An unidentified young man was yesterday beaten to death on Ikom Street in Calabar for breaking into a house in the early hours of Friday, attempting to rob a woman and other occupants.

The man was also reported to have attempted to have forceful carnal knowledge of the woman but she resisted.

Her scream alerted neighbors in the next apartment, who joined in raising the alarm.

This incident occurred at about 4.00 am, according to eyewitnesses

Residents of the area stopped the the man from escaping and overpowered him.

The suspect was reportedly dragged to the main Ikom Street, where he was initially detained by the angry residents.

Following his confession, he was beaten to stupor, according to an eyewitness.

“We wanted to wait for arrival of policemen but the suspect wanted to escape. This was why the angry neighbours descended on him with clubs, planks, irons mercilessly. He later he died,” the eyewitness said.

Police spokesman in the state, ASP Eitokpah Sunday Akata, said he would issue an official statement on the incident, adding that operatives are investigating the attempted robbery.

Operatives of the Ogun and Lagos Police Command have arrested 88 suspects, rescued five kidnapped victims and killed four during its operation “Kosaye” (no chance) exercise.

The joint operation and bush combing exercise, carried out across Ogun, Lagos and up to the boundary Oyo State led to the arrest of 84 suspects, 75 males and 9 females.

Addressing newsmen on Saturday at the Ogun Police training college Iperu, the State Commissioner of police, Bode Ojajuni stated that the operation is an initiative of the Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, aimed at wiping out criminal elements from the states.

Ojajuni stated that during the operation, five victims who were kidnapped along Ore–Ogbere  road on Thursday were rescued.

He noted that during the rescue operation, four kidnappers were killed and another four were arrested.

Ojajuni said, “We formally launch operation “Kosaye” in Lagos and Ogun state. Operation “Kosaye” means there is no space for criminality and criminals. It is an idea and initiative of the Inspector General of Police and lightly supported and sponsored by the governors of Lagos and Ogun State.

“The aim of this operation is to wipe out banditry if at all it exists in the two states and also to clear the bushes in the states. It is also to wipe out other criminal elements. We are here to ally the fears of the citizens and rumors of banditry. We are free of bandits or kidnappers, both in Lagos no single Nigeria is in their hands.

“We have cleared the bushes right from Ikeja down to Kara bridge, to Reedem camp, Iseri corridor. We have moved to Owode Egba axis down to Ogere, we have extended to Ijebu Igbo, Ijebu Ode, J4 at the fringe of Ondo state bounded.

“We equally cleared Epe, Ikorodu, Ogijo and others. We cleared shanties, criminals hideouts and we made arrests. While the operation was going on there was a security breach along J3, J4 corridor at the fringe of Benin-Sagamu Express.

“It may gladden your mind to know that on the marching order of the inspector general of police, operation ko saye moved in and rescued five victims and in the course of the operation we neutralized four kidnappers, arrested another four aside the 84 other suspects that were arrested across Lagos and Ogun stretches.”

Items recovered during the operation include arms and ammunition, battle axes, cutlasses, Ak47, pump action, rifles, English pistols, locally-made pistols, phones among others.

The Ogun CP called for calm, urging residents not to panic, adding that once they see anyone with gunshot wounds they should inform the police immediately.

Also speaking, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Tijani Fatai, allayed the fears of residents over bandits in the states, nothing that all bushes have been combed and searched thoroughly.

Fatai reiterated the Force’s commitment to the safety and security of citizens, noting that the exercise continues and will be replicated across 

“To further clear the doubt of people who have been carrying rumour that bandits have taken over Ogun state and have infiltrated into Lagos state, this is to further clear their doubts that all the bushes have been combed both within Lagos and Ogun.

Most of the bushes we know they are thick bushes and they have been searched thoroughly. Apart from that, it is a continuous exercise, it will continue as long as it can stay. We want to assure the people of Lagos and Ogun that the IGP is not resting on his hoarse. 

“He is quite familiar of the terrain and has given a march order and I want to appreciate the governors of Lagos and Ogun who have largely supported and keyed into the initiative” he added.

Troops of Operation Enduring Peace, OPEP, have neutralised a suspected bandits following an attack on security personnel during a clearance operation in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.

This was made known in a post on X by Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency and security expert in the Lake Chad region.

Zagazola stated that the operation was conducted at about 7:00 a.m. on June 26 following credible reports on the activities of armed livestock rustlers around the Gero high grounds in Jos South LGA.

He noted that during the operation, the troops intercepted a herd of cattle allegedly grazing on cultivated farmland.

According to him, the troops came under sporadic gunfire from suspected militia shortly after the interception.

He added that troops responded by holding their position and calling for reinforcements.

The security expert further revealed that additional troops from Sector 3 at Rafin Bauna, alongside other reinforcements led by the Commander of Sector 6, swiftly mobilised to the area and engaged the attackers in a firefight.

“During the encounter, one suspected bandit was neutralised, while others fled the scene.

“A search of the area led to the recovery of two mobile phones and the sum of N14,000, believed to have been abandoned by the fleeing suspects.

“The intercepted cattle were moved to a safe location for further necessary action.

“Troops have continued clearance operations and domination patrols across the area to forestall further attacks and deny criminal elements freedom of action in Plateau State,” he said.