Tragedy struck Zogu village in the Miango District of Bassa Local Government Area, Plateau State, as a father and his two sons were reportedly murdered in their sleep.

The spokesperson for the Irigwe Development Association (IDA), Sam Jugo, confirmed the incident to journalists in Jos on Saturday.

The victims were identified as Weyi Gebeh, 56, and his sons Zhu Weyi, 25, and Henry Weyi, 16.

Describing the assault, Jugo revealed, “The victims were killed while they were asleep.”

Expressing grief and outrage, Jugo said, “The leadership of Irigwe Development Association has been notified of yet another attack on Zogu village, Miango which claimed the lives of a father and two of his sons namely: Weyi Gebeh, 56 years; Zhu Weyi, 25; and Henry Weyi, 16.”

He further condemned the recurring violence in the area, saying, “this recent event brings to nine deaths recorded this week alone. IDA expresses its utmost displeasure on the deteriorating situation in Irigwe land and calls on the security agencies to do whatever is required to halt this barbarism on our land and get perpetrators apprehended to face justice.”

Jugo raised concerns about the motives behind the attacks, stating, “The way criminal elements invade our motherland and kill with impunity seems to suggest a more sinister motive than mere reprisals.”

Calling for urgent action, he urged, “IDA therefore, calls on the Plateau State government and the security to do the needful and stop the killing of innocent people in Irigwe land.”

Efforts to obtain comments from security agencies were unsuccessful as the time of filing this report.

Spokespersons of Operation Safe Haven, Maj. Samson Zhakom, and the Plateau State Police Command, Alabo Alfred, were yet to respond to messages seeking confirmation.

In a decisive move to reclaim communities overrun by terrorists, Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has directed a census of residents in affected areas.

The governor made this known on Saturday during a visit to the Tyop community in Mangu Local Government Area.

Highlighting the alarming security situation where 64 communities are under terrorist control, Mutfwang condemned the displacement of indigenous people and called for proper documentation of all residents.

“I want a census of people living in this place (Tyop community). When they built their houses, who gave them permission to build their houses? We cannot afford to be lawless,” he said.

“Let me make it clear, any district head that allows people to settle within the district without proper documentation of who they are, that district head knows that he will dance to the music that will follow accordingly.”

The governor described the occupation of ancestral lands by unauthorized settlers as an intentional strategy to impoverish the people.

“We will not allow this nonsense to continue. We have to be law-abiding. We cannot be lawless. This kind of arrangement where indigenous population are chased out of their ancestral homes is an arrangement to keep our people in poverty and we cannot accept it.”

Calling for peaceful solutions, Mutfwang urged security agencies to step up.

“We want everybody to live in peace. We welcome people who want land to build houses, but there is a procedure which must be followed,” he said.

“You can’t just come from nowhere and start building houses in the middle of nowhere. It is not done anywhere. Worse still, people were chased out of their homes; you take it over and occupy it. This is not right.”

“This is not correct. So, we need to engage these people, and I want us to do it as peacefully as possible because we can’t continue to allow this kind of story to continue to repeat itself.”

During his visit, Mutfwang also toured other attacked communities in Bokkos Local Government Area, including Hurti and Daho, where he met with internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Disturbed by their dire conditions, especially among women and children, he urged them not to abandon their ancestral lands.

The governor encouraged community youths to stay focused and take up the responsibility of safeguarding their heritage.

“President Tinubu has extended his condolences and stands with you in the quest for peace and justice,” Mutfwang said.

“We are here to witness firsthand the devastation caused by these acts of banditry. This village recorded one of the highest numbers of casualties in this coordinated act of terrorism and genocide.”

“I’ve come not just to sympathise but to assure you that this government stands firmly with you,” he stated.

“We must rise above our differences, unite as a people, and resist the agenda of division. God did not make a mistake by planting you in this land. The government will do its part, and I urge the youth to play their role.”

At the St. Thomas Apostle Catholic Church in Bokkos, where many IDPs are taking shelter, Mutfwang expressed grief over their suffering and commended the church for its humanitarian support.

He promised swift action to resettle the displaced.

He also visited a mass grave where victims of the recent violence were buried, pledging to erect a memorial in their honor. A prayer session was led by Reverend Gideon Para-Mallam.

In his remarks, Raymond Alo, the District Head of Manguna, thanked the governor for his support and disclosed that some attackers are known to locals.

He appealed for greater efforts to secure federal intervention and rebuild the devastated communities.

Governor Alex Otti, 

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has showered praises on Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, describing him as a goal-oriented leader whose efforts are transforming the lives of Abians.

Obasanjo made these remarks on Saturday at the Unity Church in Uzuakoli, Bende Local Government Area, during the commissioning of the 46.36km Umuahia–Uzuakoli–Akara–Alayi–Abiriba Highway, reconstructed under the administration of Governor Otti.

Recalling his past experience with the road, Obasanjo expressed astonishment at the transformation.

“You (Gov. Otti) are a man of your word, a goal getter, a performer. You are a man who says no to what is bad and yes to what is good. You are an example of a leader,” he said.

The former president, who noted the poor state of the road during a previous visit to Abiriba, described Otti as a “miracle worker.”

He added, “This road you are all talking about, I traveled on it to Abiriba. It was hellish, and when I was told that the road you have done will get me from Umuahia to Abiriba in 35 minutes, I said this man called Alex Otti is a miracle worker.”

Obasanjo urged the people of Abia to appreciate the quality of leadership they currently enjoy and advised them to make the most of it.

“You (Abia people) said you have had leaders before, but one thing you must know is that good leaders don’t flock and when you get a good leader, like you have got in Dr Alex Otti, you must maximise good use of him.”

He further noted that Otti’s performance is evidence that Nigeria’s current challenges can be overcome with the right leadership.

“I am a witness to what you are doing and urge you to keep doing what you are doing. If you look hard and wide, you will see that this governor does not lack a good team,” he said.

“Of course, this is proof that whatever bad situation we are seeing today can be made good tomorrow. All we need to do is to make sure that at every level, we must have the right leaders with the right team to work with.”

Obasanjo also downplayed political party affiliations, emphasizing character and capacity.

“For me, a political party is just a platform. What matters is the quality of the man, and the quality of Alex Otti is a good quality.”

In a concluding remark that hinted at electoral advice, he said, “Well, when the time comes for elections, my advice to the people of Abia State is, don’t change a winning horse.”

Governor Otti, in his address, expressed satisfaction over the project’s completion and noted its significance.

He said the newly commissioned highway is a demonstration of his administration’s commitment to doing things differently.

According to him, “The commissioning ceremony was an eloquent testimony of his resolve to be doing things differently,” and he added that the road would significantly reduce travel time for motorists and improve connectivity across the state.

At least eight people—including the driver of a Hummer bus—and scores more were injured when their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device (IED) on the Maiduguri–Damboa–Biu federal highway on Saturday at about 11:30 am.

The blast occurred near Gidan Kaji (the abandoned Poultry House) in Konduga Local Government Area, a site deserted since the height of the Boko Haram insurgency.

Lawan Maina, District Head of Damboa, told our correspondent by phone: “It is very saddened to inform you about the explosion that took place along Damboa‑Maiduguri road this morning. A driver of a hummer bus and seven passengers died at the spot, while many others sustained various degrees of injury. I want to appeal to the federal government and the security agencies to redouble their efforts in complementing Borno State Government’s support and cooperation to defeat Boko Haram terrorists in the North East sub region.”

All injured victims were evacuated to the State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri, where Governor Babagana Zulum, accompanied by his entourage, ordered that they receive free treatment.

The attack comes just days after an Expanded Security Council meeting chaired by Governor Zulum, where he warned that renewed Boko Haram assaults were causing the state to lose ground.

In response, Information Minister Mohammed Idris issued a press statement insisting that “the administration remains committed to combating terrorism and banditry across the nation,” and that “the security agencies are working round‑the‑clock to bring the situation in parts of Borno and other states under control.”

However, when his remarks drew widespread criticism, the minister’s media aide, Rabiu Ibrahim, “back‑pedalled” in a statement describing the report as “categorically false and a gross distortion of the minister’s remarks.”

Ibrahim stressed that, at no point did the minister say, “Ignore Zulum, Boko Haram has not taken over Borno.”

Former Borno Commissioner of Trade, Commerce and Industry Hon. Yerima Lawan Kareto, who has publicly challenged the minister’s claim of safety in the state, extended a personal invitation to Idris: “Let me inform the Minister that such statement is not enough to cool the high tensions raised on the resilient Borno people who have trust and confidence on Governor Babagana Zulum’s good governance, this can be attested to numerous people oriented projects and the unrelenting support in cash and kind to security agencies since 2019 to date. Minister Idris have to come to Borno under my personal invitation to follow me to Damasak.”

“This would avail him the opportunity to tender an unreserved apology and to tell Nigerians whether Governor Zulum, the Shehu Of Borno, Dr. Abubakar Garbai Al‑Amin El‑Kanemi and other security agencies who deliberated extensively on the renewed attacks, were all better informed that Borno is losing ground to terrorists or not.”

Kareto also urged Governor Zulum and frontline troops “not to be deterred by the Minister’s outburst, but to remain committed and focused on the fight against the renewed killings and other criminalities bedevilling many communities in the state.”