Police arrest four suspected truck hijacking syndicate members in Oyo

The newly appointed Chief of Yidani, Naa Ntimla Nwenisim, and his son, Ntimla Bilaga, were brutally murdered on August 14, 2026. The suspects, 25-year-old Majejiba Magne and 34-year-old Haruna Nlegle, were apprehended following intelligence from the Northern Regional Police Command. On the fateful night, three unidentified armed men broke into the chief's residence around 3:00 am and opened fire, killing both victims.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the assailants entered the compound, demanded to be directed to the chief's room, and only when their request was denied, they fired a shot into the roof of an adjacent room before entering the chief's room and fatally shooting them. Police found five empty BB cartridges at the scene. A post-mortem examination conducted on August 17 at the Tamale Teaching Hospital confirmed that the victims sustained multiple gunshot injuries, leading to their death from severe wounds and internal bleeding.

The Inspector-General of Police dispatched a specialized team to the region and increased security patrols in Yidani and nearby areas. On August 26, the police received a tip-off about the suspects traveling from Dombine, Gushegu District, towards Chereponi. The Gushegu Police collaborated with their counterparts in Chereponi to intercept and apprehend the two suspects.

They were subsequently transferred to the Yendi Divisional Command and currently held in police custody to aid the ongoing investigation. The Northern Regional Police Command stated that further inquiries are underway to uncover the full circumstances surrounding the murders and to locate any additional individuals involved in the attack.

The police have urged residents of Yidani, Dombine, Gushegu, Chereponi, and surrounding communities to come forward with any relevant information, promising that any such data provided would be handled confidentially. The command also urged the bereaved family, youth, and residents to remain calm and refrain from any retaliatory actions or vigilantism, stressing that those found guilty will be held accountable as per the law.