Two Suspects remanded in Prison over alleged abduction, murder of fourteen years old boy

A Kano State High Court on Monday remanded two men: Isma’il Adamu, 22, and Isma’il Rabiu, 24, in a correctional centre for allegedly kidnapping and stabbing a 14-year-old boy, Abdullahi Sani, to death.

Adamu who lives at Zara Quarters Mariri and Rabilu of Maganda Quarters Mariri, respectively, are facing a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy, kidnapping and culpable homicide.

Justice Musa Ahmad ordered that the defendants be remanded in a correctional centre and adjourned the matter until Jan.30, for hearing.

Earlier, the prosecution counsel, Mr Salisu Muhammad-Tahir, who is also the Kano State Solicitor-General, told the court that the defendants committed the offence on Feb. 8, 2024, at Fulani Quarters, Hotoro, Kano.

He alleged that the defendants conspired and kidnapped the deceased
and later contacted his family, demanding a ransom of N3 million, which was not paid.
“The defendants later lured the deceased into an uncompleted building at Fulani Quarters Hotoro and stabbed him on his neck, chest and shoulder with a sharp knife, leading to his death” Muhammad-Tahir said
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The prosecutor said the offences contravened sections 97, 274 and 221 of the Penal Code Law.(NAN)

Nigerian Army reacts to alleged mutiny report by Soldiers over poor salaries and allowances

The Nigerian Army has dismissed as false and misleading an online report alleging threats of mutiny by soldiers over salaries and allowances, describing the claim as sensational and detrimental to national security.

In a statement issued on Monday in Abuja, the acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Appolonia Anele, said there had been no threat of mutiny within the Nigerian Army.

Anele said that such conduct was alien to its ethos, discipline and professionalism.

She said mutiny was a grave offence under military law and incompatible with the loyalty of Nigerian Army personnel to the Constitution and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

Anele explained that the report relied on anonymous and unverifiable claims circulated through non-official channels, which did not reflect the views or disposition of officers and soldiers who were trained to address grievances through established military procedures.

Anele clarified that promotion increments were only one component of military pay and should not be misrepresented as total earnings.

According to her, military remuneration includes consolidated salaries, rank-based allowances, operational, field and hardship allowances, as well as other entitlements that vary based on deployment, qualifications and responsibilities.

She said the Nigerian Army, in collaboration with the Armed Forces of Nigeria and relevant government authorities, was implementing structured welfare reforms, including periodic reviews of salaries and allowances, enhanced operational incentives, improved accommodation, medical care and insurance packages for troops and their families.

The army spokesperson added that the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, had, since assuming office, initiated constructive engagements with relevant authorities on troop welfare, with positive outcomes already emerging.

Anele reaffirmed that the Federal Government, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, remained committed to the welfare and operational effectiveness of the Armed Forces amid evolving security challenges.

She urged the public to disregard unfounded reports and rely on official communication channels for accurate information on the Nigerian Army. (NAN)

Govt removes 607 beggars, mentally challenged persons from the streets

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCT) has removed 607 beggars and mentally challenged individuals from the streets of Abuja, from July 2025 to date.

Mrs Ukachi Adebayo, Head of Enforcement, FCT Social Development Secretariat (SDS) made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday.

Adebayo said the exercise was carried out by the Operation Sweep Abuja team, to flush out all criminal elements from the city.

She said that out of the 607 evacuated, 583 were beggars while 23 were mentally challenged individuals.

She added that the beggars and the mentally challenged individuals had been counselled, profiled and taken back to their various states in collaboration with the state governments through their liaison offices.

“What we do when we apprehend the beggars and mentally challenged individuals is to counsel them to be able to profile them.

“After that, we take them to their various liaison offices to be returned to their respective states where they are expected to undergo rehabilitation,” she said.

Noting that the beggars and mentally challenged persons return to the streets after the evacuation, Adebayo said that the operation was ongoing and would continue to take them off the streets of Abuja.

She said: “The more you take them out; the more they resurface.

“Some of them were driven by insecurity in their state and they ran to Abuja to take refuge but we will continue to apprehend them and take them back”.

Similarly, Mrs Gloria Onwuka, acting Director, Social Welfare, SDS, said that some of the children begging on the streets were brought in from other states by unidentified individuals to beg and hand over the proceeds to them.

Onwuka added that some of the women that were caught with children, begging on their behalf were not their biological children.

“Begging is now run like a business. People will go and hire people’s children from other states, put them in vehicles very early in the morning, come to Abuja and start begging.

“The families they are hiring these children from don’t even know that this is what they are using their children to do.

“We have caught so many of them like that,” she said.

Also, Dr Peter Olumuji, Secretary, FCTA Command and Control Centre, explained that Operation Sweep was a joint security operation involving all relevant security agencies and FCT’s Secretariats, Departments and Agencies.

Olumuji told NAN that the operation was instituted by the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, to sweep Abuja of miscreants, street beggars, scavengers and other criminal elements.

He pointed out that beggars pose security threats and constitute a nuisance in the city, adding that some of them serve as informants to criminals.

“Not only that, the beggars and mentally challenged individuals also deface the beauty of the capital city, while some of them become victims of kidnapping for rituals and other negative purposes,” he said.

He said that the operation was ongoing and would continue to crackdown on beggars, miscreants and other criminal elements wherever they resurfaced.

NAN recalls that Wike, had in October 2024, declared war on beggars defacing Abuja city and posing security risk.

The minister explained that the move was necessary over concerns that Abuja was turning into a beggars’ city.

“Let me say clearly now, we have declared war on beggars because Abuja is returning to beggar’s city.

“If you know you have a sister, you have a brother who is a beggar on the road; do something, because from next week, we will carry them; we will take them out of the city.

“It is embarrassing that people who come into Abuja, the first thing they see are just beggars on the road,” he said.

Wike further said that sometimes the supposed beggars may not be beggars but criminals pretending to be beggars.

“We will not allow that,” he said.

He explained that the move was to ensure maximum security so that residents could sleep with their two eyes closed. (NAN)