The Taraba State Anti-Illegal Mining Taskforce on Monday raided a suspected illegal gold mining site located in Mayo Kam and Gantu villages in Bali Local Government Council of the state, arresting two suspects and recovering mining equipment.

The operation, led by the chairman of the taskforce, Emmanuel Jamu, followed weeks of intelligence gathering.

“Security operatives navigated difficult terrain to reach the remote mining camp, only to discover that most of the miners had fled into nearby forests before their arrival, leaving behind equipment and tools,” a statement by the taskforce said.

Despite the suspects’ escape, the taskforce arrested two individuals who were reportedly attempting to flee the scene. Officers also recovered several items believed to have been used for illegal mining, including pumping machines, diggers, generators, and mineral processing materials.

According to Jamu l the taskforce would sustain its crackdown on illegal mining across the state.

“We are here to send a clear message. Whether they are here or not, we will keep coming. They can run today, but they cannot run forever. They will face the full weight of the law,” he said.

He also called on traditional rulers and community leaders to support the taskforce by providing credible information that would lead to the arrest of suspects still at large.

The Taraba State government reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding the state’s mineral resources and ensuring that no illegal mining activities continue within its territory.

The two arrested suspects are currently in custody, while the taskforce said further operations are planned in other identified high-risk areas across the state.

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Bandits kidnap Oyo school headmaster, demand N30m ransom

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have reportedly killed a 300-level student of the Ambrose Alli University, AAU, Ekpoma and abducted five others in Edo State.

DAILY POST gathered that the incident happened separately on Friday, July 10, and Sunday, July 12, 2026 in Idoa and Ekpoma communities, respectively.

In the accident that happened on July 12, 2026, a student whose identity is yet to be ascertained was reportedly abducted on the night of the fateful day when the gunmen invaded his residence. A woman was also allegedly abducted by the assailants on the same day.

DAILY POST reports that the killing of the student and the abduction of the woman was disclosed in Esan Political Assembly facebook page.

In the Idoa kidnapping incident, the gunmen abducted the secretary to the palace of the community alongside three children.

DAILY POST gathered that the victims were abducted on Friday morning, July 10,2026.

A source who said the secretary is his brother and the children those of his neighbours, added that the abductors have demanded for N30 million ransom.

He said the abductors threatened to kill the victims if the ransom was not paid before the end of July 13.

According to him, “my brother was kidnapped on Friday morning at the Idoa community, in Esan west Local Government Area. He is the secretary of the Idoa palace. They are demanding for N30 million.

“He was kidnapped alongside other small children that were with him. His vehicle broke down on his way to the farm and he left it where it broke down.

“The next day, he came back to the place with tools and other things to repair the motor. As he was there to repair the vehicle, gunmen just came out from the bush, rounded them up and took them into the bush.

“They have made contact demanding for N30m ransom and threatened that if we did not bring the money by the end of today, they will kill them.

“The children are those of his neighbours. The children followed him to where he wanted to repair his vehicle just to give him support, and he was to bring them back home after the repair because they live together,” he said.

While appealing to government and security agencies for intervention for the rescue of the victims, he said the incident has been reported to the Police.

At the time of the report the Public Relations Officer of the Edo State Police Command, ASP Eno Ikoedem, was yet to respond to a message sent to her whatsapp.

DAILY POST recalls that a high-ranking chief of the community, identified as Chief Jimah Jacob Ogboi was on February 26, 2026 reportedly killed and his daughters abducted.

The gunmen were alleged to have struck in the night and instantly shot the deceased while they used machetes and other dangerous weapons on his wife.

The gunmen who were four in number, allegedly invaded the deceased house, shot him and went away with his two daughters.

The Kano State Police Command says it has arraigned 123 drivers for using vehicles with covered, defaced, or missing number plates since the launch of Operation Clean Plates.

Speaking at a press briefing on Monday, Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Adamu Bakori said the operation was introduced to prevent criminals from using unregistered vehicles to evade detection.

“The objective remains clear: to rid Kano State of vehicles plying our roads with covered, defaced, or no registration numbers,” Bakori said.

He added that “all the drivers of the intercepted vehicles have been charged to court and are being prosecuted” under the law.

According to the police commissioner, officers intercepted 123 vehicles across Kano State’s 44 local government areas during the enforcement exercise.

Bakori also announced a major breakthrough recorded by officers from the Panshekara Police Division on July 9, after they stopped a vehicle without a registration plate in Kano metropolis.

He said the driver, identified as 51-year-old Mahi Ibrahim of Rijiyar Zaki, allegedly refused to stop and attempted to flee before he was arrested.

Police said a search of the suspect and the vehicle led to the recovery of a Beretta pistol, dried leaves suspected to be cannabis, a sharp knife, electric wires, 120 lithium batteries, and a vehicle suspected to have been stolen.

The suspect has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation, while efforts are ongoing to trace the source of the firearm and other recovered items.

Bakori said the arrest highlights why the police launched the operation.

“This arrest validates the very reason we launched ‘Operation Clean Plates’. Vehicles without proper identification are being used to move suspicious individuals, prohibited firearms, narcotics, and other dangerous items across the state,” he said.

The commissioner said the operation would continue across all 44 local government areas, urging vehicle owners to properly register their vehicles and display standard number plates at all times.

He also called on residents to cooperate with police officers and report any unprofessional conduct by personnel through the command’s complaint channels.