News
Bandits Target Families Compensated For Boat Mishap, Kill 4
Bandits have killed four people and abducted four others in Gorau community, Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The attack occurred around 9pm on Wednesday, barely six days after a boat mishap in the community claimed 65 lives.
The assailants also shot seven residents, who sustained injuries and are currently receiving treatment in hospital.
The bandits reportedly targeted families who were beneficiaries of the N1 million relief donation announced by the Sokoto State Government for each family of the victims of the boat disaster.
Confirming the attack, the village head of Gorau, Alhaji Aliyu Magaji Na-Batsami, said the assailants went from house to house in search of the relief money.
He said the attackers broke into virtually every room in his residence while demanding to know where the N1 million donated to the affected families had been kept.
“They shot 11 persons. Four died instantly, while the remaining seven were evacuated to the hospital for treatment. They also abducted four others.
“They came because of the money donated to the families of the victims of the recent boat mishap in our community, which claimed the lives of 65 persons,” he said.
According to the traditional ruler, the four people killed in the attack were identified as Bashar Sani, Ila Malam Makeri, Isa Ibrahim and Ali Aminu.
He said the number of casualties could have been higher without the swift intervention of security operatives.
“We thank the security operatives for their swift response. They came in four vehicles and pursued the bandits,” he said.
The attack occurred less than a week after a boat carrying residents of Gorau capsized, killing 65 people, many of them children, mostly girls.
Following the tragedy, the state government announced a N1 million donation to each family of the victims and the distribution of grains as part of measures to provide relief to those affected.
The latest incident has, however, heightened concerns about the vulnerability of the bereaved families and the security of the relief funds provided to them.
News
Court Arraigns Journalist In Benue
A Benue State High Court, presided over by Justice Mary Abounu, has arraigned the Benue State correspondent of Aljazirah Newspaper, Henry Ibya, in Makurdi over alleged cyberstang.
The trial judge had sought the prosecution’s response to the defendant’s argument that the journalist was reliable and should be granted bail.
The absence of the prosecution counsel in court did not stop the proceedings, as the defendant’s counsel, Tom Uja, Esq., notified the court of his bail application for his client.
He stated that the prosecution had taken the journalist to two other courts in the state on the same charge and that his client had never failed to appear in court whenever required.
Although the prosecutor’s absence did not affect the judge’s decision to proceed and grant bail, which was also believed to be in the interest of justice, the matter was adjourned until November 5, 2026.
One Terna Abuul, said to be the Director of ICT at Rev. Fr. Moses Orshio Adasu University, Makurdi, reported Henry Ibya to the Nigeria Police Force, Benue State Command.
The director had accused the journalist of allegedly reporting mismanagement in the institution’s ICT department.
According to Abuul, Ibya’s report accused him of wrongdoing.
On the strength of the said report, the journalist was arraigned before the High Court in Makurdi.
News
64 Dead, 80 Injured As Two High-Speed Trains Collide
At least 64 people have been killed and dozens seriously injured after two high-speed trains collided near Urda, south of Madrid, in one of Spain’s deadliest rail disasters in more than a decade.
The Castilla-La Mancha regional government confirmed the death toll as emergency crews continued rescue operations at the crash site. More than 500 passengers were travelling on the two trains involved, according to a regional government spokesperson.
The BBC reports that the collision of the two trains involved a Renfe high-speed train and an Iryo service operating on the Madrid-to-Seville route. Aerial images analysed by the broadcaster showed parts of the Renfe train leaving the tracks, while carriages of the Iryo train also derailed.
The cause of the collision had not been officially confirmed. However, Spanish media cited preliminary accounts suggesting that the Renfe train struck the Iryo service, which may have been stationary following a problem on the tracks.
The scale of the disaster prompted a major emergency response involving ambulances, helicopters, rescue teams and police officers. At least 80 people were reported injured, with about 50 believed to be in serious condition and 15 in critical condition, according to regional officials.
Several victims were transported to hospitals in nearby areas, while others were taken to Madrid for treatment. Hospitals in Toledo, Ciudad Real and Alcázar de San Juan reportedly suspended planned surgeries to accommodate casualties from the crash.
Blood transfusion centres in Madrid and Toledo also appealed for urgent donations to meet a possible surge in demand.
Survivors described scenes of panic and severe destruction. One passenger, Sebastián Herrero, told Spanish newspaper El Mundo that he felt a powerful impact that threw him into the seats ahead. He said injured passengers had broken noses and arms, while smoke spread through the carriages.
Another passenger, Iñaki, told El País that the impact sent him rolling across the floor. After escaping, he saw injured people and bodies around the wreckage.
BBC Verify also examined images and videos appearing to show a section of railway track piercing through a Renfe carriage, with approximately 10 metres of rail protruding through its roof.
The disaster has revived concerns about railway safety in Spain, which suffered another deadly high-speed rail accident near Córdoba in which 46 people died. The country’s previous worst rail disaster occurred in July 2013, when 80 people were killed in a derailment near Santiago de Compostela.
Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, said he was shocked by the crash and remained in contact with the transport minister. The Spanish royal family also expressed condolences to victims’ relatives and praised emergency workers.
Meanwhile, the Royal Spanish Football Federation postponed 24 Copa del Rey matches in solidarity with the victims, while most political parties suspended campaign activities.
Rescue and recovery operations continued as authorities worked to establish the full circumstances surrounding the collision.
News
Police Arrest Suspected Eiye Cultist, Recover Two Pistols, Cartridges In Ogun
Operatives of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Squad of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested a 26-year-old suspected cultist and recovered two locally made pistols, three live cartridges and a battle axe in the Atan area of Ado-Odo/Ota Local Council of the state.
The suspect, identified as Okiki Muhammed Adewusi, popularly known as “Baba Obo”, was arrested in the Ore area of Atan on October 26, 2026, following intelligence received by operatives of SWAT Base 7, Abule Iroko, Sango-Ota.
The Police Spokesperson, Oluseyi Babaseyi, confirmed the arrest in a statement in Abeokuta yesterday.
According to Babaseyi, a search of the suspect’s residence after his arrest led to the recovery of a locally made pistol and three live cartridges.
He added that preliminary investigations indicated that the suspect had allegedly admitted to being a member of the Eiye Confraternity.
Babaseyi said information obtained from the suspect led to a follow-up operation at about 6.30 a.m. on October 27, 2026 during which operatives recovered a second locally made pistol and a battle axe from a separate location.
The recovered items have been secured as exhibits, while efforts are ongoing to arrest other suspects believed to be involved in the activities and recover additional weapons.
The police spokesperson said investigations were ongoing to establish the full circumstances of the case.
The Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, commended the SWAT operatives for their vigilance, professionalism and effective use of intelligence.
Ojajuni reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to dismantling criminal networks, curbing cult-related activities and tackling the illegal possession of firearms across the state.
He urged residents to provide timely and credible information about suspected criminal activities, assuring them that the Command would act on actionable intelligence to protect lives and property and maintain public safety.
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