Metro
JUST-IN: Benue Boils As Bandits Kill Dozens
Fear has gripped the people of Yaav and Mbakyol council wards of Kwande local government area of Benue State as armed bandits suspected to be herdsmen invaded the two communities on Christmas day, killing over 12 people and abducted seven children.
A resident of now deserted Mbadura council ward who is taking refuge in Jato-Aka Lawrence Akerigba, in a telephone conversation with our correspondent, informed that the attackers abducted seven children with the oldest being 6 years, while the youngest is 2 years of age.
According to him, “The attackers invaded Yaav and Mbakyol councill wards of Turan community at about 4pm when most residents were at home with their families enjoying the cool breeze of the yuletide, killing 12, injuring scores, and abducted children while others were still mssing.
“On Christmas day evening, eight young boys who are also taking refuge in Jato-Aka town which is Yaav council wards were sent by their parents to bring some crops from the farm so as to prepare food for the family on the Boxing Day and on their way, they met the attackers who opened fire on them, killing one person while the remaining seven who escaped with gunshot injuries are receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital.
Akerigba also disclosed that there is sustained attack by bandits on the community after the burial of Wantaregh Paul Unongo, adding that out of the five council wards in the Turan community, four have been deserted for over 10 years due to sustained attacks by bandits suspected to be armed herdsmen.
“I am from Mbadura Council ward here in Turan Community of Kwande LG, but all of us have left our communities, we are now taking refuge in Jato-Aka town for fear of the unknown, and it seems the government has totally forgotten that his people are going through hell here, nobody is coming to our rescue, no relief materials, even as many were celebrating we were just hearing and the sudden attack on the already traumatised communities.
He said, “Our young people are combining the bushes around because as we talk now, many people are still missing including women and children, 9 corpses were picked at the scene of the attack while three were recovered from the surrounding bushes, search is still on and there is the likelihood that more corpses will be recovered.
“What we are calling for now is for the government to make our communities safe to enable us go back to our ancestral homes to continue with our farming to feed our families and pay our childrens school fees, because from all indications, it seems the security here are helpless. These bandits come with more sophisticated weapons, since yesterday 4pm and today almost 11am now no security personnel has come here to access the situation and give the people hope, those who lost their loved ones are just crying since yesterday
Akerigba gave the names of the slain victims to include Vanen Iorvihi, Mike Azege, Anyisa Akpa, Ausa Imbior, orwua Abur Hwande,.Iornumbe Tse, Zaki Ashivor Mbailuve Tyohemba,Terhemba Tyohemba Jim Ierkwagh and Ijeyol Ierkwagh.
He however said the number was still counting, adding that the search team was still searching for those missing in the bush.
Efforts to speak with the spokesperson of the Benue State Police Command, Catherine Anene proved abortive as she was neither.
A two-story building still under construction has collapsed at No. 20 Ozuitem Street, Umuahia, the Abia State capital.
The building, said to be owned by a “very wealthy” resident of Umuahia, collapsed on Christmas Day when the site workers had taken the day off.
The cause of the collapse has not yet been officially established, but some residents living near the building claimed that substandard materials may have been used by the contractor, which they alleged compromised the integrity of the structure.
A resident who pleaded anonymity thanked God for sparing the lives of the site workers, saying: “Yesterday was Christmas Day and there was no work. If not, who knows what would have happened?”
He said that the contractor had gone into hiding after realising what had happened to avoid being arrested or questioned.
When DAILY POST visited the site on Thursday afternoon, a bulldozer was demolishing the remaining parts of the building to ensure they did not collapse onto adjacent houses.
Messages boldly pasted around the site by the Umuahia Capital Development Authority, UCDA, dated December 26, 2024, declared that the site had been sealed.
When DAILY POST contacted the Public Relations Officer of the Umuahia Capital Development Authority, Mrs Nkeiru Ogba, she confirmed that her office had visited the site of the collapsed building to ascertain what had happened.
She said that the owners of some of the buildings that had collapsed in the state did not follow due process or had refused to comply with official regulations.
The police in Anambra State have recovered a vehicle belonging to Justice Azuka, the abducted member of the State House of Assembly.
The police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.
Mr Azuka was kidnapped on Tuesday night along Ugwunapampa Road in Onitsha North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The lawmaker, who represents Onitsha North State Constituency I in the state assembly, was returning home for Christmas celebration when he was kidnapped.
Mr Ikenga, a superintendent of police, said police operatives attached to the Inland Town Division recovered the vehicle.
He said the vehicle’s recovery followed an “intense ongoing operation” to rescue the lawmaker.
The spokesperson said the police operatives sighted the vehicle which was abandoned at Upper Iweka Road, several kilometres from the scene of the attack.
He did not disclose the vehicle’s model, but a picture attached to his statement indicated that the recovered vehicle is a Ford SUV.
The Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, Nnaghe Obono, has charged the deployed police operatives to intensify efforts to rescue the abducted lawmaker, Mr Ikenga said.
Like other states in Nigeria’s south-east, security has deteriorated in Anambra State with frequent attacks by armed persons.
The attacks often target security agencies, government officials and facilities.
The Nigerian government has repeatedly accused the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region.
However, the group has repeatedly denied its involvement in the attacks.
IPOB is a group leading agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants carved out from the south-east and some parts of south-south Nigeria.
Simi Oluwaseyi, the sister of Queen Naomi, an estranged wife of Ooni of Ife, has shared an update regarding her sister’s arrest, raising concerns about her health
Naomi was remanded by a court of law in connection with a tragic stampede in Ibadan, which claimed the lives of 35 individuals.
In a series of Instagram posts, Similoluwa expressed heartfelt condolences to the grieving parents while drawing attention to her sister’s condition.
She disclosed that Naomi collapsed during her third day of questioning by the Department of State Services (DSS) and was subsequently hospitalized.
Similoluwa also revealed that before Naomi’s court appearance, a medical evaluation showed dangerously high blood pressure. She added that her sister had been denied access to her phone and family throughout her detention.
In her statement, she wrote, “I extend my deepest sympathies to the families of the deceased children. My sister endured over six days in detention, collapsing during interrogation on the third day and being rushed to the hospital.”
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