News
Herders vs locals: Blood flows as death toll rises to 17 in Southern Kaduna crisis
At least 17 persons have lost their lives including a police officer over the weekend in clashes between Fulani herders and locals in Ungwan Juju and Ungwan Wakili of Zangon Kataf Local Government Council of Kaduna State in the Southern Kaduna.
Trouble started when a young herder was said to have been tied to a tree by some indigenes of Ungwan Juju and was cut to death with matchet on Thursday on unexplained issues which the tension lingered into the weekend
By Saturday afternoon, the matter degenerated when there was a misunderstanding between security operatives and four herders on motorcycles at a checkpoint in Ungwan Wakili which led to a herder and a Policeman being shot to death at the checkpoint, and the herders’ motorcycles were set ablaze.
The source told journalists that some aggrieved herders descended on some local youths went a fishing in a reprisal attack and killed one of the fishers on Saturday.
A senior security operative who preferred not to be named confirmed, saying: “one Umar Sambo (a herder) was killed while he was returning from grazing his cattle around Ungwan Juju in Zangon Kataf local government area.
“His killers tied the young herder up, matcheted him to death and hid the corpse in an unknown location. When his brother, Safiyanu, could not find him, he reported to the security agencies, who then launched a search operation before his body was finally discovered at Ungwan Juju.”
He decried the protracted crisis that ensued between security operatives and some herders at a checkpoint in Ungwan Wakili which led to the death of a Fulani man and a Police man, saying it was a setback for effort they have made to have peace in the troubled area.
He said: “Ungwan Wakili village of Atyap Chiefdom in Zangon Kataf LGA was attacked by unidentified persons around 8:40pm on Saturday, in an apparent reprisal following the killing of the herder earlier mentioned. Another suspected immediate cause of the Saturday night attack, was the accidental shooting of a herder by a policeman at Ungwan Wakili Junction, the burning of herders’ motorcycles and the mob action which followed”.
He however said that troops of Operation Safe Haven mobilised to the village to repel the attack, but 17 persons were already killed, with seven others wounded. The wounded were taken to Zonkwa General Hospital for treatment.
“Also worthy of note is that after a policeman accidentally shot and injured a herder and a colleague at the checkpoint at Ungwan Wakili Junction, a mob action occurred in Ungwan Wakili. While the police evacuated the area, a crowd of locals and herders gathered at the scene, and in the confrontation that followed, one local was killed. Two motorcycles belonging to herders were burnt, while the attack on Ungwan Wakili village occurred a few hours later,” the security source explained.
Meanwhile, the local government authorities have imposed a 24-hour curfew in the affected communities to prevent further breakdown of law and order.
Meanwhile, the Kaduna state police Command has confirmed the attack by terrorists on a Southern Kaduna community in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Kaduna state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Muhammed Jalige, who confirmed the killings said security forces were on top of the situation.
“We have been trying to manage the situation while investigating the sad occurrence before trouble broke out. We are on top of the situation and all the hoodlums responsible would be rounded up. If not for the timely intervention of joint security personnel coordinated by the Area Commander, the terrorists would have had a field day. Repelling the hoodlums was a tedious task for our security agencies, but they were successful as the terrorists scampered away from the scene,” he said.
Jalige, who did not confirm the number of casualties, said a joint security team will comb the bushes in the area Sunday afternoon to search for bodies, “if any, to arrive at full body count, as well as apprehend the suspects that were responsible for the killings.”
Blueprint
The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio has commended Senator Basheer Lado, for redefining the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Senate Matters, stating that, for the first time in a long while, the office is fully meeting its expectations.
Speaking during his visit to the office of the Special Adviser to the President on Senate Matters accompanied by distinguished senators, Akpabio described the visit as a significant step in strengthening Executive-Legislative relations.
He praised the Special Adviser and his team for maintaining the confidentiality of communications between the President and Senate, and also, ensuring a seamless flow of information. He further emphasized that the office is now more result-oriented.
Additionally, he acknowledged the office’s diligent efforts in tracking all Bills passed by the Senate and assented to by the President, underscoring its critical role in legislative efficiency.
Expressing his satisfaction, Akpabio noted that he and the Senate delegation were proud of the office’s achievements and looked forward to sustaining the existing cordial and productive relationship between the Executive and the Legislature throughout the administration.
In recognition of his exemplary leadership, Senator Lado presented an Award of Excellence to Senator Akpabio.
In his remarks, Senator Lado reaffirmed his commitment to fostering a harmonious working relationship between the Executive and the Legislature. He lauded Akpabio for his unwavering dedication to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda—defending it with clarity, articulating it with passion, and advancing it through legislative action.
Ahead of the 2025 political party Congresses, Plateau State Chapter of the Labour Party (LP) stakeholders has endorsed the defection of the candidate of the party in the 2023 general elections and the leader of Justice and Rebirth, Barr Gyang Zi SAN, to the All Progressive Congress (APC) with the view to key into the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
They made the call in a communique issued at the end of the enlarge meeting of the stakeholders from Plateau North senatorial zone at the residence of Barr. Gyang Zi in Rayfield Jos.
The communique which was jointly signed by Dr. Ayiki Sati Director General, Justice and Rebirth and
Barr. Samuel Galadima- 2024 Chairmanship candidate of Jos East LGA among others said the call became imperative on the sideline of the leadership tussle at the National Level which violates the core principles and values for the formation of the Party as an alternative for Nigeria for the protection, sustenance of democracy and Social Justice.
They regretted that the leadership tussle has also divided the party into factions leaving party loyalists and supporters in the state of despondency and confusion not knowing where they belong.
Our correspondent reports that the gathering included LP candidates from the 2023/2024 general elections, party executives, and support groups from the six local government areas of the Northern Senatorial District.
Besides, the focus of the discussions was centered on the state of the Labour Party at both national and state levels and the need for political realignment ahead of the 2025 party congresses and conventions.
The stakeholders further frowned at the structural weaknesses in LP and resolved to advise Barr Gyang Zi, to leave the party and join the APC while expressing confidence that the APC would provide him with a platform to advance good governance in the state .
The communique also emphasized the importance of political consultations, particularly with APC leaders at both state and national levels. It called for collaboration with Plateau State APC leaders, including Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda Goshwe, Sen. Simon Bako Lalong, Sen. Diket Plang, and other party officials.
According to the communique, supporters of Barr Gyang Zi also pledged to mobilize grassroots support for the APC, stating that their leader’s defection would strengthen the party in the state.
They urged the APC leadership to formally receive Gyang Zi and his supporters into the party, marking their official transition from the Labour Party.
Stakeholders also reiterated the need for inclusive governance, ensuring that youths, women, and less privileged individuals are sidelined in the democratic process and accordingly officially denounced their membership in the Labour Party, declaring their support for the APC.
They assured that all LP structures aligned with Gyang Zi would follow suit, shifting their loyalty to the ruling party in the state and at the National level.
Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, has extended his heartfelt felicitation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, on the occasion of his 73rd birthday.
Governor Ododo in statement signed by his special adviser on media, Ismaila Isah described President Tinubu as a statesman whose leadership and dedication to national development continue to inspire hope and progress across Nigeria.
He commended the President’s unwavering commitment to the Renewed Hope Agenda, which is driving economic reforms, strengthening national unity, and advancing the nation’s democratic values.
“On behalf of the government and people of Kogi State, I celebrate Mr President and our father on this special day. Your resilience, visionary leadership, and patriotism have laid a strong foundation for Nigeria’s growth. We deeply appreciate your tireless efforts in repositioning our country for sustainable development,” Governor Ododo stated.
He further reaffirmed his support for President Tinubu’s administration and prayed for continued wisdom, strength, and good health for the President as he leads Nigeria toward greater prosperity, sustainable development, peace and stability.
-
Politics1 week agoOpposition leaders announce coalition to challenge Tinubu in 2027
-
Foreign1 week agoHouthis declare Ben-Gurion Airport ‘no longer safe’ after renewed Gaza fighting
-
Politics1 week agoYahaya Bello deceptively arranging recall of Senator Natasha, desperate to replace her – Constituents
-
News1 week agoWhy Christ Embassy’s Pastor Chris holds Abuja mega crusade – Fisho
-
Crime1 week agoGhana’s anti-drug agency nabs Nigerian drug kingpin, Uchechukwu Chima, seizes $2.1m worth of cocaine, heroin
-
News1 week agoUmeh denies receiving $10,000 with other 42 Senators to support state of emergency in Rivers
-
Politics1 week agoAtiku, El-rufai, Obi condemn Tinubu’s suspension of Rivers Governor, demand reversal
-
Business1 week agoFlutterwave, FIRS collaborate to digitize tax collection in Nigeria