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Villagers flee as bandits overwhelm Amotekun in parts of Ondo

Published

2 years ago

January 7, 2024

Villagers flee as bandits overwhelm Amotekun in parts of Ondo

In Ondo State, some villagers are now fleeing their homes due to the continuous attacks inflicted by the invading herdsmen-cum-bandits.

This has become the fate of residents in some villages in the state after longtime reported cases of attacks, kidnappings and sometimes – killings, which have continued to disrupt business activities, undermine food security, displace a large number of inhabitants, and also cast heavy doubt on the safety of lives and property.

Research has shown that over 4,000 farmers have been killed in the South Western part of Nigeria from 2015 to date.

According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, Nigeria has lost not less than 8,343 persons to the farmers-herders conflict since 2005.
This rising invasion of herders in the Southwest region subsequently led the governors in the six South-West states, with ranking traditional rulers, to form the Western Nigeria Security Network codenamed ‘Amotekun’ on January 9, 2020.

Despite the support from the state governments, the regional security outfit has continued to struggle to maintain and counter persistent attacks from the herdsmen.

Some residents have raised concerns about the wherewithal of the Amotekun corps to overpower and take control of the areas that have become dominated by the herdsmen.

Following investigations by The PUNCH, a resident who gave her name as Tinu said she stays in Akoko but visits Ifon often and that it is always a scary journey to embark on.

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“I live after Arigidi Akoko but I often commute on the road that leads to Ifon. I have a friend I visit regularly. That road is now lonely, Amotekun men have practically been overpowered in that place because it’s like the epicentre of herdsmen. They sacked an entire community,” she said.

A monarch who didn’t want his name in print said he had to get extra local security to support the Amotekun but that they’re struggling to keep them away.

Although, the men of the Amotekun security corps didn’t say much about the challenges faced, residents gave their views about some of the problems the security network encountered in the cause of duty.

A man who simply gave his name as Joe and a graduate of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, said Amotekun is powerless in certain parts of the state and his parents had to abandon their home because of the security crisis in their area.

“Which Amotekun? Bandits are killing people in Ose LG every day. Ifon, Okeluse, Molege, Arimogijaa communities are no-go areas till today. We even heard Amotekun were told to stop fighting the bandits when they lost like 5 of their officers in that environment. My parents had to leave the house to go and stay with my brother who lives in Ondo town,” he said.

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While travellers have been attacked, killed and kidnapped, the farmers and their farmlands too weren’t been spared. From tales of being killed on their farms to escaping with injuries and destruction of farmlands, the farmers have had a bitter taste of the precarious security situation of the state.

Femi Adeyele, a farmer with 50 hectares of farmland in Igbara Oke, Ifedore Local Government Area, captured the prevailing situation in an interview with our correspondent.

Adeyele, who was still nursing the injuries he sustained from an attack by herdsmen when he met with our correspondent, narrated: “I met them (herdsmen) on my 50 hectares farm that had cassava planted on it. I was somewhere watching and I saw as they uprooted my cassava to feed their cows. This angered me and I came out of where I was and ordered them to leave my farm but instead, it seemed like they spoke some language to their cows and they surrounded me. As I tried to run, I put the phone to my ears feigning a call to Amotekun for help but they struck me with cutlass and I began to bleed.”

Another farmer, Yele Adaranijo, said the herdsmen usually lay ambush for farmers before they strike.

“They came to my farm and destroyed the corn we planted. They tried attacking my farmer colleagues and me but we begged them not to hurt us. We also begged them not to destroy our crops because that was our only means of livelihood. They’re always threatening us here; we are tired of this whole thing,” he said.

Villagers flee as bandits overwhelm Amotekun in parts of Ondo

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Sokoto Officials Deny Mosque Attack as Bandits Kill Five in Gatawa Raid

Published

12 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Trends Admin

File photo

Sokoto Officials Deny Mosque Attack as Bandits Kill Five in Gatawa Raid

Chairman of Sabon Birni Local Government Area in Sokoto State, Ayuba Hashimu, has dismissed viral reports alleging that bandits attacked a mosque in the council area, killing an Imam and several worshippers.

Some online platforms had circulated claims that armed bandits stormed a mosque in Sabon Birni, murdered the Imam and congregants, and abducted others.
However, Hashimu, speaking by telephone, described the reports as entirely false.

“I don’t know any mosque that was attacked, not to talk of killing of an Imam and worshippers. The story is false,” he stated.

A member of the state legislature representing the area, Hon. Aminu Boza, also debunked the claims, insisting that no mosque attack occurred on Saturday.

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“I don’t know how they got their story, but it is not true. No mosque was attacked by bandits,” he said.

While officials denied the alleged mosque incident, a separate early morning assault on Gatawa town within the same LGA resulted in five deaths and left one person critically injured.

A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Daily Trust that six people — including two married women, two teenage girls and two young boys — were abducted by attackers suspected to be bandits.

“The bandits invaded our community around 1:30 a.m. and started shooting sporadically. Our vigilantes engaged them, but four of them paid the supreme price on the spot. Two others sustained gunshot injuries and were taken to the hospital, but one later died,” the resident said.

He added that the attackers also stole livestock as they fled.
“We heard them exchanging fire with security agents, but none of the abducted persons was rescued,” he recounted.

Sokoto Officials Deny Mosque Attack as Bandits Kill Five in Gatawa Raid

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FG Begins Recovery of 157 Almajiri Schools

Published

12 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Trends Admin

Almajiri school

FG Begins Recovery of 157 Almajiri Schools

The Federal Government has commenced the official recovery of 157 model Almajiri schools built during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, in a renewed push to overhaul Almajiri education across the country.

The move was confirmed by Nura Muhammad, spokesperson for the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education (NCAOOSCE), during an interview in Abuja on Sunday. He described the recovery process as a crucial step toward fully revamping and institutionalising Almajiri education.

Muhammad explained that the effort follows the establishment of a legally backed national body now responsible for all Almajiri-related programmes — a structure he said was missing during earlier reform attempts.

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While commending former President Jonathan for constructing the schools, which he described as “a noble and well-intentioned stride toward modernising the system,” Muhammad noted that the previous initiative struggled due to weak policy implementation, including inadequate engagement with Alarammas, the traditional Qur’anic teachers who play a central role in the Almajiri system.

He added that the lack of a strong institutional framework — with the project operating only as an initiative under the Federal Ministry of Education — contributed to its challenges.

According to him, the Commission is now strengthened by law and guided by the newly adopted National Policy on Almajiri Education, positioning it to deliver sustainable reforms.

Muhammad expressed confidence that harmful practices linked to the Almajiri system would be addressed, emphasising that all recovered schools would soon be fully under the Commission’s control and rehabilitated to serve their original purpose.

FG Begins Recovery of 157 Almajiri Schools

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Delta State Police Arrest Suspects in Killing of Retired Justice Ifeoma Okogwu

Published

18 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Trends Admin

Justice Ifeoma Okogwu

Delta State Police Arrest Suspects in Killing of Retired Justice Ifeoma Okogwu

The Delta State Police Command has made a significant breakthrough in the investigation into the murder of retired Justice Ifeoma Okogwu in Anambra State, arresting key suspects linked to the case.

Spokesperson SP Bright Edafe disclosed on Sunday that operatives of the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), acting on credible intelligence, apprehended 25-year-old security guard Godwin Mngumi on 6 December 2025. Mngumi allegedly murdered the retired judge, and authorities also recovered the deceased’s mobile phone from him.

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According to Edafe, Mngumi confessed to inviting a friend, Nnaji Obalum, and another accomplice — who remains at large — to the residence where the crime was committed. Obalum has since been arrested, while a manhunt continues for the third suspect.

The arrests mark a major step forward in the effort to bring all perpetrators of the high-profile murder to justice.