Gunmen in the early hours of Tuesday attacked the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Kuru, near Jos, Plateau State.

The attack was confirmed in a statement by the NIPSS Head of Public Affairs Department, Dr Osime Samuel, it was reported.

“Security personnel and relevant security agencies brought the situation under control promptly,” he said, adding that “there is no threat to the safety of the participants, staff, residents or facilities of the Institute and normal activities are continuing as scheduled.”

Reacting to speculations of the death of some security agents during the attack, Samuel said such reports remain unconfirmed and further updates will be made public as soon as verified information is available.

The National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, wishes to inform the general public that there was a security incident in the vicinity of the Institute in the early hours of today.

“The situation was swiftly brought under control by the quick response of the security personnel and relevant security agencies. There is no current threat to the safety of participants, staff, residents or facilities of the Institute and regular activities are proceeding on schedule.

Security agencies have launched investigations to know how the incident happened. It would be premature to speculate on the nature, scope or outcome of the event as investigations are ongoing. Therefore, the Institute is unable to confirm information currently circulating on social media and other unofficial platforms.

“NIPSS is in close contact with the relevant authorities and will share verified information as soon as it is available. We urge the public and media to rely on official communications from the Institute and relevant security agencies.

“The Management of NIPSS remains committed to the safety and security of all members of the Institute community and appreciates the professionalism of the security personnel and agencies involved in the response.

“Further updates will be provided in due course,” the official statement said.

Some reports, however, said a police officer attached to a retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police and two soldiers were killed in the exchange of gunfire during the incident.

NIPSS is Nigeria’s premier policy institution charged with the training of senior public officials, military officers and policy strategists from all parts of the country.

Security has been increased around the institute and investigations and manhunt operations are underway at the time of filing this report.

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No fewer than four hostages and a solider have been killed in a kidnapping incident in Magbon Village, Mowe area of Obafemi-Owode Local Government in Ogun State in which Chinese expatriates were targeted.

Earlier, it had reported that suspected kidnapper gunmen invaded the popular dredging site known as Capo in the early hours of Monday.

One of the soldiers protecting the people was killed and another shot and wounded, witnesses said.

A local hunter who was helping in the bush-combing exercise was killed in an exchange with the fleeing criminals, it was gathered.

The Assistant Director Army Public Relations 35 Artillery Brigade, Idereghi Akari, confirmed the incident in a statement on Tuesday, saying the troops in conjunction with the Nigerian Police responded to the distress call at a dredging site where expatriate workers were engaged in operations.

Akari said the attackers encountered a fierce exchange of fire in which one of the attackers was taken out, while the others reportedly fled the mission and withdrew through forest terrain surrounding the area towards the Ogun River.

The kidnappers took five hostages as human shields to prevent being followed by a Quick Response Force deployed as reinforcement, the statement said.

He said four of the hostages were killed by the fleeing attackers before they fled through the river channel in a boat with one hostage who escaped, who described how the assailants took the body of their dead colleague with them.

“The incident occurred on Monday, June 8, 2026, when the joint security patrol was attacked by armed men, suspected kidnappers while responding to a distress call at a dredging site where the expatriate workers were engaged in operations,” the statement said in part.

A bitter gun battle ensued and one of the assailants was neutralized. The rest of the attackers were said to have abandoned their mission and fled into the nearby forest towards the Ogun River, taking five hostages as human shields to prevent being pursued by a Quick Response Force which came as reinforcement.

The fleeing attackers later killed the four hostages and then escaped by the river channel in a boat.”

The army also confirmed that one soldier was killed in the encounter and another soldier and two police officers were injured in the gunfight.

The deceased soldier and the four recovered bodies of victims have been deposited at the mortuary of the General Hospital, Sagamu, he said, adding that the injured personnel are receiving medical attention.

“Following the incident, the Quick Response Force and other security agencies have increased patrols and surveillance in the area to restore calm and stop further security breaches, the statement added.

Major Akari said the military was still committed to protecting lives and property and assured residents that operations in the Mowe axis would continue until the fleeing assailants are captured.

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Gunmen have reportedly kidnapped the sister of the immediate past Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu and her two sons.

The former minister’s media aide, Femi Awogboro, disclosed this in a statement.

Adelabu was said to be an All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant for the 2027 governorship race.

The statement noted that Adelabu’s sister, Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul, along with her twin sons, Peter and Paul, were abducted in the early hours of Wednesday, June 3, 2026.

The tragic incident happened as John-Paul was on her way to drop her children at school.

“The family of Chief Adebayo Adelabu, former Minister of Power and leading gubernatorial aspirant of the All Progressives Congress APC) in Oyo State wishes to formally confirm the unfortunate kidnapping of his younger sister, Mrs. Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul and her twin sons, Peter and Paul, in the early hours of Wednesday, June 3, 2026.

Mrs. John-Paul, 43, was allegedly abducted by some gunmen at about 7:30 a.m. while on her way to take her children to school in Ibadan. The abductors also took her 12-year-old twin sons who were with her during the incident.

Mrs. Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul is the youngest of the five children of Mrs. Olufunmilayo Aduke Adegoke Adelabu. She had served meritoriously at Central Bank of Nigeria and First Bank Pension Custodian until her voluntary retirement last year. On retirement, she relocated to Ibadan with her children, making arrangements to join her husband, Mr. John Paul, who relocated to the United States of America before her.

“As soon as the incident was reported, all relevant security and law enforcement agencies were duly contacted. We are pleased to confirm that security operatives have swung into action and preliminary investigations have begun in earnest. Efforts are underway to safely rescue the victims and arrest those responsible for this heinous crime.

“Chief Adebayo Adelabu and the entire family are very distressed by this tragic development but remain hopeful and confident in the capacity of the security agencies to secure the safe release of Mrs. John-Paul and her children.

“The family respectfully asks everyone to stay calm, not to speculate and not to circulate unconfirmed information that could compromise ongoing security operations. We also appeal to well-meaning Nigerians for prayers and support during this difficult period.

“We also call on members of the public who may have relevant information that could assist security agencies in their investigation to report such information through the appropriate channels without delay.

The family will continue to work closely with the security authorities and will issue further updates as events unfold.

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The violent attack by suspected cultists left two people dead including the father of a bride and a hypeman identified simply as Victor, which has thrown residents of Ikotun in Lagos State into a state of panic.

The attackers, according to reports, had entered a post-wedding party and opened fire at will, forcing the guests to scatter for safety, throwing the community into confusion as the incident unfolded.

The attack, it was gathered, happened on Saturday on Oviawe Street, off Governor’s Road, shortly after a wedding ceremony and as guests gathered for an after-party.

Witnesses said the hypeman, Victor, was performing for the crowd when the gunmen entered the venue and opened fire indiscriminately.

“They were having an after-party after the wedding ceremony at an event centre on Governor’s Road,” said a resident who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The gunmen stormed in on them during the celebrations and began to shoot.

This started a panic and everybody ran for their lives. They went directly to Victor, seized him and dragged him into the street, where they began to attack him with lethal weapons.

Another local said the father of the bride had been shot while trying to stop the attack.

“When the gunmen were beating Victor, the bride’s father rushed in to plead for him. “Both of them were shot during the process and they both died on the spot,” the source said.

The incident left residents and business owners in the neighbourhood scrambling to shut their doors and get to safety.

“Sources from the community are suggesting that it may not be directly related to the wedding ceremony but connected to the ongoing cult-related clashes in the area,” the source said.

“This area has been the scene of cult-related violence for some time now. Another resident said the attackers may have been targeting a target or rival group, but innocent people were victims.

A neighbour, who gave his name as Steve, said Victor was a familiar face around the community.

“I was inside when my wife told me about what happened. When I came out they told me that Victor was in it. I later realised he was someone I usually see around the street. ‘He’s small for his age,’ he said.

The bride’s father and the attackers were not identified at the time of this report.

The Lagos State Police Command, in a statement, said the matter was under investigation and would be handed over to the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Panti.

“It is under investigation, it will be sent to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, today without fail,” she said.

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Suspected bandits attacked a Police Mobile Force camp in the early hours of the day at Tenebo community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, killing three officers and injuring two others.

According to the report, the incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday, May 2, 2026, when the attackers stormed the camp around 3 a.m. The armed men came unexpectedly and took the officers on duty unawares and opened fire on them, reports said. The attack spread panic in the community as residents woke up to the sound of gunshots and many fled their homes for safety.

The attackers appeared to be organised and completed the operation quickly before fleeing the scene. The injured officers were left behind and the bodies of the dead officers were recovered after the attack.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Ejide Tohun said: “The command is aware of the attack and is working to gather full details which will be shared later.

This incident is one in a string of violent incidents in parts of Kwara State recently. Earlier in the week, two farmers were killed and two women abducted when armed men attacked a farming community in Ifelodun Local Government Area. The victims were said to have been farming when the attackers struck.

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Ochia Paulinus Ekwueme, the traditional ruler of Ochia Awarra Ohaji, was shot and killed at the border of the Assa and Ochia communities in the Ohaji/Egbema local government area of Imo State.

Police officers who were in the king’s car were also shot and killed, and the bodies were said to have been set on fire.

Leadership says that the terrible event happened on Friday night.

Henry Okoye, a police spokesperson for the Imo State Command, confirmed what happened and said that security forces have been sent to the area and that it is now safe.

A source in the village told the news outlet that the traditional leader came back to Imo State from his overseas base on Friday, only to die too soon.

At the border of the Assa and Ochia communities in the Ohaji/Egbema local government area of Imo State, the traditional ruler and security officers were attacked and killed.

The source said he couldn’t confirm how many security officers were involved, but he said that reports said they were set on fire after the killing.

“It was a well-planned and well-executed attack,” he said. “Someone must have told them that he was coming back to the village today.” The event took place at the border of the Assa and Ochia communities in the Ohaji/Egbema local government area.

“Our Eze just got back to Owerri from another country today and was on his way to the village when he was attacked and killed. We were told that the gunmen set them on fire. Everyone in Ohaji is in mourning.

Okoye, the police spokesperson who confirmed the incident, said that the state police commissioner, Audu Garba Bosso, had already ordered the tactical team to be sent out right away to the Ohaji/Egbema local government area to keep things calm and safe.

Okoye said, “Yes, I’m fully aware of the incident, but I don’t know all the details yet, so I can’t say how many people died.”

“Already, Audu Garba Bosso, the Imo State CP, has sent the Command’s tactical team to start looking into who did this horrible thing.

“The CP has also sent out enough security personnel to find the killers. And I promise you that we will find them no matter where they are.

“The CP will start the on-the-spot assessment of the scene first thing tomorrow morning.” The police are on top of things, and we will catch them.

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A guy named Mr. Chinedu Udeh was brutally attacked and kidnapped from his home studio in Awka by armed men wearing military uniforms during a startling late-night raid.

Residents are deeply concerned by the occurrence, which happened on April 5, 2026, at around two in the morning. Many are wondering who the attackers are and why they did it.

The roughly six attackers were described by witnesses as intimidating and well-armed.

They arrived armed and dressed in military attire. One neighbor remarked, “I don’t know if they were actual soldiers conducting an operation.”

“They kicked him and struck him hard with the butt of their guns,” the person continued. He was calling out for assistance, but no one could get near him because the men threatened to shoot anyone who attempted to step in. There was blood all over the area.

According to reports, the gunmen scared and panicked the locals by forcing Chinedu into a waiting car before speeding off to an unidentified place.

It was unclear at the time this report was filed whether the attackers were criminals posing as military personnel or actual security personnel.

Mr. Chinedu’s location was still unclear.
Residents have urged security services to look into the issue immediately and make sure the victim is rescued safely.

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The kidnapping of a council secretary and another person at a chicken farm in the state’s Akure North Local Government Area has been verified by the Ondo State Police Command.
In a statement released on Monday, Abayomi Jimoh, the command’s spokeswoman, revealed that the incident happened earlier in the day at a farm along Kajola Road in the Ilu-Abo region.

According to Jimoh, the victims were Joseph Kayode and Esther Akinlolu, who were allegedly dragged away by armed men.

Kayode is the secretary of the Akoko North-West Local Government Area’s Okeluju Local Council Development Area, according to the police.

According to the spokesperson, initial investigations showed that three armed men—whose names are still unknown—emerged from a nearby thicket and raided the poultry farm.

“The masked attackers allegedly shot into the air before kidnapping the victims and escaping to an unidentified location,” Jimoh stated.

He continued by saying that the police quickly dispatched investigators and tactical units to the scene in order to increase security patrols and begin a search and rescue effort.

Jimoh further revealed that Adebowale Lawal, the state’s commissioner of police, has directed the use of all operational and intelligence resources to guarantee the victims’ safe recovery and the apprehension of the perpetrators.

He claims that as part of continuous efforts to find the victims and capture the suspects, security personnel are actively searching the nearby neighborhoods and forests in conjunction with non-traditional security groups.

The police spokeswoman admitted that the incident had raised concerns among locals, especially parents and school administrators, and that several local schools had been temporarily closed as a result.

He did, however, advise the public to maintain composure and abstain from disseminating unreliable information that would incite fear.

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On February 8, suspected kidnappers reportedly carried out two separate attacks in Akoko Edo, Edo North Senatorial District, Edo State, abducting five people, including a Nigeria Police Force officer.

Residents’ fear has increased as a result of the occurrences, which took place at several locations, and allegations that the kidnappers sought ₦100 million in ransom for two of the victims.

The Movement for the Advancement of Akoko Edo People’s National Coordinator, Bode Ekundayo, told reporters in a statement released on Wednesday that the Makeke Community Health Center was the scene of the initial attack.

He claims that Samuel Ilesanmi, who had accompanied his wife to the medical facility to pick up his ailing son, and Tope Oriloye, a female secondary school student, were kidnapped by gunmen.

In the eastern side of Akoko Edo, at Makeke village, less than a kilometer from Ososo, he claimed, “Daring kidnappers struck again in Akoko Edo, taking away a secondary school female student, Tope Oriloye and Samuel Ilesanmi at the community health center on February 8.”

According to Ekundayo, the kidnappers later got in touch with the victims’ relatives and demanded ₦100 million in exchange for their release.

The organization also revealed that in a different operation in Auchi, police inspector Segun Obanowa from Uma/Imoga in Akoko Edo was kidnapped together with his wife and daughter after they broke into his home.

According to reports, the gunmen liberated the officer’s wife so that she could demand a ransom for her husband and daughter’s liberation.

“Police Inspector Segun Obanowa from Uma/Imoga in Akoko Edo was kidnapped along with his wife and daughter in a similar operation in Auchi. His wife was then freed to go look for ransom to free her husband and daughter,” Ekundayo stated.

According to Ekundayo, local vigilantes and hunters jumped into action right away after the occurrence, searching the surrounding neighborhoods and neighboring woodlands for the victims.

But their attempts were unsuccessful.

But on the evening of February 9, the kidnappers called to demand ₦100 million in order to free Tope Oriloye and Samuel Ilesanmi.

Having shown its annoying tendency in past kidnap ransom discussions, he continued, “this trend of demanding ₦100 million to begin ransom negotiation is becoming a familiar thing.”

The group urged the Akoko Edo Local Government and the Edo State Government to take immediate action to address the region’s deteriorating security situation.

It issued a warning that a more serious crisis might result from ongoing inaction.

“Earlier, we sent timely information, issued warnings, and wrote to all Edo State security agencies and governmental levels. Or is it not already clear that the growing problem will eventually turn into unstoppable disasters? All around Akoko Edo.

Ekundayo said, “Is it not evident that gunmen from Benue and Kwara States are rapidly approaching Edo State, with the vast wilderness of Akoko Edo serving as their open gateway?”

The kidnapping at Makeke was confirmed by the Edo State Police Command, who also reported that suspects had been taken into custody.

Investigations are still on, and efforts to rescue the victims are being stepped up, according to Police Public Relations Officer Eno Ikoedem.

“I can attest to the fact that Makeke Village in Akoko Edo Local Government in Edo North was the scene of an abduction case. The victims are still being rescued, and some suspects are being held by the police,” she stated.

Weeks have passed since seven Imoga natives were abducted on January 9 while staying at the Stay Boy Hotel on the Imoga-Ibillo route.

Together with the visitors, the hotel owner was also kidnapped.

The kidnappers’ January 11 ransom demand of ₦100 million was subsequently reduced to ₦70 million and then ₦40 million.

The abductors allegedly threatened to begin murdering the victims by January 16 if the ransom was not paid, but they were ultimately freed once an undisclosed sum was paid.

Locals claim that terror has increased in Akoko Edo and the surrounding areas as a result of the frequent kidnappings and growing ransom demands.

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A medical doctor identified as Abu Ibrahim Babatunde and his brother, Abu Tahir have been abducted by gunmen suspected to be kidnappers in Auchi, the administrative headquarters of Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State.

The medical doctor is said to be undergoing housemanship at the Edo State Teaching Hospital, Auchi.

It was learnt that the victims were kidnapped at gun point in front of their residence when returning from work.
According to a source, the medical doctor and his junior brother arrived at their residence at about 7:30 pm.

The junior brother called Tahir came out of the vehicle to open the gate when the gunmen, who were reportedly lying in wait, emerged from hiding.
“The gunmen abducted the two brothers and whisked them into the nearby bush,” he said.
The authorities of the Edo State Police Command have confirmed the incident, saying that operatives have been deployed to the scene.

The Public Relations Officer of the Command, ASP Eno Ikoedem said the command received a distress call at about 8:30 pm on January 2, 2026, about the abduction.
Ikoedem said operatives were immediately deployed to the scene, while a coordinated manhunt has been launched, involving the police, local vigilantes, forest guards, and Community Safety Partnership Volunteers familiar with the terrain for the rescue the victims.
“Aggressive search-and-rescue operations have been ongoing in the surrounding forest since the incident, with efforts focused on rescuing the victims and apprehending the perpetrators,”she added.

She assured that the command would leave no stone unturned to ensure the safe rescue of the victims.
Meanwhile residents of the Auchi community have condemned the abduction of the medical doctor and his brother, describing the incident as disturbing and  unacceptable.
The residents, while describing the young medical doctor as a calm, dedicated young professional committed to saving lives, opined that his only crime was serving humanity.
They, however, called on security agencies, the Edo State Government, and all relevant authorities to act swiftly for the safe and unconditional release of the victims.

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