Edo State Government has demolished a house suspected to be Kidnappers’ hideout in Uromi, inna bid to ensure public safety in Senator Monday Okpebholo ‘s administration.

Leading the demolition exercise in Illeh (Esan West LGA) and Uromi (Esan North East LGA), the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Mr. Akhere Paul, emphasized that the action aligns with the state’s anti-kidnapping law.

The SA to the governor said the new administration has zero tolerance for properties used as criminal hideouts and urged landlords to properly vet tenants before renting out their properties.

“This house was used to keep kidnapped victims, and dangerous weapons were recovered here. The new law, signed by Governor Monday Okpebholo, mandates the demolition of any property used for such criminal activities,” Mr. Akhere stated.

The Commander of the Special Task Force, SP Michael Anetor, affirmed that the crackdown will continue and called on residents to report suspicious activities to security agencies.

Meanwhile, two arrested suspects, Utubor Uchenna and Felix Ebama, admitted to using the demolished properties as hideouts. They confessed to participating in high-profile kidnappings, including a recent case where they collected a ₦10 million ransom.

The Edo State Government has pledged to sustain the fight against kidnapping, ensuring that criminal elements are flushed out to make the state safer for residents

There was serious protest in Jos, capital of Plateau State on Sunday on allegations that some truck drivers transporting goods from the northern parts of the country to the South Eastern parts were mowed by operatives of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, a proscribed organization controlled by the embattled leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

The protest in Jos was carried by members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, condemning the killing of drivers from the northern part of the country while carrying out their duties in the South East region.

Angry drivers were seen carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Enough is enough,” “End the carnage, ensure smooth passage of northern truck drivers,” and “We are united against violence, protect all drivers regardless of origin.”

The State Coordinator of Heavy Trucks, Plateau State Council, Janedu Ahamad Zaki condemned the senseless killing of innocent drivers of heavy trucks describing IPOB’s action as “senseless and barbaric”, calling on the Federal Government to protect drivers and their properties in the South East.

“For the past eight years, truck drivers from northern Nigeria have been consistently targeted, killed, and had their trucks destroyed or burnt while transporting goods to the South-East. We are still trying to understand what offense we have committed to deserve this kind of barbaric killing,” he said.

According to him, 50 drivers have been killed, while hundreds of trucks carrying goods to the region were set ablaze or looted.

“Between January and December 2024 alone, in communities such as Ihube, Okigwe, and Isuochi in Imo State, more than 20 drivers were brutally killed, and their trucks either burned or damaged. Some bodies were recovered, while others remain missing,” he claimed.

Zaki named four truck drivers who were ambushed and killed by IPOB operatives on January 28, 2025 as Haruna Jibril, Bala Muhammad, Dalladi Jafaru, and Auwal Muhammad — were ambushed between Lokpanta in Imo State and Umuahia in Abia State while transporting tomatoes to Port Harcourt. According to him, all four were killed, and their trucks were emptied by the assailants.

“The perpetrators, after unloading the tomatoes, filmed the empty truck and sent the videos to us to confirm that they had killed the victims. When we called them to release the bodies, they told us to forget about them,” he recounted.

An executive officer in the Federal Ministry of Water Resources has been formal.y charged in Court for secretly adding his wife’s name, son and other family members on Federal Government’s payroll.

The charge indicated that his family members, including his wife and son are not staff of the Ministry of Water Resources.

The corrupt executive, identified as Oseni Adeolu was being prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and has been arraigned in court.

Before his arrest, he was said to have siphoned millions of naira

Standing trial before Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, on a three-count charge of money laundering, the anti-graft agency alleged that between 2023 and 2024, he illicitly funneled over N2.8 million through the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), by registering his wife and son as federal employees and receiving their salaries through their accounts.

One charge highlighted that he received N2,843,524.41 via his wife’s Stanbic IBTC Bank account, funds allegedly linked to corruption under the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

Olayinka pleaded not guilty. His lawyer, Paul Asimiakeokha, successfully applied for bail, which was granted at N5 million with a surety who must be a civil servant of at least grade level 12 and own verifiable property in Abuja.

The trial is set to commence on April 29, 2025.