Police on Thursday paraded the alleged mastermind of the March 28, 2022 Kaduna-Abuja train attack with 276 other suspected criminals.

The evening train was attacked on March 28, 2022 when kidnappers derailed the train and killed eight people while 62 others were kidnapped following which ransom running into hundreds of millions were paid before Federal Government secured the release of the remaining victims.

Parading the suspects during his visit to Kaduna Police Command on Thursday, Nigeria Police Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the arrest of the mastermind followed painstaking efforts to bring the perpetrators of the dastardly act to book. 

He decried the unfettered foray of youths in their 20s into crime and the misuse and abuse of drugs, noting that use of drug contributed to over 80% of crimes perpetrated by youths in the country.

Speaking on the achievements of the Kaduna Police Command since January 2024, the Force PRO said they include arrest of alleged mastermind of the Kaduna-Abuja train attack, Ibrahim Abdullahi aka Mande, who was arrested in Rido.

Also arrested in a separate operation was one of his alleged accomplices in the train attack, Auwal Ayuba.Ayuba admitted to being involved in the attack on the train under the directive of Mande, noting that after kidnapping the train passengers, they were later on sold to Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP).

But the suspected gang leader, Abdullahi refuted the allegation, noting that he wasn’t involved and he was not leader of the gang that planned and attacked the train. He also disclaimed the Ayuba, saying that he has never met him before.

The Force PRO added the Kaduna Police arrested Yakubu Saidu, the mastermind and leader of the notorious kidnapping gang that attacked St. Raphael Catholic Church, Fadan Kamanta, Zonkwa where they razed the Priest house leading to the death of Stephen Naaman in the fire with property worth millions, including a Honda vehicle and a motorcycle, were consumed by the fire.

Adejobi said: “On 12th January, 2024, police operatives attached to anti-kidnapping unit of Kaduna State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), based on credible information swooped in and arrested one Ibrahim Abdullahi aka MANDE at Abuja-Kaduna Road flyover by Rido Junction. The suspect confessed to being the leader of a kidnap syndicate terrorising Kaduna-Abuja highway, ranked among other criminals like Dogo Gide and Bello Turji.

“He had participated in various kidnapping incidents including the kidnapping incident at Greenfield University and he partook in almost all the kidnappings along the Abuja-Kaduna highway. On 27th April, 2024, some vigilante members arrested and brought to the station one Auwal Ayuba aged 27, a resident of Kubacha Town suspected of being a kidnapper. After thorough investigation the suspect confessed to being a member of kidnapping gang and has participated in several kidnappings in Kubacha, Jere and Katari axis where many victims were kidnapped.

“On February 29, 2024, vigilant operatives of the Kaduna Command Monitoring Unit conducted a well-coordinated operation at the residence of a suspected kidnapper, one Adamu Abdulwahab, in Ganga Uku Village, Mararaban Jos, which resulted in the apprehension of the suspect and recovery of crucial exhibits, including 1 fabricated cartridge revolver rifle, 1 fabricated pistol, 2 Dane guns, 6 live cartridges, 1 discharged GPRG ammunition, 7 discharged cartridges, 2 SIM cards, 2 Tecno handsets, and 1 bloodstained cutlass.

“It was revealed during investigation that 35-year-old Adamu Abdulwahab, in connivance with other suspects who are currently at large, had kidnapped one Samaila Abdullahi, aged 40, of Keke Kingdom, Mararaban Jos, on February 13, 2024, and forcefully taken him to an unknown destination. Efforts is being intensified to locate and rescue the victim.

“On 12th February, 2024, suspected bandit/gun runner Adamu Shuaibu, aged 35, from Dumale Village under Jere L.G.A. of Kaduna state, was arrested following reliable information available to the police on his involvement in criminal activities within the state, including the supply of arms and ammunition to other criminal suspects. One AK-47 rifle with breach no. 1970/TY 1938 and an empty magazine was recovered from his custody.

“During this period, our proactive measures and relentless pursuit of criminal elements have resulted in remarkable outcomes including the arrest of 81-armed robbery suspects, 40 kidnap suspects, 73 murder/ homicide suspects, 36 rape suspects, 22 suspects involved in cult-related crimes, and 28 suspects engaged in other criminal activities. We have successfully recovered 16 firearms of various types, along with 226 ammunition of diverse calibers.

“Our operations have led to the retrieval of 28 stolen vehicles, over 200 harmful weapons, and 600 bags of fertilizers. A total of N3,350,000 only, previously paid as ransom to kidnappers, has been successfully recovered, while our swift and coordinated efforts have resulted in the safe rescue of 158 kidnapped victims, all of whom have been reunited with their families unharmed.”

The Naira lost N112.38 against the US dollar at the foreign exchange market in April 2024.

FMDQ data showed that the Naira traded at N1,390.96 per dollar on Tuesday, 30th April, compared to N1,278.58 per dollar at the beginning of the month.

This represents a 10 per cent depreciation against the dollar in the period under review.

The development comes despite the Naira recording a 12 per cent gain against the dollar in the first 12 days of April, adding to its 14 per cent surge in March. Consequently, Goldman Sach described the Naira as the best performing currency.

However, the losses recorded in the second half of April have resulted in a month-on-month decline.

Meanwhile, Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, governor, Olayemi Cardoso, stated that the apex bank is planning policies to tackle Naira’s instability in the forex market.

A 19-year-old man arraigned before Mutawatawa magistrate on charges of having sexual intercourse with his 14-year-old sister in Uzumba, Zimbabwe, has been convicted.  

It was gathered that in January 2023, the 19-year-old man decided to take things a notch up bizarrely as he chatted with his sister. He asked his sister to be his girlfriend. Strangely, the 14-year-old admitted to feeling the same way for her brother. 

The two decided to hit it off and start dating. They decided to keep their relationship under wraps, knowing how much trouble it would attract if ever known. 

During their relationship, the 19-year-old man convinced his sister to have sex with him. She agreed, and the two did the act on different occasions, both at home and in the garden. However, the girl later got pregnant and this was noticed by their grandmother. 

Upon being questioned, she revealed her brother was responsible. The grandmother reported the case to the police, leading to the 19-year-old man’s arrest for incest. He appeared in a Mutawatawa Court, where the Magistrate sentenced him to 14 months in jail. Two months were struck off, and he will serve an effective 12 months.

The naira declined to N1,370 against the dollar at the parallel section of the foreign exchange (FX) market on Wednesday.

This represents a 1.48 percent depreciation from N1,350 traded on April 29.

Currency traders, also known as bureau de change (BDC) operators, put the buying rate of the greenback at N1,330 and the selling price at N1,370 — leaving a profit margin of N40.

At the official window, the local currency appreciated by 1.98 percent to N1,390 on April 30 — from N1,419.11 on April 29.

During trading, the exchange rate rose as high as N1,450 and as low as N1,200 according to data from FMDQ Exchange, a platform that oversees FX trading in Nigeria.

The naira devaluation has continued to pose significant challenges to firms, cutting deep into profit margins and eroding shareholders’ dividends.

On April 30, Aliko Dangote, chairman of Dangote Industries Limited, said the devaluation of naira created the “biggest mess” for the company in 2023.

“We are doing whatever it takes to make sure that at the end of the day, we will be paying dividends because if you look at our dividends last year, it was almost 50 percent more so we will try and get out of the mess,” Dangote said.

“The biggest mess created was actually the devaluation of the naira from N460 to N1,400.”

He said almost 97 percent of the companies, especially in food and beverages businesses, will not pay dividends this year due to the FX constraints.