Demonstrators took to the streets in early August to voice their dissatisfaction with perceived poor governance and to demand the reversal of certain policies. The protests, which at times threatened to become violent, led many people to stay indoors, significantly impacting local businesses.
Related story: Nigeria holds youth summit on national security after protests
Gunmen stormed the residence of Salisu Ango, Governor Umar Dikko Radda’s liaison officer, in Gyaza village, Kankia Local Government Area, Katsina State, killing him and his first wife. His second wife was also abducted during the attack.
Ango, a former Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Kankia Chapter was shot dead by the bandits who invaded his home on Friday, August 16, 2024.
In another incident of banditry in Kankia Local Government Area, bandits on Saturday night reportedly carried out a raid on Tashar Gamji community. The armed criminals moved from house to house, stealing an unspecified number of domestic animals. Residents reported that the bandits also made away with food items and other valuables during the attack.
Also, in a separate attack but this time, on Shirgi community in Batsari Local Government Area, the gunmen killed one person, injured another, and abducted 28 others. The assailants also rustled several domestic animals from the community.
A resident of Shirgi, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the bandits invaded the village on Sunday night, targeting women and children. The assailants shot and killed one ‘Amadu Suru’ while he was trying to secure his animals.
The Katsina State Police Command has confirmed both attacks. While the command has acknowledged the incident in Kankia, it is yet to confirm the details of the Shirgi attack, promising to release an official statement after receiving a report from the Divisional Police Officer in Batsari.
Unlike Batsari, Kankia has historically been less affected by banditry. However, sharing borders with Dutsinma and Danmusa, areas notorious for bandit attacks, has made Kankia vulnerable to occasional incursions. The recent killing of the governor’s aide is one example of this growing threat.
Related story: Fate of pastor, 13-year-old daughter kidnapped in Nigeria unknown after ransom payment
Paul Mbadugha, a Vietnam-bound businessman, was stopped at Abuja airport’s boarding gate after a body scan revealed he had ingested drugs, Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) stated Sunday.
While under observation, Mbadugha reportedly excreted the cocaine pellets, claiming they were handed to him by a friend in Lagos’ Isolo district.
Mbadugha claimed that his friend persuaded him to swallow the drug wraps, promising a payout of $2,000 in return.
Dr. Enyinna Omoke, MD, an Abuja-based doctor who witnessed the incident, told OCCRP that cocaine is among the most frequently trafficked drugs using this method—swallowing or inserting packages into body cavities.
“Internally smuggling drugs can hyperstimulate the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord, leading to severe consequences such as brain damage, respiratory failure, and even death,” he explained.
The gastrointestinal tract, from mouth to anus, as well as the vagina and ears, are the most common areas used for internal drug concealment. Individuals who transport drugs this way are often caught due to suspicious behavior, intoxication, or leakage from the drug packets inside their bodies.
Last year, the NDLEA apprehended a notorious drug kingpin known for recruiting young Nigerians to smuggle cocaine into Europe. He was caught in the act of arranging for a courier to swallow 93 cocaine pellets destined for distribution in Italy.
By Nneoma Omeje, OCCRP
The students were on their way to a medical convention when their motorcade was intercepted in central Benue State. The Benue State police command on Monday said it has launched an investigation into the abduction of the medical students and deployed tactical teams on a rescue mission.
But they said the teams have not reported any success. Twenty medical students from the universities of Jos and Maiduguri and a medical doctor travelling with them were taken on their way to the conference in eastern Enugu State. Anene Sewuese Catherine, the Benue state police public relations officer, spoke to VOA via phone.
“The team has moved but we've not heard from them," Catherine said. "Investigation of kidnap is classified, we don't [share] details or until there's success. There's no update for now."
The abduction sparked widespread condemnation over insecurity in Africa's most populous nation, where authorities have struggled for several years to control violence from armed gangs locally referred to as "bandits."
Over the weekend, the national police ordered the deployment of helicopters, drones and specialized tactical teams to aid in the search for the medical students. The Nigerian Medical Students Association said the abductors, using the students’ phones, issued a demand of about $31,400 to release the entire group.
The association has been urging authorities to secure the release of the students unharmed. The association’s national president, Moses Onwubuya, said students are threatening to protest if their colleagues are not released soon.
"The only response we've been getting is that we should just calm down, that security agencies are in the matter," Onwubuya said. "Calls have been going out through the phone numbers of our abducted colleagues. Students are agitating, we're only trying to see if we can abide by the security guidelines, but I can't guarantee what will happen any moment from now."
According to Center for Democracy and Development — West Africa, Nigeria recorded more than 4,000 abductions in 2023, accounting for 58 percent of the total cases in West Africa and the highest in five years.
Security analysts say a severe economic crisis in Nigeria is pushing more people toward crime and kidnapping for ransom. Nigerian authorities have pledged to address economic problems along with security challenges. Meanwhile, families of victims are hoping their loved ones return to them safely.
Related story: Video - Nigerian authorities working to secure release kidnapped students
The whereabouts of a pastor and his daughter kidnapped in northwestern Nigeria were unknown after their captors threatened to kill them even after receiving a ransom payment.
Isa Andrew, chaplain with All Saints Protestant Church of the Zamfara State Police Command, and his 13-year-old daughter, Grace Isa Andrew, were kidnapped from their home in Gusau on July 14. Relatives and friends had managed to pay a ransom of 6 million naira ($3,770 USD), only to have the captors threaten to kill him if they did not receive another 6 million naira along with three motorcycles by Aug. 15.
Relatives received a video of the blindfolded pastor making an appeal for payment of the ransom, his daughter standing beside him with an AK-47 rifle strapped to her shoulder as a sign that she would be married off and made to join the assailants.
Pastor Andrew in the video identified himself as a pastor and chaplain who worked with the Interfaith Directorate of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), saying his daughter, Grace, was with him. He said that after they were kidnapped from their home, his family paid a ransom of 6 million naira, but that the captors upon collection demanded another payment of the same amount along with two Boxer motorcycles and a Honda motorcycle.
“We did all we could, we sold everything that we have; sold our properties, sold our car, sold our items; we took loans, my brother took loans, my wife took loans persons of goodwill also assisted us to raise the 6 million naira that was demanded,” Pastor Andrew said. “As it is, fellow Nigerians, I want to beg of you, I want to beg of our nation’s first lady, the mother of the nation, to please come to our aid. She’s the Esther of our time, please come to our aid.
He said his daughter was “being exposed to a lot of maltreatment, exposed to starvation,” and that he was a diabetic whose health was deteriorating each day.
“Please come to our aid, assist us. We have been given from now up to next week Thursday, 15 August, 2024, otherwise I will be executed, and my daughter will be forcefully married out. She’s just 13 years of age,” he said. “Please help us. I need your help. The Lord bless you.”
The Zamfara State Police command confirmed the kidnapping of the pastor and his daughter in the wee hours of July 14. State Police Commissioner Mohammed Dalijan said 53 patrol vehicles had been deployed to various streets in Gusau.
Gusau resident Timothy Soladoye obtained a copy of the video and confirmed that it was his pastor who was kidnapped with his daughter.
“We are still contributing for his release,” Soladoye told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News before the Aug. 15 deadline. “Please let us share and do something for their possible release before the said Thursday, 15 August.”
The video was widely circulated across social media platforms on Aug. 10.
Gusau resident Emmanuel Bulus also sent out a plea.
“Isa Andrew is not only a dedicated civilian working with the Nigerian police but also serves as a chaplain in their church,” Bulus said. “My fellow Nigerians, I implore you, let’s not allow this tragedy to unfold. We must rally together to save Isa and Grace and reunite them with their wife and mother and two other children.”
Pastor Andrew was reportedly abducted eight days after gunmen released parish priest Mikah Suleiman of St. Raymond Catholic Church Damba, who had been kidnapped for 16 days.
In Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List (WWL) of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, Nigeria was ranked No. 6, as it was in the previous year. Nigeria remained the deadliest place in the world to follow Christ, with 4,118 people killed for their faith from Oct. 1, 2022, to Sept. 30, 2023, according to the WWL report.
More kidnappings of Christians than in any other country also took place in Nigeria, with 3,300. Nigeria was also the third highest country in number of attacks on churches and other Christian buildings such as hospitals, schools and cemeteries, with 750, according to the report.
Related story: Nigeria police working to secure release of 20 kidnapped medical students
