News
15 cops, five soldiers killed as Boko Haram takes over 50 Niger villages, hoists flag
The spate of insecurity in the country assumed a more dangerous dimension on Monday as Boko Haram insurgents made inroads into Niger State and gunmen killed two students of Greenfield University in Kaduna state.
Also on Monday, the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State, Professor Richard Kimbir, said kidnappers attacked the institution on Saturday night.
In Kebbi State, the police said nine of their personnel were killed by bandits in the Sakaba Local Government Area of the state.
Boko Haram hosts flag in Niger village, seizes residents’ wives, 50 communities deserted
In Niger State, the state Governor, Sani Bello, in an interview with journalists on Monday, said Boko Haram terrorists had taken over a part of the state, hosting their flag in Kaure village from where they had made incursions into more than 50 villages.
He said Abuja was not safe with Boko Haram’s presence in Niger State.
The governor lamented that over 50 villages, which were overrun by the terrorists and bandits, had been deserted by original inhabitants.
He said, “I am confirming that there are Boko Haram elements around Kaure in the Shiroro Local Government of Niger State. They have taken over the territory. They have hosted their flag. I am confirming to you now that they have taken over the wives of people by force.”
Bello, while describing the situation in the state as critical and pathetic, said over 3,000 villagers escaped to Minna on Sunday night alone, while several others were in camps in Gwada and other places.
“The majority of the displaced persons will have to remain in this camp in Minna because their villages have been taken over by Boko Haram terrorists and bandits. Their wives have been seized from them and forcefully attached to Boko Haram elements,” he said.
He warned that the Boko Haram terrorists were trying to make Kaure their home and headquarters like they did in Sambisa forest, adding that while Sambisa forest is several kilometres away from Abuja, Kaure is only two hours drive to Abuja.
He explained that his administration had been asking the Federal Government to come to the aid of the state in dealing with the insecurity, adding that such efforts had not yielded desired results thereby making it possible for the terrorists to occupy a part of the state.
Addressing the governor at the IDP camp, a youth leader, Bulus Esu, said his people in Kuchi, one of the most populated towns in the Munya Local Government Area, had been displaced by the terrorists.
He said, “For three weeks now, there is no person living in Kuchi town and there is no food for the fleeing residents. The bandits have entered very deep into the area and have overrun several villages. They have occupied Kuchi.”
Esu said the bandits two weeks ago demanded N5m ransom from the people of Kampana to prevent them from being kidnapped.
He added, “The people did this to avoid kidnap. However, when they came back, they asked the women to cook food for them after which they still raped the women.”
In Benue State, the Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Kimbir, said the abduction in the school place at 10:30pm on Saturday.
The state Police Command Public Relations Officer, Catherine Anene, said that the students were kidnapped while reading near a lecture theatre.
Kidnappers of varsity students in Benue demand N20m ransom
Later on Monday evening, a top official of the university, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said four students were abducted by the gunmen.
“Actually, one of the parents of the kidnapped students has informed the school that the kidnappers have contacted him and that they are demanding N20m as ransom,” the official said.
The official further disclosed that four students, all males, were abducted on Saturday night. Asked if the N20m was for the four students, he answered in the affirmative.
Gunmen abduct two women in Zaria, police arrest five hoodlums
In Kaduna State, bandits on Sunday night invaded Kofar Kuyambana Low Cost Housing Estate in Zaria and kidnapped two housewives.
But the police, vigilantes and other security operatives responded swiftly to distress calls, stormed the area, battled the bandits and arrested five of them.
A source told one of our correspondents on Monday that the incident took place at 9:30pm, noting that some Islamic pupils were hit by bullets and taken to an undisclosed hospital in Zaria for treatment.
The bandits were said to have invaded the estate in large numbers on motorcycles, shooting indiscriminately and targeting the home of a Customs officer.
“They succeeded in taking away the Customs officer’s wife, leaving the children who were shouting, behind,” said the source, adding, “the bandits attacked another house where an elderly woman was taken away too.
“The police were able to arrest two of them (bandits) on Sunday while the other three(bandits) were arrested this morning(Monday),” he added.
Although there was no official statement either from the state or the police, the state police public Relations Officer, Mohammed Jalige confirmed the incident.
The attack was the fifth in the state within a week. Recall that bandits on March 11 attacked the Greenfield University, along Kaduna-Abuja road killing a staff member and kidnapping 23 students.
Three of the students were killed on Friday and their corpses dumped close to the school.
On Tuesday last week, 65 people were kidnapped at the Adara community in the Kajuru Local Government Area of the state, when gunmen attacked the area.
In the early hours of Thursday, gunmen attacked Idon General Hospital also in the Kajuru Local Government Area and abducted two nurses.
On Sunday, bandits attacked Haske Baptist Church in Mannai Tasha village in Kuriga ward of the Chikun Local Government Area of the state.
Bandits kill two more Kaduna University students
A few hours after two women were abducted in Zaria, bandits on Monday killed two more students of the Greenfield University, Kaduna State.
The state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr Samuel Aruwan, broke the sad news on Monday.
He said, “On a sad note, security agencies have just reported to the Kaduna State Government the recovery of two more dead bodies of Greenfield University students, killed by bandits today, Monday 26th April 2021.
“The retrieved corpses have been evacuated to a mortuary, and the university has been notified of the development.”
Increased kidnaps, killings in Kaduna caused by bandits’ bombardment – Gumi
The kidnappings in Kaduna State and other parts of the country have attracted different reactions from prominent Nigerians.
An Islamic cleric, Sheik Abubakar Gumi, attributed the increase in kidnappings in the state to the bombardment of the camps of the bandits.
Gumi, who spoke to one of our correspondents on the telephone on Monday, said the bandits had suffered heavy casualties and were determined to retaliate.
He advised the government to set up a committee to open a dialogue with those ready to embrace peace, adding that it was the only way to resolve the crisis in the state.
He said, “It is because the other states are trying to respect the peace (of the bandits), but in Kaduna State, it has been declared that they should be bombed and annihilated. Whenever the attack is much on them, they will fight back. I am calling on the authorities to pipe down and let’s see how we can get them to reason and stop kidnappings and shedding of innocent blood.”
Gumi asked the government to put the interest of the kidnapped students first and make necessary sacrifice to secure their freedom.
According to him, there are different factions of the kidnappers, adding that a particular gang was responsible for the continuous attacks in the state.
He said if the government could reach an agreement with the other sects, the gang would be neutralised.
“The lives of the students are more important than any principle; their lives first. So, let’s save them. It is one particular notorious sect that is doing all these and other ones are blaming him (the gang leader).”
ACF, CNGs angry with Buhari, El-Rufai over killing of Greenfield Varsity students
The pan-Northern sociopolitical organisation, the Arewa Consultative Forum, said the latest killing of the abducted students of the Greenfield University was the worse form of terrorism that befell the country.
The National Publicity Secretary of the Forum, Emmanuel Yawe, reacting on behalf of the ACF, asked how the President, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari(retd), and the Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, felt about the latest killing of the students.
The ACF’s Spokesman said, “This is the worst form of terrorism and barbarism ever visited on Nigeria. How much was used to set up the university that the terrorists are demanding N800m as ransom? The people committing these heinous crimes are they Northerners, are they Nigerians?
“What are the federal and state governments doing to stop this human waste? Our members want to know how el Rufai the Governor of Kaduna and Muahammadu Bihari feel about these tragic turn of events. The ACF feels and shares the pains of Nigerians in these tragic developments.”
On its part, the Coalition of Northern Groups, described the killing as “regrettable” and “avoidable” if Nigeria had a listening government.
The group said having a leader such as Governor Nasir El-Rufai who could not be advised or criticised, was a liability.
The CNG’s Spokesman, AbdulAzeez Suleiman while reacting to the killing, told one of our correspondents on Monday, said the group had resolved intensify pressure including mass protest to force the Kaduna government to reason.
CNG’s spokesman said, “We find the killing of two more students of Greenfield University quite regrettable but avoidable if we have a listening government. Unfortunately we have a government in place that has stubbornly refused to heed genuine advice on its handling of the deteriorating security situation in Kaduna state.
“We have all along pointed out that leaders, such as the ones we have Kaduna, who would not be advised or criticized are certainly a liability.”
Killing represents “leaderless” state that does not care for welfare of citizens – SOKAPU
Also, the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union said it was saddened by the killing of the harmless university students by the bandits.
The SOKAPU’s Spokesman, Luka Binniyat, in an interview with The PUNCH, said, “We are saddled with bands of maniacal murderers and desperate outlaws who are taking full advantage of a leaderless state that cares nothing about the welfare and security of its citizens.”
Nine policemen killed in Kebbi
Meanwhile, the Kebbi State police Command has confirmed the killing of nine of its personnel including a divisional police officer by bandits in the Sakaba Local Government Area of the state.
Nafi’u Abubakar, in an interview with journalists, on Monday, stated, “DPO Sakaba, eight other policemen and two ‘yan-sa-kais’ lost their lives during a gun duel with the bandits on Sunday at about 14:30 hours.”
The Federal Commissioner representing Kaduna State at the National Population Commission (NPC), Hon. Sa’adatu Garba Dogonbauchi, has presented letters of permanent and pensionable appointment to three youths drawn from different local government areas of the state.
The presentation, according to a statement issued by Dogonbauchi, is aimed at expanding employment opportunities for young people and supporting youth empowerment in line with the Federal Government’s development objectives.
The beneficiaries are Shamsuddeen Abdulaziz Bagi from Igabi Local Government Area, Abdulfatah Abdulwakil from Kaduna South Local Government Area, and Aisha Adamu from Birnin Gwari Local Government Area.
Speaking during the presentation, Dogonbauchi described the appointments as more than an administrative exercise, saying they provide beneficiaries with an opportunity to build sustainable careers in public service while improving their economic prospects and contributing to national development.
She said the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises employment generation, economic empowerment and improved living standards for Nigerians.
The NPC commissioner expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for the opportunity to serve and represent Kaduna State, pledging to continue supporting programmes that create opportunities for young people and strengthen public institutions.
She also acknowledged Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, Speaker of the House of Representatives Abbas Tajudeen, and Hon. James Abiodun Faleke for their support, which she said contributed to her appointment and service.
Dogonbauchi urged the new employees to discharge their duties with discipline, integrity and professionalism, while adhering to public service rules and serving as worthy representatives of their communities.
She congratulated the beneficiaries and encouraged them to justify the confidence reposed in them through excellence, accountability and dedication to public service.
Hon. Obi Aguocha, member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, is facing mounting criticism and backlash over his video in which he is seen singing and vibing to a sexually vulgar and demeaning song against women.
In the video, which is currently making the rounds online and in Ikwuano/Umuahia WhatsApp groups, Aguocha is clearly seen singing and enjoying the Ogele cultural song, whose lyrics reduce women to objects of sexual gratification.
The footage was reportedly recorded at a public gathering that had families in attendance, including children, a detail that has intensified the backlash.
The song, performed in the Ogele cultural music tradition associated with communities in Abia State, has sparked outrage among women and women’s groups who say the lyrics are not just vulgar but deeply degrading.
“This is not culture. This is humiliation dressed in tradition,” said Mrs. Ngozi Ibe, a women’s leader in Umuahia North. “We have watched the video. The words used against women in that song are not the kind of thing any serious leader should be associated with. A lawmaker representing our constituency should be defending our dignity, not promoting content that strips women of it.”
Another woman, a trader in Umuahia South who identified herself simply as Madam Grace, said the video had caused deep anger among market women.
“We heard about it and we watched it. Many of us were shocked. You cannot claim to represent women and then be seen singing and vibing to a song where women are being insulted in the most vulgar way. We are not laughing. We are insulted,” she said.
A coalition of women’s groups in the constituency, under the aegis of the Ikwuano/Umuahia Concerned Women’s Forum, also issued a statement condemning the video.
“The lyrics go beyond ordinary expressions of affection. They employ vulgar sexual references that reduce women to objects and make our sexuality the subject of degrading entertainment. For a serving federal lawmaker to be seen actively singing and enjoying such content is a serious indictment on his judgment and his respect for the women he claims to represent,” the group said.
The women’s forum also expressed concern over the presence of children at the event.
“What message does it send to our children when a leader they look up to is seen celebrating a song that reduces women to sexual objects? This is not the kind of example we should be setting for the next generation,” the statement added.
“Ogele is our heritage. But heritage is not a licence for vulgarity. Culture should uplift, not humiliate. We call on Hon. Aguocha to explain his involvement in this video and to apologise to the women and families of Ikwuano/Umuahia,” the group said.
The controversy raises questions about the judgment expected of a public officeholder and the appropriateness of associating with content that many women and families could reasonably find offensive and humiliating.
Aguocha has not responded to requests for comment as of press time.
News
National Assembly Receives Proposals for New LGAs as Lagos Seeks 37, Akwa Ibom Missing from Lis
The National Assembly has reportedly received proposals for the creation of additional local government areas (LGAs) across Nigeria, with Lagos State seeking 37 new councils, while Akwa Ibom State is conspicuously missing from a published list of submissions.
The proposals, according to a report by The Insight Lens Project, cover various communities across the country’s six geopolitical zones and reflect demands for administrative restructuring, improved grassroots representation and better access to government services.
However, the complete list of submissions has not been independently verified, and the proposals do not constitute approval for the creation of new local government areas.
In the North-East, the reported requests include Bidoma and Michika South in Adamawa State, Boi-Tapshin in Bauchi, Banki in Borno, Cham in Gombe, Gudi in Yobe and Wukari in Taraba State.
In the North-West, the proposed areas reportedly include locations in Jigawa, Piriga in Kaduna, Dankama in Katsina, as well as Moriki and other communities in Zamfara State.
The North-Central zone also features in the reported submissions, with proposals covering Agasha and other communities in Benue State, alongside several areas in Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger and Plateau states.
In the South-East, the list includes Abiriba in Abia State, proposed councils around Obosi in Anambra State, several communities in Ebonyi State and numerous proposed local government areas in Imo State.
The South-West proposals reportedly include Eso-Obe and Gbonyin in Ekiti State, Ogijo and other areas in Ogun State, as well as additional proposed councils in Osun and Oyo states.
Lagos State stands out with a reported request for 37 new local government areas, although the published report did not provide the names and proposed boundaries of all the councils.
In the South-South, the reported proposals include Akassa and other communities in Bayelsa State, Ughievwen in Delta State, several areas in Edo State, and Ataba, Evo and Alesa in Rivers State.
Cross River State is also listed, with proposed councils around Mbube and Calabar. Akwa Ibom State, however, has no clearly identified entry in the published list, raising questions about whether the state submitted proposals or was omitted from the report.
Constitutional Requirements
The creation of new local government areas is governed by Section 8 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, which prescribes a series of procedures involving consultations, a referendum, legislative approval and the submission of relevant records to the National Assembly.
The constitutional process must be completed before newly created councils can be recognised and reflected in the relevant constitutional schedules.
Consequently, proposals submitted by states or communities do not automatically translate into legally recognised local government areas.
The reported development comes amid broader constitutional review efforts by the National Assembly. In October 2025, the legislature reported receiving 278 requests for additional local government areas and 55 proposals for the creation of new states.
Nevertheless, the specific state-by-state submissions contained in the latest published list, including Lagos State’s reported demand for 37 additional councils and the absence of Akwa Ibom, remain subject to confirmation through official National Assembly records.
The proposals, if confirmed, could reopen discussions on administrative boundaries, grassroots governance and the constitutional procedures required for the creation of additional local government areas in Nigeria.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
The Mayor of Onitsha North Local Government Area of Anambra State, Ezennia Emelie Ibekwe, has issued a stern warning to traders and residents against indiscriminate dumping of refuse and blockage of drainage channels, threatening sanctions against those who fail to comply with sanitation directives.
Ibekwe, who handed down the warning during an inspection of Ajasa Market, expressed displeasure over the deteriorating environmental conditions in parts of the commercial city, describing the situation as unacceptable and detrimental to healthy living and business activities.
During the inspection, the Mayor observed that refuse and other waste materials generated from market activities were being dumped into drainage channels, obstructing the free flow of water and exposing traders, residents and their properties to flooding.
“This practice contributes to flooding whenever it rains, putting traders, residents and their properties at risk.
“An environment of this nature is not conducive to business and healthy living. It does not speak well of a commercial city that houses one of the largest markets in sub-Saharan Africa,” he stated.
Consequently, Ibekwe directed traders and other persons responsible for the blocked drainage channels to ensure their immediate clearance, giving them until the following day to comply.
He further announced that he would return to the market for another inspection to ascertain the level of compliance with the directive.
“People should be alive to their responsibilities by ensuring a clean and healthy environment. Government alone cannot handle this effectively without the active participation of residents and traders.
“I am going to come back here to see what you have done,” he warned.
The Mayor stressed that the sanitation directive was not restricted to Ajasa Market but extended to all markets within Onitsha North Local Government Area.
He consequently charged market leaders to take responsibility for enforcing environmental sanitation regulations within their respective markets, warning that the council would no longer tolerate practices capable of worsening flooding and environmental degradation.
“It is not only Ajasa Market but all the markets in Onitsha North Local Government Area. Market leaders should ensure that this directive is not compromised,” Ibekwe declared.
The Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem, has commissioned a community market in Afi, Ikom II State Constituency, as part of his commitment to sustainable development and improved living conditions in rural communities.
The project, facilitated and completed by the Speaker, was identified as one of the priority needs of the community following consultations by the Constituency Needs Assessment Team established by Ayambem to evaluate infrastructure and identify projects that would directly benefit the people.
The team was mandated to identify critical infrastructure capable of improving the livelihoods of residents and promoting sustainable economic growth across the constituency.
According to community members, the absence of a suitable trading environment had been a major challenge for years, forcing traders to conduct business under harsh weather conditions, including rain and intense sunshine.
Speaking on behalf of the community, the village head, Chief Etta Ekawor, commended Ayambem for the intervention, describing the market as a miracle and a blessing that would transform the fortunes of the people.
In his remarks, Ayambem expressed appreciation to the Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Edet Otu, for his continued support for people-oriented projects and development initiatives across rural communities in the state.
He also thanked the people for their patience, support for his leadership and commitment to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Speaker was accompanied by the member representing Yala I State Constituency, Hon. Brian Odey; the Vice Chairman of Ikom Local Government Area, Hon. Maurice Ndome; and the Assistant Financial Secretary of the APC in Cross River State, Hon. Akanya Agbor.
Other stakeholders from Nde Ward who attended the commissioning included the former Vice Chairman of Ikom Local Government Area, Hon. Asinya Ntan, and the Community Relations Officer, Hon. Abang Neji.
Matthew Okache
Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker
October 22, 2026
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Ezeugo Pl
July 8, 2021 at 5:39 pm
By hindsight of the Boko Haram and their other strategic designs in the forms of herdsmen, gunmen, and the resultant atrocities like kidnapping, robbery, rape, murder and other crimes associated with such conditions, it is credible that some of our rulers/leaders particularly at Federal level and Kaduna State are wicked beneficiaries of the attrocities. Being so, all these substandard and insincere efforts shall never make any meaningful impact. Unfortunately these are being marshalled by a segment of this country that are incharge of power and refused to call a spade a spade in due time. GOD HELP US. I AM CERTAIN GOD IS DOING SOMETHING IN NIGERIA. WE WILL ONE DAY SEE THE DIVINE RESULTS.