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Agatu youths block Oweto–Otukpo highway, protest persistent killings in Benue

Published

8 months ago

March 15, 2026

Hundreds of young people from Agatu Local Government Area in Benue State on Saturday staged a protest along the Oweto–Otukpo highway, blocking the road near the Oweto Bridge to demand decisive action over the continued killing of residents by suspected armed herders.

The demonstrators, operating under the banner of the Agatu West Peace and Unity Forum, began their action on Friday and maintained the blockade for several hours, causing heavy traffic congestion on the busy route and drawing public attention to the worsening security situation in their communities.

Waving placards bearing messages such as “Stop Agatu killings now,” “Save Agatu now,” and “We do not need Fulani in Agatu,” the protesters urged both the Federal Government and the Benue State government to intervene swiftly and restore peace in the troubled area.

Addressing the crowd, National Youth President of the Agatu West Peace and Unity Forum, Mr. Ebi Lucky, said repeated attacks by suspected Fulani militias had forced many residents to abandon their ancestral homes.

He added that a large number of displaced people have been living in temporary shelters along the banks of the Oweto River for more than two years.

“Our people have been in this trouble for the past two and a half years. Many have left their ancestral homes and are now living here without shelter, food, schools or medical care,” he said.

Lucky stated that the demonstration was organised to draw the attention of the Federal Government under Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the hardship faced by displaced residents and the continued attacks in communities across Agatu West.

He also criticised the administration of Hyacinth Alia and the Agatu Local Government chairman, Hon. Melvin Ejeh, accusing them of neglecting the affected communities.

“We have cried to the local government chairman and the state governor, but nobody has come to our aid. All we are demanding is peace in Agatu land and the opportunity to return to our farms,” he said.

The protesters also appealed to the member representing Apa/Agatu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Ojema Ojotu, and the senator representing Benue South Senatorial District, Patrick Aba Moro, urging them to take concrete steps to address the suffering of their constituents.

They further called on the Federal Government to deploy more security personnel to vulnerable communities, particularly areas they described as porous entry points frequently used by attackers.

Agatu, situated in southern Benue and predominantly inhabited by the Idoma people, relies heavily on farming and fishing as the primary sources of livelihood.

One of the victims, Mrs. Mercy Danladi, recounted how her husband, sister and cousin lost their lives during separate attacks on Ochelefu village between 2013 and 2025.

She appealed to the Federal Government to urgently step in and provide adequate security to allow displaced residents return to their homes and farmlands.

Another displaced resident, Ajumi John, disclosed that more than 200 internally displaced persons are currently sheltering in makeshift huts close to the riverbank.

“Our community has been taken over by the militia. We have nowhere to go. When it rains, we cover the roofs of our huts made of sticks and grass with leather,” he said.

The protesters insisted they would continue the demonstration until authorities take concrete measures to halt the killings and facilitate the safe return of displaced residents.

Meanwhile, the Divisional Police Officer of Agatu Division, CSP Dennis Asawa, who monitored security during the protest, praised the demonstrators for maintaining peace throughout the exercise.

“I appreciate the protesters for organising themselves in a peaceful manner. Their message has been conveyed to the authorities, and appropriate actions will be taken,” he said.

Also speaking, National Secretary of the Agatu West Peace and Unity Forum, Mr. Dandy Adoba, claimed that more than 15 villages in Agatu West have been overrun by armed herders since 2013.

He added that hundreds of residents had been killed in the attacks, noting that security forces stationed nearby had yet to be deployed to the worst-hit communities.

“Our people are dying almost on a daily basis. We are appealing to the Federal Government to deploy security personnel so that our people can return home,” he said.

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SEE FULL LIST: NJC recommends 28 candidates for judicial appointments

Published

14 hours ago

November 5, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended 28 candidates for appointment as judicial officers across six states, including 24 candidates for various State High Courts.

The recommendations cover the High Courts of Kano, Ebonyi, Edo, Adamawa and Ogun states, the Plateau State Sharia Court of Appeal, Adamawa State Sharia Court of Appeal and Adamawa State Customary Court of Appeal.

The Council announced the recommendations in a statement issued on Wednesday by its Deputy Director of Information, Kemi Babalola-Ogedengbe.

It said the decisions were taken at its 112th meeting held on November 3, 2026, under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun.

According to the Council, one candidate was recommended as Grand Kadi of the Plateau State Sharia Court of Appeal, while another was recommended as Kadi of the Adamawa State Sharia Court of Appeal.

Two others were recommended as judges of the Adamawa State Customary Court of Appeal.

The appointment includes “24 High Court candidates and four candidates for the Sharia and Customary Courts of Appeal.”

The full list of the 28 recommended candidates is as follows:

PLATEAU STATE SHARIA COURT OF APPEAL (GRAND KADI)

1. Tijjani Jibrin Zololo

KANO STATE HIGH COURT

2. Nafisah Yusuf Hassan
3. Halima Yahuza Ahmad
4. Abdullahi Abdulsalam Bature
5. Musa Ibrahim Umar

EBONYI STATE HIGH COURT

6. Dickson Edmund Amaga

EDO STATE HIGH COURT

7. Benson Osagie Osawaru
8. Taiye Osayanmon Omoruyi
9. Dorothy Ibhade Adamaigbo
10. Festus Osagie Usiobaifo
11. Pius Idemudia Oiwoh
12. Majebi Samuel Amune
13. Emike Jessica Imuekemhe

ADAMAWA STATE HIGH COURT

14. Aminu Sa’ad
15. Ibrahim Ulenda Musa
16. Sadiq Giwa
17. Musa Bala Mijinyawa
18. Japhet Ibrahim
19. Aliyu Bakari
20. Yakubu Ahmadu

OGUN STATE HIGH COURT

21. Olakulehin Luqman Abiola Oke
22. Adebimpe Folusho Obienu
23. Fatimat Adeola Daudu
24. Rafiat Bolanle Kadiri
25. Oludotun Olaniyi Osho

ADAMAWA STATE SHARIA COURT OF APPEAL (KADI)

26. Abubakar Ishaku

ADAMAWA STATE CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL

27. Elshama Gwama Dimas
28. David Benjamin Pembi

The NJC said all the recommended candidates were expected to be sworn in by their respective state governors without delay.

Source: punchng.com

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JD Vance reveals Iran war cost Republicans midterm elections, read details

Published

15 hours ago

November 5, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

United States Vice President JD Vance has blamed the Iran war for the Republican Party’s poor performance in the 2026 midterm elections, saying many supporters of President Donald Trump switched allegiance to Democrats over dissatisfaction with the conflict.

Vance said this in a post on his X handle on Wednesday, arguing that the party’s defeat was not primarily caused by poor voter turnout but by the defection of voters who supported the Trump-Vance ticket in 2024.

He said data analysis conducted by his team before the elections had shown that Republican supporters were turning out in significant numbers, despite opinion polls predicting a major Democratic victory.

“One of the things the data analysts on our side obsessed over was ‘composition’—whether the electorate looked close enough to 2024 for Republicans to win,” he said.

Vance explained that although turnout was encouraging in several states, a member of his data team had warned him that many Republican voters were angry and might not vote for the party.

“Well, that looks prophetic now. Our voters did show up. In Florida, for example, the electorate was nine points more Republican than Democrat, just a couple points worse than 2024,” he said.

“But the main problem is not turnout. The main problem is that many people who voted for Trump/Vance in 2024 voted for Democrats in 2026.”

The Vice President acknowledged that the party might have failed to communicate its economic policies effectively, particularly on the cost of living and inflation.

However, he said the major reasons voters abandoned the Republicans were concerns about the war, economic hardship, America’s foreign policy priorities and its relationship with Israel.

According to Vance, a pollster who accurately predicted the election outcome identified four major demands among former Republican supporters who switched to the Democrats.

The demands were to end the war, prioritise the cost of living and inflation, put America first and change the country’s relationship with Israel.

“The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night,” Vance stated.

He also defended television personality Rachel Campos-Duffy, saying her earlier call for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict had proved politically sound.

Vance warned against attempts by Republican establishment figures to attribute the party’s electoral setback to other issues, particularly immigration policy.

He said he was open to reviewing immigration enforcement strategies, including targeting businesses that employ undocumented workers, but rejected calls for amnesty.

“Anyone pushing amnesty is lying to you,” he said.

The Vice President challenged those who believed the war was worth the political cost to defend that position openly, noting that the defeat could cost Republicans control of the Senate for the next six years.

“If you’d like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next six years was worth it, then do so. Argue it was a worthwhile cost to pay,” he said.

“Agree or disagree, that’s at least honest.”

Despite the setback, Vance expressed optimism about the country’s future, urging disappointed Republican supporters to channel their anger into rebuilding the party and electing candidates who share their political views.

“Let’s take that anger and get back to the work of saving our country,” he added.

Source: punchng.com

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UK to strengthen immigration enforcement with facial recognition

Published

15 hours ago

November 5, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

The United Kingdom government plans to expand live facial recognition technology to strengthen immigration enforcement and identify individuals who have violated immigration rules.

The initiative, being developed by the Home Office, could see facial recognition cameras deployed at transport hubs and public events to help immigration officers identify people who have overstayed their visas, entered the country unlawfully or breached their immigration conditions.

According to policy documents published in October and sighted by PUNCH Online on Thursday, the proposed expansion could extend the technology’s use to general immigration enforcement, including civil immigration violations that do not necessarily involve criminal offences.

The development comes as Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood seeks to intensify immigration enforcement through increased funding, additional personnel and expanded deportation operations.

The Home Office said the technology would help officers identify individuals subject to removal proceedings and those attempting to re-enter the UK unlawfully.

The policy documents also suggest that facial recognition could reduce the need for repeated enforcement visits to residential properties and workplaces.

Authorities have already conducted three trials of the technology at Holyhead port in north Wales between November 2025 and February 2026. The trials focused on identifying individuals travelling from Ireland who were subject to deportation orders or wanted over immigration-related criminal offences.

The programme has now entered its formal delivery phase, with officials considering wider deployments at transport hubs and large public gatherings.

A Home Office spokesperson confirmed that further trials were being considered while the government examined the potential benefits and implications of the technology.

U K Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said: “Facial recognition technology has been the biggest breakthrough for catching criminals since DNA matching, already helping police take thousands of dangerous criminals off our streets.

“The benefits are clear, but we must ensure that its use is fair, safe and proportionate.

“It is right we put in place clear laws to ensure that the use of this technology is watertight, so the public can have confidence that these tools, which are vital to our safety, are used responsibly too.”

However, the proposed expansion has raised concerns among civil liberties organisations and migrant rights advocates over privacy, surveillance and the possibility of inaccurate identification.

The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants described the development as a significant escalation of immigration enforcement powers, while the Open Rights Group questioned the transparency of the plans, public consent and the absence of comprehensive legislation governing facial recognition.

Critics have also warned that the technology could disproportionately affect people of colour because of concerns about identification accuracy.

Meanwhile, Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner William Webster has questioned whether existing regulatory arrangements are sufficient to oversee the expanding use of facial recognition across government agencies.

Under the proposed policy, individuals under 18 will not be included on facial recognition watchlists.

Source: punchng.com

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