Police foil kidnap attempt on Benin-Lagos expressway, rescue 14 victims

By: Zagazola Makama

Fourteen passengers, including four juveniles, were rescued after an attempted kidnap by armed gunmen along the Benin–Lagos Expressway at Isiuwa, Edo State, police sources confirmed on Wednesday.

The incident occurred around 5:00 p.m., when about 20 gunmen, divided into three groups, emerged from the bush and opened sporadic fire on moving vehicles.

The assailants attempted to attack policemen stationed at a checkpoint but were repelled by responding officers, who coordinated with the Operation Rescue Team, CP Intelligence Squad (Buffalo Team), and Nigerian soldiers.

Two Toyota Sienna vehicles were targeted. One, with registration number RSH 210 CH, was carrying seven passengers from Imo State to Ondo State, while the second, AME 211 YL, carried six passengers.

Police stormed the bush where the gunmen had taken the victims, successfully rescuing ten adults and four juveniles. The rescued included Frederick God Bless, Prosper Admijom, Oluyemi Bolu, Amoo Muyiwa, Ifoma Uchije, Daniel Chibuzo, Solomon Audu, Samuel Chibuke, Kemi Olayiwola, Ugochukwu Irozuruike, and juveniles Chidera Ochije, Augustine Ochije, Chukwuka Ochije, and Obiakor Chisom.

During the chaos, one Abba Adam, a conductor of a Howo truck with registration DED 638 XB, jumped out of his vehicle and was struck by an oncoming truck, dying on the spot. His body was recovered and deposited at Emiloju Medical Center, Okada Junction.

Three passengers are still missing, and search efforts are ongoing. Some of the rescued victims have since continued their journey safely.

Police foil kidnap attempt on Benin-Lagos expressway, rescue 14 victims

Armed herder attacks in benue leave three dead, one injured

By: Zagazola Makama out 8

At least three people were killed and another⅞ injured in separate attacks by armed herder in Buruku, Okokolo, and Naka Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Benue State on Thursday.

In Mbakura Mbagen village, Buruku LGA, five gunmen reportedly stormed the community at about 3:30 a.m., killing John Kunde and Sughter Orbunde, both members of the state’s Civil Protection Guards.

The assailants also abducted Aondowase Ager and seized a Bajaj motorcycle belonging to one of the victims. The victims’ bodies were later removed to the mortuary at Ugbema, while efforts continue to secure the release of the abducted individual.

On the same day, armed herder bandits attacked Ejima community in Okokolo LGA at about 6:00 a.m., opening sporadic gunfire that left Daniel Matthew with a gunshot injury. Security personnel combed nearby areas to track the attackers and prevent further attacks.

Later in the day, Ammuneke village in Naka LGA was targeted in a separate attack, resulting in the deaths of Akula Gugun, 27, of Amuneke, and Odi Shimayoho, 28, of Tse-Asuhee. Bodies of the deceased were removed to Agagbe morgue, while searches for the perpetrators continued in surrounding bushes.

In a related development, a man identified as Benjamin Terver Awuna, of Usen village, Buruku LGA, was arrested on suspicion of acting as an informant to herder bandits. Investigations revealed that the suspect allegedly collected airtime worth N6,000 from the armed herders to relay information that would facilitate attacks on villages.

Armed herder attacks in benue leave three dead, one injured

U.S.–Nigeria working group deepens security partnership against terrorism, banditry

By: Zagazola Makama

Nigeria’s renewed engagement with the United States on security cooperation signals a deliberate push to consolidate recent gains against banditry and terrorism while repositioning the country as a stabilising force in West Africa.

Nigeria has reaffirmed its strategic commitment to defeating banditry and terrorism and to strengthening national security through deeper collaboration with the United States, The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, gave the assurance on Friday.

The strategic security session of the U.S.–Nigeria Working Group, hosted with a high-level U.S. delegation led by Allison Hooker, comes at a time when Abuja is recalibrating its counter-terrorism and internal security architecture.

At the heart of the meeting was a shared recognition that modern security threats from insurgency in the North-East to banditry and communal violence in the North-West and North-Central, require intelligence-driven, partnership-based responses rather than isolated national efforts.

The presence of Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States, H.E. Lateef K. K. Are, alongside the Service Chiefs and heads of the intelligence community, the CDS, COAS, CAS, CDI, CNS, IGP, DG-DSS and DG NIA, illustrated the political and operational weight attached to the engagement.

Beyond protocol, the talks reflected growing confidence in the professionalism of Nigeria’s security and intelligence institutions, which have in recent years shifted towards better coordination, joint operations and community-centred approaches.

The focus on intelligence cooperation is particularly significant as the intelligence sharing, when properly structured, enhances early warning systems, disrupts terror financing networks and improves the precision of military and law enforcement actions, reducing collateral damage and protecting civilians.

Equally important is the emphasis on community protection mechanisms. Nigeria’s security challenges are no longer confined to battlefields; they are deeply rooted in local grievances, weak governance and socio-economic stress. Strengthening community safety frameworks, therefore, complements kinetic operations by preventing recruitment into extremist and criminal networks.

The U.S. offer of support in defence articles, training, capacity building and counter-terrorism financing reflects Washington’s recognition that Nigeria remains a central pillar in regional security. As Africa’s most populous country and one of its largest economies, Nigeria’s stability directly affects the Sahel and the Gulf of Guinea.

Special attention to the protection of vulnerable communities, including Christian communities in Northern Nigeria, also signals a broader shift towards inclusive national security , one that frames protection of all citizens as a strategic imperative, not just a moral obligation.

The renewed U.S.–Nigeria engagement is expected to boost confidence in Nigeria’s security institutions, deepen intelligence-driven operations against terror networks and organised crime, and reinforce the country’s leadership role in promoting peace and stability across West Africa and the wider Sahel.

U.S.–Nigeria working group deepens security partnership against terrorism, banditry