Suspected bandits abducted about 14 passengers travelling from Enugu State to Abuja along the Ankpechi–Omutele axis of Ohimini Local Government Area of Benue State on Thursday night.

The gunmen reportedly ambushed the commercial bus conveying the passengers, forced them into the bush and abandoned the vehicle on the road.

Confirming the incident, the Benue State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Orchia Peter Aondongu, said operatives had rescued five of the victims, including a four-year-old boy.

The police said nine other victims remained in the custody of their abductors, adding that the command launched a coordinated rescue operation in the early hours of Friday to secure the release of those still in captivity.

He said the operation involved an exchange of gunfire between security operatives and the suspected kidnappers, resulting in the rescue of five victims.

The police spokesperson explained that one of the rescued victims sustained a gunshot wound during the operation and was immediately taken to a medical facility in Otukpo, where the victim is receiving treatment.
Aondongu said operatives of the command, working alongside other security agencies, were intensifying efforts to rescue the remaining nine victims safely, assuring that the operation was being conducted with caution, with the safety of the abducted passengers as the primary objective.

The Benue State Commissioner of Police, CP Cletus Nwadiogbu, acknowledged the concerns of the victims’ families and members of the public, saying that concerted efforts were underway to secure the safe release of those still in captivity.

The command urged residents of the affected communities and the general public to remain calm and vigilant and provide the police with credible information that could assist the ongoing rescue operation and help prevent similar incidents.

The police assured the public that they would continue to provide updates as developments unfold.

The Kebbi State Police Command has arrested a 29-year-old man, Abubakar Musa, over an alleged plot involving the desecration of a copy of the Holy Qur’an in Zuru Local Government Area of the state.

The suspect, a resident of Rafin Mose Village in Zuru LGA, was arrested in connection with allegations of criminal conspiracy, abuse of religious books, use of spells and hypnosis, and conduct capable of causing public disturbance.

The incident reportedly occurred on August 9, 2026, at about 7pm in the Zango area of Zuru.

According to a statement issued on Friday by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bashir Usman, preliminary investigation indicated that Musa allegedly conspired with two other suspects, Rabi’u Tela and Hamza Zango, who are currently at large.

The police said the suspects allegedly dug a pit inside the room of a woman identified as Zarau Hassan and buried a copy of the Qur’an alongside other items.

The items reportedly included semen, white and red kolanuts, underwear, dead animals and other objects described by the police as fetish materials.

The police said the alleged act was intended to make Hassan more submissive to her husband, Tela.

The Command said the circumstances surrounding the alleged act were capable of causing a breach of peace among members of the Muslim community.

It said efforts were ongoing to arrest the two fleeing suspects, while Musa remained in police custody pending the conclusion of investigation.

The police said the suspect would be charged to court after the investigation is completed.

The Commissioner of Police, Umar M. Hadejia, said the Command would take action, in accordance with the law, against acts capable of threatening religious harmony and public order.

The Department of State Services, DSS, on Friday arraigned 19 suspects before an Uyo Magistrate Court over alleged crude oil theft.

The DSS had earlier arraigned 19 suspects over that matter.

It was gathered that the suspects were arrested following intelligence driven operation led by the Joint Task Force, South South, Operation Delta Safe.

Twenty-six crew members and two motorized vessels – MT WESTAF and MT MKPODU – were arrested while allegedly siphoning crude oil from a platform operated by a major oil company operating on the shores of Akwa Ibom State.

During Friday’s arraignment, the Magistrate Court declined jurisdiction over the matter, citing relevant provisions of the Constitution.

The court however remanded the suspects in the Uyo medium correctional facility for an initial period of 21 days pending when the Federal High Court will return from recess, for proper trial.