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119 Civilians, security personnel killed by gunmen in South East in 3 months – Report
An independent study conducted by Nextier SPD Violent Conflict Database into the activities of dissident groups in Nigeria’s South East region, particularly between 2021 and 2022, revealed how Non State Armed Groups, dubbed “unknown gunmen,” killed 83 civilians and 36 security personnel in the first half of 2022.
Aside from the death, another 73 people were said to have been kidnapped in 28 kidnapping incidents in the South East during the same time period.
According to the independent study, at least three civilians and one security personnel are killed each week as a result of the activities of the unknown gunmen in the region.
The situation is described as worse in Anambra State, where the total number of UGM-related deaths exceeds the South East regional average.
According to the report, Anambra state accounted for 31.5 percent of all kidnap victims and 40.9 percent of all civilians killed by the UGM in the first half of 2022.
According to the report, the NSAGs’ violent activities and subsequent deployment of state security personnel across Anambra State have caught civilian communities in the crossfire of NSAGs and state security forces, both of which are willing to punish civilians with violence if they suspect civilian collaboration with the opposing side.
“At first, some perceived the UGM as radical secessionist groups because they targeted and killed members of state security forces. Their activities were romanticised by some social media users who recorded and spread scenes of their attacks on state security forces on social media.
“A trend analysis of killings by the UGM as documented by Nextier SPD Violent Conflict Database shows that the targets of the UGM appear to have shifted to focus more on civilians. For instance, in 2021, security personnel accounted for 70.7 per cent of the total killings by the UGM, while civilians accounted for 29.3 per cent of total killings by UGM in Anambra State.
“However, by the first half of 2022, civilians accounted for 80.9 per cent, while security personnel accounted for 19.0 per cent of total killings by UGM in Anambra State.
“The same trend is observed in the larger data for the South East region. This suggests that more civilians are being targeted and killed by the UGM in the South East. The governor of Anambra State recently alleged that many of those parading as UGM are known persons indulging in self-serving criminal activities, including human organ harvesting,” Dr Chukwuma Okoli and Dr Ndu Nwokolo both key resource persons who carried out the study on behalf of Nextier SPD, submitted.
Both researchers agreed that since 2015, civilian communities in Anambra State, like other South East states, have found themselves victims of both the NSAGs and state security agencies, highlighting the limited autonomy of civilian communities in the ongoing violence in Anambra State.
They claimed that while the NSAGs extort the communities through the imposition of illegal taxes/levies on some communities, kidnapping for ransom, and murder, some state security personnel commit various forms of human rights violations in an attempt to decimate the NSAGs.
The report also revealed that many of these civilian communities have been unable to protect themselves from the violence of both armed groups, as well as maintain independent decision-making over their daily livelihood and conflict outcomes.
According to the research experts, “For instance, in addition to the kidnapping and killings by the NSAGs, the persistence of Monday sit-at-home in Anambra State even when the IPOB has announced its cancellation and despite an attempt by the state government to put an end to it attests to the limited autonomy of the civilian communities in the ongoing violent conflict.
“More so, a recent Nextier SPD Policy Brief reveals that civilian communities experience human rights abuse by some security personnel deployed to engage the UGM and cannot hold the security agencies accountable for such abuses by the security personnel.
“The recent discoveries of hideouts of some NSAGs, particularly the kidnappers in some locations within Anambra State and the allegation that some community members, particularly native doctors, were aiding the NSAGs indicate that there are persons in the communities collaborating with the NSAGs who have hideouts in the communities from where they operate.
“The inability of the civilian communities to expose or even expel the NSAGs who use their communities as hideouts in the communities even though civilians are increasingly falling victims to the self-serving criminal interests pursued by the NSAGs is another evidence of the limited autonomy of the civilian communities in the ongoing violent conflict”.
As a result, the report concluded that Anambra State is experiencing unprecedented violent conflict, and civilian communities are caught in the crossfires of the NSAGs and state security agencies due to their limited autonomy in the conflict.
It suggested that using nonviolent strategies to strengthen civilian communities’ autonomy would improve social cohesion and contribute to the de-escalation of violent conflict in Anambra State. (Daily Sun)
The Senate on Thursday called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of a corps member, Etimbuk Daniel, at an NYSC orientation camp in Enugu.
The resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by Sen. Aniekan Bassey (APC-Akwa Ibom North-East) during plenary.
Bassey said the Senate received with shock and profound grief the news of Daniel’s death while undergoing the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme in Enugu.
Etimbuk Daniel
He described the deceased as an outstanding student leader and former Students’ Union Government (SUG) president of Akwa Ibom State University who had embarked on national service.
Bassey expressed concern over reports that Daniel died following complications from a minor headache after allegedly experiencing delays in receiving adequate medical attention at the camp’s clinic.
He said the incident raised concerns about healthcare services in NYSC orientation camps, particularly the availability of qualified medical personnel, functional facilities and effective emergency referral systems.
The senator said the reported lapses highlighted the need to review healthcare delivery in orientation camps to prevent similar tragedies and protect corps members.
He emphasised that the government had a constitutional responsibility to safeguard citizens’ welfare, adding that young graduates mobilised for national service deserved adequate medical care throughout their service.
Bassey said Daniel’s death had plunged his family, the Akwa Ibom State University community and the entire state into mourning.
Seconding the motion, Sen. Mohammed Monguno (APC-Borno North) supported the call for an investigation, emphasising the importance of establishing the circumstances surrounding Daniel’s death and ensuring accountability.
The Senate observed a minute of silence in honour of the deceased and prayed that God would grant his family the strength to bear the loss.
It also called for a thorough investigation to establish the facts surrounding Daniel’s death and determine whether negligence contributed to the incident.
The Senate directed its committees on Police, Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Youth Development, and Health to investigate the matter alongside the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS).
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who presided over the proceedings, thanked Bassey for bringing the matter before the Senate and urged the relevant committees to conduct a thorough investigation. (NAN)
Senator Abdul Ningi has recounted how his colleague, Bello Mandiya, reportedly died after slipping in his bathroom and hitting his head, with his body discovered about 72 hours later in his Abuja residence.
Ningi, who represents Bauchi Central Senatorial District, said neighbours discovered Mandiya’s lifeless body after a foul smell began emanating from his apartment and residents became concerned about his prolonged absence.
Speaking during a Senate plenary session, Ningi said he was in Saudi Arabia when he received a telephone call from his son informing him of Mandiya’s death.
He said his son was among those who discovered the former lawmaker’s body on Monday, September 7, 2026.
Recounting the events leading to the discovery, Ningi said a colleague had last seen Mandiya at about 11am on Friday, September 4, before the former senator returned to his residence, where he lived alone.
According to him, Mandiya was preparing to attend the Friday congregational prayer when he reportedly slipped and hit his head after bathing.
“He brought out his cap, his phones, and put them on the bed, and went into the bathroom to take his bath,” Ningi said.
“After taking his bath, when he was out of the bathroom, then he slipped and knocked his head in the bathroom.”
Ningi said nobody realised what had happened until the stench from Mandiya’s apartment began spreading to neighbouring properties.
“For 72 hours, Mr President, nobody knew where Bello Mandiya was,” he told the Senate.
He said the chief imam of Apo also raised the alarm after noticing that Mandiya, who regularly joined other Muslims for the five daily prayers, had been absent for three consecutive days.
The combination of the imam’s concern and the foul smell prompted residents to investigate the apartment.
Ningi said those who went to the residence eventually broke open the door and found Mandiya’s body in the bathroom.
“And there lies Bello Mandiya in the bathroom, lifeless. Seventy-two hours, and that’s a simple tragedy,” he said.
Expressing sadness over the circumstances of his colleague’s death, Ningi said the incident highlighted the uncertainty of life, noting that nobody could predict when death would come.
He also expressed condolences to Mandiya’s family, the people of Katsina State and the constituents he represented in the Senate.
Before his election to the Senate, Mandiya served as chief of staff to former Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari.
He was elected in 2019 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress to represent Katsina South Senatorial District and served in the ninth National Assembly until 2023. He also chaired the Senate Committee on Water Resources.
Mandiya’s death prompted tributes from political leaders and former colleagues, who remembered him for his contributions to public service in Katsina State and at the national level.
Ningi, who said he had known Mandiya since 2002, described the loss as a reminder that political office, wealth and social status could not shield anyone from the fragility of life.
“There is nothing permanent about anything. Nothing permanent about our position, nothing permanent about our wealth,” he said.
He prayed for Allah to grant the deceased eternal rest and give his family the strength to bear the loss. (Daily Trust)
Suspected political thugs have attacked the secretariat of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State, destroying property at the facility.
The attack, reported on Wednesday, October 14, comes barely a week after NDC complained of a similar incident in Enugu.
A video circulating on social media showed damage to property within the Edo secretariat, although no casualties had been reported as of the time of filing this report.
In the footage, a woman accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of being responsible for the attack, linking the incident to the earlier violence in Enugu, which is being investigated by the police.
“The last one happened in Enugu, where one person allegedly died. Now they have brought it to Edo. APC, your end is here,” she said.
Her allegation against the APC has not been independently verified, while the identities of those responsible for the attack remain unknown.
The reported incident follows growing concerns over political violence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The earlier incident in Enugu had prompted Governor Peter Mbah to demand an impartial police investigation, warning that anyone found responsible would face prosecution regardless of political connections.
It was not immediately clear whether security agencies had commenced an investigation into the Edo attack or identified any suspects.
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