In the Benue State Okpokwu Local Government Area, gunmen kidnap some of its citizens.
At around 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, the abductors allegedly attacked a commercial bus along the Eke axis of the road, robbed the passengers, and led them to a bush before fleeing.
Read more about Benue Killings: Security Operatives Announce Arrest Of Suspects here.
The attackers reportedly ambushed the passengers, according to eyewitnesses.
Austin Agada, a state resident who was just passing by the scene, immediately called security forces and mobilized them to the area and set up rescue operations.
He also reached out to the local youth and vigilance organizations in the three villages around Eke to request surveillance and comb the nearby bushes in search of the abducted victims.
To ensure a coordinated response to the crisis, an official from the bus company was also given details about the vehicle and the military personnel leading the rescue operation.
Following the release of a disturbing video that prompted questions about Goodluck Ihemnacho’s resignation as the administrator of the Ahoada East Local Government Area in Rivers State, Controversy has followed his reported resignation.
In the letter of resignation addressed to Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, the sole administrator, resigned. Ihemnacho was quoted as appreciating the opportunity to serve.
The letter read in part, “I humbly write to your noble office to inform you that I resign as the administrator of Ahoada East LGA. My sincere thanks go to the government of Rivers State and the good people of Ahoada East for recognizing my merits from April 11 to July 2025.”
Read more about Rivers Council Administrator’s resignation amid allegations of coercion and political intrigue.
Given that July 20th is still a month away, this raises some questions.
However, a video of a man being brutally beaten by a group of unidentified people went viral online on Saturday evening.
He was repeatedly struck with canes while he was filmed in the video being filmed yelling at him to “sign that thing” and “put your signature” while he was clearly distressed and in pain.
He appeared to be holding a pen while he was spotted with two documents, which are thought to be resignation letters.
Mr. Alabi Umegbewe, the council secretary, was also dragged into the room and assaulted, later identified as the second man.
Officially, there is no dispute about the video’s authenticity, and sources said the attack may not be connected to the upcoming local government elections.
The absence of the two mobile police officers that are attached to the council administrator has also caused concerns.
Further questions about possible complicity or dereliction of duty were raised by a source who claimed both officers were “eating” at the time of the incident.
No official statement regarding the incident was made by the police or the Rivers State government at the time of filing this report.
Ihemnacho’s mobile phone has been off since Saturday, so he could not be reached for comment.
The killing of some of the state’s indigenous people by a suspected mob in the Plateau State’s Mangu Local Government Area has been condemned by Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani.
When the victims were apprehended by the mob in the Mangun district, they were said to be leaving Zaria in Kaduna State for a wedding in Plateau State’s Quan Pan Local Government Area.
During the attack, several other people suffered various injuries, with the travelers instantly dead.
Governor Sani called on security forces to immediately detain and prosecute those responsible for the attack in a statement while expressing shock and sadness over such a barbaric act.
He vowed that the Kaduna State Government would not leave any stone unturned until the criminals were detained and tried in court.
We must put an end to non-state actors’ nefarious activities, the governor remarked. In any location in the nation, there is no justification for anyone to attack a Nigerian citizen. This mania must end. It’s enough, enough is enough.
Also read: Mob kills eight wedding-bound travelers in Plateau.
Governor Sani urged Caleb Mutfwang to use the unfortunate incident to make a bold statement by directing security agencies’ operations until the murderers are brought to justice using the unfortunate incident.
To send a clear message that impunity will no longer be tolerated, the governor made a promise to personally monitor the progress made in the investigations and field operations aimed at the criminals.
He urged the people of Kaduna State to remain calm, saying that all efforts would be made to bring justice to the victims.
Sani also offered comfort to the victims’ families as they grieved the loss of their loved ones.
He continued, “We have made remarkable progress in Kaduna State’s peacebuilding and transformation.” A toxic environment can be transformed into an “oasis of peace” with political will, commitment, and sincerity of purpose, as demonstrated by the Kaduna Peace Model.
In order to implement President Bola Tinubu’s call for the establishment of a peace committee to combat insecurity in the state, George Akume, the secretary to the government of the Federation (SGF), has begun consultations with traditional Benue leaders.
Akume visited the Tor Tiv James Ortese Ayatse and the Och’Idoma, John Elaigwu Odogbo, at their palaces in Makurdi and Otukpo, respectively, in a statement from Terrence Kuanum, Special Adviser on Public Affairs to the SGF, on Saturday.
Following his condolence and solidarity visit to the state on Wednesday following a deadly attack in Yelewata that reportedly claimed over 200 lives, the consultations were aimed at fine-tuning modalities for the president’s directive’s prompt implementation.
Both traditional rulers were informed of their appointment by President Tinubu to the Peace Committee by Senator Akume.
In light of the recent killings, SGF George Akume makes a visit to Benue.
He emphasized the need for swiftly forming a consensus-building process to create an inclusive and effective committee capable of restoring peace and stability to the troubled region.
The President, in his opinion, is deeply concerned about how the violence continues to affect Benue, the country’s main agricultural producer and key contributor to national food security.
In light of the recent killings, SGF George Akume makes a visit to Benue.
The SGF commended the royal fathers for their efforts to ensure that the traditional institution continues to be active in protecting local communities while welcoming the president during his recent visit.
Both the Tor Tiv and the Och’Idoma praised the Federal Government’s support for the peace-building process. Numerous well-known Benue figures accompanied the SGF on their visits.
Incessant killings
Benue area attacked as a result of new killings.
The Benue attacks were “a deliberate, well-planned, full-scale genocidal invasion and land-grabbing campaign by herder terrorists and bandits,” according to The Tor Tiv.
The rising death toll and destruction have sparked outrage and condemnation across the country. The most recent massacre in Yelewata, according to Pope Leo XIV, was a “terrible tragedy” and necessitated urgent intervention to put an end to the conflict.
A recent wave of violent attacks, frequently attributed to suspected herdsmen, have plagued the state. Numerous observers have attributed the current situation to nomadic pastoralists’ land disputes with indigenous farming communities.
Over 160 people have died in various communities over the past two months, just one of them. In one of the most recent incidents, a quick raid on Yelewata resulted in scores of murders and more than 3, 000 displacements. Civil society organizations insist that the death toll is more than 200, compared to 59 in government figures.
President Tinubu visited Benue on Wednesday to assess the security situation and express condolences to the victims in the midst of growing criticism from the opposition and human rights organizations.
To promote community-based reconciliation and restore stability, Tinubu announced the establishment of a Peace Committee made up of traditional rulers like the Tor Tiv and the Och’Idoma.
Tinubu is visiting the Yelwata attack victims in a hospital in Makurdi. State House is in the background.
The president urged security agencies to take a decisive stance at a stakeholder meeting held at the Government House in Makurdi.
“Police, I hope your men are listening for information,” the policeman said. Why hasn’t an arrest been made yet? According to Tinubu, I anticipate that those criminals will be apprehended.
The president continued, “Christopher, you have given a lot,” in a direct message to the Chief of Defence Staff and other senior officers. You can’t get tired of being in the bush, I hear you saying. We appreciate your hospitality, Oloyede and the Air Marshal, but we must maintain our ears on the ground. Get those criminals, folks. Let’s remove them.
He further instructed intelligence services to improve data collection and surveillance.
Brigadier General Kingsley Chidiebere Uwa, commander of the newly established Forward Operating Base (FOB) Wukari, led troops of the newly established Forward Operating Base (FOB) Wukari in a successful two-day clearance operation across parts of Southern Taraba in an ongoing effort to eliminate criminal elements that undermine the peace and security of communities in Taraba State.
The intensive operation, which was conducted in Wukari and Takum Local Government Areas between June 19 and June 20, 2025, targeted known bandit communities and alleged criminal hideouts.
On June 19, 2025, troops moved along the High Tension route in Wukari LGA, passing through towns like Lortema, Gudu, Mbayenge, and Teyotima.
Strategic areas like river lines, high grounds, abandoned settlements, and known terrorist hideouts were thoroughly searched, according to an acting assistant director, Army Public Relations, Captain Olubodunde Oni, of the 6 Brigade, Nigeria Army.
To prevent the state’s Wukari Local Government Area from destroying law and order, this operation comes after the Nigerian Army’s forward operating base was established in the state’s Wukari Local Government Area.
[Benue Killings] Go After Attackers, CDS Directs Commanders
Credible information about the location of Teyotima village’s mother, Angba (FNU), is well known as “Yellow.” The suspect is alleged to have a refuge in the village. No weapons or suspects were discovered, despite the cordoned off and searched area.
Further operations expanded to Ikayior village, where Akiki Utiv, alias “Full Fire,” is a known wanted criminal. A bandit camp was discovered and destroyed within the village by soldiers.
14 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition loaded in an AK-47 magazine were recovered after conducting a search of the premises. In order to stop criminal elements from using the camp in the future, the camp was later destroyed.
Without making any enemy contact, troops continued clearing operations through Chanchangi, Jam Kaanan, Hingir, Ukum, and Nbaume villages in Takum LGA on June 20.
However, troops encountered hostile fire at Mande Atsager, which was Verior John Gata’s wanted bandit leader’s hideout. The bandits fled into the nearby forest and abandoned their camp after being overrun by the troops’ superior firepower.
A search of the location turned up a building with four in-built detention cells, one of which is thought to have been used to hold kidnapped victims pending ransom payments. A human skull-containing shrine was also discovered by soldiers, which suggests that occult practices are employed to support criminal activity. The camp was completely destroyed, and the entire area was cleared.
The Special Adviser to the Executive Governor of Benue State on Documentation, Research, and Planning, Mkor Aondona, has been taken into custody by the Makurdi Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly extorting and cyberbullying.
Aondona was detained in Makurdi on Friday, June 20, 2025, after allegations that some female students had accused the governor’s aide of being a victim of unethical and criminal behavior that included blackmail, cyberbullying, and sexual exploitation.
The petitioners alleged that Aondona frequently sought out slim, attractive girls for janitorial jobs and demanded that they be given sexual favors as a selection criterion.
Read more about the “Campaign Of Rape” story here.
Based on this, they began to suspect sexual activity with him, but they were unaware that he had sexually explicit videos and threatened to release them if they refused to continue having sex with him.
Aondona is also alleged to have been involved in blackmail, sending explicit videos of the girls that were allegedly hacked into without their knowledge or consent via various messaging services. Some of the videos are said to be available.
