August 7, 2026

Gunmen abduct Ondo farmers, demand N100m ransom

CitizenDiary August 7, 2026 0

Gunmen have abducted two farmers in Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, demanding a ransom of N100 million for their release.

The victims were reportedly kidnapped on Monday while working on their farms in Parubber community before being forced into a nearby forest by their abductors.

Gunmen abduct Ondo farmers, demand N100m ransom

Gunmen have abducted two farmers in Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, demanding a ransom of N100 million for their release.

The victims were reportedly kidnapped on Monday while working on their farms in Parubber community before being forced into a nearby forest by their abductors.

The kidnappers have since contacted the family of one of the victims, demanding N100 million and mounting pressure on the relatives to pay the ransom.

A source familiar with the incident said the abductors reached out to the wife of one of the victims with the demand.

Confirming the incident on Friday, the Ondo State Police Command said it had launched a coordinated search-and-rescue operation to secure the victims’ safe release.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Jimoh Abayomi, said the command received a report of the abduction at the Oke-Igbo Divisional Police Headquarters and immediately mobilised security personnel.

According to him, a joint security team comprising police operatives, the Anti-Kidnapping Squad, personnel of the Amotekun Corps, local hunters and vigilantes is combing the area in search of the victims.

He added that intelligence-led operations were also underway to ensure the victims were rescued unharmed and those responsible for the abduction were arrested and prosecuted.

The police appealed to residents to remain calm, cooperate with security agencies and provide credible information that could assist ongoing rescue efforts.

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Etim Ekpimah You said: Remove all irrelevant matters, proofread and edit for online media in standard British English, correct all grammatical and contextual errors; use logic and AI to align the story. Make it different from that of The Vanguard. Suggest a better headline than that in the passage; it must not be longer than nine words: 21-yr-old Nigerian basketballer, Tobiloba arrested in US over rape charge Jacksonville State men’s basketball player Daniel Tobiloba Adegboyega has been arrested on a first-degree rape charge and suspended from the team, according to court records and the university. Adegboyega, 21, a Nigerian national, was arrested and is being held at the Calhoun County Jail pending a bond hearing, court documents show. The jail log also indicates that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed a hold on him. According to the arrest warrant, the alleged rape occurred Wednesday. The warrant alleges that Adegboyega engaged in sexual intercourse with the alleged victim “by forcible compulsion,” in violation of state law. Jacksonville State confirmed that Adegboyega has been suspended from the basketball team following his arrest. Adegboyega, who has used the name Daniel Tobiloba during his college basketball career, committed to Jacksonville State in May, according to his Instagram account. The 7-foot centre spent the 2025-26 season at California Baptist after previously playing two seasons at South Florida. He originally signed with Kennesaw State in 2022 after attending Grand View Christian High School in Des Moines, Iowa, but did not appear in a game for the Owls. Adegboyega has played 27 games in his college career, making five starts. He has averaged 0.7 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. The rape charge remains an allegation, and Adegboyega is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. Copilot said: Headline: Nigerian Basketballer Arrested Over US Rape Allegation Daniel Tobiloba Adegboyega, a 21-year-old Nigerian basketball player with Jacksonville State University in the United States, has been arrested and charged with first-degree rape. According to court records, Adegboyega was taken into custody and is being held at the Calhoun County Jail pending a bond hearing. Jail records also indicate that the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed a hold on him. Authorities allege that the incident occurred on Wednesday. An arrest warrant accuses Adegboyega of engaging in sexual intercourse with a woman through forcible compulsion, an offence under Alabama law. Jacksonville State University confirmed that the player has been suspended from the men’s basketball team following his arrest. Adegboyega, who has competed under the name Daniel Tobiloba during his collegiate basketball career, joined Jacksonville State in May after spending the 2025–26 season at California Baptist University. He had previously played for the University of South Florida. The rape charge remains an allegation, and Adegboyega is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty by a court of law. You said: Remove all irrelevant matters, proofread and edit for online media in standard British English, correct all grammatical and contextual errors; use logic and AI to align the story. Make it different from that of The Vanguard. Suggest a better headline than that in the passage; it must not be longer than nine words: UK court jails Nigerian student caught in paedophile hunter sting August 4, 2026 9:00 am UK-based Nigerian student, Anderson Ishiekwene...Photo Credit: Northumbria Police By Samuel Omotere A 25-year-old Nigerian student in the United Kingdom, Anderson Ishiekwene has been sentenced to three years in prison and faces automatic deportation after attempting to meet who he believed was a 14-year-old girl for sex following online sexual grooming. According to the BBC on Monday, Ishiekwene was arrested in Washington, England, after arranging to meet the supposed teenager, who was in fact a decoy operated by an online paedophile hunter group. The report stated that Ishiekwene, who arrived in the UK from Nigeria on a student visa in August 2025 and settled in Sunderland, began communicating with the profile on Facebook on January 2 before moving the conversation to WhatsApp. Prosecutors told Newcastle Crown Court that over the course of eight days, Ishiekwene exchanged more than 300 pages of messages with the decoy, despite repeatedly being informed that the person he believed he was communicating with was 14 years old. So This Happened (EP 415): Obasanjo Says Choosing Atiku Was His Biggest Mistake | PUNCH 0:00 / 1:01 During the conversations, he allegedly asked questions about the girl’s school, school uniform and body, requested explicit photographs and sent an image of his naked groin. He also repeatedly asked the “girl” to delete his messages. When the decoy refused to send him photographs, Ishiekwene allegedly complained that it was “unfair” and claimed sharing such images was a “normal thing for people to do in a relationship.” The court heard that the pair agreed to meet at the Galleries shopping centre in Washington on January 10. Ishiekwene allegedly told the “girl” he wanted to kiss and sexually touch her “like lovers”. However, when he arrived at the agreed location, he was confronted by members of the paedophile hunter group before police officers arrested him. Although Ishiekwene denied travelling to meet the child for sexual purposes, a jury found him guilty after a three-day trial of attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming. He had earlier admitted attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child. Sentencing him, Judge Robert Spragg said the sexual activity Ishiekwene intended on January 10 was a “precursor” to full sexual intercourse on a later occasion. The judge also noted that the probation service believed there was “little doubt” Ishiekwene was attracted to children. In addition to the three-year prison sentence, the court ordered Ishiekwene to sign the sex offenders register and comply indefinitely with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. The judge further stated that Ishiekwene would most likely face automatic deportation from the UK upon completing his prison sentence, according to the BBC. Copilot said: Headline: Nigerian Student Jailed in UK Grooming Case A Nigerian student in the United Kingdom, Anderson Ishiekwene, has been sentenced to three years in prison after being found guilty of attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming. Ishiekwene, 25, was convicted by Newcastle Crown Court after arranging to meet what he believed was a 14-year-old girl for sexual purposes. The “girl” was, however, a decoy operated by an online child protection group. According to reports, Ishiekwene began communicating with the profile online before moving the conversation to WhatsApp. Prosecutors told the court that he continued the exchanges despite being repeatedly informed that the person he was communicating with was 14 years old. The court heard that he later arranged a meeting at a shopping centre in Washington, England, where he was confronted by members of the child protection group and subsequently arrested by police. Although Ishiekwene denied travelling to meet a child for sexual purposes, a jury found him guilty after a three-day trial. He had earlier admitted attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. In sentencing, Judge Robert Spragg said the sexual activity Ishiekwene intended was a precursor to further offences. The court also imposed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered him to sign the UK Sex Offenders Register. The judge further stated that Ishiekwene is likely to face automatic deportation after completing his prison sentence. Source: BBC report. You said: Remove all irrelevant matters, proofread and edit for online media in standard British English, correct all grammatical and contextual errors; use logic and AI to align the story. Make it different from that of The Punch BREAKING: Customs to begin yearly hiring, open 2026 recruitment soon August 4, 2026 1:31 pm FILE: The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adeniyi. By Damilola Aina The Nigeria Customs Service has announced a major shift in its recruitment policy, declaring that future recruitment exercises will be conducted annually instead of at irregular intervals. The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this during a press briefing on the release of the final list of successful candidates for the 2024/2025 recruitment exercise at the service headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday. He said the decision was part of efforts to create a predictable manpower planning system that would enable the service to replace retiring officers promptly while giving young Nigerians regular opportunities to join the organisation. According to Adeniyi, the service has moved away from a recruitment model under which applicants had to wait several years before another opportunity became available. We Demand Justice for My Sister’s Rape, Murder — Sibling | Punch 0:00 / 0:00 He explained that the new structure would make recruitment a continuous process, with the 2026 exercise expected to commence later this year. According to him, the Customs Service now has the systems, screening framework and verification processes required to conduct future recruitment exercises more efficiently. “The Nigeria Customs Service is moving to an annual recruitment cycle. Recruitment will no longer be an occasional event undertaken every several years. It will be a standing, predictable, yearly process,” he said. “The 2026 Recruitment Exercise will open later this year, and it is my firm intention that it will be completed within a single calendar year, from advertisement to final list.” The Comptroller-General said the lengthy process experienced during the 2024/2025 recruitment exercise was largely due to the need to establish a robust recruitment architecture capable of supporting future exercises. He said the service had invested time and resources in building the framework, adding that subsequent recruitment exercises would benefit from the structures already put in place. Related News Customs name Jaiyeola alternate captain Adamawa, Taraba Customs generate N156.5m in three months Agricultural quarantine service warns applicants against fake recruitment groups, payment demands “The systems, the screening architecture and the verification processes built during this exercise now exist, and they will not have to be built again,” he said. “The delays of this cycle were in significant part the cost of constructing that machinery. That cost has now been paid.” Adeniyi said the annual recruitment model would benefit both the service and prospective applicants by improving workforce planning and reducing uncertainty among young Nigerians seeking employment. He explained that the approach would enable the service to anticipate manpower gaps arising from retirements and other exits instead of waiting until shortages occur before recruiting. “An annual cycle serves the Service and the applicant equally. It allows us to plan our manpower against known retirements rather than in reaction to them,” he said. He added that the new system would also provide clarity for unsuccessful applicants by allowing them to prepare for future opportunities without prolonged uncertainty. “And it means that a young Nigerian who is unsuccessful this year knows precisely when the next opportunity arrives, rather than waiting in uncertainty for an announcement that may be years in coming,” he stated. The announcement followed the conclusion of the 2024/2025 recruitment exercise, which attracted significant interest from Nigerians seeking employment in the paramilitary agency. Adeniyi also announced that 3,852 candidates had been offered appointments across the service’s three entry cadres. Of the successful candidates, 1,275 were recruited into the Superintendent Cadre, 367 into the Inspectorate Cadre, and 2,210 into the Customs Assistant Cadre. Copilot said: Headline: Customs Introduces Annual Recruitment Exercise The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced plans to conduct recruitment exercises annually, with the 2026 recruitment process set to commence later this year. Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this in Abuja while announcing the release of the final list of successful candidates for the 2024/2025 recruitment exercise. According to him, the new policy is designed to create a predictable and continuous recruitment system that will enable the Service to address manpower needs more efficiently and provide aspiring applicants with regular employment opportunities. Adeniyi said the NCS had established the necessary screening, verification and recruitment frameworks to ensure future exercises are completed more efficiently. “The Nigeria Customs Service is moving to an annual recruitment cycle. Recruitment will no longer be an occasional event undertaken every several years. It will be a standing, predictable, yearly process,” he said. He added that the 2026 recruitment exercise would be launched later this year, with the Service aiming to complete the entire process within a single calendar year. The Comptroller-General explained that the lengthy 2024/2025 recruitment process helped the Service build structures that would support faster and more streamlined recruitment in future. Adeniyi also announced that 3,852 candidates had been offered appointments in the concluded 2024/2025 exercise. Of the figure, 1,275 were recruited into the Superintendent Cadre, 367 into the Inspectorate Cadre and 2,210 into the Customs Assistant Cadre. He noted that the annual recruitment model would improve workforce planning and ensure that vacancies arising from retirements and other exits are filled promptly. You said: Remove all irrelevant matters, proofread and edit for online media in standard British English, correct all grammatical and contextual errors; use logic and AI to align the story. Make it different from The Punch's. Suggest a better headline than that in the passage; it must not be longer than nine words: Army arrests four Boko Haram logistics suppliers in Borno August 4, 2026 1:57 pm Suspects. Photo credit: Army By Christabel Ndoeche Troops of the Joint Task Force North-East, Operation HADIN KAI, have arrested four suspected Boko Haram/Islamic State West Africa Province collaborators in separate intelligence-led operations in Yobe and Borno states, while intercepting 20 suspected family members of Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad terrorists fleeing sustained military offensives. Suspects. Photo credit: Army The Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North-East), Operation HADIN KAI, Capt. Mohammed Goni, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday. According to the statement, troops of the 159 Battalion under Sector 2 arrested two suspected terrorist collaborators during a cordon-and-search operation in Geidam, Yobe State, following credible intelligence. “Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects allegedly supplied hard drugs and other logistics to Boko Haram terrorists, thereby facilitating insurgent activities,” the statement read. So This Happened (EP 415): Obasanjo Says Choosing Atiku Was His Biggest Mistake | PUNCH 0:00 / 1:01 The military said troops recovered a large quantity of suspected Indian hemp, multiple mobile phones, power banks, scissors, knives, torchlights, lighters, cigarette rolls, Pregabalin capsules, Piscof syrup, identity cards, ATM cards and ₦14,530 from the suspects. In another operation conducted at about 3:30 p.m. on the same day, troops of Sector 3 Garrison, in conjunction with the 242 Reconnaissance Battalion, arrested two suspected ISWAP logistics suppliers in Monguno, Borno State, following sustained surveillance of terrorist supply routes. “During preliminary interrogation, the suspects confessed to conveying food items and other supplies to ISWAP terrorists operating in Kwatan Dowoshi Village, Kukawa Local Government Area,” Goni said. Related News Police probe military shooting of Adamawa businessman 114 attacks leave 1,932 dead in N’East – Report Kwara groups hail Tinubu over approval of Army battalion Seized items. Photo credit: Army Recovered items included 11 cartons and 192 sachets of assorted biscuits, one carton of Peak milk, 10 mudu of sugar, nine bars of Viva soap, six headlamps, two bags and 16 rolls of sachet garri, three packs of lighters, two Tecno button phones, one assault knife, one charm belt, four prayer beads, six packs of herbal medicine, ₦6,600 and other sundry items. In a related development, troops of the 222 Battalion intercepted 20 suspected family members of JAS terrorists during a routine patrol along the Gezuwa axis in Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State. The statement said the group comprised nine women, two men, eight female minors and one male minor, who fled their enclave following intensified military operations. “During preliminary investigation, they disclosed that they escaped from Gezuwa after a military offensive against their settlement. The individuals have since been handed over to the 21 Military Intelligence Regiment for further profiling and necessary action,” the statement added. The military noted that the arrested suspects and all recovered exhibits had been handed over to the appropriate Military Intelligence units for further investigation. It added, “These successful operations underscore the effectiveness of Operation HADIN KAI’s intelligence-driven approach in disrupting terrorist logistics, dismantling support networks, and denying insurgents access to critical supplies.” The military reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining pressure on Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters and urged members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to support ongoing counter-terrorism operations across the North-East. Copilot said: Headline: Troops Nab Four Terror Logistics Suspects

Troops nab four terror logistics suspects

CitizenDiary August 4, 2026 0

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