News
Suspected Herdsmen Kill Three, Injure One In Kogi
Unknown gunmen believed to be suspected Fulani herdsmen on Wednesday ambushed and killed three Bagana farmers on Abejukolo-Bagana road in Omala Local Government Area of Kogi state.
Villagers say those who lost their lives in the deadly ambush were in their 20’s and include: Samson Ajene, Adah Audu and Monday Ocho, while the injured: a son of a popular timber dealer, HarunaAjene, is lying critically at the General Hospital, Abejukolo.
According to locals, the victims: Samson Ajene and Monday Ocho were attacked on their farms at OjuwoIgboone, while Adah Audu was mowed down by the marauding herdsmen while conveying cassava tubers in his Keke tricycle from the farm.
The natives lamented that the people are living in perpetual fear of attack, stressing that unless the security agencies adopt proactive measures to stop the attacks, the people risk being exterminated from their ancestral homes.
The Special Adviser to the Sole Administrator of Omala LGA on Security Matters, Mr. Steve Shaibu, said the victims were returning from the farms before they were ambushed and killed.
He said before the attack, the villagers around Obakume villages had allegedly made formal reports of the mass movement of some Agatu militias from Benue state to the forest with sporadic gunshots, stressing that they might have killed scores of cows belonging to Fulani herdsmen living in those areas.
The Special Adviser added that similar incident had occurred at Iyade near Abejukolo, the headquarters of the council, in which the suspected Agatu militias unleashed terror on the herders which reprisals by the Fulanis led to many deaths of the natives and burning of houses.
Shaibu explained that his office has written severally on the nefarious activities of criminal elements from Nasarawa and Benue states, who used the River Niger to launch attack on Fulani herders whose reprisals have always left the locals with tales of woes.
Speaking to newsmen, Hon. AliyuAkuh, the member representing Omala Local Government Area in the state House of Assembly, condemned the killing and maiming of the locals by unknown gunmen, calling on the state government and security agencies to deploy their intelligence to arrest the ugly situation.
He bemoaned the unwarranted crisis between the Agatu in Benue State and the Fulani which erupted in 2013, and had claimed more than 200 lives while property worth millions of naira have been destroyed.
He called on the government to set up committee of enquiry to permanently resolve the impasse to prevent further preventable clashes between the Fulanis and Agatus with its spill over devastating effect on the people of Omala LGA.
Meanwhile, the Police Public Relations Officer in the State, Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP William Aya confirmed the incident.
He said both the mobile police and conventional police have been drafted to the area to forestall the breakdown of law and order.
He added that he was yet to get the actual number of deaths, but stressed that the situation has been brought under control.
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has tasked troops of Operation SAVANNAH SHIELD to dominate the battlespace and intensify offensive operations against kidnappers, bandits and other criminal elements in the North Central region.
Shaibu gave the directive yesterday during his maiden operational visit to the Headquarters, Joint Task Force North Central (JTF-NC), at Sobi Barracks, Ilorin.
This is contained in a statement by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Appolonia Anele, in Abuja, yesterday.
Shaibu said the Nigerian Army would remain resolute in its constitutional responsibility of safeguarding lives and property, stressing that troops must sustain pressure to decisively deny criminal elements freedom of action.
He assured personnel of continued deployment of combat enablers and operational resources to enhance clearance operations and dismantle criminal hideouts across Kwara and Niger states.
The COAS reaffirmed his commitment to troop welfare, noting that improved welfare remained critical to sustaining morale, operational effectiveness and combat readiness.
He urged the troops to remain disciplined, professional and loyal to the Constitution and the democratically elected government.
Earlier, the Theatre Commander, JTF-NC Operation SAVANNAH SHIELD, Maj.-Gen. Yakubu Yahaya, commended the COAS for his strategic leadership and support.
Yahaya assured that troops would remain committed and steadfast in restoring peace and stability in the region.
The Nigerian Navy says it is expanding training and infrastructure to address emerging security threats and strengthen operational efficiency across formations and units nationwide.
The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Idi Abbas, spoke during the inauguration of projects at the Nigerian Navy Basic Training School (NNBTS) in Onne, Rivers as part of activities marking the Nigerian Navy’s 70th anniversary.
Abbas, represented by the Flag Officer Commanding, Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC), Rear Adm. Ebiobowei Zipele, said the projects reflected significant progress made by the navy since its establishment in 1956 from the British Royal Navy.
“Training and infrastructure have improved significantly to meet contemporary security challenges and fulfil the navy’s constitutional responsibilities.”
According to him, the anniversary provides the navy an opportunity to reflect on its achievements and contributions over the past seven decades.
Projects inaugurated included a remodelled female trainees’ hostel accommodating more than 500 occupants and an expanded golf course upgraded from one to nine holes.
Others were the NNBTS fuel dump, Chief Boatswain’s Mate House, renovated pharmacy department and a new theatre block at the Naval Medical Centre, Onne.
Abbas described the new theatre as a major milestone for the navy’s medical services.
“Previously, injured personnel requiring surgeries were referred outside the facility.
“With this theatre, surgeries can now be conducted within the base.’’
He added that a 30KVA inverter had also been installed to guarantee uninterrupted electricity supply at the training school.
The naval chief assured officers, ratings and trainees that the navy leadership remained committed to their welfare and wellbeing.
“These infrastructure upgrades show the commitment of the Chief of Naval Staff to addressing operational and welfare challenges promptly,” he said.
In addition, NAVTRAC distributed educational materials to pupils of Community Primary Schools One and Two, Ogale, in Ebubu-Eleme area of Rivers.
Items distributed included exercise books, school bags and other writing materials as part of the navy’s civil-military engagement initiative.
Zipele said the outreach was designed to strengthen relations between the navy and host communities while supporting children’s education.
“Education remains critical to national growth and youth empowerment. Some of these pupils may eventually serve in the Nigerian Navy,” he said.
He noted that the initiative demonstrated the navy’s commitment to educational development, peace, security and sustainable community relations.
Zipele urged the pupils to remain disciplined, focused and committed to their studies while embracing patriotism, integrity and hard work.
He thanked the Ebubu community for its continued support for the naval training command headquarters and the navy.
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