Crime
Armed Bandits Block Highway, Kidnap Travellers in Zamfara State
Armed Bandits Block Highway, Kidnap Travellers in Zamfara State....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Armed bandits have disrupted the bustling Gusau–Funtua highway, leading to the kidnapping of several travellers. The incident occurred early Thursday morning, causing significant panic among commuters.
According to reports from Channels Television, Yusuf Tsafe, a stranded commuter, revealed that the bandits established a roadblock at the Tazame axis around 7 am. Armed with approximately 50 motorcycles, each carrying three individuals, the assailants executed their operation for several hours, abducting an unspecified number of people from passing vehicles.
Tsafe recounted the frightening scene, stating, “They entered the road around 7 am, and till around 9 am, they were still there. We just parked by the roadside waiting for the military to clear the road. We could see the bandits taking people into the bush.” Despite military efforts, including a guntruck that responded to the area, no vehicles were allowed to pass, and the road remains blocked.
Another commuter confirmed that the Magazu–Kucheri Road, which also links Gusau to Funtua, was similarly obstructed by the bandits. “The military men asked us to stop because the bandits blocked the road. We are still waiting for them to clear it,” the source added.
The Zamfara State Police Command spokesperson, ASP Yazid Abubakar, announced the deployment of additional troops, including operatives from the Nigerian Police Mobile Squad, to restore order and clear the road.
Zamfara State, along with other areas in northwestern and central Nigeria, has been struggling with armed gangs that carry out mass abductions for ransom, alongside widespread looting and destruction. Residents of Moriki town in the Zurmi Local Government Area are currently on edge as they face threats from the notorious bandit kingpin, Bello Turji, who had imposed a N30 million levy on them, with a deadline that recently expired.
Reacting to the escalating situation, Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Christopher Musa condemned the bandit kingpin, calling him a “deranged person,” and assured the public that the military is determined to apprehend him soon.
The violence in the region is alarming; earlier this year, at least three people were killed when bandits attacked a market in Tsafe town. In May 2024, bandits launched assaults on over 50 communities within the Zurmi Local Government Area, highlighting the ongoing security challenges facing Zamfara State.
An Ogun State Magistrate Court presided over by Magistrate O.L. Oke has sentenced two men, Moruf Okusanya (40) and Babatunde Gafar (33), to seven years in prison each without an option of a fine, following their conviction on a four-count charge.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Case Background and Prosecution
The convicts were apprehended following a violent cult clash at the Ikenne Town Hall on October 23, 2023, which severely disrupted public peace and local activities.
Prosecuting officer ASP Olaide Rawlings established during the trial that Okusanya belonged to the Eiye Confraternity, while Gafar was affiliated with the Alora Confraternity, alongside other accomplices currently at large. Their actions violated several provisions of the Prohibition of Forcible Entry and Occupation of Landed Properties, Armed Robbery, Cultism, Kidnapping and Other Anti-Violent and Related Offences Law of Ogun State, 2016.
Finding the prosecution’s evidence credible and compelling beyond a reasonable doubt, Magistrate Oke delivered the sentence to serve as a strict deterrent against unlawful secret societies and violent disturbances in the state.
The Nigeria Police Force, operating via the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) in Abuja, successfully apprehended and repatriated Mahadijiria Abdoulaye, a Chadian national wanted by authorities in N’Djamena over the May 3, 2026, murder and torture of Nazik Mahamat Saleh . Following an international arrest warrant issued on June 22, 2026, by the Court of Appeal in N’Djamena for Abdoulaye and her accomplice Fatime Senoussi Mouktar—alongside links to narcotics trafficking—the suspect fled to Nigeria. Intelligence-led operations tracked her down to Railway Quarters in Nasarawa Local Government Area, Kano State, where she was arrested on August 5, 2026. Under established bilateral frameworks and in collaboration with INTERPOL NCB N’Djamena, she was repatriated back to Chad via Lomé, Togo, on August 14, 2026, to face trial. Inspector-General of Police IGP Olatunji Disu lauded the operatives for their exemplary coordination, emphasizing the force’s resolve to dismantle trans-border criminal networks and prevent Nigeria from serving as a safe haven for international fugitives.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
A Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has sentenced Sunmonu Olasunkanmi Thaoban to four years in prison for laundering ₦16 million by disguising its illegal origins and converting it into a 2018 black G-Wagon Jeep.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Court Sentences Man to Four Years for ₦16 Million Money Laundering, Forfeits G-Wagon
A Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has sentenced Sunmonu Olasunkanmi Thaoban to four years in prison for laundering ₦16 million by disguising its illegal origins and converting it into a 2018 black G-Wagon Jeep.
Key Details of the Case
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Guilty Plea & Sentencing: Justice Akintayo Aluko handed down the sentence on Thursday after Thaoban pleaded guilty to a two-count EFCC charge, alongside an alternative fine option of ₦1.8 million.
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The Offense: Prosecutors stated that Thaoban acted as a middleman in 2023, funneling illicit funds to purchase the luxury vehicle, violating the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
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Asset Forfeiture: In addition to the prison term, the judge ordered the permanent forfeiture of both the convict’s G-Wagon and mobile phone to the Federal Government.
Related BDC Convictions
In a separate proceeding, Justice Aluko also convicted four Bureau de Change (BDC) operators—Umar Muhammad Lamido, Yusuf Musa Yusuf, Abdulmuhimin Mahmud, and Muhammed Musa—for conducting unauthorized foreign exchange transactions outside the official market. Following their guilty pleas, each received a 12-month prison sentence with an option of a ₦100,000 fine.
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