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Ancestral Land: 87-year-old Man Leads Protest Against Obaseki

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87-year-old Pa Moses Obasuyi on Wednesday led residents of Ogbe-Ezoti, Benin City, in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State to protest what they termed an attempt to sell their ancestral homes to individuals by the Edo State governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki.

The protesters who took to major streets carried placards with inscriptions: ‘Obaseki be a leader like Moses and not Pharaoh’; ‘Our houses are not for sale’; ‘Ogbe-Ezito community, our ancestral homes, monuments, not for sale and no negotiations’; ‘Ogbe-Ezoti community has existed for more than 600years’, etc.

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The protesters who blocked major roads, caused serious traffic jam at the popular Ring Road, the centre of Benin and it’s environs.

Speaking to journalists at the Secretariat of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Edo State council, Pa Moses Obasuyi who sat on a chair due to his age said no to the Edo Government’s plan to sell their ancestral land to private business owners.

He asked the government to go to communities where there is enough land.

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“We are here to say no to Governor Godwin Obaseki’s proposal to take over our lands and houses. The community has been there for the past 600 years ( six hundred). The place has a traditional ground.

“Governments had come and gone, and nobody has come there to eject us or give us any compensation as the government is claiming. We are saying no to Obaseki’s plan to take our homes and make us homeless,” He said.

Also speaking, Elder Douglas Osazze, secretary to the community said the community is not against developmental plans by the Edo State government, but the government should go to communities that are begging for development.

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He said: “From all indication, it looks like the government is on a mission of land grabbing. The area is between Ezoti Street and the moat by Zenith Bank along Airport Road. The notice was pasted by EdoGIS and sent to nobody in particular, it stated that the community is to be taken “for overriding public interest.

“His Excellency, Governor Godwin Obaseki is telling us to pack and relocate to elsewhere, which is not his concern.

READ ALSO: APC Fully Prepared To Participate In Forthcoming Edo LG Elections – Publicity Sec.

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“This community is home to over 1000 people, and we have lived here for over 600 years, it is a business centre to several businesses, from which citizens earn their daily source of livelihood, to take care of their homes and families

“Governor Godwin Obaseki and his group have us believe that they are,
and want to sell this community to private individuals and we can not accept that,” He said.

Receiving the protesters at the NUJ secretariat Benin, chairman of the Edo council, Alenkhe pleaded with the protesters to go about it peacefully, maintaining that the union will find out the government’s side.

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The Edo State Commissioner for Information,Andrew Ewenta when contacted could not respond, as he said he was in a meeting.

 

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Truck Crushes Man Rushing For Jumu’ah Prayers In Rivers

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A trailer loaded with goods has crushed a Muslim faithful rushing for Friday prayers to death in Port Harcourt.

According to Vanguard, the tragic incident happened on the ever-busy Nkpolu junction axis of the East-West road, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, around 2:05 pm.

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It was gathered that the victim was crossing the busy road when a black SUV on speed knocked him down and that the truck, which was on high speed, crushed him to death.

READ ALSO:US Struck Iran With B-2 Bombers, Submarine-launched Missiles – Top US General

A source, who witnessed the incident, narrated that the young man was behind some of his Muslim brothers, who were also going for the Friday prayers, when the incident happened.

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The source, who gave his name simply as Tunde, said the other worshipers had crossed, but that the victim, who did not observe the traffic very well before entering the road, was knocked down by the vehicle.

READ ALSO:Rivers Staff, Pensioners Audit Sparks Outrage

The source said that when the SUV brought him down, a trailer that was on the speed lane ran over him, dismembering the body beyond recognition.

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However, the Muslim faithful who were with him took over the highway in protest until police operatives arrived at the scene.

Meanwhile, the police restored normalcy while the protesting Muslims took the remains for burial.

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Three Killed As Suspected Bandits Ambush Motorists In Kwara

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Gunmen suspected to be Fulani bandits have allegedly launched a deadly attack on motorists along the Rore and Aranorin communities in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, leaving at least three people dead.

The incident, which occurred on Thursday, threw residents and travellers into a state of panic as news of the killings spread across the area.

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In a video obtained by SaharaReporters, the victims were seen lying lifeless on the roadside, their bodies partially covered with clothing and leaves by sympathisers who arrived at the scene after the attackers had fled.

Eyewitnesses told SaharaReporters that the armed men, believed to be operating from hideouts in nearby forests, opened fire on the unsuspecting motorists in what appeared to be a coordinated ambush.

READ ALSO:INEC Fixes Voter Registration Resumption Dates For Anambra Election, Nationwide

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It remains unclear whether the attackers also abducted any victims during the assault, as details were still emerging as of Friday morning.

The attack is the latest in a growing wave of violence that has gripped Kwara State’s Ifelodun and Irepodun local government areas in recent months.

Communities such as Babanla, Shegbe, Ologomo, Alabe, and Oreke in Ifelodun Local Government have faced repeated attacks, forcing hundreds of residents to flee their ancestral homes.

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Many victims have been kidnapped for ransom, while others have been killed in similar raids.

READ ALSO:27 Feared Dead In Kwara Boat Mishap

Residents expressed fears that the violence could escalate further unless urgent security measures are taken.

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Some community leaders have called on both the state and federal governments to deploy more security personnel to the affected areas, noting that many villages have been left vulnerable as attacks continue unabated.

As of the time of filing this report, the Kwara State Police Command had yet to release an official statement on the incident.

However, sources indicate that security operatives have been mobilised to the area to prevent further violence and reassure residents.

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READ ALSO:Why Portable Was Remanded In Kwara Prison Revealed

On August 24, 2025, SaharaReporters reported that hours after Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq visited Babanla community in Ifelodun Local Government Area to reassure residents of improved security, suspected bandits abducted two people in the area.

The governor visited the area to reassure residents and restore a sense of security amid ongoing fears of banditry and kidnappings.

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However, the criminals struck soon after his departure, highlighting the persistent threat and heightening tension in the community.

The incident reportedly threw residents into fresh panic despite earlier promises of tighter security measures.

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Suspected Amasiri Warriors Invade Ebonyi Community, Behead Farmer Amid Land Dispute

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Tragedy struck on Tuesday, August 26, at Okporojo Idima, Oso Edda in the Edda Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, as armed warriors from neighbouring Amasiri community reportedly invaded the farmland of one Mr. Dike Nnachi, beheaded him, and took his head away as a trophy.

The attack marks a continuation of violent hostilities in the area, coming barely four months after the April invasion in which at least four people, including a pregnant woman and her 12-year-old son, were brutally killed.

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That incident also left property worth millions of naira destroyed.

Residents told reporters that the latest killing has deepened fears across Oso Edda, as locals now question the effectiveness of the state government’s ongoing peace efforts.

READ ALSO:Two Die As Mining Pit Collapses In Ebonyi

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The Governor of Ebonyi State, Francis Nwifuru, had, through the Ministry of Border Peace and Conflict Resolution, initiated dialogue between warring communities to stem the tide of violence.

However, Tuesday’s bloodshed is seen as a direct challenge to those peace moves.

Community leaders have called for urgent intervention, warning that unless decisive action is taken, the violence could escalate further, leaving more lives and property in jeopardy.

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In April, renewed violence broke out over a longstanding land dispute between Ndukwe community in Amasiri, Afikpo Local Government Area, and Okporojo in Edda Local Government Area of the state.

READ ALSO:Radio Station Suspends GM For Criticising Ebonyi Gov

The hostilities left houses and properties worth millions of naira destroyed, as attackers, reportedly from Amasiri, launched assaults on Okporojo.

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The worsening security situation forced many residents of Edda to abandon the Amasiri road, opting instead to travel through Afikpo town due to fear of further attacks.

Although previous administrations attempted to resolve the crisis, including the release of a white paper based on a government committee’s recommendations, implementation has reportedly stalled, allowing the conflict to fester and violence to recur.

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