News
Residents flee after terrorists’ fresh warning letters to Kwara communities
Attacks by suspected terrorists may not be abating anytime soon as the hoodlums have started circulating warning letters to several communities in Kwara State.
In the last six days, they had sent letters to four different communities, threatening to strike at any time, according to a report by Saturday Punch.
It was learnt that on Thursday, a letter was dropped in Ira, a community linking Inaja and Aho towns in Oyun Local Government Area.
The terrorists had earlier sent a threat letter to Dunshigogo community in Kaiama LGA, a few days after the February 3 attack on Woro town, which left over 176 people dead and 38 abducted.
Our correspondents gathered that residents of Ira, Inaja and Aho had started leaving their homes over the threat letters by the suspected terrorists.
A copy of one of the letters was signed by “The Writer (SANUFH).”
It read, “This message is from Nigeria Terrorist Association, NTA. Our motor: we kill, we kidnapping, and destroying. No town or place that is scared us to destroy… We search and gaddering information before we rade. We heared about this town Ira, you people strong, and have many powerful man to face our organisation. Be ready for us at any time any date, noting concern us about your oracle or powerful we left kaiama we move to Ira, Inaja, Aho and town around.”
The content of the letter, including grammar and structure, is retained for accuracy. The authenticity of the letter has not been ascertained by Saturday PUNCH.
Ira, a border town adjoining Ilemona, the headquarters of Oyun LGA, lies along a corridor linking several rural settlements considered vulnerable due to their proximity to forest belts.
A traditional chief in Ira, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to safety concerns, said the letter was dropped at a motorcycle park near the central mosque.
“The letter was seen around 2:30pm to 3pm. Two suspects on a bike dropped it at the okada riders’ park close to Ira Central Mosque. Initially, the riders thought it was a mistake and kept it for the men, but after reading it, they quickly took it to the king’s palace.
“Once the letter reached Kabiyesi, he informed security agencies. Around 5pm, DSS and police officers visited Inaja, Ira and Aho. Soldiers, police and NSCDC personnel are now patrolling the area,” he said.
The chief added that despite the security presence, fear had gripped the communities, prompting some residents to relocate temporarily.
“This is the first time we are witnessing something like this. People are afraid. Some have left for nearby towns because we don’t know what is coming. Our vigilantes are currently in Ilorin for forest guard training. We want the government to release them to return home to address this threat,” he said.
Monarch seeks intervention
The Oninaja of Inaja, Oba Wahab Oyetoro, said that the letter heightened tension and forced some residents to flee.
“The letter was found in Ira on Thursday, and Oyun Local Government Chairman immediately called a security meeting of all traditional rulers to inform them and map out strategies to protect ourselves and our subjects. People are scared because of the massacre in Kaiama. Some residents have already left town to seek refuge in Offa and other neighbouring communities,” he said.
The monarch added that security agents, supported by vigilantes, had commenced patrols in the communities.
Speaking on the matter, the National Secretary of the Ira Descendants Union, Yekini Olarewaju, said the community had reached out to the government and security agencies for urgent intervention.
Describing the mood in the community, he said fear had gripped residents and disrupted normal activities.
“There is panic everywhere. People are afraid. Those who were supposed to go to their farms, especially those harvesting cashew, could not go. All schools, including primary and secondary, did not open today. People shut down their businesses.
“We have sought the help of the government. Security agencies such as the Navy, civil defence, the police, as well as soldiers stationed in Ilemona, a neighbouring community, have started patrolling the entire area.
“Our local vigilantes are also not sleeping. They have been combing the surrounding bushes since then,” he said.
An indigene of Ira who resides in Offa and spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said news of the letter spread rapidly on Thursday night.
“We received the news about a strange letter late on Thursday night, but we didn’t even know where it came from. In fact, some people and I were in Ira around 3pm yesterday (Thursday) and heard nothing.
“It was around 10pm that my brother rushed from Ira to Offa to inform me. I was shocked. People from Lagos and even outside the country started calling me. One of my younger brothers, out of fear, asked me to relocate to Lagos, but I insisted on staying,” he added.
The man said many families had resorted to prayers while urging vigilance among their children.
“We just have to be prayerful. The letter has already sent shockwaves through the community, but people have nowhere else to go. Parents are warning their children not to move around at night. We have written to the government requesting assistance,” he said.
Police, DSS on red alert
The spokesperson for the Kwara State Police Command, Ejire Adetoun-Adeyemi, confirmed receipt of the letter.
“Our intelligence unit is currently investigating to ascertain its veracity and possible source. We have intensified patrols by deploying additional personnel, in collaboration with vigilantes, to identify the source of the letter. The Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, has implored anyone with useful information to report to the nearest police division. He assures indigenes and residents of Kwara of the police resolve to protect lives and property,” she said.
Similarly, a senior DSS officer confirmed the development, stating, “We have received this letter, and we are working on it.”
A military source said the Nigerian Army’s Forward Operating Base in Ilemona had increased patrols across the threatened communities.
“The information has put all security agencies on operational alert. Meetings with local government authorities have been held to review strategies and ensure there is no infiltration,” the officer said.
LG chairman convenes emergency meeting
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Oyun LGA, Akanbi Olarewaju, convened an emergency security meeting on Friday at the council secretariat in Ilemona.
The meeting, attended by security agencies, traditional rulers and key stakeholders, was aimed at addressing the threats.
The Chief Press Secretary to the chairman, Owodunni Adekunle, said, “Although security agencies are still working to authenticate the source and credibility of the letter, the council considered it necessary to take proactive steps in the interest of public safety.
“We urge our people to remain calm, vigilant and report any strange movement or unfamiliar faces, not only in Ira and Aho/Inaja but across the entire Oyun Local Government. Community policing and timely information-sharing remain critical to preventing crime and averting possible security breaches.” (Saturday PUNCH)
National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has dismissed Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi’s suggestion that President Bola Tinubu is “tired” and should step aside ahead of the 2027 elections.
The national chairman, who appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, questioned the basis for describing the president as exhausted, insisting that Tinubu continues to work tirelessly while delivering key projects across the country.
“Let me put it this way, epecially to Obi, who claimed that Tinubu is tired—is he (Tinubu) going for boxing or 400 metres?” Yilwatda said. “Are you telling me that the President who stays and works from morning till night is tired? These are the issues we are talking about.”
Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, APC National Chairman
He argued that millions of Nigerians benefiting from the administration’s policies would not support calls for Tinubu to retire from office.
“Are you telling me that over a million students and mothers who depend heavily on and celebrate NELFUND would be praying that the President be retired?” he asked.
Yilwatda also pointed to ongoing infrastructure projects, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the development of new seaports in Calabar, Akwa Ibom, Port Harcourt, Ondo and Lagos, as evidence of the administration’s commitment to national development.
“Are you telling me that over a million students and mothers who depend heavily on and celebrate NELFUND would have prayers that the President be retired?” he asked.
Yilwatda also cited several infrastructure projects as evidence that the administration remains focused on delivering its agenda, pointing to the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as well as new seaport developments across the country.
“Are you telling me that people who have the coastal road from Lagos to Calabar, to Akwa Ibom and Port Harcourt, or the five seaports in Calabar, Akwa Ibom, Port Harcourt, Ondo and Lagos, are those who wish that the President be retired?” he said.
The APC chairman further referenced the ongoing modernization of Nigeria’s aviation sector, saying the extensive airport upgrade projects supervised by the Minister of Aviation reflect a government actively investing in critical infrastructure.
“I am sure you watched the renewal of airports being upgraded by the Minister of Aviation. This and many others, even in the North,” he added.
According to Yilwatda, the administration’s investments in education, transportation, maritime infrastructure and aviation demonstrate that President Tinubu remains fully engaged in governing the country, contrary to claims that he is too tired to continue in office.
Yilwatda’s comments follow remarks of former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi who, in a sit-down interview with Channels TV interview, stated that President Bola Tinubu is “tired” and lacks the capacity to lead Nigeria, calling for him to step aside and retire ahead of the 2027 general election.
The Enugu State Government has suspended Igwe Christopher Nyia, the traditional ruler of Obeagu Ugwuaji Autonomous Community in Enugu South Local Government Area, following a prolonged leadership crisis in the community.
Handing over the letter of suspension to the monarch, the state commissioner for chieftaincy matters, Dr. Charles Egumgbe, said an administrative panel of inquiry had been constituted to investigate both the immediate and underlying causes of the crisis, as well as the allegations made against the traditional ruler.
The commissioner said the suspension was approved by Governor Peter Mbah in the interest of peace, public order and good governance.
The government’s action followed events of July 16, 2026, when residents of Obeagu Ugwuaji staged a peaceful protest to the Enugu State Secretariat Complex, the Enugu State House of Assembly and the Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs, where they demanded the immediate dethronement of the traditional ruler over allegations of land grabbing and financial impropriety.
Obeagu Ugwuaji natives demand dethronement of Monarch
Some natives of Obeagu Ugwuaji community had on Thursday, July 16, 2026 demanded the dethronement of the embattled traditional ruler over alleged land-grabbing and administrative high-handedness.
The protesters gathered at the front of the Government House, Enugu, to lodge their complaints. They were led by their Town Union President, Chukwunonso Obi.
After making a brief appearance at the Government House, bearing placards with different inscriptions, they thereafter marched to the Enugu State House of Assembly complex and the Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs.
They were received at the assembly complex by the member representing Nkanu East State Constituency, Honourable Anthony Okoye, who commended them for being peaceful.
Okoye said the House of Assembly has the constitutional mandate to oversee matters relating to local government administration and chieftaincy affairs in the state.
According to him, “The House of Assembly oversights both the Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs, including the town union government in all the local governments and localities of the state. We are going to activate the power of our oversight over their complaints.”
• His wife, driver, security guard shot
A serving Nigerian military intelligence officer, Colonel Abdussalam A. Ude, was shot dead after putting up fierce resistance against armed assailants who attempted to abduct him at his residence in the Kurudu District of Abuja, according to PRNigeria.
The officer, from Enugu State, was regarded as a dedicated professional due for promotion to the rank of Brigadier General next year.
PRNigeria reports that the attackers ambushed the senior officer shortly after he arrived at his home, opening fire as he alighted from his vehicle on Monday evening.
The gunmen attempted to abduct the officer, but he fought back despite being heavily outnumbered, refusing to surrender to his attackers.
His resistance, security sources said, prevented the assailants from taking him away alive, although they subsequently shot him multiple times at close range.
During the attack, the gunmen also opened fire on members of his household, leaving his wife, driver, and security guard with varying degrees of gunshot injuries.
The victims were rushed to hospital, where they are receiving treatment.
Security sources described Colonel Ude as a courageous and highly respected intelligence officer who remained composed even in the face of imminent danger.
One source familiar with the preliminary investigation said: “He resisted them.
“From what investigators have gathered, they wanted to take him away, but he fought back.
“Unfortunately, he paid the ultimate price.”
The circumstances surrounding the attack remain under investigation, while security agencies have launched efforts to identify and apprehend the perpetrators.
Before his death, Colonel Ude served in several strategic military intelligence and counter-terrorism appointments within the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
He participated in numerous operations against insurgents in Nigeria’s North East and was deployed on specialised international assignments, including missions in the Republic of Chad and France, where he contributed to intelligence and security cooperation efforts.
His burial was scheduled to take place in Mambilla Mosque in Abuja on Tuesday in accordance with Islamic rites.
The killing has once again raised concerns over attacks targeting serving and retired military personnel, particularly within the Federal Capital Territory.
The incident recalls the killing of retired Brigadier General Uwem Harold Udokwere, who was murdered on June 22, 2024 after armed men invaded his residence at Sunshine Homes Estate in the Lokogoma area of Abuja.
Udokwere was reportedly stabbed to death while attempting to defend his family before the attackers escaped with his firearm and other valuables.
Security experts say the latest attack is likely to intensify calls for enhanced security measures for serving and retired military officers, especially those who have held sensitive operational and intelligence appointments.
Investigations into Colonel Ude’s killing are ongoing, with security agencies working to determine the motive behind the attack and bring those responsible to justice.
PRNigeria
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