Armed kidnappers attacked Shanono Local Government Area late Saturday night, attempting to abduct a prominent businessman and his two children.

According to eyewitness accounts, the assailants stormed the town around 2:20 a.m., heavily armed with guns and other dangerous weapons. Residents reported hearing continuous gunfire near the victim’s residence as the kidnappers tried to seize him and his children.

However, the businessman and his children managed to escape the attack, frustrating the kidnappers’ efforts. One of the victims was injured during the incident and has been rushed to the hospital for medical treatment.

This latest attack comes less than ten days after gunmen invaded Faruruwa town, also in the Shanono area, where they killed two people and abducted another.

Confirming the incident, the Chairman of Shanono Local Government Area, Hon. Abubakar Barau, through his spokesperson, Comrade Ammar Shanono, said security operatives have been deployed to the area to investigate the attack and ensure the safety of residents.

Authorities have urged the public to remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies as efforts to track down the perpetrators continue.

At least five persons lost their lives in an explosion in a residential area in Omoku, headquarters of the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government of Rivers State, on Saturday.

Fyneface Dumnamene, an environmentalist and executive director of the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, confirmed the incident in a statement on Saturday.

It was gathered that the blast was said to have occurred in one of the rooms in a residential area used for storing illegally refined petroleum products.

According to Dumnamene, the occupants of the residence where the explosion occurred usually buy illegally refined kerosene and other products, store them, and resell them to members of the public.

The statement partly reads, “The incident occurred in the late hours of Saturday, April 26, by about 11 am, killing five persons, four females and one male, burnt beyond recognition.”

The Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, also confirmed the incident and casualties.

She explained the cause of the explosion.

According to her, “What really caused the fire was that a resident brought a cooking stove to the place and was preparing noodles, which ignited the fire.

Recall that in March two explosions rocked Rivers State.

The first explosion was at the Trans-Niger Pipeline at Bodo, Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State. The second was at a pipeline manifold in the Omwawriwa community, Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Thereafter, President Bola Ahmed Tinubudeclared a state of emergency in Rivers, suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as administrator on March 18, 2025.

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMet, has forecast thunderstorms and haziness across Nigeria from Sunday to Tuesday.

NiMet’s weather outlook released on Saturday in Abuja, predicted moderate dust haze over Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, Borno, Kano, Yobe, and Jigawa States.

The agency anticipated isolated thunderstorms in parts of Adamawa and Taraba States throughout the forecast period.

According to the agency, in the North-central region, partly cloudy skies are expected in the morning with isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon/evening hours over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Plateau, Kogi, Nasarawa, and Benue States.

The South, it said, is likely to experience morning thunderstorms in parts of Lagos, Cross River, Rivers, Bayelsa, and Akwa Ibom States, with thunderstorms expected later in the day in several southern states.

NiMet anticipates sunny skies across the northern region on Monday, with morning thunderstorms in parts of Taraba and Adamawa States.

It said thunderstorms are expected to extend to Kaduna, Bauchi, and Gombe States later in the day.

NiMet added that in the North Central region, morning thunderstorms are likely over Plateau, Nasarawa, and Benue States, with thunderstorms forecasted for the afternoon/evening in various parts of the region.

NiMet predicted morning thunderstorms in the southern states of Bayelsa, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, and Edo States, with thunderstorms expected later in the day over several southern states.

Then on Tuesday, NiMet envisaged sunny skies with patches of clouds in the north, with morning thunderstorms in parts of Adamawa and Taraba States.

It further stated that thunderstorms are expected later in the day over parts of Kaduna, Adamawa, and Taraba States.

The North Central region, it said, is expected to see partly cloudy skies in the morning, with thunderstorms in the afternoon/evening in parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Kogi, Kwara, Benue, and Niger States.

In the southern region, morning thunderstorms are likely in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, and Bayelsa States, with thunderstorms predicted later in the day in several states.

The agency urged the public to take adequate precautions as strong winds might precede the rains in areas with expected thunderstorms.

It also advised people in the North to be cautious, as dust particles could be suspended in the air.

NiMet also advised airline operators to obtain airport-specific weather reports from NiMet for effective flight planning.