Category: PM News

At least 18 people have been killed and 12 others abducted in separate attacks on communities in Adamawa and Sokoto states, with suspected Boko Haram insurgents and armed bandits unleashing violence on residents in the early hours of Monday.

In Adamawa State, 11 people were reportedly killed when suspected Boko Haram insurgents invaded Zaranga village in Gombi Local Government Area, shooting residents and setting houses ablaze.

The attackers reportedly stormed the community in the early hours of Monday, forcing residents to flee into surrounding forests, while several others remained missing.

A resident, who spoke by telephone with The Punch, but requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to journalists, said 11 bodies had been recovered.

‘For now, 11 dead bodies have been recovered. Many people are still missing. Search teams and security personnel are in the forest searching for the missing people,’ he said.

Another resident said his wife and two other members of his family were among those killed in the attack.

‘My wife and two of my family members were also killed during the early morning invasion of my village,’ he said.

The attackers were also said to have set houses ablaze during the assault, although the extent of the destruction could not immediately be established.

Efforts to obtain official confirmation from the Adamawa State Police Command were unsuccessful as of the time of filing the report.

The command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Suleiman Nguroje, did not respond to several calls placed to his telephone seeking confirmation.

Meanwhile, in Sokoto State, at least seven people were killed and 12 others abducted when armed bandits invaded Tofa village in Rabah Local Government Area.

The attack reportedly occurred around 1 a.m. on Monday, with the bandits operating in large numbers and opening sporadic fire on residents.

A security source told Daily Trust that the attackers operated for about four hours and also rustled an undisclosed number of animals.

‘They killed seven persons including two women and abducted several others,’ the source said.

The seven people killed were identified as Malam Muhammadu, Danbakanike, Musa Dan Agaji, Masaudu Basiru, Buba Biti, Yar Kuluwa Basiru and Jamila Umma.

The 12 abducted victims were identified as Shafiu Bello, Bilyaminu Abubakar, Saifullahi Buhari, Hauwau Zayyanu, Saratu Ibrahim, Safiyya Nasi, Zulaiha Aminu, Bilya Abu, Farida Lawali, Yar Kadan Aminu, Kulu Amadu and another victim.

The bandits reportedly released 10 other victims while returning to their hideout.

Those released were identified as Hadiza Kabiru, Amina Abu, Jiborin Buhari, Babangida Buhari, Fati Abdullahi, Abdurrazak Muhammad, Usman Umar, Nanuwa Aminu, Maryam Isah and Aisha Ummaru.

The security source further disclosed that the attackers abducted two other people during separate incidents, including Sani Gayya, popularly known as Magatakarda Saburu, who was reportedly kidnapped while working on his farm in nearby Saburu village.

The two attacks have further heightened security concerns in the affected communities, with search efforts continuing in Adamawa for missing residents and the fate of those abducted in Sokoto remaining a major concern.

The reported incidents underline the continuing threat posed by insurgents and armed bandits to rural communities, particularly where residents remain vulnerable to attacks during the night and early morning hours.

The Lagos State Government has advised motorists using the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to plan their journeys ahead of scheduled repair works on the Kara Bridge, which will begin on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026.

The Federal Ministry of Works is set to commence repairs on damaged expansion joints on the bridge, a project expected to last two weeks.

The Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, in a travel advisory issued on Monday, said the repair works would affect traffic movement along the busy corridor.

To reduce the impact on motorists, the ministry said one half of the affected section would be closed at a time, while traffic would be managed interchangeably on the remaining open half.

The state government urged motorists to allow extra travel time and plan their journeys accordingly to minimise delays.

It also appealed to motorists to exercise patience and cooperate with traffic managers and other officials deployed to the area throughout the rehabilitation period.

The government said cooperation from road users would be critical to ensuring that the repair works are completed within the scheduled two-week period.

The advisory was signed by the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Oluwaseun Osiyemi, on Monday.

The Kara Bridge is located along one of Nigeria’s busiest highways, the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, which carries heavy traffic between Lagos and other parts of the country.

The repair works are expected to temporarily affect traffic flow around the corridor, making early journey planning particularly important for commuters and long-distance travellers.

The presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has responded to claims by his former running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, that none of the leading contenders in the 2027 presidential election can fix Nigeria.

Baba-Ahmed had recently argued that major presidential hopefuls, including Obi, could not transform the country if elected.

Reacting to the comment during an interview on Arise News, Obi said his record as governor of Anambra State demonstrated his capacity to improve governance and deliver results at the national level.

The former Anambra governor said he would prioritise reducing the cost of governance, improving security, fighting corruption and addressing critical areas of development if given the opportunity to lead Nigeria.

‘As a governor, I was able to improve Anambra State in critical areas of development, and I can do the same in Nigeria,’ Obi said.

‘I’m definitely sure that if given the opportunity, first, I’ll bring civility in governance. I’ll be able to cut the cost of governance.’

Obi said his administration would focus on restoring trust in government and ensuring public resources were directed towards issues affecting ordinary Nigerians.

He added that tackling corruption, waste and insecurity would form part of his priorities, while promising reforms that would strengthen democratic institutions.

‘I fight corruption and issues of waste. I’ve dealt with issues of law and order,’ he said.

‘Rigging elections cannot take place under my watch. The parties will function as parties. Things will be done properly.’

The NDC candidate listed national unity, security, healthcare, education and poverty reduction among the key areas his government would focus on.

‘One, to unite the country. The country is not united today. Two, to secure the country. Three, to ensure that we prioritise critical areas of development, health, education and pulling people out of poverty,’ he added.

Baba-Ahmed, who served as Obi’s running mate during the 2023 presidential election, had stated that leading political figures seeking the presidency in 2027 lacked the capacity to solve Nigeria’s challenges.

The re-election of Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has entered a new legal battle after the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) filed separate petitions challenging the outcome of the August 15 governorship election.

The Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal on Monday formally commenced proceedings related to the disputed election after the two petitions were displayed on the notice board of the tribunal secretariat in Osogbo.

The development marks the beginning of the post-election legal process, which will involve the service of court documents on the parties involved and subsequent hearings before the tribunal.

The APC’s petition, marked EPT/OS/GOV/01/2026, was filed by its governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, against Governor Adeleke, the Accord Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The Peoples Democratic Party’s petition, marked EPT/OS/GOV/02/2026, was filed by Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola against Adeleke, INEC and the Accord Party.

The tribunal’s Secretary, Pefe Belemore, confirmed that petitions challenging the election outcome had been received and that the necessary notices would be displayed to begin the legal process.

Governor Adeleke was declared winner of the August 15 election after securing another term in office, defeating his closest challenger, Oyebamiji of the APC.

With the filing of the petitions, the parties will now proceed through the tribunal process as they seek to defend or challenge the declaration made by INE

Acting Sgt Rachel Bright of the Metropolitan Police has been dismissed from service after a misconduct panel found her guilty of gross misconduct over the inappropriate and deliberate touching of a woman during a night out.

Bright, attached to the South West Command Unit, was dismissed without notice following a misconduct hearing on Friday, September 4.

The panel heard that Bright, while off duty at a bar in Clapham Junction in December 2022, repeatedly touched a woman known to her in a deliberate and unsolicited manner.

An investigation into the incident was launched, and Bright was suspended from duty in December 2023 after being charged with one count of sexual assault.

She was subsequently tried at Kingston Crown Court in October 2024 and found not guilty.

However, the Metropolitan Police’s Directorate of Professional Standards continued with a separate misconduct investigation and referred the case to a misconduct hearing.

The panel found the allegations proven and ruled that Bright had breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour relating to discreditable conduct.

Chief Superintendent Dan Knowles, who is in charge of policing for South West London, thanked the woman who reported the incident for her courage throughout the process.

He described Bright’s conduct as ‘wholly unacceptable’, saying it fell far short of the standards expected of police officers.

‘Anyone who fails to uphold our standards should expect to be held accountable,’ Knowles said.

Following her dismissal, Bright will be placed on the College of Policing Barred List, preventing her from working in policing in the future.

Big Brother Naija housemate Nomy has been disqualified from the ongoing ‘Show Ya Sef’ season following repeated defiance of Big Brother’s instructions.

The dramatic development was announced by Big Brother on Monday night, bringing Nomy’s participation in the reality show to an abrupt end.

According to Big Brother, Nomy repeatedly disregarded instructions, including abandoning her assigned bench and vest while serving as this week’s designated bench warmer.

Her actions were deemed a violation of the rules governing the house, prompting Big Brother to revoke her privilege to continue participating in the competition.

Big Brother subsequently instructed Nomy to leave the house, effectively ending her BBNaija journey.

The disqualification is expected to generate significant reactions among fans of the reality show, particularly given the circumstances surrounding her exit.

Nomy’s exit also adds another major twist to the ‘Show Ya Sef’ season, where housemates have continued to navigate Big Brother’s strict rules while competing for the ultimate prize.

With her disqualification, attention is now expected to shift to how the remaining housemates will react to the unexpected development and its possible impact on the dynamics of the house.

The Lagos State House of Assembly has begun a public hearing on the Magistrates’ Court Amendment Bill, 2026, seeking to amend the Magistrates’ Courts Law of Lagos State, 2015, and provide for related matters.

Among other proposals, the bill seeks to raise the mandatory retirement age of magistrates from 60 to 65 years or 35 years in service, whichever comes first, in a move aimed at strengthening justice delivery and retaining experienced judicial officers.

The public hearing was held at the Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday.

The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, represented by the Deputy Speaker, Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, said the proposed amendment would enable the judiciary to retain experienced magistrates and benefit from their knowledge and expertise in the administration of justice.

He said the bill also seeks to increase the financial jurisdiction of magistrates from N10 million to N25 million, a move he said would reduce the workload on the High Courts and facilitate faster resolution of cases.

Obasa said the public hearing was designed to promote transparency and inclusiveness in the legislative process.

He urged stakeholders, legal practitioners and experts to make constructive contributions that would help strengthen the proposed amendments to the Magistrates’ Courts Law.

Speaking at the hearing, Hon. Owolabi Ibrahim Ajani, representing Lagos Mainland I Constituency, said the proposed amendments were aimed at strengthening the state’s judicial system and improving access to justice.

Ajani said raising the retirement age of magistrates from 60 to 65 years, or 35 years in service, whichever comes first, would help preserve institutional knowledge and expertise within the judiciary while also supporting career progression.

He also said the proposed increase in magistrates’ civil jurisdiction from N10 million to N25 million reflected current economic realities and would help ease the pressure on higher courts.

Ajani called on legal practitioners, judicial officers, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to make meaningful contributions to the bill, saying their views would guide the relevant committee in making recommendations before its passage.

The Chairman of the Lagos State Bar Association, Uchenna Ogunedo Akingbade, commended the proposed increase in the retirement age of magistrates, saying the judiciary needed to retain officers with valuable experience and expertise.

However, Akingbade urged the Assembly to make any extension of service subject to the magistrates’ good health and periodic medical evaluations.

She also called for adequate checks and balances on the proposed power of the Chief Judge to increase magistrates’ jurisdiction, warning that such powers should be exercised within clear safeguards to prevent abuse.

Akingbade further urged the Assembly to address the welfare of magistrates in the proposed legislation, citing their heavy caseloads, inadequate remuneration and administrative challenges.

She called for increased funding for magistrates’ courts, as well as the adoption of technology-enabled civil adjudication and online dispute resolution mechanisms.

According to her, these measures would be necessary to ensure that the proposed increase in magistrates’ jurisdiction does not result in further delays in the administration of justice.

The stakeholders’ submissions will form part of the considerations by the Assembly as it processes the proposed amendment before its passage.

A 20-year-old man identified as Isiyaku Usman has been for allegedly luring a seven-year-old girl into an uncompleted building, defiling her and stealing her two mobile phones in in Darazo Local Government Area of the Bauchi State.

Bauchi Police Command Public Relations Officer, SP Nafiu Habib disclosed in statement on Monday that the suspect was arrested after the victim’s reported the matter to the police.

The father had told the police that the girl was on her way to the house of a neighbour with the two Android phones when Usman intercepted and took her into an uncompleted building, robbed her of the phones and forcefully had sexual intercourse with her.

Habib said following the father’s complaint, police detectives immediately commenced investigation and arrested the suspect in possession of the stolen phones.

He added that the victim and the suspect were subsequently taken to Darazo General Hospital for medical examination, while their statements were obtained by the police.

The Bauchi police spokesperson added that Usman voluntarily confessed to the offences and remained in police custody as investigation continued.

He also quoted the state Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu as condemning the alleged offence and directed that the case be transferred to the Gender Laboratory of the State Criminal Investigation Department for discreet investigation.

Habib said the suspect would be charged to court after the completion of the investigation.

The Bauchi commissioner reiterated the command’s zero tolerance for sexual and gender-based violence while urging parents and guardians to remain vigilant about the safety and movements of their children.

He also assured that the command would pursue the case and ensure that justice was served.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says its Post-Marketing Surveillance Directorate mopped up 7,210 regulated products during nationwide routine surveillance conducted between May and July 2026.

The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this at a news conference in Lagos on Monday.

Adeyeye said the products mopped up comprised food, drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, chemicals and other regulated products across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

She said the surveillance exercise covered 6,233 facilities across the agency’s food and water, drugs and herbals, cosmetics and chemicals regulatory areas.

The NAFDAC boss said food and water accounted for the highest number of products mopped up during the period, with 3,633 products recovered nationwide.

She said drugs and herbals followed with 2,459 products mopped up during the three-month surveillance exercise.

She noted that drugs and herbals accounted for the highest number of facilities visited, with 2,084 facilities inspected across the country.

She added that Food and Water followed with 1,808 facilities visited during the period under review.

Adeyeye said medical devices accounted for 183 products mopped up from 1,077 facilities, while cosmetics recorded 911 products from 821 facilities visited.

She further disclosed that vaccines and biologics accounted for three products mopped up from 268 facilities, while chemicals recorded 21 products from 175 facilities.

The director-general said recent NAFDAC publications concerning suspected counterfeit toothpaste, food products, medicines and other regulated products had demonstrated increasing public participation in regulatory intelligence gathering.

Adeyeye said members of the public had become important sources of regulatory intelligence, capable of triggering investigations, verification and regulatory communication concerning suspected regulated products in Nigeria.

She said concerns reported by members of the public regarding Oral-B and Colgate toothpaste were investigated by the agency, while an alert concerning Colgate was published on NAFDAC’s official websites.

Adeyeye also disclosed that surveillance findings revealed the counterfeiting of CWAY dispenser bottles by three companies using empty 19-litre bottles bearing the identities or branding of registered water companies.

According to her, the companies used the bottles without evidence of authorisation to produce or distribute the products, before collecting and refilling them with water from unapproved production sources.

She said the products were subsequently introduced into the market for sale and distribution to major hotels and supermarkets, adding that the operators were heavily sanctioned by the agency.

Adeyeye said such practices posed significant regulatory and public health concerns, including product misrepresentation, contamination, poor hygienic practices and traceability challenges for consumers.

The authorities of Kano State Police Command have handed over four stolen vehicles recently recovered during different operations to their owners.

This return of the vehicles to their owners was revealed in a statement by the Command’s spokesperson, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa on Sunday.

Kiyawa said the operations were conducted under the directive of the Commissioner of Police, Dr. Ibrahim Adamu Bakori.

The vehicles, he said, were recovered between August 1 and September 1, 2026.

The Kano Police spokesperson said one of the returned vehicles was a stolen Dangote Trailer Head, Reg. No. BKD 350 XB recovered by operatives of Dala Area Command following the arrest of one Surajo Usman Ubale.

He added that operatives of Dawakin Kudu Division, through Inter-Divisional collaboration with Datty Division Lagos, traced and recovered a Toyota Matrix, Reg. No. ABJ 398 CG which was earlier reportedly stolen and handed it over to Muftahu Mohammed Ola, the owner.

Kiyawa added that the Market Division of Kano Command acting on technical intelligence, also arrested Abba S. Adam and recovered a Hyundai Sonata, Maroon, 2016 Model, Reg. No. GWA93DW stolen from Kaduna which has now been handed over to the owner, Abubakar Muhd Nura.

Kiyawa added that the Command’s Special Intervention Squad (SIS) also arrested two suspects he identified as Yunusa Mohammed and Muhammad Sani and recovered a Honda Civic, Golden, Reg. No. ABJ 232 EY valued at ?1,500,000 from them.

He said the vehicle which was stolen at Sharada area of Kano has also been handed over to the owner.

The Kano police spokesperson added that all suspects arrested in connection with the theft of the vehicles have confessed to the crimes and will be charged to court upon completion of investigation, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the syndicate.

The Commissioner of Police, Dr. Bakori, commended the officers for their professionalism and appreciated members of the public for providing timely information.

The Command also urged all motor vehicle owners to always park in secure, well-lit areas and avoid isolated locations, install anti-theft devices such as trackers, gear locks, and alarms.

It also urged them not to leave vehicle keys, documents, and valuables inside their vehicle while they should report any suspicious sale or movement of vehicles to the nearest Police Station immediately.