Gunmen have killed a high-ranking palace chief in Iduah Kingdom, Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State, and abducted two of his daughters.

The victim, Chief Jimah Jacob Ogboi, was reportedly attacked at his residence on Monday night.

Sources said the assailants stormed the house and shot the chief at close range. His wife was also attacked with machetes and other dangerous weapons, leaving her seriously injured.

One of the deceased’s sons, Lucky, said he had stepped out to purchase an item when the attack occurred.

“I received a call that my father had been shot. When I returned home, I met my mother in a critical condition, and my two sisters had been taken away,” he said.

A community source disclosed that the incident prompted an emergency meeting of elders to deliberate on possible steps toward securing the release of the abducted daughters and addressing the underlying causes of the attack.

The traditional ruler of the community, HRH Alhaji Amedu Momoh, appealed to the Edo State Government and security agencies to urgently intervene and strengthen security in the area.

“About four armed men went to the house of one of our chiefs. They shot him and abducted two of his daughters. The Nigerian Police and other security agencies have been here since the incident occurred,” he said.

“We need assistance in tackling security issues. The government should come to our aid. There had been relative calm in our land, but it appears the attackers have regrouped.”

The monarch also expressed concern over what he described as increasing attacks on farmlands by suspected herdsmen.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the Edo State Police Command, CSP Eno Ikoedem, confirmed the incident and said investigations had commenced.

She added that the Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, was in Ekpoma, Edo Central, alongside other senior officers to address the security situation.

“I can confirm the incident. The Commissioner of Police and other top officers are currently in the area to forestall further attacks. The police have launched an investigation into the killing and abduction,” she said.

The National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, on Tuesday, raised alarm over attack on former presidential candidate, Peter Obi and its members in Benin, Edo State.

Tanko disclosed that armed thugs had shot at Obi and members of the movement during the formal defection of Olumide Akpata into the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Benin City.

In a terse statement he signed tagged: “Breaking Red Alert in Benin, Edo State,” Tanko said: “PO and the leadership of the ADC are under siege and attack in Benin, Edo State.

“At the formal declaration of Olumide Akpata into the African Democratic Congress, armed individuals followed us from the ADC Secretariat to the residence of Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.

“They shot at the gate and destroyed several vehicles in what appears to be a survived assassination attempt on our lives. Democracy is in danger.”

A former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, is yet to secure a response from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission on his application for bail, his media adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye said on Monday.

The statement also raised concerns about the former governor’s welfare while in detention, alleging that he suffered a nosebleed and faced restrictions on access to family.

El-Rufai voluntarily reported at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday, February 16, following an invitation.

He was held at the EFCC until the night of Wednesday, February 18 when he was transferred to the ICPC.

According to Adekeye, his lawyers say no remand order has been shown to them, despite the 48-hour window for holding a person without charge having lapsed.

On the same day, the Federal Capital Territory High Court is set to hear his fundamental rights case against the Federal Government, the ICPC, the EFCC and the DSS, seeking an order to admit him to bail.

Adekeye wrote, “Today marks eight days since Malam Nasir El-Rufai was detained. He voluntarily reported at the EFCC in the morning of Monday, 16th February 2026 in response to an invitation. He has been held since, first by the EFCC which kept him in custody until the night of Wednesday, 18 February when he was moved to the ICPC.

“This week, the courts would entertain at least two matters related to Malam El-Rufai. Hearing in his fundamental rights case against the Federal Government, the ICPC, the EFCC and the DSS has been fixed for 25th February. This case, which is before the FCT High Court, is seeking an order to admit him to bail.

“He is scheduled for arraignment on the same date on the widely publicised charges filed by the DSS.”

The detention follows a series of events since El-Rufai returned to Nigeria on February 12.

According to a timeline of events provided by Adekeye, at the airport, El-Rufai’s passport was seized during a failed arrest attempt, which his lawyers condemned as unlawful.

Hours later, the ICPC issued a letter requesting him to report on February 13.

El-Rufai proposed to comply on February 18.

Adekeye stated that between February 16 and 18, he remained in EFCC custody, despite being granted administrative bail under conditions including having a serving federal permanent secretary as surety.

His lawyer, Ubong Akpan, described the continued detention as unlawful, adding that access to him by family and lawyers was restricted.

On February 19, the ICPC searched El-Rufai’s residence on Aso Drive.

Akpan condemned the search as “unlawful and a clear violation of legal procedures and fundamental rights,” saying it was executed under a defective warrant.

He added that an application for bail submitted afterward has yet to receive any response.

Adekeye stated that El-Rufai subsequently filed a suit at the Federal High Court on February 23, seeking a declaration that the search warrant was invalid, citing lack of particularity, ambiguity, overbreadth and absence of probable cause.

The suit also seeks to prevent the use of items seized during the search in any proceedings against him.

According to Adekeye, further interrogation by the ICPC continued on February 20.