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At least fifteen people were killed on Monday evening when suspected gunmen attacked four villages in Ebonyi State.  The attack took place in Umuhuali, Nkalaha, Obeagu, Nkalagu, and Amazu in Ishielu Local Government Area of the southeast state, further raising concerns about the country’s security. Eyewitnesses say the gunmen were shooting sporadically, killing the victims in different areas of the communities. They equally set ablaze motorcycles belonging to residents of the affected communities. Governor David Umahi had also visited the affected communities and condemned the attack by the suspected AK-47 wielding gunmen. While expressing sadness over the incident, the Ebonyi governor assured the people that the government will do all within its powers to bring the perpetrators to justice. He also called on security operatives to help in fishing out those behind the heinous crime. Credit: Channels TV

Fulani Nationality Movement (FUNAM) has claimed responsibility for the attack on Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue’s convoy. A statement titled, ‘Why we attacked Ortom,’ issued by Umar Amir Shehu, published by Ripples, confirmed that FUNAM attacked the governor on behalf of millions of Fulanis. It is not clear whether the ‘special detectives’ deployed in Benue by Abuja are investigating the group, or the State Security Service has FUNAM on its watchlist. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has accused Mr Buhari of failing to rein in killer herdsmen on the rampage across the country. Though considered non-existent or faceless, FUNAM sees itself as acting on behalf of Fulani people in 15 countries. In Nigeria, violent attacks in the first six months of 2020 exceeded the total recorded in 2019. Much of the violence was attributed to the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Fulani extremists. In February, Mr Ortom had accused Bauchi’s Governor Bala Mohammed of plotting ...

A retired army colonel, Tony Nyiam, says President Muhammadu Buhari had publicly opened up that he is from Niger Republic, a landlocked country in West Africa. Mr Nyiam said this in a recent interview with Arise TV. A snipet of the January 25, 2021, interview was shared on social media Sunday afternoon. The retired military officer, now a human rights activist, while speaking on the surge in herdsmen crisis, maintained that Mr Buhari, who he admires, was his boss. He also revealed that the president had declared that most of his family members are Nigeriens even though “he owes allegiance to Nigeria.” Mr Nyiam also claimed that “General Muhammadu Buhari was my boss, the General Officer Commanding when I was commanding a unit under him. He went against Shagari to defend Nigerian interest against Chadians. “In one of the briefings, when he was briefing us he openly told us that his family, most of his family are from Niger and that he is a Nigerian officer and that he owes al...

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Sunday, ordered security agencies to carry out what he called an “open and transparent” investigation into the Saturday attack on the Benue State, Samuel Ortom. .  The directive was contained in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, titled “President Buhari condemns attack on Governor Samuel Ortom, orders thorough, transparent investigation.” .  Shehu quoted the President as directing that all those linked to the attack should be made to face the law. .  “Let there be open and transparent investigation and whoever is linked to it should be caught and be made to face the law,” the President reportedly directed. .  Buhari was also reported to have said that the string of brutal attacks on individuals and communities in the state, with the latest one targeting the governor, was unacceptable. .  The statement read, “The President welcomes...

  Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State says Nigeria will cease to exist if his Benue State counterpart, Samuel Ortom, is assassinated. Wike also said the Federal Government will be held responsible if Ortom is killed. The governor said this while reacting to gunmen’s attack on Ortom’s convoy on Saturday, March 20, 2021. The gunmen were said to have attacked the governor’s convoy to a river bank in Tyo Mu along Makurdi-Gboko Road in the Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State. In a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kelvin Ebiri, Wike said “If you kill Ortom, then be prepared to bury Nigeria. If anything happens to Governor Ortom, the Federal Government will be held responsible and they should be prepared that there will be no more Nigeria.” The governor also described the growing trend where the life of incumbent governors are brazenly threatened as disturbing.

Governor Samuel Ortom has spoken about the attack on his convoy along Tyomu community in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State. Earlier, gunmen had opened fire on Ortom’s convoy along the Makurdi–Gboko highway around 11am on Saturday. Witnesses told our correspondent that there was a heavy gunfire between the attackers and the governor’s security operatives. A local said, “I didn’t know what happened, but I heard terrible gunshots. There were also sounds of speeding vehicles and by the time I inquired; I was told the governor was ambushed by gunmen.” Speaking with newsmen in Makurdi, the State capital, Ortom blamed the incident on herdsmen whom he said had earlier threatened to capture him alive. He said he was returning from his farm situated on Gboko road when some gun welding men dressed in black stormed out of bushes and started shooting at his convoy. “It is normal for me as a farmer to go to my farm on Saturday. On my way back from my farm along Gboko road ...

The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, clarified that the apex bank did not ban Cryptocurrency activities in the country. The Governor of CBN, Godwin Emefiele, disclosed this today, in Abuja, at the 30th seminar for Finance Correspondents and Business Editors which was organised by the bank. Emefiele, who was represented by Adamu Lamtek, Deputy Governor, Corporates Services, said what the bank did was to protect the banking sector from the activities of Cryptocurrencies and not a ban on its activities. "The CBN did not place restrictions from use of Cryptocurrencies and we are not discouraging people from trading in it. What we have just done was to prohibit transactions on Cryptocurrencies in the banking sector," Lamtek said.

The convoy of Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue was attacked along Tyomu community in Makurdi Local Government Area of the State on Saturday. Ortom was said to be returning from Gboko when the incident happened along Makurdi-Gboko highway around noon. Witnesses said there was a heavy exchange of gunfire between the attackers and the governor’s security detail. At least two sources confirmed the attack to Daily Trust, saying the governor is about to address the media on the development. Credit: SaharaReporters