Connect with us

Uncategorized

Police rescue 25 Ivorians from kidnappers, arrest eight suspects in Ogun

Published

on

Police arrest two kidnappers in Anambra
Spread the love

Officers of the Nigeria police have rescued 25 Ivory Coast citizens from the hands of a cross-border kidnapping syndicate.

The syndicate was smashed in Ogun State, during which the police arrested eight suspects in connection with the crime.

The operation was carried out in conjunction with Interpol.

A statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, on Friday said the operation was launched in response to a formal request from the National Central Bureau, NCB, in Abidjan.

According to Adejobi, the request followed a report by Kaussi Marianman, who alleged that her son, Ladji Yoa Pierre, had been lured to Nigeria under false pretences, by Simon Oliver and Michael Odunga with a promise to secure travel documents to Belgium.

Maduka College Advert

Adejobi said upon arrival, Pierre was held captive, and the suspected kidnappers demanded a ransom of 2.5 million CFA francs, approximately N6.6 million.

“The operation was triggered by a report filed on April 23rd, 2025, by Mrs. Kaussi Amenan Marianman at NCB Abidjan alleging that her son, Ladji Yoa Pierre, had been lured to Nigeria under pretences by some individuals who were later identified as Simon Oliver and Michael Odunga, who promised to facilitate his travel documents to Belgium.

“Once in Nigeria, Ladji Yoa Pierre was held captive, with the abductors demanding a ransom of two million five hundred CFA (equivalent to six million six hundred and twenty-five thousand Naira),” he said.

The Force Spokesman further stated that the Commissioner of Police, Interpol Annex, Lagos, Bode Ojajuni, immediately deployed a team of experienced investigators to track down the suspects and rescue the victim.

According to him, on May 5, 2025, the operatives stormed Osehi Hotel in Ado-Odo Ota, Ogun State, rescuing two victims and arresting two suspects.

He added that a follow-up operation at Ejegun Itele in the same area led to the rescue of 23 additional victims, including Ladji Yoa Pierre himself, and the arrest of six more suspects.

“Upon receiving the request from NCB Abidjan, the Commissioner of Police Interpol, Annexe, Lagos, CP Bode Ojajuni PSC, immediately deployed a team of trained investigators to rescue the victim and apprehend his abductors.

“On May 5, 2025, the team successfully stormed the hideout of the abductors, rescuing two victims and apprehending two suspects at Osehi Hotel, located at Ado-Odo Ota, Ogun State. Subsequent operation conducted at Ejegun Itele, Ado-odo-Ota resulted in the rescue of 23 additional victims, including the said Ladji Yoa Pierre, and the arrest of six more suspects,” Ajeobi stated.

The Force image maker reiterated that after the successful rescue, Pierre was reunited with his mother, who travelled from Côte d’Ivoire to Nigeria.

He said the remaining 24 rescued victims were handed over to the Assistant Comptroller General of Immigration, Zone A Headquarters, Ikeja, Lagos, for further processing.

Responding, the Head, NCB Abidjan in his letter dated May 6, 2025, expressed deep appreciation and compliment to the Nigeria Police Force and Interpol Unit for the brilliant operation leading to the rescue of the victims and hope to strengthen collaboration between both agencies towards tackling trans-border crimes.

Uncategorized

Police arrest three Anambra women over alleged sale of child for ₦2 million

Published

on

Spread the love

The Anambra State Police Command has arrested three women for their alleged involvement in child trafficking and the sale of a four-year-old boy for N2m.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the command’s spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the suspects, Florence Nnakuzie, 45; Hannah Ugah, 52; and Chinasa Daniel, 27, were arrested by operatives attached to the Awada Divisional Headquarters at a motor park in Onitsha.

Ikenga alleged that the suspects belonged to a child trafficking syndicate that specialised in trafficking children and selling them to buyers for various sums of money.

According to him, the suspects were arrested during a raid on their hideouts on Saturday evening, while other members of the syndicate escaped. He added that some children were rescued during the operation.

The statement read, “The Anambra State Police Command, on the evening of July 11, recorded another breakthrough in its sustained fight against child trafficking with the arrest of three female suspects, Florence Nnakuzie, 45; Hannah Ugah, 52; and Chinasa Daniel, 27, at a motor park in Onitsha by police operatives attached to Awada Divisional Headquarters.

Maduka College Advert

“Preliminary information revealed how Chinasa Daniel allegedly brought two children, a two-week-old baby and a four-year-old child, on two separate occasions between June and December 2025 and handed them over to Hannah Ugah.

“Chinasa further disclosed that the four-year-old child was subsequently handed over to Florence Nnakuzie and allegedly sold for the sum of N2 million, while the two-week-old baby was allegedly sold to another woman, who is currently at large.”

According to him, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Ikioye Orutugu, described child trafficking as a grave violation of human rights and a crime against humanity and directed the immediate transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Awka, for a comprehensive and discreet investigation.

“The CP has also ordered operatives to intensify efforts to identify and apprehend every member of the trafficking syndicate and to commence coordinated operations aimed at locating, rescuing, and reuniting the trafficked children with their biological families.

“The Command appreciates members of the public whose timely and credible information led to the successful operation and urges residents to continue supporting the police with useful intelligence,” the statement added.

Continue Reading

Uncategorized

Soldiers intercept illicit drugs on Lagos-Calabar road, arrest driver

Published

on

The intercepted drugs
Spread the love

Troops of the 65 Battalion of the Nigerian Army have intercepted a truck conveying a large consignment of illicit drugs along the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road and arrested its driver.

The interception followed an intelligence-led operation conducted on July 9, 2026, after troops received actionable intelligence from a credible source.

This was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 81 Division, Lt. Col. Musa Yahaya.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the illicit consignment was being transported to the Berger general area of Lagos State.

“However, the suspect could not provide satisfactory information regarding the ownership or intended recipient of the drugs,” the statement read.

Maduka College Advert

It added, “In line with established procedures, the suspect and the recovered illicit drugs were subsequently handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Lagos State Command, for further investigation and prosecution.”

The handover was carried out by the Commanding Officer of the 65 Battalion, Lt. Col. S. Adeojo.

Commending the troops, the General Officer Commanding 81 Division, Maj. Gen. Adebayo Babalola, praised their vigilance, professionalism and operational effectiveness.

He urged them to sustain the momentum of ongoing operations and intensify efforts to deny drug traffickers and other criminal elements freedom of action within the division’s area of responsibility.

The Army said the operation underscored its continued collaboration with relevant security agencies in tackling drug trafficking and other criminal activities.

Continue Reading

Uncategorized

Three brothers charged with murder after beating mother’s boyfriend to death

Published

on

The suspects
Spread the love

Three brothers have been charged with murder in Eswatini after allegedly beating their mother’s boyfriend to death over claims that he was involved in a romantic relationship with her.

The accused — Mlondi Mbuli, 25, Sakhelwe Mbuli, 18, and Lindani Mdziniso, 23 — appeared before the Mbabane Magistrates Court in connection with the killing, which reportedly occurred on June 28, 2026, in Hholoshini, located in the country’s Hhohho Region.

During the hearing, Principal Magistrate Sfiso Vilakati ordered that the three men remain in custody until July 10, 2026, while prosecutors prepare to transfer the case to the High Court, where murder cases are typically tried.

According to investigators, the suspects allegedly attacked the victim, identified as Njabulo Ngwenya, using bricks, stones, sticks, punches and repeated kicks, inflicting injuries that proved fatal.

Police believe the alleged assault stemmed from accusations that Ngwenya was having an affair with the
brothers’ biological mother.

Maduka College Advert

The incident came to the attention of authorities after Sibongile Motsa reported finding her son dead inside her sister’s home in the early hours of June 28.

Court documents state that Motsa discovered Ngwenya’s body at about 1 a.m. before notifying the Royal Eswatini Police Service, which subsequently launched an investigation and arrested the three suspects.

Following their first court appearance, the accused were remanded in custody pending the next hearing and the formal transfer of the matter to the High Court.

Authorities have not disclosed additional information beyond the facts presented during the initial court proceedings.

The case has drawn widespread public interest across Eswatini as investigations continue.

Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland before Mswati III officially renamed the country in 2018, is a landlocked nation in southern Africa bordered by South Africa and Mozambique. Under the country’s judicial system, serious criminal offences such as murder are generally transferred from the Magistrates Court to the High Court after the initial hearing.

Continue Reading

Trending

Maduka College Advert