•Community Leaders Allege State-Sponsored Displacement Under Guise of Agricultural Development

Tensions are escalating in Nasarawa State as Tiv community leaders have leveled serious accusations against Governor Abdullahi Sule, alleging a systematic campaign of ethnic cleansing and land grabbing. Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Sunday, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Jerry Terkaa Aondo presented a stark picture of state-sponsored oppression, claiming that Governor Sule is exploiting the guise of agricultural development to forcibly displace Tiv people from their ancestral lands.
Aondo detailed how state machinery, including the military, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and various government ministries, are allegedly being deployed to demolish Tiv villages and undermine their traditional institutions across Awe, Obi, Keana, and Doma Local Government Areas. He specifically named villages such as Udugh, Utsuwa, Usula, China, Chabo, Wachi, Tyungu, Uvirkaa, Ugba, and Ayarkeke as having already been destroyed, marked for demolition, or subjected to forced displacement.
The situation in Udugh village, according to Aondo, exemplifies the alleged brutality of this campaign. He stated that following a visit by the governor on May 4th, bulldozers, accompanied by armed soldiers and civil defence operatives, descended upon the village to raze homes, schools, churches, and even graveyards, leaving residents with no choice but to flee their ancestral homes. Furthermore, Aondo claimed that women in Osula village were forcibly driven from their farmlands, effectively stripping families of their livelihoods.
Dismissing the narrative of agricultural development, Aondo asserted, “What is happening is not development. It is ethnic persecution carried out in the name of agriculture.” He further pointed to the burning of Gbaghtar village in Doma LGA by armed herdsmen on May 10th as evidence of a climate of insecurity allegedly enabled by the state. Aondo also accused certain traditional rulers, including the Osoho of Agwatashi, Dr. Abubakar Apeshi, of complicity in the alleged oppression by denying Tiv people indigene certificates and facilitating the destruction of their settlements.
In light of these grave allegations, the Tiv community is urgently appealing to President Bola Tinubu and the National Security Adviser for immediate intervention. They are calling for a halt to the ongoing demolitions, the deployment of security forces to the affected areas to protect the vulnerable population, and a thorough investigation into Governor Sule’s alleged role in these activities.
“The agricultural mandate being touted is a cover. This is about grabbing land, erasing our identity, and commercialising our lives and properties for personal gain,” Aondo warned, emphasizing the potential for these unchecked actions to ignite wider communal unrest. He also revealed that letters detailing their plight, sent to the governor, state officials, and security agencies, have been met with silence. A visibly distressed Aondo added, “I cannot practise law or sleep well because of the killing of Tiv people in Nasarawa State.”
As of the time of this report, Governor Abdullahi Sule has not issued any official response to these serious accusations. The unfolding situation in Nasarawa State raises significant concerns about human rights and the potential for further conflict.

By OBSERVERS TIMES

The suspended governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, has stated that he is not desperate to return to office.

Fubara made this declaration during a service of songs held in honor of the late elder statesman, Edwin Clark, in Port Harcourt, organized by the Rivers Elders Forum on Sunday. His remarks followed a series of comments from speakers at the event who referred to him as “Governor” and criticized his suspension, calling for an immediate reversal.

However, Fubara distanced himself from these remarks, labeling them as personal opinions.

“Not everything is by oshogbe,” he cautioned, suggesting a preference for a more strategic and less confrontational approach to the ongoing political crisis. “Do you even know if I want to go back there? My spirit has already left there,” he added.

He further warned that some actions taken by his supporters, although well-intended, have only exacerbated his situation.

Fubara urged attendees to focus on honoring Edwin Clark, who dedicated his life to advocating for the Niger Delta region, rather than making the event a political battleground.

More to come…

By OBSERVERS TIMES.

During a recent Senate session, Senator Abdul Ningi from Bauchi raised serious concerns about Nigeria’s security challenges and questioned the government’s use of military equipment, specifically the Tucano fighter jets.

In a video that was shared by Voice TV, Senator Ningi reminded the Senate President about a past statement where he said that if security was the only achievement of the National Assembly, that would be enough. But two years later, Ningi asked what progress had really been made. He pointed out that the Senate had not seriously questioned or followed up with important security agencies like the Defence, Navy, Air Force, and Police committees.

He then focused on the Tucano fighter jets, which were purchased with a borrowed sum of over $1 billion. During the screening of the service chiefs, the Chief of Air Staff was asked where the Tucano jets were. “If you recall, when we screened the service Chiefs, we raised a question to the Chief of Air Staff, where are our Tucano aircraft fighter Jets. And you also recall this Tucano Fighter jets were purchased for not less than $1 billion borrowed,” he said.

The Chief responded that although the jets are in Nigeria, they can’t be used as expected because of a contract Nigeria signed when purchasing them. This contract, according to the Chief, limits how the jets can be operated.

Senator Ningi expressed frustration over this, asking why the jets were bought in the first place if they had usage limitations. He demanded answers about who approved and signed the contract, who handled the purchase, and where the jets are now.

He also stressed how serious the security situation is, with Nigerian soldiers being lost daily to insurgents, and questioned whether the government is truly doing enough to protect its citizens.

By Juliet Aliwo.

Pandemonium broke out at a Nigerian airport earlier today as frustrated passengers of Air Peace engaged in a violent confrontation following a significant delay of over five hours for their Abuja-Lagos flight.
Eyewitness accounts and unverified social media footage depict a chaotic scene, with shouting matches escalating into physical altercations within the departure terminal. Travelers, already weary from the prolonged wait, reportedly vented their anger and frustration over the lack of clear communication and the extended delay.

“The atmosphere was tense from the beginning,” recounted one passenger who wished to remain anonymous. “We kept getting vague updates, and the delay kept stretching. People were missing important appointments, and the lack of information from Air Peace officials just fueled the anger.”

The situation reportedly spiraled out of control when passengers demanded more concrete information and some attempted to approach airline staff en masse. This led to heated exchanges and eventually degenerated into physical clashes involving multiple individuals. Airport security personnel were reportedly called in to quell the unrest and restore order.
The exact cause of the over five-hour delay remains unclear at this time. Passengers expressed their dismay over the lack of proactive communication from Air Peace, stating that the airline failed to provide adequate explanations or alternative arrangements during the extended wait.

Several passengers took to social media platforms to express their outrage, sharing videos and accounts of the chaotic scenes. Many lamented the recurring issue of flight delays in the Nigerian aviation sector and called for stricter regulations and better passenger rights protection.

“This is unacceptable! Five hours with no proper explanation? We deserve better,” one affected passenger posted on X (formerly Twitter), accompanied by a blurry video of the commotion.
OBSERVERS TIMES’ attempts to reach out to the spokesperson for Air Peace for an official statement on the incident and the cause of the delay proved abortive at the time of this publication.
This incident underscores the growing frustration among air travelers in Nigeria regarding flight delays and the perceived lack of accountability from airline operators. It also highlights the urgent need for improved communication strategies and passenger welfare protocols within the aviation industry to prevent such incidents from recurring.

Authorities are expected to launch an investigation into the cause of the delay and the ensuing violence at the airport.