At least three persons have lost their lives following renewed attacks by suspected armed assailants in Anyiase community, Moon Council Ward of Kwande Local Government Area in Benue State.

Residents said the violence occurred between Thursday afternoon and Friday morning, less than 24 hours after another deadly attack was reported in a rural community in Okpokwu Local Government Area.

A former Supervisory Councillor in the area, Akerigba Lawrence, said the attackers stormed farmlands in Anyiase at about 3:20 p.m. on Thursday, killing two farmers, identified as Asongo Nagwebe and Tarzan Agbahegh.

Lawrence said a man and a woman also sustained severe injuries during the assault and were taken to the General Hospital in Jato-Aka for treatment.

He disclosed that the male victim later died while being transferred to Makurdi for advanced medical care, bringing the death toll from the farm attack to three.

According to him, the suspected attackers also mounted a road blockade at Kyoawen Junction on Friday morning and opened fire on a commercial bus carrying passengers.

The exact number of casualties from the latest roadside attack was yet to be confirmed as of the time of filing this report.

Efforts to get a reaction from the Chairman of Kwande Local Government Area, Vitalis Neji, were unsuccessful as he did not respond to phone calls or text messages.

Likewise, the Benue State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, could not be reached for official confirmation before press time.

The Nigeria Police Force in Ebonyi State, has arraigned three suspects in alleged connection with the mob attack on a woman at the International Market, Abakaliki.

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‎The suspects, identified as Nwokedi Charles, Ekwunife Chidubem, and Okapala Chiamaka, were charged to court following the conclusion of investigations into the incident.

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‎In a statement issued on Friday, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu, recalled that the Commissioner of Police, Ebonyi State Command, CP Hope Urunwa-Okafor, had strongly condemned the incident and ordered a thorough, diligent, and impartial investigation.

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‎The police spokesperson stated that the suspects were subsequently arraigned for their alleged involvement in the attack.

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‎The Command reiterated its zero tolerance for jungle justice and all forms of self-help, urging members of the public to report suspected offenders to the police rather than resorting to mob action.

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‎The Police warned that anyone found engaging in jungle justice would be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.

A 25-year-old man, Bala Haruna, has been apprehended by operatives of the Kano State Hisbah Board for allegedly attempting to traffic two girls for domestic work to Arab countries.

Dr Mujahid Aminuddeen, Deputy Commander-General of the Kano State Hisbah Board, made the disclosure on Friday, saying the arrest was made on Thursday at one of the car parks in the city while the suspect was allegedly attempting to take the girls out of town.

He said, “The suspect, from Kazaure Local Government Area of Jigawa State, was apprehended alongside two girls, Fatima Safiyanu, 23, from Daura in Katsina State, and Hasiya Haruna, 11, from Kazaure in Jigawa State.”

Investigations are ongoing to establish how he intended to arrange the victims’ travel, so that appropriate legal action can be taken.

According to Aminuddeen, the board has handed over the suspects to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), and warned women, parents, and the general public to be wary of persons recruiting people for domestic work abroad, urging them to verify the authenticity of any job offers before acceptance.