Bori, the headquarters of Khana Local Government Area in Rivers State, has been thrown into panic after gunmen shot and killed a former Chief Security Officer of the council identified as Letam Kine on Sunday evening.

PUNCH Metro learnt on Monday that the incident occurred along Polytechnic Road in Bori, as some alleged that the assailants may have been suspected cultists.

It was gathered that the assailants rained bullets on their target and fled immediately afterwards into nearby bushes.

An eyewitness told our correspondent on Monday morning that the attack caused panic in the area as residents and passers-by fled for safety after the initial sound of gunshots before the lifeless body of the victim was discovered.

Bori houses the Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic, named after the late playwright and environmental activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa, with students of the institution swelling the population of the Ogoni community.

Meanwhile, the source, who pleaded for anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the incident, said, “As a result of the incident, social and business activities were immediately halted, with shop owners closing hurriedly.

“As I speak with you, though activities have resumed unlike last night, people, especially students, are still afraid over the killing, which many said was done by cultists.

“Policemen came, but it was too late because these bad guys (assailants) had fled the scene.”

Reacting to the incident, the chairman of Khana Local Government Area, Dr Thomas Bariere, condemned the killing, describing it as a senseless act of violence.

Dr Bariere, in a statement issued on Sunday by the Director of Press and Public Communications in Khana LGA, Barry Neemana, described Kine’s murder as heartbreaking, stressing that such criminality has no place in a law-abiding society.

He expressed concern that the incident came a few weeks after a similar killing in a nearby community, noting that the repeated attacks suggested the activities of armed criminal gangs determined to undermine the peace and security of Khana.

The statement reads, “The Executive Chairman of Khana Local Government Area, Thomas Bariere, has strongly condemned the brutal killing of Mr Letam Kine, also known as Langa, by yet-to-be-identified gunmen.

“This is a heartbreaking and senseless act of violence. Such criminality has no place in a peaceful and law-abiding society.

He expressed deep concern that the killing comes barely weeks after the tragic murder of Clement Deegbara J. of Kpong Community, noting that the repeated attacks point to the activities of armed criminal gangs determined to undermine the peace and security of Khana.

Dr Bariere called on all security agencies to intensify their operations across the local government area and ensure that those behind these heinous crimes are swiftly brought to justice.”

“He urged law enforcement authorities to carry out a thorough investigation into the murder of Mr Letam Kine, arrest everyone connected to the crime, and ensure they face the full weight of the law.”

While condoling with the family of the late Kine, the council chairman “reiterated his administration’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that justice is served and that every lawful measure is taken to safeguard the lives of the people of Khana.”

When contacted, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Blessing Agabe, confirmed the incident to our correspondent on Monday morning, saying the body of the deceased had been deposited in the morgue.

Agabe added, “Yes, I can confirm the incident.

“Our men are there, and patrols are ongoing within the area, and the investigation is on to ensure the arrest of the perpetrators.”

punch.ng

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

The Kaiama Development Association and the Batombu Unity and Development Initiative have urged both the federal government and the Kwara State Government to urgently rescue the 176 persons abducted during the February 3 attack on Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State.

The groups warned that the worsening insecurity across Kaiama and Baruten LGAs could degenerate into a full-scale insurgency if urgent action is not taken.

Speaking on behalf of the groups during a press conference in Abuja on Saturday, the President of the KDA Abuja Branch, Alhaji Umar Gunu, observed that the security situation in the two local government areas had reached a critical stage, with more than 500 people reportedly killed since the beginning of 2026, thousands displaced and several communities repeatedly attacked by terrorists and armed bandits.

Gunu said the press conference became necessary because the communities could no longer remain silent while residents continued to suffer attacks, displacement and neglect.

“We have chosen to address you directly because our communities can no longer afford to remain silent and invisible. Today, however, we speak not only of neglect but of an unfolding humanitarian and security catastrophe that has devastated our communities,” he said.

Gunu noted that although Kaiama and Baruten account for more than half of Kwara State’s landmass and remain one of its most productive agricultural belts, the communities had suffered decades of neglect and remained the only two local government areas without direct road access to Ilorin, the state capital.

According to him, the poor road network has further compounded the security crisis by slowing the movement of security personnel while providing armed groups with opportunities to launch attacks and retreat into surrounding forests.

“Our poor road infrastructure has compounded this crisis. The deplorable condition of the roads isolates our communities and creates a significant operational advantage for terrorists,” he said.

“While security forces struggle to reach affected areas quickly, armed groups navigate the difficult terrain with relative ease, enabling them to strike repeatedly and retreat into the forests before help can arrive. Better roads are no longer simply a development issue; they are an urgent security imperative.”

The group’s spokesperson recalled that terrorists attacked Woro and neighbouring Nuku communities on February 3, killing more than 200 residents and abducting over 170 others, including women, nursing mothers and children.

He lamented that nearly six months after the incident, families of the victims had yet to receive any meaningful information about their loved ones or evidence of sustained rescue efforts.

“The attack on Woro remains one of the darkest chapters in our recent history. On the night of February 3, 2026, terrorists descended on Woro and neighbouring Nuku, killing well over 200 people and abducting more than 170 others, among them women, nursing mothers, and children.

“Since then, we have received no meaningful update on their condition or whereabouts, and we have seen no evidence that any sustained operation has been mounted to bring them home. Nearly six months on, their families still wait, uncertain whether their loved ones are alive or dead, while the trail to their rescue appears to have gone cold.”

He lamented that the violence has spread to several other communities, including Tungan Maje, Kemanji, Tungan Aboki, Karonji, Sekugbe, Kenugbe and Yashikira, where armed men reportedly invaded the Emir’s palace and abducted his wives and children.

According to him, the persistent attacks had displaced thousands of residents, crippled economic activities and forced many farmers to abandon their farmlands.

“As we speak, hardly a day or two now passes without our communities suffering one attack or another.

“The consequences are devastating. Communities now live under the constant fear of spontaneous attacks.

“Economic activities have been severely disrupted: markets have collapsed, businesses have closed, children have lost access to education, and healthcare has become increasingly difficult to obtain.

“The socio-economic fabric of our communities is steadily unravelling,” he bemoaned.

The KDA president who also warned that the crisis had evolved beyond ordinary banditry into a dangerous combination of organised terrorism and criminal violence, stressed that intelligence reports from local communities suggested links between some of the attackers and jihadist groups operating across Nigeria and the wider Sahel region.

“We are deeply concerned that the violence confronting our communities has evolved beyond ordinary criminality. What our people are living through today is a hybrid threat: the calculated, ideologically driven violence of jihadist networks operating side by side with the opportunistic criminality of armed bandits,” he disclosed.

“Our situation can no longer be treated as an isolated local security problem. It bears disturbing similarities to the early stages of the insurgency that engulfed North-East Nigeria and banditry in the North-West. Unless urgent, coordinated, and decisive action is taken, there is a real danger that this region could become another entrenched theatre of violent extremism,” Gunu pointed out.

He expressed fears that political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections could overshadow the worsening security situation, alleging that some elected representatives had remained silent over the crisis.

“We are also deeply worried that, as campaigns and electioneering for the 2027 general elections gather pace, our people risk being entirely forgotten.

“We say clearly: no election cycle, and no political calculation, should be allowed to bury the crisis unfolding in Kaiama and Baruten.”

As a result, Gunu urged the federal government, the Kwara State Government, the National Assembly, security agencies and humanitarian organisations to act urgently by rescuing the 176 Woro abductees, securing the release of the wives and children of the Emir of Yashikira, dismantling terrorist camps around the Borgu Game Reserve, providing humanitarian support for displaced persons, rebuilding destroyed communities and rehabilitating strategic roads linking Kaiama and Baruten with Ilorin.

“We therefore call on the federal government, the Government of Kwara State, the National Assembly, the security services, humanitarian agencies, and the international community to act with urgency,” he pleaded.

Gunu maintained, “The people of Kaiama and Baruten are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for what every Nigerian is entitled to: security, dignity, equal citizenship, and the protection guaranteed by our Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Our communities should not remain invisible because they are remote. Our suffering should not be ignored because we are minorities. The time to act is now, before more lives are lost, more communities disappear, and more of our people are forgotten.”

punch.ng

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

At least 30 people, including eight children, were killed when terrorists attacked Naridon Village in Kamaru Ward, Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, on Sunday night.

The attack, which occurred at about 11 pm, left several others injured and houses and businesses destroyed, sparking condemnation from the Kaduna State Government, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in the state, Usman Bawa.

Naridon, a border community between Kaduna State and Ganawuri in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, was reportedly attacked by the assailants, who shot residents indiscriminately and set houses ablaze.

The Secretary to the Village Head of Naridon, Dogon Rana, confirmed the attack to The PUNCH in a telephone interview on Monday.

He said 30 people had so far been confirmed dead, including eight children, while four others sustained critical injuries and were receiving treatment.

“We have confirmed the killing of 30 people, but we are afraid the death toll may rise because some of the injured are in critical condition,” he said.

He said the attack had devastated the community, with many families losing loved ones and property worth millions of naira destroyed.

“There is someone in this village who lost five children in one night. The only surviving child is critically injured and fighting for his life. This is a tragedy that has thrown the entire community into mourning,” he said.

Rana added that his house was among those razed, while several shops and other buildings were destroyed.

Another resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said 22 members of the Rana family alone were killed, while businesses in the community were destroyed.

The resident also alleged that the attack lasted for about three hours without intervention from security personnel stationed in Kamaru and Ungwan Magaji, which he said was less than two kilometres from the community.

“As we speak, only one military officer and four mobile police officers are deployed to the community,” he said.

Rana blamed the high casualty figure partly on the lack of a motorable access road, saying the poor road had delayed emergency response and made it difficult for residents to escape.

“There is no accessible road to our community. If our road had been motorable, the casualty figure would not have been this high because help would have reached us on time and many people could have escaped,” he said.

He appealed to the Federal and Kaduna State governments to deploy more security personnel to the area and construct an access road to the community.

Reacting to the attack, Governor Uba Sani described the incident as tragic and directed security agencies to intensify operations to apprehend and prosecute the perpetrators.

In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information, Ahmed Maiyaki, the governor also directed the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency to provide immediate relief materials and humanitarian assistance to affected families.

The state government said it would work with the Plateau State Government, security agencies, traditional institutions and other stakeholders to strengthen security cooperation and protect communities along the Kaduna–Plateau border.

The PDP governorship candidate, Bawa, described the attack as “a horrifying act of barbarity” and called for the immediate deployment of additional security personnel to Kauru and other vulnerable communities.

He also demanded a comprehensive investigation, the arrest and prosecution of those responsible, and urgent humanitarian assistance for survivors, injured victims and displaced families.

Former Vice-President Atiku, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, also condemned the killings, describing them as evidence of the Federal Government’s failure to protect citizens.

“The reported killing of scores of innocent Nigerians in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State is heartbreaking and unacceptable,” Atiku said.

He urged the Federal Government to overhaul the country’s security architecture, arguing that routine condemnations after attacks were no longer sufficient.

Atiku called for intelligence-driven operations, the swift prosecution of perpetrators and proactive measures to prevent attacks on vulnerable communities.

He also urged security agencies to remain vigilant as political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections intensify.

“The people of Southern Kaduna and, indeed, all Nigerians, do not need letters of praise from foreign capitals. They need security,” he said.

Atiku was apparently referring to the Tinubu administration’s reported claim of receiving a letter of commendation from the United States over Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts.

The latest attack has renewed concerns over the security situation in Southern Kaduna and communities along the Kaduna–Plateau border, where residents have suffered repeated killings, kidnappings, displacement and destruction of property.

Despite repeated security operations, communities in Kauru and neighbouring parts of Plateau State continue to face attacks linked to armed groups, communal violence and disputes over land, farming and grazing rights.

punch.ng

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN