Crime
Benue: Farming Communities Deserted As Herdsmen Attacks Escalate
Benue: Farming Communities Deserted As Herdsmen Attacks Escalate....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
As the farming season sets in, communities in Benue State are unsettled due to the escalation of attacks by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
According to findings by DAILY POST, armed herdsmen militia have killed at least 28 persons, including six security operatives of the Benue State Community Volunteer Guards and Livestock Guards, in a fresh attack on three communities in Gwer West Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State within the last one week.
The attacks came just one week after 17 victims of herdsmen attacks were given a mass burial at Mbaikyor Mbalom Gwer East LGA of the state.
Chairman of Gwer West LGA, Mr Henry Agba, who confirmed the incident, said several other persons were injured.
“The attack started on Saturday; six security operatives of the state, comprising Benue Security Community Volunteer Guards and Livestock Guards, were killed.
“They (operatives) escorted a family of a deceased to a village called Mbabwande where they had gone to bury their loved one and they ambushed them and killed them.
“On Sunday at about 11 pm they attacked a community in Gyaluwa and 14 people were killed.
“Also on Monday, they attacked a community along Naka/Adoka road where the villagers have so far recovered six dead bodies. Many people were wounded and receiving treatment at some clinics within the LGA.”
In a similar tragic incident, bandits descended on about nine communities in Apa Local Government Area of the state, killing and setting houses on fire.
DAILY POST reports that while some locals gave the casualty figure as 25, the lawmaker representing the area in the state Assembly, Abu Umoru, said he had lost count of the casualties.
The lawmaker said, “About 95 percent of a section of my community is displaced and I can mention them.
“The entire Edikwu community has been displaced; the entire Opaha, where I come from, nobody in is that community; Odugbo, nobody is there; Akpete, Ikobi, Akpata, Idiaha, Ochumekwu, Adija nobody is in those communities.
”Every day they will be burning houses in Akpete. As I speak to you, for three consecutive days, they have been going to Akpete and burning houses after chasing them out of their ancestral homes.”
Before now, no fewer than 50 persons, including a family of seven, were feared dead, following the invasion of the Gbagir community in Ukum Local Government Area of the state by suspected armed Fulani militia, with another sixteen people killed during an attack on Wa-ndoo, a community in Mbalom, Gwer-East Local Government Area.
A survivor, Tersoo Adagher, who lost four family members in the attack, said the attackers, suspected to be armed herders, invaded the community at about 7 pm while some of the residents were having supper.
“The herders invaded the community with guns and machetes. Then they began shooting indiscriminately.
“I took cover in the bushes. But by this morning (Friday), we have recovered 16 corpses, including that of a child,” Mr Adagher narrated.
DAILY POST also gathered that several persons were killed in a fresh attack on Ogboju community in Agatu Local Government Area of the state.
Confirming the incident, a former deputy chairman of Agatu Local Government, John Ikwulono, said nine corpses were recovered after the attack.
“Suspected armed herdsmen came to Ogboju community in Agatu local government yesterday night to attack our people again. This attack claimed nine lives as at the last count of the recovered corpses,” he stated.
Similarly, two persons were killed while several others were declared missing from their farms after suspected armed herdsmen attacked the Onipi community of Adoka in Otukpo Local Government Area of the state.
A local, who pleaded anonymity, informed DAILY POST that “after killing the victims in the farms, the herdsmen also burnt down yam barns and a mini-truck conveying tubers of yam from the farms.
“It was an unprovoked attack because the people had no issues with them. Nobody can tell why they are doing this to our innocent farmers, who toil day and night to produce for their families and to sell for sustenance.
“So far, two persons have been confirmed dead while many others are missing but the search for them is ongoing and we hope that they will be found alive.”
In another tragic incident, gunmen suspected to be herdsmen also killed a farmer at Olakpoga community of Entekpa Council Ward in Adoka District of Otukpo LGA of the state.
Two others also sustained injuries, while one farmer was reported to have been kidnapped.
Findings by DAILY POST indicated that the deceased and others were among those who fled their homes recently as a result of constant attacks.
They were said to have returned to their farms in the community not long ago.
According to a local in the affected community, “All the victims are IDPs who went to fetch food on their farms and were attacked by the same armed herders who chased them away from home in the first place.”
According to Nivo News, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) welcomed 5,000 new members in Abia State on Saturday, following the recent entry of former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, into the party.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The mass defection was led by Bishop Emeka Nwankpa, the 2023 governorship candidate of the Accord Party, in his hometown of Umuaku, Ntigha, Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area. Supporters who joined him also left their former political affiliations, including the South East Mandate for Good Governance, to align with the ADC.
Nwankpa explained that his decision to join the ADC was driven by a strong conviction, noting that the party’s manifesto resonates with his political philosophy, emphasizing people-oriented governance, social justice, and sustainable development. He described the ADC as a credible, progressive platform capable of fostering inclusive governance and rebuilding public trust in Nigerian politics.
The Abia State Chairman of the ADC, Don Norman Obinna, formally welcomed Nwankpa and his followers, stating that the country’s political trajectory is increasingly favoring the ADC.
The Abia State Police Command has reported the arrest of 809 suspects and the recovery of 88 firearms in 438 cases across the state from January 2025 to date.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
According to Nivo News, Commissioner of Police Danladi Isa provided the update on Friday during a briefing at his office, outlining the operational strategies and achievements of the Command during the period under review. He disclosed that 435 rounds of ammunition were recovered from suspected criminals and that over 200 suspects have been successfully prosecuted, with several jailed for various offenses.
The CP further revealed that 33 children who had been kidnapped or trafficked were rescued within and outside the state, with the suspects involved prosecuted and some already imprisoned. “We have sent a lot of people to jail. A clear message has been passed that it is no longer business as usual for criminals in Abia State,” Isa stated.
He highlighted that the state’s crime rate has declined under his leadership, attributing the success to support from Governor Alex Otti, provision of logistics, and collaboration with community stakeholders. Isa also noted that officers encountered non-state actors on several occasions, who were neutralized and disarmed.
The Police Commissioner urged residents to continue providing credible information on suspicious activities to further strengthen the fight against crime. Firearms and other weapons recovered from suspects were displayed at the Police headquarters in Umuahia for the media.
According to Nivo News, the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF–NCCC) has arrested high-profile cybercrime suspects linked to a sophisticated Microsoft 365 phishing operation that targeted the email systems of major corporate organisations.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The arrests followed actionable intelligence received from Microsoft Corporation in the United States through the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which exposed the deployment of an advanced phishing toolkit known as RaccoonO365. The toolkit was designed to create counterfeit Microsoft login pages capable of harvesting user credentials and unlawfully accessing corporate, financial, and educational email platforms.
Briefing journalists in Abuja on Thursday, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed that the cybercrime centre launched a coordinated, intelligence-led operation in partnership with Microsoft, the FBI, and the United States Secret Service. He explained that investigations traced multiple cases of unauthorised Microsoft 365 account access recorded between January and September 2025 to phishing emails crafted to closely mimic legitimate Microsoft authentication portals.
According to police findings, the cyberattacks resulted in business email compromise, data breaches, and significant financial losses across several jurisdictions. Acting on precise intelligence, NPF–NCCC operatives conducted targeted operations in Lagos and Edo states, leading to the arrest of three suspects. Searches carried out at their residences yielded laptops, mobile phones, and other digital devices, which forensic analysis directly linked to the fraudulent activities.
Further investigations identified Okitipi Samuel, also known by the aliases “RaccoonO365” and “Moses Felix,” as the principal suspect and alleged developer of the phishing infrastructure. Police said he operated a Telegram channel through which phishing links were sold in exchange for cryptocurrency and hosted fake login portals on Cloudflare using stolen or fraudulently obtained email credentials.
The police clarified that there was no evidence connecting the two other arrested individuals to the creation or management of the phishing scheme. The Nigeria Police Force reiterated its commitment to protecting the country’s digital environment through the use of advanced technology, enhanced international cooperation, and thorough investigative and prosecutorial processes aimed at combating evolving cyber threats.
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