By Felix Umande, Makurdi

Gunmen who abducted three siblings while they were transporting their mother’s corpse from Abuja to Benue State for burial have released two of the victims and dumped the body of the deceased woman, authorities confirmed Sunday.

The third sibling remains in captivity as security operatives intensify efforts to secure his release.

The incident occurred around 4 a.m. on Saturday between Omutele and Ankpechi communities along the Ogobia–Otukpo Road in Oglewu District, Ohimini Local Government Area. The family was travelling to Iklenyi Community in Okpokwu Local Government Area for the burial.

A resident, Elijah, told journalists on Sunday that the kidnappers freed two of the siblings on Saturday night and also released the corpse to allow the family to proceed with burial rites.

“The kidnappers released two siblings and dumped the corpse yesterday night (Saturday night) so they could bury their mother. But one of them is still being held,” Elijah said.

Confirming the development, the Chairman of Ohimini Local Government Area, Gabriel Adole, said the remains of the woman had already been taken to Okpokwu for burial.

“The corpse has already been taken to Okpokwu for burial. It is one of them that is still with the kidnappers; they are yet to release him,” Adole said.

He added that a joint team of security personnel had been deployed to the forest.

“As we speak (Sunday evening), security operatives, including conventional police officers, soldiers and other security agents, are still in the bush trying to rescue the victim,” Adole said.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, DSP Udeme Edet, said she had not received a formal report of the incident from the Divisional Police Officer in Ohimini LGA.

The abduction sparked outrage after it was first reported Saturday, with calls for security agencies to secure the release of all victims and ensure safer highways in the state.

… Abbas will return as Speaker by God’s will, says Governor Uba Sani
By Saint Mugaga

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has done to Kaduna State what no president or head of state ever has since Nigeria’s independence in 1960, Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D, GCON, has said.

Speaker Abbas, who noted the “exceptional love” President Tinubu has for Kaduna State and its people, challenged anyone with a contrary opinion to point out any Nigerian leader who comes close to what President Tinubu has done to Kaduna State in just three years.

A press statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Speaker, Musa Abdullahi Krishi, on Sunday said Speaker Abbas made the remark at the groundbreaking of 11 key township roads across Zaria and Sabon Gari Local Government Areas by the Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, CON, in Zaria on Saturday.

Speaker Abbas said, “I would want to seize this opportunity, as well, to thank His Excellency, the President/Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for the exceptional love he has for Kaduna State.

“Some people who don’t know what they’re doing, think that President Tinubu is a tribalist. They think he is only after the interest of the South West. I challenge anyone to tell me of any president, right from 1960, after Sardauna, who has been able to bring phenomenal projects to Kaduna State than President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” said.

The Speaker gave reasons for his assertion. “Let me tell you: we had only one federal university that was created in 1962 by Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardaunan Sokoto of blessed memory. Since then to date, no president, no head of state has ever come close to bringing any tertiary institution of that magnitude (to Kaduna State).

“But today, the story is different under President Tinubu. He has upgraded our Federal College of Education, Zaria, to become Federal University of Education, Zaria, making two federal universities within Zaria. He didn’t stop at that; he went to Kachia and established a brand new Federal University of Applied Sciences. We thought that would be the end. Just three weeks ago, he converted another institution, belonging to the Petroleum Training Institute, to a university.

“Just last week, I had a discussion with him, and he told me that he is planning to upgrade Kaduna Polytechnic to Federal University of Technology, Kaduna within the next few months. That takes the number of federal universities in Kaduna to five.”

The Speaker then remarked, “Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, where have we ever seen any president, within a span of three years, being able to give so much to Kaduna State like President Tinubu? I don’t think there’s any. This is just one out of many.”

Speaker Abbas further said that President Tinubu has included Kaduna, among three other cities, in the light rail project of his administration.

“Light rail will be introduced in only four cities in Nigeria for the first time in our history. One of those four places will be the city of Kaduna. It will benefit from the light rail, which will help in transportation challenges for people residing within Kaduna, Rigasa, Sabon Tasha, etc. This is an unprecedented project, a project that will cost hundreds of billions of naira. Kaduna is a beneficiary. No president ever has done that much for Kaduna State.”

He, therefore, appealed to the people of Zaria and Kaduna State to show their gratitude to the President by coming out in large numbers to vote for him during the 2027 presidential election.

“I appeal to you, ladies and gentlemen, that on the day of reckoning, the day of judgment, the day we’re going to elect our next president, let the people of Zaria show their gratitude, let the people of Kaduna State show their gratitude. Come out in large numbers and show that we are people who appreciate good things; we are people who reciprocate goodness with goodness. That’s the only way we will appreciate this honourable gentleman.”

Speaker Abbas also lauded Governor Sani for his unprecedented leadership, noting that the governor has demonstrated that Zaria is a special constituency to him.

“My message is very simple: it’s just to say thank you very much, thank you very much, and thank you very much. The chairman of Zaria Local Government has put it more plainly and comprehensively. That the governor of Kaduna State is somebody who truly loves Zaria very well.

“He mentioned only one instance where the governor intervened in Zaria to avert a political crisis, occasioned by some projects we brought, but some people within our communities were trying to sabotage it.

“There is another example, which he forgot to cite, that is the issue of citing four additional federal institutions in Zaria, namely, the Federal College of Technical and Vocational Centre, Sports Academy, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, and the College of Agricultural Sciences.

“For those four institutions, it was His Excellency, the governor, who came to our rescue. Even though (even) within the state government, many people were putting pressure on him not to grant what we requested, and that was to carve out a massive land within the Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, which was sitting idle, unutilized for years.

“His Excellency said, “I will not be intimidated by those people. I will do what is expedient for Kaduna State. I will give this piece of land to you so that you can build those noble projects (institutions) within Zaria Local Government. So, I use this opportunity once more to thank His Excellency for always being there for us in Zaria. There is no empowerment that we ever invited His Excellency that he has not honoured. There is no request of anything that was made to His Excellency for the benefit of the people of Zaria that he has not granted.

“Today is the culmination of the gratitude that the people of Zaria owe you. The roads that you’re going to construct will significantly complement the ones that we have started on behalf of the state government, Zaria Local Government, and the Federal Government of Nigeria. These nine projects, out of the 11 that will be flagged off today, will go a long way in solving our infrastructural deficit in Zaria.

“I assure you, Your Excellency, that your nobleness, your humility, and your generosity to the people of Zaria—your support and assistance—will not go in vain. We will reciprocate in a big way. Come 2027, Zaria will speak only one language, and that language is APC Zaria Local Government for Uba Sani, In Sha Allah.”

On his part, Governor Uba Sani noted the good working relationship between him and the Speaker, saying all the people-oriented projects he is executing and the ones the Speaker has been attracting to Zaria and Kaduna State are as a result of the support they get from President Tinubu.

He said President Tinubu has done everything for Kaduna State, including the light rail that the Speaker had mentioned. He said the project, which is the first of its kind, would gulp the sum of one trillion naira.

“Additionally, in the next one week, the project for the construction of the road from Mando to Birnin Gwari will be flagged off. The President approved the sum of N178 billion for the road. Work will commence from next week.

“The President doesn’t stop there. He has done many things for Kaduna State. But there is one thing I want to tell you, the people of Zaria. The Rt. Hon. Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen, if not for the fact that he’s occupying the office of the Speaker, you wouldn’t have seen all the good projects he has been attracting to Zaria. For that, we must vote massively for Tinubu. We must ensure that he gets at least 95 percent of the votes from Zaria. That is the only way we will appreciate the President.

“Today, I want to assure you of something, by God’s grace. A few days ago, I was with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and he assured me that Abbas Tajudeen will return as Speaker by God’s will. Therefore, what we want from you is prayer.

“We won’t allow the Speaker’s seat to be taken out of Kaduna State. We want it to remain in Kaduna, in Zaria, to be specific. We will stand firm up to the election period and ensure that he returns as Speaker, In Sha Allah. I call on you all to come out and vote for APC from top to bottom. I thank you all,” Governor Sani said.

The governor said the 11 road projects flagged off would be completed between four and five months, assuring that they would be commissioned during that period.

The road projects flagged off are Babban Dodo–Durumi–Kofan Kuyanbana; Rimin Tsiwa–Kofan Gayan (Secretariat–Albarkawa–Kaura); Maje Road, Tudun Wada; Turunku Road (Sabon Gari); Waff Road (Sabon Gari); Layin Radio Road, Tudun Wada; Aba Road, Tudun Wada; Turunku Road (Sabon Layi, Tudun Wada); Dadda’u Road (Layin M. Mamuda); Sheikh Umar Muazu Street; and Idris Majeh Street (Fillin Mallawa).

By Felix Umande

Suspected armed herdsmen have abducted three siblings and carted away the corpse of their late mother along the Ogobia–Otukpo Road in Ohimini Local Government Area of Benue State.

The victims were reportedly travelling in the early hours of Saturday from Abuja to their hometown, Iklenyi in Okpokwu Local Government Area, to bury their mother when they were ambushed.

A source familiar with the incident revealed that the family’s journey was delayed after their vehicle developed a mechanical fault.

“Even at about 2am they were still on the road because their vehicle had broken down. After repairing it, they continued the journey because they were determined to take their mother’s body home for burial,” the source said.

According to the source, the siblings were in contact with relatives throughout the trip until they reached the stretch between Omutele and Ankpechi communities where the attack occurred.

“It was the three of them travelling with the corpse of their mother. When they got to that area, the armed men abducted all three siblings and even took the corpse of their mother into the bush. As we speak, they are still being held,” the source added.

The source described the incident as “heartbreaking” and appealed to security agencies to intervene swiftly.

“It is painful that a family already grieving the loss of their mother has been subjected to this ordeal. They kidnapped not only the children but also took the corpse of a dead woman. We appeal to the security agencies to act swiftly and ensure their safe rescue,” the source said.

Confirming the abduction, the Chairman of Ohimini Local Government Area, Mr. Gabriel Adole, said he had received reports of the attack and was on his way to the affected community to obtain firsthand information.

As of the time of filing this report, there has been no official statement from the Benue State Police Command on the incident, and the whereabouts of the siblings and their mother’s remains remain unknown.