Police, SSS Rescue Kidnapped Naval Officer, 2 Others; Arrest 4 Suspected Kidnappers In FCT

Police, SSS, rescue kidnapped naval officer, 2 others; arrest 4 suspected kidnappers in FCT. A joint operation among the Nigerian military, State Security Services, members of the Hunters’ Group, and led by the FCT Police Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit, has led to the rescue of a naval

Ajoint operation among the Nigerian military, State Security Services, members of the Hunters’ Group, and led by the FCT Police Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit, has led to the rescue of a naval officer and two civilians, including the arrest of four suspected kidnappers.

The FCT Command’s spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, in a statement on X, on Sunday, said the trio were kidnapped at about 07:35 p.m., on Friday, by heavily armed assailants who attacked Mamman Vatsa Estate Gate, blocked Mpape Road, and opened fire at moving vehicles.

Mrs Adeh said, “Shortly after the attack, the kidnappers contacted the victims’ families, demanding a ransom of ₦500 million for the naval officer and ₦200 million each for the two civilians.”

The spokesperson said the command’s Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Isyaku Sharu, upon receiving the distress report, collaborated with the other security outfits to conduct an intense search-and-rescue operation across Mpape, Gidan Bawa, Anguwan Mu’azu, and Yelwa Hills, covering areas in the FCT and Nasarawa State.

She said, “Acting on credible intelligence, between 2:00 am and 5:30 am on March 23, 2025, operatives traced the suspects to a Fulani resettlement in Anguwan Mu’azu and Yelwa Hills, Nasarawa State, where four (4) suspects were arrested, and the victims were rescued unharmed. Additionally, the sum of ₦3.2 million, suspected to be ransom money from previous kidnapping operations, was recovered from the suspects.”

SSS Rescue Kidnapped Naval Officer

Stating that the victims were in stable condition and receiving medical attention at the Nigerian Army Clinic, Mrs Adeh noted that efforts were ongoing to track and apprehend the remaining suspects currently at large. She assured that security deployments had also been reinforced in Mpape and surrounding areas to prevent future occurrences.

She therefore advised members of the public to go about their daily activities without any apprehension, urging them to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the police via the following emergency numbers: 08032003913, 08028940883, 07057337653; Complaint Response Unit:

Taraba: Troops Destroy Bandits’ Hideouts, Arrest Suspected Gunrunners

Taraba: Troops destroy bandits’ hideouts, arrest suspected gunrunners. Troops of 6 Brigade, Nigerian Army/Sector 3 Operation Whirl Stroke, in collaboration with Sector 2 Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), have destroyed bandits’ hideouts in military operations in Taraba and Plateau States.

They also succeeded in arrested some suspected gunrunners who have been wreaking havoc in the states. The Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, 6 Brigade, Captain Olubodunde Oni, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.

He said the troops launched an offensive on March 22 at Achalle, a border community between Karim Lamido Local Government Area (LGA) of Taraba and Wase Local Government Area of Plateau.

During the operation, the troops engaged and dislodged armed bandits, recovering a motorcycle before advancing to another stronghold.

“At the second location, which had over 70 huts, the troops met resistance but overwhelmed the criminals with superior firepower.

Troops

Another motorcycle and an international passport belonging to one Muhammadu Dahiru, suspected to be linked to the syndicate, were recovered,” the statement said.

Oni stated that the troops later cleared the Dutsen Zaki high ground, neutralizing threats in the area. Similarly, on March 16, troops raided the residence of two notorious gunrunners, Irimiya Aboki and Tanko Adamu, also known as Arewa Mafia, in Mararraba Donga, Donga LGA.

SERAP Sues Tinubu Over Suspension Of Rivers’s Governor, Deputy, Lawmakers

SERAP sues Tinubu over suspension of Rivers’s governor, Deputy, Lawmakers. The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has sued President Bola over what it describes as the “unlawful suspension” of the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara; his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and members of the State House of Assembly.

Last Tuesday, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the oil-rich state and suspended the governor and other elected officials for an initial period of six months.

He cited as the basis for his action “the disturbing” violence in the state in the last 24 hours, including explosions and vandalisation of petroleum pipelines, linked to the political crises in the state.

The President had relied on Section 305 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution in his decision that has been greeted with criticism from several interest groups, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Nigerian Bar Association, opposition leaders and erudite lawyers.

In a statement on Sunday, SERAP argued that the decision violates constitutional provisions and undermines democratic governance.

The group said it filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday via three members of its Volunteers’ Lawyers Network (SVLN) in Rivers State—Yirabari Israel Nulog, Nengim Ikpoemugh Royal, and Gracious Eyoh-Sifumbukho.

“The rule of law would be a mere figure of speech if the people’s right to participation can be arbitrarily suspended or violated,” SERAP Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare said.

“Democracy is an inherent element of the rule of law. Nigeria’s democracy ought to have as its foundation respect for human rights and the rule of law,” the statement read.

SERAP Sues Tinubu

To the group, the suspension contradicts both the Nigerian Constitution and international legal obligations, citing the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance.

“The combined provisions of Sections 1(2), 14(1)(c), 176(1)(2), and 305(1) of the Nigerian Constitution create a delicate balance of rights and responsibilities, ensuring that the exercise of presidential power does not override the people’s right to participate in their own governance,” it said.