Fresh Attacks in Central Nigeria Claim Scores of Lives Lost, Fresh Loans from World Bank…Kidnapped Nigerian General Regains Freedom…and more
● Five Christian Villages Attacked in Nigeria, Scores Killed
Mainstream Nigerian media are undercounting the losses from wide-ranging Fulani Ethnic Militia attacks and kidnappings in Central Plateau State. The Guardian reported 10 people were killed April 3rd in a series of attacks on five villages in Bokkos, a county in central Nigeria’s Plateau State.
However, As of April 3, more than 50 people have been killed in just ten days in farming areas south of Jos, the state capital, according to tribal leaders and reported in TruthNigeria. Gov. Caleb Mutfwang has labeled the attacks as genocidal, pressing for self-defense amidst claims of military inaction.
On April 2nd alone, more than 30 people lost their lives during a raid of five villages located 50-60 miles south of Jos, TruthNigeria has learned. Police and army officials are not speaking to the press.
The assault targeted Mongor, Daffo, Manguna, Hurti, and Tadai Christian communities, just
days after a similar attack in Ruwi, also in Bokkos, left more than 10 dead.
Farmasum Fuddang, a leader of the Bokkos Cultural Development Council, said security forces repelled the attackers in Mongor, but they regrouped and struck other villages. He credited the military and police for minimizing casualties.
The attacks have forced residents to flee, and local officials are calling for emergency aid for the displaced.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, though armed Fulani ethnic militias have previously been blamed for deadly raids in Plateau, a state plagued by ethnic and religious violence. Authorities have not disclosed any arrests.
● World Bank Approves $1.08 Billion for Education, Nutrition, and Economic Support in Nigeria
The World Bank has approved $1.08 billion in concessional financing for Nigeria to improve education, nutrition, and economic resilience.
The funding includes $500 million for the Hope for Quality Basic Education for All (HOPE-
EDU) program to enhance basic education, $80 million for the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRIN 2.0) program to improve nutrition services, and $500 million in additional financing for the Nigeria: Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NG-
CARES) initiative, which supports livelihoods and food security for vulnerable households.
HOPE-EDU aims to boost foundational literacy and numeracy, benefiting 29 million children and 500,000 teachers. ANRIN 2.0 will provide nutrition services to pregnant women, adolescent girls, and children under five. NG-CARES, originally launched during COVID-19,
has already aided 15 million Nigerians and will continue providing social transfers and small-business support.
“These new sets of programs will help Nigeria to accelerate education quality and support to vulnerable citizens,” said Ndiamé Diop, World Bank Country Director for Nigeria.
● Security Failures Exposed as Bandit Leader Kills 11 Farmers After Sallah Celebration
Notorious Nigerian bandit leader Bello Turji and his gang killed 11 farmers in Zamfara State after attending a Sallah celebration in neighboring Sokoto State, according to The Punch.
Residents claimed security officials had prior intelligence about his movement but failed to stop him. A local security official, Sani Abubakar, confirmed that authorities tracked Turji but only blocked him from entering Sabon Birni, a border town near Niger Republic in Sokoto.
“This may have been why he directed his anger at innocent farmers,” he said.
Reports also claim Turji stopped in Tozai, a town in Sokoto, where he killed the leader of a community self-defense group before continuing his rampage.
The Nigerian military has yet to comment, but Maj. Gen. Markus Kangye, Defense Headquarters spokesman, assured Nigerians that Turji shall soon be captured. “It is just a matter of time—an appointment will be fixed with him by his maker,” he said.
● Kidnapped Nigerian General Regains Freedom After 56 Days in Captivity
A retired Nigerian military officer, Brigadier General Maharazu Tsiga, has been freed after 56 days in captivity. Tsiga, who previously headed a national youth service program, was abducted along with nine others on February 5 from his hometown in Katsina State.
His release reportedly came after a hefty ransom payment of about ₦60 million (about $39,000) by his family. Yet, his captors still held him for weeks.
He was eventually freed on Wednesday and handed over to Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, alongside 18 others.
Tsiga described his ordeal as harrowing, saying he was held in a remote forest filled with wild animals. “We constantly lived with snakes and scorpions. Whenever troops attacked
them, they would bring us out and use us as human shields, hoping to get us killed by the
military strikes,” he said according to media accounts.
Nigeria’s military and security officials vowed to hunt down those responsible.
“This is not the end of the story. Those perpetrators will pay for it,” Ribadu declared.
—Ezinwanne Onwuka reports for TruthNigeria from Abuja.
