NEWS
Six Arrested as Police Expose Inside Network Behind Oyo School Abduction
The Nigeria Police Force in Oyo State has arrested six suspected informants allegedly linked to the abduction of school pupils and the killing of two teachers alongside a commercial motorcyclist in Ahoro-Esiele, Oriire Local Government Area of the state.
The arrests followed investigations into the deadly attack, which occurred last Friday and has continued to spark outrage across affected communities in Oyo State.
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According to the police, the suspects allegedly maintained communication with the kidnappers during and after the operation, supplying information that helped the criminals navigate routes within the National Park and access hidden locations believed to have served as safe havens.
Confirming the development on Tuesday, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, CSP Olayinka Ayanlade, said the suspects were apprehended during intelligence-led security operations carried out across different parts of the state.
“We have six suspects in custody and they are assisting the investigation,” Ayanlade stated.
He disclosed that preliminary findings showed that some of the suspects allegedly acted as informants to the abductors by exchanging telephone conversations containing operational details.
“Our findings showed that some of the suspects were in contact with the abductors through telephone conversations and investigators are analysing those communications as part of efforts to uncover the full network behind the crime,” he said.
The police spokesperson further revealed that the conversations allegedly included discussions on routes through the National Park and locations where the kidnappers could evade security operatives.
“The conversations contained information on how the abductors could move through the National Park undetected and reach safe locations,” he added.
Ayanlade explained that the arrests were made through coordinated operations involving the Nigerian Army, the police, Amotekun Corps, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and Agro-Rangers.
He assured residents that security agencies were intensifying efforts to track down other fleeing members of the criminal syndicate linked to the attack.
“We are committed to ensuring that every individual connected to this criminal act is identified, arrested and brought to justice. Investigations are still ongoing,” he said.
The tragic incident claimed the lives of two teachers and an okada rider while several pupils were abducted, raising fresh concerns over insecurity and attacks on schools in parts of the state.
Chuks Nwanne, general manager of The Guardian’s Abuja operations and former Saturday editor of the newspaper, has passed on.
Eniola Daniel, a senior multimedia reporter at The Guardian, announced Nwanne’s death in an X post on Saturday.
It was gathered that Nwanne died on Saturday after a protracted illness.
Daniel described Nwanne as a “prolific entertainment writer” and his teacher, saying he would be deeply missed.
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A native of Ogbunike in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nwanne joined The Guardian in 2008 as an entertainment reporter.
He later became an editorial assistant at The Guardian Life Magazine, the newspaper’s weekly lifestyle publication.
Nwanne also served as assistant editor, entertainment and lifestyle, while overseeing the youth, travel and tourism sections of The Guardian on Saturday.
He held a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu, and a master’s degree in communication studies from Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, Lagos.
He attended several training programmes and conferences in Nigeria and abroad.
Beyond journalism, Nwanne was the founder and creative director of the Ogbunike Cave Carnival, an annual three-day cultural festival established to promote the Ogbunike Cave, a major tourist attraction in Nigeria.
He was married and had three children.
Daniel expressed condolences to Nwanne’s family, describing his death as a loss to Ogbunike, Anambra, the music and entertainment industry, and journalism.
A road accident, involving a tanker truck conveying petroleum products opposite the Odukpani Local Government Secretariat, Cross River State, ignited a fire, leading to the destruction of several shops and affecting vehicles.
These transpired on Sunday, when the tanker accidentally overturned which led to the fire that spread to nearby shops and buildings.
Fortunately, the tanker driver was rescued and taken to a hospital for medical attention.
Confirming the incident, the Cross River State Police Command said that officers from the Odukpani Division were deployed to the scene to secure the area and prevent further harm.
The Command said the Fire Service had also been alerted and was expected to deploy personnel to contain and extinguish the fire.
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As of the time of filing this report, no death has been confirmed.
However, the police said a number of shops and vehicles had been affected by the inferno.
The Command urged residents and motorists to keep away from the immediate area and allow emergency responders unhindered access to the scene.
It also advised members of the public to exercise caution around the area because of the risk posed by the burning petroleum tanker.
The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Eitokpah Sunday Akata, said further updates would be released as verified information became available.
Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Joe Ajaero, has accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of failing to meaningfully engage with organised labour, alleging that the government has remained aloof despite repeated attempts to open dialogue.
Ajaero made the remarks during an appearance on the Mic On Podcast, where he spoke about the relationship between the labour movement and the Federal Government over the past few years.
According to the NLC president, the government has not been engaging with labour and only responds when workers and other groups take steps to force its attention.
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“For the past two, three years, you know, it’s not a government that is engaging. This government doesn’t engage,” Ajaero said.
He described the administration as “aloof”, stressing that meaningful engagement had been lacking between the government and organised labour.
Ajaero recalled that the NLC had, by December 17, 2025, announced plans to take its grievances to the streets after months of attempts to communicate with the President.
He said the labour movement had written to President Tinubu from June through December but received no response.
“Well, by December 17th, 2025, we pulled out that we are going to the streets. After writing a letter from May, sorry June, to December to Mr. President and there was no response,” he said.
According to him, the planned action eventually led to the intervention of some state governors, who facilitated an interface between labour and the government.
He said the intervention became necessary after other channels of communication, including the office of the Minister of Labour, had failed.
“Because the whole channel—whether through the Minister of Labour or any other office—failed, collapsed. So some governors met with us, and since that time we have talked once or twice,” Ajaero said.
However, the NLC president suggested that the situation had not significantly improved, alleging that the issues raised by labour since December had largely been left unresolved.
“And those issues… December last year to now, they’re just doing their business. Everybody is their enemy,” he added.
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