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Tag: Benue

  • Police debunk rumours of planned attack on mosques in Benue

    The Police Command in Benue has dismissed rumours of planned attacks on five mosques in Makurdi and other parts of the state as “untrue”.

    In a statement on Friday in Makurdi, the command said the rumours were the handiwork of mischief makers and urged members of the public to disregard them.

    “These are nothing but falsehood, believably meant to cause break down of law and order in the state.

    “It is indeed a difficult period; however, acts of insurgency being witnessed lately have nothing to do with religion, ethnicity or political alienation.

    “Therefore, in order to overcome the ongoing security challenges, the collaboration of all is required.

    “The command appreciates the calmness and understanding of the good people of the state.

    Read Also: Police attribute Offa robbery to intelligence breakdown

    “We appeal that criminal elements should not be allowed to cause any civil disturbance to achieve their selfish interest,” the statement said.

    The command appealed to members of the public to report all suspicious persons or group of persons to the police.

    Meanwhile, a correspondent of the newsmen who went round Makurdi town reports that security has been beefed up in the town, especially, around the mosques.

    Armed soldiers were also seen patrolling some major streets in the town but commercial and other activities were going on normally.

    NAN

  • SENATE summons Buhari over incessant herders’ attacks.

    The house of representatives has summoned President Muhammadu Buhari over the incessant killings by herdsmen in the country.

    The president was summoned during plenary on Wednesday.

    The lawmakers asked the president to appear before them and give a briefing on the security situation in the country.

    However, they did not state when the president is expected to appear. The lawmakers also passed a vote of no confidence on service chiefs for failing to stop the killings.

    They also resolved to “shut down” for three legislative days to protest the killings.

    These resolutions followed a motion raised by Mark Gbillah from Benue on the recent reprisal attack on a community in the state by soldiers over the death of their colleague.

    In the course of deliberations on the motion, Bashir Baballe from Kano state moved an amendment that Buhari should be summoned over the killings, a prayer that was unanimously adopted by the house.

    Most of the lawmakers who spoke said the crises in the country are caused by Buhari’s “failure” to compel the service chiefs to live up to expectations.

    Aliyu Magaji from Jigawa state said: “The service chiefs must go. It is enough. I’m from the APC but this has gone beyond sentiments. It is a very terrible thing that is happening. People are being killed on a daily basis.”

    Edward Pwajok from Plateau state said Nigeria is gradually becoming a “failed state.”

    He said: “We seem to be laying the foundation for Nigeria to be declared a failed state. If we are not able to act to nip this matter in the bud, international agencies have to come in.

    “Almost everyday, we move motions relating to killings in this house. Is it that we are just coming to lament for the sake of it or what? The time has come for leaders of the national assembly to sit down with Buhari and summon the security chiefs and interrogate them on these issues.”

    “The Buhari we have today is not Buhari of 1984. It is time for the president to go. He promised change when he was elected but nothing has happened,” he added.

    It should be recalled that last week, a House of Representatives panel summoned Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo over the suspension of some directors at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

    Osinbajo is the chairman of NEMA board.

  • NNPC begins oil search in Benue

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) exploration team has arrived Benue State to start the search for oil and gas in the Benue trough. The team is expected to acquire seismic data that would guide it in deciding the next stage of the exploratory work in the state.

    Welcoming the team to Benue People’s House, Makurdi, yesterday, the state’s acting Governor, Engr Benson Abounu expressed delight that the NNPC is now set to begin the exploratory work in the state, having finished work on the Nasarawa State end of the trough.

    He assured the team led by the Group General Manager, Frontier Services, NNPC, Dr. Mazadu Bako,  that the state government and the Benue people will do all that is possible to give them the conducive atmosphere within which to operate without hindrance.

    Engr Abounu said the security challenges in the state arising from herdsmen attacks notwithstanding, the state government will not allow anything to hinder the progress of the exploration work.

    To achieve that, he announced the setting up of a committee headed by the Secretary to State Government to work together with the team, as well as with the security agencies to ensure a hitch-free operation of the exploratory work.

    On the Agasha-Guma sugar cane-fuel ethanol project expected to boost fuel sufficiency in the country, the acting governor called for a quick resolution of the issue of core investor to enable the project take off.

    He lamented the slight delay in the commencement of the project which, when completed is expected to create over 1 million direct and indirect jobs as well as generate 64 megawatts (Mw) electricity through the bagasse cogeneration power plant.

    Earlier, Dr Bako said with the impending commencement of operation in the state, the team has decided to seek the support of the government; the security agencies, traditional institutions and the local people to enable the team acquire the needed seismic data that will hopefully enable the state to join the club of an oil producing states in the country.

     

     

    He said the team would soon complete its data acquisition exercise in the Nasarawa end of the Benue trough and would begin the same exercise in Benue State the moment necessary arrangements that will guarantee the safety of the workers are put in place.

  • Army neutralises four militia in Benue

    The Army says its troops have neutralised four of the 20 militia they encountered at Teguma village in Guma Local Government Area of Benue on Monday during patrol, while others fled.

    A statement by Brig.-Gen Texas Chukwu, the Director of Army Public Relations, issued on Tuesday said items recovered from the militia were four AK 47 rifles; five 7.62mm rounds of ammunition and 28 rounds of 7.62 police special ammunition.

    Chukwu restated that the Nigerian army was determined to rid the country of criminal elements.

    NAN

  • Orkar optimistic Buhari will provide solution to Benue killings

    Despite the renewed attacks on some communities in Benue by herdsmen, a chieftain of the APC in the state, Dr Joseph Orkar, is optimistic that President Muhammadu Buhari will provide an enduring solution to the crises.

    Speaking to our reporters on Friday in Makurdi, Orkar, immediate past Deputy Chairman of the party in the state, said the crises would not continue to linger on” as solutions will soon be found”.

    “The president has promised to provide a solution to it and we just have to wait for that solution,” he advised.

    He said the attacks on rural communities were condemnable but assured that  very soon they will become a thing of the past”.

    Orkar said the president’s delay in combating the herders attacks was not tantamount to unwillingness to deal with the situation but an act of deliberate planning.

    “As a Tiv man in Benue, where the attacks are worse hit, it is painful but I assure you, the president will find a solution to it, it will not continue like this; we can’t say the killings have erased his achievements in other areas.

    “Remember where we are coming from, you need to know the quantum of rot and decay that was in the system before Mr president took over, its not easy dealing with the issues but the man is doing his best,” he said.

    He said the APC would adhere strictly to the its guidelines on the conduct of congresses and shun impunity to ensure the election of credible state officers to handle party affairs.

    He said Gov Samuel Ortom was still the best candidate for the APC in the state and lambasted those criticizing him as been unfair to him.

    Read Also: Herdsmen kill 31 in Benue communities

    According to him, if by 2019, they was another aspirant with better credentials than Ortom, he will support such person.

    Orkar commended the agricultural programs of the Federal Government saying; they impacted positively on the food value chain.

    The party chieftain pointed out that more farmers were engaged in local production of crops which has brought down massive importation of food into the country.

    “Local rice production has increased thereby leading to massive decline in rice importation during this administration,” he explained.

    NAN

  • Herdsmen kill 30 in Taraba, Benue 

    Herdsmen have, again struck in Taraba and Benue States, killing 30 people in separate attacks yesterday.

    The presence of Inspector-General of Police Ibrahim Idris and a military probe panel in Taraba State yesterday did not deter the marauding herdsmen from carrying out their onslaught.

    They killed 25 residents of Jandeikyula village in Wukari local government area last night.

    Taraba State police spokesman David Misal, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) , confirmed the attack and killings.

    Governor Darius Ishaku said: “As I am talking to you, I didn’t sleep last night. At 1am, I was

    woken up by a distress call on another herdsmen militia attack.

    “Fortunately, yesterday, the military from Takum came in to help.

    They battled till this morning. They counted 15 bodies, some injured ones are in the hospital in Sondi,” Ishaku said.

    Victor Iortim, an eye-witness, said the attackers, numbering over 200, were carrying “rifles and cutlasses.”

    “I went to a neighbouring village and was returning home when I sighted them. They were numbering close to 200. They were Fulani militants. They were well armed with sophisticated weapons.

    “I quickly hid in the bush. There was no way I could call home because there was no telephone network where I was hiding,” he said.

    Chairman of Wukari local government, Daniel  Adi, who also confirmed the attack,  said “many people have been killed.”

    Adi, who spoke to reporters on the telephone on his way to the area said: “I don’t have the casualty figure now. But many people were killed in the attack

    “I am on my way to the place, I will give you the details after visiting the scene,” he said.

    Special Adviser to Governor Ishaku on Students’ Affairs,

    Samson Tor-Musa, who hails from the area, confirmed the incident. He said 25 bodies had been recovered.

    A former Special Adviser to the late Governor Danbaba Suntai, Orbee Uchiv, an indigene of Jandeikyula, said:  “They invaded the village on Wednesday at 6pm and opened fire on innocent persons without provocation,” he said.

    Uchiv said the number of deaths would have been more, but for the intervention of soldiers on patrol around the area who were coming from Gbeji, a neighbouring town in Benue state where the herdsmen

    killed four persons on Tuesday.

    In neighbouring Benue State, suspected herdsmen killed five persons in separate attacks.

    In Ukember- Agya, Logo Local Government area, two persons were killed by the militia at about 2 am during an attack on the farming community.

    Chairman of Logo Local Government Richard Nyajo, said the herdsmen came heavily armed and ransacked the community, setting houses ablaze

    In Agbobouhol, a suburb of Makurdi, the state capital, the attackers shot two people dead in broad day light.

    Panicky Wadata residents fled the area in droves.

    Police spokesman Moses Yamu confirmed the killings and said Commissioner of Police Fatai Owoseni had visited the place.

    He added that a detachment of riot police had been deployed in the area

    In Jande Ikyuran village, Lumbur Ward ,Ukum local Government Ares in Benue North East Senatorial District , three people were killed in an early morning attack.

    Principal  Secretary- General of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Benue state Comrade Boga Abuul said the invaders stormed the farming community located along Anyiin- Wukari road at about 5 am.

    Abuul said the invaders surrounded Jande Ikyura village and set houses ablaze before shooting and killing those who attempted to escape.

    He said many houses were set ablaze and property worth millions of naira destroyed by the herdsmen.

    Police spokesman Moses Yamu said he was not aware of the killings in Jande Ikyura village.

     

  • Benue to privatise 11 companies – Commissioner

    The Benue Government said on Thursday in Makurdi that it had identified 11 state-owned companies for privatisation.

    Prof. Tersoo Kpelai, the state’s Commissioner for Industry, Trade and Investment, disclosed this while briefing newsmen.

    Kpelai identified the companies as Benue Links Transport Company Ltd; Makurdi Modern Market; Taraku Mills; Mega Foods and Beverages Processing Company Ltd; Benfruit Nigeria Ltd; and Benkims Plastic Nigeria Ltd.

    Others are: Katsina Ala Yam Flour Factory; Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) Ltd; Fertilizer Blending Company Ltd; Otukpo Burnt Bricks; and Benue Roof Tiles Ltd.

    He said that the decision to privatise the companies was taken based on recommendations by the State Council on Privatisation and Commercialisation of Public Enterprises.

    According to him, privatisation will help to revive moribund companies in the state and those performing below average.

    He said the advertisement for the privatisation of the companies was published in a national newspaper of April 10.

    “It may interest you to know that all the 11 enterprises listed for privatisation were established for over a decade but most of these enterprises have not been operational in the last six years.

    “Even the ones that are operating sparingly do so by incurring losses without making any profit.

    “Privatisation has, therefore, become the only option since government currently has developmental challenges with slim resources,” he said.

    According to him, privatising the enterprises will ensure efficiency and effective performance as investors will invest funds, introduce new technology, skills and better management expertise.

    “These enterprises, if run profitably, will provide job opportunities for our teeming youths, create wealth, boost the state internally generated revenue and create value chain across the diverse sectors of the Benue economy,” he said.

    for Industry, Trade and Investment, disclosed this while briefing newsmen.

    Kpelai identified the companies as Benue Links Transport Company Ltd; Makurdi Modern Market; Taraku Mills; Mega Foods and Beverages Processing Company Ltd; Benfruit Nigeria Ltd; and Benkims Plastic Nigeria Ltd.

    Others are: Katsina Ala Yam Flour Factory; Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) Ltd; Fertilizer Blending Company Ltd; Otukpo Burnt Bricks; and Benue Roof Tiles Ltd.

    He said that the decision to privatise the companies was taken based on recommendations by the State Council on Privatisation and Commercialisation of Public Enterprises.

    According to him, privatisation will help to revive moribund companies in the state and those performing below average.

    He said the advertisement for the privatisation of the companies was published in a national newspaper of April 10.

    “It may interest you to know that all the 11 enterprises listed for privatisation were established for over a decade but most of these enterprises have not been operational in the last six years.

    “Even the ones that are operating sparingly do so by incurring losses without making any profit.

    “Privatisation has, therefore, become the only option since government currently has developmental challenges with slim resources,” he said.

    According to him, privatising the enterprises will ensure efficiency and effective performance as investors will invest funds, introduce new technology, skills and better management expertise.

    “These enterprises, if run profitably, will provide job opportunities for our teeming youths, create wealth, boost the state internally generated revenue and create value chain across the diverse sectors of the Benue economy,” he said.

  • Herdsmen kill 13 in Benue, Nasarawa

    Rampaging gunmen believed to be herdsmen yesterday killed 13 people in Benue and Nasarawa states – two neighbouring middle belt states that have been under herders’ attacks in recent times.

    The killing of seven people in Gbeji town Ukum Local Government area in Benue state happened on Tuesday between 6pn and 7 pm, it was learnt.

    The Principal Secretary General of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Comrade Bogal Àbuul, an indigene of the area, said the herdsmen stormed Gbeji town with sophisticated weapons, killed the people before setting the town ablaze thereby destroying properties worth millions of Naira .

    He expressed concern that the invaders operated for more than 10 hours unchallenged despite the deployment of military personnel in the area .

    Police spokesman Moses Yamu could not be reached to comment.

    Six persons were feared killed in three attacks in Nasarawa State.

    Gun-wielding herdsmen attacked Kadarko town in Obi local government area, killing four people, with many others injured.

    An eyewitness account said market activities were forced to shut down abruptly yesterday afternoon following the attack.

    A 29-year-old man identified as Israel Okeh was killed by herdsmen along Ankoma-Doka road in Doma Local Government Area.

    The victim, who hails from Gidan Rai, was said to be conveying two women on a motorcycle when the attackers ambushed and killed him.

    At Udela village in Awe Local Government Area, the armed herdsmen reportedly opened fire on the locals at midnight killing one person on the spot. Many were injured.

    A villager, Mr. Nambe Ornguga, who narrowly escaped death, told our correspondent that the marauders came at about 1am, shooting sporadically.

    “I slept in the bush yesterday with my wife and four children. The herdsmen came shooting and warning people to leave their villages as there would be more killings if they insisted on returning home. They had told us that we would not know peace until Benue State suspended the anti-open grazing law”.

    A resident of Kuduku in Keana Local Government Area, Mr. John Iwar said the herdsmen issued an ultimatum for them to vacate their villages.

    President Tiv Youth Organisation in Nasarawa state, Comrade Peter Ahemba, appealed to the government for the provision of security personnel in the affected communities to stop the killings.

    “We call on the federal government to direct the deployment of military forces in the state on a full-scale operation to flush out the armed herders who have forcibly taken over most of the Tiv villages in the state”  As a result of the renewed killings, no fewer than 10,000 people who had left the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) returned.

    Governor Samuel Ortom described the ongoing killings as an extension of the terrorism perpetrated by Boko Haram.

    Speaking yesterday in Makurdi, Ortom said the manner in which the armed men invade communities is not different from the mindless acts of Boko Haram in the North East.

    “They come with sophisticated weapons and kill people, ” he said

    Ortom said the pattern of attacks by the armed militia is their trademark of occupying communities after killing and sacking the inhabitants.

    “In some cases, they do not have the herds. They just come with their weapons, kill and chase the people out and take over the land, that is the worrisome part of it”, the governor stressed.

    The governor said the trend of attacks on Benue is beyond mere grazing of livestock, arguing that if the invaders were only interested in grazing, the massive destruction of lives and property would not be their priority.

  • Nasarawa, Yobe, Cross River pay highest price for kerosene in March

    The National Bureau of Statistics ( NBS ), says residents of Nasarawa, Yobe and Cross River, paid the highest price for kerosene in March.

    The NBS said this in its National Household Kerosene “Price Watch’’ for March, 2018 released in Abuja on Wednesday.

    The NBS report said that residents of Nasarawa paid an average price of N306.07 per litre for kerosene, Yobe paid N300.78 while Cross River residents paid N300.68 for the product.

    Meanwhile, the report noted that states with the lowest average price per litre of kerosene were Abia; N229.35; Delta; N227.77 and Borno; N225.13.

    The report said that average price per litre paid by consumers for kerosene decreased by -6.79 per cent month-on-month and -13.66 per cent year-on-year from N288.57 in February to N268.99 in March.

    Read Also: Yobe donates N200m for Army Barrack project

    Similarly, the report said that average price per gallon paid by consumers for the product decreased by -8.45 per cent month-on-month, and -19.57 per cent year-on-year from N1,030.33 in February to N943.27 in March.

    It, however, said that states with the highest average price per gallon of kerosene were Kebbi, N1,105.00; Benue, N1,096.67 ; and Jigawa, N1,061.90, respectively.

    It also noted that states with the lowest average price per gallon of kerosene were Ebonyi, N828.57; Delta, N821.54; and Rivers, N814.08.

    NAN

  • Ortom urged youths to defend themselves with stones

    Governor Samuel Ortom has charged Benue youths to defend their land from invasion by militia herdsmen with stones.

    He stated this on Wednesday at Gwer-West Local Government Secretariat, Naka while addressing displaced persons as a result of recent attacks on some communities in the area where 24 persons were gruesomely murdered.

    The Governor charged the youths to work closely with security agencies in defending their land, stressing that David killed Goliath with just a stone.

    He stated that the state government was working with local governments and traditional rulers to strengthen the vigilante and livestock guards to assist conventional security agencies in containing insecurity in the state.

    While noting that there was no going back on the ranching law of the state, Governor Ortom stated that people were free to do their livestock business in the state but must ranch or face prosecution.

    Read Also: Ortom vows not to interfere with judiciary

    He said recent projection by Northern Governors revealed that Nigeria’s population would reach 450 million by 2050, adding that with a fixed land mass, open grazing of livestock would be impracticable in the country.

    The Governor lamented that security agents had also fallen victims of herdsmen attacks, noting that eleven police officers, three civil defence officers and a soldier had been killed by militia herdsmen since January 2018.

    In a remark, Ter Tyoshin, Chief Daniel Abomtse stated that Gwer West Local Government had witnessed 24 attacks since February 2011 till date with 212 deaths, stressing that in the last attack, 24 people were gruesomely murdered.

    Chief Abomtse who called for the stationing of military personnel at Kula to check activities of militia herdsmen stated that abandoned farms owned by Lower Benue River Basins Development Authority was being used by the invaders as base.

    On his part, chairman Gwer West Local Government Council, Mr. Francis Ayagah acknowledged the prompt intervention of the Governor and pledged the support of people of the area to full implementation of the ranching law.