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Gunmen abduct broadcast journalist in Imo

Published

2 years ago

July 27, 2023

Advocate News Nigeria

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Gunmen on Thursday morning in Owerri, the Imo State capital whisked away a popular broadcast journalist, Chinonso Uba popularly known as NonsoNkwa.

Uba was accosted by heavily armed masked men after he finished anchoring his morning programme on Ozisa FM, Owerri in the premises of Assumpta Cathedral of the Owerri Catholic Archdiocese.

He was driving in his Highlander SUV when the attackers, who were laying siege, double-crossed him in front of Holy Ghost College Secondary School junction.

An eyewitness said that the gunmen operated in a Hilux vehicle, a Lexus 350 keep and a ES 330 car.

The source said that the gunmen forced the activist-journalist into one of their vehicles and sped off.

His vehicle was abandoned at the scene as People rushed in an attempt to rescue him but were scared away by the attackers.

The source said: ”NonsoNkwa has been kidnapped. He was double crossed by masked men in three vehicles. He drove out of Ozisa FM after he finished anchoring his morning programme. He was traced to the Holy Ghost College Secondary School junction where he was abducted.

”He resisted them as he was shouting they want to kill him before he was taken away in one of their vehicles. His jeep was not taken away alongside him. They were all dressed in black and blue attires, carrying guns while they were masked. They prevented Peoples from making video of the incident. Let nothing happen to him please.

The manager of Ozisa FM, Rev Fr Raymond Nzereogu, who confirmed the incident, said he was yet to ascertain if the journalist was arrested or kidnapped.

The priest said: ”We don’t know if he was arrested or Kidnapped. We have reached out to the State Security Service people and they said that they were not responsible. We are heading to the police to confirm. We will keep you posted on any further development.”

Imo police spokesperson, Henry Okoye, was yet to respond when contacted.

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BREAKING: Coup Plot against Tinubu: 16 Military Officers arrested, detained by Defence Intelligence

Published

8 minutes ago

October 18, 2025

Advocate News Nigeria

President Bola Tinubu

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At least sixteen senior military officers are currently in custody following allegations of a coup plot to topple President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, SaharaReporters has revealed.

According to the online publication, the officers, ranging from the rank of Captain to Brigadier General were picked up from various locations across the country in a coordinated operation by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) and other security bodies.

While the Defence Headquarters initially described the arrests as part of a “routine military exercise” involving “issues of indiscipline and breach of service regulations,” sources within the military said the official explanation was a smokescreen to avoid panic.

“The 16 officers were planning a coup. The military authorities were just being diplomatic in the statement released by the spokesperson,” a senior DIA official was quoted as saying. “They had begun holding secret meetings to overthrow the President and announce a military government.”

In its earlier release, the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, said the officers’ detention followed internal investigations into misconduct and disobedience.

“Investigations have revealed that their grievances stemmed largely from perceived career stagnation caused by repeated failure in promotion examinations, among other issues,” Gusau stated. “Some of the apprehended officers had been under jurisdiction for various offences, either awaiting or undergoing trial. Their conduct was deemed incompatible with the standards of military service.”

However, insiders insisted that the arrests were linked to an attempted coup that was foiled after intelligence agencies intercepted communications and meeting plans.

A top source disclosed that the conspirators planned to execute the coup during the October 1 Independence Day parade, targeting President Tinubu and other senior officials in attendance.

“Yes, they were arrested for planning to stage a coup and take over government,” the source confirmed. “That was why the Independence Day parade marking the country’s 65th anniversary was abruptly cancelled. Intelligence indicated they intended to strike during the event.”

The source further revealed that the National Security Adviser and service chiefs advised the presidency to suspend the parade after credible intelligence showed that the conspirators had positioned armed men for the assault.

Nigeria has a long and turbulent history with military coups. Since independence in 1960, the country has witnessed five successful coups and several abortive ones, each leaving deep scars on its democratic evolution.

The recent development has reignited public anxiety over growing discontent within the military ranks amid worsening economic hardship and security challenges across the country.

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Bandits, illegal miners clash over gold claim 17 lives in Kaduna

Published

20 minutes ago

October 18, 2025

Advocate News Nigeria

Over 100 peasants abducted as gunmen invade Zamfara communities

Bandits

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Clashes between criminal gangs and illegal miners in northwestern Nigeria over gold have killed at least 17 people, according to a security report prepared for the UN and seen by AFP on Friday.

The clashes took place on Thursday in Kaduna state, one of several in northwestern and central Nigeria that for years have been terrorised by criminal gangs of cattle thieves and kidnapping for ransom by bandits.

The gangs maintain camps in a vast forest straddling Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kebbi and Niger states from where they launch attacks on communities.

Violence erupted at an illegal mining site in Birnin Gwari district when a bandit kingpin “extorted gold from miners at gunpoint”, the report said.

Miners mobilised and killed the bandit leader, prompting reprisals from his comrades who raided the mining site, “shooting and killing seven miners”, according to the report.

Later the same day, bandits raided nearby Layin Danauta village where they killed nine people, wounded 13 others, kidnapped several residents and destroyed property, the report said.

Birnin Gwari, a mineral-rich agricultural hub, had seen a sharp drop in bandit violence since Kaduna state government brokered a peace agreement between bandits and residents in November last year.

The district has seen an influx since 2021 of bandits and Al-Qaeda-aligned Ansaru jihadists, who forged a close alliance with the bandits and took control of most of the district, enforcing a strict interpretation of Islamic Sharia law.

Resident Muhammad Kabir told AFP the latest clashes had caused panic in the community over a potential resumption of violence in the area after a lull.

“We have been enjoying relative peace since the peace deal was signed but this latest violence risks jeopardising it,” Kabir said.

He confirmed the killing of the bandit leader and the deadly raid in nearby Layin Danauta village.

Although bandits have no ideological leaning and are motivated by financial gain, their close alliance with jihadists waging an armed rebellion in the northeast has alarmed officials and security experts.

Since the peace agreement was signed, bandits’ sources of revenue from kidnapping and levies on farming communities dropped sharply, leaving them with taxing illegal mining sites which have mushroomed following the peace deal, according to the security report for the United Nations.

The report warned that the latest clashes may lead to a “degeneration” of the peace while further clashes remain likely.

AFP

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Five Police officers, three vigilantes killed in Zamfara bandit ambush, Gov Lawal mourns

Published

1 day ago

October 17, 2025

Advocate News Nigeria

Zamfara Governor, Dauda Lawal

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Armed bandits reportedly killed five policemen and three Community Protection Guards during a patrol along the Gusau–Funtua highway in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, residents and officials said on Friday.

The attack occurred on Thursday evening near Gidan-Giye village, few kilometres from Tsafe town, when gunmen hiding in nearby bushes opened fire on a police patrol vehicle, killing all eight occupants on the spot, a resident, Ya’u Musa, told newsmen.

“The bandits suddenly opened fire on the patrol team. All the policemen and guards died instantly before the attackers fled on motorcycles into the forest,” Musa said.

He added that the bodies of the victims were later taken to the Federal Medical Centre in Gusau, the state capital.

Local officials said the slain officers were attached to the Zamfara State Government House and had been deployed to the Gusau–Funtua Road to provide protection for travellers following repeated bandit attacks in the area.

Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal confirmed the incident in a statement posted on his official Facebook page, describing the attack as “a great loss to the state.”

“I just received the sad news of the death of eight security personnel, comprising policemen and Community Protection Guards, who were ambushed and killed by bandits along the Gusau–Funtua Road,” Lawal wrote. “May Allah forgive them and grant their families the fortitude to bear the loss.”

Northwest Nigeria has faced escalating violence from armed gangs, known locally as bandits, who raid villages, kidnap residents for ransom, and target security forces in the region’s ongoing security crisis.