President Bola Tinubu has directed security chiefs to implement his earlier directive to bring lasting peace and security to Benue State.

President Tinubu renewed his order in the wake of the latest round of reprisal attacks that led to the death of many people.

On the president’s directive, intelligence chiefs, the police and the military have arrived in the state to direct security operations and restore sanity.

President Tinubu has equally charged the governor of Benue State with convening reconciliation meetings and dialogue among the warring parties to end the incessant bloodshed and bring lasting peace and harmonious coexistence between farmers, herders, and communities.

Describing the killings and bloodletting as inhuman and anti-progress, President Tinubu called on political leaders and community leaders in conflict areas to stop fuelling the crisis through unguarded utterances and statements that could further inflame tensions.

They should also rein in those who go out to cause provocations and ignite reprisal attacks.

“The latest news of wanton killings in Benue State is very depressing. We must not allow this bloodletting to continue unabated. Enough is now enough.

“I have directed the security agencies to act decisively and arrest perpetrators of these evil acts on all sides of the conflict and prosecute them.

“Political and community leaders in Benue State must act responsibly and avoid inflammatory utterances that could further increase tensions and killings.

“This is the time for Governor Alia to act as a statesman and immediately lead the process of dialogue and reconciliation that will bring peace to Benue. Our people must live in peace, and it is possible when leaders across the divides work together in harmony and differences are identified and addressed with fairness, openness and justice.”

Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President
(Information & Strategy)
June 15, 2025

A fatal traffic collision over the weekend at Origan, Oko-Afo, along the Badagry Expressway, resulted in the death of a commercial tricycle operator.

The incident occurred following a head-on collision with a Mercedes-Benz 4MATIC SUV allegedly driving against the flow of traffic.

The SUV, bearing the customized number plate ‘OSUNFNKE’, reportedly violated the one-way traffic directive while heading from Ile-Epo toward Oko-Afo and collided with the commercial tricycle, which had registration number MUS 716 QM.

Preliminary findings by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, confirmed that the SUV was driving on the wrong side of the road.

The collision caused severe injuries to the tricycle operator, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

LASTMA personnel arrived promptly to manage the situation and ease vehicular movement around the area.

The case has since been transferred to the Morogbo Division of the Nigeria Police Force for a detailed investigation.

Officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, also responded and evacuated the deceased to the General Hospital morgue in Badagry.

Both vehicles involved have been impounded and are currently in police custody pending forensic examination and possible prosecution.

LASTMA General Manager, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, condemned the incident, stating that the driver’s actions constituted “a blatant affront to public safety and a gross violation of the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law of 2018.”

“This lamentable loss of life is an unfortunate testament to the deadly ramifications of impunity on our roads,” he said.

He also said, “It is profoundly disheartening that, despite persistent enlightenment campaigns and rigorous enforcement efforts, some motorists continue to show reckless disregard for traffic regulations.”

Bakare-Oki urged road users to comply with traffic laws, emphasizing that such tragedies are preventable when motorists act responsibly.

He extended his condolences to the family of the deceased and called on drivers to prioritize the sanctity of human life.

LASTMA also reiterated its warning to motorists against dangerous practices, particularly one-way violations, stressing that it would continue to impose strict penalties on erring drivers.

France’s former President Nicolas Sarkozy has been stripped of his Legion of Honour medal following his conviction last year of corruption and influence peddling while in office, it was announced on Sunday.

The decision was made public via a decree released in the Journal Officiel that publishes the government’s major legal information. It aligns with the rules of the Legion of Honour.

The conservative politician, who was president from 2007 to 2012, has been at the heart of a series of legal cases since leaving office.

He was found guilty of corruption and influence peddling by both a Paris court in 2021 and an appeals court in 2023 for trying to bribe a magistrate in exchange for information about a legal case in which he was implicated.

Trial over illegal campaign financing still ongoing

He was sentenced to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet for one year, a verdict upheld by France’s highest court, the Court of Cassation, in December.

Earlier this year, Sarkozy stood trial over allegations that he received milions of Dollars from Libya for his successful presidential campaign in 2007. He denies the claims. Prosecutors requested a seven-year prison sentence. The verdict is expected in September.

Sarkozy becomes the second former head of state to be stripped of the Legion of Honour — France’s highest distinction — after Nazi collaborator Philippe Petain, who was convicted in 1945 for treason and conspiring with the enemy for his actions as leader of Vichy France from 1940-1944.

Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was stripped of his Legion of Honour award in the wake of widespread sexual misconduct allegations against him in 2017. Disgraced cyclist and former Tour de France star Lance Armstrong also had his French Legion of Honour award revoked.

Sarkozy retired from public life in 2017 but still plays an influential role in French conservative politics.