Imo State Government has demolished illegal structures and an alleged criminal hideouts around the Imo State University, IMSU, front gate.

This is following the death of a 19-year-old student, Chibuike Friday, who died through a motor accident within the campus.

The demolition exercise targeting illegal roadside structures and suspected criminal hideouts within the University environment, was carried out by Nze Chinasa Nwaneri, the Special Adviser to the State Governor on Monitoring and Compliance, in collaboration with the Owerri Capital Development Authority, OCDA, led by Frank Nkem.

The government officials said the operation was aimed at restoring environmental orderliness and to improve road safety by reclaiming public spaces that had been illegally occupied over the years.

Several shanties suspected to be harbouring criminal elements involved in hard drug peddling and other unlawful activities were among structures dismantled during the exercise.

The demolition took place barely 24 hours after a fatal road accident at the IMSU front gate.

According to the spokesperson of the State Police Command, Henry Okoye, the incident occurred when a Lexus ES 350 allegedly driven at excessive speed during an unauthorized street racing activity struck the 19-year-old student from Ebonyi State while attempting to cross the road.

Another victim, Bright Ukwuoma, sustained injuries and is currently receiving treatment.

Okoye confirmed that the driver, Dike Chibuike Micheal, from Oguta area of the State was arrested at the scene after officers rescued him from an angry mob.

Reacting to the development, the State Commissioner of Police, Audu Garba Bosso, condemned the incident which he said was caused by reckless driving.

He directed the State Traffic Department to conduct a thorough investigation, assuring that the suspect would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.

Residents and commuters living within the area expressed hope that clearing the structures would improve visibility for motorists, enhance pedestrian safety and reduction in criminal activities within the campus and its environment.

Three people have been arrested after a man was allegedly beaten to death in Kano, while a woman is in police custody for allegedly stabbing her boyfriend and severing his genitals in a separate incident.

The Kano State Police Command said the first case occurred on July 24 in the Sheka area.

Police said 30-year-old Abubakar Auwal was allegedly lured by Abubakar Ali and Sulaiman Lawan over claims that he was having an affair with a married woman.

Police spokesperson CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa said in a statement on Monday, “Upon receipt of the report, operatives attached to Sheka Police Division were immediately detailed to the scene. On arrival, the victim was found to have been brutally assaulted and beaten into a comatose state.”

The police arrested three suspects at the scene, including the two men and the married woman, Hafsat Umar.

Kiyawa added, “The victim was rushed to Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, Kano for medical treatment, where he was unfortunately confirmed dead by a medical doctor on duty.”

Police said the body had been taken to the hospital mortuary for an autopsy, while investigations continued. The suspects will be charged in court after the investigation.

In the second case, which occurred on July 27 at Durbar Hotel in Badawa, police said 25-year-old Maimunatu Idris allegedly attacked her boyfriend with a knife after learning that he planned to marry another woman.

The police said she allegedly severed the man’s genitals during the attack. Officers arrested the suspect at the scene and recovered the knife.

The victim was taken to Abubakar Imam Urology Hospital, where he is receiving treatment.

Kano State Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Adamu Bakori condemned both incidents and warned residents against taking the law into their own hands.

He said the command would carry out “diligent, transparent, and thorough investigations into both cases,” adding that all suspects would be prosecuted according to the law.

Bandits abducted 13 passengers travelling in a commercial bus along the Jos-Kano highway in Doguwa Local Government Area of Kano State, but police operatives rescued 10 of the victims after engaging the attackers in a gun battle.

The incident occurred on Sunday at about 5:30 pm at the Folgore Forest axis, between Gate Two Safer Highway and Dogo Dutse.

The Kano State Police Command, in a statement issued on Monday by its spokesperson, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, said the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Doguwa Division received a distress call that a Toyota Hiace bus travelling from Jos to Kano had been attacked by armed men.

According to the statement, five suspected bandits armed with machetes and a firearm blocked the road, attacked the bus and abducted 13 of the 20 passengers on board.

The police said the DPO immediately mobilised tactical operatives to the scene, where they confronted the attackers in a gun duel.

“As a result of the swift and coordinated response of the Police team, nine victims were successfully rescued. One other male victim later escaped from captivity,” the statement said.

The command, however, disclosed that three victims, comprising one man and two women, were still being held by the kidnappers.

It added that the rescued passengers were taken to Doguwa General Hospital for medical evaluation and were in stable condition while receiving treatment.

The police said additional tactical teams had been deployed to the area, while intelligence gathering and search operations had been intensified to secure the release of the remaining captives and arrest those responsible for the attack.

The Commissioner of Police in Kano State, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, commended residents and road users for providing timely information that helped the police respond quickly to the incident.

He assured residents that the command remained committed to protecting lives and property and urged members of the public to continue reporting suspicious movements or activities to the nearest police station.