Metro
Traditional Ruler, Two Others Killed In Bloody Benue Land Dispute

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.
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“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.
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“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
Edo Assembly Declares Okpebholo’s Projects Unprecedented

The Edo State House of Assembly has described projects embarked upon by Governor Monday Okpebholo as unprecedented in the history of Edo State.
Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Atu Osamwonyi, made the assertion when he led members of the legislature on a comprehensive oversight inspection of several ongoing infrastructural projects.
Other lawmakers on the oversight team included Hon. Addeh Isibor, Hon. Yekini Idaiye, and Hon. Ugabi Kingsley.
Hon. Osamwonyi, who spoke during an assessment tour of the Sapele Road Flyover, said the lawmakers were in the field to verify the progress of work and ensure that funds appropriated by the Assembly were being judiciously utilised.
According to him, the flyover represents a milestone for Benin City and reflects the governor’s commitment to infrastructural renewal.
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He emphasised that unlike past administrations where funds were approved with no tangible results, the Okpebholo-led government had demonstrated transparency and visible delivery.
“In my entire life in Edo State, this flyover project is the first of its kind. We are here physically, and work is ongoing,” he said.
The Deputy Speaker added that the Assembly had earlier inspected the Ramat Park Flyover on Monday, noting similar levels of progress.
“This is the fifth site we have visited since yesterday. We are impressed with what we have seen so far, and as a House, we will stand by the governor to ensure he finishes strong,” he said.
At Ogheghe, Old Sapele Road and Ekae Road—where a 14-kilometre road and concrete drainage network is underway—Hon. Osamwonyi described the construction efforts as unprecedented, expressing astonishment at the level of work done within a short period.
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He insisted that the legislature does not play politics with accountability and would speak the truth at all times.
“If Governor Okpebholo was not doing well, we would say it. But I stand here today to affirm that the funds appropriated are being used judiciously for the benefit of the people.l”, he noted.
He further remarked that despite limited financial resources, the governor had delivered projects many believed were impossible.
The Deputy Speaker recalled that several communities, particularly in Ogheghe, previously suffered from severe road degradation that made access impossible, even for motorcycles.
“But today we are standing here with joy. The governor has brought democracy to Edo in a way the people can feel,” he said.
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According to him, contractors handling the projects confirmed that although the initial timeline was two years, work would likely be completed within one year and six months due to the speed of implementation.
“That tells you that Governor Okpebholo is not eating Edo people’s money,” he added.
Hon. Osamwonyi stressed that the Assembly would resist any attempt to derail the governor’s momentum.
“This is the continuity we want in Edo State. Anybody who wants to thwart the governor’s efforts, we will not agree,” he said.
The oversight team also visited the 5.86-kilometre road project linking Amagba and Obagie-N’Ebvuosa, where the engineer handling the project reported that 4.3 kilometres of drainage had already been completed.
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The inspection revealed rapid progress across multiple sites.
Commissioner for Works, Engr. Felix Akhabue, who accompanied the legislators, said the governor had given strict directives to monitor all contractors and ensure adherence to specifications.
He confirmed that the Ministry of Works had been following the Adesuwa Junction Flyover construction “bumper to bumper.”
He noted that the House of Assembly’s involvement strengthens accountability.
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“The lawmakers did not just appropriate funds; they want to see how the money is being used.
“Their presence keeps us on our toes because Edo people are waiting for the completion of these projects,” he said.
Akhabue added that although the flyover was originally scheduled for completion in 24 months, the current pace suggests that delivery would be earlier than projected.
He commended the contractors for adherence to standards and thanked the Assembly for its active oversight role.
Metro
Edo Final-year Student Dies In Sign-out Motorcade Crash

A yet-to-be-identified final-year student of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, has lost his life in a road crash after he and some other students embarked on a motorcade parade to celebrate the completion of their final examinations.
It was learnt on Tuesday from a Facebook user, Inside Edo, that the accident occurred on Monday shortly after the students finished their final examination.
Inside Edo disclosed that the vehicle had attempted to overtake another before losing control and ramming into a truck.
The post read, “A tragic accident has occurred at Ujoelen, close to the primary school, resulting in the death of a newly graduated student of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma.
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“According to eyewitnesses, the crash happened during an attempted overtaking by one of the vehicles involved.
“The risky manoeuvre reportedly led to a loss of control, causing the fatal incident. Residents who were nearby rushed to the scene, but the victim could not be saved.”
Similarly, the News Agency of Nigeria reported that the students were said to have been driving recklessly before crashing into a stationary truck.
The deceased was said to be part of a convoy made up of fresh graduates of the university.
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NAN reported, “He was reportedly part of a convoy of fresh graduates who took to the highway on Monday shortly after their signing-out activities.
“Witnesses said the group drove recklessly and failed to observe basic safety rules during the celebrations.
“The tragedy occurred when the deceased attempted to overtake a moving truck but collided with a stationary vehicle parked along the road.”
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Efforts to get the reaction of the Edo State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Cyril Mathew, proved abortive, as the official number available on the FRSC directory was not reachable at the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, NAN reported that Mathew later confirmed the incident, adding that one person died while five others were injured in the crash.
“The students, after writing their last paper, took to the road in a convoy.
“In the process, one of them overtook another vehicle and rammed into a stationary truck,” NAN quoted Mathew as saying.
Metro
One Dies In Oyo Fire, Two Rescued

One person lost her life in a fire incident at Agbaakin Street, behind Testing Ground, Iwo Road, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Monday.
This was contained in a statement by the Chairman of the State Fire Service, Maroof Akinwande, in Ibadan, on Tuesday.
He said the fire resulted from a lighted charcoal cooking pot left unattended, which ignited nearby combustible materials.
Akinwande added that the firefighting operation was successfully carried out with the support of officers of the Federal Fire Service.
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“The fire emergency was received at exactly 20:18 hours on Monday, December 8, 2025.
“On getting there, it was two rooms on the upper floor of a private residential building of 12 rooms engulfed by fire.
“One person (female) was recovered, while two persons (males) were rescued alive. The fire also affected only two rooms, and the whole building and other properties worth millions of naira were saved by the officers of the agency.
“The fire incident was a result of a lighted charcoal cooking pot left unattended, which ignited nearby combustible materials. The operation was jointly carried out with the Federal Fire Service, Ibadan Command,” he explained.
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In a related development, a fire incident on Tuesday engulfed the Agric Business Development Agency at Total Garden in Ibadan.
A statement by the State Fire Service Chairman, Akinwande, said the agency received a telephone call through Mr Akinyinka reporting that fire had ravaged the place.
“The incident was reported at exactly 09:20hrs on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, through a telephone call by Mr Akinyinka (the General Manager, Oyo State Fire Services Agency) to the office, reporting a fire at the above-stated address.
“The officers, led by ACFS Oyeniyi Taofeek, swiftly mobilised and deployed to the scene. Upon arrival, it was discovered that electrical sparks from a solar inverter control board on the upper floor of the building resulted in the fire.
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“The swift response and professional intervention of our officers prevented the situation from escalating into a fire disaster. The use of portable fire extinguishers was employed during the firefighting operation.
“No casualty was recorded, and properties worth millions of naira were saved by the fire service. The fire incident was a result of electrical sparks from the inverter system,” the statement read.
The chairman, therefore, advised the public to always use correct cables and other electrical materials for their installations.
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