The Sokoto State Police Command has reaffirmed its commitment to tackling banditry, saying criminal groups will not be allowed to operate freely in the state after officers foiled an attack and recovered 43 rustled sheep in Binji Local Government Area.

The operation, carried out by officers from the Binji Police Division on Thursday night, followed an attack on Anada Village by heavily armed bandits who reportedly stormed the community, fired gunshots to scare residents and made away with 43 sheep.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, said the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Binji immediately mobilised tactical teams, including the Anti-Kidnapping Squad and the Viable Crime Response Unit (VCRU), after receiving a distress call.

The police teams blocked possible escape routes and pursued the attackers, leading to a gun battle.

According to the statement, the bandits abandoned the stolen livestock and fled into a nearby forest as security operatives closed in on them.

The command confirmed that all 43 sheep were recovered and returned, while no residents or security personnel were injured during the operation.

Police said tactical teams have continued combing the surrounding forests to track down and arrest the fleeing suspects.

Commending the officers for their swift response, the Commissioner of Police in Sokoto State, CP Hayatu Hassan Shaffa, praised the Binji Divisional Police Officer and the tactical teams for their courage and professionalism.

He said their actions reflected the Command’s determination to confront criminal elements across the state.

The police commissioner also reassured residents that the Command would continue to protect lives and property.

“We remain committed to safeguarding lives and property across Sokoto State,” Shaffa said.

He urged residents to support security agencies by providing timely and credible information that would strengthen the fight against banditry and other violent crimes.

A man said to be about forty years old has thrown two of his children from a three-storey building in Umuobe community, near Aba Main Town, for an undisclosed reason.

The man also threw himself from the same building after allegedly threatening his wife.

The innocent children, who were thrown from the top floor, miraculously survived but sustained varying degrees of injuries.

Neighbours, who were attracted by the children’s loud cries, rushed to the scene, rescued the children and took them to the hospital.

The Umuobe residents then alerted the Nigerian Police Force, leading to the immediate arrival of police officers.

On arrival, the police officers arrested the father and took him to a different hospital from where his injured children were admitted.

Some residents of the area suggested that the man’s strange action may have been caused by illicit drugs, while others claimed that he may have been possessed by an evil spirit.

Confirming the incident to DAILY POST, the Abia State Police Command said it had commenced an investigation into the matter.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the command, DSP Maureen Chinaka, said the incident occurred on Thursday, July 30, 2026, at about 6:00 p.m.

“We received a report that a young man threw his two children from the third floor of a storey building and thereafter threw himself down from the same height.

“We rushed to the scene. The children are in one hospital, while the man is in another hospital.

“Investigation is ongoing,” DSP Chinaka said.

Operatives of the Kwara State Police Command have arrested 16 suspects for various alleged crimes ranging from conspiracy, kidnapping, aiding and abetting kidnapping, and attempted murder.

Among the suspects are three minors identified as Ali Umaru, 16; Alhaji Mosu, 17; and Abacha Babagana, 14, who were arrested for unlawful possession of property suspected to have been stolen.

At a press conference in Ilorin on Friday, the State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, disclosed that items recovered from the suspects included nine cartons of i17 Air Flip mobile phones, 10 cartons of i17 Air Pro Flip mobile phones, four Oraimo, New Age and Rex power banks of various capacities, and two wristwatches, among others.

He said the suspects were arrested on July 20, 2026, at about 5:30 p.m. during a stop-and-search operation along the Oko-Olowo/Alapa axis of the state.

Adekimi said the suspects have been remanded at the appropriate juvenile correctional centre pending further proceedings.

The police commissioner further revealed that one Aliyu Mohammed was also arrested for alleged conspiracy, kidnapping, aiding and abetting kidnapping, and attempted murder.

According to the CP, the state police command received a distress report on July 15, 2026, of a kidnap incident in Wande Community under the Oro-Ago Kingdom, where armed hoodlums abducted one Miss Shekinat Mukaila, 26.

During the attack, her father, the Baale of the community, sustained gunshot injuries while attempting to resist the assailants.

Following the intervention of the command, the community was secured and the injured Baale was evacuated to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), where he received medical treatment and has since been discharged. The abducted victim has also been rescued.

Six other members of a kidnap syndicate—Mohammed Jamiu, Fashola Abdulfatai, Daniel Gideon, Adegoke Oladimeji, Aliyu Yusuf and Abubakar Ahmed—have been arrested in connection with the disappearance of one Suleiman Rilwan, 29, since July 26, 2026.

“Investigation subsequently established a criminal conspiracy involving the principal suspect, Jamiu Mohammed, and his accomplices.

“During interrogation, Jamiu Mohammed voluntarily confessed to his involvement in the commission of the offence and provided useful information that led detectives to an abandoned well in a bush in Offa, where the corpse of Suleiman Rilwan was recovered.

“The confession further generated actionable investigative leads, resulting in the arrest of five additional suspects believed to have played various roles in the planning and execution of the crime,” the police commissioner added.

Five other suspects arrested for alleged involvement in cultism and membership of an unlawful society are Oluwafemi Bukoye, Israel Ogungbe, Adesoye Abdulwarith, Dayo Sesan and Ismail Abdul Malik.

Four others arrested for criminal conspiracy, armed robbery and culpable homicide are Ahmed Alhaji Ahmadu, Abubakar Mohammed, Mustapha Mohammed and Mohammed Tsado.

The suspects are allegedly connected with the murder of one Mohammadu A. on June 3, 2026.

“Preliminary investigation established that on June 3, 2026, the deceased had gone out to graze livestock alongside his younger brothers.

“While attempting to locate the route back to their settlement, they approached some individuals working on a nearby farmland for directions.

“The deceased thereafter proceeded with one of the individuals who offered to guide him, while his brothers remained behind awaiting his return.

“When he failed to return after several hours, a search party was initiated, leading to the discovery of his lifeless body in a nearby bush bearing multiple injuries.

“Further investigation established that his motorcycle and a sum of N500,000 believed to have been in his possession were missing,” the police commissioner added.

He said detectives immediately secured and processed the crime scene, while the victim’s remains were evacuated to a medical facility for a post-mortem examination.