BenueFamily Blog

The recurrent crisis between farmers and cattle rearers in North Central of Nigeria particularly Benue State will gradually come to an end. This is because the current government is making progress in finding solution to this big problem that have existed for years. The anti-open grazing law recently signed by Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom is sure a movement toward ending the fracas between cattle rearers and farmers in the state. The anti-grazing law is regarded as a win-win situation for both farmers and cattle rearers. This smart move will bring long lasting peace and productivity to the state in the following ways.

Family members of slain airwoman, Solape Oladipupo, share their grief with Arukaino Umukoro. If walls could talk, the ones in the family home of murdered airwoman, Solape Oladipupo, in the Badagry Township area of Lagos State, would be screaming the deceased’s name. Not because the 21-year-old was once in the choir at her home church, but because her imprints were markedly on the walls of the small room she had shared with her sisters.

Students of the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, on Sunday woke up to a mysterious sight of a completely burnt person within the campus. As at the time of filing this report, it could not be ascertained whether the burnt person was a student of the institution or another member of the University community. Report from Makurdi disclosed that, the incident occurred close to Paradise hostel, in the school community, Saturday night.

Before the gruesome massacre of villagers in Agatu LG of Benue State by suspected Fulani herdsmen, a security guard from Benue State University once said he saw a number of engine boats moving across river Benue at midnight silently. After some few weeks to this report, Agatu was heavily attacked by gunmen.

Declining global oil prices has put increasing pressure on states to explore alternative ways to shore up their revenue earnings. However, Benue along with 23 other states struggled to raise their internally generated revenue, IGR, in 2015. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, in its latest IGR report released on Thursday,

When Former governor of Benue state, Dr. Gabriel Torwua Suswam, took over the affairs of the North Central state on May 29, 2007, little did the indegenes of the state know about the development coming in. This was because Suswam was taking over from Senator George Akume of the same Peoples Democratic Party , PDP, who was unable to effect anything positive on the lives of Benue people for eight years- 1999 to 2007.

Newly inaugurated Pro Chancellor and Chairman of Council of the Benue State University, Professor Zackarys Anger Gundu has asked the general public to feel free to volunteer ideas that will move the institution forward. He made this statement on the background of recent public resentment over the introduction of new high conditional charges for incoming students by the university management.

Benue State Ministry of Works , Transport and Energy has pledged to ensure regular supervision of ongoing road  projects to ensure that they were executed on time and in accordance with specification. Commissioner in the Ministry, Mr Emmanuel Manger, made the disclosure while inspecting Daudu-Gbajimba-Origbo as well as Mobile Police Barracks-Apir Junction roads. He was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mr Matthew Uyina.

A notorious arm robber popularly known as "Pastor" and a member of his gang who has been terrorizing the residents of Gboko, Benue State for months was gunned down by some unknown men few days ago. See more pictures below after the cut.

Two persons have been reportedly killed while several houses set ablaze following crisis between Tiv and Jukuns ethnic tribe in Abinsi town, Benue state earlier today. Abinsi is an ancient town, located on Makurdi- Gboko federal high. It has witnessed over 20 years of several crisis between the two major tribes.

The Police in Benue State have recovered two corpses from the farm of the Caretaker Chairman of Otukpo Local Government, Hon. Ijachi Ude in Ondo community of Ugboju, Daily Trust reports. According to locals, the bodies may have been those of people who were killed in the community as a result of clashes between supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) few days before the Benue South rerun election held in February.

Below we enlist the full names of individuals asked by the Benue State government to refund N219bn. Recall that Governor Samuel Ortom had set up a judicial commission of enquiry which after investigation recommended that 52 individuals and 10 companies refund N219bn back to the state treasury. The 52-man list is led by Ex-Governor, Gabriel Suswam, his finance commissioner, Omadachi Oklobia and Special Adviser on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Solomon Wombo.

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has postponed the trial of Dr. Gabriel Suswam, former governor of Benue state to March 22, 2016. The ex-governor and two others are facing trial over alleged 3.1 billion brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commissions (EFCC). At the resumed trial on Wednesday, a witness, Aluyi Victor, who is a portfolio manager with Elixir Investment Company Limited, told Justice Ahmed Mohammed that Governor Suswam had ordered him to pay the sum of N3.1billion from the proceeds of the sales of the Benue state shares to a personal account belonging to a Bureau de Change.

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has announced that over N2 billion has been saved from the disbursement of the bailout funds. According to Benue.info, Governor Ortom stated this in Makurdi, during the birthday party in honour of the Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Terkimbi Ikyange. According to him, the money saved was being channelled into infrastructural development under the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs.

The Inspector General of Police, S. E Arase just arrived Makurdi the State Capital of Benue to address the Agatu crisis. Agatu Major Stakeholders, SSG, CP Yakadi among others all were in attendance to welcome the IG speech. The Inspector General of Police Arase stated that Nigeria belongs to everybody, people should learn to live together without problems. He later called on selected few to a close door meeting.

The federal government has said that it would put in place legislation to prohibit herdsmen from allowing their cattle roam in cities and villages. This follows a protest by Nigerians in Abuja on the killing of people in Agatu local government area of Benue state by fulani herdsmen. The minister of agriculture and rural development, Audu Ogbeh, disclosed this while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday, March 3, in Abuja. Ogbe who condemned the attacks on communities stated that a formation of the Nigerian army has been deployed to the communities to restore peace adding that most rampaging herdsmen were from neigbhouring countries.

Residents of Agatu in Benue state continue their protest on the street of Abuja against the recent killings of their tribesmen in Agatu by the Fulani herdsmen. Just few days ago, hundreds of resident of Agatu were killed in inter-communal fighting between the farmers and fulani cattle rearers. The protesters are demanding that the federal government takes action to stop the violence and senseless killings by the Fulani men in Benue state.

“Privatization” That was the word that rang bell in the ears of many Nigerians, We were informed that electricity distribution will no longer be handled by the PHCN but will  be privatized and managed by Private firms. At first many Nigerians were skeptical in embracing privatization of PHCN in Nigeria but we were later enlightened about it.

The late Tor Tiv IV HRM Dr Alfred Akawe Torkula was born on July 10, 1944 at Tse Torkula in Mbadwem District of Guma Local Government area of Benue State. Dr Alfred Akawe Torkula attended the Tiv N.A Elementary School Gboko from 1953-1958 and St. Theresa Catholic Primary School Naka in 1959.

The Lion of the Tiv nation Tor Tiv Alfred Akawe Torkula has been buried today. The 4th king of the Tiv tribe which are known to be the fourth largest tribe in Nigeria has been laid to rest today at the heart of the city in Gboko.  See more exclusive photos of the burial ceremony in Gboko, Benue State below.