Nigerian Army have killed two suspected kidnappers and recovered rifles, ammunition and other items during a follow-up operation in Edimogbo Forest, Igalamela/Odolu Local Government Area of Kogi State.

The operation, conducted on November 3, 2026, followed an earlier raid on a suspected kidnappers’ hideout in the forest on November 2, during which troops reportedly made contact with the criminals.

The Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 12 Composite Brigade, Lieutenant Hassan Abdullahi, disclosed this in a statement released late Tuesday night.

According to him, the follow-up operation involved tracking fleeing suspects and clearing remaining hideouts within the forest.

Items recovered during the operation included two AK-47 rifles, seven magazines, 438 rounds of 7.62mm x 54 ammunition, 4,725 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, two bandoliers, two mobile phones and a power bank.

The Army said the operation consolidated the gains recorded during the previous day’s raid and demonstrated the Brigade’s determination to sustain pressure on criminal groups operating within its area of responsibility.

“The successful exploitation operation further consolidates the gains recorded during the previous day’s raid and underscores the Brigade’s determination to sustain pressure on criminal elements operating within its area of responsibility,” the statement said.

It added that troops had continued to dominate the general area, noting that their morale and fighting efficiency remained high.

The Army also reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives and property and restoring lasting peace and security across Kogi State.

PUNCH Online reports that troops of the 12 Composite Brigade have been complementing the efforts of the Kogi State Police Command and other security agencies in tackling kidnapping and other criminal activities in parts of the state.

The latest operation comes amid sustained security efforts to dismantle criminal hideouts and curb kidnapping activities in the state.

The Niger State Police Command has confirmed the abduction of 14 Islamiya school students by suspected bandits in Rafi Local Government Area of the state, dismissing earlier reports that 50 students were kidnapped.

The students were reportedly assisting their Mallam with maize harvesting on a farm when armed men invaded the area and abducted them.

The incident occurred on Saturday, October 31, 2026. While initial reports identified the location as Pandogari community, the police said the attack took place in Tungan-Bako village, also in Rafi LGA.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the incident on Tuesday, stating that the victims were students of an Islamiya school who had accompanied their teacher to the farm.

Abiodun said preliminary information indicated that about 14 students were abducted while helping their Mallam harvest maize.

“Report further indicated that the abducted victims were about 14 students of an Islamiya helping their Mallam to harvest maize in the farm, before the incident.

“However, joint security rescue efforts are ongoing, future development will be communicated,” he said.

Earlier accounts of the attack indicated that the assailants fired sporadically before abducting the students and the teacher who owned the farm.

However, the police statement did not clarify whether the teacher was also taken away by the attackers.

Meanwhile, the spokesman for the Social Democratic Party governorship candidate in the 2027 election, Mohammed Ndarani Mohammed (SAN), Hon. Jonathan Vatsa, maintained that 50 students were abducted during the incident.

Vatsa, a former publicity secretary of the All Progressives Congress in Niger State and former Commissioner for Information and Orientation, condemned Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago over what he described as the government’s failure to tackle worsening insecurity.

He alleged that attacks by armed men had become increasingly frequent across the state, leading to the deaths and abduction of innocent residents.

The former commissioner also accused the state government of failing to provide security agencies with adequate operational vehicles and other essential equipment needed to combat criminal activities.

“The current situation has overwhelmed the security agencies because this government has failed to properly equip them. The security agencies in the state lack operational vehicles and other necessary equipment to confront the situation,” he said.

Vatsa further criticised the government for what he described as its reliance on statements condemning attacks and sympathising with victims without taking concrete measures to address the security challenges.

“The government is only there to issue statements either condemning every attack or condoling with the people over the death of their loved ones by gunmen without any cogent step to address the situation,” he added.

He also alleged that armoured personnel carriers purchased by the state government more than two years ago to support security operations had yet to be handed over to security agencies.

According to him, the vehicles remain parked at the Government House instead of being deployed to communities facing repeated attacks.

Vatsa urged Governor Bago to release the vehicles to security agencies, arguing that their deployment would improve operational capacity and strengthen efforts to protect vulnerable communities.

He also accused the governor of prioritising his 2027 re-election ambition over the safety of residents, further criticising the administration’s handling of insecurity.

The police, however, said joint security teams were continuing rescue operations aimed at securing the release of the abducted students, adding that further developments would be communicated.

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has launched a manhunt for the killers of a woman, Unwana Okon, who was allegedly lured to a village in Oruk Anam Local Government Area of the state and murdered.

Okon, a resident of Ndot Village, was reportedly invited to Mbiaikot Village under the pretext of buying Afang leaves before she was killed by unidentified assailants.

The State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, disclosed this in a statement issued in Uyo on Sunday.

According to the police, the incident was reported at about 3:30pm on November 1, 2026, by the victim’s brother, identified as Eno.

John said Eno informed the police that his sister had received a telephone call from an unidentified individual inviting her to Mbiaikot Village under the guise of purchasing Afang leaves.

She said, “The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has commenced an intensive investigation and launched a manhunt for the perpetrator(s) of the gruesome murder of one Unwana Okon, a female resident of Ndot Village, Oruk Anam Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

“The incident was reported on Sunday, November 1, 2026, at about 1530 hours, by one Eno, who informed the police that his sister, Unwana Okon, had received a telephone call from an unidentified individual inviting her to Mbiaikot Village under the pretext of purchasing Afang leaves.”

The police said Okon honoured the invitation but was later found dead. Her mobile phone and an undisclosed amount of money were also reportedly taken by the assailants.

Following the incident, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Baba Azare, ordered a comprehensive investigation to identify and apprehend those responsible.

John added that the commissioner had directed the immediate transfer of the case from the Divisional Police Headquarters to the command’s Violence Crime Response Unit for a specialised investigation.

“The Commissioner of Police has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the unfortunate incident and directed that the case be transferred immediately from the Divisional Police Headquarters to the command’s Violence Crime Response Unit for a thorough, specialised and coordinated investigation, with a view to ensuring the swift identification, arrest and prosecution of all persons found culpable,” the statement read.

The command condemned the killing and assured residents that all operational and investigative resources would be deployed to ensure the arrest of the perpetrators.

It also urged residents of Oruk Anam and neighbouring communities to remain vigilant and provide credible information that could assist investigators.

The police encouraged anyone with relevant information about the incident to report to the nearest police station or contact the command through its established communication channels.

The command reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives and property, promising not to relent in its efforts to tackle criminal activities across the state.