Members of Civil Society Organistions, CSOs, religious leaders, market women, individuals, on Friday in Benin staged a peace protest tagged ‘End Hardship in Nigeria Campaign’ against the planned hike in price of Petroleum Motor Spirit, PMS and others.
The protest initiated by the Peoples Alternative Movement caused gridlock for hours at the King Square popularly knowns as Ring Road and its adjoining roads in Benin.
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The protesters who carried placards with inscriptions as: ‘fix our refineries’; ‘no electricity hike’; ‘refine Nigeria oil in Nigeria’; ‘reverse all privatisation’; ‘no to more hardship; no to rise in fuel price’; ‘end poverty in Nigeria now’; ‘Nigeria belongs to all of us,’ etc, chanted different solidarity songs to drive their message home.
Speaking, Co-ordinator, South-South, the Peoples Alternative Movement and former Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Edo State, Dr. Osagie Obayuwana, said the Nigeria situation is near-disaster hence Nigerians must speak up.
Obayuwana who lamented that Nigerian parents struggle to train their children to school due to the hardship in the country, further lamented that after graduation, these children have no job.
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While stating that as bad as the country situation is, the government is proposing to increase fuel price, the former Attorney-General of Edo State recommended that Nigeria crude be refined in the country so as to have an affordable fuel price that the masses can afford.
He said: “The Nigeria situation right now is a near-disaster. Parents are loosing control over their children. How can a parent who cannot put food on the table of his child control such.
“Out of desperation, and people are traveling to all sort of countries without knowing what they are going to meet over there, but they believe that anywhere else is better than Nigeria.
“What we have agreed or resolved, is to speak out. Nigerians must speak out. If we don’t speak up, those we put in the place of authority will think everything is ok. They don’t pay for fuel, they don’t pay for electricity, this is what has led us to the present situation. And bad as it is, those in authority said they want to increase the price of fuel. (Sic)
“We are saying, this crude oil is owned by us; we are saying that crude oil extracted in this country should be refined here in Nigeria. We have four refineries in the country, they should be put in shape and refine our crude oil. We say in simple term, refine Nigeria oil in Nigeria. Fix our refineries and refine our oil here.”
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Also speaking, Rev. Father Benedict Onwugbemi, the Coordinator, Justice Development and Peace Commission, Catholic Church, said “we are saying enough to the hardship in the country. It is not what Buhari promised Nigerias that Nigerians are getting today. Buhari led protest against fuel hike, but today he is doing exactly what he was against.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.