The Cross River State Police Command has arrested a 24-year-old student, Emmanuel Ejim, in connection with a viral video allegedly showing suspected cult members firing gunshots from a moving vehicle in Calabar.

The Command, in a statement signed by its Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, said the incident occurred in the early hours of September 17, 2026, prompting Commissioner of Police, CP Ajo Geoffrey Ordue, to direct the immediate identification and arrest of those involved.

According to the police, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations, and operatives of the Violence Crime Response Unit (VCRU) commenced an intelligence-led operation at about 11:30 p.m. on September 17.

The operation, the Command said, led to the identification and tracking of the vehicle captured in the viral footage and the subsequent arrest of its driver.

The information obtained from the driver reportedly helped the police trace Ejim to a hotel in Calabar, where he was arrested.

The police identified Ejim as a student of the University of Cross River (UNICROSS) and said he allegedly identified himself during questioning as a leader of the Vikings Confraternity.

He allegedly admitted being the person seen firing the shots in the viral video.

The suspect also allegedly told investigators that he participated in a sign-out activity on the day of the incident and that another suspected member of the group handed him the pistol allegedly used in the shooting.

The Command said efforts had been intensified to identify and arrest other persons linked to the incident, adding that the circumstances surrounding the possession of the firearm and movement of the vehicle remained under investigation.

The Commissioner of Police directed that the investigation be conducted professionally and comprehensively, with anyone found to have participated in or facilitated the alleged act brought before the law.

The Command warned that the unlawful discharge of firearms in public places constituted a serious security concern and urged residents to report suspicious movements, possession of firearms and cult-related activities to the police.

Terrorists, locally dubbed as bandits, have attacked the residence of the Sarkin Fulani of Betuwa in Gulbin Boka, Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State, abducting the traditional leader, his son and another family member. 

Report says the attack occurred on Friday night when the assailants reportedly stormed the community and invaded the residence of the traditional leader.

Meanwhile, the attackers abducted the Sarkin Fulani, his son and another member of the family before fleeing the area.

The incident was confirmed on Saturday by a security alert platform Bakatsine, which reported that bandits had attacked the residence of the Sarkin Fulani of Betuwa in Gulbin Boka, Mariga LGA.

“Last night, bandits reportedly attacked the residence of the Sarkin Fulani of Betuwa in Gulbin Boka, Mariga LGA of Niger State,” Bakatsine said in the security alert.

“According to local sources, the bandits stormed the residence during the night and abducted the traditional leader, his son, and another family member before fleeing.”

The latest attack has raised concerns over the security situation in Mariga and surrounding communities, where residents remain vulnerable to attacks and abductions by armed groups.

The identities and whereabouts of the abducted victims were not immediately known.

There was also no immediate information on whether security agencies had launched an operation to rescue the victims or apprehend the attackers.

The incident comes amid persistent security challenges in parts of Niger State, particularly rural communities that have faced attacks and abductions by suspected bandits.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has reported that 48 people have died after consuming suspected locally prepared alcoholic and herbal concoctions in parts of Ondo State, with preliminary laboratory findings indicating high concentrations of toxic methanol in samples of the suspected drinks.

The agency, in an update signed by its Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye yesterday said a total of 182 cases had been recorded, with five victims who are now totally blind and two others partially blind.

The incident, which was initially reported in early September, affected residents of Odigbo Town, Araromi-Obu, New Town, Odole, Okele, Orita Odigbo and Oniparaga in Odigbo Local Government Area. The report also listed Irele Local Government Area among the affected locations.

According to NAFDAC, the number of reported deaths initially stood at 31, comprising 20 in Odigbo Town and 11 in Araromi-Obu, but increased as investigations and surveillance progressed.

The agency said 90 affected persons had been admitted and subsequently discharged, while six remained hospitalised. Another 31 were treated as outpatients, while the remaining cases involved varying degrees of illness and complications.

NAFDAC said the clinical features reported among affected persons included headaches, generalised body weakness and pain, visual disturbances, difficulty in breathing and altered consciousness, with some cases deteriorating rapidly.

The agency disclosed that 15 people had so far been arrested in connection with the suspected production, sale and distribution of the implicated locally produced alcoholic and herbal beverages.

As part of its investigation, NAFDAC said samples of the suspected concoctions had undergone laboratory examination and toxicological studies to determine their chemical composition and identify potentially toxic substances, adulterants, contaminants or undeclared ingredients.

It said toxicological, microbiological and chemical screening was conducted on 15 unlabeled samples, while acute oral toxicity tests were performed on laboratory mice in accordance with its standard operating procedures and OECD guidelines.

The preliminary findings showed that all the samples caused critical illness in the test animals, while approximately 50 per cent mortality was recorded in six of the 15 samples analysed.

NAFDAC said the critically ill mice recovered after 24 hours of administration, but noted that there was a possibility that they could die if exposed to a second dose.

The agency further disclosed that chemical screening detected Cannabis indicated in 11 samples, while gas chromatography confirmed the presence of high concentrations of methanol.

It explained that methanol was a highly toxic substance capable of causing severe health complications, including blindness, organ failure and death.

According to NAFDAC, the combination of high mortality recorded during animal testing and the confirmed presence of methanol strongly suggested that the samples posed a serious public health risk.

However, it stressed that the findings remained preliminary and required further confirmatory analyses.

The agency said additional testing was ongoing to quantify the methanol concentration and identify other possible toxic agents in the suspected drinks.

NAFDAC said surveillance, case management, investigation and risk-control measures were ongoing, while the reported figures remained subject to verification as investigations continued.