Armed Bandits Attack Ringa Village, Kidnap Four in Niger

By: Zagazola Makama

Armed bandits have carried out a deadly raid in Ringa Village, located in the Ringa District of Rafi Local Government Area in Niger State, kidnapping four individuals and causing widespread damage, the state police command confirmed.

Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that on April 18, 2025, at approximately 1000hrs, a large group of armed bandits and insurgents, riding on motorcycles, invaded the village. During the attack, the assailants abducted four men Anas Shuaibu, Isah Kazuga, Mande Samari, and Bazama Kiwoji who were all residents of the village.

In addition to the kidnapping, the bandits set fire to the village’s electricity transformer, plunging the community into darkness. They also stole four unregistered Bajaj motorcycles that had been abandoned by their owners, who fled in fear for their lives.

Security forces are currently conducting intensive operations in a bid to rescue the kidnapped victims and apprehend the perpetrators of the attack.

Armed Bandits Attack Ringa Village, Kidnap Four in Niger

JNIM Claims Deadly Attack on Benin Military Bases, Says 70 Soldiers Killed

By: Zagazola Makama

Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), a terrorist group operating in the Sahel, has claimed responsibility for coordinated attacks on two military positions in northern Benin Republic on Thursday, April 17, 2025.

In a statement released through its propaganda channels, the group said it killed 70 Beninese soldiers during the assaults. The attacks reportedly targeted military companies stationed near the country’s northern borders with Burkina Faso and Niger – regions increasingly plagued by jihadist violence.

JNIM also published images of weapons and equipment it said were captured during the attacks. Among the items allegedly seized were:
American-made M2HB heavy machine guns, Five PP87 mortars of Chinese origin, Fifty-one rocket-assisted mortar shells, Three surveillance drones, Six motorcycles, Sixty-four grenades, Seventy-eight Kalashnikov rifles, Over 300 ammunition magazines, Type 80 and W-85 machine guns, Type 81-1 rifles Type 56-1 rocket launchers, and T69-1 anti-tank projectiles.

The Beninese government has yet to issue an official statement confirming the claims. However, security sources have confirmed that military operations are ongoing in the northern region, and reinforcements have been deployed to contain the situation.

JNIM, which is affiliated with al-Qaeda, has expanded its activities into coastal West African states in recent years, marking a shift in its operational footprint beyond Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.

JNIM Claims Deadly Attack on Benin Military Bases, Says 70 Soldiers Killed

Two Suspects Arrested for Human Trafficking, Victims Rescued in Kubwa, Abuja

By: Zagazola Makama

Two men have been arrested in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for their involvement in human trafficking after police operatives foiled their attempt to transport three women to Senegal.

Sources told Zagazola Makama that on April 17, 2025, at around 1730hrs, operatives from the Kubwa Division, apprehended 28-year-old Thankgod Ike and 26-year-old Dennis Ike. The two suspects, both residents of Gbazango by the Assembly of God Church, were arrested following actionable intelligence.

The suspects were allegedly involved in the trafficking of three women Helen Simon (25), Blessing Iliya (25), and Anabel Iliya (22) whom they had deceived with promises of securing illicit jobs abroad. The victims were intended to be trafficked through Lagos and Guinea before ultimately being taken to Senegal.

The suspects were apprehended while executing their plan to transport the women, who have since been rescued and are currently in police custody.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspects have been involved in similar activities in the past, including the trafficking of another woman, known as “Baby” (25), to Senegal in 2024.

Additionally, the suspects are believed to be connected to the trafficking of Alisa Conte, a Sierra Leonean national, whose case is currently under investigation by INTERPOL.

Police sources said efforts are ongoing to identify and contact the victims’ families, and further investigations are underway.