NEWS
Land Dispute Leaves Traditional Ruler, 2 others Dead In Benue
From Attah Ede, Makurdi
A land dispute between Amla Community in Otukpo and Okete Community in Ohimini Local Government Areas of Benue State, has claimed the life of a traditional ruler identified as Chief Sunday Okpe, while five other persons have been injured.
Late Chief Sunday Okpe, a clan head in Okete Community was reportedly slaughtered along side, with two other people by the Amla militias who also burnt down 17 houses and ten motorcycles on Friday and Saturday, May 2024.
It was gathered that the dispute which has lasted for over three years, came to climax last Friday and Saturday leaving three persons dead from both communities while property worth millions of naira also destroyed.
The dispute had left several persons injured who are currently receiving treatment at different hospitals in Otukpo and many houses reportedly burnt down beyond repairs.
Speaking to newsmen on phone in Makurdi, the Caretaker Chairman of Otukpo, Mr Alfred Omakwu, confirmed the incident and simply said “The problem was that the Okete people lost it.”
He explained that “They, Okete people, used to farm in Amla land and sometimes last year, 2023, when we wanted to do layout to develop the place, the Okete people went to report to the Och’Idoma that their farm products was there and so the Och’Idoma told them no layout would be done until they harvest their products.
“February this year they went and harvested their products and the Och’Idoma told them that in March, the Otukpo people can go ahead with their layout. That none of them should farm there again.
“So when the bulldozers were brought back to the place, they again said that they have already farmed on the land and that it is affecting their farm products.”
He said the Okete people reported to their second class chief who also confirmed from the Och’Idoma that their people have been told not to farm there again.
“So when they were doing the layout on Friday, they went to their lawyer and when he called me, I told him the people were asked not to farm there again but if they want to go to court, it’s their right.
“They said they would stop the bulldozers from working and the lawyer told them he would have to get an injunction from the court and they said they can’t wait.
“Then they went to the First Class Chief of Otukpo/Ohimini, who called the Och’Idoma and he still said they should not stop the people doing the layout that he asked them not to farm there again.
“Then they went there and opened fire on the people. They killed one, shot two people and burnt all their motorbikes, about 10 of them.
“So the Otukpo people retaliated the next day, burnt some houses, killed two persons,” Omakwu said.
But the Caretaker Chairman of Ohimini LGA, Mr Samson Okoh, accused the Otukpo Chairman of taken bulldozers to destroyed farm crops of his people.
Giving account of the incident from his side, Mr. Okoh said the land in dispute is in a place called Amla, close to Okete.
According to him, “the Otukpo Chairman took bulldozers to the place where the Okete people happened to be farming for years to open a layout and then bulldozed all the farm crops belonging to his people.
“When the Okete people approached them and asked why they are doing that, the Amla people said the land does not belong to the Okete people but to them Amla people.
“So when the argument ensued according to what I was told, somehow one of them from Otukpo pulled the trigger but mistakenly the bullet entered the Otukpo person rather.
“Then on Saturday night the Amla people reinforced and barricaded the Okete people burnt houses beat up one boy and in the day time around 10 to 11am when I went to take the boy they killed to the mortuary, the Alma people went to the place and burnt 17 houses, burnt motorcycles, slaughtered a chief, a clan head Sunday Okpe, and injured five persons. we have taken them to the teaching hospital in Otukpo for treatment.”
Okoh lamented that Okete community is completely deserted as the people have ran to take refuge at Ojayi community pending when peace is restored.
He further stated that he was not aware that the Och’Idoma asked his people not to farm there again “I am not aware of that but the Otukpo Chairman claim so. I was not told by the Och’Idoma to tell my people not to farm there.
“The Och’Idoma cannot tell people to stop farming where they have been farming for years without compensation, without settlement and you just take the bulldozer and bulldoze people’s crops.
“Automatically you’re killing those people and this people have nothing else that they do apart from farming.
“I am writing to the government to restore peace to enable my people to go home and continue their normal business. If the government can do this I’ll be very happy,” Okoh said.
Meanwhile Otukpo Chairman who noted that calm has been restored in his area said after a peace with the state Commissioner of Police, CP Hassan Yabanet in Makurdi on Monday, they have been asked to fish out those who perpetrated the act to ensure they are brought to book to serve as deterrent to others.
“Yesterday the Commissioner summoned all of us from both parties for a peace meeting. We have agreed that all the culprits will be brought to book. We will arrest all those who went to start the attack and those who did the reprisal because we asked them not to attack since the people who went to shoot are known, they would be handed over to the police so that it can serve as deterrent to other people who will take laws into their hands,” Omakwu said.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) SP Catherine Anene, confirmed the incident. She said “I don’t have details but the incident was confirmed to me and one person died at the time I called.”
Niger Government has established the state Price Control and Monitoring Board, approved by Gov. Umaru Bago to ensure fair pricing and consumer protection.
Alh. Abubakar Usman, Secretary to the Niger Government (SSG), inaugurated members of the board on Thursday in Minna.
The eight-member board has Alh.
Hussaini Ahmed, a former Permanent Secretary as the chairman.Usman noted that the inauguration of the board marked a significant step in the state’s commitment to ensuring fair pricing and consumer protection.
He said that the board was expected to control and stabilise prices of essential commodities and eradicate or reduce to the barest minimum, hoarding of essential commodities across the state.
He said that board would also handle issues that may arise as a result of enforcement and penalty for contravention of guidelines among several others.
“The board will be responsible for the distribution, monitoring and evaluation of essential commodities and keep price under continuous surveillance.
“They will also interpret price movement and relate them to other development in the State’s economy,” Usman said.
He said the board was expected to interface with relevant stakeholders such as local government chairmen, traditional institutions and councilors and well as market organisations to ensure the success of their mandate.
The SSG enjoined members of board to bring their wealth of experience and expertise in economics, consumer affairs and market dynamics to bear in their assignment.
He said that their appointment underscored the government’s dedication to maintaining economic stability and safeguarding the interests of both consumers and businesses in the state.
In his remarks, the board chairman, Ahmed, assured that the board would interface with relevant stakeholders within and outside the state in order to bring succour to the populace.
Other members of the board include Hamza Bello, Permanent Secretary, Investment, Aliyu Abubakar, Permanent Secretary, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and Garba Abdullahi, from Ministry of Basic Education.
Also on the board are Adamu Maikasuwa, Ministry of Agriculture, DCP Aminu Garba, Nigeria Police, Niger Command, Aminu Ladan, Chairman, Chanchaga Local Government Area and Usman Liman, retired Statistician-General as Secretary of the Board. (NAN)
The Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC), has shared N1.298 trillion among the Federal Government, states, and the Local Government Councils (LGCs) for September.
This is according to a communique issued at the end of FAAC meeting for October held on Thursday in Abuja.
The communiqué was made available to newsmen by Bawa Mokwa, the Director, Press and Public Relations, Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation (OAGF).
According to the communiqué, N1.
298 trillion total distributable revenue comprised distributable statutory revenue of N124.716 billion, and distributable Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue of N543.518 billion.It also comprised Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) revenue of N18.
445 billion, Exchange Difference revenue of N462.191 billion and Augmentation of N150.000 billion.It said that a total revenue of N2.258 trillion was available in the month of September.
“Total deduction for cost of collection was N80.993 billion, while total transfers, interventions and refunds was N878.946 billion,” it said.
According to the communiqué, gross statutory revenue of N1.043 trillion was received in September 2024, which was lower than the sum of N1.221 trillion received in August by N177.426 billion.
It said that gross revenue of N583.675 billion was available from VAT in September, higher than the N573.341 billion available in the month of August by N10.334 billion.
“From the N1.298 trillion total distributable revenue, the Federal Government received a total sum of N424.867 billion, and the state governments received a total sum of N453.724 billion.
“The LGCs received a total sum of N329.864 billion and a total sum of N90.415 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) was shared to the benefiting states as derivation revenue,” it said.
On the N124.716 billion statutory revenue, the communiqué said that the Federal Government received N43.037 billion and the state governments received N21.829 billion, while the LGCs received N16.829 billion.
It said that the sum of N43.021 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) was shared to the benefiting states as derivation revenue.
“From the N543.518 billion VAT revenue, the Federal Government received N81.528 billion, the state governments received N271.759 billion and the LGCs received N190.231 billion,” it said.
It said that in September, Oil and Gas Royalty, Excise Duty, EMTL and CET Levies increased considerably while VAT and Import Duty increased marginally.
It added that Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT), Companies Income Tax (CIT) and others recorded significant decreases. (NAN)
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has reiterated the importance of strict adherence to traffic laws, emphasising the prohibition of commercial motorcycles on highways and other restricted routes.
Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, the General Manager, said this in a statement on Thursday, signed by Mr Taofiq Adebayo, Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, LASTMA.
Bakare-Oki said that non-compliance with the regulations not only jeopardised the safety of the riders but also endangered the lives of other road users.
The statement came following the death of a motorcycle rider going against traffic on Carter Bridge, due to a collision with a fast-moving vehicle.
Bakare-Oki noted that the deceased, reportedly traveling from Ebute Ero, collided head-on with a fast-moving vehicle as it ascended Carter Bridge from Ilubirin.
“The forceful impact of the collision led to the immediate death of the motorcyclist while the vehicle driver ran away.
“Personnel from the LASTMA promptly arrived at the scene of the accident and swiftly alerted officers from the Central Police Station at Adeniji Adele and Shemo.
“Together, they coordinated efforts to retrieve the lifeless body of the rider, while LASTMA officials handed over the motorcycle to security authorities for further investigation,” he said.
The LASTMA boss extended his heartfelt sympathy to the family of the deceased.
“LASTMA remains committed to upholding public safety and is intensifying its efforts to minimise the occurrence of such tragic incidents on Lagos roads,” he said. (NAN)
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