News
Gaza peace accord under threat after Trump’s warning

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The peace pact between Hamas and Israel appeared increasingly fragile Tuesday after US President Donald Trump warned “all hell” would break loose unless Hamas releases every Israeli hostage by the weekend.
The truce, in place since January 19, largely halted more than 15 months of fighting in the Gaza Strip and saw five groups of Israeli hostages freed in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
But tensions spiked after Trump proposed taking over Gaza and removing its more than two million inhabitants.
On Monday, he ramped up pressure, saying he would call for an end to the ceasefire if all Israeli hostages were not freed by noon on Saturday.
“As far as I’m concerned, if all of the hostages aren’t returned by Saturday 12 o’clock — I think it’s an appropriate time — I would say cancel it and all bets are off and let hell break out,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
The ceasefire agreement says staggered releases should take place over the ongoing 42-day first phase of the deal.
Trump’s threat came hours after Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said the next hostage release due to take place on Saturday would be “postponed until further notice”.
The group accused Israel of failing to meet its commitments under the agreement, including on aid deliveries, and cited the deaths of three Gazans on Sunday.
Hamas later said it announced the delay five days in advance to give mediators time to push Israel to comply.
“The door remains open for the prisoner exchange batch to proceed as planned, once the occupation complies,” it said.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the Hamas announcement was a “complete violation” of the ceasefire agreement, signalling that fighting could resume.
“I have instructed the IDF (military) to prepare at the highest level of alert for any possible scenario in Gaza,” he said.
The military later said it had raised “the level of readiness” around Gaza, and “decided to significantly reinforce the area”.
On Tuesday, Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a fierce opponent of the ceasefire, demanded the immediate release of all hostages, adopting the slogan: “Everyone Now.”
Negotiators were set to meet in Qatar to discuss the truce’s implementation, which remains unsettled.
Talks on a second phase were supposed to start on day 16 of the truce, but Israel had refused to send its negotiators to Doha.
The Hostage and Missing Families Forum campaign group said on Monday it had “requested assistance from the mediating countries to help restore and implement the existing deal effectively”.
News
SAD! Again, Alleged Herdsmen Attack Three Benue Communities

The communities came under simultaneous attacks just a day after the killing of 11 persons at Otobi Community also in Otukpo LGA.
Benue has in the past decade experienced incessant attacks.
Suspected herdsmen have again stepped up violent attacks as no fewer than three communities in the Otukpo Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State were attacked on Wednesday.
The communities affected during the fresh attacks include Emichi, Odudaje, and Okpamaju all in Otukpo where five persons were killed in February. The communities came under simultaneous attacks just a day after the killing of 11 persons at Otobi Community also in Otukpo LGA.
Local sources confirm that several people may have been feared dead again in the fresh attack.
Wednesday’s attack came hours after Governor Hyacinth Alia confirmed the arrest of three suspected herders in connection with the invasion of Otobi village on Tuesday night.
When contacted, Otukpo LGA Chairman, Maxwell Ogiri, confirmed the attack on the three communities, saying that the attackers stormed the communities at the time when the Commissioner of Police was still at the Ochidoma Palace over the previous day’s attack on Otobi.
He added that three people sustained injury in the attacks on the three communities, leading to women and children abandoning the communities for fear of being killed.
“Only young men were in the communities when the attackers arrived. The prompt response from combined security operatives made the attackers flee and none of them were arrested,” Ogiri stated.
The police spokesperson in the state, Sewuese Anene, was yet to confirm details of the attacks on the three communities.
News
Insecurity: Obi lauds Northern Traditional Ruler’s bold steps

The 2023 Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi has hailed the Northern Traditional Rulers for taking bold steps on the menacing security challenges in the region and in the country.
Obi, who was reacting to the ‘Enough is Enough’ declaration of the royal fathers on the security situation, said that their courageous steps are needed to find a lasting solution to the menace.
Writing on his X handle, Obi said “I would like to sincerely thank the Northern Traditional Rulers for their courageous and timely emergency declaration of the security situation in the region. I cannot agree less with them that “Enough is Enough” regarding the persistent killings and insecurity plaguing our nation.
“Their collective voice, as reported, underscores the urgent need for decisive action to protect lives and restore peace in our communities.
“I urge governments at all levels to work closely with these royal fathers who are closest to the people at the grassroots. Their commitment to addressing these challenges and offering counsel to regional governors reflects true leadership and a deep concern for the well-being of their communities.
“The stance of the Northern Traditional Rulers serves as a clarion call to all stakeholders. We must unite, irrespective of political affiliations, to implement lasting solutions that address the root causes of our nation’s challenges.
“Let us work together to build a Nigeria where every citizen feels safe, valued, and empowered.
News
Snub story on removal of Rivers Sole Administrator, it’s FAKE-Chief Registrar

By Emmanuel Agaji
The Rivers State High Court Chief Registrar, David D Thua-Maduenyi has rubbished speculations suggesting that Rivers Sole Administrator has been removed by the state’s High Court.
Naijablitznews reports this was contained in a statement personally signed by the Chief Registrar saying:
“My attention has been drawn to an online news report with the caption “BREAKING
NEWS: Governor Sim Fubara secures Court victory over Wike and Tinubu –
Federal High Court Orders Sole Administrator to vacate Government House”,
authored by one Joy Musa published by 247 ureports on Tuesday, 15th April, 2025.
“Ordinarily, I would not have bothered myself with any refutal, but for the
mischievous mention of the name of Hon. Justice Boma Diepriye which appears
synonymous with Hon. Justice Boma Diepiri of the Rivers State High Court in
paragraph 4 of the report thus:
“Justice Boma Diepriye, who presided over the case, ruled that the
appointment of a sole administrator to oversee the affairs of a state with
a sitting, democratically elected governor is “illegal, null and void…”
“In view of the above, I wish to state as follows:
Hon. Justice Boma Diepiri is not a Judge of the Federal High Court but a
Judge of the Rivers State High Court, and is already on Easter Vacation,
which commenced on Monday, 14th April, 2025.
“For the period of the Easter Vacation, only the vacation Judge is sitting:
and Hon. Justice Boma Diepiri is not the Vacation Judge.
“The mention of the name of Hon. Justice Boma Diepriye which is similar
with Hon. Justice Boma Diepiri of the Rivers State High Court is not only
false, but misleading, and clearly exposes the crass ignorance of the
reporter; as the Federal High Court is different from Rivers State High
Court.
“No State High Court gave any order(s) relating to or concerning the
subject matter as captioned in the online news.
“It is regrettable that some bloggers and online news reporters have traded
professionalism on the altar of pecuniary gains they seek to derive from traffic on
their social media handle and web pages.
“Henceforth, the Judiciary enjoins the general public to seek clarification on any
news report concerning the Court and official of the Court before publication.
“The general public is advised to clearly ignore the false and misleading publication.
-
News21 hours ago
PDP governors declare support for Tinubu
-
News22 hours ago
Hope for Nigerians as Dangote refinery slashes petrol price again
-
News24 hours ago
Fubara: How can I forgive somebody who never requested for it– Wike
-
News22 hours ago
Rivers Emergency Rule: Abbas inaugurates 21-member panel
-
News23 hours ago
Peter Obi asks president Tinubu to suspend France trip
-
News21 hours ago
N1.3trn CBEX Scam: EFCC caution Nigerians against Ponzi Schemes
-
News8 hours ago
FG expresses sympathy for CBEX victims, urges a united effort to combat Ponzi schemes
-
News23 hours ago
INEC chair, Yakubu calls on African youths to promote peaceful elections