NEWS
Benue Community Cries Out over Alleged Persistent Raping of Women by Suspected Herdsmen
From Attah Ede, Makurdi
Ukwonyo community in Ufia axis of Ado Local Government Area of Benue State on Monday raised the alarm over alleged persistent and constant harassment of their women by suspected herdsmen, leaving everyone worried and afraid to go about their daily farming activities in the community.
The case of a 42-year-old woman, Catherine Ajogi and four others who narrowly escaped from the hands of Fulani herders at Ogbuga farm settlement where they went to fetch firewood and harvest some snails around the Okonoji River, has prompted the community to cry out loud to the Benue state and the Federal Government for urgent action. They have demanded that decisive and proactive actions should be taken against the kidnapping and incessant harassment of Ufia women as well bring the perpetrators to book.Ukwonyo people are known for agricultural activities and have one of the largest cassava and garri markets as well as known for harvest of snails in large quantities in Benue South Senatorial District.However, these agricultural activities in the community may have been thwarted by fear and cautiousness which the people say is as a result of the herdsmen constant harassment.According to some of the community members, they have lived with the Fulani herdsmen who depend on them as host communities for the provision of basic needs such as grains, shelter and indeed, husks from the harvest which has provided food for their animals for a very long time.The community however alleged that the herdsmen suddenly turned away from the long-standing, mutually-beneficial relationship, by raping and harassing the community members, a situation that has brought untold pains and agony to the women.Speaking to journalists in Makurdi, the National Publicity Secretary of the apex sociocultural body of the Ufia people, the Ufia Development Association (UDA), Comrade Jude Onwe, lamented that going to farm or going to fetch water and firewood is now a problem in the area.He maintained that their women are not allowed to visit their farms without be accompanied by the men folk because once “Fulani herdsmen meet you, they rape you. We are all afraid and that is why farming in our area has reduced”.He explained that just two days ago, a woman identified as Mrs. Catherine Ajogi was ambushed by the herdsmen and captured to be raped and in the process of struggling with them, she was badly machete on her head.”Mrs. Catherine Ajogi, in company of two young men and two women had gone to the bushes to fetch firewood around Ogbuga farm settlement and to harvest some snails from the Okonoji River; unfortunately they were ambushed by suspected Fulani herders.”In attempt to escape for fear of being rape or Kill, Ajogi stumbled and fell down while the others left her. It was at that process that, one of the Fulani herdsmen men attempted to rape her.”However, she struggled with the herders and was able to escape from. Realising that those who escaped would have raised an alarm and the men may have gone to mobilize and come for Ajogi rescue, the suspected Fulani herders decided to inflict severe injury on her head and abandoned her.”She was brutally matchet and suffered the sharp matchet slit her head, which caused her to suffer loss of blood as a result”, he said.Onwe said the attention of the chairman of Ado Local Government Council, Sunday Oche was immediately drawn to the situation, where he directed that the victim be taken to the Community Health Center at Ukwonyo ward in Utonkon district.He said Chairman later came to the hospital at the instance of the Councilor representing Ukwonyo ward where he also drew the attention of the Ado Local Government Divisional Police Officer(DPO), Cosmos Tsa, to the incident.The council chairman, while in the hospital condemned the incident describing it as barbaric and uncalled for.He however thanked Ufia Community for not taking law into their hands and assured that he would report the matter to the appropriate authority to ensure that those involved are brought to bookOche, who thanked God that the victim was responding fast to treatment, announced that the council would be responsible for the full treatment and would offset all the medical bills.Efforts to reach the Benue State command police public relations officer SP Catherine Anene for comment failed as her phone number could not go through due to network challenge as at the time of filing this report.NEWS
Wike Congratulates Okpebholo’s Appeal Court Victory, Urges More Commitment To Serving Edo People
By Laide Akinboade, Abuja
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has congratulated the Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, on the Appeal Court judgment, affirming his election in the September 2024 governorship poll.This was contained in a statement, by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, Wike urged the governor to “remain focused and committed to good governance and provision of democracy dividends to the people.
”The Minister described the Appeal Court judgment as a further confirmation of the mandate freely and genuinely given to Okpebholo by the people of Edo State.He reiterated his belief in Governor Okpebholo’s ability to continue to provide good governance, saying; “I have watched him since he assumed office and I can say that he has been doing well for Edo State and its people.”For me, I believe in him, and I am confident that his government will have sustainable impact on Edo State.”While urging the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate,Asuerime Ighodalo to accept the Appeal Court judgment, the FCT Minister said he (Ighodalo) should in the collective interest of Edo State, accept the judgment and allow the sleeping dogs of the election to lie.”
By Andrew oota, Abuja
Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Babangida Nguroje has written the Minister of Works and Housing ,Engineer Dave Umahi on the stalled Bali-Serti-Gembu road reconstruction and expressed concerns that the current situation has caused an untold hardship on the people and affecting economic activities in the area.
In a letter dated May 27, 2025 and addressed to the minister entitled ,”letter of Appeal “, the former Deputy Speaker stated that “the contract was awarded to SCC Nigeria Limited on 11th July, 2018 with an agreement signed on 18 May ,2022 which was valued at Ninety-Five Billion, two hundred and thirty -two million, four hundred and seventy-five thousands ,Ten Naira, sixty -two kobo has being stalled”. He expressed concerns ,on behalf of the community that the completion period of the twenty-four months for the 235 kilo meter road with 90.2 kilo meter from Bali to Serti designated for rehabilitation and 144.9 kilo meter from Serti to Gembu with an expected completion date of 28 Nah, 2024 has become impossible and since elapsed on the grounds of the inability of the construction company to proceed . He maintained that the work progress on the reconstruction stands at 19.5 per cent concerning 18.8 kilo meters of binder course and 11.5 kilometers of wearing course . In the letter he stressed that ,” you will recall your Excellency ,that the Bali-Serti-Gembu road ,when completed has the potential of rebooting the unlocking the economic prosperity of the area and unlock it’s hidden potentials in no small measure therefore , the excitement that had earlier greeted this road construction was beyound words. “However ,the inability of the construction company to proceed with the completion of this project, especially the Maisanari-Nguroje-Gembu road has become a nightmare for the people especially now that the rains are already here. “Upon our inquiries into why the contact was stalled, the company in charge of the road construction confirmed to the community that although it has being receiving steady payments from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), it has being faced with challenges of contract variations”. He called on the minister to intervene in a manner that will return the contractors to site , giving the importance and strategic nature of the road that links other neighboring countries .
By Ubong Ukpong, Abuja
House of Representatives Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, on Thursday, said that trade relations between Nigeria and the United Kingdom amounted to about £7.2 billion in 2024, with a trade surplus of £3.4 billion in favour of the UK.The Deputy Speaker also said that the National Assembly was seeking to create about 74 federal legislative seats and 108 state assembly seats for women in the ongoing constitutional review process.
Speaking when the Parliamentary Undersecretary of State (Africa) for Foreign and Commonwealth Development Affairs, Lord Collins of Highbury, visited him, Kalu said that with a population of about 230 million, Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy, adding that in 2024, the nation’s economy demonstrated a growth rate of 3. 4%, marking our highest in a decade.He said total trade in goods and services between the UK and Nigeria amounted to £7.2 billion in the four quarters in 2024 with total UK exports to Nigeria amounting to £5.3 billion (an increase of 3.2% compared to the previous year), while total UK imports from Nigeria stood at £1.9 billion.He said further that this indicates a trade surplus of £3.4 billion for the UK, with Nigeria being the UK’s 38th largest trading partner during this period, accounting for 0.4% of total UK trade.On legislative representation, Kalu said, “we observe with keen interest the progress made in the United Kingdom Parliament, where women now constitute approximately 40% of the House of Commons (263 female MPs) and 30% of the House of Lords, resulting in an overall representation of 35% and ranking the UK 27th globally according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). “In Nigeria, female representation in the National Assembly currently stands at less than 5% (4.05%, with 19 women out of 469 seats: 4 in the Senate and 15 in the House of Representatives). This positions Nigeria at 178th out of 182 countries in the IPU’s global standings.”As Chairman of the House Committee on Constitution Amendment, and as the sponsor of the Special Seats Bill, which aims to create an additional 74 federal legislative seats and 108 state assembly seats for women, I am committed to ensuring our legislative framework is more inclusive.“In our ongoing constitutional reform efforts, particularly concerning inclusion and representation, the insights and experiences of the UK Parliament are highly valued.We propose the establishment of robust legislative exchange programmes to benchmark policies, facilitate collaboration on committee work, promote youth inclusion, and strengthen public accountability mechanisms.The Deputy Speaker said the bilateral partnership between Nigeria and the United Kingdom is multifaceted, as demonstrated by the Nigeria-UK Strategic Partnership agreed on November 4, 2024, and further reinforced by eight partnership agreements signed in September 2024 valued at approximately N589 billion (£272.6 million).These agreements, he said, span critical sectors including governance, climate change, education, health, and the economy, with Key areas including the Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership (ETIP), signed in February 2024, which is strengthening ties in legal services, financial technology, and renewable energy.He said the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership (SDP) has achieved significant milestones, including the establishment of the Multi-Agency Anti-Kidnap Fusion Cell and securing over 500 terrorism-related convictions and the UK-Nigeria Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cyber Security Cooperation, signed in February 2024, which provides a cooperation framework through 2027.In addition, he said Nigeria recorded a balance of payments surplus of $6.83 billion in 2024, while the Digital Special Economic Zones aim to position Nigeria as a leading technology hub in Africa.On Education, he said the expanded exchange programmes, increased scholarships, and the lifting of restrictions on £55 million of transnational education investment are facilitating collaborations between UK and Nigerian universities, while Initiatives such as Propcom+ are assisting over 4 million Nigerians in adopting sustainable agricultural practices and transitioning to renewable energy.Kalu also said the nation’s development cooperation, supported by over £1 billion from the UK across various programmes, focuses on governance, job creation, support for women and girls, humanitarian aid, climate resilience, and health. These sectors represent significant opportunities for deepening our collaborative efforts. The Deputy Speaker said the United Kingdom’s May 2025 Immigration White Paper, “Restoring Control over the Immigration System,” introduces several reforms, including raising the Skilled Worker visa threshold to RQF Level 6, increasing salary thresholds, replacing the broader Immigration Salary List with a more restrictive Temporary Shortage List, extending the qualifying period for settlement to ten years for most routes, tightening English language requirements (B2 for main applicants and introducing requirements for adult dependants), shortening the Graduate Route visa to 18 months, and closing the overseas Social Care Worker visa route to new applicants.He said these measures have the potential to create new challenges for Nigerian nationals who have historically contributed to the UK’s economy and society.He stressed that the relationship between our nations is built on a foundation of shared objectives and a forward-looking vision, saying “we anticipate that our parliamentary cooperation will continue to strengthen, contributing to the prosperity and well-being of both our countries”.Earlier, Lord Ray Collins, UK’s Minister for Africa at Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) said that the United Kingdom (UK) was committed to fostering stronger international ties with Nigeria, to ensure democratic and economic development.Collins affirmed UK’s interest in Nigeria’s democratic and economic development saying, “I am here to cement strong partnership on economic growth, creating a win-win relationship and increasing the welfare of our people together”.The minister, who reiterated UK’s passion for Nigeria’s development, reassured of the country’s interest in supporting democracy in Nigeria.
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