WHALEXTRA

  Vice President  Kashim Shettima  has declared that those behind the recent attacks in Maiduguri, the Borno capital, will be decisively confronted. Shettima said this on Wednesday in Maiduguri when he visited victims of the bomb blast who are receiving treatment at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital. The vice-president, who restated the Federal Government’s resolve to defeat terrorism, said his visit was to sympathise with the injured and families affected by the tragedy. He noted that beyond the presidential directive to security chiefs, the Federal Government had been investing more in equipment and other logistics to boost the fight against terrorism across the country. Shettima condemned the gory multiple explosions in Maiduguri on Monday in which more than 100 people were affected, with over 20 confirmed dead.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA , said its operatives have foiled bizarre plots by two drug traffickers to move consignments of cocaine and opioids hidden in their stomach and fake baby bump through the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) Kano and the Seme land border in Lagos to Europe and other destinations. NDLEA stated that a Kano based businesswoman, 35-year-old Rabi Muhammad, was intercepted by its officers at the departure tarmac of Seme land border with a protruding tummy on Monday. This was made known in a statement on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, Director, Media & Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja. According to the statement, the suspect was nabbed while attempting to cross to Cotonou in Benin Republic.

Suspected  Boko Haram insurgents have released a video showing a large group of women and children allegedly abducted from Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, claiming that 176 persons are in captivity and accusing the Nigerian government of misrepresenting the figure. The one-minute, 17-second video, published by Sahara Reporters, shows dozens of female captives and minors gathered in an open area while an unidentified speaker, whose face was not visible, interrogates them. In the footage, the speaker asked the victims, “Where were you abducted?” The group responded, “From Woro.” He further asked, “Which local government?” and they replied, “Kaiama.”

  The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons has rescued and repatriated 23 Nigerian youths suspected to be victims of human trafficking from Thailand. The Director-General of  NAPTIP,  Binta Adamu Bello, disclosed this on Wednesday while alerting the public to a new trend of trafficking to the South Asia region for cyber-enabled crimes. The Head of Press and Public Relations Unit of NAPTIP, Vincent Adekoye, conveyed the development in a statement titled ‘DG NAPTIP alerts on new trend of trafficking to the South Asia region for cyber-enabled crimes as the agency rescues 23 victims from Thailand.’ According to the statement, the operation was carried out with the support and collaboration of Eden (Myanmar), with critical assistance from the British Government.

  The   Oyo State   Police Command has recovered various quantities of suspected  illicit drugs  from a criminal hideout in Ibadan. The Command said the seizure followed credible intelligence provided by a strategic partner, which led operatives to the location. In a statement, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ayanlade Olayinka, said the information indicated that an apartment on Abanise Street in the Academy area of Olomi, Ibadan, was being used to store a large consignment of suspected illicit drugs. According to the statement, the apartment was allegedly linked to one Oluwadamilare Adedayo, a male resident of the address, who was believed to be using the premises for illegal activity. The Command said the operation was part of ongoing efforts to rid the state of criminal elements and curb the circulation of illicit substances.

  OPERATIVES of the Delta State Police Command have arrested a 28-year-old suspected internet fraudster (Yahoo boy) for allegedly killing his friend after a disagreement over a $1,000 transaction. Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Bright Edafe, who confirmed this, said the incident took place at Agbarho community, Ughelli North Local Government Area on January 21, 2026. He said the suspect, Mr. Oghenegare, who is currently in detention at the state command headquarters, Asaba, and the deceased, identified as Mr. Courage, were into the business of internet fraud and somehow, had a disagreement. Edafe said the suspect confronted the deceased and hit him on the head in the ensuing fight. He lamented the increasing rate of murder cases being recorded in the state due to hot temper, drug abuse and issues that could be resolved. Meanwhile, the suspect, in a video, said the deceased who he admitted as being his childhood friend had “logged” him out of the process of the transaction.

  The Nigerian Army has successfully rescued 12 teenage girls abducted by Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists in Mussa District of Askira/Uba Local Government Area, Borno State. The victims as earlier  reported by Vanguard  last week, aged between 15 and 20, were kidnapped on 23 November while harvesting crops on their family farmlands and were freed on Saturday, 29 November, following a swift, intelligence-led operation by troops of Operation HADIN KAI in the southern Borno axis. According to a statement posted by Army Headquarters on its verified Facebook platform on Sunday night said, “the rescued girls have been evacuated to a secure military facility where they are receiving comprehensive medical care, psychological support and debriefing. “Upon completion of these processes, they will be formally reunited with their families. Their recovery has brought immense relief to the community, which had been gripped by fear following the abduction. Ads by  “The rescued victims ...

  Bandits late Saturday night attacked Yankamaye village in Tsanyawa Local Government Area of  Kano State , killing an elderly woman and abducting three residents. The incident was said to have thrown the community into panic as many residents were asleep when the armed men stormed the area. The State Police Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, who confirmed the incident, said operatives had already been deployed to track down the attackers. “We are doing everything possible to rescue the kidnapped victims and restore calm to the area,” Kiyawa said. The gunmen reportedly arrived on motorcycles, parking at the outskirts of the village before proceeding on foot to avoid early detection.

Following the Department of State Services alert on Tuesday that there was a plot by the Islamic State West Africa Province to attack Ondo and Kogi states, states have activated surveillance and counter-terror measures against the ISWAP plot. Kogi shares a boundary with 10 states. They include Benue in the East, Anambra in the South, Enugu in the South-East, Edo in the South-West and Ondo in the West. Others are Ekiti in the West, Kwara in the West, Niger in the North, Nasarawa in the North-East and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Concerned by the development, the state governors have called on the residents to remain calm and vigilant, assuring that they have fortified the security system to thwart any attacks. The Department of State Services had on Tuesday alerted the Nigerian Army to an alleged plot by ISWAP to launch coordinated attacks on communities in Ondo and Kogi states.

THE Department of State Services, DSS , yesterday, raised the alarm over an imminent terrorist attack on some communities in Ondo and Kogi states by the Islamic State of West Africa Province, ISWAP. A confidential memo dated October 20, 2025, that was addressed to the Brigade Commander of the 32 Artillery Brigade, Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery, Owena Cantonment, Akure, the security service warned that credible intelligence confirmed plans by the insurgents to launch coordinated assaults on several communities. Signed by Hi Kana, Director of Security, DSS Ondo State Command, the memo, specifically listed Eriti Akoko and Oyin Akoko in Akoko North-West Local Government Area as well as Owo town in Owo Local Government Area, as potential targets. The Secret Service warned that the terrorists had already commenced surveillance on soft targets in the affected areas and called on the military to heighten security operations to forestall any attack.““Intelligence confirmed plans by members o...

Farmers in Shanawa, Jangeru, and Galadi communities of Shinkafi Local Government Area, Zamfara State are lamenting after bandits allegedly demanded N20 million from them before they could access their farms this harvest season. The demand, according to residents, has sparked outrage among farming communities across the state, who accused the armed gangs of turning agriculture into a “ransom business.” A resident who spoke on condition of anonymity said the bandits’ demands come every farming season. “They ask for money before we can plant, and when it’s time to harvest, they demand another payment,” he said. “We can’t farm on our own land in peace again. We must pay the bandits before we can even touch our crops.” According to him, the latest threat came with a chilling message from the bandits: “Bring N20 million or forget your farms.”

Residents who spoke to our correspondent on Sunday said the incident caused panic in the community as people ran for safety at the sound of the gunshots. One of the residents, who identified himself simply as Akogun, said the gunmen, numbering about five, shot indiscriminately upon arriving at the scene. He said, “The men came to the snooker spot around 9pm. The spot is right opposite the Ojo military barracks, and being a crowded place, the men walked in like regular fun-seekers, wearing native attire. They pretended to be looking for where to sit, but suddenly pulled out what looked like AK-47 rifles and began shooting indiscriminately. Everyone started running for safety, while some were hit by bullets. The mallam selling noodles just beside the snooker spot was the first to die. No one even knew when or how they left because everyone had already fled for their lives.” It was gathered that three fun seekers who fled the scene later died from gunshot injuries. A police source in the...

The Bauchi State Police Command has commenced investigations into the alleged defilement of a minor girl by five men in Misau Local Government Area of the state. The case was said to have been reported at the Misau Divisional Police Headquarters on August 12, 2025, around 10:30 p.m. by Yusuf Muhammad and Danjuma Muhammad of Area 2, Misau. The suspects above 40 years who reportedly admitted to the crime were said to have had defiled the girl at different times and separate locations. Police Spokesman, CSP Ahmed Wakil, in a statement on Tuesday, said the suspects are now in custody, adding that the Commissioner of Police, CP Sani-Omolori Aliyu, has ordered the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Bauchi, to thoroughly investigate the case and charge the matter to court. The command vowed to leave no stone unturned in this circumstance.

  A Magistrate Court in Ilorin, Kwara State has convicted one Samson Ayadi, for assaulting a Federal Road Safety Corps patrol team. Samson, appeared on a-four count charge before Magistrate I.Y.Jimade’s court for the offenses he committed against the corps patrol team of Oloru unit, along the Ilorin-Jebba highway by Molete junction on 20th July, 2024. The convict who was a driver of a Toyota Sienna stopped, mobilised the crowd, not only to assault the patrol team but also climbed into the patrol vehicle to remove an impounded motorcycle, whose rider had taken caution to the wind and stripped himself naked. Three witnesses testified on behalf of the prosecution while the defendant was the only witness for the defence. The No case submission earlier made by the Defence Counsel was overruled by the court, with only one charge sustained.

The Ondo State Police Command has arrested 29-year-old Bello Azeez for allegedly faking his kidnapping to extort money from his family and acquaintances. DSP Olushola Ayanlade, the command’s spokesperson, revealed in a statement on Saturday that Azeez, a native of Ipele in Owo Local Government Area, hatched the scheme after his father refused to lend him N500,000 to repay a debt. “When his request was turned down, he staged his abduction. On Aug. 11, he claimed he was travelling to Ibadan, then started making distress calls to his parents and friends, alleging he had been kidnapped,” Ayanlade said. The suspect reportedly instructed that the N500,000 ransom raised through family contributions and a GoFundMe account be transferred directly into his personal bank account, a request that was initially complied with. Suspicion arose when his family questioned why a kidnapping victim would demand payment into his account, prompting them to alert the police. Investigators tracked the suspect...

The  Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has recovered over N5bn and $10m from contractors and government officials indicted in the fraud in the turnaround maintenance of the nation’s refineries in Port Harcourt, Kaduna and Warri. Sunday PUNCH  reliably gathered that the anti-graft agency was working to recover another N10bn and $13m allegedly siphoned through contractors engaged in the maintenance. Our correspondent learnt that the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, took personal charge of the investigation owing to his displeasure with the non-functional refineries in spite of humongous public spendings on them. Sunday PUNCH  reports that Nigeria’s four refineries have been largely dormant for decades despite several attempts at rehabilitation. Successive administrations have budgeted billions of dollars for their turnaround maintenance, but the facilities in Warri, Kaduna, and Port Harcourt have continued to underperform, forcing the country to rely heavily on importe...

The police in Imo State have arrested one Pastor Ikenna Emmanuel for allegedly raping a 20-year-old woman in Orlu area of the state . The cleric was apprehended alongside one Franklin  Chizoba, who was allegedly an accomplice in the crime. Spokesman of the police in the state, Henry Okoye, in a statement yesterday, said the duo allegedly lured the victim under the pretext of offering prayer to her. In another development, the police also said they arrested one Ifeanyi Odinka of Amaifeke Orlu, for allegedly stabbing his 75-year-old father, Denius Odinka, to death following a dispute over proceeds from a land sale. The statement read: “Operatives of the Orlu Divisional Headquarters have arrested a pastor and his accomplice for the alleged rape of a 20-year-old woman. “The suspects, Pastor Emmanuel and Franklin Chizoba, lured the victim to the pastor’s residence on June 30, 2025, under the pretext of offering prayers for her. On arrival, the pastor reportedly gave her a drink. Shortly...

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 ...