Metro
Benue Massacre: NOMA Demands Urgent Security Action, Justice for Victims
The Nigeria Online Media Alliance (NOMA) has condemned in strong terms, the recent brutal killings in Yelwata, Benue State and other North Central towns, where dozens of innocent civilians have been slaughtered in unprovoked attacks.
The tragic incidents through deadly attacks on villages and an ambush on commuters, underscore the seeming failure of the security architecture to protect lives and properties; making the villages vulnerable to such insipid attacks im the Middle Belt.
For over a decade, communities within the North Central region have been turned into slaughtering battlegrounds, leading to the killings of thousands of people, with the recent one becoming a slap on the wrist despite the Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Olufemi Oluyede, relocating to Benue state with a view to forestalling further killings.
The attacks allegedly carried out by Fulani herders and terrorists, have rendered many people homeless thereby increasing the number of refugees in their own communities.
Homes, farms, and schools have become targets. The frequency and ferocity of these attacks demand more than routine condemnation –they require urgent, strategic, and accountable government’s response.
In a press statement released and signed by NOMA’s Public Relations Officer, Oluwamuyiwa Oyedele, the Chairperson of the association, Moses Theresa, other members join the voices of affected families and concerned Nigerians in calling for a complete overhaul of current security approaches in Benue and other vulnerable regions. It is no longer enough to deploy troops without sustainable engagement with local communities.
Rather, a workable security strategy that will bring the terrorists to their kneels, such that would thwart every attempt to instigate another bloody attack in Benue state and in other regions, must be fashioned out.
As the President is paying a visit on Wednesday, 18th June, 2025, as a sign of leadership and to empathize with the affected communities, let such proactive engagement bring about measures to address the root causes of insecurity that will ultimately galvanize fostering sustainable and permanent solutions to the spiralling killings of innocent Nigerians.
Therefore, at NOMA, we urge President Bola Tinubu, Governor Hyacinth Alia, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, the Service Chiefs (Army, Navy and Airforce), the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, and the entire Intelligence community to prioritize intelligence-led kinetic and non-kinetic approach to rout the killers and frustrate further attacks.
By so doing, it is only when the killers are arrested and maximally punished that there will be justice for the victims, which will culminate into long-term peacebuilding measures.
With the President’s intention to hold stakeholders’ meeting during his visit, further dialogue and equitable resource allocation are options that could bring peace and tranquility; not only to the North Central region, but other troubled parts of the country where security seems to have slumped.
Once again, the killings in Benue are not isolated—they are symptomatic of a national crisis that must be addressed with political will, urgency, and empathy. NOMA stands ready to amplify these calls for justice and accountability until lasting peace is restored.
Without peace, justice and equity, no nation can develop politically, economically and otherwise to meet the daily needs of the citizenry, thereby opening its frontiers for foreign investors and economic emancipation.
Lastly, just as the IGP Egbetokun rightly said during his visit, “a day will come when these bandits would come to operate as they used to, they will not return; that day is drawing nearer and I can assure you that we are committed to this battle and will win,” it’s high time all manners of attacks are obliterated from North Central Nigerian states of Plateau, Kaduna, Bauchi, Taraba and Benue.
As these killings by militias, fulani herders have gone on for several years, and are increasing in frequency, let’s use Yelwata as a bus stop to end every form of attacks that have despatched thousands of Nigerians to their premature graves.
Nigeria is not a slaughter’s slab. The time is now to end this circle of mindless, insensitive and uncanny killings.
Senator Ned Nwoko on Sunday said he feels sorry for men with one wife, insisting that polygamy provides men greater stability and balance.
The lawmaker representing Delta North, who made the comment while featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today, also addressed recent allegations of domestic violence against him by his actress wife, Regina Daniels.
When asked how he copes with managing four wives—something many men find nearly impossible- Nwoko hesitated for a while before reacting.
“That is a different topic for discussion on another day. Yes, every man should do that. The example I give is this: just imagine telling you to stand on one foot or leg. You know how difficult it is.
“But to stand on two, three, four is much more balanced. That’s just the example I give. So I feel sorry for those who have one wife because it’s difficult to stand on one leg,” he stated.
When reminded that the Holy Bible does not endorse polygamy, Nwoko countered, “The Old Testament does. I am a man of faith. But that’s not what we are here for.”
Asked whether he had any regrets about his marital choices, the senator shook his head.
“No, I don’t have any regret. I will do the same thing again. Of course, that’s the way it should be. You should marry who you want to marry,” he defended stoutly.
On the domestic violence allegations trailing him, Nwoko dismissed them outright, saying, “No, come on. You know I am not a violent person. I respect my wives. I love them and my kids.”
His comments came just hours after Nollywood actress Regina Daniels, his estranged wife, flaunted a newly acquired mansion on social media amid reports of a marital crisis.
In a post on her Instagram page, Daniels shared photos and videos of the property with the caption, “In my house, I am a Queen! I needed a roof over my head, so I got this for me and my family.”
The post followed a viral video from October 18 showing the actress in tears outside her Abuja residence, lamenting alleged abuse.
“In Ned Nwoko’s house, I am nothing, but in my own house, I am a Queen. Not again. I can’t stand the violence, it’s too much,” she said in the footage.
The couple’s six-year marriage, once the subject of public fascination due to their wide age gap, has recently degenerated into a full-blown crisis now playing out before millions of Nigerians on social media.
The Punch
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), in the early hours of Sunday, October 26, raided Proxy Night club at 7, Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, where a drug party was going on, and arrested over 100 suspects.
Spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi, while making this known, said the suspects arrested include the owner of the club, Mike Eze Nwalie Nwogu, alias Pretty Mike, who was taken into custody for interrogation.
“Cartons of illicit substances, including Loud and laughing gas, were recovered from suspects at the party and the club’s store.
“The raid followed intelligence about the drug party. NDLEA operatives who were embedded in the party between 11 pm on Saturday, 25th October, however, disrupted the gathering at 3 am on Sunday, 26th October, in line with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
The Cotps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps, Shehu Mohammed, has expressed deep concern over to a viral video circulating on social media showing an altercation between some FRSC officers and a driver along Abudu, Edo State, Nigeria, on Saturday, 25th October, 2025. and has ordered an immediate investigation to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the confrontation.
Corps Marshal Mohammed emphasized, in a statement made available to National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), that the Corps does not condone any form of unprofessional conduct or behavior that undermines the integrity and discipline for which the FRSC is known. He further assured members of the public that appropriate disciplinary measures will be taken against any officer found culpable, in line with the Corps’ operational guidelines and public service rules.
He also appealed to the motoring public to remain calm and continue to show cooperation and respect towards FRSC personnel, who are committed to ensuring safer roads and protecting lives across the nation.
While the FRSC remains steadfast in its mission to promote road safety, maintain order, and uphold the highest standards of professionalism in service delivery, the Corps marshal will also not tolerate any form of assault or violence against its personnel from members of the public in the course of duty.
