25052018 - BENUE KILLINGS: ETHNIC CLEANSING OR JIHAD? Soyinka, Northern leaders tango

Vanguard, FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018—7
:Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews
his 4 daughters
defiled.
The mother of the four
victims, Grace Michael, said
she had reported her husband
to his family members when
she noticed his activities with
his daughters.
She expressed sadness that
no serious action was taken
while Isaiah continued to
threaten and beat up any of the
four children who complained.
97 commercial motorcycles impounded by task force between
Ojota and Ikorodu area of Lagos State, yesterday.
Osun court sentences man, 25, to death for murder
AN Osun High Court sitting
in Ikirun, yesterday,
sentenced a 25-year-old man,
Tajudeen Ganiyu, to death by
hanging for killing a four-yearold
boy, Tesleem Bakare.
Justice Jide Falola, while
delivering judgment, said though
the convict during the trial,
admitted to be guilty of the murder
charge, he claimed to be mentally
challenged.
Falola, however, said the convict
could not give a satisfactory
evidence of where he was
confirmed or treated for mental
problem.
According to him, “the accused
did not exhibit any sign of insanity
in the box as observed by the
court. The convict answered all
By Peter Duru
M AKURDI—THREE
persons were, Tuesday
evening, killed in an ambush on
Makurdi-Naka Road by
herdsmen, while they were
returning from where they had
gone for the mass burial of the
two Catholic Priests and 17
parishioners killed last month
at Mbalom, Gwer East Local
Government Area by
herdsmen.
Vanguard gathered that the
victims—Ajuju Torgbede,
Ayange Tyoban and Ukeyima
Azongu— who rode on a
motorbike to the burial
ceremony, were on their way
back to Naka in Gwer West
when they were murdered by
the marauders at 7p.m.
A source revealed that “for
some time now that road from
Makurdi town to Naka has
become a no-go area for
motorist and travellers,
because of the vast forest
which makes it easy for armed
herdsmen to graze unnoticed
and also attack unsuspecting
passersby.
“That evening, at about
7p.m., we noticed that people
were running from the Naka
axis of the road heading
towards Makurdi.
“We were all curious and
worried because whenever we
noticed such in the past it
meant there could be trouble
and we would be preparing to
flee with our families.
questions satisfactorily in the box
during the proceeding.
“It was a pity that the young boy
was slaughtered like a ram. The
accused is hereby sentenced as
charged and be hanged by the neck
until life is out of him.”
The crime
The convict, who was arraigned
in October 2017 by the Police for
conspiracy and murder, had
pleaded guilty to the offences.
Mr. Jacob Ayanyemi, the State
Counsel, told the court that the
convict took the victim from his
grandmother, Mrs Raliatu Bakare,
in Iragbiji town, with a promise to
buy him biscuit.
Ayanyemi said the accused,
rather than buy the biscuit for the
“It was in the midst of the
confusion that we started hearing
that two young men and a lady
on a motorbike from the Ayati-
Ikpayongo burial ceremony had
been slaughtered on the road
by herdsmen, as they were
heading back to Naka.”
Confirming the attack when
he hosted Nobel Laureate,
Professor Wole Soyinka,
yesterday, in Makurdi,
Governor Samuel Ortom said
the victims were waylaid by the
... as 6 die in Taraba herders/farmers clash
By John Mkom
JALINGO—THE Chairman of
Yorro Local Government Area,
Taraba State, Joseph Sonweri,
yesterday, confirmed killing of six
persons in a clash between
herders and farmers in the local
government.
The cause of the crisis was still
not clear as the chairman added
that security agencies were on
the trail of the boy allegedly said
to have caused the clash.
He said: “I cannot tell you
exactly what happened, because
we are still trailing the boy that
was said to have led the attack.
He is on the run and his family
has deserted their house.
“We spoke to him in the
morning, but his line is off now
so we are trailing him. Until we
get him or any of his accomplices,
we cannot know exactly what
happened.”
He, however, said the situation
boy, ran away with him, but was
later arrested by some youths
in the town.
His words: “Upon his arrest,
he was taken to the palace of
Aragbiji of Iragbiji, where he
was handed over to the police.
“He confessed to the Police to
have killed the boy and led
them to the bush in Iragbiji
where the remains of the boy
were found.”
He commended the judge for
delivering the judgment
without fear.
Mrs Esther Napoleon of
Legal Aid Council, who
represented the convict, had
prayed the court to be lenient
in the judgment, saying the
convict was a first offender.
Herdsmen kill 3 mourners on way
back from Makurdi mass burial
herdsmen and slaughtered.
Governor Ortom said: “The
victims attended the mass
burial of the priests and other
worshippers and were
coming back when they were
ambushed and killed by the
same mercenaries.
“Whether they are Boko
Haram or Libyan
mercenaries or herdsmen or
whatever you call them, all
we want is that justice be
done.”
in the area was calm as
security men were deployed
to maintain peace.
Chief of Yorro, Chief Ado
Adamu Mazan, who
condemned the killings, told
Vanguard on telephone that
they have forwarded their
complaints to the Commissioner
of Police for necessary action.
He said: “It was a just a little
misunderstanding between
herdsmen and farmers in one
of the villages. We were told
that some herders strayed into
a farm belonging to a native,
leading to the clash.
“We have since forwarded
our complaint to the
Commissioner of Police in
Jalingo, who has responded
promptly by sending security
officers to the area.”
He called on the people of
the area to tolerate one
another in the interest of
peace and development.
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