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Gunmen kill 37 in early morning attack on rural community in Benue

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Gunmen who attacked Igama, a rural community in Benue State on Sunday morning, killed 37, residents of the community have revealed.

A survivor, Ambrose Adah, said the attackers raided the community while he and his family were preparing for Mass.

Igama, an agrarian community, located in Okpokwu Local Government area, is 160 kilometres from Makurdi, the Benue State capital.

“While we were preparing for the early morning Mass on Sunday, herdsmen in large numbers riding on motorbikes, invaded our community,” Mr Adah said.

“Members of our community mostly women and youths were killed during the attack.

“So far 37 corpses have been recovered and presently deposited at St Mary’s General Hospital, Okpoga,” the headquarters of Okpokwu Local Government.

“My three-bedroom bungalow and other valuables were destroyed by the herdsmen,” Adah disclosed.

He added: “Dozens of houses were razed to the ground,” while over 500 hundred residents who were displaced by the attack are seeking shelter at Ojigo ward, and other neighbouring communities.

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To forestall further attacks, Mr Adah appealed to the federal government to station a military base in the area.

Corroborating Adah’s claim, the federal lawmaker representing Ado, Ogbadibo and Okpokwu federal constituency, Francis Otta, told Channels Television in a statement that thirty persons were killed in the attack on the Igama community.

“Growing up in Utonkon District of Ado LGA, I knew Igama in Ojigo Ward of Okpokwu LGA as one of the most peaceful communities in Benue South until recently when terrorists turned it to a cesspool of blood,” Mr Ottah was quoted to have said in the statement.

“I, therefore, condemn the killing of 30 innocent people, and still counting… I have contacted security agents who have responded appropriately,” the lawmaker said.

Amina Audu, the chairperson of Okpokwu Local Government, confirmed the incident. She, however, said only 12 corpses have been recovered.

She said the attackers ravaged the two communities– Igama and Efeche, and hundreds of people have been displaced by the attack.

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“The attack has occasioned a humanitarian crisis, not just at Igama but at Opialu, Ojigo and Utonkon, where survivors have fled to,” Ms Audu told this reporter in a telephone interview on Monday.

The local council boss said security operatives comprising the police, military and vigilantes, are patrolling the affected communities.

The Benue state police spokesperson, Sewuese Anene, confirmed the attack, but could not provide details on the casualties.

The state has been under persistent deadly attacks allegedly perpetrated by herdsmen.

In April, 15 people were killed in an overnight raid on Tior-Tyu, a rural community in Tarka Local Government. The attack was blamed on the herdsmen militia.

Clashes between nomadic herdsmen and farming communities are rampant in Benue, a largely agrarian state.

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Hoodlums attack, set police tation ablaze in Anambra

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Hoodlums have attacked and razed the Neni Divisional Police station in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State.

 

Emerging reports suggest that the attackers numbering about thirty stormed the area at about 2am in the morning on Thursday, wreaking havoc on several buildings.

 

The State Police Public Relations officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the hoodlums attacked the police station with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

 

He, however, stated clearly that the hoodlums did not take away any arms or kidnap any police personnel.

 

The police imagemaker further disclosed that the hoodlums were forced to flee after the police operatives subdued them in a superior fire-power adding that tactical operations are still ongoing in the area.

 

Mr Ikenga assured that more updates on the sad incident will be availed to the public in no time.

 

He did not give much details as regards the extent of damages done to the facility.

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Repentant cultists surrender arms in Ogun

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At least 48 repentant cultists in the Sagamu area of Ogun State have surrendered their arms to the Nigeria Police Force and renounced their membership in the various cult groups they belonged to.

The ceremony to profile the repentant cultists and take stock of the arms and ammunition was held at the Palace of the Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Adewale Ajayi, in the Sagamu Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday.

Recall that in January two cult groups, Neo Black Movement, popularly called Aye, and the National Association of Airlords, also known as Eiye Confraternity, Sagamu chapter, wrote letters of apologies to the Akarigbo of Remoland, asking him and other traditional rulers in Remoland to forgive them of their wrongdoings.

 

The two groups had, in a viral letter, pleaded for mercy and promised to abide by the laws of the country.

 

While the letter from the Eiye Confraternity was dated December 22, 2023, that of Aye was dated December 26, 2023.

Weapons submitted by the cultists, who have promised to turn a new leaf, include one pump action gun, four double barrels, seven single barrels, two English pistols, four locally made pistols, and 35 cartridges.

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Speaking at the event, the state’s Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, said the approach of the police to engage in moral persuasion as a way of curbing the incessant cult crises that have ravaged the part of the state led the cultists to renounce their membership and surrender their arms.

 

Alamutu, while urging the repentant cultists not to go back to their old ways, stressed that the police would also work with the Ogun State government and the traditional rulers to convert them into an Anti-Cultism Vanguard that would preach the dangers of cultism to others still engaged in the act.

 

The CP said, “You will recall that last year, this community witnessed disturbing incidences where cultists were on rampage and disturbing the peace of the community that I had to partially relocate to this community.

 

“It was the persistent nature of this crisis that brought the idea of having a second look and approach to the crisis and we thought of using moral persuasion and engagement to see if we can get results and thank God this is the outcome.

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“By giving them this Olive branch, the idea is for them to turn a new leaf. I have had a closed-door meeting with Kabiyesi on how we can engage these youths. Now that we have convinced them that the right thing to do is hard work, we are going to see how we can assist them to be of use to themselves and be our vanguard so that others will have a reason to embrace peace.”

 

In his reaction, Oba Ajayi said the amnesty for the cultists was a result of several engagements and discussions during when many of the cultists regretted their nefarious acts and promised to turn a new leaf.

 

The monarch added, “Not satisfied with the killings and disturbance of these cultists in the town, the community re-strategised and moved against them. The heat was so much that some of them were even forced to leave the town, but they continued to beg, sending emissaries that they were ready to turn a new leaf.

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“We have engaged them and told them point-blank that cultism is not the way forward, that they will only ruin their lives, ruin their family names and the plans of God for their lives.

 

“We told them to submit their weapons and stay away from cultism, and we have promised to integrate them into the society. It is an ongoing exercise, and we hope that their colleagues in other parts of Remoland and Ogun State as a whole will draw a vital lesson and follow suit as well.”

 

He thanked Governor Dapo Abiodun, security agencies, and the Sagamu Security Committee for working round the clock to ensure the success of the amnesty deal for the former cultists.

 

He begged the residents of the community to show the repentant cultists love and support and not treat them as outcasts.

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Police raid kidnappers’ den in Abuja, arrest one

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Men of the Federal Capital Territory Police Command have raided a kidnappers’ den in Jibi forest bordering Dei-dei Abuja and arrested one suspect.

This was disclosed in a statement shared on the command’s X account on Monday by the spokesperson for the command, SP Josephine Adeh.

Adeh said exhibits such as firearms and cows were recovered from the camp.

The statement said, “The operatives of the FCT Police Command, in a continued fight against banditry in FCT, stormed a kidnappers’ den in Jibi forest bordering Dei-dei Abuja on March 23, 2024, at about 6am. On sighting police operatives, the bandits fled from their hideouts to escape arrest.

“The crime prevention operation was carried out on the heels of a credible intelligence that one Mallam Danyaboi and Ilu, gang members and colleagues to one Nasiru Mohammed aka. Danger, who was earlier arrested and paraded by the police command on March 11, 2024, in connection with a series of kidnappings in FCT, had planned a reprisal kidnapping attack in Zuba and its environs for the arrest of their members.

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“Exhibits such as firearms and cows were recovered from the camp.”

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