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Governor Alia unfolds plans for state, council reforms

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Governor Alia unfolds plans for state, council reforms
• Benugu State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormen Alia
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Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has unfolded plans for reforms in the state and local government.

He said the move will ensure transparency, efficiency and better service delivery.

The governor, in his New Year Message, said that the security of life and property will remain a priority of his administration.

He also reiterated his determination to fight the infrastructure battle across the three zones.

Emphasising the need for robust reforms in state and local government services, Rev. Fr. said they will foster  in  accountability in public service delivery.

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He said: “Through these reforms, we seek to build a government that is responsive to the needs of our people, and one that fosters an environment conducive to sustainable growth and development.”

The governor added: “Our commitment to the holistic development of Benue state encompasses various sectors, including agriculture, health, and education. “We shall invest substantial resources and expertise into these areas, with a focus on modernizing our agricultural practices, improving access to quality healthcare, and providing quality education for our children. Together, we shall lay a solid foundation for a prosperous and healthy society.

On security. Rev. Fr Alia said:”The safety and security of every citizen of Benue state remains of utmost importance to us.

“We are steadfast in our determination to enhance the security apparatuses across the state, ensuring a peaceful and harmonious coexistence for all.

“We shall continue to work hand in hand with relevant security agencies, deploying resources and strategies to safeguard our communities and protect lives and property, and to get our IDPs back to their ancestral farmlands and homes.”

The governor sought for the cooperation of stakeholders his policies and programmes in his New Year message to the state.”

Stressing that infrastructural development is key, Rev. Fr Alia said:”We shall not relent in our efforts to construct and upgrade roads, bridges, and other vital infrastructure across the state, thereby enhancing ease of movement and fostering economic growth. Together, we shall build a solid foundation upon which future generations can flourish.”

The governor thanked the people for their  unwavering support, dedication and resilience, which have propelled his administration forward in its quest to make Benue a great and prosperous place.

He said much premium would be placed on welfare, including the welfare of workers and retirees, adding that a happy workforce is the backbone of a thriving society.

The governor said hard work should be rewarded to serve as motivation to workers.

He said: As we embark on this new journey, I implore every citizen of Benue state to continue to exhibit the highest level of lawfulness and adherence to our statutes. Let us embrace the spirit of unity, tolerance, and respect for one another, irrespective of our diversities. Together, we can create a society where justice, peace, and progress thrive.

“Let us embrace this new year with renewed hope, determination, and courage to face the challenges that lie ahead. I believe in the unwavering spirit of resilience that characterizes the people of Benue state – a spirit that will propel us to greater heights. “

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Hardship: Give account of subsidy removal proceeds – APM tells APC govt

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APC sweeps Imo LG election
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The Allied People’s Movement (APM) has asked the Bola Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration to end its rhetoric and immediately provide Nigerians with a comprehensive account of the trillions of naira realized from the removal of fuel subsidy since May 2023.

APM’s demand is predicated on the worsening economic hardship and poverty rate, high cost of living, collapsed public facilities and yawning infrastructure deficit across the country since the emergence of the Tinubu administration despite huge national inflow including the over N20 trillion proceed from the removal of fuel subsidy, which the administration promised would be channeled towards improving the welfare of Nigerians.

This is contained in a press release issued by the National Publicity Secretary, Abubakar Yusuf.

He said: “For over three years, Nigerians have endured unprecedented hardship following President Tinubu’s May 29, 2023 declaration that ‘subsidy is gone’. This came with an instant surge in fuel price from below ₦200 per litre to now over N1,500 per liter setting off a chain reaction that pushed transport fares, food prices, school fees, medical bills, house rents, electricity costs and the prices of everyday goods and services far beyond the reach of ordinary citizens.

“More distressing is reports of massive corruption, diversion and frittering of bulk of the funds accruable to the Federal Government while officials continue to bandy figures and fictitious achievements

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“Under the APC administration hunger has become a national emergency. Millions of families are going without daily meals. Small businesses are collapsing under rising operating costs. The purchasing power of workers has been abysmally degraded, while poverty and unemployment continue to rise at alarming rates. Across the country, frustration is growing as more citizens struggle to survive.

“Today under the APC, Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit has hit an estimated $2.3 trillion, with experts stating that the gap would require approximately $100 billion annually over the next 30 years.”

Continuing, the APM spokesman said “despite the heavy premiums citizens pay daily, the APC administration is not forthcoming with a transparent account of the trillions accrued to it from the removal of subsidy. No comprehensive public record has been presented to demonstrate how much has been realized, how much has been spent, and whether those expenditures have translated into measurable improvements in the lives of citizens.

“The vague claims by the APC government that the proceed is being invested in critical sectors without real figures and specific project or programme is completely unacceptable and cannot substitute for transparency and accountability.”

The APM therefore demanded that the Federal Government should immediately publish a detailed and independently verifiable impact assessment of the subsidy removal policy.

“Nigerians deserve to know the exact amount saved since May 2023, the projects funded and their locations.

“The APM is not opposed to reforms that genuinely advance national development. However, the APC government cannot continue to celebrate figures on paper while millions of citizens can no longer afford decent meals, healthcare, transportation, or quality education. The true measure of any economic reform is not the volume of official pronouncements but its tangible impact on the lives of the people,” it further stated.

The APM therefore called on the Tinubu administration to rise above political rhetoric and immediately release a comprehensive public report detailing the total subsidy savings since May 2023, all expenditures made from the fund, the beneficiaries of every intervention, and the measurable outcomes achieved.

“The APM, the voice of Nigerians today, is not asking the Tinubu-led APC Federal Government to do anything extraordinary. We are simply demanding the transparency and accountability that an APM administration would have seamlessly demonstrated by publicly disclosing and accounting for every kobo that belongs to Nigerians,” Yusuf concluded.

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27 killed as armed men launch fresh attacks on Benue, Plateau communities

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Youths protest killings
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…Youths protest at Och’Idoma’s palace, block roads with corpses, demand action

No fewer than 27 persons have been killed in separate attacks on communities in Benue and Plateau states, following fresh assaults by suspected armed groups that have left residents mourning and demanding urgent government intervention.

In Benue State, at least 18 persons were killed in separate attacks on communities in Otukpo Local Government Area, while nine members of the same family, including a two-month-old baby, were killed in an attack on Kum and Wereng-Camp communities in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State.

In Benue South, suspected armed herdsmen reportedly launched attacks on Akpachi village in Ugboju community and Otukpo-Nobi community over the weekend.

The first attack occurred on Friday when the assailants invaded Akpachi village, killing two farmers on their farmland. Their bodies were recovered on Saturday and buried.

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Barely 24 hours later, at about 4am on Sunday, the attackers struck Otukpo-Nobi community, killing at least 16 persons and injuring several others.

The renewed violence came about two weeks after the killing of the Benue State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Ardo Risku Mohammed, and his companion, Yakubu Isah, who were ambushed and killed at Okutu community in Otukpo while returning from a peace meeting in Idekpa, Ohimini Local Government Area.

The latest killings triggered outrage in Otukpo as angry youths stormed the palace of the Och’Idoma with the bodies of victims, disrupting an ongoing church service and demanding decisive action from the authorities.

The protesters, chanting war songs, accused government and security agencies of failing to protect their communities, insisting that the recurring attacks must stop.

The protest caused tension in the town as youths blocked major roads, leaving commuters stranded for hours.

A resident, Ebi Adoyi, who joined the protest, said the attacks had thrown affected communities into mourning, adding that more casualties could be recorded as searches for missing persons continue.

“After killing two people in Akpachi on Friday, they attacked Otukpo-Nobi, killing 16 persons, including women and children. My neighbour lost her elder sister and her children in that attack,” he said.

Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area, Maxwell Ogiri, confirmed the attacks, linking them to possible reprisals following the killing of the MACBAN chairman.

He said the first attack occurred when three villagers went to their farms in Akpachi.

“The attackers came and killed two of them. One escaped and alerted the community. We recovered the corpses on Saturday and buried them. We had combed the bushes believing the attackers had fled, but early Sunday morning, around 4am, we received reports that they had besieged Otukpo-Nobi, killing several people and injuring many others,” Ogiri said.

He added that efforts were ongoing to relocate survivors to safer locations, provide medical assistance and strengthen security in the affected areas.

Meanwhile, Governor Hyacinth Alia condemned the Benue attacks, describing them as barbaric and an assault on the lives and peace of the people.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, the governor directed security agencies to intensify surveillance, collaborate with neighbouring states, track down the attackers and ensure they are prosecuted.

In Plateau State, the attack on Kum and Wereng-Camp communities in Riyom Local Government Area occurred late Saturday night.

Residents said the gunmen stormed the communities at about 11:30pm and operated for over an hour, shooting indiscriminately and forcing residents to flee into nearby bushes.

A resident, Precious Tok, said the attackers invaded a home and killed nine members of the same family, including a two-month-old baby.

The village head was also reportedly attacked and sustained critical injuries.

National Publicity Secretary of the Berom Youth Moulders Association, Rwang Tengwong, confirmed the incident, saying the attackers struck under the cover of darkness and unleashed violence on helpless residents.

He said security agencies had been alerted and expressed hope that those responsible would be arrested and brought to justice.

The latest attack has heightened fears among residents, who called on the Federal and Plateau State Governments to strengthen security measures in Riyom and other vulnerable communities.

Security personnel have reportedly been deployed to the affected areas, while many residents remain displaced and apprehensive over possible further attacks.

Efforts to obtain official confirmation from the Plateau State Police Command were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report. (Vanguard)

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Notorious bandit kingpin Kachalla Yellow shot dead by Hybrid forces

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Killed notorious bandit kingpin Kachalla Sani Yellow
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…His body dragged through roadway in victory parade

Hybrid security forces supporting counter-insurgency and anti-banditry operations in Nigeria’s North-West have reportedly killed Kachalla Sani Yellow, a notorious bandit commander accused of masterminding deadly attacks, kidnappings, cattle rustling and widespread sexual violence across Zamfara State, before dragging his body through a roadway in a victory procession.

PRNigeria obtained a video purportedly showing members of the hybrid force tying Sani Yellow’s lifeless body to a motorcycle and dragging it along a road as a convoy of armed volunteers celebrated what they described as the elimination of one of the region’s most feared criminal leaders.

The operation followed a carefully coordinated intelligence-led ambush, resulting in the death of the feared gang leader.

Highly placed security and community sources told PRNigeria that the hybrid forces—comprising local volunteers and reformed former insurgents from the North-East (Repented Boko Haram), working alongside security agencies in some operational areas—have become increasingly effective at tracking criminal movements through intelligence provided by local communities.

Their operations have focused on ambushing armed bandit convoys, disrupting logistics networks and targeting high-value commanders responsible for attacks on vulnerable communities.

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According to the sources, Sani Yellow was intercepted while visiting a local market, where he had allegedly gone to collect proceeds from rustled livestock and negotiate ransom payments from kidnapped victims.

“He was positively identified through local intelligence. Once his identity was confirmed, the hybrid forces moved swiftly and neutralised him before he could escape,” one source disclosed.

Security sources described Sani Yellow as one of the most influential bandit commanders operating within the forests spanning Anka, Bukkuyum, Maru and neighbouring local government areas of Zamfara State.

He was allegedly responsible for coordinating repeated attacks on rural communities, organising large-scale kidnappings for ransom, rustling livestock and leading violent raids that displaced thousands of residents across the North-West.

Community sources further alleged that Sani Yellow routinely subjected kidnapped victims to severe abuse and reportedly ordered members of his gang to sexually assault female captives whose families were unable to raise ransom payments.

Sani Yellow was reported to be related to the late Kachalla Yellow Danbokolo, another notorious North-West bandit commander who was reportedly killed in 2025 alongside more than 170 of his fighters during a major operation conducted by the Shinkafi Yan Sakai Volunteer Forces.

Security analysts believe the latest development represents another significant setback for criminal networks operating across Zamfara, Katsina and parts of Sokoto States.

A senior defence intelligence source, who spoke to PRNigeria on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly, confirmed that security agencies were monitoring developments following Sani Yellow’s reported killing.

According to the source, troops have heightened surveillance across affected communities to prevent possible retaliatory attacks by members of the deceased commander’s gang.

“The security architecture is already on alert. Necessary deployments have been made to protect vulnerable communities and respond promptly to any attempted reprisal,” the source said.

Security experts believe the reported elimination of Sani Yellow could weaken bandit operations in parts of Zamfara if sustained intelligence-driven operations continue against remaining criminal leaders.

However, they caution that such operations often trigger reprisals by surviving gang members, underscoring the need for heightened vigilance across the region.

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