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Gunmen abduct Ondo community leader, wife shot
The Ondo State Police Command has launched a coordinated search-and-rescue operation following the abduction of a community leader, Mr. Adeniyi Adelana, the Baale of Ode Oriya Village in Owo Local Government Area of the state.
The Command’s spokesperson, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, confirmed the incident, noting that a full-scale manhunt had been activated to ensure the safe rescue of the victim and the arrest of those responsible.
Preliminary reports indicate that at about 8:05 p.m., a group of about six armed men stormed the residence of the 60-year-old community leader under the cover of darkness.
The attackers reportedly invaded the compound and forcefully whisked him away through a nearby bush path to an unknown destination.
During the attack, the victim’s wife sustained a gunshot injury to her right hand. She was promptly rescued and taken to a medical facility, where she is currently receiving treatment and responding positively.
The police statement reads in full:
“The Ondo State Police Command, under the leadership of the Commissioner of Police, CP Felix Oladipo Ohagwu, psc, mnips, mspsp, has launched a coordinated rescue operation following the abduction of a community leader by suspected kidnappers in Ode Oriya Village, Owo Local Government Area of the State.
“Preliminary reports indicate that at about 8:05 p.m. on the reported date, a group of approximately six armed men stormed the residence of Mr. Adeniyi Adelana, aged 60, the Baale of Ode Oriya Village. The assailants reportedly invaded the premises under the cover of darkness and forcefully whisked the victim away through a nearby bush path to an unknown destination.
“Upon receipt of the distress report, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), B Division, Owo, immediately mobilized a combined team of police operatives and other security personnel to the scene. The area was swiftly secured and a preliminary assessment of the crime scene conducted as part of ongoing investigative efforts.
“In the course of the attack, the victim’s wife sustained a gunshot injury to her right hand. She was promptly rescued and taken to a nearby medical facility, where she is currently receiving treatment and responding positively to medical care.
“A comprehensive search-and-rescue operation was immediately activated, with security operatives combing nearby forests, bush paths and suspected escape routes in a determined effort to track the movement of the kidnappers, secure the victim’s safe release and bring the perpetrators to justice. Tactical deployments have also been strengthened across the area and adjoining communities to enhance operational effectiveness.
“The Commissioner of Police has directed all tactical units, intelligence assets and operational teams of the Command to intensify efforts toward the swift rescue of the victim and the apprehension of those responsible for the criminal act. The Command remains resolute in its commitment to ensuring that the victim is reunited safely with his family while all those involved face the full weight of the law.
“The Ondo State Police Command urges members of the public to remain calm and continue their lawful activities without fear. Residents are encouraged to cooperate with security agencies by providing credible and timely information that may aid ongoing operations. Any suspicious movements or activities should be promptly reported to the nearest police station or through established emergency channels.
“The Command reassures residents of its unwavering commitment to the protection of lives and property and reiterates its determination to rid the State of criminal elements. Efforts are being intensified across all fronts to combat kidnapping and other violent crimes, while ensuring the safety and security of all residents of Ondo State.
In a statement dated July 3, 2026, and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, the party said it was “alarmed by the damning allegations of corruption involving the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, and one Prince Mathew Adeniyi Adeyemi, who claims to be the Director-General of the so-called Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).”
The NDC alleged that “the non-existent agency was allegedly used to siphon public funds, with the active collusion and facilitation by the Chief of Staff, Gbajabiamila,” adding that the development “raises fundamental questions about the level of transparency, accountability, and the integrity of the Tinubu administration.”
According to the statement, allegations made by Adeyemi include claims that the PFIPC received allocations in the 2026 budget and opened multiple accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria.
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.
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.
Former Secretary to Benue State Government (SSG), Prof. David Salifu, has been killed after suspected armed men ambushed and shot him along the Wukari–Joota Road in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area, LGA, a border community between Benue and Taraba states.
Salifu, a Professor of Public Administration and former Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the Federal University Wukari, was reportedly travelling to Makurdi for the burial of his uncle when he encountered the attackers.
He sustained gunshot injuries during the attack and was initially rushed to a hospital in Wukari, where doctors removed bullets from his stomach.
He was later transferred to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Makurdi, but succumbed to his injuries at about midnight on Thursday.
A former aide to the deceased, Mr. Ben Ekah, who confirmed the incident, said Salifu and his driver were returning to Benue from the Federal University Wukari when they were ambushed.
According to him, the driver’s account revealed that the gunmen stopped their vehicle, dragged the former SSG out and attempted to whisk him away.
“The driver said they were coming from the Federal University Wukari where Prof. Salifu lectures when they were waylaid along the Wukari–Joota Road, a border route between Taraba and Benue states.
“The attackers were trying to take him away, and he kept asking them what they wanted. As they continued dragging him, one of them suddenly pulled out a gun and shot him at close range in the stomach.
“They abandoned him after the shooting, leaving him in a pool of blood. His driver, however, managed to take him back to Wukari, where surgeons successfully removed the bullets from his stomach.
“On Thursday, he was referred to the Federal Medical Centre in Makurdi for further treatment, but sadly he passed away around midnight,” Ekah said.
He described the late Professor as a humble and peace-loving man, noting that he had left a Senate meeting at the university to attend his uncle’s burial before the fatal attack.
“He was a lecturer and Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the Federal University Wukari. We learnt that the university management was holding a Senate meeting, but he excused himself to travel home for his uncle’s burial. It is heartbreaking because everyone knew him as a peaceful man,” Ekah added.
Prof. Salifu served as Secretary to Benue State Government during the administration of former Governor Gabriel Suswam between January 2011 and May 2015.
The Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, could not be reached at the time of this report.
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