Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has declared that he will not support the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, should he choose to run again in 2027.

Naija News reports that Fayose, who has been outspoken about his disagreements with Atiku, reaffirmed his position during an interview on Politics Today on Channels Television on Friday.

“I publicly worked against Atiku, and I am saying for the second time, if Atiku comes again, I will work against him. It is time to learn our lesson,” Fayose stated, making it clear that his stance remains unchanged.

Fayose attributed much of the party’s current crisis to the decision to zone power to the North for the 2023 election, following an eight-year term by a Northern president.

“After eight years of a Northerner, it is the turn of a Southerner, which could involve someone from the East, South West, or South South,” he explained.

He pointed out that the decision to return power to the North, made by some leaders within the party, was the root cause of the internal problems within the PDP.

“Those who gave or zoned power back to the North caused all these problems,” he said, emphasising the need for respect for zoning agreements.

Fayose also stressed that while personal preferences for politicians like Nyesom Wike or Peter Obi could vary, there should be an unwritten, respectful understanding regarding the power shift.

“You don’t have to like a Nyesom Wike or a Peter Obi, but there should be an unwritten, respected gentleman’s understanding of powershift,” he noted.

Reflecting on his actions during the 2023 election, Fayose reiterated that he had worked against Atiku’s candidacy, a decision he said was made for the good of the country.

“Don’t get it wrong. I worked against him (Atiku) 100 per cent. Nigeria is bigger than the PDP, APC,” he said, asserting that his actions were driven by national interest rather than personal animosity.

Fayose also addressed the issue of party discipline within the PDP, stressing the need for accountability and adherence to zoning agreements.

“The party must be equitable, the party must be accountable. The party or parent that is irresponsible will produce irresponsible children, they will produce rebellion, they will produce anger,” he remarked, emphasising that internal democracy and fairness were essential for the party’s success.

Looking ahead, Fayose said, “After Asiwaju’s(Bola Tinubu) tenure, if God gives him a chance at a second term. Let a Southerner come out, we as leaders at that time, I will be over 70 or about 70, I will come out straight that a Southerner can not be the President of Nigeria.”

More details have emerged on how promoters of the fraudulent Ponzi scheme, Crypto Bridge Exchange, aka CBEX, convinced hundreds of thousands of investors to put money into the trading platform.

CBEX, a digital investment platform, offered investors 100 per cent profit after 30 days of purported AI trading.

No fewer than 600,000 Nigerians reportedly invested in the scheme and lost N1.3tn after it collapsed on Monday.

Findings by Saturday PUNCH revealed that the promoters of the platform operated under a company registered as ST Technologies International Limited.

ST Technologies was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission on September 25, 2024, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering on January 16, 2025.

Copies of the certificates were obtained by our correspondents. One of the documents was titled, ‘Certificate of Increase in Issued Share Capital of ST Technologies International Limited Company Registration No. 7955973.’

It read, “The Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission hereby certifies that pursuant to the resolution and notice of increase in share capital dated 4th December 2024, and presented for filing on 5th December 2024, in respect of the above-named company, the increase in share capital from N1,000,000 to N201,000,000—by the creation of 200,000,000 ordinary shares of N1 each and preference shares of N0 each—has been registered with the commission. Given under my hand at Abuja this 17th day of December 2024.”

Similarly, the EFCC’s certificate of January 16, 2025, stated, “ST Technologies International Limited has been duly registered in accordance with the provisions of Section 17(2)(a) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, and any other applicable law or regulation.”

Some of the victims, who spoke to Saturday PUNCH, said the registration certificates gave them confidence that the scheme was authentic.

“They were also doing charity, hospital outreach, paying hospital bills… it was a coordinated approach,” an investor who asked not to be identified said.

A check on the CAC’s website confirmed that the company remained active, though Saturday PUNCH could not access the names of its board of directors.

Open-source intelligence platforms such as NgCheck, B2BHint, and Finelib did not display the company’s address, board members, and other critical information.

A video clip from a Nigerian television station, ITV, identified one Adefowora Abiodun as the leader of ST Technologies International Limited, while another official, Oluwanisola Adefowora, was introduced as the company’s representative in Nigeria.

In the footage, the duo encouraged Nigerians to invest in the scheme and invite others to join, claiming it would help improve their standard of living.

“With the help of ST, you will not lose money. All you need to do is just to follow the order. They give advice; go in that direction. They are a group of analysts based in the United Kingdom,” Adefowora said.

The video was recorded on February 10, 2025 during the inauguration of the firm’s Abuja office attended by a crowd.

The Telegram groups

Findings by Saturday PUNCH showed that promoters of the scheme maintained different Telegram groups for users.

Our correspondents had access to three.

The first group, ‘ST Customer Support,’ had 144,460 members.

The other group, ‘Newcomer Advance Group,’ had 58,186, while the third platform, ‘ST Signal Group IV,’ had 87,864 members as of the first day of the crash.

However, all the Telegram accounts were locked following the crash of the platform on Monday.

Saturday PUNCH observed that the administrators of the groups used mostly UK mobile numbers with animated pictures for their profiles. They did not use their real photos.

Two of the administrators’ usernames were @Mentor_LaurafxWilsonn, @Maiy_Aditiii).

As of the time of filing this report, members of the ST Signal Group IV had reduced to 83,792, while those of ST Customer Support and Newcomer Advance Group had reduced to 137,085 and 54,809, respectively.

Also, the accounts had been flagged ‘Scam’ by Telegram following reports of fraud from the victims.

EFCC begins de-registration

The EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, confirmed that the Ponzi scheme was registered under the name of ST Technologies.

He noted that the company listed consultancy services as its line of business, noting that the commission had begun the process to revoke its registration after discovering that it deviated from its stated operations.

“It wasn’t registered as CBEX. It was registered as ST Technologies. What they offered as a service was consultancy. When the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering discovered that the entity had veered off its registered line of business, modalities were initiated to withdraw that registration,” Oyewale said.

Asked whether the commission was closing in on the main perpetrators, he responded, “Work is ongoing. Our international partners have also begun investigations. I can assure you we will get to the root of the matter.”

The Securities and Exchange Commission also confirmed that “CBEX operates under the corporate identity of ST Technologies International Ltd, Smart Treasure/Super Technology.”

In a statement, the SEC said, “Preliminary investigations carried out by the commission have revealed that CBEX engaged in promotional activities to create a false perception of legitimacy, in order to entice unsuspecting members of the public into investing monies, with the promise of implausibly high guaranteed returns within a short timeframe. CBEX has failed to honour withdrawal requests from their subscribers and abruptly closed their physical offices, amid mounting complaints.”

CBEX marketing strategies

Sources who spoke to Saturday PUNCH said promoters of the trading platform recruited some influencers and radio presenters as brand ambassadors.

The team also established offices in some major parts of the country, including Abuja, Lagos, and Ibadan, and embarked on marketing via radio and social media platforms.

Some of the radio stations that aired the Ponzi scheme programme included Orisun FM, Ile-Ife, Osun State, and three other radio stations in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The Nigerian investors also embarked on marketing in schools and churches and held giveaways.

These marketing strategies enabled the trading platform representatives to convince even the poor and illiterate individuals to invest in the scheme.

In a five-minute programme promoting CBEX on Orisun FM, one of the officials claimed that the platform could lift many Nigerians out of poverty.

“This scheme is for everyone. Even those selling herbal mixtures, those selling on the roadside, and the petty traders can invest with us. Those selling pepper and those selling vegetables in the market can also join us,” he said.

“We want everyone to join us because our intention is to make life easier for Nigerian people. We want to take them from suffering and hardships,” another stated on the programme.

Acting on the backlash from netizens, the OSBC management issued a statement, saying the presenter of the programme had been sanctioned.

Top Nigerians lose money

On Friday, a video clip of popular Fuji musician, Alhaji Taye Adebisi, aka Taye Currency, lamenting his hard luck with CBEX went viral.

In the clip, Adebisi said he lost N10m to the platform and heaped curses on his associates who introduced him to it.

The Fuji star said, “On April 1, Sodiq came to my house and said Lateef, the brand manager, had collected some money and also introduced Alaba and Small London had also collected their money, and Brother Muca

“Alaba used N1.2m he stole from the stage to invest in CBEX. Brother Muca also put in his work fee of N500,000. Sodiq used the money he was saving in the band, N850,000. Lateef invested N1.4 million.”

The singer revealed that it was the success of his associates in the scheme that made him invest in it as well.

“Lateef said he used N200,000 to collect N600,000, and I got motivated. I withdrew the money I had saved with insurance, see my life in the open. I invested N10m in CBEX on April 1, but everything vanished,” he stated.

But aside from Taye Currency, Saturday PUNCH gathered that several other celebrities invested in the scheme but could not come open with their losses.

A source claimed he introduced a Divisional Police Officer to the scheme, adding that the senior police officer had been inconsolable since the collapse of the platform.

We sold property, took loans for CBEX – Victims

CBEX accepted only dollar-denominated transactions and provided referral bonuses to encourage user growth.

Saturday PUNCH gathered from some investors that the minimum trading amount was $100, which matured for cash-out with profit after 30 days.

A victim said after he opened an account with CBEX, he was asked to copy and paste the account ID and that of the person who introduced him to the Ponzi scheme into the ST Customer Support and ST Signal support groups on Telegram.

According to him, he was asked to link his CBEX account with Bybit under the pretext of preventing hackers from clearing his asset.

“I invested $312 on April 3, and as of April 15, I already had $623 in my wallet. They were giving us bonuses and the money kept increasing. I still don’t believe my money is gone,” he stated.

A serving policeman in Osun State said he sold his car and invested the proceeds, amounting to N3.2m, into CBEX.

The police inspector had earlier in March invested $300 and cashed out N783,000 after six weeks.

Gripped by the turnover, he gathered more money, sold his car, and invested the proceeds in the scheme two weeks before the crash.

“It was a stupid mistake I would never make again,” the distressed cop said.

He noted that he received bonuses in dollars for every new joiner he introduced to the platform, which made him market the scheme to many others.

“The more people I registered on CBEX, the more bonuses I got, and I wanted to continue making more money. So, I encouraged a lot of people to join. Before it crashed, nine people had joined CBEX through me. It is a shame I can’t bear now.”

Another police officer serving with the Lagos State Command disclosed that he lost N4.8m to the Ponzi scheme.

“Is it a good thing to talk about? The person who referred you to me already told you I lost N4.8m, so what else do you want to know?” said the angry policeman.

It was gathered that the police sergeant collected rent from his tenants in his house at Ikorodu and invested it in CBEX.

Also, a skit maker in Ilorin attempted suicide after it dawned on him that the platform had crashed.

According to him, he invested N23m with the hope of making N50m in six weeks.

Speaking with Saturday PUNCH through TikTok on Thursday, the skit maker said, “I was convinced by my friend who joined CBEX last year and had been cashing out big time. He had made a lot of money there. I joined the platform three weeks ago and invested N23m with the hope of getting N50m in six weeks.

“CBEX used to give us bonuses every Sunday, depending on the amount you had. There was also a bonus for bringing new members.

“But the platform crashed and I don’t know how I considered taking poison. I thank God I survived because when there is life, there is hope.

“The most painful thing is that I wanted to use about N15m out of the money to buy a car, but everything is gone now.”

Another victim, who identified himself as Shola, said he took a N500,000 loan to invest in CBEX.

“CBEX was introduced to me by my friend, and I felt I stood a chance to become a millionaire within a short period. I obtained a loan from one of the money lenders, believing that I would make enough profit to pay the debt and also continue my investment after a month. I am now in debt,” Shola stated.

“I thought it wasn’t a bad idea if I sold my car, which had already developed a mechanical fault, and invested the proceeds in CBEX. I was expecting a return of about N7m, which I planned to use to buy a new car,” another investor said.

Built to fail

A United States-based Nigerian crypto investor, Ojukwu Emmanuel, said the collapse of the digital asset platform was a stark reminder of the persistent economic and regulatory vulnerabilities in Nigeria’s fintech ecosystem.

In an interview with Saturday PUNCH, Emmanuel said he had warned his family about CBEX’s unsustainable model before its eventual collapse.

He described the platform’s promises as “too good to be true,” and said its trading operations were built on deception.

“From the moment I studied CBEX’s system, I knew it was a ticking time bomb. My parents reached out to me about it, and after reviewing the platform’s processes, it was clear the system was being manipulated behind the scenes,” he said.

According to him, while some users initially made profits, the underlying structure remained a Ponzi scheme.

“They claimed an AI was trading on behalf of users, but the results were too perfect and consistent. No real market works that way. Returns were fixed—10 per cent daily—regardless of market volatility. That’s a major red flag. Someone was manipulating the system,” he added.

Emmanuel said CBEX’s polished digital interface and false claims of registration misled many Nigerians into trusting the platform.

It also shared a name with a legitimate Chinese government-backed equity exchange, further compounding the deception.

“The entire setup was designed to mimic legitimacy. From its branding to how the trades were presented, everything looked sophisticated, but it was a façade engineered to mislead.”

Emmanuel argued that Nigeria’s recurring susceptibility to such scams lay in deeper systemic problems.

EFCC knocked

Meanwhile, some Nigerians have knocked the EFCC for not alerting the public to the fraud being perpetrated by the platform.

They argued that the anti-graft agency should have listed it as one of the Ponzi companies before the platform vanished with Nigerians’ money.

On March 11, the commission released a list of 58 companies operating Ponzi schemes in Nigeria, warning the public to avoid investing with them.

But CBEX was not part of the list.

Commenting on the omission, a human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, described it as a serious failure on the part of regulatory and security agencies tasked with protecting citizens from fraudulent entities.

“I believe Nigeria has enough institutions that should checkmate that kind of fraud,” he said.

Effiong questioned the capacity of agencies to identify and halt such schemes before they spiral out of control.

He urged the EFCC and other relevant agencies to act without delay, calling for international cooperation in tracking down the perpetrators.

The lawyer also emphasised the need for preventive frameworks, stating that the incident should prompt a comprehensive overhaul of how investment firms and schemes were monitored in Nigeria.

Ibadan-based Fuji, Taye Adebisi, popularly known as Taye Currency, has narrated how he lost N10 million to a Ponzi scheme known as Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX), accusing some close associates of luring him into the fraudulent venture.

In a viral video, Taye Currency claimed he was introduced to CBEX by four of his close associates, Sodiq, Small London, Lateef and one other.

Narrating on stage during a music performance, Currency said, “You will hear how CBEX took away over N20 million from me and people close to me.

“On April 1, Sodiq came to my house and said Lateef, the brand manager, had collected some money and also introduced Alaba and one other brother to it. Alaba even used N1.2 million he stole from the stage to invest. Brother Muca also put in his work fee—N500,000. Lateef invested N1.4 million.”

The singer disclosed that the success of his band members in the scheme was what interested him, recounting how Lateef told him how his N200,000 investment yielded N600,000.

“Lateef said he used N200k to collect N600k. That was what pushed me. I withdrew the money I had saved with insurance and invested it on April 1, but everything vanished,” he lamented.

Visibly aggrieved in the footage, Currency rained curses on those who introducedthe scheme to him, saying, “If they die well, they won’t rest well.”

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will remain in power until 2031, adding that no political argument can change his position.

Speaking during a media briefing in Abuja on Friday, Wike said Tinubu almost lost the 2023 presidential election due to policies introduced by the former All Progressives Congress (APC) administration, which, according to him, were targeted at making him fail at the polls.

“Whether APC liked it or not, it was very turbulent for Tinubu to have scaled through that election.

“You could see that he could have failed the election woefully. The fuel crisis, the naira issue was terrible,” Wike said.

“No party in government would at that time bring such a policy when you know you are running an election, but everything was done and he survived it.

“That’s how you will know that there are people that, first of all, God is on their side, they also know this game and you must give it to them.”

Reiterating his support for Tinubu, Wike insisted that the South should retain the presidency until 2031 before any consideration for a power shift to the North.

“I have said it in 2023 and I’m saying it again that until 2031, when the position should go to the North, there is nothing anybody will say to me now.

“It’s not anti-party, it’s harmonious living together, you can’t tell me that it’s your own prerogative to be producing president; let’s all live,” he stated. 

On the internal crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Wike issued a warning, threatening to withdraw support for the party in the forthcoming FCT Area Council elections if it fails to put its house in order.

“If PDP does not put their house in order, I’m not going to support them in the area councils election. If PDP goes the way they are going, I will not support them.

“This crisis will consume this party until the right thing is being done. I have never recommended anybody to these governors but that does not mean that I don’t play any role.

“Like the governor of Bayelsa, I played a fundamental role, he can’t deny it,” he added.

The 2023 presidential candidate for the Labour Party, Peter has called for the prosecution of those responsible for the incarceration of Quadri Alabi, the teenager who was framed up by some area boys.

Obi made the call after he met with Alabi and his lawyers on Friday, April 18, 2025.

In a photo post shared on X, Obi said, Alabi is finally free after enduring unjust and illegal incarceration.

He also appreciated his lawyers including Inibehe Effiong, Dele Farotimi and Hassana Nurudeen for their efforts in securing the release of Alabi.

He wrote, “I listened to Quadri today, and one thing stood out clearly: his unwavering desire for education. Despite all he has been through, his only dream is to return to school and complete his education and I will make sure he gets it.

“His determination is not just inspiring; it is a call to action, and I am committed to ensuring that he gets the education he desires and deserves,” Obi added.

He stated that as a people, the job does not stop at securing Alabi’s release but also ensuring that those responsible are held accountable in line with the provisions of the law.

“In addition, we must not stop at his release. Those responsible for his illegal incarceration must be held accountable. As we strive to build a Nigeria where fairness and integrity prevail, we cannot afford to allow such acts of criminality to go unpunished.Nigerian political art prints

“I once again thank the lawyers and everyone who stood and remained unrelenting for justice.

“Together, we will build a Nigeria where education, freedom, rule of law, equity and justice, care and protection of the less privileged in our midst will stand as the foundation of our democracy,” Obi added.

The Police in Kogi State have promised to apprehend and deal with the hoodlums who attacked the family home of the Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Miller Dantawaye who confirmed the attack said that no arrest has been made so far.

Recall that some hoodlums attacked the senator’s family residence in Obeiba Community, Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State.

According to Akpoti-Uduaghan, the hoodlums thought she was at home and decided to attack her family residence on Tuesday night.

She said, “During the attack, security operatives and community members responded promptly and chased them off.

“No one was hurt. A report on the incident was quickly made at the police area command of the LGA,” Akpoti-Uduaghan stated.

Dantawaye also confirmed that the command had been fully briefed on the incident which occurred in lawmaker’s home.

“The command has been fully briefed on the unfortunate and criminal incident by the Okehi LGA Divisional Police Officer. So far, no arrest has been made.

“Investigation into the incident has begun and we shall get to the root of it. We will deal with those criminal elements that carried out the attack,” Dantawaye said.

Three operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have been hospitalized with gunshot wounds following an armed attack during a raid in the Jahi area of Abuja on Thursday night.

The officers were conducting a raid based on intelligence and surveillance reports when they were ambushed by unidentified gunmen, a statement issued by Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, revealed.

The operation carried out at an uncompleted building in the NNPC area of Jahi, led to the recovery of 74 bottles of codeine, 10 litres of codeine syrup, 48 grams of tramadol (225mg), 4.9 kilograms of skunk (a potent cannabis strain), and five Android phones.

“As the NDLEA team made their way out of the location, they came under gun attack,” the statement said.

The statement disclosed that three officers sustained injuries, one was shot in the rib, while the others were hit in the back and leg.

“The wounded officers were initially stabilized at the Police Clinic in Garki Area 1 before they were transferred to the National Hospital Abuja for further medical attention.

“Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) expressed appreciation to the staff of the Police Clinic for their prompt support. He also thanked the Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital who was personally reached by him for overseeing the treatment of the wounded officers.

“The NDLEA boss who is in Kano on official engagements also spoke on phone with the injured officers to wish them quick recovery.

“He assured them that the Agency will deploy every means at its disposal and work in collaboration with other security agencies to fish out those responsible for the attack on them,” Babafemi said in the statement.

Nigerian comedian, Oluwaseyitan Aletile, popularly known as Seyi Law, has said that if President Bola Tinubu is unable to fix Nigeria, then no other politician in the country today can.

Speaking during a recent appearance on the Teju Babyface Deep Dive podcast, the comedian voiced strong confidence in Tinubu’s capacity to steer the country in the right direction. He also expressed doubts about the capabilities of other top politicians, including Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar.

“I want to be 70 and 80, and I see my children enjoying the benefit of the sacrifice I’ve made today because I tell you wholeheartedly, not with any sentiment, if Bola Ahmed Tinubu cannot redirect the ship of Nigeria, no politician currently can do it. None! Not Atiku, not Peter Obi, none of them. Not with what I know about all of them,” he said.

Seyi Law, who openly supported Tinubu during the 2023 general elections, went on to cite incidents that he believes reflect poorly on Obi’s record while in office.

“You know somebody was talking with me one day. I know that this one is going to come with another backlash, but let’s say it. Somebody was talking with me one day, and he said you are not supporting somebody.

“And I said, ‘If you heard that a governor’s aide once had about N200 million cash in his car and the governor said he should go and deliver it somewhere, and then the governor claimed it was for a contract and they caught the person, would you support that kind of governor?’ The person said, ‘Nah the people wey dey ruin the country be that, why would I support such a person?’ And I said that person is Peter Obi. Google it. 

“But you don’t know about that because you choose to be blind by your followership. This is true and can be confirmed. Google it. I said there was a governor who once supported another candidate who wanted to become a godfather until this person fought against him.

“And the person came out to say that he was demanding N7.5 billion from him for the money he used to support him. And he said, ‘Nah, those APC governors,’ and I said that person is Peter Obi. That was what Obiano said.

“Once it is the person they support, automatically it becomes a lie. But when it is another person, it is the truth. It doesn’t work that way. The truth is not selective,” he added

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has said that his decision to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election for a second term is deliberate and does not in any way affect his loyalty to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Speaking at a rally in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday, Governor Eno made it clear that his support for Tinubu, who is of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is born out of sincerity and should not be misconstrued as a betrayal.

“Me, I don’t know how to speak from two sides of the mouth.

“The other day, I said I was going to support Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, people said ‘why do I say so?’ In the night, they go there and go and tell the Baba ‘we will support you’, in the afternoon, they do another thing.

“Me, I’m supporting Baba Bola Ahmed Tinubu for second term. When the time comes, I will tell you the reason, the time has not come yet. But let me keep it first. There’s no point lying to yourself,” Eno said.

The governor maintained that his support is a personal decision that does not take away from his membership of the PDP.

“Akwa Ibom does not know how to flip-flop,” he said. “That does not stop me from being a member of my party. I am entitled to my own opinion.”

Governor Eno further explained that his support for Tinubu is linked to the president’s contributions to the state and the need to allow him to complete what he has started.

“I will tell you the reason when the time comes, and you will see with me why we should support him so that he can complete what he has started,” he said.

“You will see what he is doing for our state, and you will know why we should not go elsewhere. So, if you want another support, wait — when he finishes, we will now support another person.”

Governor Eno also spoke about his own second-term ambition, noting that it has received the endorsement of Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

“The senate president has told me in many fora,” he said. “It has been confirmed today by the vote that has been moved, and our mother has also spoken, that they will support Pastor Umo Eno for a second term.”

He added, “So, if you take your own, I take my own. You fall for me, I fall for you. Na play, not be fight. If you fall for me, I fall for you.”

Armed men suspected to be herdsmen in a fresh attack in the early hours of Friday, ambushed worshippers on their way to commemorate the suffering and death of Jesus Christ, killing ten (10) of them.

The worshippers who were going to church for Good Friday were murdered at Gbagir community in Ukum local government area on the spot and injured scores others.

A local identified as Tersur Iornenge told LEADERSHIP on the phone that the heavily armed men ambushed worshippers on Friday.

“The armed men stormed the community at about 6:am when members of the community were going to the church to commemorate Good Friday, shooting sporadically at anyone in sight,” Iornenge said.

The source said community members are now conveying the corpses of the deceased to the palace of the traditional ruler, lamenting that the government has abandoned them.

“The armed men on Thursday also attacked a neighbouring Community, Chito, where they killed two farmers. They invaded our community today and killed 10 farmers on the spot including women and children,” the source said.

He added that over 25 farmers sustained varying degrees of injuries and many others still missing after the attack.

Confirming the attack and killings, the State Commissioner for Information and Culture, Mathew Abo, said five bodies were recovered and three other people receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in Zaki Biam.

According to the commissioner, “There is an influx of armed herders in Ukum recently and they came with a lot of cows and sheep grazing freely on peoples farms.

“The attack, which started Thursday lasted till Friday has spread to Logo and Katsina-Ala LGs although there is relative calm for now,” Abo said.

Also speaking, Chairman of Katsina-Ala local government, Justine Shaku told our correspondent on phone on Friday that although the council is calm, border communities are being threatened by the attack on Ukum.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Benue State Command, Catherine Anene, said security personnel have been deployed to the area, adding there there security operations were ongoing in the area.