Tragedy again struck in Igunshin community in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State on Thursday as gunmen stormed a poultry farm, killing a woman and her daughter.

Three people were reportedly abducted during the attack.

Information gathered from the locals, about five armed men stormed the farm at about 1:00 PM, scaled the perimeter fence and launched the attack while the victims were working alongside other members of staff.

The situation was escalated by the lifeless bodies of the poultry owner and her daughter, which were later discovered within the premises.

The Spokesperson of the Ondo State Police Command, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, confirmed the incident in a statement he issued on Friday.

DSP Jimoh noted:  “The Command strongly condemns the violent incident at Igushin via Ala, Akure, which led to the tragic loss of two innocent lives. While two victims were rescued through a swift and coordinated operation, we regret the unfortunate deaths recorded.”

He assured that security has been reinforced in the area, adding that efforts are ongoing to apprehend those responsible for the attack.

The police image maker appeals to members of the public to remain vigilant and provide credible information that could assist ongoing investigations into the unfortunate incident.

The statement came swiftly, as it often does.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu expressed sorrow. He praised courage. He promised resolve. He assured Nigerians the sacrifices “will not be in vain.”

But by the time the words reached the public, Brigadier General Oseni Omoh Braimah and at least 17 soldiers were already dead.

In the early hours of Thursday, suspected fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) launched coordinated assaults on multiple military formations across Borno State, striking Benisheikh, Ngamdu and Pulka in a deadly sequence that has once again exposed the widening gap between official assurances and the reality on the ground.

The attack on the 29 Task Force Brigade Headquarters in Benisheikh proved the most devastating. Insurgents stormed the base with heavy gunfire and explosives, engaging troops in a prolonged firefight that lasted hours.

By dawn, the brigade commander, his officers and several soldiers had fallen.

Residents described a night of terror that extended beyond the military installation. Vehicles were set ablaze, travellers caught along the Maiduguri-Damaturu road were killed, and panic spread through surrounding communities.

“It was overwhelming,” one local source said. “They came in large numbers. The soldiers fought, but the casualties were heavy.”

A Familiar Script

The presidency’s response followed a pattern Nigerians have come to recognise.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Tinubu described the fallen troops as heroes and insisted the insurgents’ attack was a sign of desperation in the face of sustained military pressure.

“The government will never forget their sacrifices,” he said.

It is a message Nigerians have heard before.

From Borno to Plateau, from ambushed patrols to overrun bases, each major attack has been followed by similar language: praise for bravery, vows of victory, assurances of support.

Yet the attacks persist. And, increasingly, they appear to be escalating.

Braimah’s death marks the second killing of a brigadier general in less than five months, following the death of Brigadier General Musa Uba in November 2025—an alarming pattern that analysts say signals a dangerous shift in the conflict.

Unlike previous phases of the insurgency, where attacks were largely asymmetric, recent operations suggest insurgents are increasingly capable of targeting hardened military formations and senior commanders.

“This is no longer just a rural insurgency—it is evolving into a direct confrontation with state forces,” one security analyst noted.

In just weeks, several commanding officers across the northeast have died in coordinated assaults or ambushes, raising concerns about intelligence failures and insurgent momentum.

The Pattern Beneath the Promises

Security analysts say the repetition is no coincidence.

“There is a dangerous pattern emerging,” said Dr Musa Usman Konduga of the University of Maiduguri. “When you begin to lose commanders at this frequency, it tells you something is fundamentally wrong in the operational environment.”

He warned that the killings go beyond battlefield losses.

“It affects morale. It affects confidence. And for civilians, it raises a deeper fear: if generals are not safe, who is?”

That fear is no longer abstract.

Across affected communities, civilians continue to bear the brunt of the violence. Villages are attacked, families displaced, and entire populations forced into survival mode as insurgents move with increasing mobility.

Anger Boils Over

For many Nigerians, the frustration is no longer just about insecurity. It is about what they see as a cycle of tragedy followed by ritualised response.

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) put it starkly.

“People are killed, statements are issued, visits are made, and then it continues,” said TUC President Festus Osifo. “It is becoming a norm.”

He described the killings as “one too many,” urging the government to move beyond rhetoric and urgently equip troops with modern technology and intelligence capabilities.

“It is appalling,” he said. “Lives must matter more than statements.”

A War That Refuses to End

Despite years of military operations across the northeast, insurgent groups continue to demonstrate resilience, coordination and the ability to strike strategic targets.

Recent offensives in areas like Ngoshe and repeated attacks on military formations suggest a shift from survival to sustained offensive capability.

For the troops on the frontline, the stakes are immediate.

For communities caught in the crossfire, the consequences are devastating.

And for the government, each new attack sharpens an uncomfortable reality.

The words are no longer enough.

The Question That Won’t Go Away

As Nigeria mourns yet another round of fallen soldiers, one question continues to echo beyond the statements, beyond the condolences, beyond the promises:

Insisting that President Bola Tinubu’s assurances are beginning to ring hollow, public affairs analysts are asking a harder question: how many more lives must be lost, how many more communities destroyed, before decisive action replaces repeated promises?

• Fresh Plateau Attack: Gunmen slaughter eight, including family members, many injured

A chilling new video released by fighters linked to Boko Haram has laid bare the scale of Nigeria’s deepening security crisis—showing hundreds of abducted civilians, mostly women and children, pleading for rescue from captivity in the country’s embattled northeast.

The footage, reportedly filmed in Ngoshe, a community in Borno State’s Gwoza axis, features at least 416 hostages seated in the open, surrounded by armed militants affiliated with Jama’atu Ahlis-Sunna Lidda’Awati Wal-Jihad. Some fighters mask their identities. Others stand openly, gripping rifles, projecting control.

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The message is unmistakable: the captives are alive—but their fate now hangs on negotiations, political will, and a fragile security architecture that critics say is failing Nigeria’s most vulnerable.

Proof of Life—or Propaganda?

The video, obtained by SaharaReporters, was reportedly produced after pressure from a regional group demanding evidence that abducted residents were still alive. In it, insurgents choreograph a grim spectacle—inviting victims to speak, answer questions, and appeal directly to authorities.

“We are alive and in good condition,” one woman says, her voice steady but strained. Around her, children sit silently. Others clutch one another.

But beneath the surface of that message lies a more unsettling reality.

The captives describe psychological distress, separation from families, and fear of the unknown, even as they cautiously acknowledge access to food and shelter. Their repeated pleas are not about comfort—they are about freedom.

“Our children are distressed. We are distressed. Our families do not know if we are alive,” one spokesperson says. “We want to go home.”

A Community Overrun

The mass abduction traces back to a coordinated assault on Ngoshe earlier this year—one of the most brazen attacks in recent months in Nigeria’s long-running insurgency.

Security sources say militants launched a pre-dawn offensive, overrunning a military base and torching an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp. Armoured vehicles were destroyed. Ammunition was seized. Civilians and soldiers were killed.

The attackers moved with precision—and, according to multiple accounts, little resistance.

“It was a complete overrun,” one source said. “They came in large numbers, burned everything, and took people away.”

For residents, the attack marked not just another tragedy—but a turning point.

A Pattern of Escalation

The Ngoshe footage surfaces amid a wider surge in coordinated violence across Nigeria’s north-central and northeastern regions, underscoring fears that armed groups are expanding both reach and confidence.

In Plateau State, gunmen recently killed at least eight members of a single family in a late-night assault in Bokkos. Survivors say the attackers operated for hours without intervention.

“The shooting went on, and no security came,” said a local community leader. “People are losing faith.”

Days earlier, a separate Palm Sunday attack in Jos triggered curfews and renewed military deployments—but also fresh criticism of the government’s reactive posture.

The Politics of Response

The video’s release has intensified scrutiny of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and security authorities, with critics arguing that Nigeria’s counterinsurgency strategy is increasingly outpaced by evolving threats.

For the captives, the appeal is direct and urgent.

They name political leaders—from the presidency to local officials—calling for intervention, negotiation, and immediate action.

But analysts warn that such videos often serve a dual purpose: proof of life and psychological leverage.

“This is about pressure,” one security analyst said. “It’s a message to the government and to the public—look at the scale, look at the human cost, and decide what you will do.”

A Nation on Edge

More than a decade into the insurgency, Nigeria’s conflict zones are no longer defined solely by battlefield dynamics. They are shaped by displacement, trauma, and a growing sense of abandonment among civilians.

For the women and children in Ngoshe, the crisis is deeply personal.

Their words, repeated again and again in the video, cut through the noise of politics and strategy:

“War is not good. It only brings suffering.”

Rex Heuermann has admitted to killing eight women, bringing an end to a decades-long investigation that had left victims’ families without answers for over 30 years.

The 62-year-old architect appeared at Suffolk County Court in New York, where he pleaded guilty to multiple counts of murder, including first-degree and intentional murder. He also confessed to the killing of Karen Vergata in 1996, despite not previously being charged in that case.

Prosecutors said Heuermann strangled his victims, dismembered some of them, and disposed of their remains in remote locations, including Gilgo Beach on Long Island. Many of the victims were s3x workers, and several bodies were discovered across different locations over the years.

His crimes began in 1993 with the murder of Sandra Costilla, and continued over nearly two decades, with victims including Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Amber Costello, Valerie Mack, Jessica Taylor, and Karen Vergata.

The case remained unsolved for years despite widespread attention, including renewed public interest following the release of the film Lost Girls. A breakthrough finally came in 2022 after investigators reopened the case and formed a dedicated task force.

Detectives linked Heuermann to the crimes through vehicle records, phone data, and internet search history. However, the key piece of evidence came from DNA recovered from a discarded pizza crust, which matched evidence found on one of the victims.

Following his arrest in 2023, investigators uncovered a cache of weapons and what they described as a “blueprint” detailing methods to avoid detection.

Heuermann’s ex-wife, Asa Ellerup, said she had no knowledge of his actions, describing the situation as difficult and expressing sympathy for the victims’ families. He is due to be sentenced next month and faces life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

Justice Peter Odo Lifu of the Federa High Court, Abuja has sentenced a Boko Haram terrorist victim, Ali Kolo, to nine years imprisonment after spending more than ten years in the detention.

Kolo, who was shot in the right leg by Boko Haram terrorist in Borno State while going to report the activities of the terrorists to the military, was on Thursday, found guilty of failure to report activities of the dreaded terrorists to security agents.

The Boko Haram victim was put on trial by the Federal Governmet on 4 count charges, but, pleaded guilty to only one count charge which boarders on concealment of information on the activities of the terrorists group in Borno state.

A Federal Government lawyer, Mr. David Kaswe, who led the prosecution told Justice Lifu that the defendant in 2017, failed to convey information on the activities of the terrorists to the military or any other security agency as required by the provision of Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2013.

The lawyer, a Deputy Director in the Federal Ministry of Justice tendered the extra-judicial statement where the convict admitted failure to relay information on the terror group to the appropriate quarters as well as investigation report which indicted him for refusal to help the Federsl Government in curbing activities of terrorists.

Justice Lifu admitted the two exhibits following no objection from the defence counsel, Mrs A.O Usman.

The Federal Government lawyer, consequently, pleaded with the judge to impose a jail term of ten years on the defendant based on his guilty plea and his confession in his statement to the military and the investigation report that indicted him.

However, the defendant who was 37 years when the terrorists shattered his right leg with bullets informed the court that he was shot with an AK-47 gun while on his way to report the terrorists to the military.

The defendant, through his lawyer Mrs Usman explained that his journey to report the terror group was cut short because he landed in the hospital as a result of the gun injury and pleaded with the judge to be lenient with him.

In his judgement, Justice Lifu agreed that the defendant didn’t report the activities of the terror group to the military but held that it was due to circumstances beyond the control of the convict.

Justice Lifu consequently, sentenced him to nine years imprisonment and ordered that the sentence should start from 2017 when the defendant was arrested and clamped into detention.

Justice Lifu held that by prison law, the convict had already spent more than 10yrs in detention and must therefore, be immediately released from custody to enable him attend to his injury occasioned by Boko Haram gun shots.

Although the government lawyer expressed reservation on the verdict of the court, Justice Lifu stood his ground that the convict was not found guilty for Boko Haram membership or training in weapons but, was found guilty only on concealment of information.

The judge held that the convict had suffered enough and must be released immediately upon his signing of warrant for his release adding that keeping him further in prison would amount to double jeopardy.

In another development, Ibrahim Buba, a Borno state based bricklayer was jailed 10 years for failure to relay information on the activities of Boko haram in Borno state to the military.

Bubba, also known as Baba Gana, has in his defence claimed that he ran from Borno to Mubi in Adamawa state and later to Onitsha in Anambra State when the terrorists were after his life having recognizing some of them.

in the two count charge, the convict admitted knowing two of the terrorists and that he did not pass information to the military and instead ran to Onitsha where he was apprehended in 2023 while engaging in bricklaying job.

the convict pleaded for leniency prompting Justice Lifu to impose a 10 years on him as against 20 years demanded by the prosecution.

Justice Lifu ordered that the 10 years jail term should start from March 24, 2023 when the convict was arrested and detained.

The sudden death of 11-year-old Ufok Obong Godwin, a student of Federal Government College, Ikot Ekpene, has ignited concerns.

His painful passing has fuelled speculations and claims of bullying on social media.

Ufok Obong Godwin, reportedly passed in the early hours of April 5, prompting ongoing investigations by both his family and school authorities into the circumstances surrounding his death.

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Social media posts have alleged that a senior student assaulted Godwin after he refused to surrender his provisions, resulting in an injury to his neck.

He was reportedly treated at the school clinic without notifying his parents and was allowed to return home.

Some reports suggested that he experienced neck pain from April 1 and later died from complications related to blood clots.

School authorities, however, presented a different narrative.

The Vice Principal (Administration), Hassan Adamu, declined comment, while Principal Ezeogu Jude confirmed the matter was under investigation.

“He went to the college clinic, was checked, and returned to the hostel. He continued his examination and went about his normal activities,” Jude said. “The information I got was that he was hit by a senior student, but he recovered and went back home.” The principal added that an official statement would follow a School-Based Management Committee meeting on April 9.

Some teachers, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the student had been involved in a minor incident on March 14, when he was reportedly hit in the stomach by another student.

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They noted that he was examined, found stable, and completed his school exams before the school closed for vacation on March 17.

The educators expressed uncertainty over how he later developed serious health complications.

The boy’s family has cautioned against circulating unverified reports.

Didi Francis, a family spokesperson, stressed that much of the information online was “distorted” and urged patience as investigations continue. “Be assured of a detailed story behind the untimely demise of Ufok Obong Godwin… This will help to avert a recurrence in future,” the statement read.

The incident has reignited calls for stronger anti-bullying measures in schools.

It comes weeks after a similar case in Edo State, where a student was expelled for bullying a junior, leading the state government to order the arrest and prosecution of those involved.

Authorities and the family have appealed to the public to allow due process and await verified findings before drawing conclusions.

Not less than 176 kidnapped victims from Woro and Kososo communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State have cried out for urgent rescue, declaring that a new video released by their abductors represents the last opportunity given to them to appeal to authorities and the public.

The victims, mostly women and children, were abducted on February 3 by terrorists suspected to be a faction of Boko Haram operating in the region.

In a disturbing video obtained by SaharaReporters, the captives appeared in visibly deplorable conditions, clad in dirty clothes, restless, weak, and fatigued, as they delivered emotional pleas for help.

In the background of the footage, one of the armed terrorists spoke in Hausa, confirming responsibility for the abduction and attempting to justify their actions.

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“We are the ones who kidnapped the people of Woro and Kososo,” the terrorist said. “We have indoctrinated them and changed their way of life from what they knew before their abduction.

“However, the victims have been begging us and we have given them the opportunity so that their government can hear from them.”

The terrorist further stated that the captives were being given a final chance to communicate with authorities.

“We are giving them a final opportunity to appeal to the government. We believe this is clearly understood,” he added.

In the video, the captives were seen responding to questions posed by the terrorists about what they were allegedly taught in captivity, answering under visible distress.

One young woman, who appeared weak and emotionally drained, stepped forward to speak in English, addressing both religious leaders and government authorities.

“Dear Muslim sisters and brothers, we are here today. We are the people who were kidnapped from Woro, Kaiama Local Government Area on February 3. Today is April 8. Please, we are begging you, this is the last opportunity they gave us,” she said.

“We have small children with us and we have some people with pregnancies. Please, assist us. Those who are here, some people with anaemia, please, help us.

“We are begging you. This is the last opportunity that we have, and they teach us the things that we do not know at all, like Tawheedi. We lacked Tawheedi at home even though those people at home know that we lacked Tawheedi. But we are here, they teach us everything, and we understand everything.

“In the name of Allah, we understand everything. And they are not beating us, they give us food and water, everything is available. But we are still begging you, please, we beg you.

“Please, this is our last opportunity, please. Peace be upon you.”

Another woman, who also appeared distressed and exhausted, spoke in Yoruba, appealing directly to both the Kwara and Oyo state governments to intervene urgently.

“They are feeding us and teaching us religion, what we didn’t know at home, we are able to know it here,” she said.

“But we need your help because this is the last chance they gave us. Please help us.”

Several other victims were also allowed to speak in different local languages, all echoing the same desperate appeal for rescue and intervention.

As of the time of filing this report, the Kwara State Government and security agencies have yet to officially respond to the latest development or confirm efforts being made to secure the release of the victims.

On February 4, 2026, SaharaReporters reported that dozens of residents were killed in a coordinated attack by suspected Sahel-backed terrorists on Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State.

Those slain in the attack included two wives of the Emir of Woro, several of his children, the community’s Chief Imam, a school principal, a headmistress, and students who had just returned home from school.