WHALEXTRA

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, yesterday uncovered an alleged illegal operation involving fake and expired food-grade chemicals, flavours, fertilisers, and repackaged raw materials valued at over N1 billion in the Alapere area of Ketu, Lagos. The raid led to the arrest of three suspects and the sealing of three warehouses, where the alleged illicit materials were being stored and distributed. Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Dr. Martins Iluyomade, who led the operation, said: “This is one of the many operations we are carrying out to protect the health of Nigerians. We got reliable information that certain individuals, while pretending to run a legitimate business, were involved in activities that are not only illegal but dangerous to lives. “The main offence here is the distribution and sale of expired chemicals. These are raw materials, some of which are precursors for other compounds, while others go directly into the production ...

A t least two people were killed when firefighters tackling a blaze were ambushed by an unknown number of gunmen in an ongoing standoff in the northwestern US state of Idaho on Sunday, the local sheriff said. The blaze was still raging on the mountainside in Kootenai County as law enforcement exchanged gunfire with the shooter or shooters, Sheriff Robert Norris told reporters. “We now have two deaths. We have an unknown amount of casualties. We still have civilians that are coming off of that mountain… We are actively taking sniper fire as we speak,” he said at a press conference. The shooter showed “no evidence of wanting to surrender,” he continued, adding: “As soon as somebody has a clear shot, I encourage them to take that shot to neutralize the threat.” He said authorities believed the two people who were killed were firemen. Earlier, local fire chief Pat Riley described himself as “heartbroken” by the attack.

The gruesome killing of a local farmer, Rabiat Atere, by suspected armed bandits at Oka Akoko, in Akoko South West Local Government Area of   Ondo State , has sparked outrage. Atere was reportedly attacked on her farm in Oka on Monday evening. The deceased, who hailed from Uba in Oka-Akoko, was said to have invested heavily on the farm before she was violently killed. A source who spoke to The Nation on Wednesday said the middle-aged woman whose corpse had already been deposited at the hospital morgue in Iwaro Oka was tilting on her farmland when the bandits struck. “It is a sad incident, but her lifeless body was discovered, and she was taken to a mortuary in Iwaro,” said, after pleading anonymously. Condemning the dastardly attack in strong terms, the bereaved youths of the community have called on the security agencies to smoke out the suspected marauders and perpetrators to face prosecution. The youths, under the aegis of Akoko Youth Forum (AYF), claimed that the killing of At...

The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun , said no fewer than 53 suspects have been arrested in connection with the recent wave of deadly attacks in Benue and Plateau states that claimed dozens of lives and left several others injured or displaced. Addressing journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, Egbetokun described the June 13 massacre in Yelewata community in Benue State as a “coordinated attack of terror.” Egbetokun said 26 were arrested for the attack in Yelewata, 22 suspects in connection with the Plateau attacks and another five in Benue for a more recent attack. He stated that 47 persons were killed and 27 were injured in the Yelewata attack, adding that two general-purpose machine guns and eight AK-47 rifles used in the attack were recovered.

A Benue Links commercial bus was attacked on Sunday evening by suspected gunmen at Eke, along the Otukpo-Otukpa road in Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State. The assailants reportedly robbed the passengers before whisking them into the surrounding bush. DAILY POST gathered that the vehicle, bearing registration number 14B-143BN, was ferrying travellers when it came under attack around 6:30 pm. The attackers ambushed the bus, dispossessed the passengers of their belongings, and then forcibly took them into the nearby forest. Comrade Austin Agada, Benue APC chairman, who passed by shortly after the incident, played a critical role in triggering an immediate response. He alerted military and police personnel, who swiftly mobilised to the scene to commence search-and-rescue operations. Efforts are currently underway to rescue the abducted passengers.

  Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja , on Wednesday, granted bail to one Veronica Ekeh, who is standing trial for alleged human trafficking. She, however, remanded the woman’s husband in a correctional centre in Abuja. The judge, in her ruling on the bail application filed by the couple’s lawyer, Mr. J. Obanwudeh, said the woman was granted bail because she was pregnant. Ekeh was granted bail in the sum of N10 million and two sureties in like sum. Nyako said: “The gravity of this offence is serious, but I have noted the medical condition of the wife, and so I have to grant her bail. “Bail is set in the sum of N10 million and two sureties in like sum and one of the sureties must be resident in Abuja and must have a verifiable means of employment.” She also ordered that the defendant must not leave Abuja without permission from the court. She adjourned the matter till June 26 for further hearing. Earlier, Obanwudeh had urged the court to admit his clients to bail on...

A Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Daniel Afina and nine others have been abducted by Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists along Gwoza-Limankara Road in Borno State. A source told Leadership in Maiduguri that one other person was murdered during the attack. The source added that Rev. Afina, the project coordinator of a Christian non – governmental organisation was returning from Mubi with two members of staff of the NGO in a vehicle when the terrorists ambushed them on the Gwoza-Limankara Road. The terrorists killed one of the staff on the spot , while they forcefully took the priest and nine others, while some scampered for safety. The family of the priest have confirmed that the terrorists had allowed Rev. Fr. Daniel Afina to speak with them, confirming his abduction, however, there has been nothing further since. They also said the gunmen have not asked for ransom at the moment. A senior official of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Borno State has also confirmed the kidnapping and murder of ...

T he Jigawa State Police Command said it has launched a full investigation into a disturbing incident involving a newlywed groom and three of his friends, following the death of his wife just days after their wedding. According to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Lawan Shiisu Adam, the incident occurred on April 26, 2025, at about 10:00 p.m. The Divisional Police Officer of Sule Tankarkar Division initiated the investigation after receiving a distressing report involving a 20-year-old groom, Auwal Abdulwahab, and his associates, Nura Basiru, Muttaka Lawan, and Hamisu Musa, all aged 20 and residents of Tungo village, Albasu District, Sule Tankarkar Local Government Area of the state. According to the police spokesperson, preliminary findings allege that the groom conspired with his friends to forcefully coerce his bride into non-consensual sexual activity within their matrimonial home. In the course of the incident, the bride reportedly raised the alarm but tragic...

19 passengers in two fully loaded commercial buses have been taken hostage by suspected armed herdsmen at Jor community along the Adoka-Naka road, in Gwer West Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State. The incident occurred Thursday morning in separate ambushes at the same spot, just three kilometers from Naka town, the headquarters of Gwer West LGA. One of the vehicles was traveling from Akpa in Kogi State to Makurdi when it ran into an ambush by armed herders, while the other vehicle was en route from Makurdi to Lokoja in Kogi State and fell into the same ambush minutes later. The Ter Tyoshin and Chairman of the Gwer West Traditional Council, HRH Daniel Abomtse, confirmed the incident. He stated that each of the two vehicles had about 12 passengers on board, but an elderly woman, a breastfeeding woman, her two children, and a driver were not abducted. The spared passengers reported the incident to the Police Station, and they were later released to continue their journey. The Secre...

An Ekiti State Magistrate’s Court , Ado Ekiti District, has ordered the remand in the correctional facility of a 20-year-old woman, Joy Ikoja, for allegedly inflicting a wound on the manhood of his boyfriend, Ibrahim Usman. Ikoja was arraigned on Tuesday by the police command in Ekiti State, for unlawfully tearing her boyfriend’s scrotal sack. The police prosecutor, Inspector Adeboye Adesegun, alleged that the defendant committed the offence at about 8p.m on April 12 at Irona area of Ado-Ekiti. The prosecutor said that “the defendant did unlawfully inflict a wound on one Ibrahim Usman by tearing his scrotal sac. “The defendant on the same date, time and place, did conduct herself in a manner likely to cause the breach of peace in the society. “The offence committed is punishable under sections 186, 255 256(a) and 181(d) of Criminal Laws of Ekiti State of Nigeria 2021,” Adegun said. The prosecutor urged the court to refuse the defendant’s bail, saying she might likely jump bail. But cou...

A  night of prayers turned into a nightmare on Friday when armed men stormed a mountain-top vigil in Egbola area along Agbaja Road in Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State, abducting an unspecified number of worshippers. It was reported that the attackers invaded the remote prayer ground in the dead of night, opening fire indiscriminately to terrorise the worshippers before dragging several of them into the nearby bush. A woman, identified as Mary Adams Gure, was reportedly rescued by local vigilantes who responded swiftly after receiving information about the attack.  The rescue was said to have followed a fierce gun battle between the vigilante group and the kidnappers. "They came shooting to scare everyone. People were running in different directions. Some were captured and taken away into the forest,” a local source familiar with the incident was quoted by Daily Trust. In the ensuing chaos, Gure reportedly escaped and was later found by the vigilantes. “The vigilante...

A violent clash between rival bandit factions in Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Tuesday, has left at least 10 bandits dead, according to intelligence sources. The confrontation, which occurred around 5:30 p.m. between the villages of Toroko and Awala, was marked by intense fighting.  While the exact cause of the conflict remains unclear, eyewitnesses have suggested that the battle was likely over control of territory or resources between the opposing groups. Security analyst , Zagazola Makama posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, confirming the deadly encounter and detailing how the violent clash escalated in the region. “The aftermath of the violent exchange has left the area on edge, with local communities now dealing with the repercussions of such deadly outbreaks,” Zagazola Makama wrote. Authorities are yet to provide an official statement.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Katsina Command has killed four suspected terrorists in Dutsinma Local Government Area of the state. The Public Relations Officer of the Command, SC Buhari Hamisu , confirmed this in a statement on Monday. He said two separate attacks were repelled. “The gallant men of NSCDC attached to the university successfully neutralised three criminals, including the notorious Ayuba Buzaru, who stormed the institution as their route,” he said. The team also rescued three kidnapped victims and recovered some rustled goats, the NSCDC spokesman revealed. He added that NSCDC personnel, in a joint operation with the police, repelled another attack on Sunday, Feb. 23, at the Federal Government Special Grains Reserve (Silo) in Darawa. Hamisu stated, “The valiant operatives overpowered the criminals, neutralising one suspected armed bandit, while others fled with gunshot wounds.” He confirmed that the body of the suspected criminal had been deposited ...

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday apprehended 59 suspected internet fraudsters in Abuja. This is contained in a statement by the spokesman of the commission, Dele Oyewale, in Abuja. Oyewale said that operatives of the commission apprehended the suspects at Abacha Road, Mararaba axis of Nasarawa. He said the arrest was sequel to credible intelligence about their suspected involvement in fraudulent internet activities. The commission, he said, recovered 73 phones of different brands, adding that the suspects would soon be charged to court. (NAN)

It was gathered that the raid conducted around 1am on December 16, 2024, targeted an old bungalow near St. Mary Catholic Church, Ifofin, and Ogbon Idio in the Ilesa-East Local Government Area. The Department of State Services (DSS) has revealed details of a covert operation that led to the arrest of 10 suspected members of Boko Haram/Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Ilesa, Osun State. It was gathered that the raid conducted around 1am on December 16, 2024, targeted an old bungalow near St. Mary Catholic Church, Ifofin, and Ogbon Idio in the Ilesa-East Local Government Area. A team of about 30 DSS operatives carried out the operation, which had been in motion for 90 days. The suspects, identified as Adamu Abubakar (aka Abu Aisha), Babagana Bashuli, Muhammed Adam, Mustapha Abacha, Katuru Muhammed, Babakura Abacha, Muhammed Ciroma, Ali Gambo, Muhammed Umoru, and Muhammed Bundi, were reportedly undergoing training on manufacturing and detonating explosives at the time of their...

A 35-year-old man, Chima Okafor, was allegedly set ablaze by his kinsman, Obinna Obiekea, popularly known as Losky and his son, Chidubem Obiekea, over a stolen knicker jean valued at N25,000. The victim, who was dragged out of a church during a crossover night on December 31 at Nnebugwu Autonomous Community in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State, was allegedly set ablaze by the suspects and others at large. The victim’s father, Mr. Uche Okafor, who petitioned the Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, said: “My son was dragged out of a church on December 31, at Nnebugwu autonomous community in Oguta LGA of Imo state where he was attending a crossover night and was allegedly set ablaze by the suspects.” “My son was later rescued and rushed to Congregation Of The Poor Handmaid of Jesus Christ hospital at Mgbele in Oguta where he died same day owing to high degree of burn he suffered.” The petition reads: “I urge you sir to use your good offices to ensure that those at large are arre...

Saudi Arabia has released three Nigerians who were earlier arrested and prosecuted in the country. In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by the Acting-Spokesperson of the Ministry, Kimiebi Ebienfa, the release followed high-level diplomatic engagement between the Nigerian government and Saudi authorities. The three Nigerians namely: Hadiza Abba, Fatima Malah and Fatima Gamboi were arrested for alleged possession of substance suspected to be cocaine while on pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. According to the statement, they were arrested and prosecuted on March 5,  2024 at Prince Mohammad bin Abdul Azeez International Airport Madinah, Saudi Arabia, and released after spending 10 months in detention. The statement said, “The arrest of the three women was a result of the earlier arrest of two Nigerian nationals who were found in possession of 80 capsules of Cocaine weighing 900.28 gm and 70 capsules of Cocaine weighing 789.5gm, respectively. “The women were detained b...