Residents of Oremeji in the Shasha area of Alimosho Local Government, Lagos State, were thrown into panic on Sunday, November 9, after street urchins stabbed a Nigerian Air Force officer. Community members told PUNCH Metro during a visit on Saturday that the incident began following a confrontation between the officer—who was “not in uniform” at the time—and some boys at a football pitch.

A resident identified simply as Baba said trouble started when a ball being used during a football game hit the officer. According to him, “Some boys were playing football on Oremeji Street here in Shasha when the ball hit the man, who was not in uniform. Nobody knew he was an officer. He tried to seize the ball and beat the boy who kicked it.” Baba added that although people intervened and pleaded with him to calm down, the officer punched the boy, prompting others to restrain him.

Baba recounted that the officer pulled out a knife from his pocket after he noticed a crowd gathering. He said the officer stabbed the ball and then threatened to stab anyone who touched him. In the process, some of the boys trying to restrain him sustained injuries. A fight later broke out, and one of the boys managed to collect the knife and stabbed the officer. He added that the officer was rushed to a hospital, but residents initially heard that he did not survive.

Another resident, Sola, said Air Force personnel from the Shasha base stormed the area shortly after the incident. He alleged that some residents were beaten as the officers searched for the boy involved in the altercation and members of his family. He added that the area had remained tense and that the police had done little to calm the situation.

Residents further reported that the tension had spread to the Orisumbare area, causing business owners to close their shops earlier than usual out of fear of reprisals. A resident named Eniola said, “We have been living in fear since the incident happened, and shop owners now close much earlier than expected. And this was after the air force officers came on the second and third day to assault and pick people up randomly.” She added that those involved in the stabbing had fled the community, leaving innocent people affected.

Another resident, Esther Komolafe, said military operatives fired tear gas during a reprisal the following day. She explained that she was driving along the route when she saw people running. According to her, “We got closer to the exact spot before we realised that the air force officers had fired teargas. As I speak to you, the area is still tense, and we no longer take the route once it is evening.”

Contrary to claims by some residents that the officer had died, spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Abimbola Adebisi, said the officer was alive. Adebisi explained, “There was a fight between some individuals, and after the fight, they realised that the injured person happened to be an Air Force officer. He was only injured; nobody died.” She noted that although the case was not formally reported to the police, the Divisional Police Officer visited the scene, identified the injured officer and confirmed he had received treatment.

Addressing allegations of harassment by Air Force personnel, Adebisi said, “The claim that Air Force officers have been disturbing people is not true. There is nothing like that.” She added that when some of the officer’s colleagues attempted to retaliate on Wednesday, the DPO and community leaders intervened, and the issue was resolved. She said a round-table discussion involving the Air Force commandant also contributed to restoring calm.

Efforts to obtain comments from the spokesperson for the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, were unsuccessful as calls to his phone were unanswered and WhatsApp messages had not received replies at the time of filing the report. The incident adds to a history of violent clashes between civilians and military personnel, including a 2021 case in Oshodi where officers stormed the area “to avenge the death of an officer of the Nigerian Air Force, who was allegedly mobbed to death by hoodlums.”

Credit: The Punch

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday directed security and intelligence agencies to immediately rescue the 25 female students abducted during an early-morning attack on Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School (GGCSSS), Maga, in Kebbi State. The operation followed an invasion by gunmen who struck at dawn on Sunday, killing the school’s Vice Principal, Malam Hassan Makuku, before taking away the pupils.

According to initial reports, the attackers broke into the school premises in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area and shot Makuku while he attempted to shield the students from harm. The incident threw the community into mourning as residents continued offering prayers for the late administrator, describing his actions as courageous and selfless.

Kebbi State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Nafiu Abubakar, confirmed that security operatives had launched a manhunt for the perpetrators. Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, also announced that the President had issued a directive for a high-level rescue mission to bring the girls home safely.

In a statement, Idris said, “President Tinubu has reiterated that protecting every Nigerian, especially schoolchildren, remains a solemn responsibility of the State.” He added that security and intelligence agencies had been given “clear directives to locate, rescue, and safely return the pupils, and to ensure that the perpetrators face justice.”

The minister assured that the Federal Government was intensifying efforts to secure the release of the abducted students and was strengthening collaboration with ECOWAS, the African Union (AU), and the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) to enhance border security and weaken terrorist networks. He further noted that the administration was “recalibrating the nation’s military, policing and intelligence capabilities to prevent attacks and respond more rapidly to threats.”

Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, condemned the incident, describing the attack as unacceptable and urging all security agencies to act swiftly and in coordination to secure the safe release of the pupils. He said, “President Tinubu has directed that the state’s security apparatus swing into immediate action to ensure the abducted students are released unharmed.” He appealed for calm, assuring residents that government and security forces were actively addressing the situation.

Matawalle extended condolences to the family of the late vice principal and others affected by the attack. He said, “I pray to Allah to grant him mercy, a peaceful resting place, and to console his family and loved ones over this painful and unjust loss.”

Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris also visited Maga, where he met with parents, traditional rulers and security officials. He assured families of the abducted pupils that every effort was being deployed toward rescuing their children. The governor stated, “The unfortunate thing has already happened. They have abducted our children. We came here, we saw things for ourselves, and we met the parents whose children were taken. We gave them confidence, and we gave them our word that we will do everything possible to ensure that their children are rescued.”

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar condemned the killings and abductions, saying he was “devastated” by the attack, and called on the Federal Government to overhaul the nation’s security architecture and deploy more personnel to vulnerable areas. Former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi also expressed concern, praying for the safe return of the students. He wrote on X: “My heart is heavy in faraway Monaco as I receive the heartbreaking news from Kebbi State about the attack on Maga Comprehensive Girls’ Secondary School, which led to the abduction of several young female students and the killing of a staff member.”

The mass abduction of schoolchildren recalls earlier high-profile cases across northern Nigeria, including the 2014 Chibok kidnapping in Borno State and subsequent attacks targeting schools in Yobe, Kaduna and Katsina states.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has raised fresh alarm over what it called the disturbing evolution of internet fraudsters into ritual killers, citing a recent case in which a young man allegedly buried his mother alive in a desperate quest for wealth. The Acting Zonal Director of the EFCC, Makurdi Zonal Directorate, ACE I Effa Imo Okim, revealed the details during a courtesy visit to the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Benue State.

During the meeting, NUJ Chairman Bemdoo Ugber questioned whether the Commission had shifted its focus away from corrupt public office holders and was now concentrating more heavily on suspects involved in “Yahoo-Yahoo.” The EFCC Zonal Director dismissed the suggestion, insisting that the agency remains fully committed to tackling corruption at all levels while reinforcing that the intensified clampdown on internet fraudsters is informed by their growing involvement in violent crimes, including ritual killings.

Okim explained that many of the so-called “Yahoo boys” have turned to ritualists in search of supernatural powers to boost illicit financial gains, adding that such practices now include the sacrifice of close relatives. He warned that this pattern shows an alarming level of moral decline and criminal desperation among young people.

The EFCC official referred to a recent viral video that reportedly showed a young man killing his mother for ritual purposes. He said the case should prompt parents to closely monitor the behavioural changes and social associations of their children, particularly those in tertiary institutions, to prevent such tragic outcomes.

He narrated that the suspect joined a cult-like group shortly after entering a tertiary institution, and the group allegedly connected him with a ritualist who demanded that he bury his mother alive as a condition for acquiring wealth-producing powers. According to Okim, the young man returned home during school holidays and secretly prepared a grave before attacking his mother under the pretext of spending time with her.

Okim said the suspect allegedly struck his mother in the mouth with a heavy object, tied her up and dragged her into the grave before burying her alive in line with instructions he had received. He stated, “Not only did he tie her, he dragged her into the grave and covered her with soil — all in compliance with the demands of the ritualists.”

The EFCC official described the case as one of the most horrifying examples of the extent to which some internet fraudsters now go in their pursuit of quick riches. He warned that society is heading toward a troubling future if urgent steps are not taken to curb the trend.

The agency urged parents, community leaders and educational authorities to intensify efforts to monitor young people more closely, stressing that early detection of behavioural changes may help prevent similar tragedies.