The monarch of Agamo Community in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State, Oba Kehinde Falodun, has been reportedly killed by suspected kidnappers.

Reports indicate that the traditional ruler was murdered on Wednesday evening while resisting an attempt by the gunmen to abduct him.

A source in the community said about 10 armed men stormed the palace and attempted to kidnap the monarch, but he resisted them.

According to the source, when the assailants allegedly shot at him several times and the bullets did not penetrate, they reportedly struck his head with a heavy object, leading to his death.

Confirming the incident on Thursday in a statement, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ondo State Police Command, Mr Abayomi Jimoh, said an investigation had commenced into the matter.

The victim was later found a few metres away with gunshot wounds. He was confirmed dead at the scene, Jimoh said.

Upon receipt of the report, the Divisional Police Officer, alongside tactical teams from the command, promptly mobilised officers in collaboration with local security outfits, he added.

Jimoh stated that Atuluse Security, local hunters, and Amotekun operatives also assisted in combing adjoining bushes and surrounding areas in a bid to apprehend the perpetrators.

Efforts are ongoing to track down and arrest the fleeing suspects, the police spokesman said.

Monitoring and surveillance activities have been intensified across the area to ensure the safety of residents and prevent further breakdown of law and order, Jimoh added.

The public is assured that no stone will be left unturned in bringing those responsible for the heinous act to justice, he said.

The incident comes weeks after suspected bandits attacked Ayede Community in the same local government area and abducted a pregnant woman, Mrs Mary Jesulayomi, who was later released after a ransom was reportedly paid.

Days after that incident, the Ondo State Security Network Agency, also known as Amotekun, arrested 12 men suspected of being involved in banditry in the area.

Residents have expressed concern over the growing insecurity in Akure North, calling on security agencies to intensify efforts to restore peace in the affected communities.

Eighty worshippers abducted during a bandit attack on Kurmin Wali community in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State have escaped from captivity, while 86 others remain unaccounted for, community leaders have confirmed.

The Village Head of Kurmin Wali, Ishaku Dan’azumi, said the victims escaped through nearby forests on the day of the attack and took refuge in remote settlements due to fear of further violence.

“We have now confirmed that 80 of our people have been found in different locations. They ran through the forest and hid because of fear on the very day of the incident,” Dan’azumi said.

He explained that contact with the escapees was only re-established after one of the victims reached out to the community a few days later and disclosed their location, prompting a verification exercise.

“One of them called and told us where they were. We sent people there and confirmed their whereabouts.

They were afraid because they thought what happened to a nearby village where bandits burnt down the entire community had happened to us.

That was why they did not reach out immediately,” he added.

According to the village head, a headcount conducted on Friday confirmed that 80 people had been located in various bush settlements, while search teams have been deployed to forest areas to determine whether additional victims are still in hiding.

Dan’azumi said the Kaduna State Government had been formally informed of the development, but fear continued to prevent many of the escapees from returning home.

“We have informed the government that 80 people have been found.

They want us to gather them together, but fear is stopping many of them from returning. However, we have spoken with them and confirmed their locations,” he said.

Bandits had on January 18 launched a coordinated attack on Kurmin Wali, targeting churches in the community and abducting 177 women, children, and men.

The incident sparked widespread public outrage, with many Nigerians calling on the Federal Government and security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue those still missing.

India’s Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra State, Ajit Pawar, has died following the crash of a chartered aircraft in western India, aviation authorities confirmed on Wednesday.

Pawar was among five people on board a Learjet 45 aircraft operated by VSR Ventures that went down while approaching Baramati, a town in Maharashtra regarded as the politician’s political stronghold.

All occupants of the aircraft including two members of Pawar’s staff and two crew members were killed in the incident, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

In a preliminary statement, the aviation regulator said there were no survivors. Video footage from the scene showed burning wreckage scattered across an open field, with thick smoke rising into the air as emergency responders arrived.

The director of VSR Ventures, VK Singh, told local broadcaster India Today that the jet crashed during its final approach to Baramati airport.

He said the cause of the crash was not immediately known, adding that the aircraft was well-maintained and the crew were experienced.

Eyewitnesses described a series of explosions following the crash. One witness told ANI news agency that the aircraft was engulfed in flames moments after impact, making rescue efforts impossible.

Media reports said Pawar was travelling from Mumbai and was attempting an emergency landing in Baramati, about 250 kilometres away, where he was scheduled to campaign for upcoming local government elections.

A prominent political figure from one of Maharashtra’s most influential families, Pawar led a faction that split from the opposition Nationalist Congress Party in 2023 and later aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in the state.

Prime Minister Modi, reacting to the incident, described Pawar’s death as “shocking and saddening” in a post on social media platform X, offering condolences to the bereaved families.

Investigations into the cause of the crash are ongoing.