Crime
Four Killed, Many Injured As Suspected Herdsmen Attack Benue Community

No fewer than Four persons have been killed while many others sustained serious when suspected armed herders attacked Anwule community in Oglewu, Ohimini Local Government Area of Benue State.
Reports also disclosed that many people have also been declared missing in the two days of attacks in the farming community.
A sources in the area disclosed that the armed herdsmen, who had been roaming the community for several days stormed the village Monday morning and attacked the residents with knives and guns, killing two persons and injuring others.
“And yesterday, they came again and attacked the people, killing another two and injuring several persons.
“As we speak, apart from the persons that sustained injuries, many are still missing and unaccounted for”
“The attacks have left the people in fear. People are fleeing their homes and seeking refuge and safety in neighbouring communities.
“We are appealing to the government and security agencies to please save us from the marauders because they want to destroy all our harvests and feed their cattle with it after we toiled to plant our crops earlier in the year only for them to feed their cattle on farms. It is not fair at all.”
Confirming the development, Chairman of Ohimini council, Gabriel Adole, said he had reported the incident to the state government and security agencies.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Udeme Edet could not be reached at press time for his reaction.
Vanguard
Crime
Communal Clash: Ebonyi Gov Sacks Government Appointees, Withdraws Monarch Certificates, Others

Abakaliki- The Ebonyi State, Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru has visited Okporojo in Oso Edda in Edda Local Government Area, Ebonyi State, where five persons were killed and beheaded, many people kidnapped and several properties were razed with fire by unidentified armed men, allegedly from Amasiri in Afikpo Local Government Area Ebonyi State.
Following the ugly incident, Governor Nwifuru has ordered the immediate removal from office of all Government appointees from the Amasiri community of Afikpo Local Government Area.
They include Members of the State Executive Council down to Management Committee Members who are from the community.
The Governor also approved the immediate dissolution of the Town Union Executive and Village Heads and withdrawal of the certificate of recognition/ Staff of Office from the traditional ruler.
He directed those affected to immediately hand over government properties in their possession including official Vehicles to the Secretary to the State Government.
Crime
Lagos Monarch Raises Alarm Over Activities of Illegal Traditional Chiefs in Otta – Ikosi Ejinrin

The olota of Otta -ikosi Ejirin in Ikosi/Ejinrin local Government Development Council {LCDA}, Oba Elias Adedapo Ijelu has raised the alarm over the activities of impostors who are parading themselves as traditional chiefs of the town without the consent of the traditional ruler and the rule guiding obas and chiefs of Lagos state.
The monarch was speaking against the backdrop of the development which was termed barbaric and an affront on the constituted traditional institution as well as state government laws which express the functions of traditional rulers in the obas and chiefs’ law of the state.
He stated the unscrupulous activities of the group have, over the years, affected the progress and peace as well as co-existence of the town as many of them were involved in nefarious and land-grabbing activities.
Oba Omoloro explained that he had on many occasions cautioned the mischiefmakers to desist from the act capable of bringing chaos and making the town governable, noting that the warning usually fell on their deaf ears as they felt they were untouchable.
He further added that it is absurd to learn that mischiefmakers are the ones behind land grabbers in the town by backing the perpetrators of this unscrupulous act and dragging the development in town backwards.

The traditional ruler emphasised that the illegal traditional chiefs have through nefarious acts and land-grabbing activities disobey the Lagos state anti-land-grabbing law established to curtail the menace of land-grabbers in the state.
He noted that he has written several letters to the state government and the police authorities, but nothing tangible was achieved.
“Most of these illegal chiefs have nothing to do for themselves. Rather, they had created a nuisance as surety and signing for landgrabbers in the communities.”
The Lagos State Council obas had also interfered in matters and instructed the particular illegal traditional chief to go back to the traditional ruler and do the needful if he really wanted to be a baale in Otta, Ikosi -ejinrin
Oba Omoloro maintained that part of the reason why the illegality continues is the vacuum the Interregnum period has created before he ascended the throne, noting that the illegality had given mischief-makers undue opportunities to perpetrate illegality.
He called on the Lagos state government, and the Nigeria Police Force to, as a matter of urgency, help restore the rule of law and secure the lives and properties of ordinary citizens in the area.
Crime
41 Arrested in Benue Over Alleged Slaughterhouse as Probe Begins

Benue State authorities have arrested 41 suspects over an alleged slaughterhouse in Makurdi, following viral claims that people were lured and killed there during the Yuletide season.
Police are investigating, while the state government plans to assess the area, citing it as a poorly planned slum with congestion issues.
Confirming the arrests, the Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, said the suspects were taken into custody for screening as part of preliminary investigations.
Edet noted that the arrests were aimed at unravelling the circumstances surrounding the allegations and determining the authenticity of claims circulating on social media.
Meanwhile, the General Manager of the Benue State Urban Development Board, Ternongo Mede, said the state government had already planned to visit the area for assessment, describing the location as a densely populated and poorly planned slum.
Providing an update on Sunday via telephone, Mede said, “Actually, we have planned to visit that area because it is a slum area. If you get to the place, you will discover that most people cannot access their homes.”
He explained that the area had become severely congested due to unregulated development and overlapping land claims.
The place is overdeveloped, too choked. All these things are coming out as a result of the railway corporation claiming its lands and the Jukun also claiming their lands,” he said.
Mede further alleged that some individuals were allocating land without government approval, compounding the problem.
“The Jukun people are giving plots of land to individuals without recourse to government input. So, we noticed all these things, and we have been planning to visit the place and do an update of the area,” he added.
He disclosed that Governor Hyacinth Alia had directed relevant agencies to look into opening up access roads in the area to improve mobility and security.
“We will only go there to see how we can create access roads in the areas that are choked, reduce them, and make the place habitable,” Mede said.
On the specific allegation of a slaughterhouse, the urban development boss said he had not personally seen the facility but acknowledged the need for a thorough assessment.
“I have not seen the alleged slaughterhouse; I only heard about it. I feel it is wise that we assess the area so that in case the governor calls, we can provide a reasonable brief,” he stated.
Authorities say investigations are ongoing to establish the facts surrounding the claims, while residents have been urged to remain calm as security agencies continue their work.
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