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Tag: Killings

  • DSS arraigns 9 suspects over Yelwata, Plateau killings

    DSS arraigns 9 suspects over Yelwata, Plateau killings

    The Department of State Services (DSS), on Wednesday, arraigned nine suspects accused of complicity in the recent deadly attack in Yelwata, Guma Local Government Area of Benue, as well as in parts of Plateau.

    The nine, named as defendants in six separate charges, took turn to enter their pleas before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

    Other allegations raised against them, included unlawful possession and dealing in firearms, assisting in terrorism activities, among others.

    The DSS counsel, Calistus Eze, informed the court that the separate charges were dated and filed on Aug. 28.

    In the three-count charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/449/2025 and filed against Haruna Adamu and Muhammad Abdullahi of Awe LGA of Nasarawa and others still at large, they were alleged to have, on June 13, carried out attacks against the people of Abinsi and Yelwata villages.

    NAN reports that the attack left many persons dead, many others injured and hundreds displaced in both state.

    The offence, the DSS said, was contrary to and punishable under Section 12 of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2022.

    The two accused persons were said to have conspired with Musa Beniyon, Bako Malowa, Ibrahim Tunga, Asara Ahnadu, Legu Musa, Adamu Yale, Boddi Ayuba, Pyeure Damina and others still at large to carry out the attacks on Yelwata.

    After the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges, Justice Nwite ordered that they should be remanded in DSS’ custody and be granted access to their lawyers.

    As it relates to the charges involving Ashuwa, Alede and Halima Umar, Justice Nwite adjourned the matter until Oct. 2 for trial.

    The judge adjourned the charge involving Manjo and Tali until Oct. 17 for review and trial.

    He also fixed the trial of Antu and Oloche for Oct. 17 for trial.

    Meanwhile, the DSS, on Wednesday, filed a fresh five-count charge against suspected gunrunner, allegedly arrested with seven M16 assault rifles – Huzaifa Ahamad Haruna (aka Huzaifa Dogo)

  • Police detain 23 over Lekki cult killings

    Police detain 23 over Lekki cult killings

    The Police command in Lagos State has arrested 23 suspected cultists over the alleged killing of three persons in the Lekki-Ajah area of the state.

    Command spokesperson, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the development in a statement issued on Tuesday in Lagos.

    He said the command had began discreet investigation into the incident, which occurred on Sunday in Lekki Phase 1, during an inter-cult clash that claimed three lives.

    “The clash happened at a security duty post on an uninhabited open land along Wole Olateju Street, involving members of rival cult groups.

    “The Commissioner of Police, Mr Olohundare Jimoh, personally mobilised to the scene with joint police teams to swiftly address the situation,” Hundeyin stated.

    He said the newly created Anti-Cultism Team and other tactical units under the Elemoro Area Command were promptly deployed to Lekki Phase 1.

    “Prompt and extensive raids on criminal hideouts and blackspots across Lekki were conducted, leading to the arrest of 23 suspects connected with the clash,” Hundeyin added.

    According to him, exhibits recovered from the suspects included an AK-47 rifle, a magazine, 14 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition, and a military camouflage cap.

    “Other items recovered were two cutlasses, wraps of Indian hemp, a charm, and three hemp crushers,” the spokesperson added.

    Hundeyin said the command had reinforced security in Lekki and surrounding areas with new crime prevention strategies to safeguard lives, property, and investments.

    “As part of the measures, some Divisional Police Officers have been redeployed to strengthen crime control and ensure faster responses to distress calls,” he said.

    He added that the Eko Strike Force, a specialised intervention unit, had been deployed to Lekki and its environs to tackle all forms of criminality.

    Hundeyin urged residents to cooperate with the intervention team to ensure the operations succeed in maintaining safety and security.

    According to him, the security situation in the Lekki-Ajah axis is under control, and normalcy has been fully restored following the clash.

    “The public is advised to go about lawful activities without fear. Crime in Lekki is not alarming, and investigations are ongoing,” he said.

    Hundeyin added that all suspects caught with dangerous weapons and linked to the killings would be prosecuted in line with the law.

    He further urged residents to promptly report suspicious activities to the nearest police station or contact the command’s emergency lines.

  • Group wants MACBAN scribe to explain comments on Plateau killings

    Group wants MACBAN scribe to explain comments on Plateau killings

    The Plateau Patriotic Front, PPF has called on the authorities to probe the explanation given by the national secretary of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Bello Gotomo on the recent killings on the plateau.

    The group’s National Secretary, Bello Gotomo, while addressing journalists after the Association’s National Executive Council meeting in Abuja, as widely reported by the media, declared that the attacks would continue due to what he described as persistent injustice against herders in the state.

    Reacting swiftly, the Plateau Patriotic Front (PPF), a socio-political group, condemned the remark, describing it as “an open admission of complicity in the violence that has claimed thousands of lives across Plateau’s rural communities.”

    In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Mani Imman, the PPF called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of Gotomo, stating that by his declaration, he has effectively confessed that MACBAN members were responsible for the killings.

    “Mr. Gotomo’s comments are not only reckless and inflammatory but amount to an open confession. He has taken responsibility on behalf of his members for the bloodshed in Plateau State. We therefore call on the security agencies to immediately arrest and investigate him. No individual or group should be allowed to make such dangerous utterances without consequences,” the PPF said.

    Gotomo had stated, “Whenever our people are killed or their cows rustled, and nothing is done by the authorities, they are compelled to seek justice in their own way by attacking the communities where the wrongs were committed.”

    The PPF thus charged that Gotomo should be invited to help direct authorities to the communal crisis he claimed has caused the killings in the state by suspected herders.

    The group called the claims by the MACBAN scribe as “insensitive and provocative, and such utterances could embolden perpetrators and escalate tensions further.”

    The group further called for “an urgent, coordinated action by security forces, government authorities, and community leaders to stem the tide of violence and hold accountable those who incite or participate in bloodshed.”

  • Speaker Abbas sad over killing of 12 travelers in Plateau, asks security agencies to fish out perpetrators

    Speaker Abbas sad over killing of 12 travelers in Plateau, asks security agencies to fish out perpetrators

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, has condemned, in the strongest terms, the killing of 12 travelers from Basawa community of Zaria in Mangu Local Government of Plateau State.

    Describing the act as barbaric, tragic, and cruel, Speaker Abbas bemoaned a situation where Nigerians who go about their peaceful activities are killed unprovoked.

    The 12 travelers were part of about 31 persons reportedly traveling to Qua’an Pan LGA for a wedding of their colleague in a bus belonging to the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, when they were attacked by the assailants in a community in Mangu around 8:pm.

    While 12 of the travelers were said to have been killed and their corpses set ablaze in the vehicle, several others were reported injured and are said to be receiving medical attention at a hospital. According to reports, the incident happened on Friday night.

    Speaker Abbas, while calling for calm, urged the security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of the dastardly act.

    “The killings of Nigerians in whatever guise must stop forthwith. We cannot afford to be losing the lives of our compatriots in such cruel and barbaric manner. This is condemnable and unacceptable.

    “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those killed in this unfortunate incident,” the Speaker said.

    He sent heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and prayed to Allah (SWT) to give them the fortitude to bear the loss.

    Speaker Abbas also prayed for the speedy recovery for those injured in the attack.

  • Conference of speakers decry incessant killings, demand urgent action

    Conference of speakers decry incessant killings, demand urgent action

    Speakers of State Houses of Assembly across Nigeria, under the aegis of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures, have strongly condemned attacks and killings in various parts of the country.

    In a statement issued on Monday by the Chairman of the Conference, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, the Speaker, expressed deep concern over the tragic loss of lives, mass displacement, and emotional trauma inflicted on citizens by the escalating violence.

    Ogundoyin noted that the Conference is alarmed by the frequency and brutality of the incidents, as well as the apparent inability to curtail the bloodshed. He stressed that the era of rhetorical condemnations is over, and what the country urgently needs is decisive, coordinated action from all tiers of government.

    While acknowledging that matters of defence and national security fall within the purview of the Federal Government, Ogundoyin emphasised that all levels of government must take responsibility for protecting the lives and welfare of Nigerians.

    He urged state governors to rise to the challenge, reminding them that governance extends beyond infrastructure and ceremonial appearances. He called for the enactment and enforcement of laws that promote community policing and other grassroots-oriented security strategies.

  • Plateau Hospital: No more mere consulting clinic

    Plateau Hospital: No more mere consulting clinic

    It is a common saying that health is wealth; only a healthy person can work, create wealth, and contribute to the economy at all levels.

    A healthy population is key to economic development, any government that wants to build a virile economy has to pay attention to the health of its citizens, and this is what the Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang has been doing since he came on board a year ago.

    During his campaigns, the Governor had anticipated a healthy citizenry hence he listed the health sector as one of the key areas his administration would give attention to.

    He stated the agenda would involve the rehabilitation, re-equipment, and staffing of government health institutions; provide a referral hospital in the State, and ensure proper regulation of private health facilities for the good of citizens.

    On coming on board, the Governor among other interventions in the sector, appointed a seasoned Paediatrician, and a former Plateau State Nigerian Medical Association, NMA Chairman, Professor Christopher Yilgwan as the Chief Medical Director, CMD of the Plateau State Specialist Hospital Jos to reposition the hospital for improved healthcare delivery.

    The Governor met some unfinished projects in the hospital that were commissioned by the previous administration, he had directed that they be completed for optimum value addition.

    The Governor speaks:
    He said, “Before we came on board, there were only two specialists in the Plateau Specialist Hospital. They were doing O&G and Family Medicine but we have approved four additional specialists – Paediatrics, Surgery, Internal Medicine, and another.
    “We are in the process of recruiting 22 Consultants to improve the services in the hospital. We are looking at the entire spectrum of the healthcare sector starting from Primary Healthcare where we have funded the Primary Healthcare Development Board to carry out its basic functions, hoping for more interventions.

    “For the Secondary Healthcare, we are preparing to give it attention, most of the hospitals Shendam, Langtang, Pankshin, Mangu, and Barkin Ladi had contracts awarded during the Jang administration. For whatever reasons, they were not touched during Lalong’s administration.”

    He added, “We are looking at reviving the contracts so that the hospitals can come back to life. We are making ad hoc interventions, in some of the services at the Plateau Specialist Hospital we had to bring in the private sector to manage because of the lack of personnel.

    “There are many medical specialties we don’t have, there is no single indigene that is a Physiotherapist. I was told of one indigene that is a Dental Surgeon but he is not in the State at the moment and this is embarrassing. We have only eight Veterinary Doctors from the State.
    “We have fallen behind in many respects and we need to double up. We are working to ensure Plateau State University starts a Medical Faculty and we are looking at the possibility of redesigning the Plateau Specialists Hospital…”

    The CMD Too

    The CMD of State Specialists Hospital, Professor Yilgwan who has barely spent a year in office noted that the Governor is laying a solid foundation for healthcare delivery.

    He said the Governor approved an improved health hazard allowance for medical workers, paid outstanding salaries, expanded the Residency training in Internal medicine, Obstetrics, and Gynaecology, Surgery, and Paediatrics, and procured 100 hospital beds, mattresses, and pillows.

    Professor Yilgwan stressed, “The Governor also approved the award of contract for the supply and installation of Main Laboratory equipment of the newly constructed Laboratory complex, payment of outstanding funds for the Radio-diagnostic centre, approved the deployment and installation of Electronic Medical Records, EMR project which is ongoing.
    “These and other achievements demonstrate the importance the Governor attaches to the healthcare sector. These have motivated us more as we pledge our unflinching support for “the Time is Now” administration. This administration has rekindled the hope of the citizens that a better and brighter future lies ahead.”
    A patient, Stella Obiakor who came for a scan at the Specialists’ hospital expressed delight at the improvement and said, “I was taken aback to see the improvement, the environment is very clean and the service has improved. I like what I am seeing and I pray they maintain it.”
    End.

  • KDSG directs security agencies to hunt down perpetrators of Ikara mosque killing

    KDSG directs security agencies to hunt down perpetrators of Ikara mosque killing

    Gov. Uba Sani of Kaduna State has described as wicked and barbaric the reported killing of  worshippers in a Mosque in Ikara Local Government Area by bandits.

    This is contained in a statement by Gov Sani’s Chief Press Secretary, Muhammad Shehu and was made available on Sunday in kaduna

    According to the statement, the governor has  directed security agencies to thoroughly investigate the incident and go after the perpetrators.

    Gov. Sani promised to go to any length within the law to bring the Ikara bandits to book.

    He said  he would not rest until peace and stability were restored to every part of Kaduna State.

    “We understand the concerns and anxieties of the residents of Ikara, in particular and  Kaduna State in general,

    “Your safety and security are our top priorities, and we want to reassure you that we are working tirelessly to maintain peace and stability.

    “We encourage the public to remain calm and vigilant. “

    Bandits had earlier in the month attacked a Mosque while worshippers were praying and killed five persons and two others nearby.

  • Miyetti Allah forms legal Cttee to help combat injustice faced by herdsmen

    Miyetti Allah forms legal Cttee to help combat injustice faced by herdsmen

    The Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, a socio-cultural association representing the Fulani community, has taken a stand against perceived injustice faced by its members across Nigeria.

    In a bid to address these concerns, the organization has established a 55-member legal committee tasked with assessing cases involving its members across the country and seeking appropriate legal remedies.

    In addition to the legal committee, two other committees focusing on enlightenment and nomadic education have been inaugurated to address challenges related to education and social cohesion among the Fulani community.

    During their annual general meeting held in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, the association expressed their commitment to addressing issues faced by Fulani cattle herders.

    They highlighted the situation of Fulani herders being treated as criminals and the unjust incarceration of some in correctional facilities.

    This, they emphasized, was a misconception and an unfair generalization.

    The National President of the association, Alhaji Abdullahi Bodejo, explained that the legal team’s primary responsibility is to provide legal support to herders who have been unjustly treated, humiliated, and incarcerated.

    He emphasized that the association does not promote violence and believes in the unity and peace of Nigeria.

    Bodejo emphasized that their legal assistance would not extend to those who incite trouble or engage in unjustified acts.

    He stressed their commitment to a peaceful and united nation and encouraged herders to coexist harmoniously with fellow Nigerians.

    Hajiya Aisha Bala Muhammed, the First Lady of Bauchi State and Matron of the Association, underscored the fact that crime exists across all ethnic groups in Nigeria.

    She urged the association members to prioritize education, which she believes will contribute to reducing crime in society.

    Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule, represented by the Chairman of Karu LGA, James Thomas, expressed the state government’s continued support for the association and its members, reaffirming their commitment to addressing issues affecting them.

    The establishment of these committees highlights the association’s effort to engage with the concerns faced by its members and seek peaceful solutions through legal means, education, and social cohesion initiatives.

  • Peter Obi at 62: I can’t celebrate with over 327 killed this month

    Peter Obi at 62: I can’t celebrate with over 327 killed this month

    Mr. Peter Obi, Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party at the 2023 elections, says he can’t celebrate his 62nd birthday with over 327 Nigerians killed in Plateau and Benue this month.

    Obi, however, humbly appealed to all those who desired to celebrate him with any kind of gifts, to look around them and extend such gifts to the people in need, especially in these difficult times.

    Obi, who was a former governor of Anambra, made this known in a statement in Lagos on Wednesday.

    Obi said he doesn’t have any reason to celebrate his 62nd birthday due to the present state of the country especially in Benue, Plateau.

    He said: “Today marks my 62nd birthday but there will be no celebration because in this month so far, over 327 innocent Nigerians have been killed in Plateau, Benue, and other states in a reckless manner.

    “There is far too much insecurity, violence, and bloodshed. This month alone over 200 lives have been lost to sustained violent attacks in Mangu LGA in Plateau.

    “Similarly, in Benue, over 100 lives have been lost in recent times, the latest being 27 persons killed in Adogo Ugbaam, Akpuuna, and Diom communities in Ukum LGA.

    “There are also many other cases of kidnappings and killings in different parts of the country. I want to celebrate in a New Nigeria where the lives and property of citizens are secured.

    Obi said while he remained grateful to God for His infinite mercies, he still maintained his decision of over 20 years, that he would not celebrate his birthdays in today’s Nigeria, with the current state of the nation.

    The entrepreneur said some of his friends, members of the Labour Party, and OBIdient family and supporters had asked how they could join him in celebrating that day, and even present some gifts.

    The former governor, however,  humbly appealed to all those who desired to celebrate him with any kind of gifts, to look around them and extend such gifts to the people in need, especially in these difficult times.

    He said: “I urge them to visit hospitals, orphanages, and homes for the aged and people with disabilities, and offer them such generous gifts.

    “They can also visit schools of basic studies in remote areas and support them with the basic amenities they need.

    “Those who wish to do more can  visit various IDP camps in different parts of the country.”

    Obi said he intended to do the same, adding that aside from sharing his time and resources with the less fortunate people around him, he also planned to raise money for schools and hospitals.

    The former governor said the sacrifices for a better Nigeria must now start from them, the leaders and the well-placed, adding that the state of the nation must give them cause to pause and ponder.

    He said he wanted to celebrate in a productive Nigeria that could create opportunities for the youths and he wanted to celebrate in a Nigeria that worked for all and which Nigerians could be proud of.

    According to him, this, and not my birthday, is the true celebration that will be beneficial to all Nigerians.

    He noted that as Nigerians, they must always expand their imagination of the possible, believing as we do that a better Nigeria was possible.

  • Governor-elect, Mutfwang condemns Plateau killings

    Governor-elect, Mutfwang condemns Plateau killings

    Mr Caleb Mutfwang, the Plateau Governor-elect, has condemned the killing of six persons at Farin lamba community in Jos South Local Government Area of the state

    Mutfwang, in a statement on Thursday in Jos, tasked security agencies to fish out perpetrators of the evil deed and bring them to justice.

    The statement was signed by Gyang Bere, the governor-elect’s Special Assistant on Media. He

    ”We condemn this attack in totality and appeal to security agencies to fish out the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

    ”We call on security personnel to do all within their power to halt further attacks on our communities; we cannot afford to allow acts of impunity to continue against peace-loving people,” the statement said.

    Muftwang appealed to Plateau residents to remain peaceful at all times, and report any suspicious movement in their vicinities to security agencies for prompt action.

    The governor-elect commiserated with those who lost loved ones, but advised residents against taking laws into their hands.