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Bandits dislocate over 100 communities, residents forced into ‘peace deals’
More than 100 communities in Southern Kaduna have reportedly been deserted by residents following repeated attacks by armed groups, with some affected settlements allegedly resorting to negotiations with the assailants to survive.
The affected communities are spread across parts of Kachia, Kajuru, Kagarko, Chikun and Birnin Gwari local government areas of Kaduna State, according to findings by Saturday PUNCH.
The National President of the Southern Kaduna Peoples’ Union, Tabara Kato, said over 100 communities had been displaced, while the former spokesman of the group, Luka Binniyat, claimed that the figure was as high as 245.
Kato also said about 35,402 people had been displaced across the state, adding that many of the affected residents were now living in Internally Displaced Persons camps under difficult conditions.
The latest major attack cited by the community leaders occurred on July 26 in Naridon, Kamaru Ward, Kauru Local Government Area, where at least 30 residents, including eight children, were reportedly killed during an attack that lasted about three hours.
Kato attributed the persistent attacks largely to alleged land grabbing and the quest for control of natural resources, claiming that some communities had been taken over after their residents were forced to flee.
He said, “So far, more than 100 communities have been displaced. Some of the victims are now living in IDP camps. They are living from hand to mouth and at the mercy of the weather, and human and natural hazards.”
Kato called on the Federal Government and security agencies to investigate the alleged financiers of the attacks, arguing that arresting perpetrators without identifying their sponsors would not bring lasting peace.
Binniyat, who is also the spokesman of the Middle Belt Forum, gave a higher estimate, alleging that about 245 communities had been sacked across Southern Kaduna as of June 2026.
He said the prolonged displacement had created what he described as “a dangerous security vacuum,” which he alleged was being exploited by kidnappers and armed groups.
According to Binniyat, communities in Kachia, Kajuru, Kagarko and Chikun, as well as some Gbagyi settlements in Birnin Gwari, were among those most affected.
He urged the Federal Government to undertake a coordinated security operation to reclaim occupied communities, dismantle armed camps and create conditions for displaced residents to return safely.
Meanwhile, residents told Saturday PUNCH that insecurity had forced some communities in Kachia to enter into informal agreements with armed groups in an attempt to reduce attacks.
The residents alleged that the arrangements had, in some cases, evolved into systems of control, with demands reportedly including money, restrictions on movement, compulsory farm work and other forms of coercion.
A resident of Mai-Ido Kufai, Jessy Francis, said some community leaders entered into negotiations with the armed groups because they hoped it would enable residents to return home and live without fear.
“We believed that if we reached an understanding with them, we would be able to return to our homes and continue our lives peacefully,” Francis said.
He, however, alleged that the arrangement failed to provide lasting peace, claiming that residents in some areas continued to face violence and other forms of intimidation.
Another displaced resident, Danjuma Sunday, said he fled Mai-Goro in 2021 after surviving repeated attacks. He said he now lives in Kachia with his family but occasionally returns to his farm despite the security risks.
Sunday alleged that security personnel sometimes visited affected communities, but the armed groups reportedly returned after the troops withdrew.
However, the Village Head of Ariko, Jashua Doka, said his community had rejected pressure to negotiate with the armed groups.
“People kept telling us to negotiate with them, but I refused. If I negotiate with criminals and God calls me tomorrow, what explanation will I give? I fear God,” Doka said.
The state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr Suleiman Shuaibu, said he was unaware of the alleged arrangements when contacted.
“I am just hearing this from you. Can you allow me some time to verify the claims and get back to you?” he said.
Efforts to obtain the reaction of the Kaduna State Police Command were unsuccessful, as its spokesman, Mansir Hassan, did not respond to calls or a text message sent to him before the report was filed.
Binniyat urged the Federal and Kaduna State governments to prioritise the reconstruction of affected communities and the rehabilitation of displaced residents, warning that continued occupation of the areas could further worsen insecurity in the region.
Francis-Xavier Sosu, Ghanaian member of parliament, collapsed on stage while delivering a speech.
Sosu was addressing students at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) in Accra on Thursday when he began to show signs of dizziness, according to video posted by Joy Online, a local media outlet.
Pausing his address, the lawmaker attempted to hold on to the podium but was unable to continue his speech or stand upright.
A man and a woman approached the podium from the side of the hall to assist the lawmaker, who later collapsed into their arms as they rushed him out of the building.
A statement issued by Ivan Dzakpasu, Sosu’s chief of staff, said the MP has received the necessary medical attention following the incident.
The statement did not provide details on the nature of the incident, the medical attention received or what may have caused the MP to become unwell.
The statement urged the public to remain calm and avoid relying on unverified reports or speculation about the lawmaker’s condition.
The federal high court in Gombe has nullified the emergence of Isa Pantami as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the 2027 governorship election in the state.
The court, in a judgment delivered on Thursday by Amina Aliyu Mohammed, also ordered the PDP to conduct a fresh governorship primary in compliance with its constitution, guidelines and relevant electoral laws.
The judgment followed a suit filed by Usman Garry, a PDP governorship aspirant, who challenged the process through which Pantami emerged as the party’s candidate.
In May, Pantami withdrew from the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election scheduled for May 21 in Gombe state.
Pantami attributed his withdrawal from the race to the alleged breaches of the electoral process.
He eventually joined the PDP and emerged as the party’s 2027 governorship candidate in Gombe state.
The former minister secured the ticket through voice affirmation during the party’s gubernatorial primary.
Garry objected to the affirmation of Pantami as the flagbearer of the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led faction and eventually filed a suit against the former minister.
Garry had asked the court to set aside Pantami’s emergence on the grounds that the PDP did not conduct a valid governorship primary in accordance with its rules and applicable electoral laws.
After hearing arguments from the parties, the court had reserved judgment in July.
At Thursday’s proceedings, counsel to Pantami argued that he had validly resigned from the APC on May 19, 2026, before participating in the PDP primary.
The PDP also opposed the suit and urged the court to strike out the case.
Garry’s counsel, however, urged the court to dismiss the objections and grant the reliefs sought by his client.
The court, however, directed the PDP to conduct a fresh governorship primary in accordance with its guidelines and applicable electoral provisions.
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has noted the steady development that Osun State University has witnessed under the current management of the institution.
He said the visible progress under the current Vice-Chancellor, Prof Clement Adebooye, was the main factor considered to approve tenure extension for the VC.
Adeleke, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Kola Adewusi, asserted on Thursday while addressing the 16th UNIOSUN convocation ceremony held at the main campus of the university in Osogbo,
The governor listed Adebooye’s accomplishments, saying various breakthroughs recorded by the current management had transformed the institution.
Flaunting the multiple achievements in academic and infrastructural growth within the university, Adeleke, in a statement signed by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, further said, “In the last four years, 40 main building projects have been constructed and commissioned for use. There is no year that I have not personally come to the campus to commission legacy projects.
“In August this year alone, I commissioned the ultra-modern FIFA-standard Sports Complex, 3-in-1 Science Laboratory Complex, and two landmark Lecture Theatres.
“In addition to these, there have been well over 30 complementary works that include renovations, procurement and supplies, solar installations, etc., all with a view to making teaching, learning and administrative work conducive.
“Of more importance is the sustenance of the long-established culture of peace and industrial harmony in the university. This is why for the past five years, the university has not missed any academic session, nor has it failed to graduate its deserving students as and when due.
“It is on record that UNIOSUN is the second state-owned university to fully implement the 2025 FGN-staff union agreement.
“So, in terms of staff welfare and overall teaching and learning environment, this university remains a model. This is a major commitment of our government to support the responsible and responsive administration that we have put in charge of this university.
“In a bid to sustain continuity of performance and academic excellence, I approved a two-year extension of the tenure of the vice-chancellor with effect from 4th January, 2027 after strategic consultations and compliance with the state law.”
Speaking further on the development, the governor said his pronouncement has, accordingly, been backed up by the amendment to Osun State University Law (2006), passed by the state House of Assembly earlier this month, vowing “to continue to do everything to support the sustenance of academic and administrative excellence in this University.
“It must also be stated very clearly that my decision was well guided and it is rooted in legality, and in the overall best interest of the university.
“Our choice of the new chancellor followed a similar merit-driven thought process, and the innumerable applause from all parts of the world proved us right on Mama BOVAS’ appointment.
“Our resolve to also dissolve and reconstitute the governing council is another product of painstaking review towards accelerating the progressive development of the university. We are therefore not bound by any law or tradition to accept the dictates of any staff union regarding what we think is the best for our university,” the governor insisted.
Rolling out further achievements of the university under the vice-chancellor, Adeleke said, “In this month alone, the current vice-chancellor and his team attracted five major signature projects from the Federal Government and successfully laid their foundations with a view to completing the projects before December 2027.
“This is a vice-chancellor who met a half-alive medical school but diligently worked to ensure that all accreditation requirements by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria were met by the university, and has presented all 90 pioneer MBBS students both for MDCN induction and award of UNIOSUN degrees.
“This is a vice-chancellor who massively expanded the university’s academic landscape, thus increasing the student population from 14,260 in 2022 to 42,791 in 2026.
“This is a vice-chancellor who worked very closely with the great family of Apostle Folorunso Alakija to ensure the completion and commissioning of the 250-bed state-of-the-art Modupe and Folorunso Alakija Medical Research and Training Hospital.
“The hospital has since started full operation. In terms of global impact and visibility, for the first time in 11 years, UNIOSUN emerged as the third-best state university in Nigeria, 19th out of 312 universities in Nigeria, and 137th out of 2,390 universities in Africa,” he posited.
He urged staff and management to join hands with the governing board to continue to take the university to greater heights.
He restated the readiness of his administration towards providing maximum support for improved university governance and service delivery.
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