The Federal Government has announced that it is finalising emergency evacuation plans for Nigerian citizens stranded in Israel and Iran following the recent escalation of hostilities between the two nations.

According to a statement released by the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, on Tuesday night, Nigerian embassies in Tel Aviv and Tehran are actively reaching out to affected citizens and coordinating efforts to ensure their safe return.

Nigerians in the affected regions have been urged to adhere strictly to local security protocols and to contact the nearest Nigerian Embassy or Mission for registration and further instructions.

The ministry acknowledged the dedication of diplomatic staff in both countries and assured the public of the government’s commitment to the safety and welfare of its citizens abroad.

It also noted ongoing collaboration with international partners and local authorities to ensure a timely and secure evacuation process.

The statement read in part, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to inform that following the escalation of the crisis between the State of Israel and the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Federal Government is finalising arrangements for the emergency evacuation of stranded Nigerians in both countries.

“All affected Nigerian citizens are therefore strongly advised to abide by necessary security protocols and contact the nearest Nigerian Embassy or Mission for registration and further instructions.

“The Ministry commends the efforts put in place by our Missions in Tel Aviv, Israel and Tehran, Iran for their dedication and commitment to reaching out to the Nigerian Community in these difficult times.

“We wish to assure the general public that the Federal Government of Nigeria remains committed to the safety and welfare of all its citizens, both at home and abroad, and is working in close coordination with relevant international partners and local authorities to ensure the timely and secure evacuation of Nigerians in affected areas.”

In addition, FG renewed its call for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Iran, urging all parties to embrace dialogue, uphold international humanitarian law, and prioritise the protection of civilians.

The ministry reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to peaceful conflict resolution and its longstanding support for regional and global peace.

“In the same vein, the Government of Nigeria reiterates its call for the immediate cessation of hostilities and urges all parties involved to embrace dialogue, respect international humanitarian law and prioritise the protection of civilians.

“Nigeria stands firm in its support for the peaceful resolution of conflicts and reaffirms its longstanding commitment to regional and global peace and stability,” the ministry added.

Further updates on the evacuation operation will be made available through official government channels.

On Friday, Israel launched a major air campaign targeting around 100 sites across Iran, including nuclear and military facilities, killing several senior Iranian military leaders.

The strikes, marking one of the most significant escalations between the two countries in recent years, triggered widespread international reactions urging calm and diplomacy to prevent further conflict.

Among those killed were Iran’s armed forces chief of staff, General Mohammad Bagheri, and the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami.

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, called Israel’s wave of strikes a “declaration of war”, as he warned Israel it faced a “bitter and painful” fate over the attacks, while the Iranian military said there were “no limits” to its response.

Media personality Ifedayo Olarinde, also known as Daddy Freeze, has opened up on how he was treated by the church after his divorce.

While speaking on the Honest Bunch podcast on Tuesday, Daddy Freeze stated that the experience stopped him from attending church.

He explained that he was advised by his pastor to reconcile with his ex-wife, but after he refused, he was not allowed to participate in church events.

“I used to be church boy. Then, when I had my divorce, my pastor sat me down, sat my ex down. And after two hours of talking, they said, you guys should get back together. I said, ‘I’m not getting back to any together. I’m done’. And then when we left. They called me on a Monday, said, you are introducing pastor on Thursday at some event. I got ready, ordered costume. And then on Wednesday, they called me, said, well, baba said because of this, your controversy everywhere you should rest first. And I’m like, why? John chapter four. The woman at the well, who had had five husbands and was living with the sixth husband or with the sixth man that was not even her husband,” he said.

While explaining a passage from the Bible, Daddy Freeze spoke against the rejection he received from the church, stating that it was not Christ-like.

“So, I stopped going to church for a period. Then I moved to another church and afforded myself more time to study scripture. And the more I studied scripture, the more I went deeper and the more I started studying in original languages. You compare the text to the text of the receptors you now start seeing. So, by the time you do the work, you can’t do that work for one year,” he said.

Officers of the Lagos police command are interrogating Paul Adefarasin, senior pastor and founder of House on the Rock church, over the viral video of him holding a gun-like object.

A statement by the Lagos police command on Tuesday said Adefarasin turned himself in at the Lagos police command headquarters.

Recently, a viral video showed the pastor pointing an object that appeared to be a pistol at a content creator while driving.

“Pastor Paul Adefarasin has turned himself in at the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters, Ikeja and is currently being interrogated by detectives who have commenced investigation on the case since a video surfaced online showing the pastor holding a gun-like object against another road user, while driving in an unregistered vehicle.

The outcome of the investigation will be made public.”

The video, which surfaced earlier, shows Adefarasin holding a metallic object while speaking to a passerby who appeared to be recording him.

Responding to the allegations, Adefarasin in a message to his congregation posted on his verified social media pages, he denied brandishing a weapon.

He described the incident as a misunderstanding.

According to the cleric, the object in question was not a firearm, and at no point was it pointed at anyone.

In the video, Adefarasin rolled down the tinted window of his Range Rover and pointed the gun-like object, cautioning the content creators against making a video of his car. The pastor drove off afterwards.

WhatsApp has introduced new monetisation features that allow businesses and creators to earn directly from their content on the app.

In a blog post on Monday, the platform announced that the tools will be limited to the updates tab, which houses status and channels.

“Today we’re introducing some new features for our Updates tab, which is home to both Channels and Status,” the post reads. 

“These new features will appear only on the Updates tab, away from your personal chats.”

Among the new features is channel subscription, which allows users to support their favourite creators by paying a monthly fee for exclusive content.

The company also unveiled ‘Promoted Channels,’ a tool that lets admins boost their visibility by appearing as recommendations when users explore the channel directory.

The third feature, Ads in Status, will integrate advertisements within the status section to enable businesses to promote products or services and facilitate direct conversations with interested users.

WhatsApp said ad targeting will rely on limited data, such as a user’s location, language, and interactions within the Updates tab. 

According to the company, those who link their WhatsApp to Meta’s accounts centre may also see ads based on their activity across Meta platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

The company stressed that end-to-end encryption remains in place for private chats, groups, and calls.

“Like everything we do at WhatsApp, we’ve built these features in the most private way possible. Your personal messages, calls, and statuses remain end-to-end encrypted,” WhatsApp added.

The company also said phone numbers and personal messages will not be shared with advertisers.

Candidly, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has done very well with June 12 by taking the narrative from where President Muhammadu Buahri left off, and choosing to give that date, the history and the symbolism of it, form, style and substance. President Buhari, despite the somnambulism of his administration, it would be recalled, suddenly woke up and decided that June 12, not May 29, should be the appropriate date, the remembrance date of Nigeria’s democratic transition from military rule to civilian rule in 1999. It was a wise, even if a political decision, one of those few things for which Buhsri’s sleepy administration deserves to be remembered for. 

On June 12, 1993, Nigeria had a general, Presidential election that spoke to the potentials of a nation as a united country. The ticket: Abiola-Kingibe was Muslim Muslim, and yet Nigerians voted freely.  It was peaceful, well organized, voter turn-out was impressive.   On that day, I even trekked from Alakuko, a border town between Ogun and Lagos States to Alhaji D. A. Babalola’s house in Ogba, Lagos State and I trekked all the way back. I didn’t feel anything. Nigerians wanted change. The military had brutalized us so much, we wanted them out of the way. It was a vote for change and democracy. It was a vote against the people who did not want the June 12 Presidential election and their stomach-driven supporters in civil society, including traditional rulers who collected MKO’s money and goodwill and betrayed him. The entire county was in a mood of euphoria. But Babangida and his cohorts ruined everything. 

They annulled the election and imposed in due course, an Interim National Government (ING), a kangaroo, fidihe, one lap on the seat, one lap out, precariously seated contraption that never survived. The contraption was led by Chief Ernest Adegunle Shonekan who had made his name as a United African Company (UAC) Chieftain, in those days when UAC was UAC. In less than 100 days, November 17, 1993 to be precise, the ING was sent adrift by General Sani Abacha who imposed himself on the Nigerian people as Head of State. Abacha was cunning, devilish, dictatorial. His widow, Maryam Abacha says something otherwise. No. She is wrong. She is not in a position to speak against her husband. She does not even know what she is talking about! Abacha not only stole this country blind, he inflicted such hurt (1993 – 1998) that will remain hurting, painful and discomforting for generations to come. When he died unceremoniously, suddenly and ignominiously, on June 8, 1998, there was dancing in the streets! He was in the class of General Idi Amin Dada of Uganda (1971–1979), Hastings Kamuzu Banda of Malawi (1966 – 1994), Siad Barre of Somalia (1969 -1991), Omar al-Bashir of Sudan (1993 – 2012), Mobutu Sese Seko of the Democratic Republic of Congo (1965 – 1997), and Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe (1987 -2013. These were African leaders who died and their people rejoiced: a lesson in Africa’s democratic process, sit-tightism, and the link between leaders and their people. 

But African leaders don’t ever learn, they are just tone-deaf, completely incapable of learning, as we see in Cameroon where President Paul Biya is determined to expire in office (President since 1975!, he is still there), in Equatorial Guinea where Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mbasogo thinks that without him (since 1979), there would be no country; in Rwanda, where Paul Kagame (President of Rwanda since 2000) imagines himself to be a modern day messiah, and in Togo where Faure Gnassingbe seems to think he has a divine, hereditary claim to power (President since 2005 after his father’s death and he has no plan to vacate office)  General Sani Abacha wanted to be like these characters having blackmailed and schemed his way into office. He stole Nigeria blind and left a legacy as the ancestor that is always giving as successive Nigerian governments trailed his loots and repatriated a percentage of same from Switzerland, Island of New Jersey, the UK and United States. His widow says her husband was keeping the loot for Nigeria, for the people’s benefit. Even the dumbest man on the street knows that Nigeria has a Central Bank. Nigeria’s money could not be kept in Nigeria’s bank, Abacha had to go and hide our money elsewhere in safe havens that remained unknown to the Nigerian government and the people, and the records were known only to his own agents and family members. And now Mrs. Abacha moans! Madam, please!, please!!, and please!!!. 

However, we were talking about how President Tinubu has tried to address part of the mess that General Abacha created, and how well he has reinvented the story beyond General Buhari and for which we commend him. On June 12 this year, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu decided to avoid the pomp and pageantry of old, and used the occasion to speak from the National Assembly which had organized a joint sitting to mark the occasion. Baba Seyi, Oko Mummy Remi spoke with flair and confidence. He read the teleprompter very well. His swag was in place. He was well dressed. Lagos City Boy did not disappoint. Very good optics. But the more important part was that Tinubu’s speech was devoted to the remembrance of June 12 heroes, the men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice for Nigeria’s democracy. He was a member of that struggle. In his early days, before he became Governor, and made money, he was out there at the barricades, with the persons who resisted Abacha and the military junta. He joined others to shout: “Never Again To military rule.” The Bola Tinubu that many first knew was the anti-military, pro-democracy protester, who moved from the comfort of the oil and gas sector to fight for the ordinary Nigerian on the streets of Lagos and London.  He was in exile. He returned and he joined the struggle as a politician. It has taken him more than two decades to remain in the struggle and find his way to the very top as Nigeria’s President. 

On June 12, he remembered. He remembered his own past. He remembered his own comrades. He chose to honour them. It was not in any way an exhaustive list, and there have been complaints. Aare Dele Momodu, who played a frontline role in Radio Kudirat, says he would have been embarrassed if his name was added to the list. He was Saliu Elenu Gboro Eni Olorun O pa of Radio Kudirat.  Omoyele Sowore, the activist, says if they had mentioned his name, he would have rejected the award, but give him his flowers, Sowore was at the centre of the June 12 struggle fighting on behalf of the ordinary Nigerian. I did not see Olisa Agbakoba’s name - terrible omission. I did not see Babafemi Ojudu’s name. Why? Kayode Fayemi also deserves recognition. He was at the centre of the Radio Kudirat operation in London: he has told the story himself in a book titled Out of the Shadows: Exile and The Struggle for Freedom and Democracy in Nigeria (CDD, Bookcraft: 2005, 436 pp.). Fayemi holds the national honour, CON for his work as a two-time Governor in Ekiti State and as a Federal Minister. He should have been included in that list and promoted to the CFR rank. Dapo Olorunyomi too. When Abacha’s goons came for Olorunyomi in June 1995, and they could not find him, they arrested his wife and one-week old baby! That child must be fully grown now, born at the time into Abacha’s land of agony.  Dapo fled. They detained his wife for 68 days! There were also careless oversights. Professor Bolaji Akinyemi got a CFR in 2011. In 2025, they gave him another CFR. He deserves the award but he also deserves promotion instead of turning him into a Yoruba version of Jay Jay Okocha, the legendary footballer, whose parents were so happy at his birth they named him twice!. The organizers were so sloppy, they declared two of the recipients dead: Dr. Edwin Madunagu, and Pa Reuben Fasoranti, the two distinguished citizens are still alive and well, the Nigerian government has no right to declare them dead officially, even if Mr. Bayo Onanuga has apologized accordingly. Don’t they keep records in the Federal Government? What happened to the digitalization that was done and perfected under the Jonathan administration?  Is this a case of lazy civil servants or incompetent political appointees who make their boss look bad because they are not paying enough attention to details?

The matter is worse. Emeka Ugwu-Oju, friend and activist, member of NADECO, in a statement dated June 12, 2025, has done an even more comprehensive job of listing all the important names that should have been on President Tinubu’s list. In his list of names that President Tinubu should not have overlooked, he mentioned late Pa Michael Adekunle Ajasin, late Chief Anthony Enahoro, late Senator Abraham Adesanya, Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, Senator Cornelius Adebayo, Professor Pat Utomi, Bobo Nwosisi, Ralph Obioha, Bagauda Kaltho, Rev. Tunji Adebiyi, Pa Ayo Adebanjo; Frank Kokori, Chief Cornelius Adebayo, Chief Olanihun Ajayi, Chief Ayo Opadokun, Senator Kofo Bucknor-Akerele, Dr. Usman Bugaje, Chief Benson Lulu Briggs. Col Dangiwa Umar (rtd), Guy Ikokwu, Arthur Nwankwo, etc. Thank you, Emeka. But it seems to me that we should give some credit to President Bola Tinubu for even making the effort. Memory is one of the biggest problems we have had to deal with in this country. Nigerians are so present-minded, they toy routinely with history. Everyone likes to talk, and we all write history from our own side of the coin, but unfortunately those who get a chance to talk are so ignorant, and privileged. President Tinubu has a chance to correct whatever mistakes that may have been made. Those who may have been overlooked in the June 12 Honours list can be added to another list this year. No one can take away from Tinubu his bold, wise, and strategic decision to go back to June 12 and remind Nigerians of that significant moment in our lives, and particularly, the heroism of Chief MKO Abiola. Since his ascension to the Nigerian throne in 2023, he has been hands-on and visible, providing us with a different breath of fresh air, whatever the problems may be. 

However, he needs to be reminded that the spirt of June 12 and the symbolism of MKO Abiola that he celebrates is all about “farewell to poverty”. This was MKO Abiola’s mantra. He wanted to re-organize Nigeria in such a way that Nigerians would not sleep and wake up poor and they could enjoy the dignity of the human person. It is well, right and proper that MKO Abiola preached the gospel of prosperity and welfare for all Nigerians. The best possible way to keep that dream alive and active, is for President Tinubu, a proclaimed progressive, to live up to that ideal. The standard test among Nigerians, as it was in traditional societies, is to measure a king’s tenure by the scope of prosperity among the people, certainly not the elite, during his reign. Tinubu must be reminded that no matter how long this lasts, the people will remember, and they will talk and busybodies like this writer will report what they saw in a fair and balanced manner. President Tinubu has only one primary assignment: to make Nigeria a better place than he met it. 

Professor Wole Soyinka extended that list of demands, when after the June 12 celebrations, the Nobel Laureate asked that President Tinubu, must do something about the conflict in the Benue, and the unresolved killings of Dele Giwa (October 19, 1986), and Bola Ige (December 23, 2003).  Soyinka means well. Tinubu should listen to him. Nigeria has a long list of unresolved murders. Nobody should die because they are Nigerian just because they are from Benue or Odupani or Umukwata. Every one living within this territory called Nigeria deserves to live, and enjoy basic rights under the laws of the land. Other unresolved murders would include the killing of Toyin Onagoruwa, Marshall Harry, Funsho Williams, Alhaja Suliat Adedeji, Iyalode Bisoye Tejuosho, Aminoasari Dikibo, Alfred Rewane, Bagauda Kaltho… In the Abacha days, many died. Others disappeared. In the spirit of June 12, President Tinubu has the time and the opportunity to re-open many of these cases. He only needs to muster the will. Far away at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV spoke about “security, peace and justice in Nigeria”. He spoke the truth – that is exactly what we need in this country, not just in Benue-Plateau, but in every part of Nigeria. 

The people of Yelewata, a quiet farming settlement tucked along the tail end of Benue State on the Abuja-Makurdi highway, will forever remember June 13-14, 2025, not as just another date on the calendar, but as the darkest chapter in their history.

On that harrowing Friday night/Saturday morning, residents of the town woke to the deafening crackle of gunfire, the glow of burning homes/stores and the horrifying cries of children being hacked, shot or burnt alive by suspected armed herdsmen.

By the break of dawn on Saturday, June 14, over 300 lives had been cut short, hundreds of homes reduced to ashes and the town’s once-thriving heartbeat silenced by grief.

More than 300 lives were lost that night, in what survivors and residents now describe as the single deadliest massacre in Benue’s recent history.

And for a community known for nothing but quiet labour on their ancestral farmlands, this carnage was not just shocking, it was soul-shattering.

“It was like a war. In my 57 years on earth, I’ve never witnessed this. I escaped with my third son. My wife and other children were not so lucky. My world ended that Friday night,” said Elder Amos, his voice trembling as he spoke with our correspondent.

The attack, which many survivors believed was a planned and coordinated onslaught, came amid rising tension between local Benue farmers and herders operating within the region.

Just weeks earlier, traditional rulers across Tiv and Idoma lands had issued a directive asking all herders to vacate their lands by the end of May due to recurring violence and destruction of farmlands.

That ultimatum was never enforced and the consequences became painfully clear in Yelewata.

Before the Yelewata incident, there were similar attacks on other communities like Edikwu-Ankpali in Apa as well as the Tyoshin community in Naka, Gwer East LGA, where scores of persons were hacked to death.

The figures are not just numbers; each name carries a story, a family, a legacy cut short.

Prominent among the victims of the Yelewata attack was Pharmacist Matthew Iormba, a brilliant young man who had once dreamt of becoming a medical doctor.

Denied admission to study medicine twice despite his academic excellence, he settled for Pharmacy and graduated with distinction.

He had just returned home the previous night to his family to inform them that he had graduated after his housemanship in Kano, only to be burnt alive during the attack.

Then there was Tsegba Lucy, a young girl whose house was set ablaze by the assailants. She lost her mother and five siblings.

Struggling to find the words, she mourned, “My beloved mum and beautiful sisters. Go well till we meet again. I love you, but God loves you more. I can’t stop crying. Kai, God, you do me strong thing.”

Another survivor, a local footballer who gave his name as Agande, had travelled to Makurdi for a match. By the time he returned, both his parents, 10 family members had been burnt beyond recognition.

“They gave me everything. And now they’re gone, killed by people they never offended,” he lamented while speaking with our reporter.

Homes were razed to the ground. Farm produce was burnt to ashes. Family photographs, children’s school books, cooking pots, all turned to soot.

Even now, days after the attack, charred remains of bodies lie unburied. Smoke still rises from crumbled rooftops.

If there is anyone who is yet to recover from the shock of the deadly attack, it is Franc Utoo, a lawyer-cum-politician and native of Yelewata, who lost over 33 members of his extended family and more than 50 of his political supporters.

Speaking with DAILY POST, Utoo gave a chilling and shocking account of what really happened.

According to him, residents of the community were already aware of the planned attack and decided to relocate from their homes at night to camp at various places such as schools, market square and churches within Yelewata town.

According to him, “This thing is straightforward. Those guys have started plotting the attack before that day.

“We were aware of the plot that they might invade our town from Obi, Doma or Keana LGAs in Nasarawa State through Giza or Kadarko. So we got intelligence about what was going to happen.

“We were able to tell the law enforcement agents. But of course, nothing happened. So when they came that day, they came at night around 10pm. That’s on June 13.

“It was raining that day. So they were targeting the RCM Primary School Yelewata, because the school housed about a thousand of our people.

“You know why the number is high? Every evening, the people leave their homes to come and sleep in the primary school and the church.

“And then others from the neighboring villages, adjoining villages, come to sleep in the stores and in the market.

“That’s why, if you see the visuals of the burnt stores, you see a lot of skulls. Because some people may be wondering why a lot of people were in a store?

“That is because people leave their homes in the evening for fear of this attack. To sleep in the store so they can go back in the morning.

“Nobody is safe in that town. That is why if your house is just 20 or 30 meters away from the road, you dare not sleep in the house. Not to talk of those who are like 500 meters or one kilometer away from the road.

“So, when those guys came that day, they concentrated on areas where the population was high, that is, the primary school, the church and the market.

“But at that point, they were repelled by our boys and the security agents. So in the course of this, we didn’t know that these guys had divided themselves into groups.

“They diverted our attention to the primary school and the church. The other groups went to the Yelewata New Market.”

The figures, the lies and the fury

Official accounts of the tragedy have added insult to the community’s wounds. While Governor Hyacinth Alia announced, following a panel report, that only 59 people died, local sources rejected this.

Many said his narrative is false and dangerous, accusing the state government of deliberately underreporting the attack.

“We lost over 300 people. Children were burnt to ashes. In some places, entire families were wiped out.

“If anyone tells you it’s 59, they’re lying. A family here lost over 40 members alone,” Samson, a youth leader in Daudu said.

“That’s where we recorded the majority of casualties. In my family alone, they killed over 33 people.

“So different families, this family with about 20-something, that family with 30, so right now, even the government is underreporting the number grossly.

“I have names of about, at the last count, about 132 or so that were killed.

“That is the ones we know. The ones we don’t know are also equal to that number. This is because a lot of people come from about 10 other villages to sleep in those stores. Others came as permanent IDPs and others as temporary IDPs,” he added.

In a statement, President Bola Tinubu through his media adviser, Bayo Onanuga, described the killings as “reprisal attacks”, a comment that shocked many, including residents and activists.

Governor Alia, speaking to Channels Television, echoed the President’s sentiments.

He acknowledged that the attackers had used known routes, suggesting that the attack may have been retaliation for previous clashes elsewhere.

Also speaking, Utoo also faulted a claim by the presidential spokesman that the attack was a reprisal.

He said, “I read a statement by President Tinubu’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga on the attack, and that was the most unfortunate presidential comment I’ve ever seen in history.

“From the beginning of that statement to the end, there was nowhere he mentioned the two most important things: arresting the perpetrators and bringing them to justice. Nowhere. He was concentrating on reconciliation. He was addressing us as warring parties. Which war are we fighting?

“Between who and who? Where is the center of the war? So it’s very unfortunate that a president could say something like this.

“He never even talked about providing relief to those who survived or assisting those who are grieving. So that statement is the most unfortunate statement I’ve ever seen.”

On the contrary, the Federal Government, through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, admitted that over 200 people had died. Yet even that figure does not fully capture the scale of destruction.

Silence, delays and  Governor’s absence

For the people of Yelewata, the greatest betrayal may not be the attack itself, but the government’s slow and cold response.

Governor Alia reportedly waited over 48 hours to comment on the killings, a development that has sparked public outrage.

“We expected him to come here. To mourn with us. Even if he had nothing to offer, he could at least show sympathy. But he stayed silent and then downplayed our pain,” Tever Japhet, a community leader lamented.

The Benue Police Commissioner and Deputy Governor were said to have visited briefly, but community members claimed they left hurriedly, without engaging survivors or offering aid.

Adding to the heartbreak, security operatives were swift to disperse protests held in Makurdi by angry youths, including activist, Vincent Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, demanding justice.

Tear gas, arrests of 14 persons and intimidation greeted demonstrators who had simply asked: Why are we being killed with impunity?

A cry that echoed beyond borders

The horror in Yelewata has continued to spark national and international outrage, with reactions pouring in from across Nigeria and the globe.

From religious leaders, entertainers and politicians to activists and socio-cultural organisations, voices of anger, grief and condemnation have risen in response to what many now describe as Benue’s darkest hour.

In a Sunday address from Rome, Pope Leo XIV, described the attack as a “terrible massacre,” calling for justice, protection and peace for rural Christian communities in Benue and across Nigeria.

“I am praying for security and peace in Nigeria, especially for those affected by violence in Benue,” the Pope said.

List of some of the murdered victims as provided by Franc Utoo.

1. Fanen Chii

2. Doom Chii

3. Terzungwe Chii

4. Edeember Uke

5. Aondodoo Uke

6. Adohi Dooga

7. Mbanyiar Dooga

8. Ikyoche Dooga

9. Awanboi Dooga

10. Regina Dooga

11. Adoo Dooga

12. Aondofa Dooga

13. Mathew Iormba

14. Apam Iormba

15. Philomena Iormba

16. Akama Iormba

17. Ngodoo Iormba

18. Kumawues Iormba

19. Nensha Iormba

20. Victoria Tsegba

21. Ngodoo Tsegba

22. Mimidoo Tsegba

23. Dorathy Tsegba

24. Msendoo Tsegba

25. Iorgyer Kyule

26. Ute Dooga

27. Shaadye Koornam

28. Sewuese Iorember

29. Dooshima Aondoana

30. Agbogo Aondoana

31. Erdoo Aondoana

32. Orsoja Ikpakyaa

33. Injinia Ikpakyaa

34. Chia Orshio

35. Uyina Orshio

36. Katie Orshio

37. Myuega Orshio

38. Usha Orshio

39. Philomena Orshio

40. Alia Orshio

41. Lydia Ajah

42. Terdoo Ajah

43. Iwuese Ajah

44. Orbuter Anya

45. Terzungwe Akpen

46. Aondohemba Akpen

47. Ushana Akpen

48. Shater Akpen

49. Mercy Akpen

50. Isaac Akpen

51. Doowuese Ugbah

52. Ngodoo Ugba

53. Manta Simon

54. Manta Laadi

55. Manta Iwuese

56. Doose Asoo

57. Aondosoo Asoo

58. Terlumun Fidelis

59. Yakov Shagwa

60. Margaret Shagwa

61. Erdoo Shagwa

62. Dooauur Shagwa

63. Sewuese Shagwa

64. Logo Ukô

65. Eunice Tyokuwa

66. Jude Aza

67. Kwaghhar Ordue

68. Doosuur Ordue

69. Terngu Nongotse

70. Msugh Nongotse

71. Dooshima Nongotse

72. Orlogbo Lamaaondo

73. Laadi Lamaaondo

74. Awan Shiôr

75. Aondohemba Ucha

76. Bonashe Uzer

77. Amaki Dende

78. Angbiandoo Dende

79. Festus Amaki

80. Mbaufe Ubi

81. Matthew Uto

82. Doopinen Uto

83. Kumater Uto

84. Terhile Uto

85. Versuwe Zerkohol

86. Mbakeren Aondovihi

87. Monday Aondovihi

88. Erdoo Aondovihi

89. Joe Aondovihi

90. Mwarga Aondovihi

91. Felicia Gwabo

92. Mary Gwabo

93. Terhemba Gwabo

94. Jirgema Gwabo

95. Mercy Dende

96. Lubem Dende

97. Uwundu Iorhemen

98. Gabriel Fide

99. Aondoana Fide

100. Ukese Fide

101. Averter Fide

102. Mwaraorga Fide

103. Terkimbir Solomon

104. Amina Kongo

105. Terkula Kongo

106. Doose Asoo

107. Aboi Asoo

108. Shater Amaki

109. Lumunga Gbem

110. Doose Ayom

111. Mama Mfanyi

112. Samson Uke

113. Aboi Korna

114. Aondoawase Lamaaondo

115. Ormbagba Utim

116. Mermber Lamaaondo

117. Doose Ordue

118. Torsaar Adam

119. Doose Adam

120.  Nguyilan Adam

121. Terver Ucha

122. Agon Ucha

123. Aondohemba Ucha

124. Atuur Asom

125. Uvershigh Asom

126. Nongo Ulam

127. Aondoaver Ulam.

What’s next for Yelewata?

Right now, Yelewata is a graveyard of grief and questions. Survivors are still burying the dead. Some are still searching for missing family members. However, the question on the lips of many is: Will Yelewata ever recover from this carnage?

This is the question begging for an answer, one that even time may struggle to provide.

Indeed, it was one attack, too many.

[DAILYPOST]

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Olabode George, has accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of abandoning governance for political theatrics, warning that Nigeria is drifting dangerously toward authoritarianism.

Speaking to journalists in Lagos on Monday, George stated that the country was at a “critical juncture,” where the very essence of democratic governance was under threat.

“Nigeria currently finds itself at a critical juncture, where the actions of the current political administration threaten to erode the very foundations of our hard-won democracy,” George said.

“Twenty-six years after the restoration of civilian governance, a growing number of Nigerians are left questioning the authenticity of a government that claims to be of, by, and for the people. 

“It is time for us to confront these challenges head-on and demand a democracy that truly serves its citizens,” he said.

Citing the political crisis in Rivers State, George condemned Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency on March 18, 2025, which he said led to the unconstitutional suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and other elected officials.

“Recent events in Rivers State are indications that the administration of our democracy remains problematic. 

“It is noteworthy that before and even after the emergency declaration, Rivers State witnessed no significant incidents of violence—not even a chicken was killed,” he said.

He referenced a letter recently sent by the President to the National Assembly, seeking confirmation of appointments into several key offices in Rivers State, including the Independent Electoral Commission and Civil Service Commission, under the emergency rule.

“The President’s insistence on these appointments reveals a troubling disregard for democratic principles,” George said, adding that it raised “serious concerns about the concentration of power and suggests a calculated effort to bypass accountability and manipulate state functions.”

Describing the development as a threat to Nigeria’s democracy, George warned that the country was “staggering dangerously on the path of self-destruction.

“Those in charge have refused to learn lessons from the past. It is disheartening that Nigeria is globally on the radar for all the wrong reasons.”

He also criticised the Senate’s role in endorsing the emergency rule by voice vote, without securing the constitutionally required two-thirds majority from both chambers of the National Assembly.

“The law is clear: two-thirds of members—74 senators and 240 representatives—must approve a state of emergency. What is the meaning of a voice vote? Did they get the numbers?” George asked.

He reminded Tinubu of a public statement he made in 2013, where he (Tinubu) condemned Jonathan’s emergency declaration and warned against its misuse.

“Tinubu, if your advisers won’t tell you the truth, Nigerians have spoken with one voice: your despotic tendencies—disguised as emergency measures—cannot stand,” George declared.