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By Francesca Hangeior

Residents of several Idoma communities in Benue State are expressing growing fears over what they describe as a significant reduction in security presence along the Agatu–Apa–Otukpo corridor following the killing of the Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Benue State, Alhaji Ardo Risku Mohammed.

Credible sources told NaijaBlitzOnlineNews  that several security checkpoints along the corridor have either been dismantled or abandoned in the aftermath of the incident, raising concerns about the safety of residents and travellers.

According to the sources, Mobile Police officers deployed to strategic flashpoints, including Ataganyi, Oweto, Ikobi and Ikor, have either been withdrawn or have left their duty posts, allegedly without the knowledge of higher authorities.

Before the killing of the Fulani leader, there were seven active security checkpoints between Agatu and Otukpo. However, as of Monday, only two checkpoints were reportedly still operational.

The reported reduction in security personnel has heightened anxiety in communities such as Ikobi, Akpete, Ogodumu, Igah and several surrounding villages, where residents fear the area has become increasingly vulnerable to attacks.

Villagers and motorists who spoke on the development expressed concern that the apparent security vacuum could be exploited by armed Fulani ethnic militia to carry out kidnappings or launch attacks on Idoma communities and road users along the corridor.

The residents appealed to both the Federal Government and the Benue State Government to urgently restore the withdrawn security personnel and reinforce security operations in the affected communities before the situation deteriorates.

They also called on security agencies to intensify surveillance along the Agatu–Apa–Otukpo route to prevent any breakdown of law and order.

In addition, the residents appealed to the international community to closely monitor developments in the area and encourage the relevant authorities to strengthen security measures to avert further violence.

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By Francesca Hangeior, Abuja

The Federal Government has secured the release and repatriation of 136 Nigerians imprisoned in Ethiopia, nearly two years after an Abuja Federal High Court ordered it to intervene in their prolonged detention.

The breakthrough followed the signing of a Prisoner Transfer Agreement between Nigeria and Ethiopia in Addis Ababa on June 11, 2026, bringing to fruition the November 14, 2024 judgment of Justice Inyang Ekwo.

The agreement was facilitated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and her Ethiopian counterpart, Gideon Timothewos. It was signed by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), and Ethiopia’s Minister of Justice, Hanna Arayaselassie.

The agreement paved the way for the return of the 136 Nigerians, many of whom had spent years in Ethiopian prisons serving sentences for drug-related and immigration offences.

The development marks the implementation of Justice Ekwo’s judgment in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/305/2024, filed by Mmaduagwu Pius Sunday and others against the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Court records showed that more than 270 Nigerians were serving various prison terms in Ethiopia, with many held at the notorious Kaliti and AbaSamuel prisons in Addis Ababa.

Reports of overcrowding, poor medical care, malnutrition and alleged abuse had heightened public concern, especially following the deaths of some inmates, including Chizoba Favour Eze, Uchenna Nwanneneme and Basil Lawrence Ilobi.

In his judgment, Justice Ekwo held that the Ethiopian government’s admission that it lacked the resources to adequately cater for the inmates made intervention by the Nigerian government imperative.

He consequently granted an order of mandamus compelling the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and NIDCOM to facilitate the prisoners’ repatriation.

“The first and second respondents cannot be allowed to argue their way out of their respective statutory functions,” the judge ruled, holding that the applicants had established a compelling case for government intervention.

Despite the judgment, implementation stalled for several months, prompting families of the detainees to petition President Bola Tinubu, the National Assembly and NIDCOM in September 2025, demanding the conclusion of a prisoner transfer arrangement between both countries.

Diplomatic efforts gathered momentum in 2025 and 2026, with Odumegwu-Ojukwu leading negotiations with Ethiopian authorities, including Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Legesse Geremew Haile, to fast-track the agreement.

Speaking during one of the engagements, the minister said: “Our people do not want to hear that another Nigerian inmate has died in an Ethiopian prison,” stressing that Nigeria had fulfilled all the procedural requirements for the transfer arrangement.

The agreement was eventually signed in Addis Ababa earlier this month, with both countries describing it as one “rooted in the principles of humanity, justice and cooperation”, paving the way for the transfer of the 136 Nigerians back home.

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By Francesca Hangeior

Shade Okoya, the wife of billionaire businessman Alhaji Razaq Okoya, has broken her silence amid swirling rumours about her marriage with a cryptic but firm message.

The development comes after anonymous Instagram blogger alleged that the businesswoman was involved in an affair with a younger man.

In a post that sparked widespread reactions online, the faceless blogger shared photos of Shade Okoya alongside comedian Tee A, captioning them:

Nice glasses, nice view… gosh and that blue light in the background makes the whole picture very demure.”

The blogger further suggested that the two were “very good family friends,” a claim that has continued to generate debate across social media.

In response to the allegations, Shade Okoya took to her Instagram page to share a video accompanied by a message expressing her unwavering faith in divine justice.

Rather than addressing the claims directly, she declared that she trusts God to vindicate her, emphasizing that his judgment is greater than human opinions or accusations.

She said; “I leave every unseen battle in God’s hands. He alone knows the truth, He alone judges perfectly, and His justice never fails. No lie outlives the truth, and no injustice escapes His perfect judgment.

May every soul reap only what they have sown, Amen”, she wrote.