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LIVES SHATTERED — Elderly couple killed at home before deputies ‘pinned’ down by gunfire. Continue reading …
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Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman asked a judge to freeze payments to the victims of a $4 billion sexual abuse lawsuit settlement, claiming four out of five of the claims could be fraudulent, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday.
In April 2025, Los Angeles County agreed to pay $4 billion to settle more than 11,000 claims of sexual abuse in county-run juvenile halls and foster homes, making it the largest sexual abuse settlement in U.S. history.
But an LA Times investigation discovered nine plaintiffs who said they were paid by recruiters to join the class-action lawsuit, four of whom, the paper reported, said their claims were entirely fraudulent.
Hochman launched his investigation shortly after the LA Times investigation went public.
“They looked at this opportunity to compensate these true victims of sex abuse as an opportunity to personally profit and engage in some of the most greedy and heinous conduct,” Hochman said in a November 2025 news conference. “We are going to aggressively go after them,” he said.
However, Hochman said then that the nine who came forward represented a small fraction of the “significant number of fraudsters involved in these settlement claims.”
Now, Hochman is claiming 80 percent of claimants could be fraudulent while asking the judge overseeing the case to freeze the payments for six months while he continues his investigation, according to the LA Times.
Hochman’s request would only apply to cases stemming from juvenile halls, the bulk of the cases in the lawsuit, according to the LA Times.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY FACES SCRUTINY AFTER ALLEGED WIDESPREAD HOSPICE FRAUD EXPOSED
Since the LA Times released the results of its investigation, LA County has imposed extra scrutiny on claimants, particularly those represented by Downtown LA Law Group (DTLA), a firm that represented all nine of the plaintiffs who reportedly claimed to have been recruited.
DTLA firmly denied recruiting anybody for the lawsuit.
“As we have consistently stated, DTLA never recruited anyone to join this lawsuit. In fact, we rejected over 70% of the cases that came to us. The allegations of fraud involving our firm are false,” a DTLA spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
The company also believes its being unfairly scrutinized compared to other company’s representing plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
“DTLA was the only one subjected to an extensive independent third-party audit of more than 1,000 cases, with every client interviewed by a neutral auditor at our own expense. No other firm has undergone this level of scrutiny. We believe that fairness dictates that the regulatory agency make similar demands of other firms,” the spokesperson said.
The increased scrutiny, Hochman argued in a Wednesday filing obtained by the LA Times, was necessary after lax vetting from prior agencies reviewing the cases.
“The prior and ongoing vetting by other agencies and entities has been insufficient to determine whether the claims are fraudulent,” Hochman stated, per the LA Times.
RITZY PRIVATE ACADEMY ATTENDED BY KARDASHIAN KIDS FACES TRIAL IN BIZARRE ‘KISSING CLUB’ SCANDAL
Representatives of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit question Hochman’s claims and say they further hurt victims who have suffered enough.
“They’re beyond frustrated,” victim attorney Patrick McNicholas told the LA Times. “Once again, they’re getting victimized,” he said.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs are expected to go in front of Superior Court Judge Lawrence Riff on Monday for a review of Hochman’s request.
The DTLA spokesperson told Fox News Digital the company has cooperated with DA Hochman’s investigation.
“We look forward to Judge Lawrence Riff’s ruling on this matter and, as we have always maintained, we remain fully committed to working cooperatively with District Attorney Nathan Hochman and his office to verify the authenticity of every claim,” the spokesperson said
“Our firm is fully committed to ensuring that clients who suffered real abuse are fairly compensated for the trauma they endured,” the spokesperson also said.
Fox News Digital contacted the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office for further information.
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Victor Wembanyama’s national anthem controversy didn’t go away after Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
It just appears that almost everyone around the NBA decided to stop talking about it.
Before Game 1 between the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks, cameras showed Wembanyama standing with his arms crossed during the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The image spread quickly on social media and sparked immediate reaction from fans who believed the Spurs star was being disrespectful during the American national anthem.
Others defended Wembanyama, noting that he is from France and suggesting the reaction was overblown.
Fair enough. Maybe it was. Maybe there was no intent behind it. Maybe Wembanyama was just standing there and did not realize people would interpret the gesture as a statement.
There’s a very easy way to find out.
Ask him.
KENDRICK PERKINS ACCIDENTALLY EXPOSED THE NBA’S BIGGEST PROBLEM DURING ESPN’S ‘FIRST TAKE’
OutKick asked President Donald Trump about Wembanyama’s anthem posture while aboard Air Force One after Game 1. Trump said he had not seen the moment, then asked the obvious question: What did Wembanyama mean by it?
When OutKick informed the president that no one had asked Wembanyama about his intent, Trump said someone should ask him.
That was a week ago.
Since then, Wembanyama has been available to the media multiple times during the NBA Finals. He has been asked about basketball. He has been asked about the Knicks. He has been asked about the Madison Square Garden crowd. He has even been asked whether Trump’s attendance at Game 3 would be a distraction (although even that question was posed in a way that gave Wembanyama an escape hatch to avoid making a divisive political statement).
But the anthem? Nothing.
Not a single question asking whether he meant anything by crossing his arms during the anthem before Game 1.
That seems… odd.
It became even more odd once the series shifted to Madison Square Garden.
Wembanyama was reportedly not on the court during the national anthem before Game 3 or Game 4 at Madison Square Garden.
Most of the Spurs appeared to be on the court during the anthem. So this does not appear, at least from the available evidence, to have been a team-wide decision or a pregame routine scheduling issue.
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There is also another important piece of circumstantial evidence from the broadcasts themselves.
During the anthem before Games 1 and 2, ESPN showed Wembanyama on camera. That’s how the Game 1 controversy started in the first place.
OutKick reviewed the ESPN broadcasts of Games 1-4 and noticed something different about the Game 4 presentation. ESPN used a down-the-line camera shot of players from both teams during the anthem in Games 1, 2 and 3. That’s part of why many believe that Wembanyama skipped the Game 3 anthem.
But during the anthem before Game 4 at Madison Square Garden, ESPN appeared to adjust its anthem presentation. Instead of the same wider down-the-line shots, the network showed tighter solo shots of select players, including Stephon Castle, Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart, as well as both head coaches.
Does that prove anything?
No.
But the timing is at least worth asking about. Wembanyama was shown during the anthem in Games 1 and 2. He was not shown during ESPN’s anthem coverage in Games 3 and 4. Then, after public claims that Wembanyama was not on the court during the anthem before Game 3, ESPN’s Game 4 broadcast appeared to move away from the down-the-line team shots it had used in the previous three games.
Maybe that was a routine production decision.
Maybe it was a coincidence. Or maybe ESPN didn’t want to show a wider shot of the Spurs’ anthem line if Wembanyama was not in it.
OutKick reached out to ESPN to ask whether the change in Game 4 anthem coverage was deliberate, whether ESPN knew Wembanyama was not on the court or might not be on the court, and whether anyone from the NBA, Spurs or ESPN discussed avoiding wider shots of the teams during the anthem.
ESPN did not immediately respond.
That leaves the most important question for Wembanyama himself.
And yet, somehow, no one with regular access to the Spurs star appears to have asked.
OutKick/Fox News Digital had reporters credentialed and in attendance for both Games 3 and 4 at Madison Square Garden. Those reporters attended Wembanyama’s postgame media availabilities after both games.
They were not called on to ask a question either time.
Could that be a coincidence? Of course.
But it is at least worth noting, especially given that OutKick/Fox News Digital had already reported on the anthem controversy and had asked Trump about Wembanyama’s Game 1 posture. One obvious way to resolve the issue would be to ask Wembanyama directly. The outlet trying to do that was in the room twice and did not get the chance.
That does not prove anyone was intentionally avoiding the topic. It does make the silence around the entire story even harder to ignore.
OutKick/Fox News Digital plans to have this reporter in San Antonio for Game 5 and intends to seek another opportunity to ask Wembanyama directly.
That’s all this really requires.
A question.
The question is not an accusation. It is the most basic way to determine intent.
If Wembanyama says there was no message behind crossing his arms in Game 1 and no intentional anthem absence in Games 3 and 4, fine. If he says there was a message, that’s news, too. Either way, the answer should come from him, the Spurs or the NBA, not from everyone else guessing.
That’s what happened when LSU women’s basketball became part of a national anthem controversy during the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
LSU was not on the court for the anthem before its Elite Eight game against Iowa, which OutKick reported and a social media post showing the missing team immediately went viral. After the game, OutKick asked head coach Kim Mulkey whether leaving the court before the anthem was a conscious decision.
Mulkey explained that it was part of LSU’s normal pregame routine and insisted it was “nothing intentionally done.”
That answer didn’t satisfy everyone, but at least there was an answer.
No one needed to speculate forever about LSU’s intent because OutKick asked the question. Mulkey answered it. People were then free to agree, disagree, criticize or move on.
With Wembanyama, there has been no such explanation.
The NBA has not responded to OutKick/Fox News Digital’s request for comment. The Spurs have not responded to a request for comment. Wembanyama has not publicly explained his Game 1 posture or his reported absence from the court during the anthem before Games 3 and 4.
The NBA’s own anthem policy makes the silence even harder to understand.
The league has long required players, coaches and trainers to stand and line up in a dignified posture during the playing of the American and/or Canadian national anthems. That raises a few obvious questions.
Does the NBA believe crossing one’s arms during the anthem qualifies as a dignified posture?
Does the NBA interpret that rule as requiring every active player to be on the court for the anthem, or only as governing players already lined up along the foul lines?
Did Wembanyama violate any league expectation by reportedly not being on the floor before Games 3 and 4?
Does Commissioner Adam Silver have any reaction to one of the league’s biggest stars drawing attention for his national anthem conduct during the NBA Finals?
None of these are complicated questions. They also are not unfair questions. Yet, the NBA, as of now, has elected not to answer them.
Wembanyama is not just another player. He is arguably the NBA’s next face of the league.
CHARLES BARKLEY ‘ANNOYED’ WITH VICTOR WEMBANYAMA BEING GIVEN ‘FACE OF THE LEAGUE’ TITLE
The NBA has every incentive to market him as an international superstar, and for good reason. He is an incredible basketball player and unlike anything we’ve ever seen. He’s 7’4″, handles the ball like a guard, shoots threes and is arguably the NBA’s most imposing defensive player.
But the bigger the platform, the bigger the scrutiny.
That is especially true when the platform is the NBA Finals, when the anthem is being performed in front of massive television audiences and when the player involved has already shown a willingness to criticize the American government.
Earlier this year, Wembanyama spoke out about fatal Minneapolis shootings involving federal agents during immigration enforcement unrest. When asked about the situation, he said Spurs PR had “tried” to keep him from speaking up, but that he was not going to give a “politically correct” answer. He then said he was horrified by what he described as the “murder of civilians.”
Even that previous stance doesn’t prove Wembanyama was making a political statement during the anthem.
It does make it fair to ask whether he was.
Maybe he wasn’t. Maybe there is an innocent explanation for all of this. Maybe crossing his arms is just how he stands. Maybe his reported absence before Games 3 and 4 had nothing to do with the anthem. Maybe the Spurs had a routine. Maybe Wembanyama was praying. Maybe this entire thing could be cleared up in 15 seconds.
Great.
Then clear it up.
Instead, the NBA, the Spurs, Wembanyama, ESPN and much of the league’s press corps have taken the same approach.
Silence.
For those who might think, “No one asked him because no one really cares,” that’s simply not the case.
Fox News Digital and OutKick stories on this issue have generated significant audience interest, and social media posts about the controversy have drawn widespread reaction, which suggests plenty of people do care. Yet the league and team have declined to get their position on the record, Wembanyama has not addressed it publicly, ESPN has not answered questions about its Game 4 broadcast presentation, and the reporters with regular access to him have not pressed him on it.
People can decide for themselves whether Wembanyama’s anthem conduct bothers them. They can decide whether this is a major issue, a minor issue or no issue at all.
But pretending there is nothing to ask is ridiculous.
Trump was right from the start.
Someone should ask him.
A new study is challenging the conventional wisdom that a small, daily dose of alcohol might be good for your health.
The research, published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, suggests that the safest amount of alcohol to consume is actually none at all. If adults do choose to drink, the team of scientists recommends setting a limit of one per day.
This challenges older guidelines, which often suggested that up to two daily drinks for men was a safe limit.
ALCOHOL DEATHS HAVE MORE THAN DOUBLED IN RECENT YEARS, ESPECIALLY AMONG WOMEN
“While the new U.S. Dietary Guidelines contain a useful ‘less-is-best’ message, they provide no quantitative framework,” study co-author Timothy Naimi, director of the University of Victoria’s Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, said in a press release.
“Our study was designed to do just that across the drinking spectrum.”
Researchers reached their conclusions by analyzing data on alcohol-related injuries and illnesses and comparing it with large national health and demographic databases, according to a press release.
Using statistical models, they examined how regular alcohol consumption is linked to life expectancy.
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“Even low levels of alcohol use come with health risks,” lead study author Kevin Shield, an associate professor at the University of Toronto, in the same press release. “And that risk continues to increase the more someone drinks.”
After evaluating the cumulative risks for conditions like liver disease, stroke and certain cancers, the study suggests that the assumed benefits of drinking are heavily outweighed by the potential dangers.
For those looking to protect their long-term health, researchers emphasized that cutting back to one drink or giving up alcohol entirely appears to be the best strategy.
Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, noted that this was an observational Canadian study looking at U.S. census data.
“It is massive, but still not proof,” cautioned Siegel, who was not involved in the study. “I am impressed with the endpoint, which is to assess alcohol-specific mortality,” he added.
The doctor called the research “convincing” in terms of showing that even lower levels of drinking carry mortality risk.
“We are in the process of debunking previous research and public health statements that a small amount of alcohol is actually good for you, and replacing it with the more realistic and accurate notion that no amount of alcohol is good,” he told Fox News Digital.
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Alcohol affects multiple systems throughout the body, acting as a toxin that can compromise vital organs over time, according to the doctor.
Siegel warned that “alcohol is bad for the heart, the liver and the brain, and it increases inflammation and certain cancers, all of which lead to increased mortality risks.”
While the research offers an overview of public health trends, it is an observational study based on U.S. census data, meaning it can only show strong correlations and cannot prove direct cause and effect, the researchers acknowledged.
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Additionally, because the study relies on self-reported drinking habits, it is subject to the common limitation of individuals underestimating or misreporting their actual alcohol consumption.
The crisis at the border may be over, but the crisis in Virginia is far from it. Democrats from former President Joe Biden to Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger have proven time and time again that they care more about protecting criminal illegal aliens than American citizens.
Under Biden, over 11 million illegal immigrants walked freely across the open border with no consequences. That ended the day President Donald Trump took office. As we reach the twelfth straight month of zero releases at the border, our nation’s boundaries have never been more secure.
While the crisis at the border is over, the crisis in Virginia still rages on.
Across the commonwealth, an epidemic of violent crime committed by illegal aliens has plagued our communities. The rise in crime is caused by dangerous liberal policies and the state’s refusal to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
Local officials, like Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Stephen Descano, have refused to prosecute criminals who are committing violence against real Americans. Despite a 32 percent increase in violent crime since Descano took office compared to the five years before, Fairfax has sent fewer cases to trial, dismissed more felony charges, and obtained fewer felony convictions.
The reason crime is spiking in Fairfax County is obvious: Descano and other local Democrats refuse to prosecute and lock away dangerous criminals because of their immigration status. Violent illegal aliens have been allowed to reoffend over and over, terrorize new victims and threaten public safety.
Democrats’ sanctuary policies have real, deadly consequences.
In February, Stephanie Minter, a mother in Fairfax County, was allegedly murdered by Abdul Jalloh, an illegal immigrant with dozens of prior charges, including rape and violent assault. Minter’s death was completely preventable.
Then, just one month later, another illegal immigrant, Anibal Armando Chavarria Muy, was arrested in Fairfax County in connection with a fatal stabbing. And in April, Luzin Garcia Moran, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, was arrested for attempted sexual assault on a woman. His rap sheet, spanning from 2020 to 2026, includes assault and battery, attempting to disarm a law enforcement officer, public intoxication, disorderly conduct and several probation violations.
This is Spanberger’s Virginia.
VIRGINIA GOV. SPANBERGER CUTS TIES WITH ICE IN FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT COOPERATION
Every single one of these violent acts was a direct result of radical far-left sanctuary policies, but, instead of advancing legislation to protect our families, Democrats are dismantling pathways to get criminals off our streets. One of Spanberger’s first actions as governor was to demolish the 287(g) program, a proven tool that removed these criminals from our streets and made our communities safer.
We cannot continue to allow illegal immigrants to commit crimes over and over again. While Republicans are fighting to put these criminals away and deport them from our country, Democrats are just letting them go to terrorize our families. These sanctuary policies have turned our great commonwealth into a safe haven for terrorists, murderers and rapists, but Democrats do not care. The left will continue to put political games over public safety.
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Make no mistake: I have not and will not sit idly by as violence floods our streets. Virginia is in desperate need of common-sense legislation that protects and secures our communities.
This Congress, I introduced H.R. 8077, the “287(g) Cooperation Act,” to restore and strengthen federal, state and local immigration enforcement partnerships as a condition of receiving Community Oriented Policing Services grants. State and local law enforcement should be working hand-in-hand with the federal government to enforce our laws. When they work together, the rule of law is upheld, and our communities are safer.
House Republicans are holding elected officials who refuse to protect Americans accountable. The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing titled “Fairfax County, Virginia: The Dangerous Consequences of Sanctuary Policies,” to examine how state and local policies are prioritizing illegal immigrants over American citizens. Virginia cannot continue to circumvent federal immigration authorities and put public safety at risk.
Because of Spanberger’s pro-crime, pro-illegal immigration policies, criminal illegal aliens have been allowed to roam our streets, terrorizing local communities and threatening the safety and security of every Virginian. Our fight to protect the commonwealth is far from over. Our border is secure. Now, it’s time to secure Virginia.
A former Biden White House aide, who has been slammed by conservatives online for years for his aggressive defense of then-President Joe Biden’s mental and physical fitness, has reemerged into the news cycle over the last couple of weeks for speaking out against former First Lady Jill Biden’s comments during her book tour and joining the communications staff for Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz.
Andrew Bates, who currently serves as the managing director of Orchestra’s public relations advisory service where he often uses his X account to fire back against GOP messaging and the Trump administration, promotes himself as a “seasoned communications strategist” with a “reputation for tenacity and an ability to navigate complex challenges with precision,” according to the website of his WolfPack Strategies advisory firm that he launched during the first week of the Trump administration last year.
While Bates was often praised by some of his colleagues as one of the most “loyal” defenders of the Bidens during his administration, Jill Biden recently lashed out at him when pressed on a quote he gave to The New York Post about her book tour.
“We had a duty to win and we didn’t,” Bates said, referring to Biden’s disastrous 2024 debate and him dropping out. “I think about that all the time. But I don’t see why that painful conversation for the party needed to be publicly reopened right now.”
When pressed on the quote, the former first lady told a reporter, “I want to say to Andrew: Call me up, and say it to my face, buddy.” While they appeared to have made up in a phone call shortly afterward, social media erupted with conservatives and Democrats weighing in on the exchange, including Tommy Vietor, a former National Security Council staffer for then-President Barack Obama.
“No one was more loyal to the Biden family and fought harder for them than Andrew Bates. Sh—- to see that loyalty was a one-way street,” Vietor wrote in a post, scolding the former first lady.
“The former First Lady would still be known as the former Second Lady without Andrew Bates,” a source told Axios reporter Alex Thompson, referring to the Bidens’ role in the Obama administration.
“Just a whole lot I could say about this, but I will leave it at being so, unbelievably disappointed,” former top Biden White House aide Rob Flaherty said. However, Jill Biden’s former spokesperson Michael LaRosa ripped Bates on X, saying, “He is one of the LEAST sympathetic former Biden staffers, a notorious liar, stonewaller and gaslighter.”
“This is who the Bidens are. Andrew Bates KILLED himself for the Bidens to the point of damaging his own reputation and appearing at times like a Baghdad Bob,” journalist Yashar Ali said, referring to Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf, who was notorious for pushing propaganda and giving false statements to the media.
Conservatives also weighed in, with many taking shots at the former first lady, including Targeted Victory’s chief communications officer Matt Gorman, who said, “The Bidens are pathetic, self-serving, and loyal only unto themselves.”
“Jill Biden vs Andrew Bates is the fight we’ve all been waiting for,” Sen. Bernie Moreno’s, R-Ohio, chief of staff Philip Letsou posted on X.
Newsbusters news analyst Jorge Bonilla said, “Not the first loyal comms person the Bidens throw under the bus.”
BIDEN CRASHES JILL’S BOOK TOUR WITH AWKWARD ‘LOVE’ QUESTION THAT LEAVES VIEWERS CRINGING
Bates’ reemergence isn’t just limited to the viral spat that took off on social media.
News that Bates had joined Gallego’s team as a communications advisor broke earlier this week in an Axios report following revelations earlier this year that Gallego, who would later distance himself from disgraced gubernatorial candidate Eric Swalwell and denied knowledge of his sexual misconduct, had a close personal friendship with him for over a decade.
Swalwell abandoned his campaign — and ultimately resigned his seat in mid-April — when testimony from several women surfaced chronicling instances of sexual misconduct and alleged abuse.
Gallego’s communications director, Jacques Petit, told Fox News Digital that the Arizona senator hired Bates because Gallego has been planning “to help Democrats take the majority in 2026 and is weighing all options for his political future” and that he “brought on Andrew to help navigate those processes.”
However, a number of onlookers online haven’t seen it that way. The hire, which occurred in late April, quickly drew accusations that Bates had been brought on to mask more political liabilities ahead of Gallego’s potential presidential campaign — just as he had helped navigate Biden’s cognitive decline and helped push the narrative that the videos of Biden walking around confused were “cheapfakes.”
Bates, who became a punching bag for many Trump campaign operatives and would often spar with them on social media, went viral a couple of weeks after the disastrous June 2024 debate performance that many believe was the beginning of the end of Biden’s presidential campaign. The X post, which amassed over 5 million views, was widely mocked and has resurfaced several times.
“To answer the question on everyone’s minds: No, Joe Biden does not have a doctorate in foreign affairs,” Bates said. “He’s just that fu—– good.”
The X post came during a critical press conference two weeks after the disastrous debate performance that many believe was the beginning of the end of his campaign. Less than two weeks later, Biden announced he was dropping out of the race.
The campaign account for Kari Lake, a former challenger for Gallego’s Senate seat, ripped Bates and Gallego in a post.
“You don’t hire a political fixer and Biden regime hatchet man like Andrew Bates unless the walls are closing in and the skeletons are about to tumble out of the closet. Rotten Ruben Gallego is VERY worried,” the account wrote.
“He’s the lawyer you hire when everyone already knows you’re guilty,” Jim Geraghty, a political commentator, wrote in a post to social media.
“Who is the most expensive, least talented person we can find to make sure I don’t get Swallwell’d? Is Ian Sams available? Okay, how about Andrew Bates?” Brent Scher, the editor-in-chief of the Daily Wire wrote in a post to X, referring to another former White House political operative.
Two men said to have been on police wanted list as suspected armed robbers in Adamawa State have been arrested.
The state Police Command said Friday that the suspects were rounded up by operatives who swung into action under Operation Sanity Mubi in Mubi town.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Suleiman Nguroje who made the disclosures, gave the names of the suspects as Abdulhamid Salihu and Bello Yahaya.
Nguroje said the two were arrested after a robbery incident that occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, June 10, at the Unguwar Kara part of Mubi.
The suspects, with two accomplices currently at large, allegedly attacked one Mustapha Ali, inflicted injuries on him, and dispossessed him of cash and other valuable assets.
“Through sustained intelligence-led operations, police operatives attached to Mubi South and Mubi North LGAs tracked and apprehended the suspects and recovered stolen mobile phones, jewelry, handbags, travelling bags, and the weapons allegedly used in committing the crime,” Nguroje stated.
He assured that as investigation continues, efforts are being intensified to arrest the fleeing suspects.
Two robbery suspects on police wanted list arrested in Adamawa
Portugal head coach, Roberto Martinez, has explained why he kept captain Cristiano Ronaldo on for over an hour despite his missed chances against Nigeria.
Ronaldo put on a disappointing display in front of goal against Nigeria as his team claimed a narrow 2-1 win in the friendly encounter on Wednesday night.
The 41-year-old was replaced by Gonçalo Ramos in the 65 minutes of the encounter in Leiria.
Explaining his decision to keep the Al-Nassr forward for over 60 minutes, Martinez said (via O Jogo), “Diogo Costa had a 90-minute plan, Cristiano 60.
“Nuno Mendes was going to have 30 and 45 minutes for Vitinha and João Neves. I am very pleased with the attitude and focus of all the players.
“Being able to have the idea of making changes to the team and showing synchronization is a source of pride.”
Ronaldo will hope to improve on his goal-scoring chances when Portugal face DR Congo in their World Cup opener next Wednesday.
Portugal coach Martinez explains why he kept Ronaldo on despite missed chances against Nigeria
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has lamented the condition of school children who are currently camped in the forest by terrorists.
During the EndBadGovernance protest in Lagos, Friday, Falana, who called for their immediate release, said the children kidnapped in Oyo and Borno States are suffering in the forests.
“Those kids are suffering. No medical attention, no food for them. And so for us as Nigerians, all of us are in custody, one way or the other,” he said.
Falana also pointed out that economic hardship bedevilling the nation is man-made, stating that the country has what it takes to make citizens happy.
“We are also protesting hunger in the land, poverty in the land, and we are calling on the government that there is no basis for poverty in Nigeria.
Our country has enormous material, natural resources and capital resources to make our people happy”, he added.
No food, no medical attention – Falana laments condition of kidnapped children
The Kano State Geographic Information System (KANGIS) has sealed about 50 illegal structures across parts of Kano metropolis in a fresh enforcement exercise aimed at restoring order in urban development.
The operation covered areas including Hotoro, Eastern Bypass, Unguwa Uku axis and other parts of the city where unauthorized developments were identified.
Speaking during the exercise on Thursday, the Chairman of the committee and Director-General of KANGIS, Dr. Dalhatu Aliyu Sani, said the action was part of efforts to sanitize the system and protect lives, property and the environment.
He said the taskforce was working across the state to identify and address all illegal structures, whether reported by members of the public or discovered during routine monitoring.
“We are going around to identify all illegal structures across Kano. Some are based on reports from individuals, and others are discovered during our general inspections,” he said.
Dr. Sani explained that some developers were not complying with building regulations, while others were operating with permits that did not match approved land use.
He noted that there are two major categories of violations, building without approval and misuse of issued permits.
“Sometimes people build without permits. In other cases, permits are issued wrongly or used in violation of zoning rules. A place approved for commercial use may be used for residential purposes, and this creates serious problems,” he said.
According to him, such violations affect government revenue, environmental planning and urban safety.
He added that the committee would continue its enforcement across Kano to ensure that all developments comply with the state’s master plan.
Dr. Sani also urged residents and developers not to panic, saying those with proper documentation would have their cases reviewed.
“They should not be afraid. If they have all the required documents, their structures will be released. But if not, they must regularize their papers,” he said.
He further advised developers to always follow due process, stressing that doing so would help ensure safety and proper urban planning.
The affected structures included plazas, garages, construction sites, commercial buildings and other developments said to have violated planning regulations.
Kano govt seals over 50 illegal structures in city
The Benue State Council of Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) has distanced itself from a purported protest against Governor Hyacinth Alia by a group that calls itself “Concerned Pensioners,” saying the protesters were hirelings and not members of the union.
The group staged a protest on Wednesday in Makurdi, claiming it regretted the decision to purchase a nomination form for Governor Hyacinth Alia.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Benue State Chairman of the NUP, Comrade Michael Vembe, described the protesters as impostors and urged Governor Alia and members of the public to disregard the protesters and their demands.
Comrade Vembe categorically stated that the union was not part of the decision to purchase a nomination form for Governor Hyacinth Alia.
He said the purported group of pensioners had earlier rejected the decision to purchase a nomination form for the governor and made its objection known through both print and electronic media. He therefore wondered why the group would claim to regret an action it did not take.
Vembe denounced the group, describing it as illegal, and called on security agencies to deal with its members accordingly.
He called on pensioners in the state to disregard the antics of the group and remain calm, noting that the NUP is negotiating with the state government over unpaid inherited arrears. He added that the government has initiated the process of payment, which will soon be implemented.
Comrade Vembe pledged the NUP’s sustained loyalty and full support for the re-election bid of Governor Hyacinth Alia in the 2027 general elections.
Benue NUP disowns protest against Gov Alia
President Bola Tinubu on Friday blamed the insecurity his administration is addressing the collapse of grassroots governance.
Tinubu disclosed this during his nationwide broadcast to mark this year’s June 12 Democracy Day.
The president said in his bid to recognize the grassroots, his administration sought financial autonomy for the 774 local governments.
He noted that the ineffective local government administration is a major challenge to Nigeria’s advancement.
“Recognising that democracy is undermined when people do not feel its impact, my administration has sought financial autonomy for our 774 local councils.
“A fundamental challenge to our nation’s advancement has been ineffective local government administration.
“The insecurity we are addressing is partly due to the collapse of grassroots governance,” he said.
Democracy Day: Insecurity in Nigeria due to collapse of grassroots governance – Tinubu
Troops of Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI have arrested suspected kidnappers and recovered AK-47 rifles and ammunition in Borno.
In a statement on its platform on Friday (Whatsapp), it said troops while acting on credible intelligence, conducted a well-coordinated operation along a known criminal corridor in Magumeri, leading to the arrest of 5 suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate responsible for terrorising innocent civilians within the area.
The troops also recovered two AK-47 rifles, magazines and ammunition, adding that following investigations, the suspects were linked to kidnapping and other criminal activities in Borno State.
The arrested individuals are currently in custody and are assisting security agencies with further investigations aimed at apprehending other members of the syndicate and dismantling their support networks.
Troops arrest suspected kidnappers, recover AK-47 rifles in Borno
Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, has assured bandits willing to renounce violence that the government is prepared to support their reintegration into society if they genuinely embrace peace.
Radda made the appeal on Thursday during the inauguration of 152 housing units constructed for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Jibia Local Government Area of the state.
He urged those involved in banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes to lay down their arms and return to their communities, saying the government remains open to dialogue, repentance and rehabilitation.
According to the governor, individuals who abandon criminal activities and choose peace would have access to opportunities aimed at rebuilding their lives through lawful means.
Radda said the housing project, launched in October 2024, was implemented through a partnership between the Katsina State Government and development partners to support families displaced by insecurity.
The governor said the intervention also included the construction of a Climate Peace Entrepreneurship Centre, solar mini-grid electrification, a veterinary clinic, market stalls, VIP toilets at the cattle market, rehabilitation of the cattle loading ramp, and the provision of potable water and street lights.
He noted that security in Jibia had improved in recent years, allowing farmers to return to their fields and helping to boost agricultural production and economic activities.
Radda also acknowledged the support of development partners, including the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, the German Government through GIZ and the Norwegian Government, stressing that sustained collaboration remains essential to tackling insecurity, displacement and poverty in the state.
We’re ready to support reintegration of repentant bandits — Katsina Gov
