News
How Lagos Kidnapped Students Were Rescued
By Chris RICHARDS, Abuja
In an usual show of commitment by the Lagos state police command, all the three female students of Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary, Ikorodu, Lagos state, who were kidnapped from by some armed men have been rescued.
The students were on Monday early morning taken from their hostel by the gunmen who burst through the school fence, which many Nigerians had thought it would go the usual way of endless investigation with little or no result.
However to the pleasant surprise of many Nigerians, barely six days after their kidnap, early Sunday morning in a major operation, the Lagos command of police rescued the female students unharmed. They were said to have been rescued at Igbo Okuta area of Ikorodu.
Speaking to nationalTRAIL, spokesperson for the police command, Supridenant Ifedolapo Badmus, said the operation was led by the Commissioner of Police Lagos state, Ajani Fatai Owoseni, this she said followed an intelligence.
She said that three persons were already arrested in connection with the kidnap of the female students.
The spokesperson also said that the command was still investigating, and still on the trail others who may have been involved in the crime, just as she also extend the command’s gratitude to the general public for having confidence in the police.
This is even as the kidnappers were earlier said to have contacted Victor Ayo Olusa, father of the first victim, to demand a ransom of N200m, which they later brought down to N20m per student, making N60m, which nationalTRAIL that was not paid.
nationalTRAIL could not however confirmed if any ransom was paid, considering past experiences where police would claim no ransom was paid but later victims or family members say the contrary.
The kidnapped victims are; Timilehin Olusa, Tofunmi Popo Olaniyan and Deborah Akinayo, and students of Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary owned by the Anglican church.
Similarly, the Lagos commissioner of police, also confirmed that the girls were not molested by their abductors, putting to rest such fears.
The CP had in a media briefing on Sunday said that the girls “unequivocally” said that they were not molested “in any way” by captors.
“The girls are very well and they are stable,” he said.
“I can confirm that immediate medical attention just to test them up has been given to them by the police medical team and I can as well tell you that as we picked them up, one of the questions we asked the girls was whether they were molested in any way and the three of them stated unequivocally that they were not molested in any way.”
Owoseni confirmed the arrest of three suspects in the operation that led to the rescue, given names of the suspects as; Emmanuel Arigidi, who he said was actively involved, while the two; Seun Akanji and one Henry were mere “conspirators aiding the kidnapping one way or the other”.
On ransom, he said: “When you talk about ransom in cases like this, you are glorifying kidnapping. We should not be talking about ransom anymore in this country because if you do, you are telling others that kidnapping is viable and you can be going and kidnapping people to collect money.
“But I want to also say that what was employed in rescuing the girls is more of application of intelligence-led policing using the platform of technology, partnering with members of the community and pressures on the kidnappers.
“What we have done with other security agencies is that we also went for members of their families including their mothers, their fathers, their children and with that pressure they found out that there was no way again for them to keep on keeping the girls and that was what led to the success we recorded in rescuing the girls.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to maintain the status quo in a dispute over the party’s candidates emerging from the Benue State APC primaries for the 2027 general election.
The order was made on Thursday by Justice Inyang Ekwo during proceedings in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1429/2026, filed by Engr. Sesugh Akaagba and other aggrieved APC candidates from Benue State against the APC and INEC.
The plaintiffs had, through an ex parte motion filed on July 5, 2026, sought six interim reliefs, including an order restraining the APC from substituting its validly nominated candidates in Benue State through its June 29, 2026 correspondence, or any subsequent communication, to INEC, pending determination of the substantive suit.
They also sought an order compelling the APC to immediately transmit to INEC the names of candidates validly nominated during the primaries monitored by the electoral commission.
When the matter first came up on July 8, 2026, the court declined to grant the interim application immediately, directing both APC and INEC to appear and respond before any decision was taken. The matter was adjourned to July 16.
At Thursday’s proceedings, counsel representing the APC and INEC were present in court, while the plaintiffs were represented by Mohammed Ndarani, SAN, alongside his legal team.
In his ruling, Justice Ekwo held that since issues had been joined by the parties particularly with INEC now before the court, the defendants were required by law to preserve the subject matter of the litigation pending determination of the substantive suit.
When counsel to the plaintiffs urged the court to caution APC and INEC against taking any further action that could affect the disputed list of candidates, the judge responded that it was “not a matter of advice but of law,” stressing that the defendants were bound to maintain the status quo.
The court consequently restrained APC and INEC from taking any action capable of altering the disputed list of candidates pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
The defendants did not object to the restraining order.
At the commencement of proceedings, the court noted that all parties had voluntarily submitted to its jurisdiction by duly filing and exchanging their respective processes.
It held that there was no procedural or jurisdictional impediment to the expeditious determination of the substantive action, and directed that the matter be heard without further delay.
In furtherance of the objective of preserving the res and safeguarding the efficacy of the judicial process, the court ordered all parties to maintain the status quo pending the hearing and final determination of the substantive suit, restraining any act or omission capable of prejudicing the rights of the parties or rendering the proceedings nugatory.
The court further directed that INEC be served forthwith with the originating and all consequential processes.
The effect of the subsisting order is that INEC is restrained from tampering with the existing list of candidates pending final determination of the suit, and from receiving, recognising, or acting upon any purported substituted list of National Assembly candidates from Benue State submitted by the APC.
The matter was adjourned to July 21, 2026, for hearing of the substantive suit.
Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and former First Lady Patience Ibifaka Jonathan recently celebrated a significant family milestone as they attended the graduation ceremony of their son, Ariara Goodluck Jonathan, at Manchester Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom.
The proud parents joined family members and well-wishers to witness Ariara receive his degree, marking the successful completion of his academic programme. The occasion was filled with joy as the Jonathan family commemorated the achievement, highlighting the importance they place on education and personal development.
The graduation ceremony attracted warm congratulatory messages from friends, associates, and admirers, who wished the graduate continued success in his future endeavours.
The Following names joined the political family of Sen. Dr. George Akume today after leaving the sinking Alia ship .
Under the leadership of Barr. Emmanuel Jime .
The are ;
Chief Nelson Alapa
Douglas pepe SAN senatorial Aspirant zone A,
Engr Peter Ashiekaa
QS Clement Beetseh
Former commissioners
Joy Luga
Ann itodo
Barr martins Shaagee
Miss Dorcas
Prof Usar Joseh
Prof Cephas Tushima
Chief Patrick Idoko
Hon Patience Akor
Hon Fred Idoko
Hon Lawrence Ekpo Onoja Jnr
Hon Andrew Abah
Hon Agbo Innocent Ikwumonu
Hon Simon Omachoko
Hon David Egboja
Dr John Garba
Among together,
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