Crime
Minister Tours NEDC Projects in Borno, Reaffirms FG’s North-East Infrastructure Push
Minister Tours NEDC Projects in Borno, Reaffirms FG’s North-East Infrastructure Push
By Halima Abatcha
The Minister of State for Regional Development, Uba Maigari Ahmadu, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to accelerating infrastructure development across the North-East.
The Minister gave the assurance during a two-day working visit to Borno State to inspect ongoing infrastructure projects being executed by the North-East Development Commission, NEDC.
The Minister’s inspection covered the 250-capacity bed hostel with kitchen, laundry and dining hall facilities at the Mohamet Lawan College of Agriculture, Maiduguri, as well as the Moro Moro and Fori Bridges, all being constructed by the North-East Development Commission.

At the College of Agriculture, the Minister, accompanied by the Managing Director of NEDC, Dr. Mohammed Goni Alkali, and senior management staff of the Commission, was received by the Provost of the institution, Professor Abba Makinta, alongside the supervising engineer.
The delegation was briefed on the level of work and the progress recorded so far.
The Minister commended the pace of construction and stressed the need for the project to be delivered according to approved specifications and within the required timeframe.
“Mr. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is deeply committed to the development and stabilisation of the North-East. The NEDC is one of the key instruments through which this commitment is being translated into concrete infrastructure interventions” Maigari said.
The Managing Director of NEDC, Dr. Mohammed Goni Alkali, reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to providing quality infrastructure that addresses the needs of communities across the North-East.
The Minister and his entourage later inspected the Moro Moro Bridge, which was destroyed by the September 2024 Maiduguri flood and is now being reconstructed by NEDC as part of its intervention projects.

Briefing the Minister, the Supervising Engineer, Kori Shettima, gave a technical overview of the project, explaining that the bridge has a total length of approximately 120 metres.
Engr. Kori explained that the bridge is a vital infrastructure serving communities in Borno State and traders from neighbouring countries, as its reconstruction will ease the transportation of goods and improve access to the Gamboru International Market.
The Chairman of Moro Moro Market, Alhaji Modu Maiduguri, while commending NEDC for restoring the vital link, disclosed that the collapse of the bridge had negatively affected commercial activities in the area.
At the Galtimari-Fori ongoing construction Bridge, also affected by the September 2024 flood, Engr. Kori Shettima explained to the delegation that the 9 Span and 180 meters bridge is 80 per cent complete, with major structural works already completed and final works ongoing.
The Minister expressed satisfaction with the quality of work and commended the NEDC, the contractors and supervising engineers for the progress recorded, stressing the importance of delivering the projects in line with approved specifications and engineering standards.
He said the interventions are consistent with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to addressing the infrastructure deficit and promoting development across the North-East, assuring that the Ministry of Regional Development will continue to support NEDC in delivering its mandate and completing ongoing projects across the region.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has Borno at heart and is committed to the development of the North-East. We are here to ensure that this commitment translates into quality infrastructure, and the Ministry will continue to support NEDC in delivering these projects for the benefit of the people,” Uba said.
Speaking on the interventions, the Managing Director of NEDC, Dr. Mohammed Goni Alkali, said the Commission remains committed to completing its ongoing projects across Borno State and other parts of the North-East.
“Our commitment is to ensure that these projects are completed to specification and delivered for the benefit of the people. NEDC is implementing similar interventions across the North-East, and we will continue to work with reliable contractors and consultants to achieve timely and quality delivery.”
The Minister’s two-day visit formed part of the Ministry’s oversight responsibilities over projects being implemented by the North-East Development Commission, with a focus on ensuring compliance with approved specifications, quality standards and project timelines.
Minister Tours NEDC Projects in Borno, Reaffirms FG’s North-East Infrastructure Push
Crime
Farmer injured in alleged attack by herders in Bokkos
Farmer injured in alleged attack by herders in Bokkos
By Zagazola Makama
A female farmer was injured after she was allegedly attacked by suspected Fulani herders at Josho village in Daffo District of Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The incident occurred at about 5:15 p.m. on Sept. 16, 2026, when troops of Sector 5, Operation ENDURING PEACE (OPEP), responded to a report of an attack on the farmer, identified as Mrs Sarah Luka.

According to the report, the attack followed an alleged dispute after Luka resisted cattle grazing on her farmland.
Troops who arrived at the scene found the victim with injuries, while the suspected attackers had fled before their arrival.
Luka was evacuated to a hospital for medical attention.
Security personnel have commenced efforts to track and apprehend the fleeing suspects for further investigation and appropriate legal action.
Farmer injured in alleged attack by herders in Bokkos
Crime
South African Woman Bags 40 years for 5.75kg Heroin at Nigerian Airport
South African Woman Bags 40 years for 5.75kg Heroin at Nigerian Airport
By: Michael Mike
A Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday sentenced a 38-year-old South African woman to 40 years imprisonment for importing 5.75 kilogrammes of heroin into Nigeria using her three-year-old son as cover.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu convicted Ms. Will Jessica Ann on two counts of importation and conspiracy to import heroin in charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/422/2026, which she pleaded guilty to.
The court sentenced her to 15 years on count one and 25 years on count two. The sentences will run concurrently. She will effectively spend 25 years in jail.

Ann was arrested on July 6, 2026, by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, during the inward clearance of passengers on Qatar Airways flight QR 1433 from Doha at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
NDLEA said she concealed 14 large blocks of heroin in two checked-in bags and travelled with her toddler to evade security screening.
According to the agency, she initially denied owning any checked luggage. Officers, however, linked two bags containing the drugs to her through baggage tags that tallied with claim tags attached to her passport.
She later admitted ownership, claiming she forgot she checked in the bags. She told investigators she flew in from Cambodia through Doha to Abuja.
Intelligence, NDLEA said, shows she is a member of a transnational drug trafficking organisation operating along the Cambodian-South African axis with her husband and partner, Jan Coenraad De Jager.
De Jager, who is based in Cambodia, was arrested in Johannesburg, South Africa, on July 27, 2026, while attempting to traffic 3.2 kilogrammes of illicit drugs to Hong Kong.
Reacting to the conviction, NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), said the judgment demonstrates the judiciary’s resolve to support the agency’s war against drug trafficking.
Marwa said the conviction reinforces the agency’s position that Nigeria will not be a soft landing for international drug cartels.
He said the arrest of the convict’s partner three weeks after her arrest in Abuja underscores the strength of intelligence-sharing and collaboration between NDLEA and its foreign partners.
He said the agency will continue to strengthen airport interdiction and international collaboration to dismantle trafficking networks using Nigeria as a corridor.
Marwa warned that anyone, regardless of nationality, caught trafficking illicit drugs through Nigeria will face the full weight of the law.
South African Woman Bags 40 years for 5.75kg Heroin at Nigerian Airport
Crime
Kidnapped woman escapes abductors in Plateau, receives treatment for minor injuries
Kidnapped woman escapes abductors in Plateau, receives treatment for minor injuries
By: Zagazola Makama
A woman who was kidnapped by suspected armed robbers along the Kassa–Barkin Ladi highway in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State has reportedly escaped from her abductors and is receiving medical treatment.
The victim was abducted on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026, after suspected armed robbers blocked the highway with stones and intercepted vehicles along the route.
Security sources said the woman managed to escape from her abductors in the early hours of Wednesday, Sept. 16, and subsequently made her way to safety.
She is currently receiving treatment at a hospital in Heipang, where she is being attended to for minor injuries reportedly sustained during the incident.
The development followed an earlier response by troops of Sector 4, Operation ENDURING PEACE (OPEP), deployed at the Alpha Guard location, who cleared the highway after discovering an ash-coloured Sharon vehicle without a registration number at the scene.
Sources said a security team has been dispatched to independently verify the circumstances of the woman’s escape and establish the location from which she escaped, as well as gather further evidence.
Security forces are also expected to intensify efforts to identify and apprehend the suspected kidnappers operating along the Kassa–Barkin Ladi axis.
Kidnapped woman escapes abductors in Plateau, receives treatment for minor injuries
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