COVER
Fresh Attack on Benue Community Claims 11 More Lives
From Attah Ede, Makurdi and Dan Amasingha, Minna
Fresh attack in Afia, Ukum local government area of Benue state yesterday left no fewer than 11 more persons killed by suspected armed herders.
This is coming few days after a similar attack killed over 72 persons in Ukum, Logo and Katsina-Ala local government areas of the state.
Tor Sankera, rue First Class King in the area, Chief David Sevav disclosed this while addressing the NSA at Government House Makurdi.
The Tor, Sankera, who was represented by the Ter Ukum, Chief Iyorkyaa Kaave said ‘the number is still counting’.
He asked the President to ensure that the killer herdsmen are chased away as they do not want to live murderers.
Meanwhile, the National Security Adviser to President Bola Tinubu, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu yesterday said his principal, inherited an extremely bad nation and government coupled with insecurity.
Ribadu however, maintained that, despite the situation, Tinubu administration is working very hard to fix the damage done by the previous administrations.
He stated this while speaking at Government House Makurdi during his official visit to the State to commiserate with the people and government over the recent killing of over 72 persons by suspected armed herders in Ukum Logo and Katsina-Ala local government areas of the state
The NSA, who frowned at the incessant killings, describing it as a tragedy and evil that has befell the state and the country at large.
“When such evil occurs, good people must come together and fight it.
“We will defeat it. The entire country is with Benue. I commiserate with Benue People and assure you this is a trying period for all of us, we are 100 percent with you.
“We will confront it. Benue is an extremely important state to Nigeria. We must fight and maintain Benue as a peaceful state. The Governor is doing well and we will support him. It is unfortunate but it happens sometime.
“Our armed forces are doing well. It is impossible to post soldiers or police to every hamlet. Give us chance and stop politicizing the killings. This will help us to restore peace. Issue of security is relative.
“We inherited an extremely bad government and things have improved and we will address all these issue cropping up. It is a matter of time, to do the harm is easy but to solve it is difficult. We have reduced considerably the number of violence we met. This one too, we will confront it”.
“We acknowledge the Governor’s efforts to combat insecurity. However, those exploiting this situation for personal gain should cease their actions.
“We’re committed to supporting the Governor in tackling insecurity and we promise to continue our support to defeat this menace. The President has instructed me to convey his determination to bring an end to insecurity”, Ribadu stated.
On his part, Benue State Governor Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia said it is a sobering moment for the state as it has come under intense siege with loss of lives of unimaginable figure since 2011.
He noted that there have been skirmishes of killings from these terrorists, bandits and militia who have destroyed the economy of ‘our land’.
“These people do not have any reason to live with normal people. We are faced with series of loss of lives, farmlands and property. We have 17 IDPs camps in the State. It becomes difficult to get our IDPs back to their ancestral homes.
“Sankera is our headquarter of food. The attacks have been persistent and continous. Instead of a good Friday, we have a black Friday with venomous attack on Katsina-Ala, Ukum and Logo.
“It is quite devastating. It is telling on us. 72 lives lost. It is a terrible moment for us. I have always established contact with the NSA. Our security agencies have worked assiduously to curtail the attacks. We need help like yesterday. The President have been very supportive and hope that support will come.
“We have bought 100 hilux to support conventional security agencies, bought 600 motorcycle. This is a carnage. Attack is more of onion layer, it is vicious. We ask that support should be upped.
“We will collaborate with the FG to stop the killings. It is evident that what we are experiencing is a bare face attack as the attackers speak Fulani and Hausa. It is a troubling trend. It is deliberate attempt, they disbalance the people, kill a good number of them and occupy.
“The attacks are not under reported. We are helpless. We do not have AK47. We are defenseless. We tell the people to be law abiding and the attackers take advantage of this. We are not in a banana Republic,” the governor said.
Bago Imposes Dusk-to-dawn Curfew in Minna
From the unabated breach of public peace within Minna metropolis, Governor Mohammed Umar Bago has imposed curfew on the operation of Okada and Keke from 6am to 6pm.
The curfew which is to take effect yesterday was personally announced by the Governor after an expanded security and state executive council meeting at Government house in Minna.
The Governor who was flanked by the Emir of Minna, Alhaji Umar Farouk Bahago and Deputy Governor, Yakubu Garba was aimed at curtailing the escalating security challenge and thuggery plaguing Minna.
The Governor stated that “Let me warn nobody is above the law, the responsibility of Government is to enhance and restore security.
“I will lead the operation to out into the streets and fish out all the miscreants troubling the peace of our state.”
He identified some flash point within the State capital to include Maitumbi, Sabongari and Barkinsale areas.
Bago while calling on the people to partner his administration to restore peace to the street s of Minna reminded them that security is a collective responsibility, but vowed that government has zero tolerance for what he called “Rascality in Niger State”
“Anyone found with weapon should be dealt with, parents should warn their wards, it is now fire for fire and anyone whose child becomes a casualty will pay for the bullet before being allowed to claim the body.
“Let me sound it clear, we are coming with full force, anyone who harasses security agents will have himself to blame,” Bago stated.
Bago said the take back the street operation will also target drug peddlers and thugs, warning that any premises that is found to be harboring such individuals risk been demolished.
“We are clamping down on drug dealers as well, Minna and Niger State is not for useless people, we are setting up special court to deal with them
“If (parents) you cannot take care of your Children, we will take care of them for you”
On Barkin-Sale community, the Governor threatened to demolish the settlement and relocate them if youths from the axis do not desist from Acts of criminality and thuggery.
“If Barkin-Sale is the problem, mark, demolish and relocate them to the outskirts and if we found you are not from Niger State and you are troubling us we will take you back to your State.”
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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