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Edo community bans sale, consumption of beef over kidnapping, killings of kinsmen by herdsmen

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Residents of Elelu village in Erah community in Owan East Local Government Area of Edo State have banned the sale and consumption of beef following the alleged incessant kidnapping and killings of their kinsmen by suspected herdsmen.

Ekwutosblog reports that residents disclosed this during a protest at the community on Saturday.

The protesters made up of both young and old, also threatened to relocate to Edo State Government House for alternative shelter if the state government does not urgently come to their aid as the community is no longer inhabitable.

The residents in their large numbers with belongings on their heads, however, called on the state government to come to their rescue from the hands of suspected herdsmen who have continuously invaded their farmlands and kidnapped their fathers, husbands and children.

They alleged that in the last two weeks, about seven persons in the community have been kidnapped and killed.

Speaking, the Concerned Community Leaders, Youth Representatives and Vigilante Leaders said the protest was also to mourn and honour the lives of their fallen heroes killed by suspected kidnappers

The spokesperson of the group, Fred Enaikhe Aleburu gave the names of the fallen heroes such as Edekin Ighalo, Abdullahi and Victor Ogedengbe, a Vigilante commander.

Aleburu said the deceased lost their lives defending the community.

According to him, these courageous men stood against armed herdsmen who had brought terror to the peaceful land. ”They
shielded our mothers, our children, and our farmlands and for their sacrifice, they were murdered in cold blood.

“As we speak, the body of Victor Ogedengbe still lies in the mortuary. Yet the violence continues.

“In just the past two weeks, seven of our children have been kidnapped, with one still in captivity as we speak.

“Our forests have been turned into dens of terror, criminal strongholds where ransom is demanded and innocent victims are kept under inhumane conditions.

“Our mothers can no longer go to the farm. Our youth are hunted. Our elderly live in fear. The lands that once sustained us now lie in waste and silence.

“This is not just insecurity, this is a deliberate war on our survival. This is a slow genocide.

“We are also here to protest hunger. Our people now suffer because they cannot farm. Our markets are empty. Our homes are filled with helplessness.

“What was once a self-sufficient and productive community is now battling starvation and fear.

“And so, today, we rise to say with one voice that “Enough Is Enough”, he lamented.

He, however, called on the government to fulfill its constitutional duty to protect its citizens.

Aleburu said the community demanded immediate establishment of permanent security checkpoints on all roads and entry points leading into and out of Erah.

They also demanded a full-scale investigation and comprehensive flushing of forests to root out and eliminate all alleged terrorist elements hiding within the community.

“A sustained and visible security presence across our villages, to ensure long-term peace and protection.

“Emergency intervention to address food insecurity, including support for displaced farmers and restoration of safe farming activities.

“If our villages are no longer safe, we will sleep at the doorstep of leadership until we are heard and protected. Our lives are not negotiable.

“Furthermore, as a solemn response to our collective suffering and to honor our fallen defenders, the people of Erah hereby declare a permanent ban on the consumption and the sale of beef in our community.

“The killer herdsmen who hide behind cattle have taken too much from us. Our lives, our food, our peace. We will not continue to support a system built on our blood and tears”, he stated.

Also speaking, Chief Julius Unuigbe alleged that herdsmen have invaded their bushes looking for people to kidnap or kill.

Unuigbe said the people no longer sleep with their eyes closed.

On his part, Joseph Edairu, one of the protestrs lamented that one of his senior brothers, his friend’s two sisters and a Taraba man living in the community were recently kidnapped by suspected herdsmen

Edairu, added that uptil now the abducted Taraba man is nowhere to be found.

“This is the reason why we came out to cry to the Edo State Government that they should come and us drive those kidnappers away from our bush”, he said.

On her part, Mrs Eunice Ighalo, added that ,”we can no longer go to the farm or river and we are now seriously living in hunger and poverty, that is why we decided that we will go to Edo State Government House to protest there.

Blessing Ogedegbe, wife to Victor Ogedenge, one of the deceased, while lamenting that the corpse of her husband killed in February 2025 is still at the mortuary, appealed to the state government to provide her with a job to enable her cater for her children.

Politics

BREAKING! Tinubu renames University of Maiduguri to Muhammadu Buhari University

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has renamed the University of Maiduguri as Muhammadu Buhari University.

This was disclosed in a terse statement by the presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, on Thursday.

“President Tinubu renames University of Maiduguri as MUHAMMADU Buhari University. President Tinubu announced the honour at the session of tributes of the Federal Executive Council to his late predecessor,” he wrote on X.

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Atiku’s exit end of PDP era – Support group

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A support group, Nigerian Youths for Atiku (NYFA), says the exit of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, marks the end of an era in the country.

NYFA’s Director General, Mr Dare Dada, who made this remark in a statement on Thursday in Lagos, said that Atiku’s decision to quit PDP had battered the political and electoral fortunes of the former ruling party.

Atiku, the PDP presidential candidate in 2019 and 2023, announced his resignation from the party on Wednesday, citing irreconcilable differences within the erstwhile ruling party.

Though the former vice-president has not formally announced his defection to African Democratic Congress (ADC), the coalition of opposition leaders, led by him, had recently announced the adoption of the party as its platform for the 2027 general elections.

His resignation from PDP might have signaled readiness to solidify ties with ADC, as the NYFA leadership had also recently directed its members nationwide to collapse structures and register with ADC in various states.

Reacting to the development, Dada said that the resignation of Abubakar and other PDP national leaders and members from the party, and their alliance with ADC marked the end of an era for the former ruling party.

According to him, Abubakar has large core followers in the northern and southern political circle, including the youth, women and professional groups.

The director-general, who noted that the former vice-president had, for a long time, remained the backbone of support in PDP, said that his exit had decimated and crippled the party.

In view of the developing political events in the country, Dada said that the group had instructed its more than 1.5 million members across the 36 states of the federation and the FCT to resign from PDP immediately.

“Membership of Nigerian Youth For Atiku cuts across all parties, including PDP, NNPP and LP.

“We also have within our ranks non-partisan members whose professions spread across all sectors of the economy. They have all been enjoined to register as members of ADC.

“As a movement with revolutionary yoga, we have always stood for good governance, accountability and support for sound democratic values.

“These attributes cannot be underestimated in any democratic society that tends prioritise transparency and economic prosperity,” he said.

According to him, the resignation of the group’s President and Founder, Prof. Gold Emmanuel, and others from PDP was a decision taken in the overall interest of the country.

“Preventing Nigeria from sliding into one-party state and civilian dictatorship requires the efforts and commitment of all Nigerians who have undiluted belief in a better Nigeria,” he stated.

Dada urged Nigerians to remain united in the fight against hunger, poverty and insecurity.

“We remain resolute in our decision to galvanise over three million votes in support of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the 2027 presidential elections,” he said.

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“ADC Not for Sale”: Imo ADC’s Chilos Godsent Calls for Unity and People’s Interest Over Self-Serving Groups

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The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Imo State has issued a clarifying statement regarding its structure and leadership, emphasizing that the party’s recognized executives and ward structures are legitimate and acknowledged by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The IMO ADC asserts that its executives and structures are recognized by INEC, and merger groups or coalitions cannot assume ownership of the party.

The party urges its members to focus on addressing the challenges that have plagued the nation, rather than pursuing self-interest or group superiority.
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The ADC calls on its members to work together to bring about positive change, emphasizing the need for policies that promote production and development, rather than consumption.
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The party’s leadership encourages members to “shake hands” and work towards a common goal, as symbolized by the party’s logo.

This statement  is a call to action for its members to prioritize the interests of the people and work towards creating a better future for all Nigerians.

Emphasizing  the importance of unity and people’s interests, the party aims to promote a more inclusive and effective approach to governance.

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