There is intense tension at Gauraka Community, Tafa LGA, Niger State, following another late-night abduction of 15 persons and the killing of three others by unknown gunmen who invaded the community around 1:17 on Monday. This has resulted in the complete blocking of the Abuja-kaduna highway by irate youths who are protesting the deterioration of security in the community. The protesters halted the movement of traffic on the Abuja-Kaduna highway which runs across the Gauraka community while burning tyres to create a scene. The irate youths in their numbers went on rampage as early as 6:00 am on Monday.

The Accident Investigation Bureau, Nigeria (AIB-N), said it has been mandated by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to be the lead investigator into the ill-fated crash of a military aircraft that happened on Friday in Kaduna, in which the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen Ibrahim Attahiru and 10 others died.

An air crash on Friday evening near the Kaduna International Airport, Kaduna State, has reportedly claimed the life of Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru. The Ill-fated Nigerian Airforce aircraft fergie001 was said to have crash-landed due to weather conditions and heavy rain while approaching the airport’s runway. The incident, which was said to have occurred about 6 pm also claimed the lives of eight other persons onboard.

The Nigerian Senate during plenary on Wednesday considered a Bill, which seeks to prohibit the payment and receipt of ransom for the release of persons kidnapped, imprisoned, or wrongfully confined. Senator Ezenwa Francis Onyewuchi sponsored the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which scaled second reading during plenary. While leading debate on the bill, Onyewuchi said the piece of legislation seeks to amend the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2013 to outlaw the payment of ransom to abductors, kidnappers, and terrorists for the release of any person who has been wrongfully confined, imprisoned and kidnapped. Onyewuchi said, the bill essentially seeks to substitute for section 14 of the Principal Act a new section to read, “Anyone who transfers funds, makes payment or colludes with an abductor, kidnapper or terrorist to receive any ransom for the release of any person who has been wrongfully confined, imprisoned or kidnapped is guilty of a felony and is liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment of not less than 15 years.”

The 36 State governors under the Nigeria Governors' Forum (NGF) are scheduled to hold their 30th teleconference meeting by 2 pm on Wednesday, 19th May 2021. This was disclosed on Monday in a statement signed by the Head, Media, and Public Affairs, Mr. Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo.

Prominent Nigerians including the President Muhammadu Buhari have commiserated with the family of former Chief of Defence Staff, Joshua Dogonyaro, Mr Dogonyaro, a retired Lieutenant General from Plateau State died on Thursday at age 80. According to a family source the former general has been sick for some time until yesterday Thursday he had a stroke and was rushed to the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), he, unfortunately, passed on around 3.00 am. The source described his untimely death as a rude shock to the family, who will sorely miss him.