Four arrested in Nigeria over alleged kidnap and murder plot

Police in multiple countries have made arrests in connection with an alleged kidnapping plot in Nigeria, a cult-related killing, a jewellery store burglary in Cyprus, a stabbing in Athens, a school scissor attack in Taiwan and dropped charges in the 2023 Toronto gold heist.

Nigeria Kidnap Plot Foiled

Nasarawa police in Nigeria foiled an alleged plan to kidnap and kill Ibrahim Abdullahi after ransom payment, arresting four suspects from Adudu district who confessed during interrogation. [1] The police have foiled an alleged plan to kidnap a man in Obi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. [1] The police spokesperson in Nasarawa, Ramhan Nansel, a superintendent of police, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday. [1] The police said four suspects allegedly involved in the plot were arrested by operatives of the State Intelligence Department (SID), Lafia, following what the command described as credible intelligence. [1] The suspects are Yahaya Musa, Likita Adamu, Riga Abdullahi and Saidu Alhaji Gari, all from Adudu district. [1] According to Mr Nansel, the suspects allegedly planned to abduct Ibrahim Abdullahi, popularly known as Alhaji Na’iye. [1] He said the police uncovered the plan before the suspects could execute it. [1] Two of the suspects were arrested on 19 September, while the remaining two were arrested on 22 and 23 September. [1] “During interrogation, the suspects confessed to the crime and revealed their plan to kill the victim after collecting the ransom,” Mr Nansel said. [1] The suspects have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Lafia, for further investigation and prosecution, the police said. [1] The Commissioner of Police in the state, Shetima Jauro Muhammad, directed the police to conduct thorough investigations into both cases and ensure that all persons found culpable are prosecuted. [1]

Cult Killing Suspects Arrested in Lafia

Two suspects were arrested in a separate cult-related killing of a 26-year-old man identified as Venus in Lafia, Nasarawa State. [1] In a separate incident, the police arrested two suspects over the suspected cult-related killing of a 26-year-old man in Lafia, the state capital. [1] The police said the incident occurred at about 6 a.m. on Thursday after the divisional police officer of Ombi 1 Division received a distress call about a young man lying in a pool of blood behind the Eji-World area. [1] Police operatives who visited the scene found the victim, identified as Venus, an indigene of Benue State. [1] He was taken to the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Lafia, where he was confirmed dead. [1] Preliminary investigation showed that the assailants had allegedly gone to look for the deceased’s friend, Joseph Oluyemi of Maisoti Street, Lafia. [1] Mr Oluyemi told the police that he had earlier received threats from suspected cult members. [1] The police said two suspects, Friday Joshua and ThankGod Vincent, had been arrested in connection with the killing. [1] Efforts are ongoing to arrest other suspects who remain at large, Mr Nansel said. [1] The body has been deposited at the hospital mortuary for autopsy. [1] He also urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious movements and activities to the police. [1]

Cyprus Jewellery Store Burglary Arrest

A 40-year-old man was arrested inside a Limassol jewellery store in Cyprus with stolen items and burglary tools from a break-in reported on 18 September. [2] A 40-year-old man was arrested at a Limassol jewellery store after police found him inside with items believed to have been stolen, police said on Friday. [2] Police received information shortly before 11.30pm on Thursday about a possible burglary at the store. [2] Officers who arrived at the scene found the man inside the building. [2] They also found burglary tools and a bag containing jewellery, the origins of which he could not satisfactorily explain. [2] The man was arrested and taken into custody after resisting officers during his arrest. [2] Further investigations found the jewellery had been stolen from the same store during a burglary between September 17 and 18. [2] The burglary was reported to police on September 18. [2] Police are continuing their investigation into the case. [2]

Athens Stabbing Leaves Victim Critical

A 29-year-old Egyptian man is in critical condition in Athens after being stabbed in the stomach by two unidentified attackers. [3] A 29-year-old Egyptian man was in critical condition late Thursday with a severe stomach wound to his spleen after being stabbed by two unidentified attackers on Fylis Street in Agios Panteleimonas. [3]

Taiwan Student Stabbed With Scissors

A 16-year-old student in New Taipei City is in critical condition after being stabbed in the neck with scissors by a younger classmate following a confrontation. [5] A senior-high school student was in critical condition yesterday afternoon after a younger student allegedly stabbed him in the neck with what appeared to be a pair of scissors in New Taipei City’s Ruifang District, police said. [5] The 16-year-old victim was found unconscious with a neck wound and went into cardiac arrest before arriving at Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital for emergency treatment, emergency responders said. [5] The two students got into a confrontation on Minsheng Street about 4:15pm, the Ruifang police precinct said. [5] Police did not disclose the students' names or the school they attended, but a preliminary investigation found that the two attended the same school. [5] The alleged assailant, a junior-high school student who subsequently turned himself in, said the victim had mocked him in the past and had provoked him again that day, police said. [5] The suspect became angry and allegedly used a pair of scissors lying near a shop to stab the victim, police said. [5] The two students attended the same private school in Ruifang District and the confrontation occurred off campus after classes, the New Taipei City Education Department said. [5] The school immediately sent staff to the hospital to check on the victim and learn more about the incident after being notified, the department said. [5] The school said it would continue to provide care, counseling and other assistance to the students and their families as needed, it said. [5]

Charges Dropped in Toronto Gold Heist

Canadian prosecutors dropped charges against Amit Jalota and Ali Raza in the 2023 Toronto Pearson Airport gold heist involving more than 6,500 gold bars worth C$20m. [4] Canadian prosecutors have dropped charges against two men accused of being involved in a massive gold heist in Toronto in 2023. [4] Amit Jalota and Ali Raza both had charges against them withdrawn last week. [4] More than 6,500 gold bars worth C$20m, were stolen from Toronto Pearson Airport in April 2023, along with millions in cash. [4] Lawyers for both men told Canadian media that their clients had long maintained their innocence and were relieved to be able to move forward with their lives. [4] They had their lives and livelihoods turned upside-down due to the now dropped charges, the lawyers said. [4] Both were accused of being in possession of either stolen gold or currency linked to the crime. [4] "He has been punitively and unreasonably punished for the last three years as he was forced to navigate the criminal justice system and the fall out of these allegations that were publicly broadcasted both nationally and internationally," Jalota's lawyer said in a statement provided to Canadian media. [4] The heist happened inside a cargo facility at the airport, after the goods arrived on an Air Canada flight from Zurich, Switzerland. [4] Police allege that someone was able to access the goods by showing a fake airway bill. [4] A truck was then used to steal the gold, which weighed roughly 400kg, police said. [4] Earlier this year, one man was sentenced to four years by a Canadian court for his role in helping plan the theft. [4] Another man was sentenced to 160 months in prison after pleading guilty in the US to conspiring with others to illegally traffic firearms, according to the US Department of Justice. [4] He was stopped by police in Pennsylvania with 65 handguns in the trunk of his car. [4] Canadian police alleged money for the guns came from the heist. [4] Two other accused will face separate trials later this year over charges related to conspiracy to commit theft. [4] Both have said they are not guilty. [4]

What to watch next: Police are continuing their investigation into the Cyprus jewellery store case, efforts are ongoing to arrest other suspects in the Lafia cult killing, and two other accused in the Toronto gold heist will face separate trials later this year.