Several people were feared killed on Thursday when armed men reportedly attacked three communities in Kupa Kingdom — Abugi, Kuchinda and Mikugi — in Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State in an alleged reprisal attack.

Residents said the incident began around 8am when a herder, suspected of being a cattle rustler, was shot and killed during a heated altercation with local vigilantes at a checkpoint in the community.

“Few hours after the checkpoint incident between a herder and vigilantes, armed hoodlums invaded the town, shooting sporadically from different directions.

“In the process, several residents were killed, with many others sustaining injuries, as the armed hoodlums attacked streets, markets and even the palace of our paramount traditional ruler in the town.

“As of yesterday night, seven people were confirmed dead. The death toll may rise in the days ahead as the search for and confirmation of victims is still in progress.

“Moreover, the situation will become clearer when families who sought refuge in safer communities start returning from their various hiding places,” Ahmed, a resident of Abugi, said.

A son of the Mayaki of Kupa, Prince Aliyu Isah Kabir, who is the APC Youth Leader of Kupa South Ward, was confirmed to be among the victims of the attack.

The Lokoja Local Government Chairman, Comrade Abdullahi Adamu, confirmed the incident, saying the attack on the Kupa communities had led to loss of lives and destruction of property.

Adamu said: “We have charged the relevant security agencies to swing into action and arrest anyone who has a hand, directly or remotely, in the attack and bring them to face the law.

“The government is saddened by this devilish act and will leave no stone unturned in getting justice for the deceased. I want to appeal for calm while the relevant security agencies take action.”

The Kogi State Government also condemned the attack, describing it as tragic, senseless and unacceptable.

In a statement issued on Friday, the state government described the incident as a reprisal attack and vowed to investigate the circumstances surrounding it, identify those responsible and prosecute them as a deterrent to others.

In the statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, the government said: “The Kogi State Government condemns in the strongest terms both the killing of the unarmed herder and the subsequent reprisal attack.

“These are criminal acts that have no place in our society. Anyone found to have participated in either incident, regardless of status or ethnic affiliation, will face the full weight of the law.

“We appeal to all residents to remain calm and resist the temptation of reprisals. We also urge members of the public to cooperate with security agencies by providing credible information that will aid ongoing investigations and the arrest of all those responsible.”

According to the statement, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo sympathised with the families of the deceased and directed “security agencies to immediately restore calm, take control of the situation and apprehend those responsible for the killings.”

The government also appealed for calm, urging residents to avoid further retaliation and provide security agencies with credible information as investigations into the incident continue.

Meanwhile, the Kogi State Police Command was contacted over the development, but its spokesperson, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, did not respond to calls and a text message as of the time of filing this report. (Daily Trust)

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has uncovered two more fake agencies operated by the self‑styled Director‑General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeniyi Matthew Adeyemi.

ICPC Chairman Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents after he submitted the commission’s interim report on the existence and operation of the fake agency at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Dr. Aliyu said the investigation revealed that Adeyemi was never appointed by the Federal Government and that the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council was never established by law or executive order.

According to the interim report, the appointment letter presented by Adeyemi was forged, while the PFIPC illegally appropriated offices and instruments from the former Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC).

He said the fake agency, using the former PEAC office, engaged in false representation, widespread impersonation and various illegal activities that exploited weaknesses in verification and inter‑agency oversight.

He further stated that the investigation uncovered two additional fake government agencies: the FCT Investment Promotion Agency (PIFA) and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency (PIPA).

“These agencies were created using forged legislative instruments and were used to open bank accounts for illegal activities,” he said.

The ICPC boss said Adeyemi changed the name of the fake agency from Foreign Investment Promotion Council to Foreign Intervention Promotion Council and attempted to expand its mandate to include revenue generation.

He said: “The investigation found no funds were approved or disbursed for the fake PFIPC/PEAC, and there were no weaknesses in the State House or CBN system.”

Some recommendations of the committee, which was given 30 days to unravel the mystery behind the existence of the fake agency, include prosecution of Mr. Adeyemi; imposing administrative sanctions on public officers who facilitated the illegal operations; and instituting reforms to improve internal controls

Related News
ICPC clears Gbajabiamila, says Adeniyi’s appointment letter was forged
Fake Agency: State House denies requesting budget code from OAGF
PFIPC Probe: Family raises alarm over planned Reps’ interrogation of Adeyemi in custody
The public officers who were said to be collaborators are from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Accountant‑General’s Office, the Budget Office and the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA.

“The report is interim and the investigation continues to uncover more details to file criminal charges against Adeyemi and his collaborators,” he said.

Dr. Aliyu added that President Tinubu has taken note of the findings and has expressed his commitment to transparency and accountability in addressing the issue.

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has raised concerns over what he described as a suspicious and unauthorised payment into one of his private bank accounts.

In a statement issued on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the transfer originated from an individual or entity unknown to him and carried the narration, “Contribution Electioneering Campaign.”

According to the statement, neither Atiku nor his campaign solicited, authorised or had any knowledge of the payment.

The former Vice President said the account was strictly private and its details were not in the public domain, raising concerns about how the information could have been obtained.

“How did unknown persons obtain the confidential banking details of a private citizen?”

Atiku said the incident raised broader concerns about the security of Nigerians’ financial information, particularly if the private banking details of a former Vice President and presidential candidate could allegedly be accessed without his consent.

“If the private banking information of a former Vice President and a leading presidential candidate can be accessed and deployed for reasons yet unknown, then no Nigerian’s financial privacy is safe.”

He further expressed concern that the alleged disclosure could have involved individuals with privileged access to confidential information.

According to him, if such access is established, it could expose account holders to criminal elements, including kidnappers, terrorists, bandits and fraudsters.

The former Vice President also called the attention of Nigerians and security agencies to the incident, describing it as part of what he termed a series of “suspicious activities” ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“We therefore put the Nigerian public and the security agencies on notice about this latest incident in a litany of suspicious activities leading up to next year’s general elections.”

Atiku also alleged that the incident could be part of an attempt to damage his reputation as political activities intensify ahead of the elections.

He urged Nigerians not to be distracted by what he described as “tired tactics” aimed at character assassination.

“Such desperate antics have failed before and will fail again.”

The ADC presidential candidate said he remained focused on his political agenda and his stated commitment to providing solutions to the country’s challenges.

“The Waziri Adamawa remains focused on offering Nigerians credible leadership and practical solutions to the nation’s challenges.”