Tag: Gunmen

…Aiyedatiwa vows to deal with criminals

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted Wale Oluyi, the owner of Daisi Oluyi Farms, along with his manager.

The assailants reportedly stormed the farm near Ogbese in Akure North Local Government Area around 11 p.m. on Thursday, firing sporadically before whisking away their victims.

Family sources confirmed that the kidnappers have demanded a N30 million ransom for their release.

A close source said friends and family members have begun contributing money to ensure their release.

The source said the abduction was reported at the Ala Elofosan police station.

Meanwhile, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has vowed to flush all criminal elements out of the state.

Aiyedatiwa, who spoke at a critical stakeholders’ meeting in Akure, said his administration would not allow the state became a haven for criminals.

Read Also: Gunmen kill Miyetti Allah chair in Kwara

The Ondo Governor pledged to uphold the State recognized status as the most peaceful state in the country. 

He said his administration would deploy all necessary resources to flush out criminals from their hideouts.

The governor also called on traditional rulers, community leaders, and village heads to remain vigilant and collaborate with security agencies.

According to him, “We will not allow Ondo State to become a haven for criminals. While we welcome all law-abiding Nigerians who wish to live and conduct legitimate business here, we will not tolerate individuals disguising themselves as farmers while using our forests as hideouts for illegal activities such as kidnapping and other crimes.

 “Whenever you notice any suspicious movement, alert the security agents immediately. If you see something, say something. Security is a collective responsibility for everyone.”

 “I will also be meeting with traditional rulers because insecurity in any part of the state affects the entire state.”

Ondo Police spokesman, Funmilayo Odunlami, did not pick calls made to her phone.

A trader, Ismaila Awoyinka, who sells building materials at Ore, Odigbo Local Government Area, has been assassinated by yet to be identified gunmen.

Ismaila was killed last Saturday at his residence, opposite Caring Heart Mega School, Idi mango area in Ore.

A source said he was killed shortly after he left the mosque where he went for the Taraweeh prayer.

According to the source, “After he left the mosque, some persons dressed in white attire alighted from a motorcycle and hid nearby. As the deceased was about to enter his house, they ambushed him and shot him.

Read Also: Gunmen kill 60-year-old man, kidnap many in three northwest states

“He was shot at close range, and his intestines were exposed. He died instantly.”

Chairman, Odigbo Local Government Chairman, Hon. Taiwo Adegoroye, said he was shocked over the brutal the killed of the trader.

He condemned the killing and said efforts would be made to arrest the killers.

Ondo Police spokesman, Funmilayo Odunlami, said investigation has commenced into the killing.

…abducted female student dies in kidnappers’ custody despite ransom

Suspected terrorists on Saturday night killed a 60-year-old man, Malam Rilwanu Liman, and kidnapped several persons, including five members of the All Progressives Party (APC) in Zamfara State.

The incident occurred around 10 pm in the Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of the state, with many residents moved to an unknown location.

The kidnapped politicians, according to an online news site, Cable, included the chairman of Dan Isah ward, Yahaya Sani Dogon Kade, and his Sakajiki Ward colleague, Bello Dealer.

The kidnapped local politicians were said to have been going to Marafa to meet the Senator representing Zamfara West senatorial district, Abdulaziz Yari.

Their convoy was said to have been ambushed, and the five victims whisked away by the gunmen.

Armed criminals also invaded Munki village in Wurno LGA of Sokoto State around 1:15 am and kidnapped an unspecified number of persons.

In Katsina, terrorists reportedly kidnapped four students from Paris Quarters behind the Federal University, Dutsinma.

Security expert, Zagazola Makama, in a post on his verified X account, said the attack occurred around 2:20 am on Sunday, adding that the gunmen stormed the quarters and quietly whisked away the victims identified as Wali Kayode, 25, Fahad Muhammad, 20, Emmanuel (surname unknown), and a yet-to-be identified person.

Read Also: Troops arrest 16 for oil theft, seize 24,000 litres of products in Niger Delta

According to Makama, security operatives were mobilized to the scene immediately after receiving a distress call, but the bandits had fled.

Makama said security sources confirmed efforts were ongoing to track down the kidnappers and rescue the victims.

Meanwhile, the 21-year-old Federal University Gusau student, Zarah Abubakar, who was kidnapped months ago, has died.

Zarah, a 300-level student, was kidnapped from her home in Damba on November 3, alongside her two relatives.

Despite collecting N10m for their release, the kidnappers, who initially demanded N35m, refused to release the victims and proceeded to demand four motorcycles and four cartons of engine oil.

“After months of efforts to meet the demands, the items were finally secured. When the kidnappers’ leader was informed, he contacted his men, who then revealed that Zarah had already died and was buried two days earlier.

“The deceased, the only daughter of her mother, had spent four months in captivity before her untimely death,” said Makama in another post on X.

Security agencies have yet to comment on efforts to rescue the kidnapped persons at the time of this report.

• …invaders are criminals, not EFCC officials – Oyewole

No fewer than ten persons have been abducted by unidentified armed men who disguised as operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at the White Hill Hotel in Minna. 

The hotel is located along Shiroro Road, a busy thoroughfare in Minna metropolis, Niger State.

The incident occurred at about 4:58 a.m. on Tuesday, February 27, 2025. 

The armed men stormed the hotel, claiming to be EFCC personnel on an official operation, and disabled the hotel’s CCTV cameras. 

It was gathered that they later entered the guests’ rooms one after the other, forcing the guests out and taking ten of them to an unknown destination.

Read Also: Gunmen kill two policemen in Plateau

The incident was disclosed by security analyst and counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama on his social media handle. 

The Assistant Commissioner of Police, State Intelligence Department, confirmed that investigations are ongoing to identify the perpetrators and locate the abducted victims.

EFCC Spokesman, Dele Oyewole, who spoke with a journalist from Nigerwatch Newspaper, stated that those who invaded the hotel were criminal impersonators and that the commission was not involved in such operations in Minna.