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“Silence is Betrayal: Nigeria Demands Justice for Benue’s Fallen”

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The recent massacre in Benue State, where over 200 people were killed in a gruesome overnight assault, has ignited nationwide and international outrage. Widely attributed to the protracted herder-farmer conflict plaguing the region, the tragedy has not only deepened communal wounds but also intensified scrutiny of the government’s handling of the persistent crisis.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, have decried the “near-daily bloodshed” in Benue State, urging the Nigerian government to put an end to the relentless killings.

In Makurdi, the state capital, protests erupted as enraged citizens demanded justice and accountability, condemning what many see as a disturbingly muted response from the federal government to one of the most brutal massacres in recent Nigerian history. Social media has become a rallying ground for voices calling for urgent intervention, amplifying the sense of abandonment. Even Pope Francis joined in expressing deep concern.

As expected, President Bola Tinubu condemned the violence as “inhuman and anti-progress,” directing security forces to act swiftly. However, the unrelenting attacks point to a deeper failure—one that goes beyond deploying troops and issuing statements. The root causes—land disputes, ethnic tensions, competition for resources, and alleged foreign interference aiming to exploit Nigeria’s vulnerabilities—remain unaddressed. The humanitarian consequences are devastating: thousands displaced, farmlands abandoned, and food insecurity worsening in a state long known as Nigeria’s food basket.

Curiously, President Tinubu visited Benue on June 18—possibly to verify the scale of destruction firsthand. But deeper questions persist: Who arms these marauding groups with military-grade weapons like AK-47s? Why does the government continually cite “security efforts” when it’s clear those efforts are inadequate? Nigeria recently condemned Israel’s strike on Iran—yet the country struggles to emulate the strategic responses foreign powers deploy against such threats. Can we adopt similarly robust, proactive approaches?

Since May 2023, Benue has experienced a horrifying wave of violence, with over 1,043 lives lost in just two years, according to security experts. Between February and May 2025 alone, more than 150 people were killed in Guma, Logo, and Ukum LGAs. On May 25, another attack in Gwer West claimed at least 20 more lives. The brutality escalated in June, with over 200 people massacred in coordinated attacks on Yelewata and Daudu communities in Guma LGA. Entire villages were razed, residents slaughtered, and local security forces overwhelmed. Similar bloodshed has also erupted in Enugu, Ebonyi, and Plateau States.

Despite repeated government assurances and security operations, the carnage continues. The failure to stop it highlights the absence of a sustainable peacebuilding strategy and adequate protection for vulnerable communities.

Critics say the federal government’s reaction to the Benue killings has been selective—swift when politically expedient, sluggish or muted when it concerns opposition strongholds or areas less critical to ruling party interests. Compared to the government’s rapid responses to politically sensitive incidents or regions, the silence over Benue is deafening.

This perceived inaction feeds a troubling narrative: that security interventions are driven more by political calculation than by a duty to protect all Nigerians equally. Some analysts argue that President Tinubu, a South-Western leader, is walking a tightrope—wary of alienating powerful northern blocs whose support may prove vital ahead of the 2027 elections. Such strategic silence could be an attempt to preserve delicate political alliances, even at the cost of innocent lives.

Another school of thought links this silence to broader geopolitical concerns. Nigeria’s vast natural wealth has long attracted foreign interests, and many suspect that some external actors—under the guise of neo-colonial influence—may have a hand in fuelling instability to maintain economic and strategic control. Whether conspiracy or caution, this suspicion of foreign meddling remains deeply entrenched in the public psyche.

Ultimately, Tinubu’s silence, or selective engagement, appears to reflect a troubling trade-off: national unity and political survival over moral clarity and decisive leadership. In a diverse and often divided nation, such silence is seen not as neutrality but as complicity.

The sheer scale of the Benue massacre—where entire families were wiped out in a single night—is an indictment of this silence. If such horror can unfold in just one night, what’s to stop entire regions from being erased in a week? When a government sworn to protect its citizens responds with tepid statements and delayed action, it risks becoming an enabler of the violence.

Silence, in this context, is not just failure—it is endorsement. It emboldens killers, erodes trust, and dismantles the rule of law.

What’s more appalling is the government’s reactive posture. Following the atrocities in Yelewata and Daudu, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, only visited after public outrage and mass protests forced a response. He pledged enhanced security—but only after lives had been lost. This supports a grim pattern: security agencies arrive to count bodies, not prevent atrocities.

In Makurdi, protesters under the Stop Benue Killings movement were violently dispersed by police, despite demonstrating peacefully for justice. Tear gas was deployed against mourning citizens. Activists noted that the government only began commenting on the crisis once international attention mounted. Some criticised President Tinubu for using the phrase “warring communities” instead of naming it what it was: genocide, or at the very least, a massacre.

The official death toll is pegged at “at least 100,” but eyewitnesses and survivors say it exceeds 200. This discrepancy raises disturbing questions: Is the government downplaying the numbers to save face? To mask its security failures? Or to suppress outrage?

One survivor, Prince Aondona Isaka Ornguga, who lost 23 family members, openly rejected the official figures, accusing authorities of covering up the true scale of the tragedy. If one family lost 23 lives, how many others suffered similar losses? The refusal to acknowledge the full scope of the devastation deepens the pain of survivors and fuels distrust.

This consistent downplaying of casualties, combined with a failure to prevent such attacks, is a damning indictment—not just of the government, but also of the media and all who stay silent. That silence, willful or otherwise, makes them complicit.

To break this deadly cycle, all stakeholders—government, media, civil society—must rise above political caution and confront the truth. We must demand justice, transparency, and protection for every Nigerian.

President Tinubu must understand that leadership requires moral courage—the kind that speaks boldly, acts swiftly, and protects without prejudice. Anything less is betrayal. The time for silence has ended.

The people of Benue—and all Nigerians—deserve not just empathy, but action. To remain silent now is to side with oppression. And history will remember who spoke—and who stayed silent.

—

Dr. Mbamalu, a Jefferson Journalism Fellow, member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, and media consultant, is the publisher of Prime Business Africa.

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Breaking: IGP Reassigns Top Police Officers In Major Nationwide Shake-Up.

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The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, has approved a major reshuffle involving more than 100 Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACPs) across various commands, formations and specialised units of the Nigeria Police Force.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The redeployment affects officers serving in operational, administrative, investigative and intelligence departments nationwide.

According to a report by SaharaReporters, which obtained an internal police wireless message dated November 13, 2026, the directive was issued from the Force Headquarters in Abuja and marked “MOST/IMMEDIATE.”

The communication, referenced DTO: 131635/11/2026, instructed affected commands, departments and formations to update their records to reflect the new postings.

The reshuffle covers several police formations, including the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), zonal and state commands, Police Mobile Force (PMF), Intelligence Response Team, Special Tactical Squad and INTERPOL section.

Under the new arrangement, ACP Rex Abiodun Enwelike has been posted as Area Commander in Ozoro, Delta State, while ACP Raji Ganiyu has been assigned to Area Command J in Ajah, Lagos State.

ACP Samuel Ijachi is now the Commandant of the 70 Police Mobile Force in Kabba, Kogi State, while ACP Ogunrin Mohammed Temitope has been posted to head the 16 PMF in Abeokuta, Ogun State. ACP Idris Bunu will serve as Commandant of the 75 PMF in Obudu, Cross River State.

Similarly, ACP Olajike Samuel Olusola has been deployed to the Department of Operations in Rivers State, while ACP Eluha Clever has been appointed Area Commander in Ahoada, Rivers State.

Other appointments include ACP Oluwale Fabelurin Joseph as Commandant of the 29 PMF in Awka, Anambra State, and ACP Yusuf J. Abdullahi, who has been assigned to the Department of Administration in Kebbi State.

The new postings also saw ACP Victor Olanrewaju Kalajaiye deployed as Area Commander in Iwo, Osun State, while ACP Sanusi Adamu takes charge of the Yauri Area Command in Kebbi State.

ACP Esther Nnaiwu and ACP Aremu Sikiru Adeniran have both been posted to the Department of Operations in Anambra State, while ACP Patrick Chukwuma Agbazue will head the 55 PMF in Aba, Abia State. ACP Aremu Olusola has also been assigned to the State Intelligence Department in Kebbi State.

In Kaduna State, ACP Yahaya Mainasara Maru has been appointed Area Commander of Metro, while ACP Bashir Sani will serve in the Intelligence and Investigation Unit of the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU) in Lagos.

ACP Temibra Taikumo Temikumo has been posted to the PSFU’s Administration Unit, while ACP Onanah Ari Umar will serve in the Special Fraud Unit. ACP Gilbert Ode Ogah has been deployed to the Force Monitoring and Intelligence Unit in Lagos, and ACP Mohammed Tanko Yakub to the PSFU Legal Unit.

Other officers affected include ACP Murtala Saidu, who has been posted to the Administration Unit of the Police Mobile Force at Force Headquarters, Abuja, and ACP Ibrahim Tijjani Umara, who will serve at the State Criminal Investigation Department in Benue State.

ACP Mustapha Mohammed Lawal has been assigned to the Administration Unit of the FCID Annex in Kaduna, while ACP Hadiza Ado has been posted to the Department of Operations, Zone 3, Yola.

ACP Yusuf Mapindi will serve in the Operations Unit of the PSFU in Lagos, while ACP Danjuma Ribah Garba has been deployed to the Department of Operations, Zone 5, Benin.

The reshuffle further affected ACP Babandi Ajiya, who has been posted to the Administration Unit of the Police College of Management and Strategic Studies, and ACP Garga Ibrahim Audu, who will serve in the Department of Finance and Administration, Zone 6, Calabar.

ACP Effiom Okon has been assigned to the Administration Unit of the Force Intelligence Department at Force Headquarters, Abuja, while ACP Mohammed Abubakar has been appointed Area Commander in Irua, Edo State. ACP Shehu Usman has also been posted to the State Intelligence Department in Ebonyi State.

Additionally, ACP Peter Ajah Oluohu has been deployed to the Anti-Fraud Section of the FCID in Abuja, while ACP Abdulaziz Madawaki has been appointed Deputy Commandant in Oyin-Akoko, Ondo State.

ACP Kayode Kehinde Oyetunji will serve in the Department of Operations in Oyo State, while ACP Emmanuel Kayode has been posted to the Seme border formation. ACP Kolawole O. Aremu will serve in the Department of Finance and Administration in Ebonyi State, and ACP Olakunle Fabul uje has been assigned to the Zonal Intelligence Department, Zone 10, Sokoto State.

Other senior officers affected include ACP Abdulkadir Wada, posted as Area Commander in Umuoma, Imo State, and ACP George Friday Clement, deployed to the South-West office of the Nigeria Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), under the Office of the National Security Adviser.

ACP Michael Kayode Fadipe has been assigned to the Department of Operations, Zone 6, Calabar, while ACP Gboya Abraham Gana will head the Egbeda Area Command in Oyo State. ACP Yakubu Olufemi Kazeem has been posted to Afikpo, Ebonyi State, while ACP Frank Azubuike Amobi will serve as Area Commander in Owo, Ondo State.

The postings also assigned ACP Kenneth Iyayi as Area Commander in Lokoja, Kogi State, and ACP Emmanuel Abuh to the X-Squad in Kebbi State.

ACP Yahaya Ibrahim has been deployed to the Administration Unit of the Force Provost Marshal at Force Headquarters, Abuja, while ACP Titus Kehinde Adewale will head the Lantang Area Command in Plateau State.

ACP Wesleys Obed has been posted to the State Intelligence Department in Ekiti State, while ACP Ekundayo Olutekunbi will serve as Area Commander in Shagamu, Ogun State.

Further deployments include ACP Francis Obigwa as Area Commander in Agbara, Ogun State, and ACP Ishaq A. Ibrahim as Commandant of the 57 PMF in Ukana.

ACP Nasiru Adamu Kaila has been posted to the State Intelligence Department in Bayelsa State, while ACP Doris U. England will serve in the Department of Operations in Kogi State.

ACP Umar Ibrahim Wurno has been assigned to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Bayelsa State, ACP Reuben Onah to the X-Squad in the state, and ACP Emilia Mami as Area Commander in Ezinithitte, Imo State.

The reshuffle also saw ACP Kenneth C. Anuebunwa appointed Area Commander in Igbeti, Oyo State, while ACP Adejokun Ademola will head the Ringim Area Command in Jigawa State.

ACP Hadi Musa has been deployed to the X-Squad in Niger State, while ACP Ibrahim Usman will serve in the Department of Operations, Zone 7, Abuja.

ACP Aborode O. Tope has been posted to the State Intelligence Department in Kwara State, while ACP Abdullahi Usman will oversee the Eastern Port Area Command in Port Harcourt.

ACP Efanga Offiong has been assigned to the Department of Operations, Zone 9, Umuahia, while ACP Godwin Oko Onah will serve in the Department of Finance and Administration of the Railway Police in Lagos.

Other postings include ACP Kalu Uche Nnanna as Assistant Director at the NCCSALW under the Office of the National Security Adviser in Kaduna, and ACP Bello Oro to the Department of Operations in Ebonyi State.

ACP Lewi Suleiman has been appointed Area Commander in Orifite, Anambra State, while ACP Kumzi Naniwat will serve in the Zonal Criminal Investigation Department, Zone 6, Calabar.

ACP Chukwu Chimeze has been posted to the Criminal Investigation Department of the Railway Police, while ACP Anthony Omogbemi Alabi will head the Geidam Area Command in Yobe State.

The list further includes ACP Mohammed Hadi Nguru, posted to the X-Squad, Zone 15, Maiduguri, and ACP Ismaila Adamu Damagun, appointed Area Commander in Ifo, Ogun State.

ACP Odunayo Moruf Liasu will head the Munguno Area Command in Borno State, while ACP Bukar Ali Abba has been deployed to the X-Squad in Anambra State.

ACP Musa Mohammed Saleh has been assigned to the Department of Operations of the Airport Police in Lagos, while ACP Adeniyi Olurunwa Ogundele and ACP Ibrahim Akinniyi have been appointed Area Commanders in Ilesha and Ile-Ife, respectively, in Osun State.

ACP Seyi Williams Olubuyi will serve as Area Commander in Akwanga, Nasarawa State.

The redeployment also affected ACP Gaiya Ahmed, who has been posted to the X-Squad in Kaduna State, and ACP Suleiman A. Yandaki, who will serve in the Intelligence Unit of the Force Intelligence Department at the FCID Annex in Lagos.

ACP Sani Ahmed has been deployed to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Ekiti State, while ACP Yusuf Ali will serve in the Zonal Intelligence Department, Zone 16, Yenagoa.

ACP Ezenware N. Kenneth has been assigned to the Administration and Operations Department at Force Headquarters, Abuja, while ACP Babayo Adamu Sambo will head the Agodi Area Command in Oyo State.

ACP Ibrahim Oyetundscr has also been posted to the Operations Unit of the NCCSALW, South-South office, under the Office of the National Security Adviser.

In the final batch of postings, ACP Tobi Debakeme has been appointed Area Commander in Ilofa, Kwara State, while ACP Segun Adedayo Oluwaseyi will head the Pankshin Area Command in Plateau State.

ACP George Edore has been posted to the Department of Finance and Administration in Kwara State, while ACP Williams Oladiran Oladipo will serve in the Police Library and Studies Unit in Jos.

ACP Salawu Olayinka has been assigned to the Department of Finance and Administration in Sokoto State, while ACP Abraham Yisa will serve in the Department of Operations, Western Port, Lagos.

Other officers named in the communication include ACP Isaac Olumbambo Fabiyi, deployed to the Department of Operations, Zone 12, Bauchi; ACP Gowon Boka, appointed Area Commander in Southern Ijaw, Bayelsa State; and ACP James Nwosu, posted to Isuikwuato, Abia State.

ACP Sati Abari has been appointed Area Commander in Daudu, Benue State, while ACP Daniel Wetben has been deployed to the Litigation Unit of the Legal Department at Force Headquarters, Abuja.

ACP Stephen Onwochei will serve in the General Investigation Unit of the FCID Annex in Kaduna, while ACP Lateef Tunde Akanbi has been posted as Area Commander in Ang Damasak, Borno State.

The remaining deployments include ACP Musa Azi to the Administration Unit, Zone 12, Bauchi; ACP Ikechukwu Ogoegbunam to the X-Squad in Bauchi State; and ACP Usman Musa as Area Commander in Wukari, Taraba State.

ACP Awus Ofor Anje has been posted to the Birnin Gwari Area Command in Kaduna State, while ACP Isah Kabiru will serve in the Administration Unit of the Department of Training and Development at Force Headquarters, Abuja.

ACP Azogor Edu has also been deployed to the Department of Operations, Zone 2, Lagos, while ACP Casimir Ihiezu was listed among the officers affected by the reshuffle.

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‘Kwankwaso Is More Experienced Than Peter Obi’ – Buhari’s Ex-Aide Declares.

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Ahmad made the assertion in a post on his X handle, maintaining that Kwankwaso’s decision to accept the position of running mate should be seen as an act of political modesty rather than an indication that he is less qualified than Obi.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

According to the former presidential aide, the relationship between the two politicians should be viewed as one of equals rather than that of a superior and a subordinate.

“To be entirely candid, the political dynamic between Rabiu Kwankwaso and Peter Obi ought to be characterised as one of collegiality between peers, rather than a hierarchy of principal and subordinate,” he wrote.

He added, “The choice to assume a deputy role beneath Obi ought to be interpreted as a testament to political modesty.”

Making a case for Kwankwaso’s political experience, Ahmad recalled that the former Kano State governor served as Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives before Obi became a prominent figure in national politics.

He also noted that Kwankwaso governed Kano State, which he described as Nigeria’s most populous and politically influential state, for two terms and served as a federal minister.

“If we are assessing political experience, Sen. Kwankwaso probably has a longer and more impressive political background than Peter Obi,” Ahmad stated.

In contrast, the former presidential aide argued that Obi’s major public office experience was limited to his tenure as governor of Anambra State.

“Unlike other candidates, Peter Obi was just a former governor of Anambra State,” he wrote.

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‘I Have Stopped Impregnating Women’ – 2Baba Makes Shocking Revelation.

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Nigerian music star Innocent Idibia, popularly known as 2Baba, has declared that he no longer impregnates women.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The singer made the statement on Saturday during a live performance at Rehab Lounge in Calgary, Canada.

While performing his hit song True Love, 2Baba paused to interact with the audience and playfully asked the women present to identify where his true love was.

He jokingly wondered whether she was standing at the back of the venue or somewhere in front of him before making a remark about his experiences with women.

The award-winning musician told the audience that he had stopped getting women pregnant, adding that he had been making the same confession wherever he performed recently.

He said, “For the purpose of this show, I will pretend like I’ve never seen anything before. Where’s my true love? Is she back there? Is she right here? Is she somewhere here? Where’s my true love? You people shouldn’t put out me for trouble.

“As I said, some ladies they fear to shout. See, everywhere I go these days, I make this confession. As I say, some ladies they fear to shout. I say, I don’t fear to shout. Because I don’t stop to dey give woman belle. Ask anyone, they’ll tell you, I don’t do such thing things again.”

The singer’s comment comes amid public interest in his personal life and relationships.

2Baba was previously married to Nollywood actress Annie Macaulay-Idibia. The couple announced their separation in January 2025 after having two children together.

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