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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.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Wetin to expect from President Tinubu visit to Benue state
Nigeria President Bola Tinubu dey expected to arrive Benue state, north-central Nigeria on Wednesday to condole wit pipo of di state afta one deadly attack wey lead to di death ova 100 pipo for Yelewata community for Guma Local Government Area of di state. Di visit dey come for di middle of growing concerns as Nigerians dey worry say security for di region dey worsen. Di presidency for one statement on Monday, 16 June confam say di president Tinubu go "clear im schedule and visit Benue state as part of renewed efforts to foster peace and address di persistent conflict affecting communities for di state." Benue state goment for statement say dem ready gidigba to receive di president as di "visit no only represent a moment of national empathy, but na rare opportunity to directly follow di Presidency tok on urgent security interventions dem need to end di persistent killings and displacement of our pipo". Wetin Tinubu go do for Benue state during im visit Na for di midnight and early morning of Saturday, 14 June, suspected criminal herdsmen according to di state govnor Hyacinth Alia bin attack di community wey lead to di death of more dan 100 pipo die. Di National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) tok say dia early investigation show say more dan 100 pipo kpai for di attack including two sojas and one officer of di Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). Di number of pipo wey die fit still go up as di agency say di current figures still dey inconsistent sake of di volatile security situation and limited access to di affected areas. However, e dey expected say di President during im visit go assess first-hand di recurring crisis wey don claim many lives and cause significant destruction. During im stay, President Tinubu go meet wit all stakeholders—including traditional rulers, political, religious, community leaders, and youth groups—to find lasting solutions to di hostilities. E go also hold town hall meeting wit all stakeholders during di visit. In preparation for di visit, President Tinubu don already dispatch di Secretary to di Government of di Federation, di Inspector General of Police, heads of intelligence agencies, di National Security Adviser, plus di Chairmen of di Senate and House Defence Committees go Benue State. SGF, Security Chiefs dey Benue to end killings Ahead of di president visit, di Secretary to di Government of di Federation George Akume wey come from Benue land di state on Tuesday, 17 June. E say im visit di sites of di attacks, meet wit survivors who express dia pains." Di pain dey raw, di sorrow dey deep," Di SGF tok. "For di Market IDP camp, I meet families wey still dey suffer from di loss — displaced, grieving, and living in difficult conditions. Dia resilience moveme deeply. Dis crisis done go on for too long. No one deserve to live in fear or uncertainty for dia own homeland. Dis really hurt". Oga Akume add. Di SGF assure say im no go abandon im own. "I go stand wit you- and we no go rest till our communities dey secure & peace return to our lands," e add. Also, di Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun and di Chief of Defence Staff Christopher Musa bin rush go Yelewata community on Monday to see tins for diasef. Di IGP describe di attack as "senseless and an act of terrorism", and e promise say di Nigeria Police Force do dia best to bring di attackers to justice. Also, di CDS assure di pipo say dis go be di last attack wey go happen for dia community. "We want make dis one be di last one wey go happen. We go go all out to ensure say we address am. We don put measures for oda places and e bin work, so here no go dey different," e tok. "I wan assure Nigerians say no be only Benue State, all ova di kontri, we dey determined, based on di mandate of Mr President, to make sure say we restore peace and tranquillity inside our country, but we need Nigerians to support us."
BBC News
5 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
100 die, 6,500 displaced for di afta effects of Benue attack - wetin Pope Leo tell Nigeria goment
Di National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) for Nigeria don release dia first report about di recent attack wey happun for Yelewata community, for Guma Local goment Area of Benue State, North central Nigeria. Dis recent attacks, according to Nema bin happun for di early hours of Saturday, 14 June, 2025. Nema say dia early investigation show say more dan 100 pipo kpai for di attack including two sojas and one officer of di Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). Di number of pipo wey die fit still go up as di agency say di current figures still dey inconsistent sake of di volatile security situation and limited access to di affected areas. "Dozens of pipo sustain injuries, and 46 individuals bin dey rushed to hospitals. Sadly, 20 of dem later die for hospital sake of di injuries wey dem sustain," di Nema statement read. Di agency also say police bin kill some of di attackers as dem dey exchange gunfire, but dem no talk how many of di attackers wey police kill. As e be now, more dan 6,527 pipo don run comot for dia house and dem dey take shelter for Internally Displaced People Camps. Dis include "1,768 females; 759 males; 657 children under 18 years; 1,870 adults above 18; 252 lactating mothers; 82 pregnant women; and 91 elderly persons". According to Nema, hospitals for Makurdi dey call for urgent blood donations for di pipo wey wunjure for di attack, and also for humanitarian support for di pipo wey dey IDP camps. Also, di head of di Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV, don chook mouth for di killings wey dey go on for Benue State - e describe di situation as a "terrible massacre". Pope Leo tok dis one for im Sunday Angelus wit di Catholic faithful for di St Peter's Basilica, and e pray for "security, justice, and peace". E say: "On di night of 13/14 of June, for town of Yelwata for di Guma Local Goment Area of Benue State in Nigeria, a terrible massacre bin happen wia more dan 200 pipo bin dey killed in a cruel manner. Most of dem na Internally Displaced Persons hosted by di local Catholic mission. "I pray say peace, security, and justice go prevail for Nigeria, a beloved kontri wey dey affected by various forms of violence." Remember say di late Pope Francis bin pray regularly for security and peace to reign for Nigeria. Di first time na on 15 August 2020, afta di Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria release a statement about di rising insecurity for northern Nigeria. Di second one na for June 2022 afta gunmen attack one Catholic Church for Owo, Ondo State and kpai plenty pipo including children. Goment to set up panel to investigate Di govnor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, tell tori pipo on Sunday say dem go set up a five-man panel wey go chook eye into dis crisis and come up wit a white paper wey di goment go implement. "Dis white paper go help us to know who be di culprits, to know who be di sponsors, to identify di victims, and to see wia justice go dey applied," di govnor tok. BBC Pidgin bin don report accounts of pipo wey bin dey affected for previous attacks we happen for Benue State dis year, including di tori of one woman who say di jaguda pipo bin rape her eight times bifore day break, and anoda pesin wey lose six members of im family. For previous interview wit Channels TV, govnor Hyacinth Alia say im no believe say di attacks na farmers and herdsmen wahala. E say di killers dey specialised and dem dey fight like pipo wey dey trained for guerrilla war. "Di way dis attacks come and di intel we receive, na direct and calibrated plan and dem go execute am. Evriday, we dey receive dis intel. Of late, each of di intel we receive, 60 to 65 per cent of dem dey quite accurate. "And den wen you realise wetin dey go on, e dey beyond just conflict, e dey beyond just ethnic fight between herders and farmers for our state, e dey directed, e dey planned and den, dem go execute am, na terrorism." On Sunday, President Bola Tinubu call on di govnor and oda political and community leaders for Benue State to "act responsibly and avoid statements wey fit further increase tensions and killings".
Sky News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News
Nigeria: At least 100 killed in gun attack in Benue state village, Amnesty International claims
At least 100 people have been killed in a gun attack in a village in north-central Nigeria, Amnesty International has claimed. The human rights group's branch in Nigeria said the attack occurred between Friday evening and Saturday morning in Yelewata, a community in the Guma area of Benue state. "Many families were locked up and burnt inside their bedrooms," the group said in a post on X. "So many bodies were burnt beyond recognition." It said hundreds of people were injured and were without adequate medical care, while dozens of others were missing. A police spokesperson in Benue confirmed that an attack took place in Yelewata but did not specify how many people had died. Amnesty noted in a statement that there had been an "alarming escalation of attacks across Benue state where gunmen have been on a killing spree with utter impunity". "The Nigerian authorities' failure to stem the violence is costing people's lives and livelihoods, and without immediate action many more lives may be lost," it added. Last month, gunmen, believed to be herders, killed at least 20 people in the Gwer West area of Benue. In April, at least 40 people were killed in the neighbouring state of Plateau. Benue is in Nigeria's 'middle belt', a region where the majority Muslim north meets the largely Christian south. Attacks are common in Nigeria's northern regions, where local herders and farmers often clash over limited access to land and water. Farmers accuse the herders, mostly of Fulani origin, of grazing their livestock on their farms and destroying their produce. The herders insist that the lands are grazing routes that were first backed by law in 1965, five years after the country gained its independence.
Bloomberg
6 days ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
At Least 100 People Killed by Gunmen in Nigeria, Rights Group Says
Politics By Updated on Save ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — At least 100 people have been killed in a gun attack on a village in Nigeria 's north-central Benue state, Amnesty International Nigeria said Saturday. The attack took place between late Friday and the early hours of Saturday in Yelewata, a community in the Guma area of the state, the rights group said in a Facebook post.
