News
Amnesty Int’I Fumes As Sharia Court Jail Young Female Journalist 4 Years In Kaduna
Amnesty International has condemned what it tagged the arbitrary arrest, detention, and rushed sentencing of a 23-year-old journalist Farida Isiak by authorities in Kaduna State.
“Her arrest and subsequent punishment were clearly because of her attempt to expose abuses by the police. Sentencing a journalist to 4-years in prison after a sham trial is a travesty of justice”the human right body said.
“Farida Isiak, a reporter with Nagarta Radio in Kaduna, was taken into custody around 10:00 p.m. on Monday, 20 October, by officers under the command of the Divisional Police Officer of Mararaban Jos, Usman Adamu. The situation began as a minor disagreement between her mother and a neighbour over a 100 naira change dispute during a sale of charcoal. Police officers initially arrested her mother and later detained her father when he went to secure her release, using their detention as leverage to force Farida to come to the police station.
“When Farida arrived at the station, police officers accused her of defaming them because of a Facebook post she wrote criticizing their unlawful treatment of her parents. Even though she complied with police demands to delete the post and apologize in the hope of securing her parents’ release, officers kept her in custody and rushed her to a Sharia Court in Kawo. “The presiding judge sentenced her to four years in prison or a fine of 1.75 million naira on charges of defamation, completely ignoring the initial police misconduct and the abusive actions that led to the incident.” the human right body narrated.
Reacting in a statement it published through its Facebook account on Thursday, Amnesty International said “the arrest, detention, and hasty sentencing of Farida Isiak are a flagrant abuse of power by the police and weaponization of the judicial system to silence free speech and intimidate journalists.
“Arresting and holding a citizen’s parents to force a journalist to hand herself over is an unlawful tactic that violates rule of law” the body said and thus request that the
Nigeria Police Force launch a full and independent investigation into the conduct of police officers involved in the unlawful detention of her family.
Insisting that the sentence be withdrawn including the monetary fine, Amnesty said Nigerian authorities must stop using defamation charges and the legal system to harass journalists and restrict press freedom.
News
One Killed, 3 Injured As Gunmen Attack Ebonyi NDC Candidate’s Convoy
One person has been killed, and three others injured after gunmen allegedly attacked the convoy of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) House of Assembly candidate for Ezza South Constituency, Ebonyi State.
The police spokesperson, Joshua Ukandu, said the incident occurred at Amaezekwe community, Ezza South Local Government Area.
Ukandu said the command received a distress call reporting a disturbance in the community and immediately deployed operatives to the scene.
“Upon arrival, the operatives found four individuals with gunshot wounds and a burnt vehicle,” he said on Friday. “One of the victims was confirmed dead at the hospital, while the three others are receiving medical treatment.”
Meanwhile, the NDC candidate, Rollins Ovu-Unata Offia-Nwali, said suspected political thugs attacked his motorcade and set his Toyota Hilux vehicle ablaze.
In a statement, Offia-Nwali said he and members of his entourage escaped unhurt.
He expressed sympathy with those affected by the attack and urged youths across the state not to allow politicians to use them to pursue personal ambitions.
“No political ambition is worth the life of any young person,” he said.
News
Man Confesses To Killing Ex-Girlfriend For Breaking Up With Him, Dumps Body In Bag
A young man who identified himself as Emmanuel from Ebonyi State has confessed to killing his ex-girlfriend identified as Umuora Mmesoma from Uga in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State after she ended their relationship.
According to report, Mmesoma was declared missing on Friday, October 16, 2026, before her body was later discovered inside a bag in Uga on Friday, October 23.
In a video making the rounds on social media, security operatives questioned the suspect following his arrest.
In the video, the suspect confessed to killing the young woman, saying he carried out the act because she broke up with him.
“I killed her because she broke up with me. I killed her in my house in Uga, put her inside a bag and dumped her somewhere,” he said.
The killing of the young woman has sparked outrage among residents of the community and social media users, with calls for a thorough investigation and prosecution of the suspect and demands for justice for the deceased.
News
NAFDAC Uncovers Lagos Building Stockpiling Over 100 Sacks Of Empty Alcohol Bottles
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has uncovered a residential building in Lagos where more than 100 sacks of empty alcoholic beverage bottles were allegedly stockpiled for suspected use in the production of counterfeit drinks.
The bottles were discovered at a property located at 322B Meiran Road, Agbado Oke-Odo, Lagos, during an operation by the agency’s Investigation and Enforcement Directorate.
NAFDAC said the bottles were destroyed to prevent them from being reused in the production of counterfeit alcoholic beverages.
An Assistant Director in the directorate, Kunle Ojo, disclosed the development in a video released by the agency on Friday, explaining that the operation followed credible intelligence about activities at the location.
According to Ojo, the building was situated in a secluded residential area where different materials, including empty alcoholic beverage bottles covered with tarpaulins, were being stored.
The recovered bottles reportedly came in different sizes and included containers bearing labels associated with several alcoholic beverage brands, including Action Bitter and Royal Circle Premium Whiskey.
Ojo said investigators suspected that the bottles were being accumulated for onward distribution to individuals involved in the production of counterfeit alcoholic drinks.
He explained that the suspected practice involved supplying empty branded bottles to counterfeiters for reuse in packaging other products presented as genuine alcoholic beverages.
The discovery has raised concerns about the potential public health risks associated with counterfeit alcohol, which may be packaged in containers bearing the names and labels of established brands, making it difficult for consumers to distinguish genuine products from fake ones.
NAFDAC condemned the use of a residential property for the suspected activity, stressing that the operation was part of its efforts to protect public health and curb the production and distribution of counterfeit products.
The agency urged Nigerians to report suspicious activities in their neighbourhoods to the nearest NAFDAC office, noting that information from residents could help enforcement officers identify and disrupt suspected counterfeiting operations.
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