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Police parade masterminds of Abuja-Kaduna train attack, 83 other criminals
The Nigeria Police Force headquarters Abuja, on Tuesday, paraded over 80 suspected criminals alleged to have participated in various forms of violent crimes including one Ibrahim Abdullahi, aka MANDE who was arrested at Abuja-Kaduna Road flyover by Rido Junction.
According to a statement Tuesday by ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi , Force Public Relations Officer, Mande confessed to being the leader of a kidnap syndicate terrorising Kaduna-Abuja highway and is ranked among other criminals like Dogo Gide and Bello Turji. He had participated in various kidnapping incidents including the kidnapping incident at Green Field University and he partook in almost all the kidnappings along the Abuja-Kaduna highway.
“Similarly, from the confessional statements of the suspects, on 28th of March, 2022, Ibrahim, alongside one Auwal Ayuba who was also paraded for kidnapping, and one Babangida Alhaji Bello were part of the armed group that attacked the train on its way from Abuja in the Kateri-Rijana area of Kaduna state, with several persons killed and others abducted,” the Force PRO said.
He said it was note worthy that under the astute leadership of Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun Ph.D., NPM, the Force continues to make significant strides in combating crime and ensuring the safety and security of citizens in the country.
“The recent sustained deployments along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway and kaduna state at large have led to massive successes in the fight against violent crimes in the state between January 2024 till date.
“Notably, a strategic initiative implemented along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway is the deployment of a helicopter as an escort for trains traversing the route. This measure, under the directive of the Inspector General of Police, serves as both a deterrent to criminal elements and a rapid response mechanism in the event of any untoward incidents, ultimately enhancing security along the corridor and in the state at large.
“The relentless efforts of the Nigeria Police Force have yielded remarkable outcomes, including the arrest of 81-armed robbery suspects, 40 kidnap suspects, 73 murder/homicide suspects, 36 rape suspects, 22 suspects involved in cult-related crimes, and 28 suspects engaged in other criminal activities.
“Similarly, the Police has successfully recovered 16 firearms of various types, along with 686 ammunitions of diverse calibres. Additionally, our operations have led to the retrieval of 28 stolen vehicles, over 200 harmful weapons, and 600 bags of fertilizers.
“A total of three million, three hundred and fifty thousand Naira (N3,350,000) only, previously paid as ransom to kidnappers, has been successfully recovered, while our swift and coordinated efforts have resulted in the safe rescue of 158 kidnapped victims, all of whom have been reunited with their families unharmed. The majority of the suspects have been charged to court. The parade, however, comprises 63 suspects who are yet to be prosecuted.
“The Inspector General of Police has reaffirmed the dedication of the Nigeria Police Force to ensuring the safety and security of all citizens. He emphasized that the Force is committed to replicating these successful intervention and operations across the country to ensure that movement from one part of the country to another does not become challenging due to the activities of criminal elements in the society,” Adejobi said.
The legal team of suspended Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, say they are ready with factil evidence to defend her in court.
The team received a formal summons in the case filed against her by the Federal Government at the Federal Capital Territory High Court last week.
On Friday, May 16, 2025, the Federal Government filed the suit, marked CR/297/25, over alleged defamatory remarks made during a live appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on April 3, 2025.
The government accused the senator of “making imputation knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm the reputation of a person”, citing Section 391 of the Penal Code, cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990.
Among the witnesses listed to testify during the trial were Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and a former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello.
Others include Asuquo Ekpenyong, a senator; Sandra Duru; Maya Iliya, investigating police officers; and Abdulhafiz Garba, investigating police officers.
However, in a statement issued Friday night by Dr. Ehiogie West-Idahosa (SAN) on behalf of the legal team, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyers confirmed receipt of the formal summons and pledged to prepare all “factual and statutory defences” available to the lawmaker during trial.
“At about 2:30pm on Friday, May 23, 2025, within the premises of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, we received the information filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, containing three counts alleging that our client, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central, made imputations she had reason to believe would harm the reputation of Senator Godswill Akpabio, President of the 10th Senate,” the statement read.
“We received the said information on her behalf through a letter of authority duly issued and filed in the court’s registry.
“The legal team will fully prepare and present all factual and statutory defences available to our client during the trial.”
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) will on Tuesday next week begin the take over of 4,794 properties in Abuja, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) headquarters, due to unpaid ground rent.
The PDP headquarters, currently under construction in Abuja’s Central Business District, is among the affected properties, having been revoked in March for several years of unpaid ground rent. The FCTA disclosed that 4,794 titles had been revoked for failure to pay ground rent, with some defaults dating back 43 years.
The affected properties are located in various districts, including Central Area, Garki I and II, Wuse I and II, Asokoro, Maitama, and Guzape.
The defaulters owe over N6.96 billion in ground rent. The FCTA had given a 21-day grace period for owners with debts under 10 years, which has now expired.
The FCTA officials announced that the takeover would begin on Monday, May 26, 2025, with the sealing off and restriction of access to the affected properties.
The Director of Land Administration, Chijioke Nwankwoeze emphasized that the revocations were carried out under Section 28(5)(a)(b) of the Land Use Act, which empowers the government to reclaim land when the terms of occupancy are violated.
Two people sustained serious injuries when a training aircraft crash-landed at the Ilorin International Airport on Friday.
Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance, NSIB, Mrs Bimbo Oladeji, who disclosed this in a statement, said the incident occurred at 17:28 local time on May 23, 2025, during a simulated instrument approach on Runway 05 at Ilorin International Airport.
Oladeji said the aircraft veered off the runway and came to a stop on the grass verge, leaving the two occupants on board injured.
She stated: “Both sustained serious injuries and were swiftly evacuated to a medical facility, coordinated by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA.
“In response, the NSIB Go-Team is currently preparing to depart from Abuja to Ilorin to conduct on-site investigations. The team will secure the site, collect physical evidence, interview witnesses, and retrieve operational data to establish the cause and contributing factors of the incident.”
Quoting the Director General of the NSIB, Captain Alex Badeh Jr., she said “Our thoughts are with the injured, and we commend the swift medical and emergency response. Now, our focus is on understanding exactly what went wrong. Every investigation is an opportunity to improve safety. We are deploying our team to Ilorin to ensure that no detail is overlooked.”
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