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Benue: Court Remands 23 Persons Over Oju Crisis
A Makurdi Chief Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday remanded 23 persons in a Correction Centre for allegedly causing the crisis in Oju Local Government Area of Benue on June 11.
The police charged the defendants, of various addresses in Oju with criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, inciting public disturbance, mischief by fire, illegal possession of firearms and acts of terrorism.
The Magistrate, Mrs Roseline Iyorshe, however, did not take the pleas of the defendants for want of jurisdiction and adjourned the matter until July 3, for further mention.
Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Insp Jonah Uletu, told the court that one Abinyi Agbenyi of Anyiwogbu reported at the Oju Police Station on June 11 that crisis had erupted in Anyiwogbu Ibila Community.
Agbenyi told the police that a signboard of a proposed university in Anyiwogbu Ibila was allegedly removed by unknown youths from Oju as a result of dispute over the land on which the proposed institution was to be sited.
The complainant stated that following the removal of the signboard, crisis erupted, which led to sporadic shooting and burning of houses around Ihiu Ibila and Barracks areas of Oju.
He said that four persons were killed as a result of the crisis.
Uletu said that following the report, a joint patrol of police and military went to the scene and arrested 23 persons led by one Obo Ahulo and Peter Oga, while others fled.
The prosecutor said their offences contravened Sections 97, 222 and 338 of the penal code laws of Benue, 2004.
It is also contrary to the provisions of Section 3(1) of the Robbery and Firearms Act, 2004 and 4(2) of the Abduction, Hostage-taking, Kidnapping, Secret Cult and similar activities Prohibition laws of Benue, 2017.
The Supreme Court has overturned the Court of Appeal’s decision that recognised Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP). In a decisive ruling, a five-member panel declared that the Court of Appeal lacked the legal authority to determine the party’s leadership matters.
In a unanimous verdict, the highest court in the land stated that the Court of Appeal had no jurisdiction over the matter. The panel observed that since the case revolved around the internal leadership structure of the Labour Party, it fell outside the jurisdiction of the courts.
The ruling reinforced the long-standing principle that leadership disputes within political parties should be resolved internally, rather than through judicial intervention.
The Supreme Court stressed that leadership struggles within political parties are purely internal matters. According to legal principles, courts should not interfere in such issues, as they fall under the party’s constitution and governance framework. By upholding this legal doctrine, the apex court reaffirmed that political parties must settle their leadership crises independently.
The Supreme Court upheld the appeal lodged by Senator Nenadi Usman and a fellow appellant, ruling that their claims were valid. Their appeal challenged the earlier judgment, arguing that it was flawed due to jurisdictional overreach. After thorough legal scrutiny, the Supreme Court found merit in their argument and ruled in their favour.
The legal battle also involved a cross-appeal filed by supporters of Julius Abure, who sought to challenge the decision against their leader. However, the Supreme Court dismissed this cross-appeal, declaring it unsubstantiated and lacking merit. The ruling effectively ended the legal contest over the Labour Party’s chairmanship, cementing the judiciary’s stance on non-interference in party leadership disputes.
Bitcoin experienced sharp fluctuations following President Donald Trump’s April 2 tariff announcement, initially surging to $88,000 before dropping to $82,000.
By April 3, it stabilized around $83,000, with the broader crypto market down over 4%. Major altcoins like Ethereum and Solana also declined over 6%, hitting multi-month lows.
Analysts see the tariff news as reducing market uncertainty, potentially attracting institutional investors.
Despite higher-than-expected rates, experts believe the clarity could help Bitcoin regain momentum toward $90,000. Bitcoin ETFs, led by BlackRock, recorded $218 million in inflows on April 2, reversing prior outflows.
Kraken’s Thomas Perfumo challenged the idea that institutional interest stabilizes crypto, emphasizing that volatility signals demand for a scarce asset.
Some analysts viewed the sell-off as an overreaction to trade policy concerns, highlighting Bitcoin’s resilience as a store of value.
With ETFs showing strong demand, Bitcoin’s price may stabilize and rise, though market participants remain cautious, monitoring trade policies and economic conditions.
Violent clashes between pastoralist groups and settled farming communities have long been a challenge in South Sudan.
However, the recent outbreak of violence in the northern Ruweng Administrative Area has further heightened concerns over the nation’s fragile peace. At least 30 people lost their lives after an armed youth group launched a brutal attack on a northern South Sudanese town, according to local officials.
The incident, linked to an escalating cattle raid, saw the town briefly fall under the control of the attackers before security forces regained control.
The violence began when a group of armed youth stole lambs earlier in the week. Security forces quickly intervened, forcing the raiders to retreat. However, instead of dispersing, the group reorganised and launched a more aggressive attack on Abiemnom the following day.
Local Minister of Information, Simon Chol Mialith, confirmed that despite resistance from local youth and security personnel, the town was overrun by the Mayom armed youth. The attack led to significant casualties and destruction before security forces were able to reclaim the town.
On Wednesday, the South Sudan People’s Defence Force (SSPDF) successfully pushed the attackers out, restoring a semblance of calm. However, the scale of the destruction was already severe, with over 40 individuals injured in addition to the fatalities.
Although reports suggest that some of the deceased were members of the armed groups, official confirmation remains pending.
The attack comes at a time of growing instability in South Sudan, with tensions between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar intensifying. This political rivalry threatens to unravel the delicate 2018 peace agreement that ended the nation’s five-year civil war.
Since gaining independence in 2011, South Sudan has struggled with continuous unrest. Despite its vast oil resources, the country remains impoverished, with conflicts like these exacerbating economic and social difficulties.