By: Fabian Apechihin

The much-anticipated Anambra Governorship Election has commenced, with residents across the 21 local government areas trooping out to elect a new governor to lead the state for the next four years.

As early as 7:00 a.m., there was calm and order in most parts of the state, including Umunya community along the Onitsha–Awka Expressway in Oyi Local Government Area, where security operatives were seen maintaining peace and ensuring smooth movement of voters.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirmed that it has successfully deployed election materials to all polling units ahead of the exercise. INEC ad hoc officials were also sighted moving to their designated polling stations from St. Matthew Catholic Church, Awka South LGA, while others were already positioned at the Community Primary School, Amawbia Wards 01 and 02, in Anambra South.

According to INEC, over two million registered voters are expected to participate in the election.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies have assured residents of a peaceful and hitch-free election, warning that any attempt to disrupt the process will be met with the full force of the law.

As voting begins, observers report an atmosphere of calm anticipation across major towns and rural areas, with expectations high for a credible, transparent, and violence-free poll.

By: Fabian Apechihin

17 killed in the last one month
By Peter Duru, Makurdi

Widespread outrage continues to trail the unending killings in Nigeria, particularly in Benue State, where armed herders have intensified their assaults on rural communities, leaving behind death, destruction, and despair.

The violence, which has drawn global condemnation, recently attracted the attention of former U.S. President Donald Trump, who reportedly threatened to authorise airstrikes to halt the killing of Christians in parts of the country.

Despite this spotlight, the bloodshed persists. Contrary to speculations of religious motives, investigations suggest the attacks are largely targeted land invasions by armed herders seeking control of fertile territories in the state.

Following the Yelewata massacre, which reportedly claimed over 200 lives in one night, President Bola Tinubu directed security agencies to end the violence. Yet, the attacks have continued unabated, claiming new victims almost weekly.

Security personnel have also suffered casualties. Many officers have died in the line of duty, while others are left demoralised by the scale of weaponry deployed by the assailants.

Observers warn that the ongoing violence appears to be part of a systematic campaign to displace indigenous populations and occupy their ancestral lands.

In just the past one month, at least 17 people have been killed across different parts of Benue State in a wave of coordinated attacks.

• October 18: Armed herders reportedly seized farmlands and homes in Dyom settlement, Ukum LGA, setting up camps and displacing residents.
• October 27: Along the Otukpo–Ohimini axis, two security personnel — Abechi Oche of the Forest and Hunters Services and Inspector Akpan Ogbole of Operation Zenda — were killed during a stop-and-search operation. Their rifles were carted away.
• October 28: Kwande LGA Chairman, Vitalis Neji, narrowly escaped an ambush by armed herders. Two members of his convoy were killed, and several others wounded.
• October 29: In Mberev Ward, near the Benue–Taraba border, seven villagers were killed when assailants attempted to seize the area.
• November 1: Former councillor Atindiga Tsebee was ambushed and killed along the Ayilamo–Anyiin road after attending a security meeting. A member of the State House of Assembly reportedly escaped the attack.
  That same day, herders set ablaze a rice farm worth over ₦20 million at Tse Orbiam, Gwer West LGA, after locals resisted grazing incursions.
• November 3: Four persons were brutally murdered in Anwule community, Ohimini LGA, while others sustained severe injuries.
• November 4: A barber, Thomas Edeh, was hacked to death on his farm in Rijo community, Ado LGA.

Community leaders lament that these repeated attacks have turned daily life in Benue into a cycle of fear and mourning, as farmers abandon their lands and thousands remain displaced.

Despite mounting international concern and federal assurances, the killings show no sign of stopping — leaving many to wonder how long Benue people must live under siege in their own homeland.

By: Fabian Apechihin

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has refunded the sum of ₦42.5 million to Mrs. Margret Odofin, a 70-year-old widow and retiree, who was defrauded by her account officer at a new-generation bank.

In a statement posted on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Friday, the commission said the money was presented to Odofin in the form of a bank draft on Thursday at the Kaduna Zonal Directorate. The handover was carried out by Acting Zonal Director, Bawa Kaltungo, on behalf of the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede.

According to the EFCC, Odofin had in December 2024 petitioned the commission, alleging that her account and investment officer, Mrs. Kehinde Yusuf, fraudulently diverted her funds between November and December 2020.

Yusuf was said to have convinced the widow to invest in a supposed Ponzi scheme, promising her ₦1.7 million in quarterly returns. However, Odofin later discovered that ₦47 million had been withdrawn from her account and transferred to multiple other accounts without her authorisation.

After she began raising questions, Yusuf reportedly cut off communication and fled to the United Kingdom.

Despite her escape abroad, the EFCC said it was able to trace and recover a significant portion of the stolen funds.

An emotional Odofin expressed gratitude to the anti-graft agency for restoring her hope.

“I cannot believe this. When we reported the case in the United Kingdom, they said the offence was committed in Nigeria and advised that we report to the EFCC,” she said.
“Today, I am singing to the glory of God because He has used the EFCC to wipe away my tears. I have waited for years to get my hard-earned money back.”