• Oyo police parade suspects as six abducted children die in captivity

At least 10 people have been killed after bandits attacked Tofa community in Rabah Local Council of Sokoto State. The incident was disclosed yesterday in a post shared on X by security analyst Bakatsine.

Also, seven people were killed and 12 others abducted in Tofa village, Rabah Local Council of Sokoto.

In Oyo State, six children allegedly abducted by a suspected child-stealing and human trafficking syndicate have died in captivity, while 17 others have been rescued and seven suspects arrested, the state police command has disclosed.

Meanwhile, Ogun State Police Command has deployed its School Protection Squad to primary and secondary schools across the state ahead of the September 14 resumption date.

The deployment was in line with the strategic policing agenda of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, on proactive, preventive and community-oriented policing in states.

According to the Bakatsine post, the attackers invaded the Sokoto community during the night, killing at least 10 residents and injuring many others.

The bandits also reportedly abducted dozens of residents during the attack.

Bakatsine said local sources estimated that between 38 and 40 people might have been taken away, although the exact number was still being verified.

“The attackers were also said to have rustled a large number of livestock and looted properties belonging to residents before leaving the community,” Bakatsine wrote.

The Rabah attack, which occurred around 1.00am yesterday, also involved the rustling of an undisclosed number of animals, according to a security source.

The source said the bandits, who attacked the community in large numbers, opened sporadic fire and operated for about four hours.

Sokoto police command said the development followed an intelligence-led investigation into a criminal network allegedly involved in the stealing, trafficking and concealment of children across state boundaries.

COMMISSIONER of Police, Oyo State, Abimbola Olugbenga, during a briefing at the Police State Headquarters, Ibadan, said the investigation began with a petition dated July 29, 2026, submitted by Adejoke Popoola, also known as Orente Alagbo, of Sogade Area, Ariyo, Ibadan, over allegations of conspiracy, cyberbullying, threat to life and defamation of character.

The petition, he said, was assigned to the Anti-Kidnapping Squad (AKS) on August 3.

Olugbenga said that while detectives were investigating the petition, they were alerted to the disappearance of a three-year-old boy, Ifakunle Ifagbenro, during a yearly masquerade festival in Oyo town on June 29.

According to him, the child had accompanied his father to his father-in-law’s family compound for the festival, while Popoola had arrived two days earlier to participate in preparations for the event.

He said Popoola offered to carry the child during the festival, after which both disappeared from the venue.

The matter was subsequently reported at the Atiba Police Divisional Headquarters, Oyo.

The commissioner said pictorial and video materials from the event showed Popoola carrying the missing child, while digital trails and statements obtained from persons connected with the event further established that she was with the child around the time of his disappearance.

The investigation subsequently extended beyond Oyo to Agbor in Delta State, where four children allegedly stolen from Oyo State were rescued from suspected buyers.

Two suspects, identified as 48-year-old Joy Christopher and 53-year-old Rosemary Jesse, were arrested and allegedly confessed to involvement in the illicit trade.

The command appealed to parents and guardians, who had lost children in recent times, to visit its headquarters at Ibadan to identify the rescued children and facilitate their reunification with their families.

ACCORDING to a statement by the Ogun police spokesperson, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, the deployment was to boost police presence around schools to ensure the security of pupils, teachers and infrastructure.

The Commissioner of Police (CP), Bode Ojajuni, disclosed this when he recently received an executive delegation of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) Safe School Club, led by the Chairman, Abdullahi Lawal, at the Command Headquarters, Abeokuta.

He added that the deployment would also enable to the police to gather actionable intelligence and ensure swift response to emerging security threats.

Ojajuni commended the initiative and charged the squad to remain vigilant, maintain close engagement with school communities and respond promptly to credible security information.

The CP urged members of the public to say something if they see something.

For any school-related emergency, Ojajuni urged them to contact the Ogun Police Command through the Gateway Shield Emergency Line: 08000009111.