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BREAKING: Ebonyi Residents Flee Community As Death Toll From Herdsmen Attack Rises To 16

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Residents of Amegu Nkalaha Community in the Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State are fleeing their houses in droves as the death toll in Sunday’s armed herdsmen invasion rose to 16.

On Monday, hundreds of residents were seen on the road, leaving the community with some of their belongings, including cooking pots and mattresses to nearby communities.

On getting to the community, the surviving residents were seen in clusters mourning their losses.

Houses and properties that were burned and destroyed by the invading assailants who took advantage of Sunday morning, when majority of the people had gone to churches.

Three corpses that were recovered on Monday morning were seen either being prepared for burial by family members.

According to reports, seven Yam bans that were burned; 25 houses were completely razed; five houses which didn’t burn down, had their windows and doors badly damaged.

Some of the corpses being buried during the visit had their throats slit while some had several gunshots.

Some residents who spoke in Igbo lamented the complicity of the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian police in the gruesome attack.

They accused the Nigerian military of aiding the Fulani herdsmen attacks, adding that the military and police came on Saturday telling them that nobody should leave the community only for attackers to strike, killing 16 persons and wreaking havoc and for several hours.

After the carnage, they said Nigerian Army troops and some policemen were sent to the community to condole with the residents.

“Worse still, when they came the soldiers seized the phones of our people who were making videos and threatened that if they see the videos of the carnage and pictures of the destruction they will come back and destroy them,” said one Edeze, whose phone was seized.

According to him, “After they carried 10 corpses which our people recovered including a retired policeman namely Mr James Ogbu, from different locations they were slaughtered, the soldiers returned and handed back the phones seized from the people.

“Even the deputy governor of Ebonyi, Mrs Patricia Obila, was the one telling the police that they should go for mass arrest in our community, accusing our people of killing cows belonging to the Fulani herdsmen.

Till now, she hasn’t visited the community.”Edeze regretted that the government only raised its voice when a community is accused of killing cows but will remain silent when “our farms and crops are destroyed by the same cows.”

“If a cow is reportedly killed in a community, is it not the duty of the security agencies to investigate it and fish out the killer? Why would the entire community collectively be punished? After the police extortion for bail and payment for the cow, they will send Fulani militias to invade and slaughter the people who probably knew nothing and the attackers would raze the community.”

He gave the names of those killed as “Simon Ogbuabor, Nnaji Nwa Omebe, James Ogbu retired police officer, Alloy Nnaji aka Eze Nwata, Amos Ogbu, Alfred Igwurube, an Assistant Pastor of Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministry and his principal Pastor Ibam.”

Others are “Idenyi Ebe, Okechukwu Ogbuzuru, Eze Obeagu, Omebe Ogbu, Samuel Nnaji Ede, Obeagu Ogenyi, Nnaji Ebe still missing and Nnaji Okwor still missing.

Joseph Ebe from another village Umulesha was also killed.

“Mrs Ogbu clementina lamented why security agencies didn’t come until after the assailants had gone.

She said: “On Sunday being yesterday we were preparing to go to church, suddenly, we started hearing gunshots.

Then some had already gone to churches for Sunday service, while some had also gone to their farms. The gunshots were coming from all the directions. We were in a state of confusion and some of us entered the bushes and hide.

Shortly, we started seeing rising thick smokes in the sky. Our houses, food bans and our wears were completely burned.

“We slept in the bushes and now we have no house, no food, in short nothing left to live on. I am family haven’t eaten anything since yesterday.

We need help from anywhere.

“Elder Simon Idenyi, who also spoke during the visit accused the military and police of aiding the atrocities of the herdsmen in the community and other parts they have attacked.

He narrated, “What happened is that on February 1st, officials of the state government with the military and police authorities came to us that they want to make peace with us and Fulani Herdsmen.

After discussions with the elders of the community including women, they told us that the problem we had with the Fulani herdsmen had been resolved.

They encouraged us not to leave our houses that the government and security agencies are here to protect us.

They assured us that nothing would happen to us.

“Regrettably, at about 9:30am strange faces we came to understand were Fulani herdsmen wielding AK-47 rifles and machetes surrounded the community and started killing anyone on sight and burning houses randomly.

There was no security agents in sight while the carnage lasted. The attack started around 9:30 am and they left the community around 3:30 pm and no single security agent came until around 5pm.

“The assailants entered every nook and cranny of the community and even church. They killed two inside the church.

They burned our houses, at least 25 houses despite the military and state government assured us of protection and support, that we shouldn’t leave our community.

“Hours after the carnage the soldiers came and told us sorry for the loss and later left.

They took 10 corpses we have recovered to the morgue and still looking for more five people in bushes,” he narrated.

Meanwhile on Monday the Nigeria Police Force confirmed that the security operatives had recovered 10 bodies of people killed in the community.

The Command’s spokesperson, Joshua Ukandu, who confirmed the attack in a statement on Sunday, stated that the police were currently investigating the incident, adding that normalcy had returned to the area.

“Several houses were also burnt selectively in the area, and other properties destroyed. Upon receipt of the information, we drafted police operatives to the area.

“We are currently investigating the incident while normalcy has returned to the area,” the PPRO stated.

“We also recovered 10 corpses from the area. At the moment, our personnel are there, and normalcy is returning to the area,” Ukandu had added.

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Crime

Joint Security Forces Nab 12 Kidnap Suspects, Rescue Victims in Kogi/Kwara Operation (Photos)

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Twelve suspected kidnappers and one informant have been arrested in a coordinated security operation carried out across parts of Kogi and Kwara States.

This was disclosed on Tuesday by the Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo through a press statement made available to newsmen.

He said the suspects were apprehended during a series of raids jointly executed by the Hybrid Force from the Office of the National Security Adviser and Officers and Men of the Forward Operating Base (FOB), Egbe.

The operations covered Isanlu-Esa and Okoloke in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State, and Patigi, Lafiagi and Gbugbu in Kwara State.

The statement identified the suspected kidnappers as Mainasara Abubakar, Sadik Abubakar, Jude Sani, Sanda Abubakar, Lawali Usman, Tukur Shehu, Hassan Abubakar, Kabiru Surajo, Makiri Dodo, Bala Hassan, Umaru Sanda, and Ruwa Abubakar. Also arrested was Rabiu Makeri, who is believed to be an informant for the gang.

According to the statement, the security forces engaged the suspects in a fierce gun battle, during which some of the kidnappers fled, abandoning their motorcycles and kidnap victims. Several kidnapped women were successfully rescued during the confrontation.

“We want to thank the gallant officers from the Office of the National Security Adviser and our men at the FOB, Egbe for their courage and professionalism. We also commend the Kwara State Government for their cooperation, which has yielded this outstanding result,” the statement read.

“Peace has returned to Kogi West as the criminal route from Kwara into our communities has now been disrupted. There will be no hiding place for the criminals. One of the security agents who confronted the kidnappers was shot and he is currently receiving medical treatment at an undisclosed hospital in Yagba West Local Government Area of the State. The Governor of Kogi State, His Excellency Alh. Ahmed Usman Ododo has offered to cover all the costs of treatment”, he said.

The Commissioner further assured the public that the arrested suspects will face full prosecution after investigations, reaffirming the state’s zero-tolerance stance on criminality.

In a separate remark, the Executive Chairman of Yagba West LGA and ALGON Chairman for Kogi State, Hon. Tosin Olokun, expressed gratitude to Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for providing the logistics and support that enabled the success of the operation.

“Governor Ododo promised to restore peace to Yagba West and Yagba as a whole. Today, he has backed those words with decisive action. We can now heave a sigh of relief. The people of Yagba are grateful for his leadership and the results it is delivering,” Olokun said.

The Kogi State Government emphasized its ongoing commitment to working with federal and regional partners to ensure the safety and security of all communities within the state.

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Crime

JUST IN: Court Frees 24 IPOB Members After Four Years of Detention

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A high court in Ebonyi State has ordered the release of 24 members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) after they were held in detention for four years.

The ruling on Thursday marks a significant development in the ongoing legal proceedings involving the group.

The 24 IPOB members were discharged and acquitted by Justice I. P. Chima of Ebonyi State High Court.

It was gathered that they were among the last batch of the IPOB detainees out of the 36 held since May 4 2020.

Meanwhile, their lawyer and human rights activist, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, confirmed their freedom in a statement titled, “Justice Delayed, But Never Denied.”

According to him, the ruling followed the preliminary objection which highlighted the brazen violation of their fundamental rights: particularly the constitutionally guaranteed protection against double jeopardy, enshrined under Section 36(9) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

Ejiofor said the sacred principle, “autrefois acquit”, stipulates that no person shall be tried again for an offence in respect of which they have previously been acquitted.

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Crime

Ebonyi Police arrests sisters in Crime for brother’s kidnap

The two sisters are security agents. while Juliet Chukwu is an operative of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Ngozi Nancy Chukwu is of the Nigeria Immigration Service.

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Two sisters have been apprehended by the Enugu State Police Command for allegedly masterminding the kidnapping of their brother, Mr. Friday Chukwu.

The two sisters, Juliet Chukwu and Ngozi Nancy Chukwu, are the younger sisters of the victim, who hails from Amaeze village, Ishiagu community, in the Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

The two sisters are security agents. while Juliet Chukwu is an operative of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Ngozi Nancy Chukwu is of the Nigeria Immigration Service.

It was gathered that through the duo’s connivance, Chukwu was kidnapped last month on the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway near the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku-Ozalla, in the Nkanu West Local Government Area, Enugu State.

And through the sisters’ prodding and subtle moves, it was claimed that the sum of N30 million was paid for their brother’s release.

Earlier, the two female security operatives orchestrated the abduction of the General Manager of China Oriental Mining Company, Dennis Igwe, in the same area on Monday.

Luck ran out of them when they were traced to a hidden hotel where they were to share the sum of N10m ransom paid for Igwe’s release, and they were arrested.

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