Exactly seven days after over 300 students were abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, bandits have launched another deadly attack in Palaita community, Erena Ward, Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State. They abducted 24 people, including a pregnant woman, from a rice farm and chopped off the hand of a blind man.

However, the Police said 10 people were kidnapped.

The bandits also attacked a community in Abuja, and kidnapped six girls and a boy.

This happened as the Diocese of Kaduna, Anglican Communion, announced that Venerable Edwin Achi, Priest-in-Charge of Ebenezer Anglican Church, Ungwan Maijero, who was abducted on October 28, had died in kidnappers. The incident prompted the cancellation of the much-anticipated ‘Stand Up for Jesus 2025’ event.

Meanwhile, Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, yesterday, declared that the armed forces were closing in on eliminating bandits terrorising parts of the country, despite the recent resurgence of school abductions.

Coming on a day that the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, disclosed that 11,566 Police personnel withdrawn from VIP duties had been redeployed to under-served communities, Catholic Cardinal John Onaiyekan, urged the Federal Government to ensure quick solution to internal insecurity by adequately equipping officers on ground rather than relying on recruiting 20,000 policemen.

How bandits kidnapped 24 in Niger

A source in the community said the attackers struck at about 2:00pm on Wednesday while residents were harvesting their crops.

Despite Palaita being only five kilometres from a military base in Erena, the bandits reportedly escaped with the victims before security personnel could respond.

In a separate incident earlier that day, another group of armed men invaded the Kakuru community, also in Erena Ward, brutalised a blind resident and severed his right hand after taking a mobile phone from him.

Vanguard gathered that the bandits invaded a farmland in Palaita community, Erena Ward in Shiroro LGA where farmers were harvesting their rice and whisked the workers and pregnant woman away.

The invasion and abduction of the farmers happened at 2pm without any hindrance.

The bandits were said to have driven straight to the farm, started shooting sporadically, rounded up the victims and fled before the arrival of the military to the scene.

“From all indications, it seems the bandits had a mission and the mission was to dislodge the farmers and take them away. They were said to have driven straight to the farm, started shooting and by the time the farmers knew what was happening, they had been rounded up and led to mount waiting motorcycles and taken away.

“We are not sure the exact destination they were taken to and no communication has been opened up between the bandits, and the immediate families of those affected or any other contacts,” a community source, who wanted anonymity, declared.

Also in another community called Kakuru in the same Erena ward, bandits were said to have chopped off the right hand of a blind man for not “cooperating” with them when asked some “vital” questions.
It was learned that the bandits met the blind man at home and wanted to collect the mobile phone they saw with him.

“The bandits arrived at the community at about 8:00am, met only the blind man at home because other residents of the community had gone to their farms.

“Not knowing who they are because of his sight, he explained to the gunmen that the mobile phone does not belong to him, saying the owner had gone to the farm.

“This refusal did not go down well with them. After collecting the phone forcefully from him, one of the bandits ordered that his right hand be chopped off for refusing to cooperate with them, and it was done immediately,” the source disclosed.

According to him, the victim was immediately given first aid treatment in the town but added that his whereabouts is unknown yet.

Confirming the attacks, the state police command said 10 persons were reportedly abducted in the area.

10 persons were abducted — Police

Spokesman of the Command, Superintendent of Police, Wasiu Abiodun in a terse statement said:
“On November 26, 2025 at about 8pm, report received indicated that suspected armed men abducted about 10 persons from Angwan-Kawo and Kuchipa villages of Shiroro Local Govt Area and effort is being made to rescue the victims,”

Bandits kidnap six girls, a boy in FCT

In Abuja, exactly one week after a police officer was shot dead in the Guto area of Bwari, bandits launched yet another violent attack, abducting six young girls and a 16-year-old boy during a night raid on Gidan-Bijimi, a settlement in Kawu ward on the fringes of Bwari Area Council.

Kawu shares a boundary with Kaduna State and lies close to the Gidan Dogo and Kweti forests – areas long regarded as transit routes and hideouts for criminal gangs operating along the FCT–Kaduna corridor.
Gidan-Bijimi itself sits near Marke village on the same boundary, a zone that has witnessed renewed criminal activity in recent months.

The latest assault occurred around 9:47pm on Wednesday, throwing the quiet community into chaos as the gunmen, armed with AK-47 rifles, invaded two homes and fired repeatedly into the air before escaping with their captives.

The incident comes on the heels of last Wednesday’s attack on Guto, another boundary community in Bwari, where the Federal Capital Territory Police Command reported that 30 armed men stormed the area to kidnap a resident and his family. Two terrorists were reportedly neutralized in the Guto incident while a policeman lost his life.

In the latest attacks, a resident of Kawu, Suleiman Shuaibu, who confirmed the Gidan-Bijimi abductions, said the girls taken were between 17 and 23 years old.

He said he got a call around 9:53pm from Gidan-Bijimi that bandits had invaded the village. “They abducted six young girls. Unfortunately, my cousin-sister is among the victims,” he explained, adding that a teenage boy was also seized.

Shuaibu said members of the local vigilance group attempted to confront the attackers but were forced to retreat due to the bandits’ superior firepower.

He added that several residents fled into surrounding bushes, while others remained indoors until daylight. As of Thursday morning, there had been no contact from the kidnappers, and the police had yet to officially confirm the incident.

The abduction deepens concerns over the steadily deteriorating security situation in Bwari Area Council. The attacks have triggered renewed calls for strengthened security across communities bordering Kaduna and Niger states – long considered soft entry points for armed groups creeping toward the capital.
In response to rising anxieties, the Federal Capital Territory Administration FCTA on Wednesday announced fresh security measures following an expanded meeting of the FCT Security Council chaired by the Minister, Nyesom Wike.

FCT Commissioner of Police, Miller Dantawaye, who briefed journalists after the meeting, said the council had fully activated Operation Sweep, a multi-agency security operation recently reorganised to respond more effectively to emerging threats.

According to him, the operation has been restructured into four major sectors covering Gwagwalada, Bwari, and two wide corridors across the city centre—stretching from Berger and Wuse through Karu, Mararaba, Karshi, and Orozo. He added that the minister has provided “adequate logistics” to enable the joint deployment of personnel from the police, military, DSS, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, FRSC, Immigration Service, Correctional Service and other FCT-based agencies.

Despite these measures, Wednesday night’s abduction underscores the persistent vulnerability of remote communities and the growing boldness of armed groups testing the limits of the government’s security response.

Residents say they now live under constant fear, pleading for swift action to rescue the victims and halt what many describe as a descent into daily terror.

Kaduna Anglican priest dies in kidnappers’ den

Meanwhile, the Diocese of Kaduna, Anglican Communion, has announced the death of Venerable Edwin Achi, Priest-in-Charge of Ebenezer Anglican Church, Ungwan Maijero.

The incident prompted the cancellation of the much-anticipated ‘Stand Up for Jesus 2025’ event.

The announcement was made via the Diocese’s official Facebook page. Ven. Edwin Achi was kidnapped alongside his wife and daughter on October 28, 2025 from their residence in Nissi Village, near the Kaduna Refinery, and taken to an unknown location. A few days after the abduction, the kidnappers contacted the family to demand for a N600m ransom before they would release the victims.

However, the Diocese of Kaduna, Anglican Communion, said the cleric is now dead. In a statement, they described the death of Reverend Achi as a painful loss to the entire Diocese, the clergy, the Church family, and all who were blessed by his faithful ministry.

His passing has been described as a profound loss to the Diocese, the clergy, and all members of the Church community who benefited from his ministry.

“His faithful service, humble spirit, and unwavering devotion to God leave a lasting legacy,” the Diocese stated.

Authorities and church members continue to pray for the safe release of his wife and daughter, who remain in the hands of the kidnappers.

In honour of the late priest, the Diocese confirmed that the ‘Stand Up for Jesus 2025’ programme has been cancelled.

The statement by the Diocese of Kaduna Anglican Communion read: “With heavy hearts and deep sorrow, the Diocese of Kaduna, Anglican Communion, announces the passing unto glory of The Venerable Edwin Achi, Priest-in-Charge of Ebenezer Anglican Church, Ungwan Maijero.

“Ven. Edwin Achi, who was kidnapped alongside his wife on 28th October, 2025, has been confirmed dead.
“His transition is a painful loss to the entire Diocese, the clergy, the Church family, and all who were blessed by his faithful ministry, humble spirit, and unwavering devotion to the service of God.

“We continue to pray for the release of his wife and daughter who are still in the hands of kidnappers.
“On this note, the Standup for Jesus 2025 is hereby cancelled in honour of the late Venerable Edwin Achi. The Lord be with you.”

We’re inches away from crushing banditry — Defence Minister, Badaru

However, Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, yesterday, declared that the armed forces were closing in on eliminating bandits terrorising parts of the country, despite the recent resurgence of school abductions.

Speaking in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service, the minister admitted that security challenges persist but described the current situation as typical of guerrilla warfare, where criminal elements strike intermittently to create fear.

“This is how guerrilla warfare works,” Badaru said, “there will be periods of calm, and then they launch an attack that shakes the nation. Yes, we know their locations, but these are areas where direct strikes could harm civilians, or forests where our bombs cannot penetrate.”

He insisted that Nigerian troops are working “day and night” to root out the criminals, assuring citizens that the military is nearing a decisive breakthrough.”

Badaru expressed concern over the return of mass abductions of students, saying the government has launched a full investigation.

“We never said the problem was completely over. But this renewed kidnapping of schoolchildren worries us. We are studying what went wrong and how to prevent a recurrence.”

According to him, the government has an established framework for school security, which significantly reduced incidents in the past two years.

The minister confirmed an ongoing investigation into allegations that security personnel were withdrawn minutes before bandits invaded a girls’ school in Maga, Kebbi State.

“We will uncover what happened. If anyone is found culpable, they will be sanctioned,” he vowed.
Badaru also noted that some bandit groups have been extorting rural communities, but the military avoids carrying out airstrikes in those locations to prevent civilian casualties.

Responding to the U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to take military measures against Nigeria over alleged genocide against Christians, Badaru said Nigerian officials have been engaging with the U.S. government.

“Our leaders have been there and discussions are ongoing. By God’s grace, there will be understanding,” he said, adding that Nigeria sources arms from multiple countries.

IGP redeploys 11, 566 withdrawn police personnel to underserved communities

To strengthen internal security, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has disclosed that 11,566 Police personnel ordered to report back from VIP duties have reported back to the Force and revealed that they have been redeployed to underserved and vulnerable communities across the country.

IGP Egbetokun said the move aligns with ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening internal security, enhancing community policing, and ensuring a more equitable distribution of manpower nationwide.

Speaking at a meeting with Police Strategic Officers in Abuja, yesterday, the IGP said the redeployed officers will boost security presence in rural and high-risk areas that have long suffered from inadequate policing.

He reaffirmed the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to professional service delivery, stressing that the redeployment is part of a broader strategy to enhance public safety and ensure that every community, regardless of size or location, receives adequate security coverage.

Cardinal Onaiyekan tasks Tinubu on Police effective equipment

Catholic Cardinal John Onaiyekan, yesterday, said there is no need for the Federal Government to deploy 20,000 additional policemen, insisting that Nigeria should equip the officers already on ground to effectively confront insecurity.

The president recently announced he would be recruiting 20,000 additional police officers.
Speaking at the 9th International Conference on Love and Tolerance in Abuja, the Cardinal warned that the nation cannot afford delays in tackling insecurity.

His words: “Right now in Nigeria, we have to build bridges so that all of us, Christians and Muslims, can jointly face our common enemy… Those who are killing us.

“We have finally agreed that we shall join hands and face them. And if we join hands, we can deal with them now. We should be able to deal with them.

“With all these wonderful soldiers and police, we should be able to deal with them. I’m not even sure we need 20,000 more policemen. I believe they are the ones we have right now. Arm them well, treat them well, and they will do their job.”

“There is no need to deploy 20,000 policemen. We could use the policemen we have. I’m not an expert, but to train them and then deploy them, for an emergency. Let the experts tell me how long it takes to deploy 20,000 people. I guess we are talking of one year, In one month, this country can be destroyed.”

“So I’m saying we should look at a strategy that will address the issue right now. We should equip the policemen we have now, who are already trained though, but they are carrying bags for madams. It’s good that they have been withdrawn; Let them start working. And let there be the political will to flush the terrorists out of the forest. And we are glad over the language that our president spoke, yesterday; but we’ve been listening to that since two years ago.

“What do you have police for? That’s their job. It’s not even the job of the army. It’s the job of the police.”

Earlier in his remarks, Cardinal Onaiyekan also reflected on global religious harmony, warning that Nigeria faces increasing local polarisation despite global unity efforts, referencing the “Abu Dhabi document” signed by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al Azhar.

Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, highlighted the root causes of intolerance and conflict, noting that human differences in wealth, power, race, and religion often drive dominance and resistance.
He emphasized that differences are natural and unavoidable, and that peace and tolerance begin with recognizing and accepting human diversity.

Sani also expressed concern over shrinking freedom of speech, pointing out that arrests and social media scrutiny threaten open dialogue, and urged that love, understanding, and respect for differing opinions are essential for building a harmonious society.

President of UFUK Dialogue Foundation, Emrah Ilgen, whose organisation convened the international conference, said the gathering was created to address the urgent need for healing in a deeply divided world.

He said the theme “Bridging Divides: Building Trust in a Polarized World” was chosen to confront rising global and local tensions, emphasising that the world is experiencing dangerous levels of mistrust driven by misinformation, fear, ethnic divisions, and religious misconceptions.

Vanguard