Guns other weapons recovered as Police arrest 10 Suspects over assassination attempt on Monarch

The Ondo State Police Command has arrested ten suspects in connection with a foiled assassination attempt on the traditional ruler of Igoba community in Akure North Local Government Area, Oba Adinlewa John.

The armed assailants reportedly stormed the community around 11:30 a.m., wielding guns, machetes, charms, and other dangerous weapons, leaving residents in fear as they launched a coordinated attack.

Before targeting the monarch’s palace, the gang allegedly assaulted a resident, Mrs. Ogunoye Oluomo, who sustained serious injuries and was robbed of her personal belongings.

According to eyewitnesses, the attackers made their way to the palace with the intention of killing Oba Adinlewa John.

The monarch, however, managed to escape unharmed, though the incident caused widespread panic throughout the community.

Confirming the incident, the Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, Adebowale Lawal, said a tactical response team was immediately dispatched to the area, leading to the arrest of ten suspects at the scene.

Recovered from the suspects were two locally made pistols, a single-barrel gun, live ammunition, charms, and other assorted weapons.

Lawal revealed that the suspects had already confessed to their involvement in the plot and would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.

He added that efforts are underway to apprehend other members of the gang who fled during the operation.

“Ondo State will not be allowed to become a breeding ground for violence and criminality,” the police commissioner said. “Security has been reinforced in Igoba to restore calm and ensure that no such incident occurs again.”

This attempted assassination comes just a day after another disturbing incident in the state, where the Onidogun of Idogun, Oba Moses Bakare, his wife, and their son, Prince Victor Bakare, were attacked by angry youths in Ose Local Government Area during preparations for the community’s new yam festival.

The monarch was assaulted, his wife stripped partially naked, and the crown prince reportedly injured.

The police have launched separate investigations into both incidents, which have sparked concern over rising threats to traditional institutions in the state.

Meanwhile, those injured during the attacks are currently receiving treatment at medical facilities in their respective communities.

Authorities say normalcy has returned to Igoba following the swift police intervention, with a heightened security presence now in place to maintain order and deter further violence.

Student arrested, remanded for unlawful possession of firearms

A 25-year-old student, Obinna Igwe, a suspected cult member, found in possession of a gun, on Thursday, appeared before an Ogudu Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State

The police arraigned Igwe, a resident of Oremeji Street in Bariga, on three counts of conspiracy, unlawful possession of a gun, and unlawful possession of cartridges.

The Prosecutor, Insp. Sunday Bassey told the court that the defendant and his accomplices, still at large, committed the offences on Sept. 9, at 11:00 p.m. at Shobande Street, Akoka, Bariga, Lagos.

He said the police received a distress call that some suspected cult boys had gathered in the area, prompting the Divisional Police Officer of Bariga Division, CSP Godwin Okploko, to lead a patrol team to the scene.

According to him, the suspects fled on sighting the police, but Igwe was arrested with the help of a security guard.

Bassey said one locally-made cut-to-size double-barrel gun and two live cartridges were recovered from Igwe during the operation.

He said the offences contravened Sections 411 and 330 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015, and Section 27 of the Firearms Act, Cap F28 Laws of the Federation, 2004.

The Magistrate, Mrs. O.A. Daodu, who did not take the plea of the defendant, ordered that the case file should be transferred to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice.

She further ordered that the defendant be remanded in custody and adjourned the case until Oct. 28, for mention.(NAN)

Worshippers killed, others kidnapped as gunmen invade Mosque during prayers

In a brutal attack on Friday morning, armed bandits stormed a mosque in Yandoto community, located in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, leaving at least five worshippers dead and abducting multiple others.

According to reports from Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency source, the assailants opened fire while congregants were engaged in prayers, killing five people on the spot.

The attackers then forcibly took an unspecified number of worshippers into the nearby forest.

The violent incident has sent shockwaves through the Yandoto community, with residents coming together to hold funeral prayers for the victims.

A local elder expressed deep sorrow, saying, “We pray Allah to forgive their shortcomings, accept them as martyrs, and bring an end to this bloodshed in our land.”

This attack follows a similar tragedy less than a week earlier, when gunmen abducted 40 worshippers during dawn prayers at a mosque in Gidan Turbe village, also in Tsafe LGA.

Eyewitnesses of the latest assault reported that the attackers surrounded the mosque around 5:30 a.m., forced the worshippers out at gunpoint, and then marched them into the forest near the Gohori axis.

The repeated violence has heightened fears among residents, as communities grapple with ongoing insecurity and the threat posed by armed groups in the region.