The family of the murdered Dnako village head in Bwari Area Council of the FCT, HRH Etsu Yuda Garba, has revealed that the two grandchildren of the village head, including five other residents who were abducted alongside the chief, are still alive in their abductors’ captivity.

A family member of the late village head, Mr. Tanko Baba, while giving update on the incident through telephone on Tuesday, said the kidnappers’ leader called on Monday, saying the chief’s grandchildren and the five other residents were alive and healthy.

He said during the conversation, the family pleaded with the kidnappers’ leader to cut down the ransom to a level that they could afford, and he agreed to reduce it from N100 million to N90 million.

He said, “It was my elder brother that spoke with the leader of the kidnappers on Monday, around 11:23 am and during the conversation, the kidnappers’ leader gave the phone to the chief’s grandchildren to confirm that they are alive alongside the five other residents.’’

He said their leader insisted on the N90 million ransom, adding that they threatened to kill one of the victims again should the family delay in raising the money.

He said, “As am talking to you right now, the family are in state of devastation because we don’t know how and where to raise such money. And that is how they threatened to kill the chief like play, at the end, they ended up killing him.”

It would be recalled that the kidnappers had on March 11, 2025 invaded Dnako village in Bwari around 12:03 am and abducted the late chief, two of his grandchildren, Ephraim and Philemon, alongside five other residents of the community.

The kidnappers who had earlier demanded for N100 ended up killing the chief on Sunday, and dumped his corpse at Knakuchi village under Kagarko LGA of Kaduna State.

The corpse of the late chief was retrieved by the vigilantes and he was buried in Dnako village in Bwari.

(Daily Trust)

About two persons have been killed in the protracted land dispute between the people of Umuobor, Akaeze, and their Ogwor neighbours in Ishiagu, both in Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

The two neighbouring communities have been at war for over five decades over a vast, fertile land known as Elueke, with many lives lost and properties worth billions of naira destroyed.

The situation forced Governor Francis Nwifuru to declare the disputed land a buffer zone and also set up a committee to find lasting solutions to the crisis.

However, killings, maiming, and destruction still persist. On Monday, an elderly man and woman were killed in the disputed land by suspected warlords.

An activist, Nwoba Chika Nwoba, said he had written to Governor Francis Nwifuru to urgently bring the war to an end but claimed that nothing had been done.

“I got information that these aged persons here were killed in the fight between Ishiagu & Akaeze today in Ivo LGA of Ebonyi State. I had written twice earlier that the governor, Hon. Francis Nwifuru, should do something urgently to bring this to halt, but I’m not sure he has done anything obvious to end the feud.

“These corpses are from Akaeze. I don’t know yet if the Ishiagu side has a casualty. I’m still calling on the Governor to do something to end this lest it becomes too difficult to handle. Every life matters, stakeholders of these two towns should join hands and get this unnecessary conflagration quenched,” he said.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu, said he had not received a report of the incident.

Operatives of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command have arrested one Ndifreke Nelson in connection with the alleged murder of his girlfriend identified as Emem Effanga.

Effanga, 39, was confirmed dead in a yet-to-be-disclosed hospital after she was allegedly strangled by her boyfriend.

The spokesperson of the Akwa Ibom Police Command Timfon John confirmed the incident in Uyo, the state capital on Monday.

According to the command’s spokesperson, the operatives visited the scene and discovered visible marks of violence on her face and neck, suggesting that she might have been strangled.

“Operatives of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command have arrested one Ndifreke Isaiah Nelson,32, for the alleged murder of his girlfriend, Emem Monday Effanga, 39, and stealing her mobile phone after committing the crime,” he said.

“Sometime in February 2025, the command received a report that the deceased was found dead in her apartment under suspicious circumstances.

“Upon arrival at the scene, operatives observed visible marks of violence on her face and neck, suggesting she had been strangled and beaten to death.

“The scene was processed, evidence documented, and the body was evacuated to the hospital where she was confirmed dead by medical personnel. The corpse was thereafter deposited at the mortuary for preservation and autopsy.”

The PPRO said that following swift investigations, “detectives traced the last person seen with the deceased to be Ndifreke Isaiah Nelson who had visited her residence on February 6, 2025, the morning of his birthday.

“The suspect was later tracked to a church in Uyo where he attempted to escape upon sighting police operatives but was swiftly pursued and apprehended.

“During interrogation, the suspect confessed to visiting the victim that morning and demanding to use her phone to take pictures for his birthday celebration on social media.

“When she refused, a struggle ensued, during which he overpowered her, strangled her with his hands, and struck her head on the floor with fist blows, leaving her unconscious before fleeing with her phone. One Itel Super Phone, belonging to the deceased, was recovered from him at the time of arrest.”

John who disclosed that a postmortem examination had been conducted and the cause of her death documented by a pathologist assured the public that justice would be served, adding that the case had been charged to court.