News

Edo Youths Protest Over Erosion, Kidnapping

Published

5 months ago

July 29, 2025

Commuters and motorists were stranded at the Jattu junction on the Benin-Auchi-Okene Highway as hundreds of youths staged a protest over the gully erosion ravaging the community and the incessant kidnapping of their people.

A significant number of heavy-duty trucks, cars, motorcycles, and commuters were seen in long queues at the junction, with the police and other security personnel on the ground to maintain peace and ensure the protest was not hijacked by hoodlums.

The youths under the umbrella of Auchi Youth Council converged at the popular Jattu Junction with their placards, calling on the government to address their demands, saying they were tired of facing unnecessary hardship in their domain.

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Chalaman Momoh said the protest was to draw the attention of government and relevant authorities to the gullies and incessant kidnapping in the community.

He said, “We are here to cry out to the government on the issue of gully erosion that is ravaging our community. We have written to the government, and we have yet to get a response.

“We are also experiencing the issue of kidnapping every day. These kidnappers go into the homes of our people in the community and abduct them.

“So, we are here to show solidarity and we are calling on the government to come to Auchi and salvage the erosion menace as well as put an end to the incessant kidnapping of our people,” Momoh said.

Also speaking, the Coordinator, Edo Take It Back Movement, Hafiz Lawal, said no fewer than 15 persons in Auchi had been kidnapped with over N70m paid as ransom.

Lawal, who is also the Coordinator of Coalition for Edo North Youths for Good Governance, listed the gully erosion sites as Utsokhwilli Gully, Water Tanker Road and Auchi-Igarra Road.

He added, “The demand we are placing before the government is that the erosion ravaging Auchi must be solved. The issue of insecurity with 15 persons from Auchi so far kidnapped calls for action.

“We are protesting to draw the attention of the government to the issue so that we can be rescued,” Lawal noted.

News

Trump’s Airstrikes: Halt Military Cooperation With US Immediately – Sheikh Gumi Tells Tinubu Govt

Published

4 hours ago

December 26, 2025

Editor

Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has called on the Federal Government to immediately halt all military cooperation with the United States following reported US airstrikes.

Gumi warned that American involvement could worsen Nigeria’s security challenges and undermine national sovereignty.

Gumi made the call in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Friday.

He said while Islam permits the fight against terrorism, such actions should only be carried out by what he described as “clean hands,” arguing that the United States lacks the moral authority to lead such efforts because of its global military record.

According to the cleric, Nigeria made a mistake by allowing foreign powers to play a role in its counterterrorism operations, insisting that “terrorists do not truly fight terrorists” and that such interventions often result in civilian casualties and hidden political motives.

Gumi warned that allowing Nigeria to become a theatre of war would attract anti-US forces into the country, further destabilising it.

He also cautioned that US involvement, particularly under claims of protecting Christians, could polarise the country along religious lines.

The cleric further argued that airstrikes alone cannot defeat terrorism, stressing that effective counterterrorism requires strong ground operations, which he said Nigeria has enough personnel to carry out if properly organised.

“This is the mistake Nigeria has made. Terrorists don’t fight terrorists in truth; they may only kill innocent people and have ulterior motives behind the drama of fighting ‘terror’.

“As a principle, no nation should allow its land to be a theater of war. And no nation should allow its neighbors to be their enemies.

“If Nigeria wants military assistance, China, Turkey, and Pakistan can do the job effectively,” part of his statement reads.

News

Shehu Sani Reacts To Trump’s Military Strikes In Nigeria

Published

5 hours ago

December 26, 2025

Editor

Former lawmaker, senator Shehu Sani, has reacted to reports of United States military strikes on terrorist targets in Nigeria’s North-West, saying foreign powers cannot permanently handle the country’s security challenges.

Sani made the remarks on Friday via his X handle while responding to a post by the United States Africa Command, AFRICOM, which indicated that the strikes were carried out in coordination with Nigerian authorities.

According to him, if the reported strikes were indeed a joint operation with Nigerian security agencies, then such action was justifiable, given the threat posed by terrorist groups in the region.

He described terrorists operating in parts of northern Nigeria as “cancerous cells,” stressing that they survive through violence and should be confronted decisively.

Sani also dismissed narratives suggesting that terrorist attacks target only one religious group, describing such claims as false and misleading.

He said: “If actually, the military strikes against the terrorists targets in the North Western part of Nigeria were a joint operation with the ‘Nigerian Authorities’ as posted by the US AFRICOM on their verified X handle, then it’s a conscionable action.

“Terrorists have become cancerous cells in our part of the country.They live by the sword.The narrative that the evil terrorists only targets one faith, remains absolutely false and misleading.

“Again, the ultimate security and peace in our country lies with ourselves and not with the US or any foreign power. They can complimentarily or unilaterally strike, but they can’t eternally fight our battles.”