News
Bandit leader gives conditions for release of abducted Nigerian army General
Days after former Nigerian Army spokesman, Major General Rabe Abubakar Batsari was kidnapped alongside his wife, their abductor have contacted the family and outlined conditions to be met before they can regain freedom.
Notorious Bandit Leader Kachallah Muhammad who contacted the senior military officer’s family said Nigerian security authorities must free his own relatives arrested by Nigerian authorities in exchange for the general and his wife.
A senior Batsari LGA official said he spoke directly with the general Monday, confirming both he and his wife are “hale and hearty.”
Gen. Abubakar and his wife were seized Saturday along the Marabar Musawa–Kafinsoli Road in Matazu LGA, Katsina, after gunmen ambushed their vehicle and forced it into a nearby forest.
The couple was travelling to Katsina for a wedding. Residents say the route is plagued by repeated bandit attacks.
According to the official, Kachallah Muhammad said the couple is being “adequately taken care of” and expressed willingness to “go back to the negotiation table” for peace in Matazu and neighboring areas. But his condition is clear: “immediate release of his relatives in government custody.”
The abduction has rattled Batsari, where the retired general is seen as a community pillar and breadwinner. “If a retired senior military officer can be kidnapped, then ordinary citizens are even more vulnerable,” said resident Ibrahim Mamman Batsari. Security expert Abubakar Ibrahim called it a “dangerous escalation,” warning bandits are growing bolder and highways remain exposed.
Relatives, including Mariya Ibrahim, pleaded for a safe rescue: “He served this country with dedication and deserves protection even in retirement.” Community leaders noted the general was due in Batsari that day for development talks, underscoring how insecurity now targets figures once thought untouchable.
News
Final year university student found dead
Sarah Ojodomo Idoko, a final year student of the Federal University Lokoja has been found dead along the Felele–Lokoja Road in Kogi State.
The body of the lady, a final year student, was reportedly found on Saturday night near the Crusher area along the busy Felele axis after she was allegedly dumped there by unknown assailants.
Eyewitness accounts indicate that a vehicle was seen stopping briefly near the location at about 8 p.m. before speeding away. Shortly afterwards, passers-by reportedly discovered the victim’s body by the roadside and alerted authorities.
Initial reports suggested that Sarah was a student of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, after an identity card bearing her name and academic details was recovered at the scene.
The card indicated that she was enrolled in the Higher National Diploma (HND) programme in the Department of Office Technology Management for the 2024/2025 academic session.
However, the Kogi State Police Command later clarified that the deceased was actually a student of the Federal University Lokoja.
News
Davido to perform at FIFA World Cup fiesta
World football governing body, FIFA has announced that Afrobeats star Davido is one of the performers for this year’s Countdown Concert scheduled to be held in Los Angeles, United States, on June 10.
FIFA announced this on Tuesday as part of activities leading up to the commencement of the expanded World Cup, which the United States, Canada and Mexico will jointly host.
According to the global football governing body, Davido will share the stage with Major Lazer, the music project led by American DJ and producer Diplo, during the Los Angeles leg of the concert series.
The event is part of a synchronised live entertainment programme that will connect audiences across the three host nations through music, football and cultural performances ahead of the tournament.
“Los Angeles will play host to a high-energy celebration, featuring Diplo’s Major Lazer and Davido, the first artists announced for what promises to be an unforgettable night of music, football and culture,” FIFA said in a statement.
The concert will take place at the Crypto.com Arena, with doors opening at 5 p.m. local time and the live show expected to begin an hour later.
FIFA said performances from Los Angeles will be linked with simultaneous events in Toronto and Mexico City, creating a unique cross-border celebration ahead of the competition.
News
How gunmen kidnapped ex- miniter Adelabu’s sister, her two children
Gunmen on Wednesday, kidnapped the sister of the former Minister of Power and All Progressives Congress 2027 governorship aspirant in Oyo State, Bayo Adelabu, and her twin children. The incident happened in Ibadan, the state capital.
The abduction occurred in the Challenge area of Ibadan South West Local Government Area of the state.
Confirming the incident in a statement, one of the media aides to Adelabu, Femi Awogboro, said, “The family of Adebayo Adelabu, former Minister of Power and leading governorship aspirant of APC in Oyo State, wishes to formally confirm the unfortunate kidnapping of his younger sister, Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul, alongside her twin sons, Peter and Paul, in the early hours of Wednesday, June 3, 2026.
“Mrs. Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul, aged 43, was reportedly abducted by armed gunmen at about 7:30 a.m. while on her way to drop her children at school in Ibadan. The abductors also forcefully took away her 12-year-old twin sons, who were with her at the time of the incident.
“Mrs. Adegoke John-Paul is the youngest of the five children of Mrs. Olufunmilayo Aduke Adegoke Adelabu. Until her voluntary retirement last year, she had served meritoriously at both the Central Bank of Nigeria and First Bank Pension Custodian.
“Following her retirement, she relocated to Ibadan with her children while making preparations to eventually join her husband, Mr. John Paul, who had earlier relocated to the United States of America.”
“Mrs. John-Paul, aged 43, was reportedly abducted by armed gunmen at about 7:30 a.m. while on her way to drop her children at school in Ibadan. The abductors also forcefully took away her 12-year-old twin sons, who were with her at the time of the incident.
“Immediately 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 commenced in earnest. Efforts are currently ongoing to ensure the safe rescue of the victims and the apprehension of those responsible for this heinous crime.
“Adebayo Adelabu and the entire family are deeply 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 statement read.
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