ADC governorship candidate says 3 years, N1 trillion, and only 11.5km of roads fall short of Benue people’s expectations

By Felix Umande, Makurdi

The Rt. Hon. Herman Hembe Governorship Campaign Organisation has said the visit of Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to Benue State should not be used to mask what it described as the “failure of governance” under Governor Hyacinth Alia.

In a press statement issued on June 14, 2026 and signed by Dr. Abraham Chila, on behalf of ADC governorship candidate, Herman Hembe, the campaign welcomed the First Lady but urged her to look beyond official briefings and hear directly from displaced families, farmers, women, youths, and ordinary citizens.

The organisation argued that a First Lady’s visit should ordinarily showcase landmark projects that restore confidence in governance. Instead, it said the Alia administration is celebrating the commissioning of “a few streets totalling barely 11.5 kilometres and an ICT centre located in his own community” after three years in office.

“After three years in office, and over One Trillion Naira, is this truly the best Benue State has to offer?” the statement queried.

The campaign disputed the government’s claim of completing over 45 roads, saying citizens across the 23 local government areas are still asking where those projects are. It also flagged the inclusion of the Jato-Aka Road for commissioning when, according to residents and road users, “substantial portions remain unfinished.

“If incomplete projects can now qualify for commissioning ceremonies, then it becomes clear that this administration is more concerned with optics and publicity than with genuine development,” the statement said.

The organisation further asked: Where are the modern hospitals promised? Where are investments in agriculture for displaced farmers? Where are industries and job-creating initiatives for youths? Where are rural roads and water projects? And why, it asked, are “our people being slaughtered and abandoned in IDP camps”?

“No amount of publicity can conceal the suffering of displaced persons. No ribbon-cutting ceremony can replace lives lost to insecurity. No media campaign can substitute for effective governance,” Dr. Chila added.

The campaign further raised concerns over unpaid salaries and pensions, saying state and local government workers have gone three months without pay and pensioners were recently seen protesting at the Government House gate. It claimed that in over 20 local government areas, “not a single government project exists” despite billions of naira accruing to them.

The statement called on the First Lady to use the visit to push for accountability and urged Governor Alia to observe a moment of silence for the one-year anniversary of the Yelwata killings.

The Hembe campaign concluded that governance should be measured by citizens’ security, quality of healthcare and education, economic opportunities, and public confidence in the future, not by ceremonies.

“History will not remember how many ribbons were cut. History will remember whether lives were protected. History will remember whether communities destroyed by violence were rebuilt. On that score, Benue citizens believe the verdict on the Alia administration remains abysmal, to say the least,” it said.

The group said Benue people deserve balanced development across all 23 LGAs, transparency on completed projects, and a government that prioritises substance over spectacle and people over propaganda.

By Seyi Balogun

Former governor of Taraba State, Darius Dickson Ishaku, and a former permanent secretary in the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in the state, Bello Yero’s trial continued on Monday, June 15, 2026, before Justice S.C. Oriji of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, Abuja with the Third Prosecution Witness, PW3, Taiwo Johns informing the court that money from local governments in the state was sent to his private account with instruction, usually from Yero or other officers of the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs on the disbursement.

Explaining his role, he informed the court that he used to withdraw such money in cash.

Ishaku, the first defendant, is facing prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC alongside Yero, on a 15-count charge, bordering on criminal breach of trust, conspiracy and conversion of public funds to the tune of N27 billion.

Speaking on his invitation by the EFCC and how the Commission traced the alleged funds to the account of his company, P3 International Account, he stated that he used the company account to manage his farming business before joining the civil service as Assistant Cashier in the state’s Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

The witness disclosed also that John Columba, former Chief Cashier, Babangida Hassan, former Director Finance and former Permanent Secretary, Bello Yero asked him in the cause of his duty to make available his account information and always wait for instruction on what to do with any money sent to it.

“They asked me to submit the account number so some money will be sent to me and await further instruction on what to do with it. A few days later, some amount of money was sent to the account by the local government. When the money entered my account, I reported to my chief cashier, John Columba before I reported to Bagangida Hassan and he reported to Bello Yero before I was given a directive on where to pay the money.

Asked by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, how he disbursed the money, the witness stated that “Sometimes when money comes to this account, I will withdraw the money or leave it in the bank and wait for further instruction. Sometimes, I will be given the account number to lodge the money, while they will come with Lawal, P.A. to his excellency and I will hand the money over to him.”

He further testified: “sometimes the instruction is given by the permanent secretary, Alhaji Yero, the second defendant, the director of finance, Babangida Hassan and sometimes the cashier of the local government lodges the money into my account, in which I will report to my immediate boss.”

He further informed the court that he would often be given account numbers to disburse the money, disclosing that N3 million from such money from a local government, sent on November 20, 2017 was paid to the Second Prosecution Witness, PW2, Prince Onwuzuruike, with additional N2,250,000, totalling N5,250,000, all paid to him in one day on instructions. He also disclosed that he received N7,750,000 on February 6, 2018, and was asked to send N6,250,000 to Onwuzuruike.

He stated that on April 11, 2018, Columba, the Chief Cashier of local government sent money to his account, comprising N5 million, N1.7 million and N1.8 million, respectively and that there was a cash withdrawal on April 16, 2018, based on the instruction of the Director of Finance, Babangida Hassan.

He further stated, he received a credit of N4,767,386.41 on April 26, 2018 and that on the same date, N4,780,000 and N3,220,000 was transferred to Prince Onwuzuruike.

According to him, there were cash deposits of N5,650,000 and N4,500,000 on April 27, 2018, with an instruction to send N4,780,000 and N3,370,000 to Prince Onwuzuruike

Justice Oriji adjourned the matter till July 7, 2026 for continuation of trial

Late general’s son says cause of death was likely heart attack; mother still in bandits’ custody despite social media reports

By Felix Umande

Contradicting the Katsina State Government, the family of late retired Major General Rabe Abubakar has rejected claims that he died of diabetes and hypertension while in bandits’ captivity, insisting the retired officer had no history of those ailments.

In an interview with newsmen on Sunday, Isyaka Rabe, one of the late general’s sons, dismissed the government’s account as inaccurate.

The Katsina State Government had on Saturday confirmed Abubakar’s death and attributed it to complications from diabetes and hypertension.

“I truly don’t believe it was diabetes. In our view, it was a heart attack. If you look at it, his legs were restrained. Moreover, some people said that he was walking, and he didn’t die, so God knows, since only God is the knower,” Isyaka said.

He also addressed speculation that the general may have died from a snake bite after a video reportedly released by the kidnappers circulated online. “Some people believed the late general may have died from a snake bite, based on a video reportedly released by kidnappers. However, he said only God knows the actual cause of his father’s death,” Isyaka stated.

Isyaka said he had no information on how his father’s remains were recovered. He prayed for the repose of the late general’s soul, describing him as a deeply religious, peace-loving man who lived a simple life and “died a hero.”

“When I announced the time for my father’s funeral prayer, many people began asking how the body was recovered. I told them I did not know and that they should direct such questions to the government,” he said.

The son also debunked reports circulating on social media that his mother, who was abducted alongside the retired general, had been released.

“Whoever says she has been released, I, Isyaka Rabe, son of Major General Rabe, I say that is a lie; she has not been released. Right now, she is still in their custody,” he declared.

Late Maj. Gen. Abubakar was kidnapped alongside his wife on May 30 while traveling through Katsina State. On June 6, the bandits released a four-minute video showing the couple appealing to the Katsina State Government for the release of three detained fighters and the return of livestock allegedly seized during security operations as conditions for their freedom.