Metro

CHAIN VS FULL FIRE: Tension As Gang War Rages In Benue, Dozens Killed

Published

2 years ago

November 12, 2023

Benue State has been in the news for the wrong reasons for more than one week after armed gangs took arms against each other in a fight for supremacy in Ukum Local Government Area of the state.

Reports say the fight which started penultimate Thursday and Friday between the ‘Chain’ and ‘Full Fire’ gangs festered all through last weekend, lingering into the week and leaving over 40 persons dead and several others sustaining serious injuries.

The first day of the bloody encounter, it was learnt, recorded at least 22 deaths in Chito and Tyo Akosu communities.

A local source said, “It all started Friday afternoon and it was a fight for supremacy between kingpins of crime in Ukum LGA who are known as Chain and Full Fire gangs with their operational base located in the Council area.

“Both of them are looking for each other’s neck. Full Fire employed the services of a banditry group to help kill the Chain gang who got wind of the plan and laid ambush for them.

“They opened fire and killed all of them. Some persons claimed that 10 persons were killed in the bloody fight while others said they counted 15 bodies.

“But it was a fight for supremacy among gangs and not a communal crisis. In fact, locals ran away because they feared for their lives. They feared that they might be caught in the cross-fire and reprisal despite being innocent.”

It was gathered that after the Chito exchange penultimate Friday evening, a gang of armed penultimate Saturday evening stormed a drinking spot at Tor Akosu village and opened fire on customers at the bar killing seven persons and injuring several others, some of whom later gave up the ghost before receiving medical attention.

The Sunday Vanguard source said, “Though we cannot say for sure that it was an extension of the supremacy fight, we cannot rule it out because that is what it looked like, and we cannot tell who belongs to whatever groups anymore.

“Ukum has become something else, we are all living in fear as we speak because we cannot tell who is who among our local boys.”

And just when the people were yet to come to terms with the outbreak of the bloody fight, three more persons were last Sunday reportedly killed at a gathering as armed men took the fight to Ayati community in the same Council area.

It was gathered that the spillover to Ayati was not envisaged by the people.

“Nobody expected it but information making the round was that the attack was an extension of the fight that started at the weekend in Chito and Tyo Akosu”, a local said.

“The fact is that we cannot tell who is sympathetic to any group and who is not.

“That is why the fight is getting messier and they are killing human beings as if they are animals.”

And while tension continued to mount in Chito, Tyo Akosu and Ayati communities, the bloody exchange last Monday shifted to Ukoosaa-Atam village in Sai, a community about one kilometer from Ayati.

A source in the area who disclosed that the armed men who belonged to one of the rival gangs sneaked into the community, stormed the village and opened fire on passengers on motorbikes and occupants of tricycles killing 10 of them and injuring others.

The source narrated, “The spot where the attack and killings happened on Monday evening was Ukoosaa-Atam which is just about one kilometer from Ayati town headquarters of Borikyo Council Ward of Ukum LGA.

“The armed men, who everyone suspected are part of the ongoing gang fight in Ukum, came on a Bajaj motorcycle to the village and opened fire on passengers of Keke NAPEP and commercial motorcycles, killing 10 persons while others sustained injuries.

“This is one among the several attacks that have been going on in Ukum communities recently and people are now forced to flee their homes for fear of being killed.

“But we must thank God that He has made them to turn their weapons against each other because in doing so we have some respite.

“We pray they continue to kill each other and maybe at the end of the day help us eliminate themselves for peace to reign in our communities. This could be a way of God fighting for us in Sankera comprising Ukum, Logo and Katsina-Ala LGAs where armed men have in the last 10 years reigned with impunity, killing at will and sacking communities for no justifiable reasons.”

Speaking on the security situation in the LGA, the lawmaker representing Ukum State Constituency in State House of Assembly, Mr. Ezra Nyiyongo, who lamented the worsening insecurity in his constituency, said it was time for the state government to step up its strategy to address the situation.

The lawmaker said, “The situation is not too far from what has been happening. We have had that problem well before now. It is just that it has taken different turns and twists but generally we have security challenges.

“You are aware when the serving Commissioner for Information Matthew Aboh was picked. One of our elder statesmen was slso picked and he later died in their hands. So, we have been having these re-occurences. You will hear that today 24 people were killed, other times 11 and it keeps on happening every other day.

“You will sympathize with my people in Ukum and by extension Benue State. We as a government need to step up our strategy. I am particularly pained so much and I believe the government is looking at it critically. At my end, the options I have are limited for now but I think I will meet up with the Executive.

“As a legislator I have reported to my Speaker and we will take it up with the Governor and I believe we will have headway sooner or later.

“I recall that the Governor during our electioneering campaigns promised to do everything to bring peace even if it means bringing the carrot approach to the so-called boys in the bush.

“And I believe that takes time because you have to start planning on where do you take them to and if the Federal Government accepts to forgive them, all is a process which I believe is ongoing. In the interim, I feel pained and sometimes I am ashamed because if it were external aggressors that are attacking us, then you can say there is breakdown of law and order but here we have a situation where same brothers from the same mother and father are pointing guns at each other.

“Who is going to report who? This is the situation I am facing. It is devastating; it is really terrible.”

On his part, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security and Internal Affairs, Joseph Har, who confirmed that the crisis was between rival armed gangs, assured that the state government was taking steps to put an end to it.

He said, “It is gang fight and not a communal crisis, but I can assure you that government is adopting measures include using the carrot and stick approach to ensure that the boys are persuaded to come out of their hiding and embrace peace.”

VANGUARD

Metro

Customs Unveil E-clearance Platform To Decongest Apapa Port

Published

27 minutes ago

September 16, 2025

Editor

The Nigeria Customs Service has launched Overtime E-Clearance System, an automated platform aimed at improving cargo management and reducing port congestion at Apapa Port.

According to the Service, the platform, unveiled on Monday, will address a staggering 15-year backlog of abandoned cargo and tackle corruption in the system.

Customs announced this in a statement on its X handle on Tuesday.

Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, officially introduced the system during a sensitisation exercise in Lagos.

He said the platform will enable consignees to submit and track applications remotely, cutting repeated visits to Customs offices and limiting manual interference.

“The system builds on an earlier policy that extended cargo dwelling periods from 30 to 120 days to give stakeholders more flexibility. The focus is transparency, integrity and adherence to the law. We urge stakeholders to test the system and provide feedback ahead of full deployment,” Adeniyi said.

NCos boss warned against attempts to abuse the process, citing a 15-year-old overtime cargo case still under investigation as an example of why loopholes must be closed.

He added that deliberate abandonment of cargo to evade duties would attract tougher sanctions, with intelligence units monitoring misuse.

Under the rollout plan, Customs will hold further sensitisation sessions this week with terminal operators, shipping companies and other stakeholders before expanding engagement to additional commands.

Deployment will follow once feedback is reviewed and legal queries addressed, the statement added.

According to The PUNCH, this development comes shortly after Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, directed Customs to suspend the implementation of the 4% Free on Board levy on imported goods.

Metro

DSS Sues Sowore, X, Meta Over Anti-Tinubu Post

Published

40 minutes ago

September 16, 2025

Editor

The Department of State Services has filed a five-count charge against former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, alongside social media platforms X Corp and Meta Incorporation, over posts critical of President Bola Tinubu.

The suit dated 16th September,2025, was lodged at the Federal High Court in Abuja after Sowore allegedly refused to delete certain posts about the President.

The charges were brought on behalf of the DSS and the Federal Government by M.B. Abubakar, Director of Public Prosecutions at the Federal Ministry of Justice, alongside four other counsel to the DSS –M.E. Ernest, U.B. Bulla, Dr. C.S. Eze, and E.G. Orubor.

Confirming the development in a Facebook post on Tuesday , Sowore wrote, “The State Security Service, alias @OfficialDSSNG today filed a 5-count charge at the Federal High Court in Abuja against ‘X’ (formerly Twitter Facebook, and myself. They claimed that because I called Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu a criminal, I have somehow committed a set of ‘novel’ offences they invented and spread across five counts.

“It’s hard to believe there’s anyone sensible left in these offices that should be making Nigeria work. Regardless, I will be present whenever this case is assigned for trial. #RevolutionNow.”

The human rights activist and African Action Congress candidate in the 2023 election had vowed not to delete the controversial tweet, despite a request from the DSS to X demanding its removal.

Restating his stance, Sowore wrote, “This morning, X (formerly Twitter) officially contacted me about the despicable threat letter they received from the lawless DSS over my Tweet on Tinubu. One option I will NOT be taking is deleting that Tweet. Thank you, @X.”

He also published the message sent to him by X, which confirmed that the platform had received a legal request from the DSS concerning his post.

The message from X read, “Hello @YeleSowore. In the interest of transparency, we are writing to inform you that X has received a request from the Department of State Services regarding your X account, @YeleSowore, that claims the following content violates the law(s) of Nigeria. @YeleSowore, we have not taken any action on the reported content at this time as a result of this request.

“As X strongly believes in defending and respecting the voice of our users, it is our policy to notify our users if we receive a legal request from an authorised entity (such as law enforcement or a government agency) to remove content from their account. We provide notice whether or not the user lives in the country where the request originated. This page provides more information

“We understand that receiving this type of notice can be an unsettling experience. While X is not able to provide legal advice, we want you to have an opportunity to evaluate the request and, if you wish, take appropriate action to protect your interests.

“This may include seeking legal counsel and challenging the request in court, contacting relevant civil society organisations, voluntarily deleting the content (if applicable), or finding some other resolution.

“For more information on legal requests X receives from governments worldwide, please refer to this article on our Help Centre and our biannual Transparency Report.”

Metro

NAPTIP Rescues Eight Stolen Children From Delta Orphanage

Published

53 minutes ago

September 16, 2025

Editor

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons on Tuesday said it rescued eight children suspected of having been stolen from northern states and trafficked to the south.

This followed a raid on a popular orphanage in the Delta state capital, Asaba.

NAPTIP’s spokesperson, Vincent Adekoye, revealed the development in a statement he signed and released on Tuesday titled ‘NAPTIP rescues eight suspected stolen children from a popular orphanage in Asaba.’

The agency said the operation, conducted with the Department of State Services, the Nigerian police and local civil society groups, followed years of complaints from parents in Kano and neighbouring states over missing children.

According to the statement, syndicates posing as traders allegedly lured children aged between two and 10 from communities and transported them south, often vanishing overnight.

“In 2017, some parents in Kano and other States in the Region raised an alarm on the unwholesome activities of some syndicates who move from one Community to another other luring children mostly between the ages of two years to 10 years and trafficking them to other parts of the country.

“The investigation revealed that the syndicates operating under the guise of traders typically work in two batches.

“While a syndicate normally lives briefly within such a Community, gets used to the children, and later disappears with them, others come in as traders and operate from parks and terminals, where they lure unaccompanied children on their way to school and errands,” it read.

In the Asaba orphanage, operatives found over 70 children, including newborns, though only eight were confirmed as those abducted from Kano.

They have since been reunited with their families, the agency confirmed.

“The rescued children were identified through their pictures and other features by the representative of the concerned parents from Kano State, out of the over 70 children found inside the Orphanage, including neonates,” the statement quoted NAPTIP’s Director General, Binta Bello, as saying.

“NAPTIP is seriously worried over the unwholesome activities of these so–called orphanages and Care Homes. Imagine over 70 children inside an orphanage, and the number keeps increasing daily.

“The big question is, where are these children from?” she queried.

The activities of orphanages in Nigeria have increasingly come under public scrutiny in recent years, following investigations by journalists and campaigners into child trafficking rings.

In 2023, investigative journalist Fisayo Soyombo exposed how some facilities had been used as cover for the sale of babies, prompting calls for stricter regulation of children’s homes.

NAPTIP said cases of child kidnapping incidents climaxed in 2022 when another set of over 25 children were allegedly lured and trafficked out of the northern region by the same suspected syndicate.

This, it said, prompted a public outcry from stakeholders, including members of the Civil Society Organisation in the Communities within the states.

In a letter dated 15th December, 2022, a Non – Non-Governmental Organisation, Protection Against The Abduction of Our Children, in a petition addressed to the Director General of NAPTIP, titled, ‘Demand for Justice and Address the Child Abduction in Kano State and Nigeria’ sought the assistance of the Agency in rescuing the abducted children.

The organisation said, “On behalf of over 200 parents who are the victims of the series of abducted children, past and present, we are writing to seek your support and demand justice following the terrible experience we are facing.”

“We, the parents, are in serious pain. Some of us are already hospitalised, while others passed away due to the shock of the children abducted and the continuous uncertainty and suspense daily waiting for the report whether they will be found dead or alive”, one beleaguered parent lamented.

After a series of interactions with the Kano State Government through the State Ministry of Women Affairs, NAPTIP said it commenced a discreet investigation to ascertain the location of the suspected trafficked children to rescue them unhurt.

“This led to the intelligence-driven operations in Anambra and Delta States,” Adekoye wrote.

“While the operation in Awka, Anambra State, was unsuccessful as the syndicate reportedly moved the children away to an unknown location overnight, the operatives moved to Asaba and rescued eight of the suspected trafficked children from one of the popular orphanages located inside Asaba, the Delta State capital.

“Report from the operation indicated that while over 70 Children were discovered inside the Orphanage with about 15 newborn babies, only eight children were identified as allegedly stolen from Kano State, and they were subsequently rescued,” he stated.

NAPTIP’s Chief, Bello, explained that the rescued children were identified through photographs and distinguishing features by representatives of the affected parents from Kano, out of more than 70 children, including newborns, discovered in the orphanage.

She expressed deep concern over what she described as the unwholesome activities of some orphanages and care homes, questioning the origins of the large number of children housed in such facilities.

Bello accused the operator of the orphanage of evading investigation by turning to social media to spread falsehoods against the agency, instead of presenting himself to NAPTIP’s Kano Zonal Command.

She clarified that operatives met the owner’s wife during the raid but did not arrest her since she was not the target, and that contact information was left behind for the owner to reach the agency.

“On the day of the operation, our Operatives met the wife of the Owner of the Orphanage there. She was not arrested because she was not our target.

“She was informed of the allegation, and the necessary contact was left behind so that the Owner can reach us,” Bello explained.

She added, “Those children were rescued and taken to the necessary arm of the Government in Kano State.

“They have been duly identified and reunited with their families.

“So, the raw falsehood based on religious labelling being sold to the public through social media by this unpatriotic individual is regrettable, and it will not distract us from carrying out our mandate.”

The NAPTIP chief urged state ministries of women affairs across the country to scrutinise the activities of orphanages and care homes, pledging that the agency would continue its oversight role in line with the Trafficking in Persons (Control of Activities of Organisations and Centres) Regulations 2019.

She commended the DSS, the police, and other partners for their collaboration, stressing that the operation underscored NAPTIP’s commitment to combating child trafficking, protecting vulnerable children, and ensuring justice in line with the law.
(PUNCH)