From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja

Oke-Agi and Ilai communities in Mopa-Amuro local government area of Kogi State were attacked by some bandits on Sunday

DAILY ASSET reliably gathered that the attacks which occurred at about 4:00 am on Sunday left three people dead, others injured, and some residents abducted.

DAILY ASSET also learnt that armed bandits were said to have struck two locations almost simultaneously, operating for more than an hour before distress calls were eventually received.

In the first incident, Jamroro settlement, located between Oke-agi and Takete Isao and largely inhabited by Tiv people, was attacked. Two persons were confirmed killed, while three others sustained injuries and are currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.

The second attack occurred in Bassa community near Ilai Grammar School, less than one kilometre from Ilai town. One person was reportedly killed during the raid, while three others were kidnapped by the attackers.

The incidents were confirmed by the Chairman of Mopamuro Local Government Area, Hon. Ademola Bello, alongside traditional authorities and community leaders from Oke-agi and Ilai.

Residents and community sources expressed deep concern over the delayed response to the attacks, noting that the assailants operated freely for over an hour before help was alerted.

The renewed violence has heightened fear across the area, with residents calling on security agencies and government authorities to urgently deploy decisive measures to curb the rising wave of coordinated bandit attacks in Mopamuro and surrounding communities.

Local officials were said to be with the injured victims at the hospital.

Efforts for police confirmation failed as the Kogi State Police Command’s Spokesman CSP William Aya could not be reached.

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From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), has confirmed the death of four persons in a motor accident which occurred on Sunday on Lokoja –Ajaokuta road in Kogi State.

The Kogi State Sector Commander of FRSC, Tenimu Etuku, who disclosed this to journalists in Lokoja on Monday, said seven other persons sustained varying degrees of injuries in the accident.

He said the accident which involved an 18-seater Toyota commercial bus occurred at Jimgbe Community on Ajaokuta – Lokoja road, Ajaokuta Local Government.

Etuku said the injured victims of the accident were rescued by FRSC personnel, who also took them to the Kogi State Specialist Hospital for treatment while corpses of the dead four persons were deposited at the St.

Giving further details, Etuku said the 18-seater bus with Abuja registration number ABC 232 XA was heading to Abuja from Enugu before the sad incident.

The Sector Commander explained that the driver in an attempt to avoid a head-on collision with an oncoming truck rammed into a faulty stationary truck.

Etuku described the incident as very unfortunate, urging motorists to always be mindful of the motoring environment, which may be free but not safe.

“This is because there is a big difference between a free motoring environment and a safe motoring environment.

“Therefore, drivers must always be alert while driving on the highways,” he advised.

From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa

The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr. Dennis Otuaro, has said that President Bola Tinubu is happy with the significant achievements recorded by the agency in the Niger Delta in about two years.

He spoke at the flag-off of the fourth batch of the two-day “Leadership, Alternative Dispute Resolution, and Mediation Training for PAP Stakeholders” organised by the agency in collaboration with the Alumni Association of the National Defence College (AANDEC) at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Abuja, on Monday.

The PAP had in July and August 2025 successfully conducted a similar capacity-building workshop for three batches of its stakeholders at the same military facility.

Otuaro, who said the President is delighted with the agency’s expanded scholarship scheme, inclusive stakeholder engagement, and peacebuilding process in the Niger Delta, urged stakeholders to maintain their position as key players in the region’s peace and development.

According to him, Tinubu is supportive of the programme because of his strong desire for the region to enjoy sustainable peace, stability and development.

He reiterated that the workshop is a vital component of the PAP’s peace process with all stakeholders as important partners in the peace initiative.

He stressed that the participants are not only partners for peace, but also the President’s peace ambassadors.

The PAP boss also applauded the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for his strategic support to strengthen the programme’s initiatives and enable it to achieve the intended objectives for the people of the region.

While declaring the workshop open, Otuaro said, “His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu is very happy with what we have achieved so far in one year and nine months. As stakeholders, you should continue to be key players in the peace and development of the Niger Delta, which His Excellency has been very supportive of and desirous of.

“The objective behind this training is to ensure that all of us are partners in every peace effort in the Niger Delta. This initiative is also to give you a sense of belonging.

“When we organised this workshop in July and August this year, we assured stakeholders that more people would also participate in the training. We don’t want to do the PAP’s work alone. It is a process of putting our heads together to ensure that the region is peaceful and united. When we are united, Mr. President will do more for the region.

“We must also realise that peace starts from our communities; you all are leaders in your own rights. I know and acknowledge the support that the Office has received since we came on board. This leadership workshop is part of our peacebuilding process and is designed to ensure that peace is sustained in our region.

“Since we came on board, we have redirected the Programme towards our people and for the next generation. We have achieved a lot. This 2025-2026 academic session, we have sent 4,500 students, our future leaders, on scholarships to universities within Nigeria. We are doing this to invest in the future of our region.”

Otuaro said that his leadership would not be distracted by the smear campaign of some anti-Niger Delta elements who were angry that the programme had been taken to the people of the region, saying “nobody will hold the region to ransom.”

He further urged stakeholders not to be manipulated by political merchants, but to massively support President Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid because of his clear agenda for the region.

Otuaro enjoined the stakeholders to participate actively in the workshop and utilise the lessons they would gain to strengthen peace and development in their communities and the Niger Delta in general.

He also expressed appreciation to the management of the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, resource persons, and the President of AANDEC, Rear Admiral Ndidi Agholor (retd.), for partnering with the PAP to deepen the peace process in the region.