Police operatives in Makurdi, the Benue state capital, have dispersed protesters using tear gas during a demonstration against renewed attacks in the state.

The protest, held at the Wurukum roundabout on Sunday, was organised in response to the killing of over 100 people in Yelewata and Daudu communities in Guma LGA on Friday night. 

The incident came less than 48 hours after 25 others were killed in Mtswenem and Akondotyough Bawa, both in Makurdi LGA. 

Protesters, dressed in black clothing and carrying fresh leaves, gathered to demand urgent action from authorities to address the recurring violence in the state.

The demonstration, under the hashtag #StopBenueKillings, attracted a large crowd and drew the attention of security agencies.

Emenari Ifeanyi, the commissioner of police in Benue, addressed the protesters before the crowd was dispersed. 

He appealed for calm and assured the demonstrators that security agencies were working to apprehend the attackers.

The commissioner also advised against prolonged protests, stating that it could interfere with security operations. 

“I was monitoring and at the checking point for more than six hours. Tell your people to calm down, we need to support of the youth and everybody in Benu state,” he said.

“It a phase and we are passing through it already. We have already cut the head of the snake and we will get the peace that we deserved.

“Instead of being in the bush with other security agencies, we are here. If you prolonged your actions here, you’re giving opportunity for the enemies to plan. We have intelligence of their movement and we are blocking them.”

Shortly after his address, videos of protesters being teargassed by the police surfaced on social media.

“There are security trucks stationed at the Wurukum roundabout in Makurdi, where the #StopBenueKillings protesters are gathered, and a helicopter is hovering over them,” a protester said in one of the videos.

“If this energy were directed toward securing lives in the state, residents wouldn’t be protesting. Protesters have, as usual, been tear-gassed and dispersed.”

As canisters hissed through the air, protesters fled in different directions, coughing and shielding their faces.

A police helicopter hovered overhead with several patrol vans stationed at strategic locations in the state capital.

Davido has confirmed he will no longer headline the highly anticipated concert at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, UK, alongside Mary J. Blige and 50 Cent.

The concert is scheduled to hold on July 3.

But in a statement shared via Instagram on Saturday, the ‘Unavailable’ hitmaker cited “unresolved logistical challenges” affecting the quality of his performance as the reason for his decision.

The 32-year-old music star disclosed that despite his efforts to collaborate with the event organisers The Neto Future Group, key production issues remained unaddressed.

Davido expressed regret over the situation and apologised to his fans. He also assured them that his other scheduled summer shows would proceed as planned, adding that “Africa must be respected”.

“Over the past few weeks, I have extended my full support and professionalism to The Neto Future Group, promoters of @iconicpresents, with the sincere intention of delivering a performance that meets the high standards my fans deserve,” the statement reads.

“Despite strong fan support and impressive ticket sales, there have been major misalignments regarding the event’s execution, particularly concerning key elements required to uphold the integrity and quality of my performance.

“Unfortunately, these issues remain unresolved.

“As a result, I regret to inform you that I will no longer be performing at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on July 3rd. Please note, the show still holds, but without Davido.

“My team and I have worked tirelessly in preparation, and I am incredibly grateful to the thousands of fans who purchased tickets in anticipation. This decision is not a reflection of turnout or support; it is a matter of principle and respect for my craft, my fans, and the culture I represent.

“London, I’ll see you guys soon, I promise!

“Rest of the shows this summer are still happening. 5ive is still alive! See you guys in Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Canada and the US! Africa must be respected.”

The show is part of 50 Cent’s Legacy tour which kicked off on June 8 and is expected to end on August 10.

Sim Fubara, the suspended governor of Rivers State, has declared that no king lasts forever.

Speaking at a gathering in Bonny, Fubara declared that his victory will come back to him at the end of the day.

He stressed that he does not consider himself to be losing anything, noting that God has kept him standing.

“Everybody will not appreciate your style but when you know that what you are doing is right, you are sure that in 25 to 30 years, if placed in any box and you are asked a question, you can defend your action, that’s what makes you a man

“No king lives forever, that’s the truth and no authority lasts forever, but what is important is that within the period that you are in power or when you reigned, I wished you did wonderful things that would speak forever.

“Some people accused me about a lot of things but the truth about it is that I can’t be what I’m not or who I am.

“And for our people, just be strong – at times, you need to lose to win – for me and anybody who believes in me, I have never considered myself losing anything. It’s when you attach life to things that it bothers you.

“I know that at the end of the day, our winning will come to us because we are standing on a solid rock.”

Fubara was suspended in March after President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State.

The President appointed a Sole Administrator, Ibok-Ete Ibas, to preside over the state while Fubara’s suspension lasts for six months.

The emergency rule and Fubara’s suspension was a fallout of the political crisis that followed a face-off between Fubara and his predecessor, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

Since his suspension, Fubara had met twice with Tinubu and Wike, in a bid to seek reconciliation.

Nigerian politician, Kenneth Okonkwo has alleged that the Julius Abure-led leadership of the Labour Party is acting as an agent of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Okonkwo said Abure is a government agent sent to destabilize LP’s former presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

He disclosed this in an interview with Symfoni TV released on Saturday.

Okonkwo also decried that the Abure-led executive lied and misled Obi.

He said despite their lies, Obi still recognized them publicly.

According to Okonkwo: “I told Obi that these people had become agents in the hands of the government to destabilise him.

“And after saying all those things, within like 72 hours, Obi went back to Abure’s office to publicly endorse them.”

Recently, Obi alleged that the APC’s infiltration of LP led to the crisis within the party.

But, Umar Ibrahim, the LP national secretary, accused the former presidential candidate of misleading Nigerians on the actual cause of the party’s crisis.

Ibrahim insisted that all political parties in Nigeria have one form of internal conflict or the other.

Despite the crisis and factionalization, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had recognized Abure.

LP currently has Abure, Arabambi and Nenadi Usman jostling for the position of its National Chairman.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has urged President Bola Tinubu to take strong action against the injustice surrounding the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election.

The group called on the President to support reforms that will protect Nigeria’s democracy.

In a letter dated June 14, 2025 an,d signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation urged Tinubu to set up a presidential panel of enquiry to investigate the unlawful annulment of the 1993 election and identify individuals responsible for what it described as “deliberate violations of Nigerians’ democratic freedoms.”

The group also asked the President to direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, to prosecute those found to have played a role in the annulment, regardless of their political status or affiliation.

“These expressed commitments won’t be enough unless your government demonstrates the political will to combat impunity for the annulment of the June 12 elections and advance Nigerians’ democratic freedoms,” SERAP said.

According to the group, achieving the ideals of June 12 requires strong legal reforms and strict adherence to the rule of law.

“No one is above the law, and there is no statute of limitations for violations of democratic freedoms,” it added. 

As part of its recommendations, SERAP urged Tinubu to initiate an executive bill to amend the Electoral Act 2022, particularly to make electronic transmission of election results mandatory and to allow every voter, not just litigants in election petitions, access to election documents.

“Amending the Electoral Act to make the electronic transmission of election results mandatory and allow access for every voter to the results would ensure free, fair, and transparent elections and improve public confidence in the electoral process,” the letter read.

The organisation expressed concern that the continued failure to address the June 12 annulment sets a dangerous precedent.

“Impunity for the annulment of June 12 elections has continued to encourage politicians to undermine the country’s elections and deny Nigerians their right to political participation and other human rights,” it said.

SERAP also called on the President to direct the Attorney General to immediately discontinue all cases against Nigerians who were arrested or are being prosecuted solely for peacefully exercising their rights, including during protests.

It further urged reforms of laws that restrict free expression, including provisions in the Cybercrimes Act, Criminal Code, and Penal Code, such as criminal defamation and injurious falsehood statutes, which have been used against journalists and critics.

“SERAP is concerned that anti-freedom of expression laws continue to be used to target, arrest, detain, and unfairly prosecute journalists, activists, critics, and other Nigerians peacefully expressing their views,” the letter said. 

The organisation also warned against the use of strategic lawsuits against public participation as a tool of intimidation by state actors.

In the letter, SERAP acknowledged President Tinubu’s Democracy Day speech in which he pledged commitment to the ideals of June 12, including freedom, justice, and accountable governance.

However, it stressed that “words must be matched with action.”

The group noted, “Our requests are brought in the public interest, and in keeping with your expressed commitment to Nigeria’s Democracy Day, the requirements of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], and the country’s international human rights obligations.”

The letter concluded with a seven-day ultimatum, after which SERAP said it would consider legal action should the government fail to act.

Peter Obi, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has condemned the recent mass killings in Benue State, describing the gruesome killings suspected armed herdsmen as a direct consequence of leadership failure in Nigeria.

In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, Obi expressed heartbreak over the attacks, which claimed the lives of women, children, soldiers, and displaced persons.

 He called for an urgent national response, warning against the growing normalisation of mass killings in the country.

“My heart is heavy as I learn of yet another horrific series of killings in Benue of women, children, soldiers, and displaced persons, all senselessly slain.

“This tragedy has become too common in our national life, and the Benue situation now calls for a national emergency,” Obi said.

According to the former Anambra State governor, the scale of the killings goes beyond isolated violence and reflects systemic governance failure.

“Over 200 lives have reportedly been extinguished in a single onslaught, homes burnt, families shattered, communities left in ruin. This is not merely violence. 

“It is a failure of leadership, a stain on our collective conscience,” Obi stated.

He lamented the continued inability of governments at all levels to perform their primary duty of securing lives and property, saying each loss of life is a deep wound to the nation.

He said, ”Every life lost is a Nigerian life, each one precious, each one irreplaceable. We cannot accept the normalisation of mass killing. It is intolerable.

“The primary duty of any government, federal, state, or local is to protect lives and property.

“When it repeatedly fails, we must ask: What kind of nation are we bequeathing to our children?.”

Obi offered words of solidarity to grieving communities in Benue, assuring them that their suffering is not in vain.

“To the people of Benue, I say: your pain is our pain. 

“The blood of your loved ones cries out for justice.

“The survival of our people must not be negotiable; it must be urgent, deliberate, and comprehensive action.”

He also called on authorities to move beyond mere rhetoric and take concrete, decisive steps to protect vulnerable communities.

Obi wrote,”To all relevant authorities, I say that the time has come to move beyond symbolic gestures to decisive deployment.

“Let your actions speak louder than visits or statements.

“A safe, secure Benue is not too much to ask,it is our moral duty, our national duty.”

Closing his statement, Obi said the current state of insecurity does not reflect the Nigeria that citizens deserve or aspire to live in. 

“This is not the Nigeria we deserve, nor the Nigeria we aspire to.

“We must end this bloodshed. We must reclaim our humanity,” Obi added.

PUNCH Online had reported that armed herders invaded Yelwata and Daudu towns in Guma Local Government Area of the state, killing hundreds of people, including security operatives, between Friday night and Saturday morning.

A local leader, Matthew Mnyan, claimed the death toll could be as high as 200, including five security personnel.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a businessman, Ezemokwe Chukwuebuka Christian, for ingesting 53 wraps of cocaine while attempting to board a flight to Iran from Port Harcourt International Airport.

Ezemokwe, 44, was intercepted on Saturday, June 7, while boarding Qatar Airways flight QR1434 to Tehran Khomeini via Doha.

Following a body scan that tested positive for narcotics ingestion, he was placed under observation and excreted the illicit drugs in six batches. The substances weighed a total of 1.172kg.

According to a statement released by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi on Sunday, the suspect admitted to being involved in drug trafficking between West Africa and Iran for the past two years.

This comes just two weeks after NDLEA operatives at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport arrested Chinedu Leonard Okigbo, 60, who was caught with 65 wraps of cocaine in his stomach, also bound for Iran.

The statement said, “Barely two weeks after operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, intercepted a 60-year-old businessman, Chinedu Leonard Okigbo, heading to Iran with 65 pellets of cocaine in his stomach, their counterparts at Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA) have arrested another businessman, 44-year-old Ezemokwe Chukwuebuka Christian, for ingesting 53 wraps of the same class A drug while on his way to Tehran Khomeini, Islamic Republic of Iran.

“Ezemokwe was arrested at Port Harcourt airport on Saturday, 7 June, while trying to board Qatar Airways flight QR1434 flying to Tehran Khomeini in Iran via Doha. After a body scan proved positive for ingestion of illicit drugs, he was placed under excretion observation during which he expelled 53 wraps of cocaine in six excretions, with a total weight of 1.172kg. The suspect claimed to have been involved in the criminal trade for two years, moving between the West African sub-region and Iran.”

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, arrested an Italy-bound passenger, Edobor Ambrose Ali, for attempting to smuggle 14,410 tramadol pills concealed in winter jackets.

The statement added, “Similarly, NDLEA operatives at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, in the early hours of Saturday, June 14, intercepted an Italy-bound passenger, Edobor Ambrose Ali, on an Air France flight.

“NDLEA officers, in collaboration with the Aviation Security of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), discovered drug consignments hidden in the suspect’s luggage during baggage scanning at the tarmac.

“The suspect was thereafter brought down from the aircraft for baggage identification, after which a thorough search of the bag led to the discovery of 14,410 pills of tramadol 225mg and 200mg concealed in winter jackets. In his statement, Edobor said he lives in Italy where he was hired and sent on an all-expense-paid trip to Nigeria to courier the drug consignments to Milan, Italy, for a fee of 2,000 Euros.”

In a separate operation, NDLEA officers in Port Harcourt discovered 157,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup worth over ₦1.1 billion in street value, concealed behind cartons of ceramic sanitary wares.

The statement added, “At the Port Harcourt Ports in Onne, Rivers State, NDLEA operatives on Friday, June 13, intercepted a shipment of 157,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup worth over ₦1.1 billion in street value during a joint examination of a watch-listed container with men of the Customs Service and other security agencies. The opioid consignments were hidden behind 257 cartons of ceramic sanitary wares.”

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Cross River State raided a warehouse in Obereakai, Odukpani Local Government Area, recovering 2,687kg of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis.

On the same day, along the Bauchi–Jos road, NDLEA personnel acting on intelligence arrested two suspects and recovered 195 blocks of skunk weighing 287kg in a Toyota Camry with registration number AKL 201 GG.

The statement added, “At least three suspects — Friday Achibong Joseph, 47; Abraham Anthony Willy, 21; and Utibe David Okon, 24 — were arrested on Thursday, June 12, when NDLEA operatives raided a warehouse in Obereakai, Odukpani LGA, Cross River State, where a total of 2,687kg of skunk, a strain of cannabis, was recovered.

“On the same day in Bauchi State, NDLEA officers acting on credible intelligence arrested the duo of Iriemi Imonikhe, 49, and Sa’idu Ladan, 30, along the Bauchi–Jos road after 195 blocks of skunk weighing 287kg w

ere discovered in their Toyota Camry car marked AKL 201 GG.”

In Lagos, operatives of the NDLEA Marine Command recovered 14 jumbo sacks of skunk weighing 560kg from a wooden boat along Oniru beach.

Also, at Muhammadu Buhari International Airport, Maiduguri, two suspects were arrested with ecstasy pills and cannabis disguised as snacks labelled ‘Lychee’ and ‘Porro Legal’.

The statement added, “While 14 jumbo sacks of skunk weighing 560kg were recovered from a wooden boat at Oniru beach in Lagos by operatives of the Marine Command of NDLEA on Thursday, 12 June, officers of Muhammadu Buhari International Airport, Maiduguri (MBIAM), on the same day arrested two businessmen: Ishaku Abdullahi, 30; and Buba Usman, 32, at the arrival hall of the domestic wing of the airport with various quantities of ecstasy pills and skunk packaged in fanciful wraps labelled as ‘Lychee’ and ‘Porro Legal’.”

Watch the video below:

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami were held to a 0-0 draw by Egyptian side Al Ahly on Saturday as FIFA’s new 32-team tournament got off to a smooth start in front of 60,927 fans in Florida.

Messi was denied a storybook stoppage-time winner when he saw his curling shot from 20 yards out tipped onto the bar by Mohamed El Shenawy as Miami piled on the pressure in the final minutes of the game.

Al Ahly, who were cheered on by over 10,000 of their supporters, were left to rue a first-half penalty from Egypt international Trezeguet, which was saved by Miami’s Argentine keeper Oscar Ustari.

But the Egyptians also had El Shenawy to thank for another fine save in the dying seconds to keep out a header from Maxi Falcon as Miami pushed for three points in the Group A clash.

For organisers FIFA, who have faced heavy skepticism over the necessity for the tournament, the absence of a goal was the only disappointment on a night that delivered everything else that their president Gianni Infantino had hoped for from the opening night.

Fears of a low crowd for the opener eased as the seats in the 64,000 venue began to fill up, with the stadium almost full at kick-off time.

Thousands of fans of Al Ahly, record 12-time African Champions League winners and 45-time league champions of Egypt, arrived at Hard Rock Stadium well ahead of kick-off and made their presence felt with singing and chanting.

The stadium, home to the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, witnessed chaotic scenes last year at the final of the Copa America between Argentina and Colombia, where fans broke into the ground after long delays to enter.

– Penalty drama –

But there was an efficient filter system set up for ticket and security checks well away from the stadium perimeter, and there were no signs of any problems.

Nor was there any indication of the controversial crackdown on illegal immigrants from US President Donald Trump’s administration having any impact on the game in the heavily Hispanic South Florida community.

While there were no goals to celebrate, the game was far from boring, with Al Ahly enjoying the better of the first half before Miami improved significantly after the break.

Al Ahly opened up Miami’s defence with ease in the opening minutes of the game, and Emam Ashour was denied by Ustari after being put through by Trezeguet.

Palestine international striker Wessam Abou Ali had an effort ruled out for offside in the 31st minute, and then the Denmark-born forward had a fierce strike tipped over by Ustari.

The penalty came when Telasco Segovia bundled over Zizo, but Trezeguet’s spot kick was weak and parried out with the former Aston Villa forward unable to react fast enough to the rebound.

Miami were stronger after the break with Messi going close in the 64th minute with a free-kick which grazed the post before hitting the side-netting, tricking part of the crowd into thinking he had scored.

He nearly did in stoppage time, after a well-worked short-corner, but the outstretched fingertips of El Shenawy were to deny him.

Miami faces Porto in Atlanta on Thursday before returning home to face Brazil’s Palmeiras on Monday, and while those should be tougher tests, their Argentina coach, Javier Mascherano, was upbeat.

“The truth is, we leave with the feeling that we could have won it in the second half. Going forward, we have to do what we did in the second half, not have any fear, shed whatever baggage we had, because when we play like that, we can play even with any team,” he said.

Al Ahly’s Spanish coach Jose Riveiro, who only took charge of the team for this tournament, said his team should have finished the game off in the first half.

“It’s a game of mistakes. We had a decent amount of chances in the first half to put the game in a different space,” he said before praising the team’s fans.

“It was like we were playing in Cairo, and that was a surprise for me in my first official match with Al Ahly. To be here in the States and have it like you were playing at home is something that can probably only happen in this club,” he said.

AFP

President Bola Tinubu met on Saturday evening with some key figures from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party in what many see as an early move toward political realignment ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The meeting, held at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, was led by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and included his close allies, primarily former members of the defunct G5 Governors, a faction that broke ranks with the PDP leadership during the last election cycle.

Recall that the G5 governors, led by Wike, then the outgoing governor of Rivers State, worked against the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and supported Tinubu, who was then the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress at the 2023 poll.

After the polls, Tinubu appointed Wike, a member of the PDP, as Minister of FCT in August 2023.

Present at the meeting was a former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, and two members of the defunct G5 – former governors of Benue and Abia States, Samuel Ortom and Okezie Ikpeazu, respectively.

The specifics of the discussions remain undisclosed; however, sources suggest that the meeting focused on exploring avenues for cooperation and integrating the former governors into the current political framework.

Grieving families were due to hold funerals in India on Sunday for their relatives who were among at least 279 killed in one of the world’s worst plane crashes in decades.

Health officials have begun handing over the first passenger bodies identified through DNA testing, delivering them in white coffins in the western city of Ahmedabad.

“My heart is very heavy, how do we give the bodies to the families?” said Tushar Leuva, an NGO worker who has been helping with the recovery efforts.

There was just one survivor out of 242 passengers and crew on board the Air India jet when it crashed Thursday into a residential area of Ahmedabad, killing at least 38 people on the ground.

“How will they react when they open the gate? But we’ll have to do it,” Leuva told AFP at the mortuary on Saturday.

One victim’s relative, who did not want to be named, told AFP they had been instructed not to open the coffin when they received it.

Witnesses reported seeing badly burnt bodies and scattered remains. 

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner erupted into a fireball when it went down moments after takeoff, smashing into buildings used by medical staff.

Mourning relatives have been providing DNA samples to be matched with passengers, with 31 identified as of Sunday morning.

“This is a meticulous and slow process, so it has to be done meticulously only,” Rajnish Patel, a doctor at Ahmedabad’s civil hospital, said late Saturday.

The majority of those injured on the ground have been discharged, he added, with one or two remaining in critical care.

– Girls orphaned by crash –

Indian authorities are yet to detail the cause of the disaster and have ordered inspections of Air India’s Dreamliners.

Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said Saturday he hoped decoding the recovered black box, or flight data recorder, would “give an in-depth insight” into what went wrong.

Just one person miraculously escaped the wreckage, British citizen Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, whose brother was also on the flight.

Air India said there were 169 Indian passengers, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and a Canadian on board the flight, as well as 12 crew members.

Among the passengers was a father of two young girls, Arjun Patoliya, who had travelled to India to scatter his wife’s ashes following her death weeks earlier.

“I really hope that those girls will be looked after by all of us,” said Anjana Patel, the mayor of London’s Harrow borough where some of the victims lived.

“We don’t have any words to describe how the families and friends must be feeling,” she added.

While communities were in mourning, one woman recounted how she survived only by arriving late at the airport.

“The airline staff had already closed the check-in,” said 28-year-old Bhoomi Chauhan.

“At that moment, I kept thinking that if only we had left a little earlier, we wouldn’t have missed our flight,” she told the Press Trust of India news agency.