A member of the House of Representatives representing Mangu/Bokkos Federal Constituency in Plateau State, Solomon Marren, has alleged that in the last few months, about 200 people have been killed in his constituency by terrorists.

In a statement he personally issued on Wednesday night, he appealed with President Muhammadu Buhari, to, as a matter urgency, order security agencies to secure lives and property in the area.

He lamented, “I find it expedient at this time to intimate the world on the unfortunate happenings in my constituency, Mangu/Bokkos Federal Constituency, Plateau state, in the last two days, where over 100 persons, most of them women and children, have been massacred and butchered in cold blood by terrorist during an overnight unprovoked attack, and their houses burnt down, including food stuffs, food barns and seedlings.”

He noted that the killings are one among many in the constituency, where over 200 persons have been killed in the last four months before the month of May.

According to him, the government may claim to be doing its best but it is not good enough since it has not been able to stop the killings in years.

He commended the few gallant officers working without sufficient arms, yet gave themselves to save lives, stressing that the responsibilities lies on the President to first condemn the dastardly act and immediately go ahead to protect lives and properties that is the primary responsibility of the government.

He urged the President to order the security agencies to move into the area with immediate effect to curb the killings, while also urging the National Emergency Management Authority and other “well-spirited” organisations to move in with relief materials for the wounded survivors of the attack.

While urging for support across board, the lawmaker condemned the attack in its entirety and called for calm, warning that no one should take the law into their hands.

The Taraba State Police Command has confirmed that two pickup vehicles conveying cattle to a local market in the Takum Local Government Area were set ablaze by suspected armed bandits.

The incident, which took place on Sunday, was also said to have led to the gruesome killing of one of the pickup drivers, Adamu Takalafiya.

While one of the pickup drivers, according to the command Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Abdullahi Usman, narrowly escaped, the second was killed by the bandits.

The drivers were said to have been intercepted along Takum-Kaahimbilla road while making their way to a nearby market.

The cattle being conveyed were also burnt, the police added.

The attack follows the release of Boyi Manja, Caretaker Committee Chairman of Takum, who was held captive for over three days.

Contrary to speculations that the bandits abducted the occupants of the burnt-down vehicles, the police described the rumour as false, stating that “apart from one of the drivers that was killed and the cows that were burnt, nobody was kidnapped.”

While calling on persons with useful information to reach out to the command, he said the command would leave no stone unturned to bring to book those behind the incident.

President Muhammadu Buhari, Wednesday, expressed condolences over the loss of lives of two United States embassy officials and two Nigerian police officers accompanying them in an attack by gunmen in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State.

Buhari, in a statement by his Spokesperson, Garba Shehu, described the incident as unfortunate.

Buhari said, “I was very sad hearing about the killing of the embassy staff and our policemen accompanying them.

“In this difficult time for the families of those killed, the American Embassy and the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, I extend the nation’s condolences over the very sad incident.

“We share the grief of the American Embassy, the Nigeria Police Force and our communities in Plateau and Benue and remain committed to fishing out the perpetrators of the attacks and bringing them to justice.”

The president also prayed to God to give the families of the deceased the strength to bear the unfortunate losses.

multiple report shows that gunmen killed four staff of the US Embassy in a village in Anambra state.

The sad incident has continued to raise condemnation from the public about the worsening State of insecurity in Nigeria.

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have continued their exploits as gallant officers and soldiers of 21 Armored Brigade have recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition from ISWAP terrorists after dislodging them in Sambisa forest, in Borno State.

Impeccable sources told Zagazola Makama, a Counter-Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad region that the large quantities of weapons were discovered in hidden dug pits concealed by the terrorists group.

The troops were said to have discovered the massive armory when they invaded Ukuba camp in the fringes of Bama Local Government Area during aggressive counterterrorism operation conducted on May 13, 2023.

The sources said that several variants of Rocket Propelled Grenade Tubes; SMG Rifle; Double Barrel gun, 50 hand grenades bombs and 5 SMK bombs were recovered.

Other recovered items include: 183 Shilka rounds, several IEDs making materials, non electric detonators, many already prepared IEDs, as well as several canister bombs, among others.

Reports also indicated that troops of Operation DESERT – LAKE – MOUNTAIN II, who commenced a special on 27 Apr 23, along Sambisa – Timbuktu Triangle axis, as well as shores of the Lake Chad, are making steady inroads as ground and air support continued to sustain pressures on the terrorists, killing scores of them, while many others were forced to flee.

Some of the terrorists’ hideouts that were cleared recently included: Garno, Alafa, Alafa D, Garin Doctor, Njumia, Izzah, Farisu, Somalia, Ukuba, Garin Glucose, Garin Ba’aba and Bula Abu Amir.

Reporters covering the trial of the suspended DCP Abba Kyari and others were, on Tuesday, restricted from gaining access to the venue of the trial, Court 10 of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Justice Emeka Nwite gave the order following an application to the effect by the counsel for National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Mr Sunday Joseph.

Joseph, a director of the Legal and Prosecution Department of the NDLEA, earlier applied for the protection of the identity of a witness to give evidence in the trial.

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The lawyer prayed the court not to allow other Counsels, visitors, litigants and journalists, into the courtroom during Tuesday’s hearing.

Justice Nwite then stood down the matter to allow non-parties in the anti-narcotic suit against the suspended police officers move out of the courtroom.

Police have arrested a man who tried to set a mosque on fire in the German city of Dresden late Tuesday evening.

The man spilt petrol in front of a mosque and tried to set the building on fire, a police spokesman said.

Witnesses called the emergency services number after they saw the man spilling petrol outside the mosque, which was well-attended at the time.

The man, 34, was arrested and is under police investigation for attempted aggravated arson.

Though his motive was initially unclear, the same suspect was said to have set fire to a copy of the Holy Qur’an in a mosque in April.

Amid confusion surrounding the fuel subsidy removal, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, said the country spent N13 trillion on subsidies payment from 2005-2021.

Mustapha disclosed this on Monday while unveiling the 2022-2026 Strategic Plan of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative in Abuja.

He explained that the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration had managed the petrol subsidy best.

He added that the outgoing government would leave a robust framework for President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s incoming administration.

“From that policy advisory, over N13tn is documented to have been expended on the subsidy payment between 2005 – 2021. The figure is equivalent to Nigeria’s health, education, agriculture, and defence budget in the last five years and almost the capital expenditure for ten years between 2011 and 2020,” he said.

Recall that the Federal Government suspended subsidy removal until the end of June, proposing that the incoming government acts on it.

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, had disclosed that fuel subsidy removal by the end of June would save Nigeria N3.36 trillion.

The President-elect, Bola Tinubu on Wednesday departed Nigeria for Europe on a working visit.

While in Europe, Tinubu will finetune the transition plans, programmes, and policy options with some of his key aides without distractions.

During the visit, the President-elect will engage with investors and other key allies with the goal of marketing investment opportunities in the country and his administration’s readiness to enable a business-friendly climate through policies and regulations.

A statement by his Media Aide, Tunde Rahman said: “Already, meetings with multi-sectoral actors in Europe’s business community including manufacturing, agriculture, tech and energy have been lined up.

“Asíwájú Tinubu hopes to convince them of Nigeria’s readiness to do business under his leadership through mutually-beneficial partnerships premised on jobs creation and skills acquisition.

“Reviving the country’s economy forms a major plank of Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda and the meeting is part of his efforts to re-establish Nigeria’s importance in the global economic chain and create empowering opportunities for the country’s huge youth population.

“The President-elect has hitherto promised to hit the ground running and the visit is reflective of his commitment to the promise as he has already begun talks with global actors in the important areas of the economy and security.”

Before he left the country, Tinubu met with the House of Representatives candidates for Speaker and Deputy Speaker endorsed by his party, the All Progressives Congress, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas and Hon. Benjamin Kalu, who were presented to him by the Joint Task Team of the House.

He is scheduled to return shortly for preparations towards his official swearing-in as the 16th President of Nigeria on May 29, 2023.