The Kaduna State Police Command has detained a couple in connection with the death of their teenage son in Kurmin-Mashi area of Kaduna State.
The deceased, identified simply as Sadiq and believed to be between 12 and 14 years old, reportedly died on Tuesday following an alleged beating by his mother, Hauwa’u Adamu, popularly known as Maman Sadiq and her husband, Sharhabil.

The incident which occurred on Dahiru Road in Kurmin-Mashi was made public by an online platform K-Mashi Voice.

According to neighbours featured in the report, trouble began on Monday after Sadiq was sent by his mother to withdraw N5,000 from a Point of Sale (PoS) operator. However, suspicions were raised when it was allegedly discovered that two separate withdrawals had been made, while the boy returned home with only N5,000.

It was gathered that his stepfather Sharhabil accompanied him back to the PoS outlet, where the operator reportedly confirmed that two withdrawals had been carried out.

Following the discovery, the couple allegedly accused the teenager of dishonesty and subjected him to severe corporal punishment.

A female neighbour reportedly heard the boy crying around 10 p.m. on Monday and intervened, pleading with the couple to stop the punishment. The appeals were allegedly ignored.

Sources further disclosed that the neighbour later contacted a local Islamic cleric, who visited the family and advised the couple against the severity of their actions. However, the warning was reportedly not heeded.

Residents said the boy was left in that condition overnight, while his death was confirmed the following morning.

Police from the Kurmin-Mashi Division subsequently responded to the incident and evacuated the body to Yusuf Dantsoho Hospital, also known as Dutse General Hospital, for an autopsy and other examinations to determine the cause of death.

The deceased’s mother and her husband have since been taken into custody as police continue investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

As of the time of filing this report, the Kaduna State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement on the matter.

Troops of the Nigerian Army under 1 Brigade, Counter-Terrorism Operation 6, have rescued three kidnap victims who escaped from a terrorist hideout after spending about three months in captivity in Zamfara State.

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

Makama said the victims were rescued at about 8:45am on June 22, 2026, by troops deployed at the Forward Operating Base, FOB, Bagega in Anka Local Government Area of the state.

He disclosed that the victims managed to escape from their captors’ hideout before making contact with military personnel in the area.

“The troops immediately secured the victims and provided initial assistance before evacuating them for medical attention,” he said.

Makama further stated that the rescued victims are currently undergoing medical evaluation and treatment following their time in captivity.

He said the operation forms part of ongoing efforts by troops to dismantle terrorist enclaves and secure the release of abducted persons across Zamfara State and other parts of the North-West region.

The report added that military operations against terrorist and criminal groups remain ongoing in the area.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has uncovered and dismantled an industrial-scale methamphetamine laboratory concealed in a forest in Oyo State, leading to the arrest of a Mexican national and four Nigerians allegedly linked to the operation.

The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the agency through its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.

According to the statement, the clandestine drug facility was discovered on June 17, 2026, at Tapa Village in Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State during a special operation carried out by NDLEA tactical operatives.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Brigadier-General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the laboratory as a sophisticated and heavily fortified facility allegedly operated by a transnational drug cartel with the capacity for large-scale production of methamphetamine.

Marwa disclosed that five suspected members of the syndicate were arrested during the raid, including a 56 years old Mexican national, Jose Villa Ochoa, who was alleged to have been brought into Nigeria to provide technical expertise for methamphetamine production.

Other suspects arrested were identified as Maxwell Uche Nevoh, 30 years old, Olatunji Yusuf, 37 years old, Bankole Akeem Owolabi, 45 years old and Ganiu Monsiu, 43 years old.

According to the NDLEA chairman, the arrest of the foreign suspect highlights what the agency described as the increasing transnational dimension of illicit drug production and trafficking activities in Nigeria.

“The facility was a highly fortified and sophisticated clandestine methamphetamine laboratory operated by a transnational drug cartel,” Marwa stated.

The agency further disclosed that following the operation, officials from its Directorate of Forensic and Chemical Monitoring visited the site on June 18 to conduct a detailed forensic examination of the laboratory and surrounding area.

The NDLEA said investigations into the operation and activities of the suspected syndicate are ongoing.