Metro
Kidnapping, Killings of Kinsmen by Herdsmen, Edo Community Bans Sale, Consumption of Beef
Residents of Elelu village in Erah community in Owan East Local Government Area of Edo State have banned the sale and consumption of beef following the alleged incessant kidnapping and killings of their kinsmen by suspected herdsmen.
The residents disclosed this during a protest at the community at the weekend.
The protesters made up of both young and old, also threatened to relocate to Edo State Government House for alternative shelter if the State government does not urgently come to their aid as the community is no longer inhabitable.
The residents in their large numbers with belongings on their heads, however, called on the state government to come to their rescue from the hands of suspected herdsmen who have continuously invaded their farmlands and kidnapped their fathers, husbands and children.
They alleged that in the last two weeks, about seven persons in the community have been kidnapped and killed.
Speaking, the concerned community leaders, youth representatives and vigilante leaders said the protest was also to mourn and honour the lives of their fallen heroes killed by suspected kidnappers.
The spokesperson of the group, Fred Enaikhe Aleburu gave the names of the fallen heroes such as Edekin Ighalo, Abdullahi and Victor Ogedengbe, a Vigilante commander.
Aleburu said the deceased lost their lives defending the community.
According to him, these courageous men stood against armed herdsmen who brought terror to the peaceful land.
“They shielded our mothers, our children, and our farmlands and for their sacrifice, they were murdered in cold blood.
“As we speak, the body of Victor Ogedengbe still lies in the mortuary. Yet the violence continues.
“In just the past two weeks, seven of our children have been kidnapped, with one still in captivity as we speak.
“Our forests have been turned into den of terror, criminal strongholds where ransom is demanded and innocent victims are kept under inhumane conditions.
“Our mothers can no longer go to the farm. Our youth are hunted. Our elderly live in fear. The lands that once sustained us now lie in waste and silence.
“This is not just insecurity, this is a deliberate war on our survival. This is a slow genocide.
“We are also here to protest hunger. Our people now suffer because they cannot farm. Our markets are empty. Our homes are filled with helplessness.
“What was once a self-sufficient and productive community is now battling starvation and fear.
“And so, today, we rise to say with one voice that ‘Enough Is Enough,’” he lamented.
He, however, called on the government to fulfil its constitutional duty to protect its citizens.
Aleburu said the community demanded immediate establishment of permanent security checkpoints on all roads and entry points leading into and out of Erah.
They also demanded a full-scale investigation and comprehensive flushing of forests to root out and eliminate all alleged terrorist elements hiding within the community.
“A sustained and visible security presence across our villages, to ensure long-term peace and protection.
“Emergency intervention to address food insecurity, including support for displaced farmers and restoration of safe farming activities.
“If our villages are no longer safe, we will sleep at the doorstep of leadership until we are heard and protected. Our lives are not negotiable.
“Furthermore, as a solemn response to our collective suffering and to honor our fallen defenders, the people of Erah hereby declare a permanent ban on the consumption and the sale of beef in our community.
“The killer herdsmen who hide behind cattle have taken too much from us. Our lives, our food, our peace. We will not continue to support a system built on our blood and tears,” he stated.
Also speaking, Chief Julius Unuigbe alleged that herdsmen have invaded their bushes looking for people to kidnap or kill.
Unuigbe said the people no longer sleep with their eyes closed.On his part, Joseph Edairu, one of the protesters lamented that one of his senior brothers, his friend’s two sisters and a Taraba man living in the community were recently kidnapped by suspected herdsmen.
Edairu, added that uptil now the abducted Taraba man is nowhere to be found.
“This is the reason why we came out to cry to the Edo State Government that they should come and us drive those kidnappers away from our bush,” he said.
On her part, Mrs Eunice Ighalo, added that ,”we can no longer go to the farm or river and we are now seriously living in hunger and poverty, that is why we decided that we will go to Edo State Government House to protest there.
Blessing Ogedegbe, wife to Victor Ogedenge, one of the deceased, while lamenting that the corpse of her husband killed in February 2025 is still at the mortuary, appealed to the state government to provide her with a job to enable her cater for her children.
Residents of Faruruwa community in Shanono LGA of Kano State have appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Defence to set up a military formation in their area.
The Chairman of the community, Yahaya Umar Bagobiri stated this in an interview with Daily Sun, insisting that the community was still under threat of attacks by the bandits.
He remarked that the bandits had been sending text messages to the villagers to the effect that they would soon attack the area in revenge for the losses they suffered during a recent fight with the Joint Task Force.
“They are preparing everyday to return to our community. What they are telling us is that they are coming, that we should be ready and we told them that we are ready, that our soldiers are ready and they would meet them there when they come,” he said.
Bagobiri admitted that additional security personnel have been deployed to their community in recent times, but regretted that in view of the gravity of the threats, the number of soldiers on ground may not be enough to discourage the bandits from attacking them. He argued that only five days ago, the same bandits or their allies still found a way to the community and kidnapped nine victims, for which they were demanding for a ransom of N25 million.
“The solders on the ground are not enough, even the GOC Kaduna, was there a few days ago to see things for himself and he saw that we needed more soldiers to be stationed there” he stated.
On what might be attracting the bandits to the community, he explained that the area is a border town to Katsina State, in addition to the fact that there is the presence of a river in the area, which encourages the breeding of large numbers of cows around that axis.
He added that the bandits were initially attracted to the axis because of the cows that they steal, but added that in the recent years, they have resorted to abduction for money and killing of the members of the community and its environs.
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a notorious drug kingpin, Yussuf Abayomi Azeez, at Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
The agency, in a statement signed on Sunday by its spokesperson Femi Babafemi, said the 40-year-old suspect was apprehended on Thursday, November 6, 2025, while attempting to board a flight to Saudi Arabia for Umrah.
Azeez’s arrest followed months of intelligence gathering and surveillance by a special NDLEA operations unit.
The suspect, who previously fled the United Kingdom after jumping bail for drug-related offences, had returned to Nigeria to establish a massive clandestine laboratory for producing synthetic cannabis, popularly known as Colorado, in Lekki, Lagos.
At about 6:30 a.m., NDLEA officers intercepted Azeez at the airport departure hall and immediately took him into custody.
He was later taken to his hideout at 17 Vincent Eku Street, Ogombo, Lekki, where a fully operational illicit drug production facility was uncovered. Another suspect, Abideen Kekere-Ekun, 43, was also arrested at the site.
Inside the building, operatives from the Directorate of Forensic and Chemical Monitoring (DFCM) dismantled laboratory equipment, precursor chemicals, and finished products, totaling 148.3 kilograms.
The agency described this as one of the largest synthetic drug seizures in recent years.
In a separate operation on Friday, November 7, NDLEA, in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies, recovered 105.5 kg of “Molly” and 500 grams of methamphetamine at the Sifax bonded terminal in Okota, Lagos.
The contraband was concealed for local distribution.
Significant interceptions were also made in other states. In Niger State, operatives seized 87,000 pills of tramadol and 72 kg of skunk cannabis from a Volvo truck driven by Ibrahim Mohammed, 35.
In Taraba State, Aliyu Samaila, 25, was arrested transporting 34,520 tramadol capsules in a Toyota Corolla, reportedly destined for Cameroon. Another suspect, Felix Tanko Chinedu, 28, was apprehended with 15,020 tramadol capsules in Ardo Kola Local Government Area.
In Kogi State, NDLEA seized 7.6 kg of “Loud,” a potent cannabis strain, on the Okene–Lokoja highway. A follow-up operation in Abuja led to the arrest of Chukwunonso Anieze, 40, the owner of the consignment. Additionally, 175,000 pills of opioids were recovered from another shipment the same day.
At the Abuja–Kaduna tollgate, three suspects — Olayide Oyidiran, 39; Abdulsalam Abdulsalam, 28; and Opeyemi Tijjani, 39 — were caught transporting 769 kg of skunk from Lagos to Kano via Owo, Ondo State, highlighting the agency’s crackdown on inter-state trafficking networks.
In Edo State, a 73-year-old man, James Ugbedo, was caught tending a cannabis plantation at Igbeshi Forest, Imiakebo, Etsako East LGA. About 1,459.75 kg of cannabis was destroyed, and 5.6 kg was recovered for evidence.
In Bayelsa State, a 70-year-old woman, Comfort Odudu, was arrested in Onopa, Yenagoa, with 5 kg of skunk.
The NDLEA’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative continued nationwide, with sensitization campaigns targeting students, communities, and transport unions.
Beneficiaries included Transfiguration Seminary Secondary School in Abakaliki, Immanuel College High School in Ibadan, Government Girls Secondary School in Ilelah, and NURTW members in Birnin Kebbi.
Commending his officers, NDLEA Chairman/CEO Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) praised the successful dismantling of the Lekki lab and other operations.
He described the actions as part of a sustained national offensive against drug cartels preying on vulnerable citizens.
“The dismantling of yet another clandestine laboratory for Colorado and other dangerous substances, and the arrest of the kingpin behind it in Lekki, barely a week after a similar operation in Ajao Estate, shows our commitment to dismantling these cartels. The NDLEA, supported by local and international partners, will continue to hunt these merchants of death and bring them to justice,” Marwa said.
By Tolulope A. Adegoke, PhD
“In the face of complex crises, true leadership is measured not by the clarity of one’s critique, but by the courage to enact responsible solutions that bridge the gap between sovereign duty and our global responsibility to protect” – Tolulope A. Adegoke, PhD
If you follow global news, you have likely encountered alarming headlines about Nigeria. Terms like “religious violence” and even “genocide” are often used to describe a complex and devastating crisis. But beyond the headlines lies a critical international dilemma: when a state struggles to protect its own people, what is the world’s responsibility?
This is not a new question. It lies at the heart of a global principle adopted after the horrors of Rwanda and Srebrenica (Town in Bosnia and Herzegovina): The Responsibility to Protect (R2P).
Let us break down what R2P means, why it is so relevant in Nigeria, and what proposed international responses—like those from the United States—reveal about the difficult pursuit of peace in a complicated world.
R2P in a Nutshell: A Three-Pillar Promise
Imagine R2P as a three-legged stool, with each leg representing a fundamental obligation:
- Pillar I: The State’s Primary Duty. Every sovereign nation has the foremost responsibility to shield its populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity.
- Pillar II: International Assistance. The global community has a duty to assist states in building this protective capacity through aid, training, and diplomatic support.
- Pillar III: The Decisive Response. If a state is “manifestly failing” to protect its people, the international community must respond decisively—first through peaceful means like sanctions and diplomacy, and only as an absolute last resort, with authorized military force.
The protracted crisis in Nigeria tests this very framework to its limits.
The Nigerian Labyrinth: It’s More Complex Than It Seems
Labeling the situation in Nigeria as a simple religious war is a profound misunderstanding. The reality is a tangled web of several overlapping conflicts:
- Jihadist Insurgency: Groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP in the Northeast target both Muslims and Christians who oppose their rule. However, Christian communities have endured specific, brutal attacks on churches and schools, marking them for violence based on their faith.
- Clashing Livelihoods: In the fertile Middle Belt, competition over dwindling land and water resources has ignited violent clashes between predominantly Muslim Fulani herders and Christian farmers. Climate change and desertification have intensified this struggle, layering economic desperation over religious and ethnic identities.
- Criminal Banditry: Widespread kidnappings and violence in the Northwest, often driven by profit, exploit the fragile security situation, further destabilizing the region.
This intricate complexity is why the term “Christian genocide” is so hotly debated. While there is undeniable, systematic violence against Christians, the legal definition of genocide requires proof of a specific intent to destroy the group. Many analysts point to the confluence of political, economic, and criminal motives, arguing that the situation, while atrocious, may not meet this strict legal threshold.
The R2P Test: Is Nigeria “Manifestly Failing”?
A widespread perception holds that the Nigerian government is failing in its Pillar I responsibility. Despite possessing a powerful military, issues of corruption, a slow institutional response, and allegations of bias have left millions of citizens vulnerable.
This failure activates the world’s role under Pillar II. The United States, United Kingdom, and other partners have provided significant aid, military training, and intelligence sharing. Yet, it has not been enough. The persistent violence pushes the necessary conversation toward the more difficult Pillar III: the “Responsibility to Respond.”
The U.S. Proposition: A Case Study in Coercive Care
What does a “timely and decisive response” entail? Proposed U.S. actions offer a clear case study. Focusing on coercive measures short of force, they include:
- Targeted Sanctions: Visa bans and asset freezes against specific Nigerian officials accused of corruption or atrocities.
- Diplomatic Pressure: Officially designating Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” for religious freedom.
- Conditioned Aid: Linking further military assistance to verifiable improvements in human rights and accountability.
The Pros and Cons: A Balanced View
- The Upside: These actions send a powerful message of solidarity to victims, potentially deter perpetrators, and uphold the global norm that national sovereignty entails a responsibility to protect, not a license for atrocity.
- The Downside: These measures are fiercely rejected by the Nigerian government and many within the country as a violation of sovereignty. There is a risk that cutting military aid could weaken the fight against Boko Haram and ISWAP, and a narrow focus on the religious dimension could oversimplify the conflict’s root causes, potentially inflaming tensions further.
Key Takeaways for a Global Audience
This situation is not merely a problem for politicians; it offers critical lessons for all of us:
- For Global Citizens: Seek nuanced understanding. Effective advocacy requires moving beyond simplistic labels to grasp the underlying root causes—such as climate change, governance failures, and economic despair—that fuel the violence.
- For Businesses Operating Abroad: You have a vital role to play. Conduct human rights due diligence and use your economic influence to support stability, conflict resolution, and ethical practices within your operations and supply chains.
- For the International Community: This case exposes R2P’s greatest weakness: its reliance on a UN Security Council often paralyzed by geopolitics. The future demands more robust and empowered regional leadership from bodies like the African Union.
Conclusion: An Unfinished Conversation for Lasting Peace
The crisis in Nigeria and the proposed international responses are not about easy answers. They represent the difficult, ongoing work of making the promise of “Never Again” a tangible reality.
R2P remains an unfulfilled ideal, caught between the urgent need to protect human life and the complex realities of national sovereignty. The conversation it forces is itself a constructive step forward. It challenges Nigeria to reclaim its primary duty to protect all its citizens, challenges the world to move beyond rhetoric to meaningful action, and challenges us all to remember that our common humanity is the most important border we share. The demand for peace, both within Nigeria and beyond, requires nothing less than our collective and unwavering commitment.
Dr. Tolulope A. Adegoke, AMBP-UN is a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in History and International Studies, Fellow Certified Management Consultant & Specialist, Fellow Certified Human Resource Management Professional, a Recipient of the Nigerian Role Models Award (2024), and a Distinguished Ambassador For World Peace (AMBP-UN). He has also gained inclusion in the prestigious compendium, “Nigeria @65: Leaders of Distinction”.
