Crime
Military In Search As Bandits Abduct Ex-NYSC DG In Katsina
Military In Search As Bandits Abduct Ex-NYSC DG In Katsina
Military in search as bandits abduct ex-NYSC DG in Katsina. Military forces have begun a search-and-rescue operation following the abduction of former Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brig. Gen. Maharazu Tsiga (retd.), by bandits in Tsiga village, Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The attack, which occurred around 12:30 a.m. on Thursday, reportedly lasted for three hours.
The bandits also killed one person and kidnapped at least nine others while ransacking homes and looting valuables.
Eyewitnesses said the assailants stormed the community, shooting sporadically to instill fear.
A resident, speaking on condition of anonymity, suggested that Gen. Tsiga was the primary target.
“From the look of things, General Tsiga was their target because none of his family members were kidnapped. He is living with his family there, but after they picked him, they also picked others alongside the general,” the source said.
The Katsina State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Sadiq, said he had yet to be briefed on the incident but promised to provide updates once available.
I am yet to be briefed on the facts of the reports. I’ll get back to you as soon as I get the details, please,” he said.
The Nigerian Army has since mobilised troops to locate and rescue the abducted general and other victims.
A senior military official familiar with the situation revealed that the Commander of the 17 Brigade, Brig. Gen. Babatunde Omopariola, personally led the search operation in the forested areas of the state.
The source confirmed, “Brigade Commander, Brigadier-General Babatunde Omopariola, has been in the bush since the night of the incident.”
As of press time, no official statements had been released by the Army, Police, or NYSC headquarters regarding the incident.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has activated the toll-free 112 emergency number for Nigerians to report kidnapping and security threats.
The National Coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, Maj. Gen. Adamu Laka, announced the initiative as part of broader efforts to combat ransom-driven abductions.
The Nigerian Communications Commission has facilitated an emergency response number—112. The NCTC calls on all Nigerians to report suspicious activities, crimes, kidnappings, among others, by calling the toll-free number 112, including the Multi-Agency Anti-Kidnap Fusion Cell designated numbers that will be provided to members of the public,” Laka said.
He noted that while Nigeria recorded a 16.3% decrease in kidnapping incidents in 2024 compared to the previous year, the number of victims rose slightly by 0.27%. Kaduna, Katsina, and Zamfara states in the North-West were identified as the most affected regions, accounting for 13.8% of total incidents and 61.1% of recorded victims.
Laka explained that bandits, terrorists, cultists, and separatist groups continue to use kidnapping as a primary source of funding for illicit activities.
“In 2024, Nigeria recorded a 16.3 per cent decrease in incidents compared to 2023. However, the number of victims increased slightly by 0.27 per cent. Kaduna, Katsina, and Zamfara states in the North-West accounted for the highest prevalence, with 13.8 per cent of total incidents and 61.1 per cent of victims of the total recorded cases,” he said.
Katsina
He stressed that despite government efforts, mass abductions persist, forcing agrarian communities to flee, disrupting food production, and driving up food prices. “The sustained payment of ransom fuelled the crime, as perpetrators exploited families’ fears to demand exorbitant sums,” Laka added.
The government has employed both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies, including military raids, arrests of kidnappers, and destruction of hideouts. Looking ahead to 2025, Laka stated, “The government projects that kidnapping for ransom will persist in 2025 due to its financial incentives.
To counter this, authorities aim to strengthen counter-kidnapping initiatives, expand efforts to the six geo-political regions, improve collaborations with the 36 state governments, reinforce public confidence in government protection to discourage ransom payments, and engage state governments to address unemployment and economic vulnerabilities that drive individuals to crime.”
Brazil Fines TikTok $30m Over Failure to Implement Child Safety
Brazil’s data protection agency on Tuesday fined TikTok nearly $30 million for failing to implement child safety measures in what it said was a “powerful signal” to social media companies.
Eereporter.com
Brazil has taken a tough stance on the regulation of social media platforms, cracking down on disinformation and requiring users under 16 years to have their accounts linked to those of their parents.
An enforcement director with the ANPD data protection agency, Fabricio Lopes, told a press conference that TikTok “was not taking the necessary measures to prevent adolescents from accessing the platform and from having the data of these children and adolescents processed.”
This data was “being used to offer advertising to adolescents.”
He said the fine of 153.7m reais ($29.9 million) was a “powerful signal to other platforms regarding how seriously the ANPD takes this work” and that the agency hoped they “get the message.”
TikTok agreed last week to pay $400m to settle a lawsuit with the US Department of Justice over claims that the video-sharing platform collected children’s personal data without parental permission.
– Tougher enforcement –
This month, the ANPD also ordered popular streaming platform Discord to suspend livestreams and video calls after a teenage girl was allegedly encouraged to take her own life during a broadcast.
The agency told AFP that an appeal filed by Discord on Monday against the suspension is under review.
ANPD director Lorena Coutinho said the agency had, last week, initiated proceedings to verify the compliance of 22 social media networks and platforms with a law passed this year to protect children and teens online.
In addition to the fine, the ANPD ordered TikTok parent company ByteDance to delete data collected in violation of regulations.
Coutinho said TikTok had committed to suspend all adverts for users who are not logged in.
TikTok has committed to “implementing a compliance plan to improve the protection of children and adolescents,” the ANPD said.
Brazil Fines TikTok
The platform will be required to automatically apply stricter privacy settings to accounts belonging to children under the age of 16, strengthen parental supervision systems, and implement stricter content filters.
TikTok did not immediately respond to requests for comment from AFP.
In 2024, the platform X was blocked for 40 days in Brazil, until the social media network owned by the world’s richest person, Elon Musk, complied with the Supreme Court’s orders to remove accounts spreading disinformation.
Eereporter.com
EFCC Grills Raheem Abiodun Wasiu for Alleged $12,000 Fraud in Enugu
Operatives of the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC have commenced investigations into the activities of one Raheem Abiodun Wasiu, an alleged serial fraudster, for an alleged case of fraud to the tune of $12,000 (Twelve Thousand United States Dollars).
Eereporter.com
Wasiu, 38, was arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, following a complaint by one Ezekulie Stanley Chukwuamuanya, a Bureau De Change operator who claimed that he was defrauded the sum of $5000 (Five Thousand United States Dollars) by the suspect.
In the course of investigation by operatives of the EFCC, it was discovered that the suspect rents different Toyota Hilux trucks, disguises as a wealthy contractor, moves with escorts and meets BDC operators in the south-east and allegedly tricks them into parting with their had earned money, by presenting fake alerts in Naira to them, after collecting their money.
According to Chukwumuanya, “I gave him the dollar and he counted it by himself. After confirmation, he then asked for my bank details. After giving him my account number, he mentioned my name that popped up on his bank application, I confirmed it. The next thing he told me was that it had gone through, which I waited for the alert to come, to no avail. Because of time, he asked me to go and that I will get it, that it could be network issues and I left because of his personality”. He alleged that soon after that, the suspect became incommunicado.
Another petitioner, based in Owerri, Imo State, one Chief Nwaoha Ubaferem equally alleged that Wasiu defrauded him of the sum of $7,000. He said, “the dollar on me was $2,600, then I called my office to bring additional $4,400 to me to complete it as he requested for $7,000. As we were waiting, he complained that he was running late and we decided to move to Royce Road from Port Harcourt Road where he finally collected the money from me, resumed transfer, called my name and informed me that the transfer had gone which I believed but continued to expect alert from him”.
EFCC
Further investigations revealed that the suspect has toured the South-east, and Akwa Ibom State, using the same pattern to allegedly defraud BDC operators.
Items recovered from the suspect include: A Hilux truck (Akwa Ibom KTR 379 AA), various bank ATM cards, different bank transfer tokens, digital National Identification Number slip with the name Sunday Abiodun, two complimentary cards with the name Engineer Abiodun, a designer bag (Emporio Amani), One iPhone 17 Promax, One Samsung phone, 4G internet pocket WIFI, One Patek Philip wrist watch, vehicle particulars, One gold bangle and a pair of shoes (Alexandra MC Queen).
The suspect will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.
Eereporter.com
EFCC Boss Orders Withdrawal of Charges Against Maryam Shehu, Abubakar Shuraim Abdulhamad
The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede has compassionately ordered the withdrawal of charges preferred against Maryam Isah Shehu and Abubakar Shuraim Abdulhamad, who were, on Thursday August 20, 2026 arraigned before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, for alleged cybercrime and peddling malicious information against the Commission.
Eereporter.com
While the Commission considered the arraignment of the two defendants for cyber stalking to be contrary to Section 24(2) (c) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (As Amended) 2024 and punishable under Section 24 (2) (c) (ii) of the same Act, the Executive Chairman, nonetheless, considered the passionate pleas and apologies of Shehu’s father and appeals of well-meaning Nigerians for leniency.
To this end, he has directed that charges filed against the two young Nigerians be dropped and warned that the EFCC would no longer tolerate any wilful attack on its image in any form, medium or platform.
Ola Olukoyede
The EFCC’s boss assured Nigerians that the Commission would continue to function in line with its assigned mandate and in the best interests of the nation.
Eereporter.com
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