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Kidnappers Kill Doctor’s Son Despite Receiving N4.5m Ransom

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Eleven days ago, while Rilwanu Sadiq, a doctor in Bauchi, was away at work, he got a call that his son, Abubakar Sadiq, 15, had been abducted by unknown assailants.

Mr Sadiq, who works at the Abubakar Tafawa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, told PREMIUM TIMES Sunday that his son was kidnapped “right in front of our house.”

His house is tucked along Gombe Road in Ningi local government of Bauchi town.

He said immediately he learnt about the kidnap, he jolted into action by informing the neighbourhood security outfit as well as the state police.

Afterwards, he said, details of the incident were obtained and the search for his son began.

When the abductors established contact with Mr Sadiq’s family, they demanded a ransom of ₦3 million.

“After they (kidnappers) contacted us, they agreed to collect ₦3 million,” a distraught Mr Sadiq narrated to PREMIUM TIMES over the telephone Sunday morning.

But having met that target, they kept asking for more, he said. Mr Sadiq said the kidnappers had been paid ₦4.5 million when he said not any more.

“But they kept asking for more. That was when I said I can’t bear it anymore, not knowing that they will even kill my son.”

The corpse of Abubakar would later be exhumed from a shallow ditch inside an uncompleted building not far from their home.

Mr Sadiq said he believes that his son’s killers, based on his kidnap and where his body was buried, are well acquainted with his family.

The Bauchi State Police Command spokesperson, Kamal Datti, confirmed the abduction to PREMIUM TIMES, saying the remains of Abubakar Sadiq had been exhumed and buried Sunday.

“Two suspects have been arrested in relation to the death, and investigation is on,” Mr Datti said.

The Bauchi-Gombe road is arguably one of the most volatile areas in Bauchi metropolis, residents stay.

The murder of Abubakar Sadiq is coming after armed kidnappers also abducted Adamu Mohammed, an elder brother of Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, at his residence located at Jaki Quarters of Bauchi metropolis, late March.

The abducted sibling, said to be close to the governor and allegedly involved in running affairs of the state, was later released about a fortnight later.

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Metro

IYD 2026: Police, POCACOV, NAOSNP, Other Stakeholders Walk for Peace

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The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Tijani Fatai, on Wednesday, led the Command’s Peace Walk in commemoration of International Youth Day 2026, themed “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations,” and the launch of the Campaign Against Political and Digital Thuggery.

A statement signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, noted that the initiative, in line with the vision and directive of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, was aimed at strengthening police-community partnerships, and engage young people as key partners in promoting peace, security, and national development.

The Peace Walk brought together strategic collaborators and youth stakeholders, including representatives of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), NYSC, POCACOV, NANS, PCRC, NURTW, RTEAN, CRAN, and NAOSNP, as part of efforts to sensitise young people on the need to shun political and digital thuggery, drug abuse, cultism, and hooliganism, while promoting peace, responsible citizenship, and positive youth engagement.

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Presidency Slams Contractor over Benin-Asaba Road Failure

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The Presidency has blamed the deplorable condition of the Benin-Asaba Expressway on the failure of the contractor to act professionally.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, stated this during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday while reacting to the condition of the highway.

Dare said that while the road has been a difficult one that had transcended about three or four presidents, whatever palliative works the contractor carried out on the road were not professionally done.

He, however, said the incident should be treated as an isolated case and not be used to assess the state of road projects across the country.

The President’s aide spoke amid several complaints by motorists and commuters on the poor state of the road.

On Tuesday, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, inspected the Benin-Agbor-Asaba road in Edo State, where he also apologised to commuters over its current state.

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Benin-Agbor Road Gridlock Worsens, Motorists, Commuters, Residents Lament

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The traffic gridlock along the Benin-Agbor Road has continued for days, leaving motorists, commuters and residents stranded for hours as the situation worsens.

The prolonged gridlock, which is being attributed to the deteriorated condition of the road and failed portions along the route, is disrupting commercial activities and making daily commuting increasingly difficult.

According to reports, motorists have continued to express frustration over the hours spent in traffic, saying the situation is taking a toll on their businesses, vehicles and daily activities.

One of the drivers lamented that the road has suffered years of neglect under successive governments, saying repeated calls for intervention have not produced a lasting solution.

He said the poor condition of the road, combined with the heavy volume of vehicles using the route, has made movement particularly difficult, with some motorists spending several hours on journeys that would ordinarily take a fraction of that time.

Residents along the route are also expressing concern over the impact of the gridlock, as the congestion is affecting the movement of people and goods and disrupting commercial activities in communities along the corridor.

The Chairman of Ikpoba-Okha Youth Association, Kingsley Osenmwingiewho, joined the call for urgent intervention, appealing to the Federal government to expedite repairs of the failed portions of the Benin-Asaba Road.

Osenmwingiewho particularly called for immediate attention to the Benin-Agbor Road bypass axis, where the condition of the road has become a major source of concern to motorists and residents.

He said rehabilitating the failed sections will not only ease the present gridlock but also improve the movement of people, goods and services along the busy Benin-Asaba corridor.

For motorists and residents who have continued to endure the daily traffic nightmare, the appeal is for authorities to move beyond temporary measures and begin urgent, lasting repairs of the road.

As the gridlock persists, road users are hoping that government intervention will come soon to restore normal traffic flow and relieve the pressure on commuters who have been stranded for hours.

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