News
15 feared dead as Ebonyi, Benue communities clash over farmland
Once again, communities located at the boundaries between Benue and Ebonyi states, on Monday, clashed over farmland, leaving over 15 dead, according to sources.
It was a moment of trepidation and agony for the people of Ojiogu and Okpochiri Ukwagba Ngbo in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, following an alleged attack by their neighbours within the boundary areas.
It was gathered that some persons were feared dead, many missing and injured, while properties worth millions of naira were destroyed as a result of the ugly incident.
An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, alleged that the identities of the attackers of Ngbo people in Ebonyi were both Benue indigenes (warlords) and Ezzas living within the boundary areas.
According to him, “I saw the people that attacked us. They were Benue and Ezza indigenes. What happened is usually an annual development that borders on land dispute.
“This dispute is occasioned by the quest for land, especially for farming by both sides of the divide.
“One person was killed, many missing, many injured while many are now displaced.
“It usually happens every year whenever it is raining season. It is the normal land dispute in the area.
“During the incident, many people scampered for safety. Those people that their houses were destroyed will now become refugees.
“They don’t have anywhere to go to. They will go to their brothers, sisters and in-laws’ houses to seek refuge. Benue people came together to fight Ngbo people. It is from what I saw on ground.”
In his findings, the Coordinator Ngbo North Development Centre, DC, Echem Onyekachi stated that seven corpses had so far been discovered following the incident.
“As at now, we have discovered seven corpses, six injured persons and so many houses and shops were burnt down in many places. Some people are still missing.
“Before now, we have been having clashes with the people of Ado Local Government Area of Benue State. So, it is always during this period that this kind of crisis usually occur.
“I suspect that this crisis was caused by Agila people in Benue State. Anybody calling Ezza is on his or her own.
“Ngbo People and the Ezzas do not have any dispute or crisis. I believe that this crisis is caused by Agila people. It is the issue bordering on land.
“Government should write to the National Boundary Commission, NBC, for land demarcation between Ngbo and Agila people.
“Without government intervention, the crisis will continue. It is over 100 years old.”
We’re still searching for bodies
Also, the Town Union President for Ukwagba community, Eze Moses Ekpe, in a telephone chat with Vanguard, explained that 15 corpses had so far been discovered in the affected communities of Ngbo.
According to him, the search is still on to enable the community get complete details of the number of causalities and those displaced.
“We have alerted the Commissioner of Police and other government agencies. The CP sent some policemen there today.
“The victims are too much. We are still searching. For now, 15 persons were killed, while many are missing; houses burnt and farmlands destroyed.
“We are still discovering dead bodies and that’s why I said, we are still searching. We want government to help us beef up security there. The attack came from Ezza people.”
At the time of filing this report, several calls to the phone lines of the state Commissioner of Police, Garba Aliyu, and the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Chris Anyanwu, were not answered.
Vanguard
Amupitan gave the assurance during a courtesy visit to former Head of State and Chairman of the National Peace Committee, General Abdulsalam Abubakar (retd.), at his residence in Minna, Niger State, on Friday.
The commission’s chairman led a delegation comprising National Commissioners, the Secretary to the Commission, directors and his technical aides.
Amupitan described Abubakar as “the father of democracy in Nigeria”, noting that his transition to civilian rule in 1999 marked a defining moment in the country’s democratic history.
The INEC chairman said the commission regarded the former Head of State “not merely as a statesman but as a pillar of support for INEC.”
He also commended Abubakar’s role as Chairman of the National Peace Committee, describing its Peace Accord initiative as “a moralising influence on Nigeria’s political ecosystem.”
According to INEC, Amupitan said the initiative had provided political actors with a platform to commit to non-violence, thereby strengthening “the sovereignty of the will of the Nigerian people.”
The INEC chairman told Abubakar that, regardless of the pressures confronting the commission, it remained committed to ensuring that the will of Nigerians as expressed at the polls would prevail.
He said, “The Commission’s determination under my leadership was to see ordinary Nigerians go out and vote, confident that their votes would be duly counted and reflected in the outcome of elections,” describing this as “the core assurance INEC owed the electorate.”
Amupitan also formally confirmed the dates for the 2027 general elections.
According to INEC, the Presidential and National Assembly elections will hold on January 16, 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will take place on February 6, 2027.
Abubakar, in turn, called on Nigerians to support INEC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has approved the expansion of the Nigerian Army’s structure from eight to twelve divisions—a landmark move to enhance the country’s security architecture and improve the operational effectiveness of the Nigerian Army.
In a statement, Special Adviser to the President on (Information & Strategy) Bayo Onanuga says, “this approval underscores the President’s unwavering commitment to equipping the Armed Forces to address Nigeria’s evolving security challenges effectively and to strengthen national defence capabilities further.”According to the statement, “the expansion builds on the Administration’s sustained investments in the Armed Forces, including approval for the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel, acquisition of critical military platforms and equipment, improvements in troop welfare, and ongoing support for operational readiness and force modernisation.”Under the new structure, the Nigerian Army will operate twelve divisions, strategically positioned across the country as follows:1. 1 Division Headquarters – Kaduna (Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Jigawa States)2. 2 Division Headquarters – Ibadan (Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo States)3. 3 Division Headquarters – Jos (Plateau, Bauchi and Gombe States)4. 5 Division Headquarters – Makurdi (Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi States)5. 6 Division Headquarters – Port Harcourt (Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River States)6. 7 Division Headquarters – Maiduguri (Borno and Yobe States)7. 8 Division Headquarters – Sokoto (Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara States)8. 9 Division Headquarters – Ilorin (Kwara and Niger States)9. 10 Division Headquarters – Jalingo (Taraba and Adamawa States)10. 81 Division Headquarters – Lagos (Lagos and Ogun States)11. 82 Division Headquarters – Enugu (Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi and Imo States)12. 83 Division Headquarters – Benin City (Edo, Delta and Bayelsa States).The establishment of the new Divisions in Makurdi, Ilorin, Jalingo and Benin City will significantly improve command and control, decentralise operational decision-making, strengthen border security, enhance the protection of critical national infrastructure, improve counter-insurgency and internal security operations, and ensure faster military response to emerging threats nationwide.Implementation of the new force structure will be done in two phases.
The Ndigbo Unity Forum (NUF) worldwide, a pan-Igbo socioeconomic pressure group, has urged the Federal Government to direct the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) to supply Dangote Petroleum Refinery adequate crude.
The Chairman of NUF, Chief Augustine Chukwudum, made the call on Wednesday in Enugu while reacting to Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s move to start direct sales of refined Petroleum products in dollars.
It would be recalled that a top management official of the Dangote Group said that its refinery was receiving just four million barrels of crude oil monthly under the arrangement, instead of about 13 million barrels envisaged after President Bola Tinubu’s 2024 directive.
The refinery had attributed its decision to switch from naira-denominated fuel sales domestically to dollar transactions to the crude supply shortfall, saying it would also increase exports of refined petroleum products to earn foreign exchange.
Chukwudum called on the Federal Government to intervene urgently before things get out of hand and Nigerians suffer the more.
According to him, fuel price remains major determinant of prices of other commodities and services in the country as transport cost depends on.
“Things are bound to get worst if the Federal Government neglect to take immediate and decisive actions meant to better the life of the citizens.
“NUF is rasing this alarm because this administration is behaving as if they are not answerable to the people their are supposed to be serving.
“The Federal Government should direct NNPCL to supply all the crude oil needed by Dangote Refinery since the company has the capacity to meet local or domestic petroleum needs of the country.
“The government must stop all forms of fuel importation because that money been used for importation is a waste and put a pressure on our fragile foreign reserve as a nation,” he said.
The NUF boss noted that the refinery company must be allowed to pay in naira with this move, suffering of citizens would be curtailed.
Chukwudum also reiterated the call of the group for the Federal Government to set up judicial panel of inquiry to look into the account of NNPCL for some years now.
A commotion reportedly erupted at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Onitsha South Local Government Area of Anambra State after some officials were accused of demanding ₦2,000 from applicants before processing voter registration and Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
The allegation surfaced in a video circulating on social media, which showed what appeared to be a heated confrontation between applicants and officials at the electoral commission’s office.
According to a resident who narrated the incident in the video, some INEC officials allegedly insisted that applicants pay ₦2,000 before their voter registration or PVC processing could be completed.
The situation reportedly escalated when one of the applicants challenged the alleged demand, insisting that voter registration and PVC-related services are free and should not attract any payment.
The applicant was said to have confronted the officials and attempted to record the exchange with a mobile phone, triggering a heated argument that attracted other applicants and bystanders.
Although raised voices and a commotion could be heard in the footage, the circumstances surrounding the incident could not be independently verified.
The video has since sparked reactions on social media, with many Nigerians condemning the alleged extortion and calling on INEC to investigate the incident and sanction anyone found culpable.
INEC has consistently maintained that voter registration services are free of charge. These include fresh registration, collection of PVCs, transfer of voter information, correction of personal details, and replacement of lost or damaged PVCs.
The commission has also repeatedly urged members of the public to report any cases of extortion, bribery or illegal charges involving its permanent or ad hoc staff during voter registration and PVC distribution.
As of the time of filing this report, INEC had not issued an official statement specifically addressing the allegations involving its Onitsha South Local Government Area office.
The incident comes as the electoral commission continues its nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC has also introduced an online self-service platform to enable prospective voters and existing registrants to complete several registration-related processes conveniently, while reiterating that voter registration services remain free of charge.
MainPower Electricity Distribution Limited (MEDL) has restored power supply to parts of Enugu metropolis, which witnessed darkness.
Some parts of Enugu metropolis, under the Band A tariff regime, during the weekend witnessed three consecutive days of blackout.
The Head, Communications of MainPower, Mr Emeka Ezeh, disclosed this in a statement he issued on Tuesday in Enugu.
According to him, MainPower wishes to inform its esteemed customers that power supply to the Gariki Injection Substation was successfully restored on Monday, July 20, at about 8:30p.m.
“This is following the successful resolution of a major fault involving the indoor 11kV breaker at the station.
“The fault, which occurred on Friday, July 17, affected electricity supply to customers served by the Army and Gariki 11kV feeders.
“Consequently, normal electricity supply has now been restored to all affected areas,” he said.
Ezeh appreciated residents and customers for their patience, understanding and cooperation throughout the outage.
He noted that the company remained committed to delivering safe, reliable, and improved electricity services to its customers and residents of the state.
It would be recalled that MainPower, which is a subsidiary of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), is in-charge of electricity distribution in Enugu State.
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