News
Kogi massacre: 25 victims killed by bandits buried
Twenty-five victims of Thursday’s banditry at Agojeju-Odo community in Omala Local Government Area of Kogi were buried on Saturday.
Chief David Akpa, District Head and Ochala Onu-Ife Bagaji Odo, Omala, Kogi, told newsmen in his palace that those buried included two women and four children.
Akpa described the attack as barbaric and wicked given the way and manner the bandits unleashed mayhem on his people.
“We are mourning our loved ones who were killed in cold blood. We have never had any misunderstanding either with bandits or with herdsmen before now.
“As it is now, we are living in fear, more so that we heard that they are coming to Bagaji Odo, where surviving victims are taking refuge.
“We are pleading with the federal and state governments to come to our aid and protect us from bandits,’’ he pleaded.
Akpa explained that Thursday’s attack was the second in the year sending serious fears into residents.
A community member had alleged on Thursday that a running battle between militia groups in parts of Benue and some bandits led to the onslaught on the sleepy towns of Agojeju-Odo, Ajokpachi-Odo, Bagaji and environs.
They destroyed farm produce with ease in an attempt to draw the communities into the conflict,’’ he said.
Retired Commodore Jerry Omodara, Special Adviser on Security to Gov. Usman Ododo said on Friday that the governor had ordered a thorough investigation of the incident.
“The killing of innocent and harmless residents of the community by alleged hired militiamen is very callous, unacceptable and condemnable,’’ he said.
Omodara said property; especially houses, vehicles, and crops were destroyed in the attack.
He called on people of Agojeju-Odo and neighbouring communities to remain calm as government and security agencies were on top of the situation.
Police spokesman in Kogi, SP Williams Ovye-Aya, also confirmed the attack and assured that security operatives were keeping vigil over the community to forestall further attacks.
“A tactical response team of the police, the military, and members of vigilance groups has been deployed in the area. Normalcy has since returned to the troubled community.
“Investigation into the incident has started to bring the perpetrators to book,’’ Ovye-Aya assured.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
US President-elect, Donald Trump’s incoming administration plans to immediately order a series of deportation raids targeting illegal immigrants after his inauguration.
Chicago is expected to be the first major city targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents as part of Operation Safeguard, the New York Times reported, citing two people familiar with planning the undertaking.
The massive deportation operation is expected to target criminals and gang members in the United States illegally and run for one week.
Trump has promised to conduct the largest deportation program in U.S. history.
Up to 200 ICE agents are being sent to Chicago to help kick off the operation on Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported. The agency has already asked agents to volunteer for the post-inauguration raids.
“There’s gonna be a big raid across the country,” Tom Homan, who will be in charge of U.S. borders once Trump takes office, told Fox News in an interview.
Homan has previously said he will instruct ICE agents to carry out raids on illegal immigrants at their workplaces.
In addition to Chicago, the sweeping crackdown will also target other major U.S. cities with large immigrant populations.
Trump is set to take the oath of office on Monday, January 20, in an inauguration that will take place indoors.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
A faith-based civil society organization, CSO that monitors and reports on Hajj and Umrah activities, the Independent Hajj Reporters, IHR, has commended the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, for selecting a different Saudi-based Hajj service provider for the 2025 Hajj season.
It said the decision would create healthy competition among service providers interested in efficiently, qualitatively, and satisfactorily serving Nigerian pilgrims.
The CSO, in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Malam Ibrahim Muhammed, in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, and made available to our correspondent on Sunday in Abuja, said the quest for improved Hajj services has been a major challenge for Nigerian pilgrims owing to the repeated failure of providing satisfactory services.
”We applauded the decision to pick another service provider that will cater for the needs of pilgrims within the Masha’ir areas during the five days of Hajj,” he said
The national coordinator, who is currently in Saudi Arabia to monitor the pre-Hajj arrangements, said available information shows that the new company, Mashariq Al Dhahabia, is an experienced provider that has served top-rated Hajj countries, like Indonesia and Malaysia, and ranked among the top five Hajj service providers by the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.
“The company served 249 706 which is the largest number of Hajj pilgrims during the 2023 hajj. They were awarded as the Best Hajj Service Providers during the 2022 Hajj by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah,” he stated.
IHR said it further understood that NAHCON is planning to recruit another service provider to provide services for very important personalities, VIP pilgrims so as not to repeat the experience of previous years, which is also a desired step forward.
It, however, urged NAHCON to set a parameter of performance for the newly selected service providers to serve as a baseline for determining continuous patronage, advising that such criteria should be based on pilgrims’ satisfaction and adherence to contractual terms.
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