Category: Crime Diary

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) have continued to sustain offensive pressure against terrorist elements under Operation Desert Sanity V, recording significant gains in coordinated engagements across the Timbuktu and Bulabulin forest areas.

According to a statement issued on April 29, 2026, by Lt. Col. Sani Uba, Media Information Officer at OPHK Headquarters, troops of Sector 2, supported by the Air Component Command, cleared terrorist enclaves at Mar, Subdu, Yaro Lawanti, and Yaro Shuwari, as well as areas contiguous to Bulabulin Forest and the Kamadogu Yobe stretch.

In Malam Shiri Village, troops executed a tactical flanking manoeuvre, neutralising 11 terrorists and destroying life‑support structures. Recovered items included 9 AK‑47 rifles, 3 PKT anti‑aircraft machine guns, 5 motorcycles, assorted ammunition, and IED materials.

Similarly, along the Wajiroko–Sabongari corridor in the Timbuktu axis, troops engaged terrorists with air support, neutralising 7 fighters and recovering AK‑47 rifles, RPG tubes, ammunition, bandoliers, and communication equipment. Exploitation revealed additional casualties through blood trails and body parts, indicating higher enemy losses.

The statement noted that the Air Component Command played a decisive role, providing persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) that enabled precision strikes on confirmed terrorist positions and fleeing elements. Follow‑up exploitation operations are ongoing along the Forfor, Multe, and Wajiroko axes to consolidate gains and prevent regrouping.

The Nigerian Army said these successful engagements reinforce OPHK’s growing operational effectiveness and sustained dominance across the theatre, underscoring its commitment to dismantling terrorist cells and restoring security in the North East.

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have raided three illicit drug warehouses hidden in a residential estate in Okota, Lagos, recovering 2,360,000 pills of high‑potency tramadol (225mg) and 1,909,400 bottles of codeine syrup with a combined street value of N16.9 billion.

According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, the intelligence‑led operations were conducted on April 17 at 98 Olukayode Awofisayo Street and 5 Charles Ndumetu Street, Park View Estate, Ago Palace, Okota. The raids uncovered 19,094 cartons of codeine syrup and 34 cartons of tramadol pills.

Reacting to the seizure, NDLEA Chairman/CEO Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) said the bust dealt a “staggering blow” to the pharmaceutical black market and dismantled a major syndicate. He praised the officers’ professionalism, describing the recovery of nearly 4.3 million units of lethal substances as proof of the agency’s superior intelligence capabilities.

Marwa warned drug cartels that there is no safe haven in Nigeria. “Whether hidden in elite mansions or suburban warehouses, our reach is long and our resolve is firm. We will dismantle your networks and bring the full weight of the law upon you,” he declared.

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — The Nigerian Army has intensified efforts to boost operational efficiency and institutional performance with the adoption of a standardized evaluation framework.

The move was highlighted during a sensitisation seminar convened by the Army Headquarters Department of Standards and Evaluation on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at the Nigerian Army Conference Centre and Suites in Asokoro, Abuja. The event brought together key stakeholders to deepen understanding and implementation of structured performance assessment mechanisms across formations and units.

In a statement issued on April 29 by Colonel Appolonia Anele, Acting Director of Army Public Relations, the Chief of Army Staff, Olufemi Oluyede, represented by the Military Secretary (Army), Major General Everest Okoro, described the initiative as a critical step toward strengthening institutional development.

He noted that the seminar marks the department’s first major engagement since its establishment and reflects the Army’s commitment to professionalism and operational excellence.

The Army chief explained that the Department of Standards and Evaluation serves as the institution’s quality assurance arm, responsible for enforcing compliance with established benchmarks, conducting periodic combat-readiness assessments, and evaluating operational activities.

According to him, these measures are designed to identify performance strengths, address systemic gaps, and drive continuous improvement through refined evaluation processes.

In his welcome address, the Chief of Army Standards and Evaluation, Major General Bobby Ugiagbe, said the seminar aims to promote the systematic application of standards to strengthen discipline, professionalism, and operational effectiveness.

He added that the initiative would help institutionalise standardized evaluation practices across the Nigerian Army, ultimately enhancing performance outcomes.

The seminar underscores the Army’s broader push to entrench a culture of accountability, precision, and continuous improvement by strengthening compliance systems and refining performance metrics in line with global best practices.

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — Presidential aspirant Peter Obi has described the recent wave of gruesome events across Nigeria as tragic, unacceptable, and a damning indictment of leadership failure.

In a statement titled “A Decaying Nation Crying for Leadership”, Obi cited reported killings in Katsina, Adamawa, Kaduna, and Benue States, the gruesome murder of an entire family in Plateau State, and the abduction of children in Kogi and Kaduna.

He noted one incident where children were forced to convey their mother’s body for burial, warning that Nigeria is bleeding and fast becoming a place where human life is treated as expendable.

Obi lamented that within 48 hours, 11 people were killed in Katsina, 7 in Benue, 23 in Adamawa, an entire family murdered in Plateau, 24 children abducted from an orphanage in Kogi, and 10 more taken in Kaduna.

He stressed that these are not mere statistics but fellow Nigerians whose lives have been brutally cut short. “This cannot continue. A nation cannot develop under the weight of such persistent insecurity and human tragedy. The normalization of these horrors is itself a crisis. Where is the leadership, coordination, competence, and compassion required to confront this menace decisively?” he asked.

Obi expressed sympathy to the grieving families and prayed for the safe return of abducted children, reiterating his call for urgent action to restore security and protect lives.

ASABA, Nigeria (NPA) — The Delta State Police Command has confirmed the arrest and transfer of a police officer to Force Headquarters, Abuja, following the brazen extrajudicial killing of a suspect in Effurun, Warri, Delta State.

In a statement issued on April 28, 2026, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, said the Commissioner of Police condemned the incident, describing it as an extra-judicial killing.

The victim, identified as 28-year-old Mene Ogidi, was allegedly shot on April 26, 2026, during an operation by officers attached to the Effurun Area Command.

According to the police statement, operatives had received intelligence that the suspect was attempting to waybill a parcel containing a Beretta pistol loaded with four rounds of ammunition. Officers were deployed to apprehend him, but the team leader, ASP Nuhu Usman, allegedly discharged his firearm in violation of Force Order 237 and the Nigeria Police Force’s standard operating procedures, resulting in the suspect’s instant death.

The Commissioner of Police immediately ordered the arrest of the officer, who was initially transferred to the State Headquarters in Asaba and has now been moved to Force Headquarters, Abuja, where he is expected to face the Force Disciplinary Committee for possible sanction and prosecution.

The Command reiterated its commitment to upholding the rule of law, human rights, professionalism, and accountability, stressing a zero-tolerance stance on extra-judicial conduct.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Yemi Oyeniyi, extended condolences to the family of the deceased and assured that justice would be pursued.

He also appealed to the public to remain calm and law-abiding as investigations and disciplinary processes continue.

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has secured a major legal victory as the Court of Appeal affirmed its powers to investigate complaints of medical negligence and consumer rights violations in the healthcare sector.

The ruling, delivered on April 15, 2026, by Justice Nwaeze of the Federal High Court in Abuja, followed a suit filed by Bridge Medical Diagnostics Centre Ltd challenging the Commission’s authority to probe healthcare providers.

In its judgement, the court dismissed the claims of the plaintiff, holding that as a commercial entity providing diagnostic services for profit, it falls within the regulatory scope of the FCCPC under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018.

The court further clarified that complaints relating to consumer satisfaction, including service quality and fairness, are within the Commission’s mandate, even where such sectors are also regulated by professional bodies.

It drew a distinction between professional regulation and consumer protection oversight, noting that while disciplinary control of medical practitioners rests with bodies such as the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), issues concerning consumer rights remain under the FCCPC’s jurisdiction.

Justice Nwaeze also ruled that the absence of a formal cooperation agreement between regulators does not invalidate the Commission’s statutory powers, adding that ethical obligations such as patient confidentiality do not override lawful investigations conducted in the public interest.

Reacting to the judgement, FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Babatunde Irukera, described the decision as a strong affirmation of consumer protection rights across all sectors, including healthcare.

He said the ruling reinforces the principle that professional regulation and consumer protection functions are distinct and can operate concurrently to ensure accountability and fairness.

Irukera added that the Commission remains committed to working with healthcare providers, regulators, and other stakeholders to promote quality service delivery, transparency, and stronger consumer confidence.

BENIN CITY, Nigeria (NPA) — In a decisive move against criminality, the Edo State Police Command has recorded another operational success in its sustained crackdown on kidnapping and violent crimes across the state.

On April 27, 2026, at about 10:35 a.m., operatives of the Iyamho Division, acting on credible intelligence, swiftly responded to reports of suspected kidnappers sighted near Edo State University, Iyamho. The suspects were believed to be linked to kidnapping activities in the area.

In a statement issued on April 28, 2026, by ASP Eno Ikoedem, Police Public Relations Officer, the operatives led by the Divisional Police Officer apprehended two suspects: Sani Kabir (23) and Hamza Nuhu (25).

Items recovered from the suspects include two Dane guns, one live AK‑47 round of ammunition, two cutlasses, one police woven headgear, one hunter’s headlamp, four cans of gunpowder, assorted charms, and several locally made bullets.

The Commissioner of Police, Edo State Command, CP Monday Agbonika, fdc, has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspects to the Anti‑Kidnapping Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation and prosecution.

Reaffirming the Command’s resolve, CP Agbonika assured residents that Edo State will never become a safe haven for kidnappers or criminal elements. He emphasized that the Command remains relentless in its offensive against violent crime and will not rest until all perpetrators are apprehended and brought to justice.

The Commissioner commended the swift response and professionalism of the operatives and urged members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to the police, stressing that security remains a shared responsibility.

ILORIN, Nigeria (NPA) —The Kwara State Police Command has arrested five suspected kidnappers and recovered arms and ammunition as part of intensified operations against violent crime in the state.

The command said the arrests followed heightened security measures and actionable intelligence.

On April 23, 2026, at about 1630hrs, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Team, working in collaboration with local vigilantes and forest guards, carried out a coordinated operation at Oke-Iya Community. The operation led to the arrest of three suspects identified as Idris Umar, Muhammed Usman, and Abdullahi Abubakar, who are linked to the recent attack on Idiya community where five persons were abducted.

In a statement issued on April 28, 2026, Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said further investigations revealed that two of the victims had earlier escaped from captivity. This led to the identification and subsequent arrest of two additional suspects, Mohammad Awal and Sani Mallam Musa.

Items recovered from the suspects include a locally fabricated revolver rifle adapted to fire AK-47 ammunition, as well as eight rounds of live AK-47 ammunition.

The police said investigations are ongoing and the suspects will be charged to court upon conclusion of the process.

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — The Nigerian Navy has dismissed a personnel member identified as SMMEA Uma Tu (E5618) from service over misconduct.

According to an official notice by the Navy issued today, the rating was found culpable of disobedience to particular orders and absence without official leave, in violation of provisions of the Armed Forces Act.

The Navy stated that the dismissal took effect from September 23, 2025.

In the announcement, the service warned the public that any individual who engages with the dismissed personnel under the guise of being a serving naval officer does so at their own risk.

The development emphasies the Navy’s stance on discipline and adherence to military regulations within its ranks.

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the Nigeria Customs Service have agreed on a comprehensive collaborative framework aimed at enhancing inter-agency coordination to curb drug trafficking and transnational organised crime.

The agreement was reached during a high-level meeting at the NDLEA National Headquarters in Abuja on April 27, 2026, where a communiqué was signed by NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Buba Marwa, and Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.

According to a statement issued on April 28, 2026, by NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the partnership is designed to address the growing complexity of transnational organised crime through improved intelligence sharing and coordinated operations.

Both agencies noted that the new framework would eliminate operational overlaps, reduce inter-agency friction, and ensure a seamless exchange of actionable intelligence.

Key areas of cooperation outlined in the communiqué include the establishment of a secure platform for intelligence sharing to preempt criminal activities, and the creation of joint task forces at critical operational points with clearly defined leadership structures.

Other measures include respect for the statutory roles and jurisdictions of each agency, the formation of a Standing Inter-Agency Committee to resolve operational disputes, and enhanced collaboration at seaports, airports, and land borders to strengthen enforcement while facilitating legitimate trade.

Marwa and Adeniyi reaffirmed their commitment to professionalism and mutual respect, stressing that the partnership is in the national interest and will strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture by leveraging the combined capabilities of both agencies.