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UPDATED: Councillor, 3 Others Die In Ondo Land Crisis

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The age-long crisis in Kuseru, over ownership of land between the Ikale’s in Okitipupa and the Oyo/Osun farmers living in Odigbo council area in Ondo state, weekend turned bloody as no fewer than four persons, were murdered.

One of the casualties include a Councillor representing Oyo/Osun axis, whose identity could not be readily ascertained.

Vanguard gathered that the fresh crisis erupted when a woman in Kajola was shot.

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Speaking on the killings, the Special Adviser to the governor on security matters, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, confirmed only two deaths during the crisis.

Adeleye said that “There has been an age-long crisis in Koseru between Oluku family of Ikale in Okitipupa and the Oyo/Osun farmers living in Odigbo local government.

“The Oyo/Osun are predominantly cash crop farmers. They have been fighting over ownership of the land.

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READ ALSO: Policemen, Residents Feared Killed In Ondo Communal Clash

“The fresh crisis erupted when a woman in Kajola was shot.

“We are suspecting a reprisal attack of some Ikale youths who mobilised themselves and launched attack on the unsuspecting Osun/Oyo farmers.

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“There is a Councillor representing Oyo/Osun axis that was killed in the fracas. A vigilante member, not Amotekun, was killed.

“Their corpses have been deposited at the hospital.

“Amotekun, Police and the Army maintain vigilance overnight to ensure peace returns. The attackers destroyed more of farmlands.”

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Police story

However, in a swift response to the killings, the state police commissioner, Yemi Oyediran, has ordered the arrest of the culprits involved in the killings and arsons.

A statement issued by the state command spokesperson, Omisanya Funmilayo, said that “On the 9th December, 2022, a case of attempted murder was reported at Kajola Division, that a woman Julianah Alaba Abejoye was shot by two masked men on her farm at Ogbontiba via Kuseru with locally made double barrelled gun and escaped.

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“She sustained injuries on the arm and thigh and was rushed to the hospital.

“On December 10, at about 10pm, in what seemed to be a reprisal attacks, Aiyetoro boys, in their numbers, attacked Kuseru village, set ablaze the motorcycle parks, killed livestock, destroyed motorcycles and cut down plantain trees.

“Police contingents were quickly dispatched to the scene.

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READ ALSO: Fire Guts Anambra Market, Destroys Shops

“Corpses of vigilantes were met at the Palace of Bale of Kuseru Village who were said to have been ambushed and killed.

“The Commissioner of Police, Yemi Oyediran, visited the scene, urged all parties involved to sheathe their swords and allow police carry out a thorough investigation on what really happened.

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“He further ordered that the area commander and DPO of the area to ensure all culprits involved in the arson and murder be arrested and prosecuted accordingly.”

Metro

Residents Flee Kogi Community Over Fear Of Bandit Attacks

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Hundreds of residents of Okunran village in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State have deserted their homes following persistent attacks by armed bandits.

A viral video circulating on social media showed the once-bubbling community completely deserted, with houses abandoned and streets empty.

Okunran, once a bubbling town, is now a ghost town,” a resident said.

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The villagers said they fled to escape incessant kidnappings, killings, and ransom demands that have plagued the community.

READ ALSO:Army Kills Notorious Bandit, Babangida, In Kogi

The government has failed us, security agencies have failed us. If we remain here, we will be consumed by bandits. We are tired of paying ransom and contributing money for bandits,” said Akin Samuel, a fleeing resident.

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The Guardian learnt that neighbouring communities, including Okoloke and Egbe, are also considering leaving if the attacks persist.

The abduction of the first-class traditional ruler of Okoloke, 90-year-old Pa. Dada James Ogunyanda, in May 2025, deepened the climate of fear in the area. Although he was released after a ransom was paid, the monarch has refused to return to his palace.

A native of Okunran, Auwal Maroof, who now lives in Lokoja, said the decision to flee became inevitable.

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READ ALSO:One Dead, Five Injured In Kogi Road Crash

We have been praying for God’s intervention, but the insecurity persists to the point that fleeing was the only option to stay alive,” he said.

Egbe, the commercial hub of Yagba, is feared to be vulnerable due to its close connection with neighbouring Kwara State, where the bandits are suspected to be coming from.

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Local sources report that at least 10 people, including seven police officers and three civilians, were killed by bandits in Yagba within one week this month.

The Chairman of Yagba East Local Government recently imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in a bid to contain the crisis, while the Kogi State government and the senator representing the district have pledged to rid the area of bandits.

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18 Dead, Dozens Missing In Zamfara Mine Collapse

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Rescuers in Nigeria are searching for dozens of people missing after a boulder crashed onto an illegal mine during heavy rains, killing at least 18 people, local sources told AFP on Saturday.

The rock came crashing down on Thursday on the mine in the northern Zamfara state outside the Kadauri village in the Maru district, they said.

“We have managed to pull out 18 dead bodies from the pit and five other survivors who sustained various degrees of injuries,” Sani Lawwali, a miner who works in unauthorised pits, said from Kadauri.

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A dozen other miners were still trapped inside and their fate remained unknown, said Lawwali, who took part in the rescue effort.

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“The process is slow and laborious as we use our bare hands to chisel the end of the boulder to make holes for limited access into the pit,” he said.

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Rescuers have asked for a bulldozer being used at a nearby road construction site to be brought in to help, but had not yet received a response from the company using it, Lawwali added.

Abubakar Nabube, a local community leader, confirmed the death toll of 18. He said that 15 of those killed came from the nearby Maikwanugga and Damaga villages.

If no help comes from emergency agencies soon, none of those trapped would come out alive,” he said.

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READ ALSO:Bandits Attack Mosque In Zamfara, Kill, Abduct Worshippers

Zayyanu Ibrahim, a resident of Kadauri village said the collapse occurred at one of several newly dug sites in the recently established mining site.

“Dozens of miners were working in the pit while it heavily rained outside. A huge boulder at the mouth of the pit collapsed and buried miners inside,” said Ibrahim, who also confirmed the toll.

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Sani Abdullahi, a councillor in the area, said it was difficult to say how many people there were in the pit at the time of the accident.

READ ALSO:Zamfara Gov Disburses ₦322m To Support 8,225 Schoolgirls

Officials from the Nigerian emergency agency NEMA did not respond to an AFP enquiry about the accident.

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Zamfara, a poor agrarian state, is rich in gold deposits where illegal artisanal mining thrives in the countryside, despite several attempts by authorities to stop the practice.

The authorities have blamed illegal mining for the worsening of bandit violence, with criminal gangs getting money from protection fees they extort from miners.

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Police Confirm Abduction Of 17 Passengers Along Calabar Waterway

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The Police Command in Cross River has confirmed the abduction of 17 passengers by sea pirates along the Calabar Waterways.

The command’s Deputy Public Relations Officer, DSP Igri Ewa, who made the confirmation on Saturday in Calabar, said that the passengers were abducted on Thursday.

Ewa said that the command had already swung into action to ensure the ‘immediate and prompt’ rescue of the abductees.

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According to the police spokesperson, a serving police officer in Akwa Ibom and a popular politician in Cross River who were on board the boat narrowly escaped abduction.

READ ALSO:Six Arrested For Alleged Killing Of Police Constable In Bayelsa

A passenger who preferred anonymity told newsmen that the boat was attacked a few minutes after take-off from Oron en route Calabar.

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They stopped our boat, transferred some passengers to their boat, and when their boat was full, they took off.

“When we arrived at the Inland Waterways Jetty, we were thoroughly quizzed by the police. Our statements were later taken before we were allowed to go home.”

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