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BBC News
a day ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Focus on Africa Nigeria: What's behind Benue state attacks?
Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu has ordered security agencies to bring an end to the wave of killings in Benue state. It's believed that more than 200 people were killed in attacks across various communities. What's behind the increase in violence? Also, a young man from the DRC is on the path to sainthood in the Catholic Church. Who was he and what did he do to achieve this? And we discuss the state of the book industry on the continent, following the first ever UNESCO report on the issue, with one of the authors of the report, Elitha van der Sandt and the internationally acclaimed Nigerian author, Lola Shoneyin. Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers: Tom Kavanagh, Sunita Nahar and Wedaeli Chibelushi Technical Producer: Chris Ablakwa Senior Journalist: Karnie Sharp Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
BBC News
a day ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Who and who dey inside di team wey Tinubu gather to stop di attacks for Benue?
Nigeria President Bola Tinubu don set up one committee wey go help bring peace for Benue State. Dis one dey come afta di killing wey happn for Yelewata community inside Guma Local Goment Area of Benue State, wia reports tok say dem kill about 200 pipo. National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) tok say thousands of people don lose dia houses sake of di recent attacks wey happun. Who be pipo wey dey inside di team wey Tinubu gather to stop di attacks for Benue? Brigadier General John Atom Kpera na retired Nigerian Army officer wey retire for 1985 afta e don serve for different positions for over two decades. John Atom Kpera bin born on 3 January 1941 for Mbatierev, Gboko Local goment Area wey dey now for Benue State. E go Katsina-Ala College, wey dem dey call goment College Katsina-Ala now, from 1956 go 1961 for im secondary school. Afta e join army, e go Haile Selasie Military Academy for Ethiopia in 1962 for Military Cadet Training, and dem commission am as 2nd Lieutenant for Corps of Engineers in 1965. E don hold different command and staff positions like Engineers Brigade Commander, Squadron Commander, Regimental Commander, and Commander, Corps of Engineers. John Atom Kpera na the first Military Govnor of Anambra State for Nigeria from March 1976 to July 1978, afta dem create di state from old East Central State during military regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo. Later, e come be Military Govnor of Benue State from January 1984 to August 1985 during military regime of Major-General Muhammadu Buhari. George Akume wey dem born 27 December 1953 na former govnor of Benue State wey rule from 1999 to 2007. Na im be di current Secretary to di goment of di Federation. For 1999, Akume becom govnor of Benue State and e serve two terms of four years. For 2007, e win election to represent Benue pipo as senator for Benue North-West for Nigeria Senate. Akume win again as Senator for Benue North-West for April 2011 elections under Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). E win again for Senate under All Progressives Congress (APC) for 2015. E becom chairman for Senate Committee on Army and senior member for Senate. Akume get nomination and confirmation as minister of Federal Republic of Nigeria by Muhammadu Buhari. On 2 June 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appoint am as Secretary to the goment of di Federation (SGF). For May 2023, Akume collect Nigerian national honour Commander of di Order of di Nigeria (CON) from President Muhammadu Buhari. Gabriel Torwua Suswam wey dem born 15 November 1964 na Nigerian politician and former Govnor of Benue State from 2007 - 2015. For 1999 election, e contest for House of Representatives for Katsina-Ala/Ukum/Logo Federal Constituency, and e win under People's Democratic Party (PDP). Dem appoint am as Chairman of House Services Committee, later Chairman, House Committee on FCT. E contest again and win for 2003. On 3 July 2003, dem appoint am Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, den for August 2005, dem appoint am Chairman, House Committee on Power. For April 2007, e win election as Govnor of Benue State. Suswam contest for second term for 26 April 2011 gubernatorial elections under PDP. For 28 March 2015 general elections, Gabriel Suswam lose senatorial seat to Chief Barnabas Gemade of APC. Samuel Ioraer Ortom dem born for 23 April 1961, na Nigerian politician, businessman, administrator and philanthropist. E be govnor of Benue State from 2015 - 2023. E start school for St. John's Primary School, Gboko for 1970 but later go St. Catherine's Primary School, Makurdi for 1974. E attend Secondary Commercial College, Idah for Kogi State for 1976. E get General Certificate of Education and Diploma in Salesmanship. E get Interim Joint Matriculation Board Certificate for 1995 and Diploma in Journalism for 1998. E attend Benue State University wey e get Advanced Diploma in Personnel Management for 2001 and Master of Public Administration for 2004. Ortom get Ph.D. from Commonwealth University, Belize. 2011. E be PDP National Auditor before dem appoint am as Minister of State for Nigeria for July 2011. For April 2015, e contest for Governor of Benue State and e win under APC. For July 2018, Ortom talk say e don comot from APC because of internal party wahala. For 9 March 2019 Benue gubernatorial election and 23 March 2019 supplementary election, Ortom win again as Governor. James Ortese Iorzua Ayatse, Tor Tiv V dem born am for 12 May 1956. Na Nigerian academic wey be Paramount Ruler/King of Tiv Nation and president, Tiv Area Traditional Council and chairman, Benue State Council of Chiefs. E become professor of biochemistry for im late thirties and later serve as vice chancellor for two Federal universities between 2001–2006 and 2011–2016. Na only im be first Tiv man wey do am. As Tor Tiv V, Ayatse na first Tiv man wey rule im pipo as professor. E attend LGEA School, Mbagbegba, Shangev-Ya and St Anne's Primary School Adikpo. E attend secondary school for Goment Secondary School, Gboko. Later e go University of Ibadan wey e get for Biochemistry. E do im Master of Science for University of Calabar before e go University of Surrey, Guildford, UK as Commonwealth student wey e finish with Ph.D. for Biochemistry. Tor Tiv later go back University of Calabar for MBA and e become professor of biochemistry – first Tiv man wey achieve that.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nigerian president orders crackdown on gangs after 150 killed in conflict-hit north
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday directed security agencies to hunt down the perpetrators of a weekend attack that killed at least 150 people in the country's northcentral, as he faces growing pressure over a worsening security crisis. Tinubu visited Benue state, the site of the recent deadly attacks, seeking to calm tensions and promise justice for the victims. 'We will restore peace, rebuild, and bring the perpetrators to justice. You are not alone.' the Nigerian leader said on X. Assailants stormed Benue state's Yelewata community from Friday night till Saturday morning, opening fire on villagers who were asleep and setting their homes ablaze, survivors and the local farmers union said. Many of those killed were sheltering in a local market after fleeing violence in other parts of the state. Authorities in Benue state blamed herdsmen for the attack, a type of violence frequently seen in northern Nigeria's decadeslong pastoral conflict. Opposition leaders and critics have accused Tinubu of a delayed response to the killings, noting his office issued a statement over 24 hours after the attack. His visit to the state occurred five days later. The Nigerian leader traveled to Makurdi, Benue State's capital, where he visited a hospital to see those injured in the attack and met with local leaders to discuss how to end the killings. He did not visit the Yelewata community. He also appeared to reprimand the police for not making any arrest yet more than four days after the killings. 'How come no arrest has been made? I expect there should be an arrest of those criminals,' Tinubu asked as he addressed senior police officers during a gathering in Benue. Analysts blame Nigeria's worsening security crisis on a lack of political will to go after criminals and ensure justice for victims. 'In the end, the result is the same: No justice, no accountability, and no closure for the victims and their communities," said Senator Iroegbu, a security analyst based in Nigeria's capital Abuja. 'Until this changes, impunity will remain the norm, and such tragedies will continue to occur.' ____ Follow AP's Africa coverage at: Dyepkazah Shibayan, The Associated Press
News24
2 days ago
- Politics
- News24
Nigeria's central region grapples with recurring violence
Recurring deadly clashes between Fulani herders and Christian farmers plague Nigeria's Benue state over land and resources. Massacres, like the Yelewata attack, highlight premeditated violence and displacement fears amid failed security measures. Government efforts, including security deployment and peace committees, lack effectiveness, requiring political and communal resolutions. For several months, Nigeria's central state of Benue state has been the scene of a series of deadly attacks pitting Muslim Fulani herders against mainly Christian farmers. On Friday, gunmen killed more than 100 villagers in an overnight attack in Benue's Yelewata village, where the assailants also set houses ablaze. The killings are the latest in Nigeria's north-central region, which has seen a surge in violence amid clashes between Muslim Fulani herders and mostly Christian farmers competing for land and resources. Benue and nearby Plateau state are located on the dividing line between Nigeria's mostly Muslim north and predominantly Christian south, which have historically been a flashpoint for intercommunal violence. In the face of the latest massacre, Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday visited Benue, the first presidential visit forced by violence, according to the state governor. Here is what we know about the violence. What is happening? Benue State, in central Nigeria, is regularly targeted by deadly attacks attributed to armed men, presumed to be Fulani herders. The raids are typically staged at night. Amnesty International has tallied 6 896 people killed over the last two years in the state. Since January, several localities - including Yelewata, Gwer West and Ankpali - have been targeted, leaving hundreds dead. The latest attack prompted strong reactions, including street protests that police put down using teargas. "This crisis has gone on too long," said George Akume, a former Benue state governor and a current Nigerian government secretary. READ | 'It is insulting': Nigerian president's pardon of 'Ogoni Nine' draws ethnic group's rejection "No one deserves to live in fear or uncertainty in their own homeland. This really hurts." Pope Leo XIV condemned the killings as a "terrible massacre" in which mostly displaced civilians were murdered with "extreme cruelty". Yelewata community leader David Tarbo said the local communities are traumatised and have lost confidence in the security forces. He told AFP: People are afraid. The security on the ground no longer inspires confidence. Many have fled, and only a few remain. Some families fleeing recurring attacks in the region arrived in Yelewata on the night of the assault seeking refuge, only to be killed shortly afterwards, he said. What triggers the violence Two weeks earlier, at least 25 people were bludgeoned to death in attacks in separate raids on two villages in the state. Benue, one of Nigeria's biggest food-producing states, is located in the so-called Middle Belt, a religiously mixed region where such disputes often take on a sectarian and ethnic dimension. Elif Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images Moreover, the impact of climate change and human expansion is pushing herders away from the northwestern and northeastern regions toward the north-central zone, sparking deadly competition for increasingly limited space. Benue state governor Hyacinth Alia told Tinubu on Wednesday that the attacks appeared premeditated. The attacks have "persisted for well over a decade," he said, causing locals to believe that it is a "calculated attempt targeted at annihilating us, taking over our ancestral homes". What is the government doing to curb the violence? Tinubu has directed security forces to act decisively, arrest perpetrators, and prosecute them. During his visit to Benue, he also recommended setting up a peace committee comprising traditional chiefs. However, residents and analysts say that past deployments of security forces have done little to quell the resurgence of violence. Security analyst Timothy Avele said: It has become clear that the security agencies and the military will not be able to do it alone. Mark Gbillah, a former House of Representative member of Benue State, said attackers have not encountered any resistance, 'so they are being emboldened' to continue killing. He suggested more security forces deployments, 'and most importantly, the governor needs to now make sure the people can defend themselves'. However, Tinubu and the chief of defence staff, Christopher Musa, have suggested that military intervention alone cannot solve the recurring violence. "Most of it is a political solution that needs to come into it because it is not what the military can solve," Musa said in Makurdi.
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Nigerian president orders crackdown on gangs after 150 killed in conflict-hit north
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday directed security agencies to hunt down the perpetrators of a weekend attack that killed at least 150 people in the country's northcentral, as he faces growing pressure over a worsening security crisis. Tinubu visited Benue state, the site of the recent deadly attacks, seeking to calm tensions and promise justice for the victims. 'We will restore peace, rebuild, and bring the perpetrators to justice. You are not alone.' the Nigerian leader said on X. Assailants stormed Benue state's Yelewata community from Friday night till Saturday morning, opening fire on villagers who were asleep and setting their homes ablaze, survivors and the local farmers union said. Many of those killed were sheltering in a local market after fleeing violence in other parts of the state. Authorities in Benue state blamed herdsmen for the attack, a type of violence frequently seen in northern Nigeria's decadeslong pastoral conflict. Opposition leaders and critics have accused Tinubu of a delayed response to the killings, noting his office issued a statement over 24 hours after the attack. His visit to the state occurred five days later. The Nigerian leader traveled to Makurdi, Benue State's capital, where he visited a hospital to see those injured in the attack and met with local leaders to discuss how to end the killings. He did not visit the Yelewata community. He also appeared to reprimand the police for not making any arrest yet more than four days after the killings. 'How come no arrest has been made? I expect there should be an arrest of those criminals,' Tinubu asked as he addressed senior police officers during a gathering in Benue. Analysts blame Nigeria's worsening security crisis on a lack of political will to go after criminals and ensure justice for victims. 'In the end, the result is the same: No justice, no accountability, and no closure for the victims and their communities,' said Senator Iroegbu, a security analyst based in Nigeria's capital Abuja. 'Until this changes, impunity will remain the norm, and such tragedies will continue to occur.' ____ Follow AP's Africa coverage at:
