One killed as suspected IPOB/ESN militants attack Ogbakoba Market in Anambra

By: Zagazola Makama

A 15-year-old boy was killed while security operatives repelled an attack by suspected members of the proscribed IPOB/ESN militia at Ogbakoba Market Arena in Anambra State.

Sources said the incident occurred on Feb. 21 at about 1:40 p.m., when a group of armed hoodlums emerged from a dense forest camp at Amiyi and opened sporadic fire at market-goers, apparently attempting to kidnap or rob residents.

A joint task force patrol team stationed at Amiyi responded swiftly, engaging the attackers in a fierce gun duel that forced them to retreat into the forest with bullet wounds. The injured boy was rushed to the village hospital but was confirmed dead on arrival. His body was deposited in the morgue for autopsy and preservation.

The sources added that later the same day at about 8:30 p.m., the armed group resurfaced near the community, snatching a shuttle bus with registration number HAL 987 XA and a GSM phone belonging to one Mr. Kinsley Iwunze of Okpotuno Odekpe, Ogbaru LGA.

Security operatives immediately dispatched teams to the scene, but the hoodlums had fled. Authorities said an aggressive manhunt was ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects.

One killed as suspected IPOB/ESN militants attack Ogbakoba Market in Anambra

Abasi People Foundation Rejects Southern Traditional Rulers Council, Seeks Refress of Historical Marginalisation

By: Michael Mike

The Abasi People Foundation (APF) has forcefully rejected the proposed Southern Nigeria Traditional Rulers Council, describing the initiative as historically insensitive, politically exclusionary, and structurally flawed.

In a detailed statement issued in Abuja at the weekend and signed by its President, Dr. Victor Udo, the Foundation not only denounced the proposed council but also declared unambiguous solidarity with Igbo traditional rulers under the leadership of Lawrence Agubuzu, Eze Ogbunechendo of Ezema Olo Kingdom in Enugu State.

The APF argued that any attempt to establish a southern regional traditional body without full democratic consultation and equal representation of indigenous nationalities risks repeating historical patterns of marginalisation that have shaped Nigeria’s political evolution since colonial rule.

The Foundation anchored its opposition in what it described as the “unresolved contradictions” of Nigeria’s 1914 amalgamation, when the British colonial administration merged the Northern and Southern Protectorates into a single political entity. According to APF, the colonial arrangement prioritised administrative convenience over ethnic autonomy, laying the groundwork for structural imbalances that continue to influence governance and representation.

The group further noted that post-independence constitutional experiments — from the regional structure of the First Republic to the centralized federal system that emerged after military rule — have struggled to equitably accommodate Nigeria’s complex mosaic of ethnic nationalities.

“The architecture of amalgamation created artificial divisions and entrenched central dominance,” the statement said. “More than a century later, the same logic must not be allowed to redefine southern identity through exclusionary frameworks.”

The APF however emphasized that the Abasi people — comprising the Ibibio, Annang, Oro, Efik, Obolo, Eket, Ekoi and related communities — represent a historically rooted nationality with a shared cultural heritage and distinct identity within Nigeria’s southern corridor.

It insisted that no regional traditional council can claim legitimacy if it sidelines indigenous populations or imposes hierarchical arrangements where equality should prevail.

“Unity cannot be legislated through selective inclusion,” the Foundation declared. “Any structure that reproduces historical marginalization under the guise of regional integration undermines its own moral and civic authority.”

The group demanded the immediate suspension of any process toward establishing the Southern Nigeria Traditional Rulers Council unless it guarantees full democratic participation and equal representation for both the Abasi and Igbo nationalities.

Beyond the immediate controversy, the APF called for a renewed national dialogue on Nigeria’s political future, advocating a transition toward a confederal system in which ethnic nationalities can exercise greater autonomy while cooperating within a shared sovereign framework.

According to the Foundation, Nigeria’s long-term stability depends on recognizing all its constituent peoples — including Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Abasian, Kanuri, Ijaw, Fulani, Nupe, Jukun, Tiv, Bini and others — as co-equal stakeholders in governance.

Political analysts say the Foundation’s intervention highlights deeper conversations underway across the country about federal restructuring, regional identity, and the evolving role of traditional institutions in modern governance.

APF warned in the statement that national cohesion cannot be built on exclusion.

“Justice demands representation, peace requires equality, and development begins with dignity,” the group said, signaling that debates over regional structures are likely to intensify as broader constitutional questions resurface on the national stage.

Abasi People Foundation Rejects Southern Traditional Rulers Council, Seeks Refress of Historical Marginalisation

Fulani elders call for calm, say Plateau attack deliberate to provoke reprisal

By: Zagazola Makama

Fulani elders in Barikin Ladi of Plateau State have called for calm following the killing of a Fulani youth by unidentified attackers, describing the incident as a deliberate act intended to provoke retaliation and disrupt the fragile peace in the area.

The elders made the appeal on Saturday while reacting to the incident, which they said occurred at night without provocation, despite ongoing peace engagements between herders, farmers and other ethnic groups in the locality.

They noted that the area had recently witnessed relative peace due to sustained efforts by security agencies, particularly Army troops of Operation Enduring Peace, whose commander has been engaging communities through dialogue and confidence-building meetings.

According to them, the attack appeared calculated to trigger reprisal violence and undermine reconciliation gains.

“We believe this act was done deliberately to provoke us so that we will react, but we want the world to know that we are peace-loving people and we will not be provoked,” a community leader said.

The elders expressed concern that such incidents could reverse progress made in restoring trust among communities, stressing that restraint was necessary to prevent escalation.

They commended security agencies for their recent interventions, citing the recovery and return of rustled cattle to owners as evidence of improved response and cooperation between authorities and residents.

While acknowledging those efforts, they urged the state government and security agencies to intensify surveillance, intelligence gathering and patrols to forestall further attacks and bring perpetrators to justice.

The elders also appealed for broader international attention, including from the United States of America, toward supporting peace and stability initiatives in the region.

They stressed that ending cycles of violence required swift action against criminal elements and sustained engagement with all communities.

“We call on the government to rise to the occasion and stop these senseless killings,” they added.

Fulani elders call for calm, say Plateau attack deliberate to provoke reprisal