Connect with us

News

Suspected herdsmen kill six in Benue community

Published

on

Suspected herdsmen have launched fresh blistering attacks on  Ayilamo settlement killing six persons in the process.

Ayilamo is the headquarters of Tombo Ward, Gaambietiev ,Logo Local Government Area of  Benue State.

The attacks took place on Friday and yesterday in the farming community located on Abinsi- Anyiin – Wukari federal highway.

Wukari in Taraba State shares boundary with Benue State and there has often been communal strife between the neighbouring communities.

Advertisement

An eyewitness, Terwase Avande told The Nation that suspected armed herdsmen with herds of cattle stormed Ayilamo , Tombo Ward ,at about 6 pm from the direction of Akwana Road and started shooting at houses and setting them ablaze.

” The herdsmen came alongside their cattle, well-armed, as they shot  at houses , while the cattle advanced into the main Ayilamo town”

Avande stated that but for the  timely intervention of  members of Operation Whirl Stroke , a military troop ,who repealed the attackers, Ayilamo would have been overrun.

He said three persons were shot and killed in the  Friday attack.

Advertisement

Again on Saturday ,the herdsmen returned  at about 2pm, despite the presence of military personnel and opened fire at Ayilamo Police Station, located on Uzer – Makurdi road .

“The armed herdsmen supported by a militia from a neighbouring state, shot at Ayilamo Police Station, forcing the  policemen on duty to flee. They went into the police station and smashed the window glasses and scattered some documents. Three persons were killed in the Friday attacks, “said Avande.

A community leader ,Chief Paul Adetsav told The Nation that ” attempt to overrun the community is as a  result of some mineral resources which were said to have been found in the area .

Adetsav said “so many mineral resources have been found in Tombo land  , and illegal mining activities have been going on until Benue State put a stop to it.

Advertisement

“Since then, the intensity of the attacks has increased. The invaders keep threatening us with bloody violence on a daily basis , killing and maiming our people and setting our houses ablaze.

” We no longer go to our farms. The few planted crops have been destroyed by the armed herdsmen using cows who go into the farms  and  match over them .Hunger is killing us and our children have nothing to eat for years.

“The government who has oversight over security is doing nothing to save us. Gradually, the invaders who are well armed are closing up on Ayilamo with a population of over 400,000 people.”

At press time, residents of the area were seen fleeing the farming community in their numbers. Mothers with children on their backs were seen trekking long distances to safe places.

Advertisement

The Logo Divisional Police office in Ugba confirmed the attacks and killings.

The Chairman of Logo Local Government Council, Hon.Clement Ukav, confirmed the incident and assured that he was doing everything possible to arrest the situation.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

News

Celebrity boxing: Speed Darlington wants rematch after losing to Portable

Published

on

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Nigerian singer Speed Darlington is calling for a rematch against Portable after losing to him in a celebrity boxing match.

Speed Darlington was knocked out in the second round, and he’s unhappy about the outcome.

In a video, he claimed Portable didn’t deserve the win and the prize money, saying he had plans to use the money to build a swimming pool for his community in Imo State.

Advertisement

Portable, I want a rematch. E dey pain me say you dey carry all that money dey go. E dey break my heart.

” I want a rematch. It’s so unfair. You have up to two experience before me and you fight. I never enter ring before. I did not come from poverty,” he said.

“You don’t deserve that money. E dey pain me. I want to build swimming pool for my villagers. I need a rematch, Portable”, he said.

According to Speed Darlington, Portable had an unfair advantage due to his experience, accusing him of using supernatural means to win the fight.

Advertisement

He also claimed he suffered a shoulder injury during the match despite not feeling tired.

Speed Darlington, who wants a rematch, said he needs 30 days to prepare better

Continue Reading

News

Israel’s remote controlled bulldozers breaking ground in Gaza war

Published

on

By

At first glance, there is nothing unusual about the bulky bulldozer turning up soil at a testing site in central Israel, but as it pulled closer it became clear: the driver’s cabin is eerily empty.

This is the Robdozer, a fortified engineering vehicle manned remotely, and in this case operated from a military expo halfway across the globe in Alabama.

Army engineers and military experts say that the Robdozer — the robotic version of Caterpillar’s D9 bulldozer — is the future of automated combat.

The Israeli military has used D9 for years to carry out frontline tasks like trowelling roads for advancing troops, removing rubble and flattening terrain.

Advertisement

But since war in Gaza broke out in October 2023 and later in Lebanon, the Israeli military has increasingly deployed this robotic version in a bid to enhance its field operations and reduce the risks to its troops.

“The idea is to eliminate the person from the cockpit of the dozer,” said Rani, whose team at the state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries developed the Robdozer.

An unmanned D9 bulldozer digs up a field during a demonstration to the press at the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) quarters near Tel Aviv on March 26, 2025. Israel’s increasing use of advanced technology on the battlefield, from air defence systems to a broad range of AI-driven intelligence tools, has been well-documented but also criticised for inaccuracies, lack of human oversight and potential violations of international law. (Photo by GIL COHEN-MAGEN / AFP)

During the Gaza war, the military has increasingly opted for the unmanned version, which can carry out a full range of tasks “even better than a human”, said Rani, using his first name only for security reasons.

Advertisement

While such vehicles and other systems are currently operated by humans, future versions could be autonomous, raising ethical and legal concerns over the unchartered future of warfare being shaped by the Israeli military in the Gaza war.

‘Changing the paradigm’
Israel’s increasing use of advanced technology on the battlefield, from air defence systems to a broad range of AI-driven intelligence tools, has been well-documented but also criticised for inaccuracies, lack of human oversight and potential violations of international law.

Analysts say the growing Israeli deployment of the Robdozer reflects broader global trends towards automation in heavy combat vehicles, like remote-controlled personnel carriers that operate much like drones.

An Israeli military official, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, told AFP that the army has been using “robotic tools for over a decade, but in very small numbers. Now it is being used in large-scale warfare”.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

News

70-hour Chess Marathon: Onakoya reportedly breaks record set by Norwegians

Published

on

By

Nigerian chess sensation and founder of Chess in Slums Africa, Tunde Onakoya, has broken the chess marathon record of 61 hours, 3 minutes, and 34 seconds, set by two Norwegian players, Hallvard Haug Flatebø and Sjur Ferkingstad, in June 2024.

Onakoya and his chess partner, Shawn Martinez, are currently aiming to complete a 70-hour chess marathon in Times Square, New York.

The marathon, a four-day non-stop gameplay, started on April 17.

In a post shared on X shortly after surpassing the current record, he expressed fulfillment and called for action to educate and create opportunities for street children in Nigeria.

Advertisement

For all the dreamers! We’ve officially BROKEN THE RECORD with my brother,” he wrote.

Although the official confirmation from Guinness World Records is still being awaited, Nigerians and chess lovers from different parts of the world have congratulated the chess master on his latest achievement.

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2024 Naija Blitz News