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Ekamefa Communities Speak Out: Plea for Security Amidst Tragedy

Host communities, still reeling from the loss of two traditional leaders in late January, have finally raised their voices. In poignant letters addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Ekiti State Governor Abiodun Oyebanji, these communities unveil the harrowing reality of nearly a decade of unreported violence, kidnappings, and fear.
Represented by the Ekamefa Peoples Congress (EPEC), comprising six historic settlements – Iyemero, Irele, Oke-Ako, Itapaji, Ipao, and Ijowa Ekiti – these communities shed light on the shadows of insecurity that have engulfed them for years.
“The recent killings of our revered traditional rulers have only illuminated the longstanding darkness of fear and uncertainty that has plagued our homes,” expressed the collective voice of the communities.
The letter, boldly titled “MURDER, KIDNAPPING AND THE CONTINUOUS TERROR SIEGE AND THREAT TO LIVELIHOOD IN EKAMEFA COMMUNITIES OF EKITI STATE,” bears witness to the anguish and desperation felt by those living amidst the violence.
Signed by prominent community figures including Evangelist Sam Bello, Mr. Jacob Erinfolami, Mr. Samuel Medayedupin, Mr. Femi Bodunde, Mr. James Odeleye, and Mr. Ige Oluwasegun, the missive outlines urgent demands for action.
Calling for immediate solutions to the scourge of armed banditry, the EPEC demands the establishment of police stations in each affected community, with a special emphasis on the recruitment of indigenous personnel for community policing efforts. They also stress the need for enhanced security outposts along border areas and provisions for local hunters to combat intruders effectively.
Moreover, the communities plea for the reconstruction of vital roadways to thwart the encroachment of terrorist elements into their midst.
Yet, amidst their appeals for security, the communities paint a poignant picture of a way of life under siege. Describing their forest-dependent existence and the ravaging of their ancestral lands, they highlight the environmental and cultural devastation wrought by the ongoing violence.
“Our forests, once a source of sustenance and spirituality, have become battlegrounds,” lamented the communities. “Our very way of life is under threat, as we face pollution, destruction, and the erosion of our cultural heritage.”
The tragic deaths of their traditional rulers, including the recent killing of General Segun Aremu-Cole, serve as grim reminders of the constant peril faced by these communities. Yet, they stress that these losses are but a fraction of the suffering endured over the years.
“With each passing day, our people live in fear, our children stay home from school, and our farms lie fallow,” they revealed. “We have borne this burden for too long, and now we call upon our leaders to act.”
In a poignant plea for action, the communities urge President Tinubu, Governor Oyebanji, and all stakeholders to heed their cries for help. They implore for not just words of condolence, but tangible measures to secure their lives, their lands, and their futures.
As the Ekamefa communities await a response, they stand united in their resolve to reclaim their homeland from the grip of fear and violence.

News

Bandits kill one, kidnap district head, eight others in Kebbi

Bandits have kidnapped Alhaji Isah Daya, the district head of Kanya under the Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State.

The bandits kidnapped the monarch and eight others when they stormed his village on Saturday, October 5, 2024.

The bandits also k!lled one and injured three persons during the attack.

The spokesperson for the State Police Command, Nafui Abubakar, who confirmed the attack, gave the name of the deceased as Sherriff Alhaji Almu.

According to the PPRO, a combined security team led by the police has launched a manhunt on the abductors of the monarch to rescue the abducted persons.

He noted that the Kebbi State Government has provided the needed logistics to tame banditry in the affected towns, particularly Kebbi South, Zuru Emirate.

The attack came a few days after bandits k!lled the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Suru Local Government Area of the state.

News

FG mobilises Julius Berger to complete N820b road projects

The Federal Government has told Julius Berger Nigeria Plc to fast-track the completion of the rehabilitation of the 82-kilometre Section II of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano dual carriageway and the construction of the Bodo-Bonny road with bridges across the Opobo Channel, Route 430 in Rivers State.

Works Minister David Umahi said the government could not continually negotiate with the contractor over the same projects.

In a statement in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Media, Uchenna Orji, during a meeting with Julius Berger, represented by its Executive Director for Projects, Benjamin Bott, and the Head of Contract Management, Omonigho Brown, the minister stressed the need for contractors handling Federal Government’s projects to exhibit corporate nationalism in price negotiation in the face of the daunting economic challenges facing the country.

Umahi said the Federal Executive Council (FEC), at its meeting on September 23, approved the re-scoping and downward review of the contracts.

He said: “We have Section II, which is 82 kilometres by two, which is the section that JBN Plc is working on.

“And so, if you check what FEC approved on September 23, FEC had approved that the total contract sum within the scope of Berger would be N740 billion. This means that if you remove N391 billion paid already, you now have about N340 billion remaining. This is the scope of their work for the 164 kilometres.”

The minister urged the contractor to mobilise for work on the four sections of the Abuja-Zaria-Kaduna-Kano project to finish the job within 14 months.

News

Police thwart plan by armed men to kidnap a foreigner in Anambra, recover four dead bodies

Police Operatives in the morning of Sunday, October 6th, 2024 thwarted the abduction/kidnapping plan of a foreigner by suspected armed secessionist members in Ogbunka village.

The Operatives courageously engaged the hoodlums in a gun battle and saved the VIP.

SP Tochukwu Ikenga, Police Public Relations Officer who disclosed this in a statement said during the gun duel, two Police Operatives who were hit by bullet escaped with the foreigner.

He added that they are stable and are currently receiving treatment in a hospital.

Meanwhile, Operations are ongoing in the area for the possible arrest of the Armed men.

Also, Police operatives attached to Nimo Police Station responded to a distress call on 6/10/2024 by 8:25 pm of a suspected cult clash at Umuka, Nawfia. The Operatives upon arriving at the scene, found four lifeless bodies of young men in a pool of blood with suspected multiple gunshot injuries lying on the road.

The victims were confirmed dead by a doctor on duty and have been deposited to the morgue.

They were later identified as one Ebuka Nwaonkwube Ekenta of Mmimi village Nawfia, Nnatuanya Junior A.K: A Starboy of Mmimi village Nawfia, Aniemena A.K.A Osama of Umuariam Village and one Ahmed Auwal.

Information from eyewitnesses and some villagers reveal that the victims are known for their nefarious activities and are always in rivalry with another cult group in the area.

Furthermore, Joint patrol with Operatives of the Special Anit Cultism Squad (SPACS) has been intensified in the area.

In another development, the Commissioner of Police *CP Nnaghe Obono Itam* has ordered
immediate investigations into the gruesome murder of a 17-year-old girl suspected of being used for ritual purpose.

The girl’s lifeless body was found in a bush at Omasi village on 6/10/2024 by 4:25 pm and she was later identified as one Chinasa Adigwe from Umueje village and her private parts were cut off in a bush at Omasi Village before Police were alerted. The body has been recovered and deposited in a morgue.

The CP while condoling with the family, friends and Community of the deceased states that the Police shall do everything possible to make sure that those behind the barbaric act are arrested and justice served.