Mutilated Body Discovered Behind Nigerian Market as Police Investigate

Mutilated Body Found in Plateau Market

A mutilated human body with parts including genitals removed was discovered behind the Monday Market in Pankshin, Plateau State, Nigeria. [1] Residents of the community reported being shocked by the find on Tuesday. [1] The identity of the deceased and the circumstances surrounding the death remained unknown as of Tuesday evening. [1] Residents told journalists that the corpse was discovered in the early hours of Tuesday behind the market. [1] One resident, Johnson Dawul, said some parts of the deceased’s body, including his genitals, had been removed. [1] “We woke up this morning to see the corpse lying behind the Monday Market. It was a shocking sight,” Mr Dawul said. [1] Another resident confirmed the discovery and noted that nobody in the area could immediately identify the deceased or explain how he died. [1] “Nobody knows who the man is and nobody knows what happened to him. When we saw the body, we immediately alerted security personnel,” the resident said. [1] Police officers later arrived at the scene and took away the remains. [1] The discovery caused concern among residents awaiting clarification from security authorities. [1] The Plateau State Police Command had not publicly commented on the incident as of the time of filing this report. [1] The command’s spokesperson, Alfred Alabo, a superintendent of police, did not respond to calls and messages seeking confirmation and further details. [1] It was also unclear whether anyone had been arrested in connection with the death. [1]

FBI Arrests Alleged Chinese Agent in California

Wanying Heather Zhang, a 34-year-old real-estate agent in Irvine, California, was arrested by the FBI at Los Angeles International Airport on suspicion of acting as an unregistered agent of China. [2] Agents arrested her on Sunday at the airport before she attempted to board a flight to Shanghai. [2] The arrest followed allegations that she surveilled the home of Taiwanese President William Lai’s son, Lai Ting-yu, in Seattle last year. [2] FBI documents stated that she filmed Lai Ting-yu, his wife and young son, and sent two license plate numbers to a Chinese official. [2] She is being held in custody under court order following a federal criminal complaint charging her with acting in the US as an unregistered agent of the government of the People’s Republic of China. [2] If convicted, Zhang would face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. [2] FBI documents shared with the court state that Zhang met with a Chinese official in China on Jan. 25 last year. [2] Five weeks later, Zhang messaged on WeChat to ask about "the address mentioned last time," and the official replied that the matter had been handled and she no longer needed to be involved. [2] Although the address and target's identity were redacted, FBI special agent Kevin Holt stated in an affidavit that it was likely a "Taiwanese elected official with vocal anti-[Chinese Communist Party] views." [2] Chinese intelligence agencies often assign tasks to individuals while they are in China to avoid detection by the US government, Holt said. [2]

Mandrax Laboratory Dismantled in South Africa

South African police uncovered an alleged mandrax production laboratory near Hartbeespoort Dam in the North West. [3] Four people were arrested, including a 39-year-old Zimbabwean national and three women aged between 23 and 29. [3] Police found firearms, marijuana, drug tablets and equipment allegedly used to manufacture mandrax at the property. [3] The discovery comes amid a wider investigation into an alleged international drug route, following other recent mandrax-related arrests and laboratory seizures. [3]

Osun Governor Convenes Security Meeting Over Cult Killings

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke summoned heads of security agencies in the state to a meeting on Wednesday following a spike in security breaches. [4] The meeting will address recent killings by rival cult groups in Osogbo that left two people dead and about five others injured between last Friday and Sunday. [4] The Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Samuel Ojo, said the meeting would also discuss measures to make forests in the state safer. [4] “We are holding a security meeting on Wednesday, by the special grace of God, to reassure our people and put our security agencies on their toes,” Ojo said. [4] He added that the meeting would deliberate on and address the killings by suspected cultists and measures to secure forests in view of the recent killing of an ISWAP leader in Owo, Ondo State. [4] “What happened in Ondo is a lesson to those criminals hibernating in the forests. We will not take it lightly with anyone using the forest as a hideout,” he said. [4] Ojo further stated, “Aside from that, we are also using the meeting to address the incessant killings by rival cult groups in the past weeks. We need to meet and discuss how to stop these killings by cult groups or any other violent crimes hiding under that canopy.” [4] The governor’s aide stressed the need to stop the killings to protect Osun’s corporate image and warned perpetrators of violent crimes to desist. [4] In reaction to the latest cult attack, the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Zungura, ordered tactical teams to raid suspected criminal hideouts in Osogbo. [4]

Laos Seizes 521kg of Methamphetamine from Private Jet

Laotian authorities seized 521kg of suspected methamphetamine from a private jet at Luang Prabang International Airport last Thursday. [5] The private jet had initially departed from Subang airport in Malaysia without any cargo before flying to Luang Prabang. [5] Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department director Hussein Omar Khan said the drugs seized were meant for the Manila market in the Philippines and not the Malaysian market. [5] The drugs originated in Laos and were destined for Manila. [5]

Ongoing Investigations

The Plateau State Police Command had not publicly commented on the body discovery as of the time of filing this report. [1] It remained unclear whether anyone had been arrested in connection with the death. [1] In the South African case, the discovery forms part of a wider investigation into an alleged international drug route. [3] In Osun State, the Wednesday security meeting is intended to address the killings and forest security measures. [4]

What to watch next: Authorities in Plateau State may provide updates on the body discovery, while the Osun security meeting on Wednesday will address cult killings and forest security, and South African police continue their probe into the international drug route.