Residents of Otukpo-Nobi community in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State on Friday held a mass burial for victims killed in last Sunday’s attack by suspected armed herders.

The solemn ceremony drew grieving families, traditional rulers, religious leaders, community members and sympathisers, who gathered to pay their final respects to those who lost their lives in the deadly assault.

DAILY POST recalls that suspected armed herders invaded Otukpo-Nobi community in the early hours of Sunday, killing eight persons and leaving several others with varying degrees of injuries. The attack also forced many residents to flee the community.

Speaking during the burial, mourners described the killings as heartbreaking and renewed calls on the Federal Government and security agencies to take urgent steps to end the recurring attacks on communities in Benue State.

They also urged the authorities to ensure that those responsible for the killings are arrested and prosecuted, while appealing for improved security to enable displaced residents to return to their homes.

Prayers were offered for the repose of the victims’ souls as the community continued to mourn the tragic loss of their loved ones, with many expressing hope that lasting peace would return to the area.

The Anambra State Police Command has launched a manhunt for a teacher accused of flogging a 12-year-old pupil to death at a school in Adazi-Ani, Anaocha Local Government Area of the state.

The tragic incident, which has sparked outrage, is being investigated under the Command’s Safe School Initiative, with the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, ACP Harrison Oruruo, leading the team handling the case.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the incident was reported to the Neni Police Division on the evening of July 16, 2026.

He said police operatives responded immediately and rushed the critically injured pupil to a hospital, where he was confirmed dead by a medical doctor while receiving treatment.

Ikenga disclosed that the victim’s body had been deposited in the hospital morgue for preservation and an autopsy.

He added that photographs taken during the preliminary investigation revealed visible marks of violence on different parts of the deceased’s body, lending weight to allegations that the boy was severely flogged.

“The case is under active investigation, and all necessary steps are being taken to ensure that anyone found culpable is brought to justice,” the police spokesman stated.

He said the Command had activated its Safe School Initiative and directed a special operations team to track down the fleeing teacher allegedly responsible for the fatal assault.

The Command expressed deep concern over the incident and assured the bereaved family and members of the public that the investigation would be thorough, diligent and transparent.

Ikenga also reaffirmed the Police Command’s commitment to protecting schoolchildren across the state through the Safe School Initiative.

He appealed to members of the public with useful information that could lead to the arrest of the suspect to report to the nearest police station or contact the Command through its emergency line, 07039194332.

The incident has heightened concerns over corporal punishment in schools and renewed calls for stricter measures to safeguard pupils from abuse in learning environments.

Akwa Ibom State Police Command says its operatives have exhumed the corpse of one Emmanuel Effiong, 21, a victim of a mob attack in Mbak 4 Community, Uyo Local Government Area of the state.

The command added that four suspects, David Okon, alias Ita, 45; Joseph Gibson, 39; Essien Solomon, 23; and Imoh Asuquo, 28, were subsequently arrested in connection with the crime following a painstaking investigation.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Timfon John, who disclosed this in a statement in Uyo on Friday, said the remains had been deposited in the morgue for an autopsy.

She said the investigation was initiated following credible information, accompanied by a viral video clip showing the deceased being brutally assaulted by a group of individuals.

She said, “In the viral video, the victim was seen lying helpless in a pool of blood with his hands and legs tied before being dragged along the ground beside a white Mitsubishi pick-up van.

“Investigation revealed that the deceased was allegedly accused of stealing chickens and eggs from a poultry farm located in Mbak 4 Community, Uyo Local Government Area. Rather than being handed over to law enforcement authorities, he was subjected to a barbaric mob attack on April 19, 2026, during which he was beaten with sticks and machetes until he died.

“The suspects allegedly tied the victim’s hands and legs, dragged his lifeless body through the community to a junction, abandoned it there for about two days, and later transported the corpse on a wheelbarrow into a nearby forest, where it was buried in a shallow grave in a deliberate attempt to conceal the crime.”

She said that during interrogation, the four suspects voluntarily confessed to their respective roles in the murder and subsequently led investigators to the burial site in the forest at Mbak 4 Community.

“Investigators also recovered critical exhibits connected to the crime, including the Mitsubishi pick-up van allegedly used in the commission of the offence, the wheelbarrow used to transport the corpse, and the weapons allegedly used to perpetrate the attack.”

The PPRO said the Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, condemned the heinous act in the strongest terms, describing jungle justice as a grave criminal offence that has no place in a civilised society.