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Fresh Attack Claims Three Lives in Bassa as Plateau Fact-Finding Committee Visits Grieving Communities
A renewed wave of violence has struck Te’egbe community in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State, where a family of five was attacked by suspected Fulani militants while working on their farm. The incident, which occurred on Monday, June 23, 2025, resulted in the death of a mother and her two daughters. The remaining two family members, a couple, sustained severe machete and bullet wounds and were rushed to the Primary Health Care Centre before being transferred to Jos for further treatment.
Chairman of Bassa LGA, Dr. Joshua Sunday Ruti, disclosed the incident during an interview with journalists amid the visit of the Plateau State Government’s Fact-Finding Committee on Incessant Killings. He revealed that news of the attack came while the committee was in a closed-door meeting at the council headquarters.
“We are saddened and disheartened to record yet another tragic incident. During our meeting with the fact-finding committee, we received a distress call and had to immediately suspend the meeting. Upon arrival at the scene, we confirmed three deaths and two seriously injured individuals already taken for treatment,” Ruti stated.
He lamented the continued cycle of violence since 2001, questioning the motives of the attackers. “We keep asking what we did to deserve this. Only condemning the acts is not enough. We need justice and peace, because where there is no justice, there can be no peace — and without peace, there can be no development,” he added.
According to the Te’egbe Youth Leader, the assailants are suspected to have crossed into Bassa from the Kaduna border area. “In the last attack, they came from Kimis. Today’s attackers came from Baduru in Kaduna State. One of the victims left his phone behind while escaping, and when we called, the person who picked up spoke like Fulani people,” he alleged.
Chairman of the committee, Major General Nicholas Rogas (Rtd), condemned the killings and advised youths not to take laws into their hands.
“Yes, we’ve seen it for ourselves and heard from the people. This is the second place we are visiting—Kwall, in Bassa LGA. We’ve seen two mass graves: one here with about 54 victims and another where three people were recently killed. The destruction is evident, and we thank the governor for initiating this committee,” General Rogas said.
He urged the Bassa chairman to liaise with his counterpart in neighboring Kaduna State to establish a communication channel for security collaboration. “You must work together, and communities must prepare to defend themselves while assisting security agencies. The terrain is rough — even 2km can take over an hour. That delay costs lives.”
He stressed the importance of local vigilance. “You must establish internal early-warning systems to help stall attacks until reinforcements arrive.”
Publicity Secretary of the Irigwe Youth Movement and civil rights activist, Lawrence Zongo, also spoke at the event, decrying the continued killings.
“Since 2001, over 1,000 Irigwe people have been killed, with at least 200 in the last two years. Farmlands have been destroyed—over 1,000 hectares. Today, we aren’t harvesting crops but the dead,” Zongo lamented.
He noted that the Fulani ethnic militias are responsible for consistent attacks, often targeting women and children during farming seasons. “We currently have three corpses and two victims hospitalized. The painful part is that arrests are never made here, unlike in places like Mangu where suspects were immediately apprehended. That is injustice.”
Zongo also highlighted that a peace agreement previously formed under the “Brao” leadership has not been respected. “The agreement banned underage and night grazing and called for Fulani leaders to be held responsible for any attack. Yet nothing has been done.”
During the committee’s assessment tour of Fulani-dominated Duse Kura community, Fulani leaders called for an end to biased narratives in the media.
Ardo Bako of Duse Kura emphasized, “Every time there’s an attack on the Irigwe, the media generalizes and blames ‘Fulani’ — creating hate and division. Both Fulani and Irigwe people are being killed, yet only one side is often reported. We’ve buried our people too.”
He added, “We’ve worked with Irigwe people before and provided intelligence. We’re still willing to collaborate, but the divisions must end.”
Similarly, Ardo Wada Waziri of Miango lamented that growing distrust has alienated communities. “I have a farm my father bought in Bassa, but I dare not go there. Our cows are being killed, our people murdered. We want peace too.”
Jonah Jacob, a Rukuba man and Youth Leader in Duse Kura, shed light on recurring causes of conflict. “The truth is both Fulani and Irigwe break agreements. Night grazing on Irigwe farms leads to cow seizures or killings, prompting retaliation. Often, the cows are not owned by the herders themselves, so when something happens, the owners strike back. Drug use among youths also escalates tensions.”
Jacob stressed that these repeated infractions by both groups allow external forces to exploit the conflict, resulting in more killings.
The fact-finding committee also visited mass grave sites across Bassa, including:
- Kwall, where three individuals were ambushed and killed two weeks ago;
- Zike Community, where 54 people were buried after an unprovoked attack over two months ago;
- Miango, where over 40 victims of violence were buried.
The committee’s visits and interactions have underscored the need for urgent, collaborative, and sustained intervention to halt the spiraling violence in Bassa and its surrounding communities.
News
SENATOR I. D. GYANG SAYS PLATEAU NORTH AWAITS JUSTICE FROM THE NATIONAL WORKING COMMITTEE OF THE APC.
The recent developments surrounding the APC Senatorial Primary Election in Plateau North have raised serious concerns among party faithful and lovers of democracy.
It is deeply troubling that members were denied the free and fair opportunity to elect the candidate of their choice through a transparent democratic process.
The foundation of every credible democracy rests upon the sanctity of the people’s mandate, internal party democracy, fairness, and due process.
While political leadership and influence remain legitimate within party politics, the imposition of outcomes against the popular will of party members weakens confidence in democratic institutions and risks alienating loyal stakeholders who have laboured tirelessly for the growth and stability of the party.
It is public knowledge that the Senatorial primary elections were not conducted in Plateau North. Rather, results were concocted and allocated to suit a predetermined outcome. It would therefore be injurious to, and a negation of good conscience and the fear of God for anyone to assert the contrary.
The strength of the APC has always been its people — the grassroots members whose voices and votes must never be substituted by predetermined arrangements.
We have noted that the national chairman of the APC has clarified that the National Working Committee is studying the reports of the Appeal Committee on the conduct of the National Assembly primary elections after which the right thing will be done.
In view of the foregoing, we urge our supporters and party faithful to remain vigilant and peaceful as Plateau North awaits justice from the National Working Committee.
Our position is predicated and rooted in the defence of justice, equity, and the democratic rights of APC members and the people of Plateau North.
Comrade Lot Adas
Director General
I. D. Gyang Campaign Council.
News
D’Tigers’ Former Coach Mike Brown Hogs All Headlines, Following Sterling Run With New York Knicks In NBA
The name of a former head coach of Nigeria’s men’s basketball national team, D’Tigers, is hogging all headlines in United States of America, as Mike Brown has taken the country’s National Basketball Association (NBA) by storm.
Sports247 reports that Brown, who handled D’Tigers from 2020 to 2022, is leading what has been described as an ‘unbelievable’ NBA title charge for New York Knicks, who also have Nigerian-born Ogugua ‘OG’ Anunoby among their best players.
With Anunoby doing well on the court and Brown firing technical details from the sideline, The Knicks’ run through the 2026 NBA play-offs has been majestic and they enacted yet another huge win in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals.
Victory for Brown’s team put Cleveland Cavaliers on the brink of elimination and drew The Knicks 48 minutes closer to an NBA Finals return after more than 25 years, thereby making memories of July 7th, 2025 most symbolic – when they hired him as coach.
That came five years after Brown was announced as the head coach of Nigeria’s men’s team on February 5th, 2020 and his latest deal has been filled with great results, leading to The Knicks’ current surge on a remarkable return to NBA coaching for the tactician.
Before now, Brown hadn’t made the championship round from the bench since 2007, being the longest gap for any coach in NBA history, and his future seemed uncertain after he was fired during his third term at Sacramento Kings in the 2024-25 season.
Incidentally, Brown earlier had two stints with The Cavaliers before taking up the job in Nigeria, but he had yet to reach a magical point with any franchise, until a 130-93 Game 4 win on Monday, another blowout in a closeout, and his name is now ringing loud bells.
Headlines now reveal that Brown is the first Knicks’ head coach – since Jeff Van Gundy in 1999 – who would have a chance to compete for the real thing, while many incredible events of the past month – 11 consecutive wins and two straight series sweeps – have set tongues wagging.
The Knicks are also blowing opponents’ doors off by nearly 22 points per 100 non-garbage-time possessions, a margin twice as large as either Western Conference finalist, and New York City appears ready to flaunt NBA’s latest champs in the coming month.
Brown, though, appeared ready all along for the pressure that came with NBA Finals, meeting up to great expectations and ready for the challenge of utilising all he has learnt in three decades on various benches into getting results from his squad.
His past reads like a majestic voyage – Washington Wizards (assistant coach), San Antonio Spurs (assistant), Indiana Pacers (assistant), Cleveland Cavaliers (twice), Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors (associate HC) and Sacramento Kings.
Apart from calling technical shots, Brown also knows how to motivate the lads, as he praised his players for remaining determined for success – despite their recent roll call of huge results and reign of success – and he is repeatedly ready to applaud their form in this post-season.
“(It’s) more so about these players, and they want to go try to get a ring. If an opportunity came up, great; if it didn’t, you know, shoot, I felt lucky, blessed, fortunate. I had a good run, you know? I felt that at some point, I’d get another.
“Whether it was a head coach or an assistant coaching position. I just kind of rolled with it. Didn’t think much about it. Obviously, this opportunity came up. You know, from afar, I just felt that this team was ready,” Brown submitted.
Sports247 reports further that, while the route still appears rough heading into the 2026 NBA Finals, Brown can think about what being the first Knicks’ coach to hoist the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy since Red Holzman in 1973 would mean for him.
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