A kidnapping attempt was foiled in the early hours of April 5, 2025, in Gidan Yan Ali, Kurba Village, Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State, after security forces engaged armed bandits in a fierce gun battle.

Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that the assailants believed to be part of a larger criminal network stormed the village around 11:45 p.m., setting corn stalks ablaze and attempting to abduct women and livestock.

Prompt deployment of security personnel led to a swift response, forcing the bandits to flee into the nearby bush.

During the confrontation, a villager identified as 40-year-old Murtala Dayyabu Sidi was shot and killed by the attackers.

The intervention of security forces ensured the safe rescue of the kidnapped women and the recovery of stolen animals, which were returned to their rightful owners.

Investigations into the attack are ongoing.

Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service has revealed the real cause of the explosion that rocked the Ijora-Badia area of Lagos on Sunday afternoon, injuring no fewer than 15 people.

According to a statement by the Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, the explosion occurred around 4:10 p.m. inside a mini shop stocked with 25kg gas cylinders.

The shop, located within a bungalow that housed 15 self-contained rooms and seven other shops, reportedly had five gas cylinders at the time of the incident.

Adeseye attributed the explosion to the mishandling of gas, which caused a leak that was ignited by a nearby flame.

“It was a case of poor handling of gas products, which unfortunately allowed gas to escape and come in contact with a flame. This triggered the explosion,” she confirmed.

The resulting fire, she said, was promptly extinguished by a team of firefighters from the Sari Iganmu Fire Station, with support from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, and LASAMBUS.

While no fatalities were recorded, 15 persons sustained varying degrees of burn injuries.

Adeseye noted that several victims were treated with first aid on-site, while others were taken to nearby hospitals for further medical care.

She also assured residents that the area has since been secured and normalcy restored.

Officers of the Nigeria Police Force dispersed protesters with tear gas in the Maitama area of Abuja.

The protesters, who had gathered on Monday, April 7, scattered in different directions as the tear gas canisters were fired in their midst.

The protest is part of a nationwide demonstration spearheaded by the Take-It-Back Movement and other civil society organisations.

Key among the concerns raised by the organisers are the alleged misuse of the Cybercrime Act, the worsening economic hardship in the country, and what they described as a “state of emergency” in Rivers State.

The demonstrators carried placards bearing inscriptions such as “Stop the Repression” and “Let Us Breathe”.

Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore was also present at the protest ground.