Armed bandits, on Tuesday, attacked military bases in Niger and Kaduna, killing an undisclosed number of soldiers.

At least four soldiers were reported wounded.

In a post on X on Wednesday, the army said its troops, in response, launched counterattacks, killing many bandits.

“On 24 June 2025, forward operating bases in the general areas of  Kwanar Dutse Mairiga and Boka Niger State, and Aungwan Turai Chikun LGA of Kaduna State, were attacked by bandits in a three-pronged attack,” the army said in a post on X on Wednesday.

It added, “In response, land and air component troops launched several counter-attacks that eliminated scores of bandits in the encounters.

“Sadly, some gallant warriors paid the supreme price in the day-long battles while four wounded in action troops are currently receiving treatment for their gunshot wounds.”

The military said clearance operations are underway in surrounding areas to pursue those who fled the scene.

They also added that additional updates about the bandits’ attacks would be provided later.

In the meantime, no fewer than 48 security operatives have been reportedly killed by rampaging bandits led by the notorious Bello Turji following an ambush near Shinkafi LGA in Zamfara.

Days ago, the Sokoto State government expressed readiness to negotiate with bandits, adding that the decision is not a show of weakness.

• Aisha Yesufu speaks [Video]

Peter Obi, , the flagbearer of the Labour Party (LP) during the 2023 presidential election, has lamented the unlawful demolition of his brother’s property in Lagos.

Obi poured out his pain over the issue on Tuesday via a statement on his official X account, saying that lawlessness must stop for Nigeria to thrive.

“This morning, my youngest brother called me frantically, informing me that a group of people had invaded his company property in Ikeja, Lagos, and were demolishing the building,” Obi explained.

“He had just come in from Port Harcourt and was denied entry to the property by security men who told him the building was being pulled down. They even informed him that this demolition had started over the weekend.

“As a peace-loving Nigerian, he quickly started processing to go to court immediately, not knowing what must have resulted in this, as they moved fast to destroy his home without any restraint.”

He also shared this in a post on his Facebook page on Wednesday, June 25.

Obi said any society where lawlessness overrode the rule of law would not be a haven for investors adding that recent reports showing Nigeria’s human rights indicators had worsened merely highlighted severe shortfalls in government protection for civil liberties, personal security, and basic living standards.

Asserting that he was among the victims of human rights abuses in the country, Obi said:

“I know what I have been going through as a person in abuse of my human rights just because I contested a presidential election, which I have legitimate rights to do.

“So I imagine what small business owners, regular citizens, and vulnerable communities face every day,” he stated.

Reacting to how his brother’s property was being pulled down in the heart of Lagos without legal justification, he wondered, “If this level of lawlessness could happen to someone with a registered company and legitimate means, what hope would the ordinary Nigerian have?”

Narrating his brother’s ordeal, Obi said he got a call from him Tuesday morning that a group of people had invaded his property in Ikeja and were demolishing the building.

Obi said he rushed to Lagos from Abuja after the call on Tuesday morning and headed straight to the property and on his arrival, he was met by security people who tried to bar him from entering the property.

He stated that he humbly pleaded with them that the property belonged to his brother’s company, and from the records, the company had owned the property for over a decade but they told him they had a court judgement, which he immediately requested for.

“You would not believe that the court judgment they claim was issued against an unknown person, and squatters. I went further to ask about a demolition order or permit, and there was none,” Obi said.

“How do you sue an unknown person? How does a court issue a judgment in such a farce of a case? No one was served. No name was written. Yet they showed up with excavators and began destroying a structure that had stood for over 15 years.

“I immediately asked the excavators for the person who had sent them, and they said they didn’t know anyone, but they were only informed to come and demolish the house. I immediately told them to tell whoever it is that I would like to speak with them, if they can call my number, which I shared with the excavators, so that I can speak with whomever gave them the order to demolish the property.”

It turns out that the British man charged in connection with organising the “mock wedding” of a nine-year-old Ukrainian girl in Disneyland Paris was a convicted sexual offender.

French prosecutors said the 39-year-old man was a convicted sexual offender who is wanted in the UK. His name has not been made public.

He was arrested when police were called to the amusement park on Saturday morning at dawn by a “guest” who said he had been hired by the man to play the father of the bride.

The man said he had been paid €12,000 to play the role and that he only realised at the last minute that the “bride” was a child, according to a statement by Meaux prosecutor Jean-Baptiste Bladier.

The statement also said the Ukrainian girl – who arrived in France two days earlier – had not been a victim of either physical or sexual violence and had not been “forced to play the role” of bride.

A woman who says she was hired to play the role of a guest told BFMTV that when she arrived at Disneyland Paris she saw a “little girl dressed in white with her hair all done up and I saw a woman who picked her up in her arms… and I was shocked, I burst into tears”.

“When I saw [it was a] child – it was horrific.”

Around 100 French extras had been recruited to take part in the fake ceremony, which was to be filmed in a private capacity.

The British man had reportedly hired Disneyland Paris for several hours for the stunt, in which he was to play the role of the groom.

Preliminary findings also stated he had allegedly been “made-up professionally so that his face appeared totally different from his own”, according to the prosecutor.

Three other people – including the 41-year-old mother of the girl, a 24-year-old Latvian woman who was to play the bride’s sister and a 55-year-old Latvian man – were also arrested.

By Tuesday, only the British man was still being held by police.

The British man and the Latvian woman appeared in front of a judge in Meaux on 23 June, and the man was charged with fraud, breach of trust, money laundering, and identity theft and placed in pretrial detention.

The Latvian remains a witness in the investigation.

The prosecutor’s statement also said that Disneyland Paris had been “deceived” and that the organiser had used a fake Latvian ID to hire the venue. Disneyland Paris can be rented by members of the public outside opening hours.

BFMTV reported that the “mock wedding” may have cost organiser more than €130,000 (£110,000).

Mr Bladier’s statement said that the British man “was reportedly convicted in the past, including for offences of a sexual nature against minors.

“He is, as such, listed in the British database of sexual offenders and is currently wanted nationally by the judicial authorities of his country of origin due to a breach of the requirements deriving from said order.”

It is unclear, at this stage, what the point of the “stunt” was.

The investigation continues.

BBC

Sean “Diddy” Combs’ defense team rested after presenting a roughly 30-minute case and calling zero witnesses in the music mogul’s federal criminal trial. Earlier today, the prosecution rested its case, which took just over six weeks.

Prosecutors said they do not intend to present a rebuttal case. 

Click here to continue reading.

Although the police in Delta State insist that the allegation is untrue, members of the Ndokwa ethnic nationality who were arrested and detained by the police while they were protesting the perennial blackout in their area maintain that they paid N400,000 for bail.

Last Monday, security operatives in the State apprehended 15 residents over their protest to alert the Federal Government that the people have lived in darkness for 20 years, notwithstanding that the government-owned Okpai Independent Power Plant, which supplies electricity to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja and eight other states, is in their homeland.

The security officials also wounded some protesters and set ablaze several motorcycles belonging to residents who participated in the demonstration.

Sources told NDV that the police released some protesters after they paid various sums of money for bail.

Police didn’t collect money to release anybody — Edafe, PPRO

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Delta State Police Command, SP Bright Edafe, strongly debunked the claim that the police collected money to release any protester.

His words: “Nobody was released for money, please. Those arrested are to be charged in court. That is the directive of the Commissioner of Police.”

He also dismissed an allegation that the police set some protesters’ motorcycles ablaze, saying, “Firstly, the police did not burn motorcycles; the protesters had factions, and they attacked themselves.”

They collected N400,000 for bail — Ndokwa youth leader

An Ndokwa youth leader, who preferred anonymity, said, “Adoh Stanley, P. Venture, Adimali Endurance, Osuya Chukwunwike, Nzete Division, and Chineu are among those the police arrested.

“They were arrested in various locations, including one of the leaders named Stanley Adoh, who was arrested the next day at the Umuseti town hall.

“Our lawyer is making an effort to bail them out. However, some were released after they paid between N300,000 and N400,000 for bail. Mr. Stanley Adoh has been denied bail because of the non-payment of the N3 million demanded by the police. We hope that he will be arraigned in court on Monday (yesterday),” he said.

When asked why the peaceful demonstration descended into violence and led to the arrest of protesters and the use of tear gas, the youth leader replied, 

“The police started shooting tear gas at protesters to disperse them, but they left the spot and moved to another location before the anti-riot policemen arrived from Asaba and started shooting at random, destroying people’s motorcycles with armored vehicles and setting one on fire.”

A victim, who slept in a police cell for two days, last Wednesday, Peter, told NDV:

“I did not participate in the protest but drove to a newly opened hotel in Kwale, the headquarters of Ndokwa West Local Government Area, to collect money from the owner on June 16 (the day of the protest) when policemen savagely confronted and pounced on me.

“I deal in electronics; the owner of the hotel bought some electronics from me and owes me some money. On that day, I went there to see if he would give me part of the money because there was no market on that day.

“I drove my car to the hotel, and I met some soldiers with an army vehicle parked in front of the hotel. I greeted them, and they even asked me, ‘Anything for us? I said nothing, but I am coming. After parking my car inside the hotel, I emerged to greet the soldiers as the police team pulled up with their Hilux and Sienna cars.

“Many people fled when the police started chasing them, but I chose to stand with the soldiers because I did no wrong. However, one of them approached me, took hold of my waist, and claimed that I was among the demonstrators. Before I knew it, more people joined him, and they began beating me up after I said that I had only come out this evening.

“They used everything on me, including tear gas, a cutlass, and a battle axe. I’m not sure what I did to them, and I questioned whether someone had paid them to murder me because what they’re doing to me goes beyond the protest over the power outage. 

“A bystander who inquired as to why they were striking me with a battle axe was taken into custody.

“They pushed me into the Sienna vehicle after the beating. Inside the car, I noticed a lot of other people. After being carried to a junction, they motioned for us to descend, and we did. Before you know it, they asked us to return, so we did. They then transported us to the Ibusa Police Station.

“They transported us from Ibusa to the Rapid Response Squad before transferring us to the Asaba Police Headquarters.

“After two days in the cell, they collected N300,000 before releasing me on Wednesday.”

 Locals call on 

Oborevwori to step in

Residents said it was their right to protest and draw the government’s attention to the Ndokwa nation’s ongoing lack of electricity for roughly 20 years, and they urged Governor Oborevwori to step in.

“On June 16, 2025, Ndokwa sons and daughters came out to express our displeasure over the continued darkness in the land for more than 16 years, and I want to draw Governor Oborevwori’s attention to the inhumane treatment meted out,” stated Enete, an indigenous person.

“It is depressing to realize that, despite having a security force in Delta State that can use such weapons against peaceful demonstrators claiming their rights, kidnappings and herdsmen threats occur throughout the entire state.

“Why don’t these troops fight the criminals and return Delta State to its original purpose of being a land of milk and honey with immense peace and security?” 

“We urge His Excellency to stop the security forces in Delta State from using live ammunition against nonviolent demonstrators.

“You promised to protect us and promote development because we are your people. We look forward to your honoring this commitment, sir.

“Once more, we anticipate the unconditional release of those detained in Ndokwa land over the nonviolent demonstration, the cessation of ongoing arrests, and the acceleration of necessary measures to illuminate all communities in the Ndokwa nation, not just a portion of them. 

“Regardless of the provocations and inciting statements from the security forces under your command, the good people of the Ndokwa nation are awake and will not be deterred by any form of intimidation from continuing to demand their rights and privileges peacefully,” he declared.

The Bone of contention

The federal government, since 2005, inaugurated the Okpai-Oluchi IPP in Ndokwa land, which generates 480 megawatts of electricity to serve Abuja and other states. It excluded the host communities.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo assured the people, who expressed their grievances, that they would not be left out.

The IPP was later upgraded to provide a functional 930 megawatts of electricity, with an understanding to increase the power supply to host communities from 50 megawatts to 100 megawatts. This extension would include host community beneficiaries from the entire Delta North Senatorial District of Delta State.”

Twenty years later, the government has not completed the Okpai IPP step-down electricity project. The Ndokwa communities remain in darkness, and apparently, the government placed no urgency on the execution of the step-down.

However, former President Muhammadu Buhari approved the extension of electricity to the communities, and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) awarded a N4.2 billion contract in 2022 for the construction of a 132KV double circuit transmission line to improve electricity supply to the area.

 To date, there have been unexplained delays in executing the contract project.

The people are angry about the abandonment, and the reality that their leaders allegedly show little or no concern for the suffering of the masses incenses them even more.

That triggered the June 16 protest, which some Ndokwa leaders attempted to stop, but the youths resisted their overtures and went ahead.

Senator Nwoko, Ezechi’s involvement

Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta North senatorial district) and  Nnamdi Ezechi (Ndokwa/Ukwuani federal constituency) have separately advocated an investigation into the abandoned Okpai-Oluchi IPP expansion project since last year.

Ezechi disclosed that the contractor, Saipem Contracting Nigeria Limited, and Agip Oil Company abandoned the expansion project, which commenced in 2017, resulting in the dilapidation of the infrastructure.

The House of Representatives heard that there was ambiguity surrounding the project’s contract amount, casting doubt on accountability and transparency in its execution.

This, coupled with the reluctance of plant operators to push aggressively for the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) because of the instability and fluctuations associated with the national grid, led the House to initiate an investigation early in 2024.

In response to Ezechi’s motion, the House of Representatives also decided to look into the $38.7 million NNPC–NAOC Joint Venture Okpai Independent Power Plant project Phase II’s abandonment. It directed its Committee on Power to examine the project’s termination by its two contractors, Saipem Contracting Nigeria Limited (SCNL) and Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC).

The Ndokwa people have been marginalized for far too long, Senator Nwoko yelled in the Senate. He stated that the unexplained delays in Okpai IPP’s electricity step-down, which the people demanded during the June 16 protest, needed to be addressed.

 “Even though the Okpai Plant hosts several oil companies in its vicinity, including Nigeria Agip Oil Company, Sterling Exploration and Energy Production Company, Energia Limited, Midwestern Oil and Gas Limited, Pillar Oil Limited, Chorus Energy Limited, and more,” the senator claimed the residents of Ndokwa and the Delta North senatorial district have continued to lag significantly behind in terms of electricity supply.

 He went to see the Managing Director of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and the Minister of Power to ask them to help expedite the project’s completion, which could provide light to the entire Delta North.

 Findings

There appear to be discrepancies in the contract awards, as the contractors reportedly demanded contract variations, which prompted a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) regarding the project.

 The slowed-down step-down of electricity from the Okpai IPP to the Ndokwa communities is because of price variations and the contractors’ request for additional funding. 

This has led to significant delays in completing the project and its subsequent failure to step down power to the host communities. There is currently no funding to execute the step-down project.

Residents of the Ndokwa East, West, and Ukwuani local government areas have been protesting, demanding the promised electricity supply from the Okpai-Oluchi power plant. The local communities have not benefited from the Okpai IPP for almost 20 years it has operated.

It was unacceptable, according to Senator Nwoko, that the Okpai Power Plant, which has increased its capacity to 980 megawatts, was not providing its host communities with electricity.

 While in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), he had stated that certain foreign investors were prepared to carry out the projects, but they needed certain assurances from the government of Delta State.

His words: “There are financiers who have expressed willingness to fund these projects. They only require guarantees to recover their investments over a 20- to 24-year period. Once those guarantees are in place, the projects will proceed.”

Nwoko’s approach and intention that the Delta State government should finance the step-down, since the federal government had failed, did not go well with the governor, Rt. Hon. Oborevwori. He claimed the senator did not discuss the matter with him before making it public.

 What ought to be done by Tinubu and Oborevwori

Governor Oborevwori, who joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) like Nwoko, ought to have realized by now that Senator Nwoko was pressured to speak in this manner because the Okpai step-down demands a sense of urgency in the Ndokwa communities and other towns in the Delta North senatorial district.

For a comprehensive briefing and comprehension of the complexities surrounding the expansion project and the Okpai IPP step-down, the governor should extend an invitation to Senator Nwoko and Rt. Hon. Ezechi, who represents Ndokwa/Ukwuani in the House of Representatives, his deputy, and the leaders of the protesters.

 Although Oborevwori had already instructed Sir Monday Onyeme, his deputy, to deal with the situation, and the deputy governor had met with representatives of the Benin City Distribution Electricity Company (BEDC), it didn’t seem like the issue was yet distribution.

The transmission component is at issue. The governor can then schedule a meeting with President Tinubu, along with Senator Nwoko and Rt. Hon. Ezechi, to fully familiarize Mr. President with the specifics after gaining a thorough grasp of the problems and what needs to be done.

 Given the significance of the step-down project, President Tinubu should conduct a thorough analysis of the problems and guarantee the prompt restart and completion of the electricity step-down to the host communities by directing the EFCC to promptly submit its findings for the required action and allocating the funds required to finish the project.

For too long, the Ndokwa nation has been deprived of electricity on their territory. It is an embarrassment to the federal government that they must protest on June 16, nearly two decades later, in order to get the government to notice the anomaly. 

President Tinubu should prioritize the completion of the transmission double circuit line from the Okpa IPP to distribute electricity to the host communities.

 Governor Oborevwori must instruct the police in his state to drop the charges against the protesters who were arrested for demanding their rights. Both the injured citizens and those whose motorcycles and other property were damaged during the protest should receive compensation from the state government.

Source: Vanguard

A leaked memo has revealed that the Department of State Services (DSS) wrote to Moses Gara, the Commander of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), concerning planned attacks on communities in Benue and Nasarawa states in May.

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) launched Operation Whirlwind Stroke in Benue in 2018.

The operation comprises the military, police, and DSS. On June 13, gunmen attacked Yelewata and Daudu communities in Guma LGA of Benue, killing over 200 people, including internally displaced persons (IDPs) and farmers.

According to a report by TheCable, in a leaked memo dated May 13, secret police said intelligence disclosed that suspected “Fulani militias” were planning to attack settlements in Awe LGA, Nasarawa state, and other communities “anytime soon”.

In the memo, DSS said its checks showed that the planned attack was to avenge an alleged seizure of some cows by the state government.

The communication identified the communities marked for attack as Mararaba, Jangargari, Wurgi, Gidan Antonny, Akon, Usende, Gaar, Vandikya, Chiata, Dooga, Gidan Baban Yara, Apelle, Pantaki, Kaambe and the Stadium area.

The memo also disclosed that there were plans to attack Tiv settlements and border communities between Nasarawa and Benue states by “suspected armed Fulani mercenaries”.

Yelweta, which later fell under an attack that claimed over 100 lives, was one of the communities identified in the memo.

“Reports indicate that they have been holding a series of meetings in Akpanaja, Rukuhi and Andori settlements in Doma LGA and have stationed their men at designated forests for a coordinated offensive against the Tiv communities,” the memo reads.

“The militias are currently hibernating [sic] at Amako and Igbabo forest located between Mkoma and Doka villages in Doma LGA and Ikom forest, located few kilometers away from Yelweta-Udei-Ukohol and Kadarko Railway in Keana LGA and are planning to attack Agatu, Gwer West/Gwer East/part of Makurdi LGA, as well as Guma and Loko Communities, all in Benue State.”

ARMY HELD HIGH LEVEL MEETING OVER BENUE ATTACKS — DAYS AFTER MEMO

In May, Moses Gara, commander of the OPWS, held a “high-level meeting” with leaders of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Makurdi, Benue capital, over the constant attacks in the state.

Lawal Osabo, acting assistant director of army public relations, 401 special forces brigade/sector 1 OPWS, in a statement issued on May 28, said the engagement brought together critical stakeholders, including security agencies and local government authorities.

Osabo said the meeting addressed persistent security threats such as farmer-herder conflicts, retaliatory attacks, kidnappings, and cattle rustling in Benue State.

He added that the concerns raised during the engagement would be tabled before the state government and relevant security agencies.

The Cable

The United States Supreme Court has ruled in favour of the Donald Trump administration, allowing immigration authorities to resume deporting migrants to countries other than their own, a controversial policy that had previously been blocked by a lower court, Al Jazeera reported.

In a brief order issued on Monday, the court’s conservative majority lifted a restriction requiring that migrants be allowed to challenge such deportations in court.

The ruling came without a detailed explanation, in line with the court’s typical handling of emergency docket cases. All three liberal justices dissented.

The decision came as Trump intensified his administration’s crackdown on undocumented immigration, vowing to remove millions of people living unlawfully in the US.

Among those affected are migrants from countries such as Myanmar, Vietnam, and Cuba, who have been convicted of violent crimes and could not be repatriated directly to their countries of origin.

In May, eight individuals were placed on a deportation flight intended for South Sudan.

The flight was diverted to a U.S. naval base in Djibouti after US District Judge Brian Murphy intervened.

He had previously ruled that individuals facing deportation must have the chance to present evidence that they could face torture or death if removed to a third country.

In her dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor warned that the court’s action could place “thousands” at risk.

“The government has made clear in word and deed that it feels itself unconstrained by law, free to deport anyone anywhere without notice or an opportunity to be heard,” she wrote.

Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson joined her dissent.

Legal advocates also condemned the ruling. Trina Realmuto, executive director of the National Immigration Litigation Alliance, described the consequences as “horrifying,” vowing to continue legal challenges on behalf of affected migrants.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security hailed the court’s decision as a “major win for the safety and security of the American people” but did not provide further comment.

The Trump administration has entered into agreements with countries such as Panama and Costa Rica to accept deported migrants, citing difficulties in returning individuals to their home countries.

South Sudan, the intended destination for the May flight, has faced persistent conflict and instability since its independence in 2011.

Judge Murphy, appointed by President Joe Biden, emphasised in his earlier ruling that while deportations to third countries are not prohibited, individuals must be given a fair chance to argue that such transfers could subject them to serious harm.

The ruling is the latest in a series of legal disputes over immigration policy during Trump’s second term.

In another case presided over by Murphy, a gay Guatemalan man who was deported to Mexico despite fearing violence there was later returned to the US after it was determined his removal violated federal protections.

PUNCH

A 25-year-old man, Raji Ridwan has been sentenced to three years of imprisonment with hard labour for attempted rape by an Osun State Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Ila-Orangun.

The court on Friday, June 20, passed its judgment following Ridwan’s arrest by operatives of the Osun Amotekun Corps.

The Operatives had investigated his unlawful entry into a female hostel at the Federal University of Science, Ila-Orangun, where he attempted to sexually attack a female student.

Ridwan, according to court proceedings, sneaked into the hostel at night and tried to assault one of the residents. However, the victim fought back and raised the alarm, which alerted neighbours and fellow students, prompting them to come to her aid.

He fled the scene but was apprehended shortly after, during a coordinated manhunt organised by the Osun Amotekun Corps. The suspect reportedly confessed to the crime upon his arrest and was arraigned before Magistrate Ibukun Adeniran on a single count of attempted rape. He pleaded guilty to the charge.

During the trial, the prosecution presented Ridwan’s confessional statement through the investigating officer from the Osun Amotekun Corps, along with the testimony of a key witness. Magistrate Adeniran ruled that Ridwan’s actions violated Section 359 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume 2, Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2002. She subsequently convicted him and sentenced him to three years of imprisonment with hard labour, without the option of a fine.

In response to the court’s decision, the Osun Amotekun Corps reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the safety of lives and property, particularly in addressing sexual and gender-based violence throughout the state. The corps praised the victim’s bravery and the vigilance of residents, whose swift intervention led to the arrest and successful prosecution of the offender.