Vigilant youths in Ugbokolo, Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State, have thwarted an alleged kidnapping operation along the Ugbokolo-Aokpe road, rescuing several victims and apprehending three suspects.

A resident of the community, who identified himself simply as Adah, told journalists via telephone that the incident occurred late Wednesday night, prompting local youths to organise a search operation after reports emerged that travellers had been abducted by armed men.

According to him, “Several persons were abducted by armed men on the road on Wednesday night, a development which prompted local youths to mobilise and launched a search operation in the area.

“The youths however tracked down the suspects, leading to the rescue of five victims and the arrest of three of the alleged kidnappers while one escaped.”

The five rescued victims were reportedly reunited with their families, while the three arrested suspects were handed over to security operatives for further investigation.

Confirming the development, Chairman of Okpokwu Local Government Area, Adah Inalegwu, said some travellers were indeed kidnapped along the Aokpe road on Wednesday night, but noted that authorities were yet to determine whether the three individuals apprehended by residents were actually involved in the crime.

Inalegwu said, “It’s true that some people were kidnapped yesterday (Wednesday night) on Aokpe road, and our vigilant youths quickly mobilised themselves and went after the kidnappers.

“When the heat was too much on the kidnappers they abandoned their victims and ran away, and the victims were successfully rescued yesterday (Wednesday) night.

“Today (Thursday) the community also saw three strangers and they presumed they were kidnappers but we are yet to get the full story whether they are Kidnappers or not.”

However, the Benue State Police Command said it had not received an official report of the incident as of the time of filing the report.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, stated that she was yet to be briefed on the matter.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested an Aviation Security officer and two other suspects over alleged involvement in cash and gold smuggling at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano.

A statement by EFCC said the suspects, Ali Baffa, an Inspector 1 with Aviation Security (AVSEC), along with Aushabu Nasidi and Mukhtar Muhammad Dan Zaria were arrested by operatives of the Kano Zonal Directorate of the EFCC during an operation at the airport.

According to the agency, the arrests were made on Friday, June 11, 2026, during what the commission described as a routine surveillance exercise by the Land and Property Fraud Section of the Kano Zonal Directorate.

The operation followed a directive from the EFCC Executive Chairman ordering all zonal offices to step up enforcement against the smuggling of mineral resources and bulk cash through international airports.

According to initial findings, Ali Baffa allegedly hid 22.2 kilograms of unprocessed gold bars, valued at over N4.4 billion, inside his trousers with the intention of evading security checks. The gold was allegedly meant to be handed over to passengers travelling out of the country for illegal export.

Further investigation led to the arrest of Aushabu Nasidi, who was alleged to have supplied the gold bars to Baffa. At the time of his arrest, he was reportedly found with several foreign currencies in his possession.

The recovered currencies included 3,000 Saudi Riyals, 40,000 Turkish Lira, 199.75 Kuwaiti Dinar, 20,700 Philippine Peso, 80 Australian Dollars, 310 Chinese Renminbi, 4,000 Algerian Dinar, 40 Hong Kong Dollars, 26,000 Hungarian Forint, and 1,000 Sudanese Dinar.

The probe also led to the arrest of Mukhtar Muhammad Dan Zaria, who was alleged to have supplied the gold bars to Nasidi. During interrogation, he reportedly admitted involvement in multiple shipments.

“While being interviewed, Dan Zaria revealed to the Commission that he had smuggled an estimated 40.2 kilograms of gold from June 1 to June 11, 2026 using the same modus operandi,” the statement said.

All three suspects are currently in EFCC custody.

The Commission said they will be charged to court upon completion of ongoing investigations.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Kano Strategic Command, has arrested 73 suspects and recovered various illicit drugs during coordinated raids on notorious drug dens across Kano State.

The operation, carried out on June 10 under the ongoing “Operation Sharar Mafaka”, targeted the Filin Mahaha drug den, the Sani Abacha Youth Centre and locations in the Sheka area, according to a statement issued on Thursday by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Narcotics Sadiq Muhammad Maigatari.

The agency said the intelligence-led operation employed a “dislodge and occupy” strategy, whereby officers move into identified drug hotspots, arrest suspects, recover illicit substances and maintain a sustained presence to prevent criminals from returning to the locations.

Items recovered during the raid included cannabis sativa, diazepam, pregabalin, Exol-5, a substance locally known as “suck and die”, as well as other materials associated with the distribution and consumption of illicit drugs.

The command described the exercise as part of its sustained campaign to identify, dismantle and permanently disrupt notorious drug dens across the state.

Commander of the NDLEA Kano Strategic Command, CN D.Y. Lawal, said the agency would continue to intensify operations until drug traffickers and users no longer have safe havens.

The NDLEA also appealed to residents to support its anti-drug campaign by providing timely and credible intelligence that could aid future enforcement operations.