News
Gunmen Kill 22 In Fresh Attack In Kaduna …As Cultists Gun Down Pregnant Woman, Three Others In Bayelsa
No fewer than 22 people have been reported killed in fresh attacks on communities in four villages of ZangonKataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State by yet to be identified gunmen.
The Tide gathered that, the gunmen launched what sources described as coordinated attacks on Apyia’Shyim, A’Piako, Atak’Mawei, and Kibori villages, all in Atyap Chiefdom of ZangonKataf.
Zango-Kataf is one of the recently troubled local government areas in the southern part of Kaduna State.
The situation had forced the state government to impose a 24-hour curfew since June 11.
A source told our correspondent that, the attackers operated unchallenged, having taken advantage of the all-night rain.
According to the source, “It rained all through the night in the area and the attackers had unchallenged operations from around 10 pm Wednesday which entered early hours of Thursday.
“By the time they were done, 22 corpses have so far recovered at about 12pm today (Thursday) while the search is still on. They also burnt several houses,” the source said.
A resident of Atak’mawei village in Zamandabo ward, IrimiyaGandu, said no fewer than 13 persons have been killed and many houses were burnt down in his community.
According to him, “around 1:00am, I was already asleep when I heard the sound of gunshots. I stepped out from our compound we could hear the sound of gunshots from Apia’akum Community and far Kibori village were already under attack. I rushed into my house and brought out my families and ran to a safer place.
“So far, 13 persons are killed mostly Children and women. We are still looking for more. Many houses were burnt also,” he said.
Also, a survivor from Apia’ahko village, Samson Alat said, an aged man, a little child and youth were killed when armed men invaded the village. “They burnt the house of late Col. Bobai and five important houses and stole from the village,” he said.
According to him, “soldiers came on motor bikes and an armoured tank, but they could not stop these wicked people. We were hiding inside maize farm and we saw them. This was around 1am last night. We are still looking for more missing people.”
A resident in Apiashyim, Jonathan Ishaya said six persons were killed during the attack in his community and the village almost entirely razed.
He said the armed men invaded the Community heavily armed at around 11:00pm of Wednesday, shooting sporadically.
Secretary, Atyap Traditional Council, Mr Stephen Akut, also confirmed the development to journalists that, “the attackers were said to be in large numbers and that the casualty figures are still sketchy. Security operatives have been mobilize to the affected communities.”
Chairman of ZangoKataf Local Government Area, Dr Elias Manza on his part, confirmed that three corpses were recovered in KurminMasara, six in ApyiaShyam (Asha a Wuce) and 10 in Takmawai where the destruction of property was massive.
Meanwhile, several calls put across to the Police Public Relations Officer for Kaduna State Police Command, ASP Muhammad Jalige, were not responded to as at the time of filing this report.
In a related development, a deadly attack by suspected cultists has left four people including a pregnant woman dead in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital.
The deceased which also included the husband of the pregnant woman occurred Wednesday night along Bakery Road of Azikoro area in the state capital.
Investigations revealed that the attack by the suspected cultists was a reprisal attack following a partnership between Police security outfit, Operation Puff Adder and residents of the state which has made the suspected cultists uncomfortable.
The synergy between residents and the Police had led to the recent invasion and destruction of the cultists’ hideout which has been used for criminal activities.
Sources in the area said the suspected cultists might also be irked over the recent mob lynching of cult members in the area
The suspected cultists were said to have stormed a church Lion of Judah Fire Deliverance Ministry where a security guard was shot dead before moving to kill the three other people in front of their homes.
Sources said the suspected cultists were patrolling the area and dared residents to come out to fight them.
A team of Operation Puff Adder operatives deployed to the area to arrest the situation succeeded in chasing the cultists away.
The Commissioner of Police, Mike Okoli who visited the scene ordered the immediate manhunt for the suspects.
He assured members of the Community of adequate police protection and ordered for full Investigation to unravel the motive for this dastardly attack.
The Bayelsa State Police Command in a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), AsinimButswat, announced that the police are already on the trail of the suspects.
“On 5th August, 2020, at about 2300hours, armed suspected cultists stormed the ‘Lion of Judah Church’ Azikoro village, Yenagoa Local Government Area, Bayelsa State
“They shot dead four church members namely; Alfred Marcus aged 30 years, Imomotimi aged 25 years, Gabriel Ejimofor aged 45 years and UchechukwuEjimofor aged 38 years and set ablaze a nearby building, damaged a vehicle and the church properties.
“Operatives of operation Puff Adder had earlier traced the hideouts of the cultists in the bush, dislodged them and burnt their camp.
“It is believed that this is a reprisal attack by the suspected cultists. Meanwhile two suspects have been arrested and are cooperating with the Police in their investigation”.
The Nigeria Immigration Service has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this yesterday while inspecting Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja.
He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.
“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.
He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.
He said the centralised production system aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for better service delivery.
The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) has disbursed N2.225 trillion as federation revenue for the month of August 2025, the highest ever allocation to the three tiers of government and other statutory recipients.
This marks the second consecutive month that FAAC disbursements have crossed the N2 trillion mark.
The revenue, shared at the August 2025 FAAC meeting in Abuja, was buoyed by increases in oil and gas royalty, value-added tax (VAT), and common external tariff (CET) levies, according to a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting.
Out of the N2.225 trillion total distributable revenue, FAAC said N1,478.593 trillion came from statutory revenue, N672.903 billion from VAT, N32.338 billion from the Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL), and N41.284 billion from Exchange Difference.
The communiqué revealed that gross federation revenue for the month stood at N3.635 trillion. From this amount, N124.839 billion was deducted as cost of collection, while N1,285.845 trillion was set aside for transfers, interventions, refunds, and savings.
From the statutory revenue of N1.478 trillion, the Federal Government received N684.462 billion, State Governments received N347.168 billion, and Local Government Councils received N267.652 billion. A further N179.311 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) went to oil-producing states as derivation revenue.
From the distributable VAT revenue of N672.903 billion, the Federal Government received N100.935 billion, the states received N336.452 billion, while the local governments got N235.516 billion.
Of the N32.338 billion shared from EMTL, the Federal Government received N4.851 billion, the States received N16.169 billion, and the Local Governments received N11.318 billion.
From the N41.284 billion exchange difference, the Federal Government received N19.799 billion, the states received N10.042 billion, and the local governments received N7.742 billion, while N3.701 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) was shared to the oil-producing states as derivation.
The Governing Council of Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic, Bori, has decried the inadequate power supply and poor state of infrastructural facilities and equipment at the institution.
The Council also appealed to the government, including Non-Governmental Organisations, agencies, as well as well-meaning Rivers people to intervene to restore and sustain the laudable gesture, dreams and aspirations of the founding fathers of the polytechnic.
The Chairman of the newly inaugurated Council, Professor Friday B. Sigalo, made this appeal during a tour of facilities at the Polytechnic, recently.
Accompanied by members of the team, Prof Sigalo emphasised the position of technology, technical and vocational education in sustainable development.
He noted that with the prospects on ground, and the programmes and activities undertaken in the polytechnic, there is no doubt that the institution would add values to the educational system in our society and foster the desired development, if the existing challenges are jointly tackled.
This was contained in a statement signed by Deputy Registrar, Public Relations, Kenpoly, Innocent Ogbonda-Nwanwu, and made available to The Tide in Port Harcourt.
The chairman who restated the intention of his team of technocrats to ensure that KenPoly enjoys desirable face-lift, said the Council would deliver on its core mandates, accordingly.
Earlier, the Rector, KenPoly Engr. Dr. Ledum S. Gwarah, commended the appointment of Professor Friday B. Sigalo as Chairman of the KenPoly Governing Council.
He described him and his team as seasoned technocrats and expressed confidence in their ability to succeed.
The Rector pledged the management’s support to the Council to ensure that KenPoly resumes its rightful place in the comity of polytechnics in the country.
Facilities visited by the Governing Council include KenPoly workshops, laboratories, skills acquisition centre, library, hostels and medical centre.
Chinedu Wosu
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