Fresh Violence Erupts Across Nigeria, Claiming Lives in Zamfara and Benue States
Nigerian authorities are reeling from a new wave of violence that has led to horrific killings in Zamfara and Benue states. Reports indicate that bandits executed the Chief Imam of the Maru Jumu’at Mosque, Alkali Salihu Suleiman, along with his three children, despite the family securing a ransom of N11 million out of the N20 million demanded.
The tragic incident, which unfolded two months after the Imam and his children’s abduction from Maru an area frequently afflicted by banditry has sent shockwaves throughout the local community, plunging it into mourning. A resident, Shehu Mani, disclosed to The PUNCH that the family had painstakingly gathered the N11 million ransom. “After receiving the money, the bandits continued to hold our loved ones captive,” Mani stated. “They later requested a new motorcycle and food items in lieu of the remaining N9 million, but we couldn’t fulfill those demands. Today, we learned from another escaped abductee that the Imam and his children have been killed.” While their remains have yet to be retrieved, preparations for funeral prayers are already underway in line with Islamic traditions.
Efforts to contact Yazid Abubakar, the spokesperson for the Zamfara State Police Command, were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to calls at the time of this report.
In a related and equally distressing incident, a farmer identified as Felix Suega Ukir was brutally murdered by suspected armed assailants in Tse Orkpe village, located in the Mbawa Council Ward of Guma Local Government Area in Benue State. The community already wracked by prior displacements due to armed herders is now gripped by fear once more. An anonymous local resident confirmed to reporters that the beheading occurred on Monday. “We discovered the body without a head, and people are once again fleeing their farms,” the source revealed. Former Security Adviser for Guma LGA, Christopher Waku, corroborated the incident, while police spokesperson Catherine Anene noted that no formal report had been received by authorities.
As insecurity rises across Nigeria’s North-West and North-Central regions—including a resurgence of Boko Haram activities in the North-East and the emergence of a new terror group named Mahmdua in Kwara and Niger States Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq is intensifying local security initiatives. On Tuesday, he convened a meeting with first-class traditional leaders to fortify grassroots security and curb cross-border incursions, particularly from areas such as Kainji National Park, where military operations have been amplified.
In a statement released by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, the governor emphasized a multi-agency approach to enhancing development and safeguarding lives. “We encourage royal fathers to mobilize their communities to aid security agencies with reliable intelligence,” he stated. The Vice Chairman of the State Council of Chiefs and Etsu Patigi, Alhaji Ibrahim Umar Bologi, expressed his support for the governor’s initiatives. “We will always back your administration. Your efforts are commendable,” he commented.
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