From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja

Odo-Ere, the headquarters of Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State, came under attack from armed bandits, resulting in the death of a Civil Defence officer and the abduction of his daughter.

According to sources, the victim, identified as Ayo, a member of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), was shot in the head during the attack.

A source confirmed that Mr. Ayo was rushed to a medical facility but was declared dead on arrival.

The attackers reportedly abducted his first daughter before fleeing the area, further deepening fears among residents following the latest security breach in the community.

As of the time of filing this report, security agencies have yet to issue an official statement on the incident.

The attack has heightened concerns over the growing insecurity in Yagba West and surrounding communities, with residents calling for urgent intervention by security authorities.

From Attah Ede, Makurdi

The Benue State House of Assembly has extended the suspension of former Speaker, Aondona Dajoh, and former Majority Leader, Saater Tiseer, by an additional three months pending the determination of separate court cases instituted by the duo against the legislature or the withdrawal of the suits.

‎The resolution was reached during plenary on Tuesday, presided over by the speaker, Berger Alfred Emberga, following a motion of urgent public importance moved by the Majority Leader of the House and member representing Kwande West State Constituency, Thomas Dugeri, and seconded by the Deputy Chief Whip, Simon Gabo, representing Mata State Constituency.

The House subsequently adopted the motion and resolved that the suspension of the two lawmakers should remain in force for another three months pending the outcome of the judicial process or the withdrawal of their respective cases against the Assembly in line with the law governing the institution.

‎Also during Tuesday’s plenary, the Benue State Sports Marketing, Gaming and Lotteries Bill, 2026 scaled through second reading on the floor of the House.

Following its consideration, the Speaker, Alfred Emberga referred the bill to the Joint House Committees on Finance, Youth and Sports for further legislative scrutiny.

‎In his opening remarks marking the commencement of the First Sitting of the Fourth Legislative Session, the Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Emberga welcomed members back from recess and urged them to remain committed to their legislative responsibilities.

He noted that the recess afforded lawmakers the opportunity to engage with their constituents and participate in political activities, including party primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.

‎The Speaker described the Fourth Legislative Session as a defining phase in the Assembly’s tenure and charged members to focus on issues that directly impact the welfare of the people. He identified security and peace-building, economic resilience, infrastructure development, enhanced revenue generation, effective oversight of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and greater citizen participation in the legislative process as key priorities for the session.

He further urged members to sustain harmonious collaboration with other arms of government while remaining steadfast in making laws that reflect the aspirations and yearnings of the Benue State people.

From Ene Asuquo, Calabar

The Cross River State Government said it has recovered about N1 billion in revenue from the Etung Cocoa Estates and reclaimed several illegally occupied public assets as part of an aggressive asset recovery programme initiated by Governor Bassey Otu’s administration.

The Forum of Special Advisers to Governor Bassey Otu made the disclosure in Calabar at a three-year sectoral scorecard highlighting the administration’s accomplishments in areas such as infrastructure, healthcare and asset management

Presenting the report during a press briefing, the Special Adviser Asset Management and Recovery, Barrister Gilbert Agbor, said the agency had carried out statewide asset identification, verification and recovery exercises across the three senatorial districts of the state.

Agbor said his Department has uncovered numerous government properties that had been illegally occupied, encroached upon or unlawfully transferred to private individuals.

According to the department, several government vehicles retained by former political appointees, contractors and private individuals have also been identified for recovery, while efforts are ongoing to reclaim public lands belonging to the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS) from illegal occupants.

The department further revealed that comprehensive audits conducted within the Etung Cocoa Estates led to the recovery of several cocoa plots that had been abandoned, concealed or irregularly acquired, resulting in the recovery of close to ₦1 billion in government revenue.

Agbor said the exercise also blocked revenue leakages associated with government agricultural assets, improved transparency in revenue collection and strengthened accountability in public asset management.

The department added that it had commenced digitalisation of the state’s asset registry to improve tracking and documentation while facilitating the establishment of asset recovery committees across the 18 local government areas.

It also credited the Otu administration with the recovery of the state’s oil wells and Tinapa assets, describing them as landmark achievements in the government’s asset management drive.

Earlier, Chairman of the Forum of Special Advisers, Ekpenyong Akiba, said the administration had focused on citizen-centred governance and recorded significant achievements across multiple sectors simultaneously.

He maintained that several completed roads and public facilities had already been put into use without formal commissioning, insisting that the government was more concerned with delivering projects than ceremonial ribbon-cutting.