Tag: Police

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Federal immigration agents fatally shoot second person in Minneapolis

A Border Patrol agent shot and killed a man in Minneapolis on Saturday, local and federal officials said, the second such incident this month during a surge in immigration ‌enforcement in the northern U.S. city that residents and local politicians have fiercely protested.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said the Border Patrol agent fired in defense after attempting to disarm a man local police said was a U.S. citizen. Federal officials said the man who ⁠was shot approached them with a handgun and two magazines.

“This looks like a situation where ‍an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement,” Gregory Bovino, a ‍Border Patrol official leading local ‍operations, said at a press conference. He said his agents had been searching for an immigrant before the shooting. ⁠Bovino did not provide details of what led to the shooting, which he said was being investigated.

Tensions are rising between Democratic state and local officials who say the presence of ​thousands of immigration agents has made the Minneapolis area less safe, and President Donald Trump and other Republican leaders, who accuse Democrats of fanning opposition and failing to protect immigration agents.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the man killed on Saturday was a 37-year-old city resident and a lawful gun owner with no criminal record other than traffic violations. O’Hara did not release the man’s name.

A video circulating on ⁠social media and aired on cable news stations showed people wearing masks and tactical vests wrestling with a man on a snow-covered street before shots are heard. In the video, the man falls to the ground, and several more shots are heard.

Video from the area later showed armed and masked agents deploying tear gas on a growing crowd of protesters, who chanted “shame” and called them “traitors.”

Local and state police arrived to face off against the crowd as federal agents left the scene.

O’Hara asked people to avoid the area and said the site of the shooting was a “volatile scene.”

“Please do not destroy our city,” he said.

The nearby Minneapolis Institute of Art said it had closed for the day due to safety concerns.

Hours later, after federal agents appeared to have left the scene, the situation appeared to have calmed, though chanting protesters remained in the area.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called for an immediate end to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations in the state.

“How many ​more residents, how many more Americans need to die or get badly hurt for this operation to end?” Frey said at a press conference.

The state’s governor and two U.S. senators also called for federal agents to ⁠leave.

Trump, who has been briefed on the shooting, according to a White House official, accused local elected officials of stirring up opposition.

“The Mayor and the Governor are inciting Insurrection, with their pompous, dangerous, and arrogant rhetoric,” he wrote on social media.

The shooting came one day after more than ‍10,000 people took to the frigid streets to protest the presence of the 3,000 federal agents who have been ‌ordered to the state by Trump.

Residents have ‌been angered by several incidents, including the killing of U.S. ‍citizen Renee Good, the detention of a U.S. citizen who was taken from his home in his shorts, and the detention of school children, ‌including a 5-year-old boy.

Vice President JD Vance, who visited  Minneapolis on Thursday,  posted on social ‍media Saturday that ICE agents wanted to work with local law enforcement “so that situations on the ground didn’t get out of hand. The local leadership in Minnesota has so far refused to answer those requests.” (JapanToday)

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Akpabio mourns police escort killed by tanker

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has announced automatic employment for the two sons of his police rider, Deputy Superintendent of Police Hussani Ibrahim, who died in a motor accident on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway on Sunday.

Akpabio made the announcement on Tuesday on the floor of the Senate while formally informing lawmakers of the officer’s death.

The late DSP Ibrahim, who served as the Senate President’s rider, according to a Premium Times report, was killed on Sunday when a petrol tanker rammed into Akpabio’s convoy.

The incident reportedly occurred in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, after the Senate President was picked up at the airport following his attendance at the chieftaincy conferment for Senator AbdulAzeez Yari and Seyi Tinubu in Oyo.

Speaking on the incident during plenary, Akpabio said, “We went to Oyo State for the installation of our colleague and the vehicles that came to pick me at the Ibadan airport… Unfortunately, my dispatch rider was run over by a tanker driver, and his head was shattered. We just buried him 15 minutes ago in Kogi State. He left two wives and four children.”

The Senate President appealed to heads of ministries, departments and agencies of the Federal Government to grant automatic employment to the children of the late rider.

He added that if no vacancies were available, he would personally ensure their employment.

“By the grace of God, I’m recommending two of his senior children for employment immediately in any parastatals that may wish to, otherwise I’ll employ them personally in any of my private concerns,” Akpabio added.

In a solemn address, Akpabio paid tribute to the deceased officer, describing him as a disciplined and dedicated professional whose life was defined by service.

Addressing the bereaved family, the Senate President said, “Your late father understood the value of work and service. He devoted himself to it. Unfortunately, instead of earning a laurel for the devotion, he earned death.

“But it is death that is not in vain. It is death that testifies to his legacy of service. May the Lord accept his soul.”

Akpabio also extended condolences to the family of the deceased, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Nigeria Police Force, describing Ibrahim as courageous and fearless.

“I commiserate with the family, the Inspector General of Police and the Nigeria Police Force over the loss of this courageous, fearless, and daring officer.

“While I pray to God to accept his soul, may He in His infinite mercy grant the family and the Nigeria Police Force the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss,” he said.

The Senate President explained that the pledge of automatic employment for the late officer’s sons was a personal gesture aimed at honouring his sacrifice and years of dedicated service.

Shortly after the announcement, Kogi West senator, Sunday Karimi, raised a motion for personal explanation to formally present the incident to the Senate through a substantive motion.

While sympathising with the Senate President, Karimi said the late dispatch rider was due for retirement next year.

He added that Mr Hussaini, a native of Kogi State, had served in Akpabio’s convoy since 2023, when he assumed office as Senate President.

Also on Tuesday, the Senate paid tribute to Alhaji Ibrahim Tukur, who died recently.

Tukur was described as a committed and dedicated driver who served for 25 years under the senator representing Kogi East Senatorial District, Jibrin Echocho.

The Senate observed a minute’s silence in honour of both deceased individuals and offered prayers for the repose of their souls. (Punch)

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Police arrested 821 suspects, rescued 377 kidnap victims in Edo

The Edo State Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, has said the command arrested 821 suspects for various crimes and rescued 377 kidnapped victims across the state in 2025.

Agbonika disclosed this on Monday, while addressing journalists during a press conference in Benin, where he presented a summary of the command’s major achievements for the year.

According to figures released by the police, the arrests included 39 suspects for armed robbery, 171 for kidnapping, 117 for murder, 62 for rape and sexual offences, 239 for cultism, 36 for unlawful possession of firearms, and 157 for other offences.

The command also recorded significant recoveries, including 11 stolen vehicles, 188 firearms of different calibres, and 422 rounds of ammunition. In addition, 377 victims abducted by kidnappers were rescued during police operations across the state.

“As we celebrate the Christmas season and prepare for the New Year, I wish the good people of Edo State a peaceful, safe, and prosperous festive period.

“I urge everyone to remain vigilant, law-abiding, and cooperative with security agencies,” Agbonika said.

The commissioner also issued a strong warning over the reported disappearance of corpses from some morgues in the state, describing the act as criminal and unacceptable.

“Such acts are criminal, inhuman, callous and gross violations of the sensitivity of the bereaved, and I assure the public that anyone found culpable will face the full weight of the law without exception,” he said.

Agbonika further advised residents to make use of government-owned mortuaries, stressing the need for accountability and proper oversight.

“I also advise families and those in need of mortuary services to patronize government-owned mortuaries where proper oversight and accountability are guaranteed,” he added.

He reminded members of the public that the police emergency lines remain operational round the clock.

“Members of the public are once again reminded to utilize our 24-hour emergency contact lines which remains fully active,” the Commissioner said.

Agbonika thanked residents and the media for their cooperation with the police, pledging the command’s continued commitment to protecting lives and property in Edo State. (Punch)

Posted on by — Leave a comment

11 killed, 29 wounded in shooting at Hanukkah event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach; one gunman also dead

At least 12 people were killed and 29 wounded when gunmen fired on a Jewish holiday event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday in what Australian police and officials described as a terrorist attack.

One suspected gunman was killed ‌and another was in a critical condition, New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon told a press conference. At least 29 people injured, including two police officers, were taken to hospital, he said.

Police were investigating whether a third gunman was involved in the shooting, and a bomb-disposal unit was working on several suspected improvised explosive devices in cars parked near the beach, Lanyon said.

Mike Burgess, a top Australian intelligence official, said one ⁠of the suspected attackers was known to authorities but had not been deemed an immediate threat.

Sunday’s shootings ‍were the most serious of a string of antisemitic attacks on synagogues, buildings and cars in Australia since the beginning of ‍Israel’s war in Gaza in October ‍2023.

Mass shootings are rare in Australia, one of the world’s safest countries. Sunday’s attack was the worst such incident in the country since 1996, when a gunman ⁠killed 35 people at a tourist site in the southern state of Tasmania.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese convened a meeting of the country’s national security council and condemned the attack, saying the evil that was unleashed was “beyond comprehension”.

“This is a targeted attack on ​Jewish Australians on the first day of Hanukkah, which should be a day of joy, a celebration of faith,” he said. “At this dark moment for our nation, our police and security agencies are working to determine anyone associated with this outrage.”

Witnesses said the shooting at the famed beach on a hot summer’s evening lasted about 10 minutes, sending hundreds of people scattering along the sand and into nearby streets and parks. Police said around 1,000 people had attended the Hanukkah event alone.

“I was just getting ready to go home, and I was packing my bag, was ⁠ready to catch my bus, and then I started hearing the shots,” said Bondi Junction resident Marcos Carvalho, 38.

“We all panicked and started running as well. So we left everything behind. We just ran through the hill,” he said. “I must have heard, I don’t know, maybe, like, 40, 50 shots.”

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Jewish people who had gone to light the first candle of the Hanukkah holiday on the beach had been attacked by “vile terrorists”.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said he was appalled by the shooting and that Australia’s government must “come to its senses” after countless warnings.

“These are the results of the antisemitic rampage in the streets of Australia over the past two years, with the antisemitic and inciting calls of ‘Globalise the Intifada’ that were realized today.”

One of the world’s most famous beaches, Bondi is typically crowded with locals and tourists.

“If we were targeted deliberately in this way, it’s something of a scale that none of us could have ever fathomed. It’s a horrific thing,” Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, told Sky News, adding his media adviser had been wounded in the attack. (JapanToday)

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Shooter kills 2, wounds 9 at Brown University during final exams

A shooter dressed in black killed at least two people and wounded nine others at Brown University on Saturday during final exams on the Ivy League campus, authorities said, and police were searching for the suspect.

University President Christina Paxson said she was told that 10 people who were shot were students. Another person was injured by fragments from the shooting, but it was not clear if that victim was a student, she said.

Officers scattered across the campus and into an affluent neighborhood filled with historic and stately brick homes, searching academic buildings, backyards and porches late into the night after the shooting erupted in the afternoon.

The suspect was a man in dark clothing who was last seen leaving the engineering building where the attack happened, said Timothy O’Hara, deputy chief of Providence police.

Security footage showed the suspect walking away from the building, but his face was not visible. Some witnesses reported that the man, who could be in his 30s, may have been wearing a camouflage mask, O’Hara said.

Investigators were not yet sure how the shooter got inside the first-floor classroom where he opened fire. Outer doors of the building were unlocked, but rooms being used for final exams required badge access, Providence’s mayor said.

Authorities believe the shooter used a handgun, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.

“The unthinkable has happened,” said Democratic Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee, who vowed that all resources were being deployed to catch the suspect.

Mayor Brett Smiley said a shelter-in-place remained in effect and encouraged people living near the campus to stay inside or not return home until it is lifted. Streets that normally bustle with activity on weekends were eerily quiet.

“The Brown community’s heart is breaking, and Providence’s heart is breaking along with it,” Smiley said.

Emma Ferraro, a chemical engineering student, was in the building’s lobby working on a final project when she heard loud pops coming from the east side. Once she realized they were gunshots, she darted for the door and ran to a nearby building where she sheltered for several hours.

Nine people with gunshot wounds were taken to Rhode Island Hospital, where one was in critical condition, said Kelly Brennan, a spokesperson for the hospital. Six required intensive care but were not getting worse, and two were stable, she said.

University officials initially told students and staff that a suspect was in custody, but later said that was not the case. The mayor said a person preliminarily thought to be involved was detained but was later determined to have no involvement.

Nearly five hours after the shooting, officers in tactical gear led students out of some campus buildings and into a fitness center.

The shooting occurred in the Barus & Holley building, a seven-story complex that houses the School of Engineering and physics department. According to the university’s website, the building includes more than 100 laboratories, dozens of classrooms and offices.

Engineering design exams were underway there when the shooting occurred. (JapanToday)

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Six Lagos realtors abducted in Ogun

Unknown assailants have kidnapped six Lagos-based real estate marketers during an inspection visit to Ogun State.

The Guardian learnt that the victims had gone to inspect their company’s land at Oyebola village in Obafemi-Owode Local Council of the state, before they were attacked.

Confirming the incident to newsmen, the Commissioner of Police, Lanre Ogunlowo, said the incident occurred on Friday.
He said that the command launched an investigation immediately it was alerted about the incident.

Ogunlowo assured the public that all hands were on deck to ensure the rescue of the abductees.

“So, they brought some marketers from Lagos to see the land, so that they can have the requisite information to market the land.

“It was during their visit to this land that the six people were abducted. The command has been on it since, and we shall definitely ensure that these people regain their freedom,” he added. (Guardian)

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Implement Police withdrawal from VIPs with caution, retired AIG tells FG

A retired Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Abutu Yaro, has advised that President Bola Tinubu’s directive for the police to withdraw personnel from VIPs be implemented with serious caution.

Yaro, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, warned that if not handled carefully, the withdrawal of police officers from VIPs could trigger regrettable fallouts.

“We must emphasise strongly that we implement it (withdrawal of police from VIPs) with serious caution,” Yaro said. “If not, the fallout of a hasty implementation of this directive will be regrettable in many respects and we have historical antecedents to these mindsets.”

To emphasise his point, the retired AIG listed the late Bola Ige, Funsho Williams, and General Mohammad Shuwa as VIPs who lost their lives after being left vulnerable to attacks due to the absence of security attachment.

Tinubu had on Sunday ordered the withdrawal of police officers at a security meeting in Abuja attended by Service Chiefs and the Director-General of the Department of State Services.

The President directed the police authorities to deploy the officers to concentrate on their core policing duties, a situation that mandated the Special Protection Unit of the Nigeria Police Force to order all officers attached to VIPs and beats nationwide to return to their bases.

Under the new arrangement, Tinubu said VIPs requiring security protection will now need to request armed personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), rather than relying on police officers.

The Presidency explained that the move aims to boost police presence in communities, especially in remote areas where police stations are often understaffed and citizens remain vulnerable to attacks.

However, Yaro argued that the Civil Defence Corps is not designed to protect VIPs or act as an alternative security outfit to the police.

“The fact that they said civil defence should come in does not really work in that way. Civil defence all over the world are designed to take care of civilians in terms of national emergencies.

“Civil defence all over the world, not only in Nigeria, are not designed to protect the VIP and act as an alternative security platform to the police.”

He likened it to asking a nurse to perform the duties of a doctor, reiterating that things must be done with caution.

Asked if he would have done something different from what the President directed, the retired AIG replied in the affirmative.

“I wouldn’t have ordered that the police should leave the VIPs because the VIPs are a very important segment of our nationhood,” he said.

Yaro stated that he would have preferred to increase the number of police officers in the country and give them more quality training.

“My advice is that we could have increased the number of police. Our mobile police, we have about 80 squadrons as we speak; we should have upgraded them to semi-military format as they were with the concept when they were introduced into our security system in 1962,” he added. (Channels)

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Tinubu orders Police to recruit more officers

President Bola Tinubu has declared a nationwide security emergency in response to escalating insecurity across the country, directing the military and police to immediately recruit additional personnel.

Under the new directive, the Nigeria Police Force is to recruit 20,000 additional officers, raising the total approved recruitment figure to 50,000. The president also authorised the temporary use of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) camps as police training depots, complementing the ongoing upgrade of police training facilities nationwide.

Tinubu further ordered that officers withdrawn from VIP security duties undergo accelerated retraining before deployment to security-challenged areas.

The Department of State Services (DSS) has also been instructed to deploy all trained forest guards to flush out terrorists and bandits operating from forested areas. The agency is to recruit additional personnel to strengthen security across these locations.

The President commended security agencies for their coordinated efforts that led to the rescue of 24 abducted schoolgirls in Kebbi State and 38 worshippers in Kwara State.

He urged them to sustain momentum in rescuing the remaining abducted students of a catholic school in Niger State and other citizens still in captivity.

Tinubu warned that there must be “no compromise, no collusion, and no negligence,” promising full federal support to ensure operational success.

Tinubu called on the National Assembly to commence legislative reviews enabling states that seek to establish state police to do so.

On education and religious gatherings, the President advised states to reconsider operating boarding schools in remote, unsecured areas and urged mosques and churches in vulnerable locations to prioritise security and work with law enforcement.

Addressing herder farmer conflicts, Tinubu emphasised that the creation of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development aims to end recurring clashes.

He urged herder associations to embrace ranching, discontinue open grazing, and surrender illegal weapons, noting that the federal and state governments will collaborate to implement lasting solutions.

The President expressed condolences to families affected by recent attacks in Kebbi, Borno, Zamfara, Niger, Yobe and Kwara states. He also paid tribute to fallen soldiers, including Brigadier-General Musa Uba.

He urged Nigerians to remain resilient, avoid fear and despair, and stand united to defend the nation’s freedom and values, assuring that his administration remains committed to national unity and peaceful coexistence. (RadioNigeria)

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Tinubu orders withdrawal of police guards from VIPs

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the withdrawal of police officers attached to Very Important Persons across the country, directing that they be redeployed to core policing duties.

The directive was issued during a security meeting the president held on Sunday in Abuja with service chiefs and the director-general of the Department of State Services.

According to a statement released by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, VIPs requiring protection will now be assigned armed operatives from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps instead of the police.

“Many parts of Nigeria, especially remote areas, have few policemen at the stations, thus making the task of protecting and defending the people difficult.

“In view of the current security challenges facing the country, President Tinubu is desirous of boosting police presence in all communities,” the statement read.

Onanuga also disclosed that the President has approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police personnel and that the Federal Government is working with states to upgrade police training facilities nationwide.

Those in attendance at Sunday’s meeting included the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Waidi Shaibu; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke; Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; and Director-General of the DSS, Tosin Adeola Ajayi.

The withdrawal of police escorts from VIPs comes amid long-standing concerns over the overstretching of Nigeria’s police force.

Several reports have highlighted that more than 100,000 police officers are assigned to politicians, businessmen, and other VIPs. (Punch)

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Banditry: Kwara closes schools in four LGs, demands military base

The Kwara State Government, on Wednesday, directed the closure of schools across four local government areas amid escalating insecurity in the affected communities.

The government’s decision was disclosed by the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Kwara State Wing, on Wednesday.
In a circular issued on Wednesday and obtained by The PUNCH, the NUT Chairman, Yusuf Agboola, announced the shutdown of schools in Isin, Irepodun, Ifelodun, and Ekiti LGAs.

Agboola explained that the union was acting strictly on instructions from the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development after the government raised concerns over fresh security threats in Kwara South.

“Comrade chairmen, this is to inform you and through you, all schools in the above local governments of the instruction to close down all schools with immediate effect until further notice,” the circular read.

“This decision was occasioned by the security challenges ravaging the area and the efforts of the government to control the situation. Treat this information as important and with the urgency it deserves, as it emanated from the ministry.”

He assured school heads and teachers that further directives would be communicated as the situation evolves.

On Wednesday, Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq also announced plans to seek the establishment of a Forward Operating Base of the Nigerian Army and a Mobile Police Squadron in Eruku, Ekiti Local Government Area, following Tuesday night’s deadly bandit attack on a church in the community, which left three worshippers dead and over 35 abducted.

The governor, who visited Eruku for an on-the-spot assessment, disclosed that he had spoken with the General Officer Commanding, 2 Division, and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on the urgent security upgrade needed in the crisis-hit area.

“We will speak with the GOC to see that we have a Forward Operating Base in Eruku to enhance security here and also talk to the Inspector General of Police about establishing a mobile squadron here,” Abdulrazaq said.

“It is indeed unfortunate what happened yesterday despite all the effort we have been making. Our main purpose here is to commiserate with the people of the community. All the security agencies are on this. The President had to cancel his trip to the G-20 because of this incident and that of Kebbi State. So the President is aware and we are on top of the situation,” he added.

For many residents, the governor’s visit came after a harrowing night of fear, bloodshed, and unanswered pleas for help.

One of the victims, Adesuyi Joshua, whose wife and granddaughter were among those abducted, recounted the horror.

“They took my wife and our granddaughter, who were in the church, along with about 30 other people. At first, we thought the gunshots were knockouts, but the sound changed. By the time we mobilised ourselves to confront the attackers, it was too late,” he said.

He accused security agents, especially the police, of worsening the situation instead of assisting the community.

“We have soldiers around this place. We also have a police station, but nothing was done throughout the attack.

“When we were pursuing the bandits, the police started shooting from their gate. We thought it was the bandits again. When we got to the station, they tear-gassed us and allowed the attackers to escape,” he alleged.

Another youth leader, Shola Peters, also accused the police of failing the community despite benefitting from local support.

“These are the same police officers the town supported. We built houses for the DPO and the men. When we needed them most, they failed us.

“Instead of joining us to pursue the bandits, they stopped us. The Inspector General needs to probe the Eruku division. All they do here is harass young boys and tag them as Yahoo boys or cultists.

“We need the Commissioner of Police and the Inspector General to come and probe the police. We don’t want them again. Let the government give us guns; we can protect ourselves.”

He added that despite having only “a Dane gun and one pump-action,” the youths confronted the armed attackers.

“Their firepower was too much. They came with AK-49 rifles and machine guns.”

Speaking earlier with The PUNCH, the President Pastor of the attacked church, Pastor Lawrence Abiodun Bamidele, said the congregation was holding a thanksgiving service for 18 kidnapped residents freed last week when the bandits struck.

“We are doing Thanksgiving service for the 18 people who were kidnapped three weeks ago, and all of them were rescued. We were thanking God for their safe return, not knowing that danger was lurking around.

“The incident happened unexpectedly and so fast. They came in and surrounded the church, shooting sporadically. Some who ran outside were shot from a tree, which one of the bandits climbed.

“In the pandemonium, three people died on the spot, and about 35 church members were kidnapped. We need government assistance. This attack is the first of its kind in Kwara State in a church.”

The Ekiti LGA Christian Association of Nigeria Coordinator, Pastor Kenneth Adigoke, expressed deep concern, warning that the attack could be interpreted as an assault on the Christian community.

“This attack is just like a direct assault on the Christian community and the body of Christ.

“Look at the situation that happened yesterday, they entered the church and killed three people on the spot, and kidnapped about 35. If they said there is genocide against the church or the Christian community, it can be justified.

“People are not happy. We want the government to handle this insecurity issue dispassionately, and we believe that with prayers, the issue will be tackled.” (Punch)