TheNewsGuru

Tag: Benue

  • BREAKING: Herdsmen invade Catholic Church in Benue, kill 15

    BREAKING: Herdsmen invade Catholic Church in Benue, kill 15

    There was pandemonium again in Benue as suspected herdsmen stormed a Catholic Church in Benue on Tuesday morning killing at least 15 people.

    The attack occurred in Ayar-Mbalom, a community in Gwer East Local Government Area.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that two reverend fathers were murdered in the attack.

    Spokesperson to Governor Samuel Ortom, Terver Akase, while confirming the incident said the attackers also burnt over 50 houses and sacked the entire community.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the name of the church is St. Ignatius’ Catholic Church. The murdered Catholic priests are Joseph Gor and Felix Tyolaha, both reverend fathers.

    Fatai Owoseni, the Benue police commissioner, and Moses Yamu, the command’s spokesperson were however yet to confirm the attack.

    The attack comes barely four days after the murder of 10 persons by herdsmen in Guma Local Government Area, which has been one of the major scenes of carnage by suspects herdsmen since January 1.

    Detail later…

  • 300,000 Benue Students out of School over herdsmen attacks

    No fewer than 300,000 children in Benue state are out of school due to incessant attacks by herdsmen, says Secretary of the Benue State Teaching Service Board, Prof. Wilfred Uji.

    Uji, who decried the persistent killings in the state during a press briefing on Tuesday in Makurdi, said the crisis had seriously affected the educational system, especially the primary and secondary school system.

    “Two-hundred thousand of the figure are secondary school students and 100,000 are primary school pupils, which cut across three local government areas,” said Uji.

    Uji named Apa, Agatu, Makurdi, Okpokwu and Ogbadibo as places where pupils had left over fear of being attacked.

    He said, “I was in my office when some of them (teachers) walked in and showed me threat letters and once this kind of letter is written to you, you better take it seriously or the next day, you find yourself in a different form,” he said.

    “The future of our children is under attack and education in Benue State is under attack and has been compromised completely due to the situation we find ourselves in. In the herdsmen and farmers’ crisis, the isolated targets are usually the schoolchildren.

    “If this crisis is between herdsmen and farmers, why the attacks on educational facilities, much the same way like the fight you find in the North-East. There is a connect between the Boko Haram attacks in the North-East and the attacks by Fulani herdsmen in the North-Central in terms of killings and destruction of properties. It is my firm belief that somebody somewhere is trying to destroy the educational standards of Benue.”

  • Troops neutralise 4 militia in Benue

    The Army says its troops have neutralised four of the 20 militia they encountered at Teguma village in Guma Local Government Area of Benue on Monday during patrol, while others fled.

    A statement by Brig.-Gen Texas Chukwu, the Director of Army Public Relations, issued on Tuesday said items recovered from the militia were four AK 47 rifles; five 7.62mm rounds of ammunition and 28 rounds of 7.62 police special ammunition.

    Chukwu restated that the Nigerian army was determined to rid the country of criminal elements.

     

  • Gunmen ambush police team in Benue, one officer dead, several missing

    There was pandemonium on Sunday night as gunmen opened fire on a police team patrol in Benue.

    One officer was killed while eleven others were declared missing.

    According to a report by Premium Times, the slain officer was riding with his colleague from Anyibe to Ayilamo, both in Logo Local Government Area, when gunmen cornered them around 6:00 p.m.

    “The second policeman was lucky to escape the gunshots,” a resident of Ayilamo said.

    Some officers who responded to the attack tried to go after the killers, only to run into a waiting ambush, locals said.

    “Eleven officers are missing this night,” a resident from Logo LGA said. “These killers should be immediately declared a terrorist group now.”

    At least one police truck was set alight, locals said.

    Another resident said the remains of the officer had been deposited at a local government hospital in Ayilamo.

    The incident wraps a week of deadly attacks that had left scores killed in Benue, including about 45 people on Wednesday alone. More than 1,000 people have been killed in similar attacks across the region this year alone.

    No fewer than 15 police officers have been killed in Benue alone this year, in a wave of attacks whose perpetrators are becoming increasingly difficult to ascertain.

    While residents across the north-central where the attacks are more pronounced insist the killers are herdsmen, President Muhammadu Buhari insists the tactics of the culprits made it difficult to categorise them as herdsmen.

  • Benue killings: We’ve recovered 26 more bodies, say locals

    There was a new twist to the killings in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State on Friday as some locals said farmers in Akaanya, Tse Gbum, Kpete and Ulam communities in the local government recovered 26 more bodies.

    They said the victims were killed by people in military uniform, who were allegedly looking for their missing colleagues. About 15 persons were also reported killed on Wednesday.

    The locals who spoke to our correspondent claimed that death toll in the affected communities had risen to 67.

    One of the locals, who did not want his name in print, said, “The record we have is that 41 persons were killed on Thursday, but farmers in some affected communities on Friday afternoon discovered 26 bodies, bringing the total to 67.

    Meanwhile, a source close to the chairman of Ukum Local Government Area, who pleaded anonymity, said the 26 corpses were only those recovered on Friday morning.

    The source said, “As it is now, we have recovered 26 dead bodies. Yesterday (Thursday), about 41 persons were killed in Jande Ikura, a community between Benue and Taraba states.

    “We learnt that during the attack, three bodies recovered were those of men dressed in military uniform. So, yesterday (Thursday) between 10 am and 11 am, the same suspected gunmen in military uniform crossed over to some communities in Benue and started shooting, killing people. They claimed that they were looking for their fellow soldiers who had gone missing.

    “They entered Akaanya Tse Gbum and Kpete, which is a riverine area and Ulam, all in Benue, State and killed 26 persons there. Many people are still missing. These people came from Kente area in Taraba State to launch the attack.”

    The source noted that the attackers retreated to their base in Kente after the operation.

    Speaking to journalists shortly after a security council meeting, the Acting Governor of Benue State, Mr. Benson Abounu, said he had yet to be briefed on the casualty rate in Ukum, and that he was only aware of the two persons killed in Makurdi metropolis by the suspected herdsmen.

    “We have had a security council meeting but nobody mentioned anything like that to me,” he added.

    When asked whether he had received a briefing from Ukum Local Government chairman, the acting governor said, “No, the chairman has yet to brief me. At the meeting, we only emphasised the need for security agencies in the state to be proactive rather than being reactive.

    He added, “What they (security men) have been doing is they only go to repel attacks and return instead of mounting checkpoints at the entrance of flashpoints. With the previous strategy, sometimes before the security men could get to where the attacks were taking place, the damage was already done.

    “So, we have asked them to change strategy and guard areas being attacked to forestall further occurrence.”

  • Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal golfers storm Benue for Mark @ 70

    …As Otukpo agog for former Senate President

    About 300 golfers from Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal are competing for honours at the Otukpo Golf and Country club, Benue state in the Pro Am golf championship organized by the Nigerian Golf Federation(NGF)to commemorate the 70th birthday of the immediate past President of the Senate, Senator David Mark.

    Born on April 8, 1948 in Otukpo, Benue state, the former Senate President commemorates his 70th birthday on Sunday April 8, 2018.

    At least 120 professional golfers teed – off for a share of the N7million purse prize as Mike Ubi of Air Assault Golf club, Port Harcourt edged out Sunday Olapade from Maicon Golf club Ada, Osun state via “sudden Death” victory after both players tied at three under.

    Emos Korblah from Ghana and Samba Jiang from Senegal are among top contenders for honours at the weeklong championship.

    More than 150 Amateur golfers are playing over 36 holes in two days split into morning and evening tee off times.

    Performing the tee off ceremony yesterday, Senator Mark stated:” words cannot capture the expression of my feelings today . I’m honoured and satisfied with the large turn out of golfers and guests . It is impressive”.

    The former Senate helmsman further assured of his unwavering commitment towards the development of golf in Nigeria especially at the junior category.

    He noted the exploits of the Otukpo International Golf Academy in global championships so far as a needed impetus for professional golf development in Nigeria.

    According to Mark, “Students of the academy have constantly been participating in international championships, competing with some of the best in the world, sharpening their skills and becoming the good ambassadors of Nigeria”.

    Elder statesman and chairman, Board of Trustees IBB Golf and Country club, General I.B. M. Haruna (rtd) and former Kogi state governor , Captain Idris Wada led Abuja contingent to the tournament.

    All the golf clubs in Nigeria as well as Achimota in Ghana are participating in the championship.


    The Pro Am golf tournament will be climaxed with a thanksgiving mass on Sunday (8/4/18) at St. Augustine Catholic Church, Otukpo, Benue state.

  • Bandits attack: Police recover 10 corpses in Benue communities

    The Benue Police Command says it has recovered 10 corpses of villagers killed by suspected armed bandits in Tse-Audu and Enger villages in Gwer West Local Government Area of the state.

    In a statement on Friday in Makurdi, the command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Moses Yamu said the corpses were victims of the Thursday attacks on the villages.

    He said they had been found by the mobile police contingent deployed to Naka, the capital of the local government council.

    He attributed the deaths to armed bandits, claiming that the police had in their routine surveillance, also encountered the bandits.

    “Eight dead bodies were found in the bush around Tse-Audu and Enger villages in Gwer West local government.

    “This is in addition to the two bodies that were removed from the same area on the same day,’’ he said.

    The Police spokesman, however, assured residents of the communities of the safety of their lives, pointing out that a detachment of police team on counter insurgency had been deployed to the area.

    He also advised members of the public to promptly report any suspicious movements to security agencies for immediate action.

     

  • Again, herdsmen kill five in renewed attacks in Benue

    Again, herdsmen kill five in renewed attacks in Benue

    Suspected Fulani herdsmen have again killed five people in a renewed attack in different parts of Benue State.

    Four persons were reportedly killed by herdsmen at the Guma and Agatu local government areas of the state on Sunday, while one herdsman was reported killed at Lower Benue, a suburb of Makurdi, on Saturday.

    The incident in the Agatu LGA was said to have happened at Olegobiudu where two persons were said to have been killed with one of the victims said to have been beheaded.

    A native of the community in Agatu said that the incident happened on Sunday when about seven boys in the area went to have a bath in the community stream.

    The native added that the little children who were aged between 10 and 15 years were ambushed by the herders who shot at them and killed two of them.

    “The children, whose ages were between 10 and 15 years, had as usual gone to the stream in the community when they were attacked by herdsmen.

    “Some of the children rushed home to tell the people of the invasion by the herdsmen and by the time we got to the stream, the herdsmen had fled but we met the lifeless bodies of the kids. The head of one of them was cut off.”

    The incident in Guma was said to have occurred at Tse Samaka when herdsmen attacked and killed two of those who braced the odd to visit their homes.

    The Commissioner of Police in the state, Fatai Owoseni, confirmed the killings during a meeting he had with the leaders of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria.

    Owoseni said, “We had an incident just yesterday (Sunday); two persons were killed in Agatu but we have responded swiftly to douse tension, we are working closely with other security agencies to ensure the crisis does not escalate.

    “Also, some bandits have killed two persons in the Guma area on Sunday which makes us to reinforce in the area.

    “Also, we have this report at Lower Benue here where a herdsman was killed.

     

  • 2019 presidential aspirant, Kingsley Moghalu pays condolence visit to Benue

    Professor Kingsley Moghalu, former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and an aspirant in the 2019 Presidential race paid a two-day visit to Benue following the recent attacks and unjust killings visited upon residents in the State.
    He was accompanied on this condolence visit by his wife, Mrs Maryanne Moghalu and key members of the Kingsley Moghalu Benue Support Group.
    Professor Moghalu and his wife made it a point to visit the burial site along Naka Road in Makurdi where 73 victims of the January 1 and 2 attacks on Guma and Logo local government area of the State were buried in mass. The couple laid a wreath and made prayers for the dead.
    Commiserating with fellow Nigerians
    At the Palace of the Och’Idoma, His Royal Highness Agaba Idu, Dr. Elias Ikoyi Obekpa IV, in Otukpo, Kingsley Moghalu described the purpose of his visit to Benue as a show of “solidarity with the people of Benue; to listen and to commemorate with people of Benue on the misfortunes that have hit the community in recent times.”
    In his response, the royal father, blessing and accepting him with the customary Kola, commended the presidential aspirant on being the first in the political class to have considered it expedient to pay such a visit during this period.
    The party also paid a visit to the Igbo community in Benue. They were received by the Igbo Council of Elders made up of elder statesmen from Anambra, Imo, Enugu and several other parts of the South East. The Council, which was visibly pleased with the visit, assured Professor Moghalu of their support and blessings in his ambition to become the next President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
    “Hope is not a strategy”
    Kingsley Moghalu who declared his intention to contest the 2019 presidential election at a World Press Conference in Abuja in February has emphasised his candidacy as one not born of ethnoreligious colourations but rather rooted in a desire to build and grow Nigeria through innovation and strong global worldview.
    Kingsley Moghalu re-emphasised this point at the opening of the Benue State Support Group office, donated by members of the Kingsley Moghalu Benue Support Group to serve as the base for grass root activities in
    the State.
    Having deliberately chosen the Benue as the “first stop on a nationwide listening tour”, Professor Moghalu made it a point to hold a town hall meeting in Makurdi where he spent hours answering questions from
    residents of Benue.
    The crowd at the town hall meeting – made up of students from various tertiary institutions in the State, the Benue
    Market Women Association, Benue Motorcycle Riders’ Association, the Association of Tiv Actors, as well as representatives of the various zonal communities within the State – also offered suggestions on how many of Nigeria’s problems can be solved using innovation.
    This crowd-sourcing of solutions to national problems is an integral part of the style of leadership Professor Kingsley Moghalu proposes to override what he has described as “a lack of true political leadership
    in Nigeria.”
    According to the political economist and former professor of practice in International Business and Public Policy at the prestigious Tufts University, “seeking the opinion of citizens and forming a government based on this is the only way to move from a political atmosphere of “godfatherism” to one where power truly lies with the electorate”.
    The future
    As the residents of Benue dispersed from the town hall meeting to continue their daily activities, it was evident that the visit had reinvigorated them with a new perspective on building a better Nigeria in spite of the current circumstances.
    “We have to kill tribalism and declare it as the enemy of progress”, said a representative of the Benue Motorcycle Riders’ Association who had attended the town hall meeting.
    According to a student representative who met with the Presidential aspirant for the first time during the meeting, Kingsley Mogahlu represents the kind of leader Nigeria needs to heal and grow.
    “We have given Professor Moghalu the key to Benue. He is exactly the kind of leader Nigeria needs. Part of being a leader is to help pull people up from their pain; knowing that despite the hurt, we must ensure that we get past it and move on. It is time we elect such leaders.”
    The Presidential aspirant and his wife had earlier been given honourary titles as Peace makers of the Tiv Kingdom by members of the Tiv Actors Association who also presented them with traditional Tiv attires and a symbolic key to the city in a show of complete acceptance.

  • Benue killings: We are tired of burying our people – Ortom cries out

    Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has said the state cannot continue to bury her citizens as a result of ceaseless attacks on them by suspected herdsmen.

    The Governor while speaking at St. Bernard’s Primary School, Ugwu-Okpoga, assured that killing of Benue people had come to an end.

    Governor Ortom, who consoled the bereaved families, as well reinstated his call for the arrest of the leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, added that despite the pains, the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law had come to stay in Benue.

    He recalled that with the Omusu attack, the three senatorial districts had tested death occasioned by the aggression of the herdsmen and maintained that his administration was always ready to provide security for lives and properties of every section of the state .

    Speaking separately, the Deputy Governor, Engr. Benson Abounu, Deputy Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Hon. James Okefe, Chief Obande Obeya, Chairman, Okpokwu Local Government Council, Hon Olofu Ogwuche, the three socio-cultural organizations in the state and Pastor Dave Ogbole expressed satisfaction in the state government’s handling of the crisis since January 1st and urged all to be united behind the Governor to win the war against terror.