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Kidnappers abduct 17 pupils travelling to write exam

Published

2 months ago

April 18, 2026

About 17 candidates travelling to Otukpo for their examination centres in the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) taking place on Saturday have been kidnapped.

They were abducted after the hoodlums attacked a commercial vehicle belonging to Benue Links, the state-owned transport company they were travelling with.

The incident took place between 7–8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15, along the Benue Burnt Bricks in Otukpo, Otukpo Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State.

According to sources, the assailants waylaid the bus and robbed the occupants of their belongings before whisking them away into the bush.

An eyewitness, who spoke to journalists on the condition of anonymity, said the Benue Links bus, which was conveying about 18 passengers, ran into the kidnappers at about 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday night.

“The passengers were mainly young persons heading to Otukpo to sit for the JAMB examination scheduled for Thursday.

“Two people, the driver and one passenger, managed to escape. Incidentally, the passengers were mainly young men and women who travelled to sit for the JAMB examination scheduled for today (Thursday),” he said.

When contacted, the General Manager of Benue Links, Mr Alexander Fanafa, confirmed the incident, noting that the driver of the bus is presently undergoing interrogation at the police station in Otukpo for violating the company’s safety policy not to travel beyond 6:00 p.m.

He said, “As I speak with you, the driver has been arrested and is under investigation for traveling against company directive. I have warned all drivers to stop night journeys, as they would be held as first suspects if anything unfortunate happens.”

The General Manager further stated that the driver took his vehicle and loaded the passengers who were heading to Otukpo after official hours when the park manager, Mr Amedu, had closed, and ran into trouble, so he has been arrested.

The Executive Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Council, Prince Maxwell Ogiri, confirmed the incident, saying that it occurred between 7 and 8 p.m. on Wednesday.

He added that security agents have been mobilized to rescue the victims, stating that the victims are all young people coming to Otukpo to write JAMB examinations.

“It is true, I’m just coming out from a security meeting, and security operatives have been moved into the forest to help rescue the kidnapped victims.

“The victims are mainly young boys and girls coming to Otukpo to write JAMB,” Ogiri said.

However, when contacted, the Benue State Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, confirmed the situation, but said 14 passengers were kidnapped, while one passenger escaped.

The commissioner disclosed that he had already arrived in Otukpo and is conducting the rescue operation.

“I am in Otukpo now with all my team and DPOs who are here in the bush, and I am heading the operation.

“What happened was that one Benue Links bus carrying passengers coming to Otukpo was stopped and attacked by hoodlums, and 14 passengers were kidnapped, but one was able to escape,” he said.

According to him, the command had commenced an investigation into the incident, particularly the circumstances surrounding the journey.

He maintained that Benue Links management has a policy against night travel, but the driver allegedly picked up passengers after official hours.

“We know that Benue Links has a policy and don’t usually drive at night. So from what I got, they have already closed, but the driver, for reasons best known to him which we are still trying to find out, picked passengers along the road, and when he came here, the story you have is what we are having.

“But as we are investigating, we are on the ground to make sure that the victims are rescued,” Emenari said.

Related Topics:Featured JAMB Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination

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Bullet sounds boom as election approaches

Published

2 days ago

June 11, 2026

News Diggers

Tension gripped Osogbo, Osun State capital, on Tuesday following violent clashes between supporters of the ruling Accord Party and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), which left one person dead and two others injured.

The incident, which occurred in several parts of the city, also triggered heavy gunfire that sent residents fleeing for safety in panic as security operatives and political supporters allegedly exchanged shots in different locations.

The injured victims were rushed to the UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital and other private medical facilities in the state capital for treatment.

Eyewitnesses said the violence began around 1:30pm when a convoy allegedly conveying APC supporters moved through parts of the city, including Akoda and Aisu junction. The movement was said to have sparked a confrontation with some Accord Party supporters, escalating into shooting.

Gunshots were later reported in areas including Owode, Aisu, Olaiya, Oke-Fia, Government House axis, and Old Garage, throwing the state capital into confusion as residents scampered for safety.

It was further gathered that security operatives attached to the convoy allegedly fired shots sporadically in an attempt to disperse attackers at Aisu junction and other flashpoints, further heightening tension across the city.

Reacting to the violence, Governor Ademola Adeleke described the attacks as “unprovoked and outrageous,” alleging attempts to destabilise the state. He called on the National Security Adviser, Inspector General of Police, Department of State Services (DSS), and other security heads to intervene urgently, especially after visiting victims at the UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital and other health facilities.

Adeleke also accused unnamed political actors of sponsoring violence, claiming that recent months had seen repeated attacks targeting members of the Accord Party across the state. He further alleged that security agencies had not acted decisively to arrest perpetrators.

According to him, earlier reports of violence also emerged from Ile-Ife, particularly the Sabo area, before spreading to Osogbo and Ede.

“The attackers in a 15-vehicle convoy branded with AMBO pictures further launched attacks at Owode. They then proceeded to Olaiya, Old Garage, Oke-Fia and even around Government House,” the governor alleged.

He appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene and caution political actors allegedly linked to the unrest, insisting that elections must be conducted in a peaceful atmosphere.

Meanwhile, the Accord Party chairman, Pastor Victor Akande, also condemned the violence, calling on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to investigate the incident and alleging the involvement of the APC governorship candidate, Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji.

Security agencies had yet to issue an official statement on the incident at the time of filing this report.

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Criminals, not bandit killed army officer- Police

Published

2 days ago

June 11, 2026

News Diggers

The Ogun State Police Command has confirmed that five persons, including a soldier and a local hunter, died during a violent attack in Magbon Etido, Mowe, in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of the state.

In a statement issued in Abeokuta on Wednesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, Oluseyi Babaseyi, said the incident was an “isolated criminal attack” and not a bandit operation as speculated in some quarters.

According to the command, the attackers struck the community, killing a soldier who was on security duty and injuring another military personnel, who is currently receiving treatment.

The assailants also abducted four residents during the raid. Babaseyi said police operatives, working alongside the military and other security agencies, immediately launched a coordinated search-and-rescue operation.

He added that one of the abducted victims was rescued alive, while the remains of the other three were later recovered during the operation.

During the subsequent bush-combing exercise, a local hunter assisting security operatives was reportedly killed in an encounter with the fleeing suspects.

“The Command extends its condolences to his family,” the statement said, while assuring that efforts were ongoing to track down the perpetrators and prevent further attacks.

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2027: North rules out Tinubu, says policies on economy highly disappointing

Published

3 days ago

June 10, 2026

News Diggers

The National Publicity Secretary of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Prof. Tukur Mohammed-Baba, has said President Bola Tinubu has lost considerable political goodwill in Northern Nigeria since the 2023 general election, citing worsening economic conditions and insecurity.

Mohammed-Baba made the remarks during an interview on PrimeTime on Arise Television on Monday, where he criticised the country’s political leadership and expressed disappointment over the lack of clear policy direction from major political actors ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

According to him, the North has become increasingly disillusioned with the political class, which he accused of prioritising personal ambitions over the welfare of citizens.

“I have not seen a party that articulates a clear policy ambition or an ideological standard. The average northern voter is disillusioned and has been for a long time,” he said.

“We have tried all kinds of permutations—northern candidates, Muslim-Muslim tickets, and so on. It seems to the average northerner that all this politics is about personalities and personal interests. It is not about people.”

Assessing Tinubu’s administration, Mohammed-Baba said the impact of government policies had been difficult for many Nigerians.

“The impact of his policies on the economy and especially on individual lives has been highly disappointing, if not disturbing,” he said.

He also expressed concern over the security situation across parts of the country, arguing that the government’s response had fallen short of expectations.

“Furthermore, the insecurity thing, no matter what the government says, is getting worse,” he said, noting that discussions around the deployment of forest guards had come only after renewed attacks in parts of the country.

Mohammed-Baba warned that communities increasingly resorting to self-help in the face of insecurity posed a threat to the authority of the state.

“We are gradually normalising self-help—that unless you do something, the government will not be there to protect you. That undermines the essence of the role of the state,” he stated.

The ACF spokesman also criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, describing him as a “recurring decimal” in Nigeria’s presidential politics.

“I don’t see anything from him that presents an alternative apart from saying this government has failed,” Mohammed-Baba said. “Where is the beef?”

On Peter Obi, he argued that the former Anambra State governor had failed to sustain whatever political goodwill he enjoyed in the North before the 2023 elections.

“He has moved to two or three parties. The question we ask is: what does he want?” he said.

Mohammed-Baba further criticised Obi’s running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, over comments he said appeared to compare himself with revered northern figures such as Ahmadu Bello and Aminu Kano.

“In the North, that is very irreverent. It would be highly delusional for him to go that far and say he presents an alternative,” he said.

“An alternative in terms of what? Has he articulated anything on the economy, security, or infrastructure? When you keep talking about things in abstract terms that run counter-intuitive to what the people have held on to, you will run into trouble.”

Asked to identify a potential presidential aspirant capable of winning northern support ahead of 2027, Mohammed-Baba declined to endorse anyone.

“We are waiting to see,” he said.

He also cautioned the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) against complacency, warning that attempts to weaken opposition parties through defections and legal battles could backfire.

“Nothing fails like success. Be very careful, because sometimes complacency can spring surprises,” he said.

Mohammed-Baba rejected suggestions that the North remained a unified voting bloc capable of determining election outcomes on its own.

“No one region can determine on its own the outcome of a presidential election, and the North has never been able to do so alone, outside of military rule,” he said.

With rising fuel prices, increasing numbers of out-of-school children and persistent attacks by bandits in parts of the North-West, Mohammed-Baba maintained that Nigerians were searching for leaders with practical solutions to the country’s challenges.

“Is there anybody offering an alternative now?” he asked. “I don’t see anything.”