Metro

One Shot Dead, Others Battle For Life As Bandits Attack Enugu School Children

Published

2 years ago

November 10, 2023

Tears flowed freely late Thursday following the brutal killing of a female student of St Paul’s College, Eke, in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State.

It was reliably gathered that the student was shot dead by kidnappers suspected to be Fulani herdsmen.

A resident, who reached out to our correspondent late Thursday night, said other students equally hit by bullets are battling for survival in an undisclosed hospital.

DAILY POST also received a gruesome video displaying the lifeless body of the victim, as well as some of the survivors of the attack.

A voice in the video narrated thus: “Fulani herdsmen attacked our students, they were going home after school; one of them was shot dead; four students were shot, one died instantly; they have done enough.

“See the corpse of the little student they have murdered; this one is unconscious, (pointing at another victim) we are praying that God will sustain her; she sustained four bullet wounds.

“This was done by the Fulanis operating at Eke-Egede Road; these are the ones that survived; the government should come to our rescue. Our place is now a death zone.”

DAILY POST also reached out to the Principal of the Catholic Church-owned school, Rev. Fr. Frank and he confirmed the attack.

“It is true; we dismissed by 3:30 pm yesterday, as the students were going home, the bus they were in was attacked by gunmen; some of them received bullet wounds, of which one later died in the hospital;

“That was between 4:30-5 pm; the gunmen just opened fire on them.”

“We feel so saddened to lose such a promising young girl in this circumstance.”

Meanwhile, other community sources said the area had been a den of kidnappers for years with security agencies unable to stop the activities of the ravaging herdsmen.

A community leader, who spoke under anonymity, said many victims of kidnap in Udi and Ezeagu areas are kept within the same location until ransom is paid.

He said those who could not meet up with the ransom demand were usually killed after a few days.

He said the forest spanning about 15 kilometres, called ‘Ofia-akwu’, had remained a death zone, with several lives lost in the past in the hands of the Fulani herdsmen who were into kidnapping.

“The security agencies know that they have been occupying that location for several years now, committing all manner of crimes.

“We don’t know why it is difficult to flush them out from that location.

“Many lives have been lost to their murderous activities on that Eke-Egede Road,” he lamented.

Similarly, a famous traditional ruler was also reportedly abducted by the same gang after the attack on the school bus.

A message made available to newsmen said the monarch from Affa “was kidnapped along Eke-Egede-Affa Road after a security meeting with chairman of Udi Local Government and men of our high profile neighbourhood watch.”

“We pray for his safe rescue and return in Jesus name. Oh! God, our efforts shall not be in vain,” said Offorkansi Hyginus, PRO, Affa security committee.

Meanwhile, DAILY POST made attempts to obtain a reaction from the Police Public Relations Officer, Enugu State Command, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, but he requested that a text message be sent to him.

He was yet to respond to the message as of the time of filing this report.

Metro

IFAD, Life-ND Train 630 Agriprenuers In Edo

Published

9 hours ago

October 28, 2025

Editor

Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises for Niger Delta (Life-ND) in collaboration with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Federal Government on Tuesday trained no fewer than 630 youths in agriprenuer in Edo State.

The trainees, regarded as incubatees, were simultaneously trained across the three Senatorial Districts of the state with the theme: Building a New Generation of Agriprenuers for Sustainable Food Security in Edo State.

Speaking at the orientation programme in Benin, the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Jerry Uwangue, said the programme “aligns perfectly with the vision of our state,” adding “to nurture young farmers into successful agriprenuers who can transform subsistence farming into profitable agribusiness ventures.”

Represented by Principle Igbinadion, Programme Manager, Agricultural Development Project (ADP), Uwangue said
the programme was not about training individuals, but “breeding a new generation of innovators, leaders, and wealth creators who will drive Edo State towards self-sufficiency in food production.”

Uwangue expressed the state government’s readiness to support the beneficiaries through “improved Access to inputs, Extension services, value chain development, and Linkages to markets.”

“We are also integrating LIFE-ND initiatives into the broader state agricultural transformation framework to ensure sustainability beyond donor support.),” he added.

The commissioner, while urging the incubatees to take the opportunity seriously, said: “Agriculture today is no longer about hoe and cutlass; it is about innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship.”

“Through your dedication and creativity, you can build thriving enterprises that will not only feed our people but also employ others and contribute to the State’s economic growth,” he added.

He urged the incubatees to “seize the opportunity, remain diligent, and be proud ambassadors of the agricultural transformation we are driving in Edo State.”

Earlier in his remarks, State Coordinator, Life-ND, Mr. John Omoruyi, said the training “represents the beginning of a transformative journey,” adding that over “3,000 agriprenuers women and youth in the promotion of cassava, rice, fish and poultry commodities along with the corresponding value chain as well as Business Development Service (BSC) in Edo State,” have been captured.

He added that “together, we are building a new generation of skilled, self-reliant, and prosperous youths who will transform the agricultural landscape of Edo State and increase in the food basket of Nigeria.”

Metro

Ogun FRSC Spokesperson Dies After Protracted Illness

Published

10 hours ago

October 28, 2025

Editor

The Public Education Officer of the Ogun State sector command of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Florence Okpe, a Chief Route Commander, is dead.

The State Sector Commander, Akinwunmi Fasakin, confirmed the demise of Okpe to our correspondent in a phone conversation on Tuesday.

Fasakin said that the former image maker of the command had been on a sick bed for a while before succumbing to death on Tuesday in her hometown in Cross River State.

The sector commander said, “We lost Okpe this morning, Tuesday; her family has confirmed the sad news. She had been sick for a while and attending the clinic here in Ogun until she was given medical leave, after which she travelled to her hometown in Cross River State, where she eventually died.

“Okpe was no doubt an enigma, a very sound, resourceful and professional officer of unparalleled dedication to duty. I have sincerely lost a very dutiful officer. She was very dear to me, and it’s been a sad day since we were told of her death.

“The command commiserates with her family and loved ones and pray that the Almighty God will grant all of us the strength to bear this irreplaceable loss.”

Metro

Two Dead, 28 Rescued As Building Collapses In Lagos

Published

12 hours ago

October 28, 2025

Editor

Two people have been confirmed dead, while 28 others were rescued after a two-storey building collapsed at 49 Coates Street, off Oyingbo Road, Lagos, early yesterday.

The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service (LSFRS) said it received a distress call around 12:20 a.m., and responders from the Sari Iganmu Fire Station arrived nine minutes later to begin rescue efforts.

The Director of the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), Beatrice Makinde, confirmed that the deceased were a man and an elderly woman. A resident, who declined to be named, said he was awakened by a loud cracking sound moments before the building gave way. Another resident said a man who visited the premises late on Sunday had not been seen since the incident, though officials have not confirmed this.

Teams from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), LASAMBUS, the Fire Service, the Nigerian Police and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) were at the site, using heavy machinery to search through the rubble.

LASEMA’s Permanent Secretary, Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the operation would continue until everyone was accounted for. He added that investigations were ongoing to determine whether structural fatigue or substandard materials caused the collapse, and that anyone found culpable would be prosecuted.

Residents said the building had been repeatedly marked for demolition by the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) over structural defects, but the owner allegedly ignored the warnings and carried out unauthorised renovations. Some tenants reportedly moved out after noticing cracks, while others remained until the collapse.

Emergency officials provided water, medical care, and temporary relief supplies to displaced residents, while authorities urged the public to stay away from the area to allow rescue operations to continue smoothly.

Earlier, LSFRS Controller General, Margaret Adeseye, said 15 people: seven men, four women and four children, had been rescued with varying degrees of injury and taken to the Federal Medical Centre in Ebute Meta and the Lagos Island General Hospital. She confirmed that the collapsed structure had previously been declared unsafe but remained occupied.

Adeseye added that the LSFRS and other emergency agencies were fully mobilised to ensure that all victims were rescued and accounted for.

“It is an ongoing rescue involving an existing two-storey building which had reportedly been marked distressed before collapsing on the occupants,” she said.