News

Nigerian Army Secures Unconditional Release of Abducted Oyo Pupils, Teachers After Weeks of Operations

Published

4 months ago

July 12, 2026

The Nigerian Army has announced the unconditional release of pupils and teachers abducted from schools in Oyo State on May 15, following weeks of coordinated security operations involving multiple security agencies.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Army said the rescue operation was led by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Ibadan, Major General C.R. Nnebeife, in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Defence Headquarters, and Special Forces drawn from the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), alongside other security agencies.

According to the Army, the operation, which lasted for more than a month, focused on identifying the terrorist leaders responsible for the abduction and dismantling their operational network, logistics chain, informants, and hideouts within the Old Oyo National Park Forest.

The military disclosed that the operation resulted in the arrest of several suspects in Oyo State and other parts of the country, significantly disrupting the activities of the criminal group.

“These arrests completely disorganized the group, exerted overwhelming pressure on them and ultimately led the terrorist group to unconditionally release the pupils and teachers,” the statement read.

The Army explained that the operation was carefully planned and executed to ensure the safe rescue of the victims while minimizing collateral damage. It, however, acknowledged that some security personnel sustained casualties during the operation.

According to the statement, the rescued pupils and teachers are currently receiving medical care at an undisclosed hospital. They will be handed over to the Oyo State Government after undergoing medical evaluations before being reunited with their families.

The military added that follow-up operations are ongoing to track down and apprehend other members of the criminal network involved in the abduction.

The Army reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives and property and assured Nigerians that security agencies would continue to intensify efforts to dismantle terrorist and criminal networks across the country.

Up Next

Gagdi Defends Lalong, Accuses Dasuki Nakande of Meddling in APC Affairs

Don't Miss

Flood: NiMet raises fresh alarm, places FCT, Benue, 25 other states on red alert

Click to comment

Business

Lagos Court Sentences Man to Life Imprisonment for D£f!l!ng 11-Year-Old Girl

Published

1 hour ago

November 3, 2026

PlateauReports

An Ikeja S£xual Offences and Domestic Violence Court in Lagos State has sentenced a man, identified as Idris Ashimiyu, to life imprisonment for defiling an 11-year-old girl.

Justice Abiola Soladoye delivered the judgment on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, after finding Ashimiyu guilty of a one-count charge of defilement brought against him by the Lagos State Government.

During the trial, the survivor, who was 13 years old when she testified, told the court that she knew the convict because he ran errands and washed cars within their compound.

She narrated how the incident happened and told the court that her grandmother later discovered what had happened after going to look for her.

Ashimiyu had pleaded not guilty to the charge. However, after reviewing the evidence presented by both the prosecution and defence, Justice Soladoye found the survivor’s testimony credible and held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

The court consequently sentenced him to life imprisonment and ordered that his name be entered into the Lagos State Sexual Offenders Register.

The post Lagos Court Sentences Man to Life Imprisonment for D£f!l!ng 11-Year-Old Girl appeared first on Business Today NG.

News

Apple may try to increase revenue by doing…something with third-party AI apps

Published

1 hour ago

November 3, 2026

PlateauReports

Apple’s services business remains at record levels, but it’s facing growing pressure. The central part of that business, Apple’s App Store, has faced regulatory pressure and a slump in mobile gaming, which have hurt services growth.

However, on Monday’s earnings call, Apple signaled that it may look to boost services revenue through third-party apps. What does that mean, exactly? Unfortunately, it’s not entirely clear.

When discussing how AI could potentially “contribute to revenue growth over time,” Kevan Parekh, Apple’s chief financial officer, said: “On the product side, you know, we feel AI offers a compelling reason for customers to upgrade and switch in order to get the latest capabilities, and we also feel there’s opportunities across third-party apps and partnerships as well as first-party opportunities.”

Parekh did not elaborate on what sorts of opportunities might be available via third-party apps. However, Reuters reported Monday that investors are wondering whether Apple could profit by distributing third-party AI agents through the App Store and taking a cut of the revenue they generate.

Regulatory and legal changes have cut into App Store commission revenue in some markets, even as Apple’s services business as a whole continues to grow. Third-party estimates in August, for example, suggested the company had seen an 18% drop in U.S. commission revenue, with declines also in Brazil and Japan after those countries introduced new regulations. Apple has traditionally controlled payments within its app marketplace tightly, taking a cut of all App Store transactions. But a lawsuit by Epic Games ultimately forced the company to allow apps to redirect users to outside payment systems. Other legal challenges throughout the world have further hampered the business.

During the earnings call, Parekh referenced Apple’s App Store woes and returned to the idea that the company’s service business could expand into new territory.

“We’ve also seen some factors that impacted the performance of the App Store, and during the September quarter, the performance on the App Store was similar to the prior year, and we had a record number of paid subscriptions with double-digit growth for third-party apps on the App Store,” Parekh said. “At the same time, we did see some headwinds in mobile gaming that we’ve talked about before, and expect to see those continue into the summer quarter.”

Parekh added: “As we move ahead, we expect services growth to to be between 8 to 9% [in the December quarter]. This outlook contemplates our best estimates on sequential headwinds, primarily from third-party licensing and the additional half percentage point of foreign exchange I just mentioned.”

TechCrunch has reached out to Apple for more information and will update this story if it responds.

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.