth the blood of any Rivers man”.

Also, Chidi Halliday, the Commissioner in charge of Administration and Legal Matters at the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), defended the commission’s handling of the election process so far.

The Edo State Police Command has disclosed that it has uncovered and dismantled a criminal syndicate involving a serving police officer and civilians engaged in acts of extortion, brutality, and robbery against innocent citizens in Benin City.

A communique signed by the Edo state Command Public Relations Officer,  CSP Moses Joel Yamu, said his men acted on the directive of the Commissioner of Police, Edo State Command, CP Monday Agbonika, after a series of complaints

”On 15th August 2025, operatives of the Ugbowo Surveillance Team successfully intercepted the suspects with a silver Colored Toyota Yaris and other incriminating items.”

”A serving Police Inspector, later identified as Ojo Oloruntobi, was arrested alongside three civilian accomplices, namely Charles Onah, Joseph Ohis and Enoma Agho, who had been collaborating with him to terrorise residents of the city through acts of extortion and harassment,” the statement read

Yamu also said the indicted officer will not be spared from any punishment, while also issuing a warning to men of the Force to desist from criminal activities

”The Edo State Police Command strongly condemns this shameful and criminal conduct. The arrested officer and his collaborators will face the full wrath of the law. CP Monday Agbonika has made it clear that there will be no hiding place for rogue elements within the Force, reiterating the Command’s zero tolerance for corruption, abuse of office, and unprofessional conduct.”

”The Command further issues a stern warning to all officers: any policeman found engaging in misconduct, extortion, brutality, or any form of corrupt practice will be swiftly dismissed, arrested, and prosecuted in line with the laws of the land.”

”The Command calls on members of the public—particularly the victim in the viral video—to come forward and assist investigators with credible information to ensure justice is served.”