Metro

A mother and her four children are burnt to death in a fire outbreak at their residence in Okochiri community, Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State. The incident happens on Friday morning, with the exact cause of the fire yet to be established. A source says the fire may have started when someone attempted to pour petrol into a jerrycan, causing the fuel to ignite. The fuel is also suspected to have been contaminated. The Civilian Joint Task Force Commander in Okrika, Igwe Godswill, confirms that the bodies of the mother and her four children are found at the scene. Local youths reportedly put out the fire before emergency responders arrived. The Rivers State Police Command also confirms the incident, saying the mother and three of her children died, while other occupants of the building sustained injuries. Police say property worth thousands of naira was destroyed in the fire, as investigations continue to determine the immediate and remote causes of the incident.

Motorists and commuters using the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway are facing severe traffic congestion, with transport fares rising sharply as repairs continue on the Kara Bridge. Some commuters reportedly paid up to N5,000 for trips that normally cost far less, while others were forced to trek long distances to escape the gridlock. The traffic stretched from Fatgbems through Long Bridge, Arepo, Mowe and other parts of the Lagos-Ibadan corridor, with some motorists stranded for more than 22 hours. The situation also contributed to a fatal crash near Ipara Remo in Ogun State, where four people were killed and another injured. The Federal Road Safety Corps said the crash happened around 4 a.m. when a Mitsubishi reportedly rammed into a moving truck while attempting to overtake at high speed. The FRSC attributed the crash to speeding, wrong overtaking and driver fatigue. Meanwhile, five vehicles were involved in another crash on Otedola Bridge in Lagos on Wednesday. LASEMA said all trapped victims were rescued alive and taken to the Trauma Centre for treatment, with no deaths recorded. Traffic recovery operations are ongoing as authorities work to remove the damaged vehicles, while movement remains slow along some sections of the expressway.

Two people have died following alleged flooding and building collapses along the Ataobong Bypass section of the Phase IV East-West Road project in Akwa Ibom State. The affected families have taken the Federal Government and the construction company handling the project to court, demanding one billion naira in damages. The families allege that construction work by Gitto Construczioni General Nigeria Limited changed the flow of rainwater into residential areas, leading to flooding and the collapse of buildings. One of the victims, Isaac Nkenyie, reportedly died when his house collapsed during heavy rainfall, while a child from a neighbouring family also died in a similar building collapse. The families are also seeking compensation for their lands and properties, as well as an order stopping what they described as selective payment of compensation. The case, filed at the Eket High Court, has been adjourned until October 20, 2026, for hearing.

A 13-year-old boy, Mubarak Mohammed, has died after allegedly pulling the trigger of a loaded Dane gun in Udubo village, Gamawa Local Government Area of Bauchi State. The Bauchi State Police Command says the gun belongs to a 35-year-old hunter, Suleiman Hamza, who reportedly returns from hunting and leaves the loaded weapon inside his room before going out. According to the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Nafiu Habib, Mubarak enters the room and pulls the trigger, causing the gun to discharge and fatally injure him. The teenager is rushed to the General Hospital, Gamawa, where a doctor confirms his death. Police say the suspect has been arrested and the case transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation. Meanwhile, the command says it has foiled an armed robbery along the Kajala-Kere Road and recovered two stolen motorcycles after the suspected hoodlums flee on sighting the police and vigilante team. The Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, urges firearm owners to keep their weapons safely away from children to prevent avoidable deaths.

The Nigerian military had rescued 21 people who were abducted in Kogi State, including 15 National Youth Service Corps members. The victims, comprising eight males and 13 females, were rescued from the Egume-Ochaja forest after they were kidnapped while travelling from Abuja to Bayelsa State. The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, said the rescue followed intensified military operations and intelligence sharing with other security agencies. He added that troops had continued operations against terrorists and criminals in Kogi and other parts of the country. President Bola Tinubu also welcomed the rescue, saying the victims were receiving medical attention before being reunited with their families. He said security forces remained on the trail of the fleeing kidnappers and would ensure those responsible faced the full weight of the law.

A 55-year-old woman in Zamfara State, Fatima, has recounted the devastating experience of bandit attacks that forced her and other residents to flee their communities. Speaking to the BBC Hausa service, Fatima said bandits attacked her village around 2 a.m., dividing themselves into three groups to surround the community and block escape routes. She said residents faced deadly choices, as those who hid indoors had their homes set on fire, while those who attempted to escape were shot. Fatima claimed that about 70 people, including children, were killed during an attack on Bia Buki village in June. She said her husband and six of her seven siblings were among those killed. According to her, the attackers sometimes arrived on as many as 100 motorcycles, with about three people riding on each motorcycle. Following the attack, Fatima and other residents fled into a nearby forest with their children before eventually making their way to Gusau, the Zamfara State capital. She now lives in a temporary camp with her seven children, aged between nine and 30, where she said food, shelter and other forms of assistance remained inadequate. Fatima also alleged that 22 displaced children who were sent to gather firewood for sale were abducted by bandits. She said security had improved slightly following patrols by soldiers and government-backed vigilantes, but residents remained afraid of returning home. Data cited by the BBC showed that bandit attacks in north-western Nigeria increased significantly in the first half of 2026. The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data project reported a 78 per cent rise in attacks compared with the same period in 2025. SBM Intelligence also estimated that 7,825 people were kidnapped across Nigeria between July 2025 and June 2026, while about N7.8 billion was reportedly paid as ransom. Security analyst Malik Samuel of Good Governance Africa said no part of northern Nigeria was currently completely free from large-scale kidnapping. Fatima said she had been told that bandits had established a camp close to her community, with one of their leaders allegedly acting as a de facto authority and settling disputes among residents. She said several neighbouring villages had been completely deserted, adding that returning home without adequate security would expose residents to further attacks and hardship. Despite her desire to return, Fatima said the continuing insecurity had left her and thousands of other displaced Nigerians uncertain about when they could safely return to their communities.

A trader at the Spar shopping mall in Calabar, Cross River State, has recounted how a blown bulb and power fluctuations preceded the fire that engulfed the shopping complex. The trader, speaking in an interview with TVC News, said the incident began the previous night when a bulb in her shop blew and smoke was noticed. She said she alerted the mall’s maintenance team, who switched off part of the power supply and promised to address the issue the following morning. She added that several tenants later complained of power fluctuations on the mall’s platform, with her shop also affected. The trader said she was attending a church service when she received a call informing her that the fire had spread into the mall, leaving several businesses at risk. Another source at the scene praised firefighters and security agencies for responding promptly, saying their intervention helped prevent the fire from escalating further and stopped suspected vandals and criminals from looting the premises.

At least 24 people were reportedly killed after gunmen attacked Bin-Per community in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State. The attackers reportedly stormed the community around 11:30 p.m. on Monday and moved from house to house, attacking residents who were asleep. Several homes were burnt while farmlands and crops were destroyed, with the victims later given a mass burial. The Plateau State Government ordered intensified security in the area, while the Police Command vowed to identify and prosecute those responsible.

Troops of the Joint Task Force North West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, have rescued 10 abducted persons during separate operations across Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara States. In Sokoto, troops responding to a terrorist ambush in Isa Local Government Area rescued five civilians and recovered two motorcycles abandoned by the fleeing terrorists. In Kebbi, three kidnapped victims were rescued in Danko Wasagu LGA following an intelligence report. Meanwhile, troops responding to terrorist activity in Tsafe LGA, Zamfara State, forced the attackers to flee and rescued two captives who had sustained gunshot wounds. The victims were evacuated for medical treatment, while efforts continued to track the fleeing terrorists.

President Bola Tinubu has criticised calls for the return of Nigeria’s petrol subsidy, describing the proposal as a sign of poor understanding of governance and economic management. Tinubu made the remarks on Thursday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja while receiving Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke. He said one of his political opponents had recently advocated a return to the subsidy regime. The President defended his decision to remove the subsidy in May 2023, saying the policy had placed significant pressure on government finances. He said 27 state governments had struggled to pay workers’ salaries and pensions before his administration came into office. Tinubu also said the funds saved from the subsidy removal had helped strengthen the financial capacity of the Federal Government and states to meet responsibilities such as road construction, housing, healthcare and education. Meanwhile, Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, said the removal of the petrol subsidy generated N15.8 trillion in savings for the Federation between June 2023 and December 2025. He clarified that the amount was not kept as a separate fund labelled “subsidy savings,” but formed part of the resources available to the Federation following the government’s economic reforms.