Former governorship candidate in the 2023 election, Alhaji Murtala Ajaka, has expressed deep sorrow over the passing of former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, describing his death as a significant loss to his family and the people of Kogi State.

This was contained in a statement issued on Monday by ‎his Head of Media & Public Communications, Prince Tijani Daud.

‎In a condolence message, Ajaka noted that the former governor occupied an important place in the political history of Kogi State, having served the state for nearly nine years between 2003 and 2012.
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‎He said Alhaji Ibrahim Idris would be remembered for his years of public service and his role as an elder statesman who contributed to the political and developmental journey of the state.
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‎“This is a painful loss, not only to his immediate family but to the people of Kogi State and everyone whose life he touched during his years of public service.
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‎“His Excellency, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, served our state at the highest level and remained an important figure in the political history of Kogi State. His passing marks the end of a significant chapter in our state,” Ajaka said.
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‎He extended his condolences to the immediate family of the deceased, the people of Omala Local Government Area, the Igala Kingdom and the entire people of Kogi State.
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‎Ajaka prayed to Almighty Allah to forgive the former governor’s shortcomings, accept his good deeds and grant him Al-Jannah Firdaus, while giving his family and loved ones the strength to bear the loss.

• Women, children flee Barkin Ladi as gunshots persist

• I’ll protect our people with all I have — Mutfwang

At least nine persons have been killed in fresh attacks in Barkin Ladi, Riyom and neighbouring communities in Plateau State between Saturday night and Sunday morning, triggering tension and evacuation of women and children.

Five of the victims were passengers travelling to Gana-Ropp in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area when they were attacked on Saturday night, while two others, including a pastor, were reportedly killed on their way to church at Dorowa Babuje yesterday morning.

A woman was also reportedly killed at Baten Wereng in Riyom LGA on Saturday night, September 19, while another person was killed at Ratyidi in Fan District.

Several cattle were also reportedly killed or stolen at Dorowa Maranba and the Kantoma axis at about 3 a.m. on Sunday.

National President of the Mwaghavul Development Association, MDA, Bulus Dabit, confirmed the killing of the five persons at Gana-Ropp, condemning the attack and calling on security operatives to arrest the perpetrators.

Pyem Youth Leader in Gana-Ropp, Ukasha Garaba, said: “We evacuated the corpses of five persons from Gana-Ropp.

They were passengers who were travelling as labourers.

”Spokesman of the Berom Youth Moulders, BYM, Rwang Tengwong, also confirmed the attacks and condemned the killings, describing them as worrisome and unacceptable.

Meanwhile, tension has gripped Dorowa Bubuje community in Barkin Ladi following renewed gunshots reportedly heard from the direction of Kantoma, forcing women and children to flee to safer locations.

A community member, Lawrence Shong, said: “As I speak to you, at about 12:15 p.m. on Sunday, we are still hearing sounds of gunshots. Women and children are currently being evacuated because of the ongoing attack.”

Tengwong, who was at the community, said: “Military personnel have been drafted to the community, and what we need now is sustained security deployment to protect the people and prevent further attacks.”

Secretary of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, in Barkin Ladi, Gambo Abubakar, also confirmed reports of cattle being stolen in the area and urged security agencies to investigate.

Reacting to the attacks, Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, on Sunday reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to protecting lives and property.

Mutfwang, who spoke amid renewed attacks in parts of the state, said he would not abandon his responsibility of securing the people, insisting that Plateau would not be defeated by violence or the gun.

The Governor spoke at the 2026 Plateau Annual Convention of the General Council of the Assemblies of God Nigeria, North East Zone, held at the Assemblies of God Nigeria, Jos District Headquarters, Gyel, along the Bukuru Expressway, Jos South Local Government Area.

The convention was held under the theme, “Breaking Barriers into Your Next Level.”

Mutfwang said his administration had continued to work with security agencies to confront perpetrators of violence and restore lasting peace across the state.”

“I cannot abandon my responsibility of securing the people of Plateau State. We will protect our people with all that we have, within the ambit of the law. Plateau State will not be defeated by violence or the gun. We must remain united because our collective strength is critical to overcoming the challenges confronting us.”

“We are ready to die here,” miners return to site

That was the grim declaration of some teenage and adult miners who returned to the M.I. Wushishi mining site in Minna, Niger State, even as the mass arrest of suspected illegal miners was still underway, insisting that they had no other means of livelihood.

The miners returned to the site despite the arrest of scores of their colleagues by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, and the subsequent deaths of 37 of those detained.

Many of the miners, including boys, women and adults, were seen working at the site on Saturday, digging for gold with shovels, picks and other hand tools.

Some of them said they had returned to the mining site on the same day the NSCDC carried out the mass arrests, arguing that abandoning mining would leave them without any source of income.

Their return came after the NSCDC conducted operations around the Lt. Gen. Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi Estate in Minna on September 15 and 16.

The corps said the operation led to the arrest of suspected illegal miners.

Suberu Aniviye, the suspended NSCDC commandant in Niger State, subsequently said “scores” of the detained suspects were found dead in the early hours of Thursday following a suspected outbreak of disease.

However, the deaths did not stop some miners from returning to the site.

During a visit to the M.I. Wushishi mining site on Saturday, no security personnel were seen in the area, while miners continued their activities.

Some scooped loose soil into sacks and pans, while others used a flowing stream to separate the excavated material. Piles of freshly dug earth and muddy soil were scattered across the site.

One of the miners, Salisu DanMallam, said he was not at the site when the arrests were made but stayed away for two days because of the NSCDC operation.

“I wasn’t here when the incident happened on Monday and they made the arrest,” he said.

“I did not come out again since they made the arrest. I was not here on Tuesday and Wednesday because of the way the civil defence raided and that was why I did not come out.”

DanMallam, who said he had been mining in the area for more than 15 years, said staying away from the site had immediately affected his livelihood.

“If you don’t come out for a day or two you will feel it because there are no profitable jobs,” he said.

He said the miners had developed close relationships over the years, describing them as a family despite not being related by blood.

“We just treat each other like family here,” he said.

“I don’t have direct blood among those who died in the custody of NSCDC.”

DanMallam said he was still unable to establish the number of miners who had died or remained in detention following the arrests.

“I have not ascertained the number of people who are dead or alive. I know that some people were arrested but I haven’t seen them,” he said.

He also said miners in the area avoided digging deep into the earth because of the risk of landslides.

“Even if we dig, we don’t dig beyond our knee level. We don’t dig much because of landslide,” he said.

DanMallam said he also worked as a driver for a block-making business but found the job unprofitable compared with mining.

Another miner, 26-year-old Buhari Rabiu, said he had spent about two years working at the site.

Rabiu said he and others fled the area after receiving information that NSCDC officers were approaching.

“I was informed earlier that the officers were coming. One of the women informed us, and we left,” he said.

“Not long after we left, we heard that civil defence was arresting us.”

Rabiu also alleged that he had previously been arrested and assaulted by NSCDC personnel during a raid on suspected illegal miners.

He claimed that he sustained injuries during the encounter and was taken to hospital for treatment before his release after his parents intervened.

“When my parents wanted to bail me, they insisted that NSCDC must treat me. They took me to the hospital to stitch my wounds,” he said.

Rabiu further alleged that N120,000 was collected for his release.

He also alleged that one of his friends was shot at close range by NSCDC personnel during an encounter with miners.

“They did not even want to grant me bail. It was barely four weeks ago. I was there for four days at the time. They did not grant me bail until my relative arrived,” he said.

Rabiu added that his involvement in mining had prevented him from working as a truck pusher at the market. (Vanguard)

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested and detained 24 personnel in connection with the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in Niger State, parading the suspended Niger State Commandant, Commandant Subaru Siyaka Aniviye, and 23 other officers at the Corps Headquarters in Abuja.

The Corps also ordered the service flag to fly at half-mast across all commands and formations for three days. Commandant General of the NSCDC, Professor Ahmed Abubakar Audi, said due process, transparency and accountability would be strictly followed in the investigation of the personnel currently held in the custody of the Corps, adding that every personnel found culpable would face the full weight of internal disciplinary measures and the law.

The Corps Public Relations Officer, Assistant Commandant Babawale Afolabi, while parading the officers and men at the Corps Headquarters, disclosed that, as against the initial figure of 21 personnel, three more personnel identified had also been placed on suspension, bringing the total to 24 personnel.

The spokesman explained that “in a swift and decisive joint operation conducted in conjunction with the Commandant General’s Special Investigation Squad (SIS), all officers and men of the Niger State Command linked to the gross misconduct have, since the 17th September 2026, been taken into protective custody at the National Headquarters, Abuja, where they are undergoing rigorous interrogation and administrative disciplinary action, so as to make them available for the Presidential Independent Investigation Committee and other investigation panels for further investigation and possible prosecution.”

According to him, in a solemn demonstration of the Corps’ grief, institutional remorse and absolute disapproval of the incident, the Commandant General ordered that the NSCDC flag be flown at half-mast across all formations for three days, starting from Sunday, 20th September 2026, to signal the Corps’ collective mourning and its unwavering resolve to purge the system of bad eggs.

He said, “as a Corps built on integrity, professionalism, discipline, and absolute respect for the rule of law, we do not condone unprofessional conduct, high-handedness, or any action that undermines the fundamental rights of citizens or the sacred trust reposed in us.”

The Corps pledged to continue to keep the public abreast of the outcome of the investigation, adding that the leadership of the NSCDC remained unwavering in its commitment to transparency, human rights protection and professional ethics. He also appreciated the patience and understanding of Nigerians during the internal re-evaluation.

The 24 personnel named in connection with the incident are Commandant Subaru Siyaka Aniviye, suspended NSCDC Niger State Commandant; DCC Ajayi Philips, Head of Department (HOD), Intelligence and Investigation; DCC John Agrahau Chagwa, HOD, Operations; DCC Obafemi Elvis; ACC Stephen Tsado, Officer in Charge (O/C), Legal; CSC Oluwadare Sunday; CSC Annas Shittu Lamino; SC Usman Isah Ndamaka; DSC Aminu Sule Garba; DSC Musa Marafa; DSC Isah Sulaiman; ASCI Hassan Muhammad; ASCI Alhassan Muhammad; Aliyu Sallah, on guard duty; IC Abdullahi Sale; IC Mohammed N. Sonfada; Mohammed Jiya; Sale Adamu; Haruna Muhammed; CCA Baba Muhamma; CAI Isah Sanusi; CAI Liman Abubakar; CAI Bala Usman; and CAI Ahmed Wushishi.

Regarding DCC Ajayi Philips and DCC John Agrahau Chagwa, the Corps attributed their inclusion to “lack of supervision” in their respective departments.

The 37 detainees died days after they were arrested during anti-illegal mining operations conducted by the NSCDC in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State on September 15 and 16.

The NSCDC had initially attributed the deaths to a suspected disease outbreak, saying the actual cause of death would be established through medical examination