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Tinubu Condemns ‘Heinous Attacks’ In Plateau, Orders Arrest Of Culprits

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President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday condemned the attack in Plateau State, describing it as heinous.

Gunmen had stormed the over 15 communities in the Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi Local Government Areas of the state on Christmas Eve, killing over 115 people.

Several houses were set ablaze by the attackers on Sunday night. The gun-wielding and blood-curling men also looted farm produce and destroyed properties as they butchered the residents. No group has claimed responsibility for the tragic attack.

Reacting to the incident, President Tinubu ordered security agencies to arrest the perpetrators of the attack.

“President Tinubu directs security agencies to immediately move in, scour every stretch of the zone, and apprehend the culprits,” the President said in a statement by his spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale.

The President also directed the “immediate mobilisation of relief resources for surviving victims of the primitive and cruel attacks as well as medical treatment for the wounded.”

“While condoling with the government and the people of Plateau State, President Tinubu assures Nigerians that these envoys of death, pain, and sorrow will not escape justice.”

‘Barbaric’

The attacks which started in the Bokkos area spilled into neighbouring Barkin Ladi where 30 people were found dead, according to local chairman Danjuma Dakil.

On Sunday, Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang condemned the violence, calling it “barbaric, brutal and unjustified.”

“Proactive measures will be taken by the government to curb ongoing attacks against innocent civilians,” said Gyang Bere, the governor’s spokesperson.

Gunfire could still be heard on late Monday afternoon, according to a source from the region, which is on the dividing line between Nigeria’s mostly Muslim north and mainly Christian south.

Markus Amorudu, a resident of Mushu village, said people were sleeping when shots rang out.

“We were scared because we weren’t expecting an attack. People hid, but the assailants captured many of us, some were killed, others wounded,” he told AFP.

Amnesty International criticised the government in the wake of the attacks, saying “the Nigerian authorities have been failing to end frequent deadly attacks on rural communities of Plateau state,” in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Northwest and central Nigeria have been long terrorised by bandit militias operating from bases deep in forests and raiding villages to loot and kidnap residents for ransom.

Competition for natural resources between nomadic herders and farmers, intensified by rapid population growth and climate pressures, has also exacerbated social tensions and sparked violence.

A jihadist conflict has raged in northeastern Nigeria since 2009, killing tens of thousands of people and displacing around two million, as Boko Haram battles for supremacy with rivals linked to the Islamic State group.

President Tinubu, a former Lagos governor elected in February in a highly contested ballot, has promised to attract more investment to Africa’s largest economy and most populous country in a bid to tackle its persistent security challenges.

Crime

Female Corps Member Recalls Harrowing Assault by Anambra Security Forces

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A National Youth Service Corps member, Jennifer Elohor, who was brutalised by Anambra security operatives, otherwise known as  “Agunechemba”, at a corpers lodge in Oba, Idemili Local Government Area of the state, has recounted her harrowing experience.

In a video that went viral on Tuesday, the operatives armed with guns stormed the corps members’ lodge, accused them of being Internet fraudsters, although they knew they were corps members. They were seen beating the female corps member despite her cries for help.

The incident has continued to generate widespread reactions across the state, with stakeholders, civil society organisations, human rights groups, and lawmakers condemning the action of the vigilante group, with many demanding justice for the victim and calling for sanctions against the vigilante team.

Elohor, who narrated her ordeal in an interview with a media personality, Aprokoking, shared online on Wednesday, said the Anambra State operatives broke into her residence, assaulted her, and forcefully took her and some of her colleagues away.

This is just as the Anambra State Government has tendered a public apology to the victim and anyone who had suffered abuse or harassment in the hands of Agunechemba personnel.

The corps member said the incident occurred on July 13, around 5pm, at the lodge where she and other corps members were residing.

She said she and her colleagues were indoors when suddenly they heard a violent knock on their door.

She said, “At first, we thought it was our neighbours’ door because it’s a three-storey building with several flats. But the knock became louder and more aggressive, so I decided to check. Before I could reach the door, it was kicked open.

“A masked man armed with a gun stormed into the room without any form of identification or uniform.

“At first, I thought it was an armed robber until he ordered all of us to come outside. I tried to explain that we were corps members and even suggested showing our NYSC identity cards. My colleagues also presented theirs, but the men ignored us. The intruders ransacked our room, seized our phones and laptops, and became violent.

“They pushed us downstairs, almost shoving me down the staircase. They kept asking what gave me the right, as a woman, to challenge them. It was when we got outside that we saw their vehicle and discovered they were from the Anambra Vigilante Group.”

She further claimed that when they requested to call their lodge proprietor or NYSC officials to notify them of where they were being taken to, the vigilante members became more brutal and violent.

“They beat me, tore my clothes, and even hit one of my colleagues with an iron rod for pleading on my behalf. They forced me into their vehicle, pressing my neck, slapping me, and threatening to smash our phones if we contacted anyone,” she added.

Following the outrage, the Anambra State Government, through the Special Adviser to the state governor on Community Security and leader of Agunechemba, Ken Emeakayi, while speaking to journalists on Thursday, restated that the eight personnel responsible have been identified, sacked, arrested and detained.

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Crime

Owo Bombing: Court Approves Protection for Witnesses

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……As court sets September 10 for bail ruling.

Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has approved protection measures for witnesses expected to testify in the trial of five suspects linked to the June 5, 2022 bombing at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.

The ruling followed an ex parte application by the prosecution, led by Calistus Eze, under the Terrorism Prevention Act 2022.

The accused—Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar—face a nine-count terrorism charge related to their alleged ties to the East African terrorist group Al-Shabab. The attack resulted in over 40 deaths.

Prosecutor Eze emphasized the severity of the charges in support of witness protection. The defendants’ counsel, Abdullahi Muhammad, raised no objections.

Separately, Abdullahi Muhammad filed bail applications for the suspects, which the prosecution opposed. Eze argued that due to the suspects’ suspected foreign terrorist links, there was a high risk they might abscond if granted bail. He also cited concerns about potential threats to the six witnesses and doubts over the reliability of any sureties.

The prosecutor informed the court that the Department of State Services (DSS) has approved visitation rights for the suspects’ families while in custody.

During the hearing, Eze also notified the court of the Attorney General’s appointment of Senior Advocate of Nigeria Ayodeji Adedipe as the new lead prosecutor. The case file transfer is ongoing.

Justice Nwite adjourned the matter until September 10 for a ruling on the bail application.

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Crime

Tragedy in Imo: Son Fatally Stabs Father Over Land Sale Dispute

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A tragic incident has rocked the community of Amaifeke in Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State, where a 39-year-old man, Ifeanyi Odinka, allegedly stabbed his 75-year-old father, Dennis Odinka, to death following a dispute over proceeds from a land sale.

Confirming the incident, the Imo State Police Command said Ifeanyi was arrested by operatives from the Orlu Division on August 12, 2025. According to police spokesperson ASP Henry Okoye, the suspect confessed to the crime during interrogation.

“He was immediately transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Owerri for further investigation and prosecution,” Okoye stated.

The gruesome killing has left residents in shock, with community members describing the incident as deeply disturbing and calling for justice to take its course.

The police have assured the public that the suspect will face the full weight of the law. They also reiterated their commitment to maintaining law and order across the state, urging residents to report any suspicious activity to the authorities.

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