News
Gombe farmers cry out over growing hippo attacks
By Francesca Hangeior
Some farmers in Hinna Community, Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area of Gombe State, have raised concerns over increasing hippopotamus attacks on their farmlands and livelihoods.
Head of Farmers in Hinna Community, Mr Zakari Ladan, raised the alarm in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday.
Ladan said persistent hippo attacks had resulted in huge losses, noting that the animals frequently destroyed crops and posed serious threats to residents.
He said the population of hippopotamuses in the area had grown to more than 40, wreaking havoc on farmlands and affecting both farmers and fishermen.
According to him, from September 2025 to date, no fewer than 100 hectares of farmland cultivating various crops and vegetables have been destroyed.
Ladan said crops affected included rice, beans, cabbage, maize, carrots, okro, sweet melon, watermelon, onions, and other vegetables, with losses estimated at more than N180 million.
“We are seriously worried about the hippos in our community that are destroying our farmlands and livelihoods.
“Currently, the population of the animals has grown to more than 40. They are destroying our crops and killing people.
“From Sept. 2025 to date, three persons have been killed in my community, while three others who sustained serious injuries are currently hospitalised in Gombe.
“If you come to my community, you will see hippos moving freely on farmlands. A single hippo can destroy up to two hectares of farmland in one day.
“We are calling for help to protect our lives and livelihoods because we are losing a lot daily,” he said.
Another farmer, Malam Haruna Hinna, said his carrot and okro farm had been destroyed by hippos, adding that one hectare of carrots was valued at N1.7 million.
Hinna said farmers were helplessly losing their investments in spite of reporting the situation annually to the state government, non-governmental organisations, and other relevant authorities.
“We need urgent support from both the Federal and state governments. We are tired and financially exhausted,” he said.
Other farmers who also shared similar experiences appealed to the government to support them with farm inputs to enable them return to farming.
They also called on relevant stakeholders to support fishermen in the community to adopt fish farming as an alternative livelihood.
Peter Obi has reacted to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s recenpt remark that 2027 would be his final presidential bid if he secures the African Democratic Candidate, ADC, ticket.
Speaking on Naija Unfiltered podcast on Saturday, Obi described Atiku as his respected leader and elder brother.
He said, “At this point, we are not at that stage yet. Atiku is my respected leader and my dear elder brother. His statement, I will always say, is a statement of a leader, and look at what he used ‘if’.
“So we can’t say what will happen about tomorrow. I can only tell you I am contesting in the election for the office of the president.”
When asked whether he would abide by any agreement reached after party primaries, Obi maintained that his acceptance would depend strictly on the credibility of the process.
“I accept what happens after it if it’s through a transparent process you can call fair and credible. I’ve said it before I left parties because I found the whole process transactional.
“It’s critical that the process through which people come into office is far more fundamental than what they do after,” he stated.
He further emphasised the importance of due process in leadership emergence, warning against cutting corners.
“You cannot jump into the house through the window and start cleaning the house and expect everybody to accept you. The process must be right,” Obi added.
Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima, a former Chairman of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), died on Saturday after a prolonged illness.
His death was confirmed by former Secretary-General of the NFA, Sani Ahmed Toro.
Galadima was a prominent figure in Nigerian sports administration, having led the NFA before it was restructured into the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
He also served as Chairman of the Kano State Sports Council between 1981 and 1983.
Born in 1951 in Fagge, Kano, Galadima had a long-standing career in sports governance.
He was a member of the National Sports Commission and was elected Vice President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee in 1985, a position he held until 1987.
He was later reappointed as Chairman of the Kano State Sports Council and continued to play key roles at both state and national levels.
Galadima also served on the Presidential Monitoring Committee on the development of sports facilities for the 1995 FIFA World Youth Championship, which was initially scheduled to be hosted in Nigeria but later relocated due to health-related challenges.
In addition, he was a member of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Youth Championship Organising Committee.
In 2002, he was elected Chairman of the then Nigeria Football Association, further cementing his legacy as one of the country’s influential sports administrators.
Burial arrangements will be announced later according to family sources.
Tragedy struck the Panshanu Hill stretch of the Bauchi-Jos federal highway on Friday evening as a horrific multi-vehicle collision claimed the lives of eleven persons, leaving thirty-two others with life-threatening injuries.
The victims, including women and children, were reportedly burnt beyond recognition when the vehicles involved in the crash erupted into a massive fireball upon impact.
According to a crash report released by the RS12.14
Toro Unit Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps
(FRSC), the accident occurred at approximately 6:40
PM. FRSC personnel, who arrived at the scene within ten minutes of the report, battled to rescue survivors from the mangled, smoking wreckage.
The crash involved a white MAN mini-tanker, identified as part of the Nigerian Police fleet, and a white FIAT J5 Boxer commercial bus with registration number KTU624XY.
Preliminary investigations by the FRSC identified
“dangerous driving” and the use of “worn-out tyres” as the probable causes of the carnage. The impact, which occurred on a single, unpaved carriageway, sent both vehicles off the road and triggered an immediate inferno.
A breakdown of the casualties paints a heart-wrenching picture of the disaster. Out of the 43 persons involved in the accident, 11 fatalities were recorded, comprising one male adult, three male children, five female adults, and two female children.
The 32 injured survivors, including five male children, 19 female adults, seven female children, and one male adult, were rushed to a nearby general hospital for emergency treatment.
The Bauchi State Command of the FRSC has reiterated its warning to motorists to avoid overspeeding and ensure their vehicles are in roadworthy condition, especially when navigating the treacherous bends of the Panshanu Hill.
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