Investigations/Anti-Corruption
Child Trafficking Suspect Admits Receiving ₦250,000 Per Child in Abuja
A woman arrested in connection with an alleged child trafficking operation in Abuja has admitted receiving ₦250,000 for every child she brought to the suspected network, claiming she was told the payment was compensation.
The suspect made the disclosure while being interviewed by journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, admitting that she returned to the alleged operation after a previous arrest and imprisonment.
During the interview, she said she had been persuaded to believe that the arrangement was designed to help vulnerable children found roaming the streets by providing them with shelter and access to education.
According to her, she was told that the operation had government approval and that the children would be enrolled in school and properly cared for.
However, the interviewer questioned her explanation, reminding her that she had earlier identified a woman known as Madam Nkechi as the person who introduced her to the alleged operation.
The suspect subsequently clarified that she was the one who initially introduced the woman but claimed that the woman later contacted her and encouraged her to return to the activity.
When asked how much she received for each child, the suspect replied, “She gave me 250. 250,000 naira.”
She also addressed an earlier claim involving ₦1.5 million, explaining that the amount was intended to be shared among several people, including the woman she identified as her contact.
The suspect maintained that she was told the money represented compensation but could not clearly explain what the payment was intended to compensate for when pressed by the interviewer.
The interviewer further challenged her to consider how she would feel if another person received money for taking her own child. The suspect confirmed that she was also a mother.
Suspect Admits Previous Arrest
The woman also disclosed that she had been arrested the previous year after taking a child in what she described as her first assignment.
According to her account, the case went to court several times, but the complainant failed to appear.
She claimed she was eventually allowed to return home after the child was recovered from her.
“That was the first assignment she gave me,” the suspect said.
Her account has emerged as part of an ongoing investigation by the Federal Capital Territory Police Command into alleged child abduction and trafficking in Abuja.
The police paraded suspects linked to the investigation on Tuesday following further arrests and the recovery of a five-year-old girl whose biological family has yet to be identified.
Police Seek Family of Recovered Five-Year-Old Girl
The police have appealed to members of the public to assist in identifying and locating the biological relatives of the recovered child.
Authorities have also indicated that claims of parentage must be verified to ensure that the child is reunited with the appropriate family.
Some of the suspects reportedly alleged that they were recruited by a woman known as Madam Nkechi, who allegedly promised to pay them for bringing children described to them as orphans or minors found roaming the streets.
Some suspects also claimed that they encountered the alleged recruiter at a church in Lugbe, Abuja.
However, the allegations concerning the church have not been independently verified.
No evidence has been presented to establish that the church, as an institution, was involved in the alleged trafficking operation.
The police investigation is expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the children’s movement, the identities of the individuals allegedly involved and the extent of any organised network.
The suspects’ accounts remain allegations and have not been established as facts by a court.
The police have urged members of the public with relevant information about the recovered girl or her biological family to assist the authorities in identifying her relatives.
Investigations/Anti-Corruption
Police Arrest Two Suspects Over Killing of 26-Year-Old Man in Oyo
The Oyo State Police Command has arrested two suspects in connection with the alleged murder of a 26-year-old man, Kehinde Asimiyu, following a fatal altercation at Olodo Garage in Ibadan.
The police identified the suspects as Taiwo Babarinde, who allegedly inflicted the fatal injury on the deceased, and Ishola Semiu, who was suspected of involvement in the incident.
The command disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka.
According to the statement, the incident occurred on November 1, 2026, when Asimiyu was allegedly stabbed with a broken bottle by Babarinde following an altercation between both parties.
The police said the victim’s family became aware of the incident after an unidentified motorcycle rider arrived at their residence and informed them of the attack.
Following the report, police operatives and a patrol team were immediately deployed to the scene, while the victim was rushed to Academy Hospital, Texaco, along Iwo Road, Ibadan.
However, a doctor at the hospital confirmed him dead on arrival.
The deceased’s remains were subsequently deposited at Adejare Embalming Centre for preservation, while photographs were taken as part of the preliminary investigative procedures.
The police confirmed that both suspects had been arrested and were being held in custody.
The case has also been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Iyaganku, Ibadan, for further investigation.
Meanwhile, the command disclosed that the incident triggered unrest at the Olodo Police Outpost, raising concerns about a possible breakdown of law and order in the community.
It said additional security personnel were deployed following reports of threats by suspected hoodlums.
The reinforcement involved personnel of the Nigerian Army, Amotekun Corps, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other local security components.
According to the command, the coordinated security operation helped restore normalcy, while a sustained security presence was maintained to prevent further disturbances and protect residents.
The Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Olugbenga, also directed the Area Commander, Moniya, to engage community stakeholders to address the situation and prevent a recurrence.
Acting on the directive, the Area Commander held a strategic meeting with representatives of the Local Council Development Area (LCDA), leaders of tricycle and motorcycle operators, and youth leaders.
The meeting focused on identifying practical solutions, improving communication between residents and security agencies, and promoting peaceful coexistence in the area.
The command reassured residents of Olodo and neighbouring communities that adequate security measures had been put in place to safeguard lives and property.
It also warned individuals and groups against engaging in violence, inciting unrest or exploiting the incident to destabilise the community.
The police said anyone whose actions threatened public peace or undermined security in Oyo State would be dealt with decisively.
The Commissioner of Police urged residents to remain calm, shun violence and embrace dialogue as a means of resolving disagreements.
Investigations/Anti-Corruption
Soldiers Kill Two Suspected Kidnappers in Kogi Forest, Recover Two AK-47 Rifles
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.
Investigations/Anti-Corruption
Niger Bandit Attack: Police Confirm 14 Islamiya Students Abducted
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.
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