COVER
Anguish as Bandits Embark on Killing Spree in Benue, Plateau
From Attah Ede, Makurdi & Jude Dangwam, Jos
There seems to be no respite for many local communities in Benue and Plateau States as bandit attacks have continued to escalate by the day.
According to multiple local sources, the incessant attacks by gunmen, suspected to be Fulani herders, have left hundreds dead while many others are either displaced or missing.
Amid the growing tension, community leaders and other stakeholders have called on the federal government and the security agencies to secure the lives and property of the terror stricken communities.
In a passionate appeal yesterday, a group of academics and opinion leaders from Tyoshin, in Gwer-West local government area of Benue State bemoaned the fate of residents in their communities in the hands of the armed invaders.
Coming under the aegis of the Forum of Tyoshin Academics (FoTA), the forum said more than 500 persons had been killed by the armed invaders within a period of six months.
A statement jointly signed by the forum’s National President and the National Publicity Secretary, Professors Patrick Ukase and John Anja said five persons were killed in a fresh attack on Saturday.
The forum noted that the attacks, which it said dated back to 2011 claimed about 192 innocent lives by the end of 2017, while 302 were killed between 2018 and 2023.
According to the forum, more than 17 persons had been killed this year, bringing the figures to 511.
The statement said in part, “Today marks another day of mourning, another black day etched in the hearts of our community.
“The relentless wave of violence continues as suspected Fulani armed herders have, once again, unleashed terror on our people—this time along the Naka-Makurdi Road.
“The lives of five innocent souls who were rushed to the clinic for treatment following the attack, tragically slipped away, their cries unheard. Others lie in agony, fighting for their lives, yet the true number of those attacked remains unknown.
“Since 2011, the toll of this violence has been staggering. Between 2011 and 2017, 192 sons and daughters of Tyoshin were gruesomely murdered by herders. From 2018 to 2023, the numbers escalated, with 302 more lives lost in the area.
“This year alone, 17 individuals have been mercilessly hacked down by these herders. These figures do not include those who have disappeared and have not been seen since 2011. In all, we have lost over 511 lives to this relentless onslaught.
“Tyoshin land is bleeding, its cries drowned in the deafening silence of indifference. Our villages, our homes, and our very existence have come under siege for too long. Nine council wards of the Gwer-West local government area have already fallen into the hands of these ruthless attackers.
“Today’s tragedy is but a grim continuation of a war that has ravaged our land, leaving us shattered and broken. Just days ago, the blood of our brothers and sisters was spilled in Camp-Nagi, Mbachohon, where three more were brutally murdered.
“Yet, in the face of this terror, the silence from those sworn to protect us is deafening. The Tyoshin people are abandoned and forsaken by the very government that should shield them.
“The Federal Government and the Benue State Government remain disturbingly quiet, their inaction a haunting reminder of how alone we truly are.”
The community leaders lamented that the attacks were being carried out by the invaders despite the presence of soldiers drafted in the community for the purpose of protecting lives and property.
“Even the military presence, meant to offer protection, stands idle as the bloodbath continues. Our people fall; one by one, as these attackers roam freely, unchallenged and unafraid”, the group said.
The leaders appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, to come to come to the community’s rescue.
In a related development, troops on Sunday rescued eight travellers along the Akaa-Akundo community in Zaki Biam, Ukum local Government Area of Benue State.
The troops were attached to 401 Special Forces Brigade/Sector 1, with the code named “Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS).
The names of the rescued travelers were given as Oliver Enze, 40, who was the driver of the bus; Obi Valentine, 32; Nasuru Abubarka,18; Evangelist John Udhemuburu, 64; Bulus Bukar, 23; Samuel Chukwudi, 18; Joseph Ejeh, 37; and Alex Okafor, 42.
Some of the victims who spoke to journalists in Makurdi, thanked the troops for their prompt intervention.
The driver of the bus said they were attacked at 7:30pm when the vehicle ran into a barricade mounted by the bandits.
“They stopped us along Zaki- Biam-Wukari road at a check point that was mounted by the armed men wearing army uniforms and we mistook them to be soldiers.
“Several other vehicles were also parked by the roadside, and I was asked to park and ordered down with the passengers and forced to lie face down.
“Two of the passengers were taken away from the vehicle by the gunmen into the bush and cash worth millions of naira was collected from them, including travel bags, phones and other valuables.
“In the process of their operations, they spotted the vehicle of the Joint Military Operations Team from a distance and took to their heels. That was when we got to know that they were kidnappers.”
When contacted, Brigadier General A. Rabiu, Commander 401 Special Forces Brigade/Sector 1, confirmed the incident and assured Benue State residents of total fight against criminality in the state.
It would be recalled that last week, the military troops also rescued six persons including a serving youth corps member who were traveling from Taraba to the Southeast.
The situation is not too different in neighbouring Plateau where armed herders have been terrorising agrarian communities in the state.
The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar who visited the state at the weekend, condemned the renewed bloodshed across some local government areas and called for an immediate end to the senseless killings.
He said peace loving people in the affected areas must avoid farm destruction, cattle rustling, poisoning of animals, night grazing, underage grazing and avoid ethnic profiling.
Abubakar stated this yesterday during a stakeholders engagement with community, religious and youth leaders from Barkin-Ladi, Riyom, Bokkos, Mangu and Wase local government areas of Plateau State.
He noted that the essence of the stakeholders engagement was to come up with workable solutions and tasked them to identify criminals in their respective communities and treat them as criminals rather than promoting ethnic profiling.
In his words, “Firstly, I must express my displeasure over the current attacks and reprisals that have resulted in the loss of lives and property.
“This is happening despite the best efforts of our security agencies, particularly the 3rd Division Operation Safe Haven, in ensuring a peaceful settlement to these early attacks that have affected both farmers and cattle breeders.
“I am particularly saddened by the actions of certain elements in some communities who continue to destroy farms and disrupt peace efforts despite ongoing dialogue aimed at resolving the issues diplomatically.
“These security challenges are not isolated to Plateau State, but are widespread across other parts of the country,” Badaru said.
This minister said the stakeholders’ meeting was intended to de-escalate tension and prevent a spillover of the situation in parts of Mangu into other areas of the state.Earlier, the General Officer Commanding 3 Armour Division, Maxwell Khobe Cantonment Rukuba Barracks, Major General Abdusalam Abubakar had given a commitment to ensure peace in the area
By Laide Akinboade, Abuja
As part of efforts to reposition the newspaper for optimum corporate performance, the management of Asset Newspapers Limited, Publishers of DAILY ASSET, has announced the appointment of David Torough as the Editor of the Abuja-based national daily.
A statement by the management said the appointments were part of the company’s new strategy to further penetrate the various states in the country and raise its readership and patronage.
“DAILY ASSET is widely acceptable across the country and to maintain our leadership position, we need to increase management presence, hence the need to create new Bureau offices in some locations outside Abuja and Lagos,” the statement quoted the Publisher/ Editor-in-Chief, Dr Cletus Akwaya to have said.
In a statement yesterday, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the fast-growing daily, Dr. Cletus Akwaya said the appointment was part of the new strategy to properly situate the paper for better productivity.
“DAILY ASSET has a commitment with the Nigerian people. We are determined to weather the storm and give Nigerian readers a Newspaper that satisfies their yearnings and reading pleasure and we can only do that with the right set of professionals,” the statement said.
Akwaya, a former Commissioner of Information from Benue State said the difficult times being faced by Nigerians posed a great challenge to the media as the people deserved credible information with which to make choices.
“We have a bond with the people, to offer credible information at all times in the best tradition of the Nigerian Press and on this scale of objectivity, truth and fairness, we pledge to remain steadfast no matter the challenges,” Akwaya was quoted to have said.
He said the newspaper will maiantin its daily print run and circulation to all states of the federation and urged advertisers to take advantage of the deep penetration of the Daily Asset brand to send their messages.
Torough, the new Editor has had a steady rise in the Newspaper in the last five years.
A graduate of Mass communication of the Benue State University, Makurdi, Torough joined the company in 2022 as Benue State Correspondent. He was spotted for his brilliance and redeployed to Abuja the following year and promoted to Deputy News Editor. He was subswuently named Deputy Editor of the paper, a position he held until the recent appointment.
Torough has attended several journalistic workshops and trainings to properly equip himself for the task ahead.
The statement also said the Management named Eze Okechukwu as Deputy Editor.
Before his elevation as Deputy Editor, Eze has been Deputy Politics Editor and DAILY ASSET Newspaper correspondent covering the Senate, having joined the organization in 2021.
Born on March 10, 1975, Eze holds a Masters Degree in Mass Communication from the Enugu State University of Science and Technology.
Eze began his journalism career with Daily Star, Enugu and later worked with Daily Trust Newspaper, Abuja as sports reporter.
Aside from his journalistic excellence, he has a great deal of passion for sports.
From Ngutor Dekera, Kaduna and Aliyu Askira, Kano
Northern governors and traditional rulers yesterday called for the suspension of mining activities across the region for six months, blaming illegal mining for worsening insecurity in many states.
The resolution was contained in a communiqué issued after a joint meeting of the Northern States Governors’ Forum and the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council held at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, Kaduna. The meeting, chaired by the Gombe State Governor and NSGF Chairman, Muhammadu Yahaya, had in attendance the 19 northern governors and chairmen of the 19 states’ traditional councils.The Forum expressed concern over the escalating violence in parts of the North, including the killings and abductions recently recorded in Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Sokoto, Jigawa and Kano states, as well as renewed Boko Haram attacks in Borno and Yobe.“The Forum extends its deepest condolences and solidarity to the governments and good people of the affected states,” the communiqué said, noting that the attacks on schoolchildren and other citizens had become “unacceptable tragedies” that required urgent collective action.It commended President Bola Tinubu for what it described as the Federal Government’s “firm response” to recent abductions and insurgency threats, especially the rescue of some abducted pupils.The governors also saluted security agencies for their sacrifices on the frontlines.“We resolved to renew our support for every step taken by the President and Commander-in-Chief to take the fight to insurgents’ enclaves in order to end the criminality,” the Forum stated.A major highlight of the meeting was the North’s renewed push for the establishment of state police, with governors and traditional rulers insisting that decentralised policing had become inevitable.“The Forum reaffirms its wholehearted support and commitment to the establishment of state police,” the communiqué added, urging federal and state lawmakers from the region to “expedite action for its actualisation.”On illegal mining, the governors said criminal mining networks were fuelling violence and providing resources for armed groups.As a corrective measure, they asked Tinubu to direct the Minister of Solid Minerals to impose a six-month suspension of mining activities in order to allow for a full audit and revalidation of licences.“The Forum observed that illegal mining has become a major contributory factor to the security crises in Northern Nigeria. “We strongly recommend a suspension of mining exploration for six months to allow proper audit and to arrest the menace of artisanal illegal mining,” it said.To strengthen the fight against insecurity, the governors also announced the creation of a regional Security Trust Fund.Under the proposed arrangement, each state and its local governments will contribute ₦1bn monthly, to be deducted at source under an agreed framework.They said the fund would help provide sustainable financing for joint operations, intelligence-driven interventions and coordinated security responses across the region.At the end of the meeting, the Forum reaffirmed its commitment to unity and collective responsibility.“Only through unity, peer review and cooperation can we overcome the pressing challenges before us,” it declared.The Forum agreed to reconvene on a date to be announced.Meanwhile, Nigeria’s worsening security crisis took a grim turn on Monday as bandits launched fresh attacks in Kano State, abducting 25 villagers, even as the Federal Government raced to secure the release of more than 300 Catholic school children kidnapped in Niger State.In the early hours of Monday, armed bandits invaded Unguwar Tsamiya—popularly called Dabawa—in Shanono Local Government Area of Kano State, whisking away nine men and two women after shooting into the air and assaulting residents. The attackers also rustled two cows.A resident lamented the community’s helplessness: “We cannot do otherwise; most of us cannot leave because we have nowhere to go. This is our place, our land and everything is here.”The assault came less than 24 hours after a similar attack on Yan Kamaye in Tsanyawa LGA, a community along the volatile Katsina border.In Niger State, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu has assured distraught families of St. Mary’s Co-Education School, Kontagora that the more than 300 students and staff abducted on November 21 will return home “soon.” Ribadu, who led a high-level federal delegation to the school on Monday, said the abductees are safe, though he offered no specifics on their location or the status of rescue operations.According to Daniel Atori, spokesman for the Catholic bishop overseeing the school, the NSA reassured officials: “The children are where they are and will come back safely.”The St. Mary’s attack is part of a worrying resurgence of mass kidnappings reminiscent of the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction. Security analysts warn that banditry has evolved into a “structured, profit-seeking industry,” with hundreds of Nigerians abducted in November alone.The Kontagora school abduction occurred the same week 25 girls were kidnapped in Kebbi State—victims who authorities say have since been rescued through “non-kinetic” means. About 50 of the St. Mary’s hostages have also managed to escape.Ribadu’s delegation, which included the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), reaffirmed the government’s commitment to securing the freedom of all abducted citizens.As communities from Kano to Niger continue to bear the brunt of these violent incursions, the escalating spate of kidnappings underscores the urgent national demand for a more decisive and coordinated security response.
By David Torough, Abuja
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said former Attorney‑General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, will face a team of interrogators at its office daily throughout December.
A credible source in the EFCC said on Monday that the daily appearance was part of an ongoing investigation into the whereabouts of an alleged 490 million dollars Abacha loot secured through a Mutual Legal Assistance (MLAT) request. The source said that Malami, who was summoned for interrogation by the EFCC on Saturday, was barred from leaving Nigeria for the next one month.According to the source, one of the conditions for his release on Saturday was that he should report daily to the EFCC Headquarters in Abuja for further interrogation.The source said Malami would have to appear daily at the anti-graft office due to the volume of the investigation and the seriousness of the charges against him.”We seized his passport, it is the normal routine during investigation, but he has to report at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja every day for the next month.”He will be reporting for further investigation throughout December.”He will be reporting every day, starting from Dec. 1st to Dec. 31st.He will appear before the team of investigators for the entire month of December.”He will be reporting to EFCC for investigation for the period because of the volume of the investigation and the seriousness of the charges against him,” the source added.According to the source, a fact sheet on the former minister revealed that Malami had several issues to clarify with the EFCC within the coming weeks.“We have asked him to explain the whereabouts of the $490 million Abacha loot secured through MLAT.“We didn’t say he stole money, but he should account for the loot. This is one of the issues he will clarify to our investigators.”The commission cited the large volume of documents he must review and the need for extensive interviews as reasons for seizing his passport.The source said EFCC would not engage in a war of words but would release its findings after a thorough investigation.Malami, in a statement by his media aide, Mohammed Doka, on Monday in Abuja, however, described the EFCC investigation as a political witch‑hunt.He confirmed he honored an EFCC invitation on Nov. 28, describing the engagement as fruitful and expressing confidence that the probe would vindicate him.Malami described the EFCC’s allegations as baseless, illogical and devoid of substance, insisting they collapse under factual scrutiny.
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