Metro

Traditional Ruler, Two Others Killed In Bloody Benue Land Dispute

Published

2 years ago

May 14, 2024

A protracted land dispute between the people of Okete in Ohimini Local Government Area, LGA, of Benue state and the neighbouring community of Otukpo-Nobi in Otukpo LGA over the ownership of

Amla-Icho community land has claimed the lives of a traditional ruler and two others in the feuding communities.

It was gathered that the age long dispute was triggered last week when the Chairman of Otukpo LGA, Alfred Omakwu allegedly sent a bulldozer to the disputed land to enable him commence work on the creation of a layout in the area.

The presence of the earth moving equipment angered the people of Okete who moved to stop the destruction of the cultivated land.

In his account on the incident, the Chairman of Otukpo LGA said “the problem is that the Okete people lost it. It is a dispute between Amla in Otukpo and Okete in Ohimini LGA and a total of three people lost their lives in the crisis.

“What happened was that they (the Okete people) used to go and farm in Amla land but sometimes last year when we wanted to develop a layout there, the Okete people went to report to the Och’Idoma that their farm produce were there and the Och’Idoma directed that no layout should be done until they harvest their products.

“February this year, they harvested their produce and the Och’Idoma called them and informed them that by March this year, Otukpo would go ahead with their layout and that they should not farm there again.

“But when the bulldozers returned they said they had farmed there already and reported the matter to their Second Class Chief as well as their LGA Chairman who called me and I told them that the Och’Idoma asked them not to farm there again because of the layouts.

“So when the bulldozer went there on Friday, they came with their lawyer who called me and I told him everything and said if they want to go to court, it was their right.

“They demanded that the bulldozer stopped work but their lawyer advised that they should wait for him to get an injunction from the court but they said they could not wait.

“They then went to the First class chief of Otukpo/Ohimini who called Och’Idoma and the Och’Idoma said they should not stop the people doing the layout because he asked them not to farm their again.

“At that point they went there and opened fire on the people; they killed one and shot two people and burnt all their motorbikes about 10 of them.

“Then Otukpo retaliated the next day; they also burnt some houses and killed one person and killed another person in Amla making two.

“But we have maintained calm. The Police Commissioner summoned all of us for a peace meeting so we are restoring peace now among both parties. We have agreed that all the culprits will be arrested and brought to book.”

Countering his Otukpo counterpart, the Ohimini LG Chairman, Samson Okoh who also acknowledged that the dispute was over land said “there is a place called Amla, it’s close to Okete. The Otukpo Chairman took the bulldozers to the place where the Okete people used to farm for years and according to him he wanted to do a layout. So he went and destroyed their farm crops.

“When the Okete people demanded an explanation, the Amla people said the land does not belong to the Okete people but to the Amla people.

“According to what I was told, when the argument ensued somehow one of them from Otukpo pulled the trigger and shot but the bullet mistakenly hit a fellow Otukpo person.

“Then on Saturday night the Amla people went and reinforced and barricaded the Okete people, burnt houses, beat up ans killed one boy. And on Sunday around 10am when I went to take the boy they killed to the mortuary, the Alma people went to the place again and burnt 17 houses, burnt motorcycles, slaughtered a Clan Head Chief Sunday Okpe, and shot five other persons who we took to the Teaching Hospital in Otukpo for treatment.”

The Chairman who informed that the community had been deserted said the parties had been summoned by the Police Commissioner over the matter and that efforts were on to apprehend the masterminds of the crisis.

On whether the Paramount ruler of Idoma land, Och’Idoma Agaba-Idu John Odogbo asked his people not to farm on the said land again, the Chairman said, “I am not aware of that but the Otukpo Chairman claimed so. I was not told by the Och’Idoma to tell the people not to farm there.

“Moreover, the Och’Idoma cannot tell the people to stop farming where they have been farming for several years without compensation or settlement and you just take the bulldozer to destroy their crops on the hectares of land they eke a living from.”

Contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent, SP, Catherine Anene who confirmed the development said the command received the report of one death though she was awaiting full details of the incident.

Metro

JUST IN: Court Rules Judgment In Kanu’s Terrorism Trial

Published

15 hours ago

November 20, 2025

Editor

Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has said that the judgment in the trial of the self-acclaimed leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, will be delivered in the defendant’s absence.

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Omotoso gave the ruling during the resumed trial of Kanu on Thursday following what he described as Kanu’s unruly behavour in court.

The judge had earlier ordered the IPOB leader to be removed from the courtroom after he became unruly midway through proceedings on Thursday.

Omotoso had ruled and dismissed three fresh motions filed by Kanu after the case was adjourned for judgment and dismissed them for being unmeritorious.

As the judge moved to deliver the ruling earlier, scheduled for Thursday, November 20, Kanu argued that the court could not proceed because he had yet to file his final written address.

Raising his voice, Kanu accused Omotosho of being biased and claimed that the judge did not know the law.

Kanu was later moved out of the courtroom, while the judge proceeded to deliver the final judgment in his absence.

Metro

BREAKING: Judge Orders Kanu Out Of Court Over ‘Unruly’ Conduct

Published

15 hours ago

November 20, 2025

Editor

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered Nnamdi Kanu of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to be removed from the courtroom following his “unruly” conduct before the judgement in the matter on Thursday.

Justice James Omotosho, in a ruling, dismissed three fresh motions filed by Kanu after the case was adjourned for judgment and dismissed them for being unmeritorious.

The judge further ruled that because of his “unruly and violent behaviour”, the main judgement can be delivered in his absence.

When the judge moved to deliver the ruling earlier scheduled for Thursday, Kanu argued that the court could not proceed because he was yet to file his final written address.

Raising his voice, Kanu accused the judge of being biased and claimed that the judge did not know the law.

The judge subsequently proceeded to deliver the judgement.

Details shortly….

Metro

Ogun Motorcyclist Arrested For Killing Wife, Conveying Corps In Sack

Published

15 hours ago

November 20, 2025

Editor

Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested a motorcycle rider identified as Godonu Lowe, for allegedly killing his wife and transporting her corpse in an attempt to escape from the community in Ilaro area of the state.

Lowe, who had hidden the corpse of his wife in a sack tied to the back of his motorcycle, was intercepted during a stop-and-search operations on Wednesday.

The Command’s Spokesperson, Omolola Odutola in a statement made available to DAILY POST on Thursday, said the suspect was arrested at about 1:05 p.m. following a credible information.

Odutola revealed that the corpse had marks of violence, bleeding around the neck, adding that blood-stained cutlass was also recovered at the crime scene.

She said, “On Wednesday, 19th November 2025, at about 1305hrs, the Divisional Police Officer in Ilaro received credible information that a suspected felon, Godonu Lowe ‘m’ of Omolende Village via Idogo, was transporting the corpse of an unknown woman on a motorcycle in an attempt to escape from the community.

“Acting swiftly, police operatives intercepted the suspect and a sack tied to the back of his motorcycle was untied. The content was discovered to be the corpse of an adult female, later identified as his wife.

“The body bore marks of violence, bleeding around the neck, suggesting foul play. A blood-stained cutlass was recovered at the crime scene.”

Odutola noted that the suspect has been taken into custody and the remains of the victim deposited at the State Morgue in Ilaro for preservation and autopsy.

The Commissioner of Police, Lanre Ogunlowo, while commending the anonymous informant, urged members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to assist the police in crime prevention and detection, stressing that even the slightest suspicion reported to the police could save lives.