The remains of a 78-year-old man in Ekoli community, Edda Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Chief Johnson Okoro Obasi, murdered by suspected political thugs, have been committed to Mother Earth.
Obasi was said to have been attacked by the political thugs in the community on 1st June this year during the crisis between two rival groups in the area which led to the death of some members of the community with property worth millions of naira destroyed.
Autopsy conducted on his body indicated that the man died as a result of internal bleeding and bruises he sustained when he was attacked.
At the weekend, he was buried inside his house in the community amidst tears and tributes.
In his own tribute, his nephew, Dr Eni Uduma Chima, lamented his killing and urged him to avenge it.
Chima, a former House of Assembly member and former Chairman of the local government, said the deceased would have lived longer than his age if his killers did not send him to the untimely grave.
He disclosed that longevity runs in the family which accounted why some members of the family lived more than 100 years and wondered why his life was cut short.
“Your years on earth were brutally cut short by agents of darkness, even though you belonged to a stock in which longevity is taken for granted—the ‘Ibe Eze Nta Aja’ family.
“I shall not dwell on the sorrow of your forced exit, because I know that you are on your way back.
“You delivered the right message to ‘Ali Manu’. While you were still in a parley in the spirit world, assassination attempts were made on your beloved ones.
“Perhaps through your intercession, the presence there that your absence here availed your loved ones prevailed.
“We mourn you in vigilance because your killers and their sponsors are still roaming free, showing neither sobriety nor remorse, fearing neither the laws of God nor the laws of men.
“Now, take up your sword in the spirit world and go after your killers and their sponsors,” he said.
He described his uncle as a man blessed in many aspects—good looks, strength and vigour, sound health, procreation, family life, sound mind, and great vision.
Traditional rulers of the community lamented his killing by those they described as politicians and evil men.
One of them, Etta Egor Akanu, alleged that those arrested for killing some members of the community have been freed, thereby causing disquiet in the area.
“Politicians sent their thugs to beat up Okoro Obasi and he died as a result of the attack. These politicians are evil men who don’t want the community to be in peace, they are the ones who killed Okoro Obasi.
“He was killed by catcham boys who have been terrorising our community and they know themselves.
“I am very happy that Okoro Obasi’s body was taken for autopsy and results showed that he died as a result of the attack by these thugs.
“I would have been angry with Eni Uduma Chima if he didn’t agree to take Okoro Obasi’s body for the autopsy. But since he agreed and the body was taken for autopsy and results showed that he died as a result of the attack, I am very happy and I am not angry with Eni Uduma Chima.
“Government should stop releasing all these people causing trouble in our community. Some persons were arrested for killing another member of the community, Nnachi Uzor, and they were released from prison custody a month after being remanded by the court.
“These people are back terrorising our community, there is disquiet in our community and all the things that were recommended during a peaceful meeting of stakeholders of our community and Governor Francis Nwifuru for lasting peace in our community, none of them have been done.
“What we are rather seeing is increase in the harassment, intimidation and fear in our community by these thugs,” he said.
Another traditional ruler, Thomas Ama, who also expressed sadness over the killing of Thomas Okoro Obasi, recommended immediate implementation of all the recommendations made during the community stakeholders meeting with Governor Francis Nwifuru to return normalcy to the troubled community.
He alleged that a particular group is still parading arms with which they use to terrorise members of the community against the Governor’s directive that every group must lay down arms.
A Magistrate Court sitting at Nomansland in Fagge Local Government Area of Kano State has ordered the remand of a driver and two others over the alleged theft of jewellery, cash, and a mobile phone belonging to the wife of the 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II.
The defendants, Sulaiman Yakubu Kulkude, Idris Musa, and Abdullahi Usaini, were arraigned on a three-count charge of conspiracy, theft and receiving stolen property.
Prosecuting counsel, Barrister Abubakar Ibrahim, told the court that Sulaiman Yakubu, who serves as the driver of the Emir’s wife, unlawfully entered her room and made away with jewellery reportedly valued at N60 million, alongside cash and a mobile phone.
When the charges were read, Sulaiman pleaded guilty to all counts, while the two other defendants pleaded not guilty.
Counsel to the defendants, Barrister A.A. Abdullahi, filed a bail application.
In his ruling, the presiding Magistrate, Halilu Abdurahman, granted bail to the defendants with conditions, including the provision of a surety who must be either a father or brother, a civil servant not below Grade Level 15, and a bail sum of N10 million each.
The case was adjourned to April 14 for further hearing, while the defendants were remanded pending the fulfilment of their bail conditions.
Two adult males have been killed in separate suspected cult-related attacks in Lagos and Ogun States.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the first incident occurred on Saturday around the Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka, in Yaba, while the second took place in the Magboro area of Ogun State.
The victim in the Akoka incident was reportedly hacked to death after being attacked by about six suspected cultists.
A police source, speaking on condition of anonymity due to lack of authorization to speak for the command, described the attack on Tuesday as a suspected reprisal.
“The victim was accosted along the axis leading to the school gate, and what started as a confrontation led to a fight. He was stabbed in the head in the process. It was later discovered that the assailants were suspected cultists,” the source said.
In a video seen by PUNCH Metro on Tuesday, the deceased’s body was lying by the roadside.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, confirmed the incident, adding that one suspect had been arrested.
“One suspect has been arrested in connection with the incident. Investigation is ongoing,” she said.
In Magboro, PUNCH Metro gathered that the victim in the Gas Line area was a suspected Eiye cult member identified as Cegaga.
According to insiders, he was stabbed to death during a clash involving rival cult groups in the community.
The incident, our correspondents gathered, occurred on Saturday around 11pm, following a disagreement between the deceased and a suspected Buccaneer member identified as Corner over money issues.
A suspected Vikings member, identified as Troup, who was reportedly at the scene, allegedly took sides in the dispute and stabbed the victim.
Residents said the victim’s body was discovered the following morning.
A resident who requested anonymity for security reasons said, “I didn’t witness the clash. I only came back to see that someone had been killed.”
Also speaking, a trader who asked not to be named said, “We had closed for the day.” It happened at midnight, and we only saw the body when we resumed work the next morning.”
It was gathered that tension had heightened in the community due to recurring cult-related violence in recent weeks.
Another resident, who identified himself as Suleiman, told PUNCH Metro on Tuesday that such incidents had become frequent.
He said, “We have been experiencing a series of cult attacks in the area over the past few weeks. The one that happened on Saturday is just one of many incidents.
“We rarely experience situations like this, but it is now becoming regular. We need the intervention of the authorities before it escalates.”
The Ogun State Police Command spokesperson, Oluseyi Babaseyi, could not be reached for comment, as calls to his telephone lines went unanswered.
A text message sent to him had not been replied to at the time of filing this report.
PUNCH Metro had reported on March 3 that two suspected cultists, identified as Monday and Efe, were shot dead in a fresh wave of cult-related violence in the Ojo area of Lagos State.
The operation, disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, followed intelligence on trans-border criminal activities.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a large shipment of cocaine hidden inside the heads of imported dry stockfish and arrested a key member of the syndicate linked to trafficking the drugs abroad.
The operation, disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, followed intelligence on trans-border criminal activities.
Babafemi said the intelligence led to a sting operation by operatives of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Strategic Command of the Agency at the Ojo area of Lagos on Thursday, March 19, 2026.
“In the course of the operation, three jumbo size bags were found in possession of the kingpin 36-year-old Akputa Dickson Ejike.
“A search of the bags led to the recovery of Two Hundred and Thirty-Seven (237) wraps of cocaine buried in the heads of imported dry stock fish locally known as ‘Okporoko.’
“The cocaine pellets have a gross weight of 5.80 kilograms. The consignment was intended for export to Delhi, India,” the statement read.
In a separate operation on Wednesday, March 25, NDLEA operatives from the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) intercepted two consignments bound for the United Kingdom at a courier company in Lagos.
“In one of the shipments that originated from Cotonou, Benin Republic, 1.9 kilograms of methamphetamine were found concealed in automobile filters while the second parcel contains 40 ampoules of Morphine Sulphate and nine ampoules of Fentanyl.”
Babafemi added that on March 26, a Special Operations Unit (SOU) raided the home of 46-year-old Omolade Abigail Jolayemi, known as “Iya Ghana,” at 13 Carter Street, Yaba, Lagos.
She and her associate, 31-year-old Sarah Zainab Agbabiaka, were arrested after operatives recovered 135 blocks of cannabis weighing 76.30 kilograms.
“Same day, the SOU operatives also arrested Anayo Lucky Ohabiro, 39, at Doyin bus stop, Surulere, Lagos following credible intelligence. A total of 78 blocks of Ghana Loud weighing 41kg were seized from him.”
In Ekiti State, the statement added that “an 80-year-old grandpa, Oke Samuel, was on Thursday 26th March arrested by NDLEA operatives during a special raid operation at Mosafuneto camp, Erinmo road, Efon-Alaaye Ekiti. A total of 2.2kg skunk and 1.8grams of methamphetamine were recovered from him.”
Another suspect, 37-year-old Enuwa Kehinde Kingsley, had 894.72 kilograms of skunk seized from an uncompleted building in Ogbese, Akure North, Ondo State.
Elsewhere, 35-year-old Saater Nyam was apprehended at Pevi village, Guma LGA, Benue State, with 116.7 kilograms of skunk on Tuesday, March 24.
In Edo State, a warehouse raid in Ekpoma town, Esan West LGA, on Monday, March 23, led to the arrest of 25-year-old Felix Donald and the seizure of 576.5 kilograms of skunk and 33 bottles of codeine-based syrup.
In Taraba State, Babafemi said NDLEA officers intercepted a truck carrying 100 blocks of compressed skunk weighing 135 kilograms concealed in animal feed bags from Garbachede to Gombe State on Tuesday, March 24.
Two suspects, 21-year-old Osama Mamuda and 22-year-old Auwal Umar, were arrested in connection with the seizure.
Babafemi noted that the agency has also continued its War Against Drug Abuse social advocacy, conducting sensitisation lectures in schools across Cross River, Adamawa, Oyo, Kano, and Lagos states.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (Rtd), commended operatives from MMIA, SOU, DOGI, Ekiti, Ondo, Benue, Edo, and Taraba Commands for their efforts and praised all commands nationwide for balancing drug supply reduction with drug demand reduction initiatives.
