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JUST IN: Tinubu orders offensive as fresh Plateau attack leaves 51 dead

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President Bola Tinubu has strongly condemned the violence in Plateau State, urging the state’s leadership to find a lasting solution to persistent communal conflicts.

This comes after at least 51 people were again killed by gunmen with scores injured in the early hours of Monday in the Zikke and Kakpa communities in Bassa Local Government Area of the North Central state, two weeks after deadly clashes in another part of the state left several people dead.

Last week, the National Emergency Agency said gunmen had killed at least 52 people and displaced nearly 2,000 others over several days of attacks in Plateau, which has had a history of violence between farmers and cattle herders.

On Monday, residents said 51 bodies had been recovered in the Zikke and Kimakpa villages in Plateau’s Bassa district, while several more were reportedly injured.

The cause of the attack was not immediately known.

“We cannot allow this devastation and the tit-for-tat attacks to continue. Enough is enough,” Tinubu said in a statement signed Monday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

The statement is titled ‘President Tinubu condemns latest attack in Plateau, charges Governor Mutfwang to resolve underlying communal issues.’

Tinubu expressed profound sorrow over the bloodshed and extended his condolences to Governor Caleb Mutfwang, the state government, and the people of Plateau.

The President argued that “The ongoing violence between communities in Plateau State, rooted in misunderstandings between different ethnic and religious groups, must cease.

”Therefore, he called on the governor to demonstrate political resolve in addressing the underlying communal issues fueling the violence and establishing enduring peace.“

Beyond dealing with the criminal elements of these incessant killings, the political leadership in Plateau State, led by Governor Caleb Mutfwang, must address the root cause of this age-long problem.

“These problems have been with us for more than two decades. We can no longer ignore the underlying issues.

“It is time to tackle them fairly and find a lasting solution. I have discussed these problems with the governor over time and offered suggestions for lasting peace,” Tinubu asserted.

He emphasised the importance of fostering unity and harmony across ethnic and religious lines.

Tinubu also appealed to community, spiritual, and political leaders both within and outside Plateau State to work together to halt the cycle of retaliatory attacks devastating affected communities.

He said, “I have instructed security agencies to thoroughly investigate this crisis and identify those responsible for orchestrating these violent acts.

”President Tinubu reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to supporting the Plateau State government in fostering dialogue, social cohesion, and accountability, crucial steps towards permanently resolving the conflict.

“The Federal Government remains committed to supporting Governor Mutfwang and the Plateau State government in promoting dialogue, fostering social cohesion, and ensuring accountability—crucial steps towards permanently resolving the conflict in Plateau,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, a youth leader in the community, Joseph Chudu, confirmed the attack, which began around 12am on Monday in Jos.

Chudu said that the gunmen invaded the community in large numbers shooting and burning their houses.

Chudu said, “The attack lasted for more than one hour. Many who sustained injuries have been evacuated to the Jos University Teaching Hospital. Please, we need blood for the injured.”

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BREAKING: Nnamdi Kanu Sacks All Lawyers, To Represent Himself

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The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has informed the Federal High Court in Abuja that he will personally conduct his defense in the ongoing terrorism case brought against him by the Federal Government.

This declaration came during Thursday’s proceedings, following the withdrawal of his legal team, led by senior advocate Kanu Agabi (SAN), alongside other Senior Advocates of Nigeria who had been representing him.

The courtroom was thrown into mild surprise when Mr. Kanu told Justice James Omotosho that he intended to take charge of his own defense, stating his decision to act as his own counsel moving forward.

Justice Omotosho, in response, offered to assign a court-appointed lawyer to assist him, but Mr. Kanu declined the offer, insisting that he would proceed without any legal representation.

The court subsequently adjourned to allow Mr. Kanu to prepare for his defense under the new arrangement.

Mr. Kanu, who has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since his re-arrest and extradition to Nigeria in 2021, faces multiple charges bordering on terrorism, treasonable felony, and incitement.

The self-proclaimed IPOB leader has consistently denied all allegations, maintaining that his movement’s agitation for the independence of Biafra is rooted in self-determination and not in violence or terrorism.

The case, which has drawn both national and international attention, is expected to resume in the coming weeks as Mr. Kanu opens his defense without a legal team.

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Indonesia to Repatriate British Grandmother on Death Row, Says Official

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Indonesia will sign an agreement on Tuesday to repatriate two British nationals convicted of drug-related crimes, including Lindsay Sandiford, a grandmother sentenced to death, according to a senior Indonesian government source.

“The practical arrangement will be signed today. The transfer will be done immediately after the technical side is agreed,” the official told AFP, naming Sandiford and Shahab Shahabadi, 35, as the individuals to be returned to the UK.

Sandiford was sentenced to death in 2013 after she was caught smuggling cocaine worth over $2.1 million into Bali from Thailand. The drugs were discovered concealed in a false bottom of her suitcase. Shahabadi, arrested in 2014, is currently serving a life sentence for separate drug offences.

Although the Indonesian source listed Sandiford’s age as 68, public records indicate she is 69.

A joint press conference with Indonesian officials and the British ambassador to Indonesia was scheduled for later Tuesday, according to the Coordinating Ministry for Legal, Human Rights, Immigration and Correctional Affairs.

Tabloid Attention and Personal Testimony

Sandiford’s case received widespread attention in the UK after she admitted to the offences but claimed she was coerced by a drug syndicate that threatened to kill her son. In a 2015 article published in The Mail on Sunday, Sandiford wrote from prison about her fear of imminent execution:

“My execution is imminent, and I know I might die at any time now. I could be taken tomorrow from my cell. I have started to write goodbye letters to members of my family.”

Originally from Redcar, in northeast England, she also wrote that she planned to sing the Perry Como hit “Magic Moments” before facing the firing squad.

During her time in prison, Sandiford reportedly became close friends with Andrew Chan, one of the “Bali Nine” Australian drug smugglers who was executed in 2015.

Policy Shift on Repatriation

The planned transfer follows recent moves by the Prabowo Subianto administration to repatriate foreign nationals serving harsh sentences for drug crimes. In December 2024, Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipina who spent nearly 15 years on death row, was allowed to return home. In February 2025, Serge Atlaoui, a French national, was repatriated after 18 years on death row.

Indonesia, known for having some of the world’s strictest drug laws, last carried out executions in 2016, when three Nigerian citizens and an Indonesian were executed by firing squad. As of early November 2025, more than 90 foreign nationals remain on death row in the country, all for drug-related offences.

The British Embassy in Jakarta declined to comment, directing inquiries to the Indonesian government.

Indonesian authorities have recently signalled the potential resumption of executions, after nearly a decade-long de facto moratorium.

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Bauchi: Boy,17, plucks sister’s eyes for money ritual

The victim’s father told investigators that the suspect lured his daughter, who shares the same parents, into the bush, where he attacked her and forcefully plucked her eyes.

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Bauchi State Police Command, has arrested a teenager, Auwal Dahiru, aged 17, and five others for having forcefully plucked her sister’s eyes for money ritual.

His accomplishes are Mohammed Rabiu, aged 19; Saleh Ibrahim, aged 20; Nasiru Muhammad of Soro town, Ganjuwa LGA; Hassan Garba of Soro town, Ganjuwa LGA; and Garba Dahiru, aged 43, of Soro town.

The Command PPRO, CSP Mohammed Ahmed Wakil, in a statement made available to journalists in Bauchi on Monday, stated that Auwalu lured his seven-year-old sister to the bush, where her eyes were forcefully removed for ritual purposes.

The PPRO added that on 17 October 2025, at about 18:00 hours, one Muhammad Adamu of Bayan Dutse Village, Wailo, Kubi Ward, Ganjuwa LGA, Bauchi State, reported at the Soro Divisional Police Headquarters that on the same date at about 20:00 hours his daughter, Rukayya Muhammad, aged seven years, was attacked with the intention of killing her and an attempt was made to pluck out her eyes.

“Upon receipt of the report, a team of detectives led by CSP Aliyu Mohammad Goni, Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Soro Division, immediately dispatched to the scene, where the suspects were arrested.

At the same time, the victim was quickly evacuated to Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi, for medical treatment.”

A preliminary investigation’s findings revealed that the seven-year-old girl, Rukayya Muhammad, tragically lost her eyesight permanently after her elder brother allegedly removed both of her eyes in a money ritual, reportedly in a desperate attempt to gain wealth.

The victim’s father told investigators that the suspect lured his daughter, who shares the same parents, into the bush, where he attacked her and forcefully plucked her eyes.

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