Storytimes Newspapers

  Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested the sixth suspect linked to the deadly 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, bringing a significant breakthrough in one of Nigeria's most shocking acts of terrorism. The suspect, identified as Sani Yusuf—a high-profile commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP)—was captured in Iguosa community, along Powerline in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State. Security sources described the arrest as the culmination of years of intelligence-led surveillance and persistent tracking, with Yusuf having evaded capture for nearly four years since the June 5, 2022, massacre. In the attack, gunmen stormed the church during Sunday Mass, killing over 40 worshippers and injuring dozens more in a brutal assault that drew widespread national and international condemnation. The DSS is already prosecuting five other suspects—Idris Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (...

 Residents and leaders of a Kaduna community have sounded the alarm over a surge in deadly bandit attacks, including fresh killings and abductions, with at least 59 people reportedly still held captive by armed groups operating in the area. The outcry, reported by Vanguard News and echoed across local platforms, highlights a series of violent incidents that have left villagers in fear, displaced families, and disrupted livelihoods in affected rural areas. Community leaders disclosed that recent raids resulted in multiple deaths while dozens were abducted, forcing many to flee their homes. The figure of 59 victims still in captivity refers to individuals yet to be released or rescued from previous and ongoing abductions linked to bandit groups in parts of Kaduna State. This comes amid a broader pattern of insecurity in the northwest, where bandits have targeted communities for ransom, cattle rustling, and control of resources.  Stakeholders, including local traditional rulers, ...