Latest Benue News today, Saturday, August 20, 2022

Good morning! Here are latest Benue News, today Saturday, August 20, 2022.

1. Benue State government has reacted to a statement by the All Progressives Congress, APC Publicity Secretary in the state where he “attempted to divert attention from the concerns, fears and focus of Benue people and other Nigerians on the disturbing matters of insecurity occasioned by the failure of the Federal Government which Governor Samuel Ortom has constantly been speaking about.”

Terver Akase, Special Adviser, Media & Publicity to the governor in a statement said, “the lame distraction by APC in Benue State was expected.”

2. Governor Samuel Ortom, Senator Gabriel Suswam and the PDP Governorship candidate, Hon. Titus Uba led other party bigwigs to receive Makurdi North State Constituency member, Thomas Kwagh-Kudi into the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The decamping ceremony, which held on Thursday, August 18th, 2022 at St. Mary’s Primary School, North Bank, Makurdi witnessed hundreds of All Progressives Congress, APC members and others who defected into the PDP along with the State lawmaker.

3. A group, Campaign for Equal Rights and Opportunities for all Nigerians, CERON, has asked the Benue state government to, without further delay, drag Miyetti Allah group to the International Criminal Court, ICC, at The Hague over the mindless killings and plundering of communities in the state.

Speaking to newsmen, weekend in Makurdi, in commemoration of the 2022 World Humanitarian Day, the Secretary of CERON, Mr. Francis Odiir noted that the herdsmen induced killings and destruction in Benue state was overwhelming and beyond imagination, stressing that it might take the state over 50 years to overcome the impact of the devastation.

4. Gunmen suspected to be terrorists have killed a lawyer identified as Benedict Torngee Azza in Gusau, Zamfara State.

Azza, who was a principal partner at BT Azza & Co. Chambers, based in Gusau, was shot dead along Byepass, near Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Headquarters in the state while returning to his residence around 10 pm on Thursday.

5. The Police Command in Benue Friday arraigned a suspect, Nyinnyin Ushazungwe, 19, before a Makurdi Upper Area Court for alleged criminal conspiracy, illegal blocking of federal highway and armed robbery.

The Police Prosecutor Insp Veronica Shaagee, told the court that the case was reported by one Benson Pember of Benue State Board of Internal Revenue Services (BIRS) Makurdi, on Wednesday.

6. All the listed 14 teams have arrived in Makurdi, the capital of Benue State, for the 3rd edition of the North Central Handball Championships.

Top officials of the 9 men and 5 women’s participating teams will however meet on Friday with the Technical team of the Organising Committee, Referees, and Match Delegates; with a view to ratifying the draws and bye-laws to be used for the competition.

7. Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has called on the United Nations, other international communities and civil society organisations as well as the federal government to remember the over two million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state. The governor described as significant, the theme of the 2022 World Humanitarian Day tagged: “It takes a village to raise a child.”

He said that “similarly, it takes a village to support a person in a humanitarian crisis with record-high humanitarian needs around the world, this year’s World Humanitarian Day (WHD) builds on this metaphor of collective endeavour to grow global appreciation of humanitarian work.”

8. Benue State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN) Rev. Akpen Leva has enjoined the new Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, His Eminence Dr. Oliver Abah to prepare for the security challenges that have bedeviled the country to enable him succeed in his new assignment.

Leva who made the call when he paid a solidarity visit on the new Prelate, maintained that his elevation to the position of the Prelate of the church came at the time evil men were targeting the clergy and other social vices like abduction, banditry and unprovoked attacks have enveloped the nation.