Three vigilante operatives were, on Thursday, killed when gunmen bombed headquarters of Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, southeast Nigeria. The incident happened at about 2 a.m. The gunmen reportedly threw Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) into the council headquarters, destroying properties and killing the security officials. Sources from the community told this newspaper that the IEDs razed several buildings in the secretariat. “They (gunmen) also beheaded one of the vigilante operatives after killing them,” a source, who asked not to be named, said. Police spokesperson in Anambra state, Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident in a statement on Thursday. Ikenga,…

Gunmen who abducted 31 Edo train passengers on Saturday have allegedly demanded N620m ransom for their release. It was gathered on Monday that the criminals had presented their demands to the families of the abductees. Executive Director, Esan Youth for Good Governance and Social Justice, Benson Odia, disclosed that the kidnappers were demanding N20m for each victim. This was as the police anti-terrorism squad and the Nigerian Railway Corporation on Monday met to strategise on ways to rescue the train passengers. Speaking with our correspondent, Odia stated that the demand was absurd, calling on the authorities to intensify efforts in…

Chris Nehikhare, Edo state commissioner for communication and orientation, says 32 intending passengers were kidnapped at the train station in Igueben, on Saturday. Speaking with journalists on Sunday, Nehikhare said although 32 passengers were initially abducted, one passenger managed to escape. He added that the police have arrested one of the suspects and investigations are currently ongoing. “The kidnap is the most difficult occurrence in the state currently. Few armed men who came with vehicles at about 4pm started shooting sporadically at the Igueben train station,” he said. “Kidnapping 32 while many others were injured. They came with cars but…

Thirty-five fighters of the Islamic State of West African Province were killed by Boko Haram in a fierce battle between the two rival terror groups that resulted in the dislodgement of ISWAP from two of its Lake Chad region enclaves. In a chat with our correspondent in Maiduguri on Sunday, a reliable source said the clash took place on Saturday. He reported that the clash followed a series of intensive attacks by Boko Haram combatants led by five of the group’s commanders, most notably Abu Umaimah, on the ISWAP strongholds. In the attacks, which began in the Lake Chad island…