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Anger as gunmen, herdsmen kill 43 in Plateau, Benue states attacks

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GUNMEN, HERDSMEN

 

There is deep sense of anger and despondency in Jos, Plateau State capital, and Benue State, following the killing of 43 people in different attacks across the two states.

Thirty-five people were killed in different attacks in Yelwa Zangam in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Also, eight were killed in Yelawa, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.

Among those killed were a family of 16, burnt to death in Plateau and a mother and four kids, murdered in Benue.

The latest killings in Plateau raised to 58 the number of lives lost to attacks in the state in the last 11 days.

On August 15, 23 persons travelling to Ondo State on their way from a religious event in Bauchi, capital of Bauchi State met their untimely death when their vehicle ran into a group of irate youths on Gada -Biyu – Rukuba Road in Jos North.

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The incident led to the imposition of a 24-hour curfew on Jos North by Governor Simon Lalong. The governor, who later relaxed the curfew, re-imposed it after the Tuesday night killings.

In spite of the curfew, angry youths took to the streets of Jos in protest against the orgy of killings.

They picked up the bodies in Yelwa Zangam, loaded them in trucks and headed for the Government House and the House of Assembly complex.

It was gathered that the youth were prevented from entering the Government House premises in the Rayfield area of Jos by security agents. They dropped some of the bodies at the gate.

They claimed that among the 35 dead were 16 members of a family, who were burnt in their house by the gunmen.

An eye witness told reporters that the gunmen invaded the community at about 9pm , burning houses and shooting at anyone in sight.

He added that the attackers disabled a bridge linking Yelwa Zangam and Naraguta before launching the attack.

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Police spokesman Gabriel Ubah, who confirmed the attack, did not give details.

He said: “We are aware of an incident in the area. I will brief you later.” As of 9.30 pm yesterday, he had yet to do so.

It was however gathered that 10 suspects were arrested by security operatives.
According to reports, the eight persons killed in Yelawa included a housewife and her four children.

Yelewa, a border community between Nassarwa and Benue states is located along the Makurdi- Lafia Highway.

Franc Utoo , Senior Special Assistant to Governor Samuel Ortom on Projects Monitoring and an indigene of the community said: ”Last(Tuesday) night, herdsmen invaded Yelewa and killed a housewife and her four children.

“The woman was preparing supper for the little kids who were playing around. Four other people were also killed during the attack.”

Commander of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) Brig – Gen. Clement Afere, confirmed the incident, saying: “ It’s true. “.

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Lalong condemned the attack as a ”barbaric act” and directed security agencies to track down the assailants and their sponsors.

He said in a statement by his spokesman, Dr. Makut Macham, that the attack was carefully planned.

The governor, who sympathised with the victims, called for calm, urging those in Jos North council must adhere to the 24-hour curfew.

He added that the dusk-to-dawn curfew in Jos South and Bassa LGAs will remain until further notice.

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Gunmen attack church in Ekiti, kill pastor, abduct worshippers

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Some yet-to-be-identified gunmen have attacked a Christ Apostolic Church in Eda Oniyo Ekiti, Ilejemeje Local Government Area of Ekiti State, killing a pastor and abducting an unspecified number of worshippers.


According to reports, the attack, which occurred during a church programme on Tuesday night, has thrown the community into panic, with residents expressing fears over rising insecurity in the area.


Sources in the community said the assailants, who were armed and arrived in numbers, stormed the church located on the outskirts of the town, shot the pastor dead and whisked away several worshippers into a nearby forest.


Sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said efforts were ongoing to determine the exact number of abducted victims.


“The invaders were many. They killed the pastor and took away some worshippers. We cannot say the number yet. Moves to collate those who are missing have begun. The community is in a panic mode for now,” the source said.

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The Police Public Relations Officer in Ekiti state, Sunday Abutu, who confirmed the incident, said the Commissioner of Police, Michael Falade, has ordered a thorough investigation and a manhunt for the perpetrators.


“The Police in collaboration with the Nigerian Army, the Amotekun Corps, the Agro Marshal, the Vigilantes and the local hunters have commenced an aggressive bush combing operations and a serious manhunt on the perpetrators in order to ensure the rescue of the victims and the arrest and prosecution of the culprits,” Abutu said.


He added that the police were working to ensure the safe rescue of the victims and the arrest of those responsible.



“The commissioner of Police calls for calm as necessary steps are currently being taken to salvage the situation and forestall recurrence.


“Members of the public are charged to be security conscious, vigilant and promptly report any suspicious person or group of persons found within their environments to the police and other security agencies for necessary proactive actions,” he added.

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Abutu also advised religious leaders to notify the police before organising late-night gatherings to enable adequate security arrangements.


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Couple beats adopted daughter to death in Lagos

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The Igando community in Lagos state  has been thrown into deep mourning following the death of a 10-year-old girl, who was allegedly beaten to death by her adopted parents, Paul Onyeama and Adline Ogbonna.

According to reports, the incident occurred on Sunday, following weeks of alleged abuse.

The couple, who lived on Jemesi Papa Street, reportedly subjected the minor to persistent maltreatment, including frequent assaults and sending her on strenuous errands despite her young age.

The girl, identified as Faith, was said to have fallen ill for about two weeks, but the alleged abuse reportedly continued unabated.

A resident of the area, said the situation escalated on Sunday when the husband and wife were said to have severely beaten the ailing child, leading to her death.

He said, “The couple had adopted a 10-year-old girl. They had been consistently maltreating and assaulting the child, while also sending her on unnecessary errands.

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“I was informed that the girl had been sick for about two weeks, yet the abuse continued. Yesterday, both the husband and wife allegedly beat the child severely despite her condition, and sadly, she died.”

It was gathered that the suspects later rushed the victim to a hospital, where she was confirmed dead on arrival.

Youths in the area, who were reportedly angered by the development, apprehended the woman.

The husband had allegedly left home earlier to procure a tricycle to dispose of the girl’s corpse, was also held by the youths.

“The moment the girl died, they kept her corpse in the room and acted as though nothing had happened. The wife even came out this morning to cook in the kitchen like nothing had happened.

“It was residents who had been observing what was going on that raised the alarm about the whereabouts of the girl before they discovered that she had died. If they had succeeded in disposing of the body, no one would have known her whereabouts,” a resident said.

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Police operatives were thereafter deployed to the scene, leading to the arrest of the couple and the recovery of the child’s body.

“Our preliminary findings revealed that the child was already dead before she was brought to the medical facility. The case will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, for further investigation,” a source said.

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EFCC arrests Cameroonian businessman for alleged ₦1.5bn bank fraud in Lagos

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Operatives of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ikoyi, Lagos, have arrested a Cameroonian businessman, Bekono Eric, for allegedly defrauding a first-generation bank of about N1.5bn.

A statement by Dele Oyewale, the Commission’s spokesperson, described the 47-year-old suspect as a member of a suspected trans-border syndicate that allegedly specialises in credit card fraud.

He was arrested on Thursday, April 23, 2026, in the Ikorodu area of Lagos.

According to the EFCC, investigations revealed that members of the suspected syndicate allegedly open bank accounts in Nigeria, obtain Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards and PINs, and then move to neighbouring countries where they allegedly used the cards to carry out fraudulent transactions on accounts belonging to customers with high balances.

The suspect will be charged in court as soon as investigations are concluded.

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