News
55 feared kidnapped as bandits ambush Katsina wedding train
No fewer than 55 wedding guests who were said to be escorting a bride home along the Damari town in Sabuwa Local Government Area of Katsina State have been kidnapped by suspected bandits.
A resident confirmed to Elanzanews on Friday in a telephone call that the incident occurred on Thursday around 9pm.
The source further informed Elanzanews that three local security volunteers lost their lives in the hurriedly coordinated effort to rescue the victims.
“Most of those the hoodlums attacked and abducted were those who were already crowded and riding in an open van called canter vehicle.
The victims were initially over 70, mostly friends to the bride, in which several others escaped after jumping off the moving canter van when the terrorists hijacked the van,” he said.
Elanzanews gathered that the Sabuwa area is plagued by security challenges.
The local government area has been dealing with the presence of bandits and their accomplices, who are often informants.
The Chairman of Dandume Local Government Area, Alhaji Basiru Musa, confirmed the report.
While some unconfirmed reports suggest that a few kidnapped women managed to escape, the chairman promised to verify and provide updates.
He clarified that although the women were from Dandume, the bandits intercepted them on their way from Sabuwa Local Government Area at around 9pm.
Sabuwa and Dandume are among the local government areas being heavily tormented by bandits in Katsina State.
In a related incident around the same time, gunmen reportedly from the Siddi forest, have been confirmed to have infiltrated Tashar Nadaya, near the Gazari district border in Sabuwa LG.
The criminals were said to have killed a commercial motorcycle rider and made away with his bike.
It was also learnt that they opened fire on a group of four individuals and confiscated their motorcycles.
Attempts by Elanzanews get an official confirmation of this latest abduction from the police and other security agencies have not been successful.
Another explosion occurred at a pipeline manifold in the Omwawriwa area of Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State on Tuesday.
This incident follows a similar explosion that shook the Trans Niger Pipeline, operated by Shell, in Bodo, Gokana Local Government Area just hours earlier.
The latest explosion reportedly took place at a manifold connected to a federal pipeline deep within the forest, which transports crude oil to Brass in Bayelsa State.
While the explosion has not yet been officially confirmed, community sources reported seeing massive flames and thick smoke rising from the oil installation in the forest.
Grace Iringe-Koko, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, stated that she would investigate the incident but had not provided a response at the time of this report.
A video obtained by our correspondent displays a large fire burning in a remote location.
In a separate development, Ijaw youths blocked the Ahoada section of the East-West Road leading to Bayelsa State on Tuesday in protest.
The demonstrators, numbering over 100, carried placards in solidarity with Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara amid his political dispute with the state House of Assembly. Some of the placards read: “We demand Wike’s dismissal as FCT Minister” and “Martin Amaewhule and 26 lawmakers have defected and lost their seats.
The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed the four tax reform bills transmitted to the National Assembly in October 2024 by President Bola Tinubu.
Recall that the House had on Thursday last week, considered and approved the report of the House Committee on Finance which made some recommendations, particularly in controversial areas such as the Value Added Tax and inheritance tax.
While awaiting the Senate to similarly pass the bills, the proposed reforms are expected to be transmitted to the President for his assent in the days ahead.
Details shortly…
Two members of the house of representatives have defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house, announced the defections in a letter read on the floor of the lower legislative chamber on Tuesday.
More to follow…