President Tinubu Vows to Crush Radical Islamic Militias Behind Plateau Attacks…Boko Haram Launches Midnight Assault on Nigerian Military Outpost…VOA Ends Hausa Broadcasts in Nigeria…Ex-First Lady’s Domestic Staff Languish in Jail Over Unproven Charges
- After Christian Villages Raided, Tinubu Promises to ‘Exterminate Forces of Evil’
President Bola Tinubu has condemned the recent killings in central Nigeria’s Plateau State, calling the attacks “unacceptable” and promising that those responsible “will face severe punishment.”
“The report of another violent attack in communities in Plateau State by mindless gunmen saddens me,” Tinubu said in a statement Friday. “These intermittent attacks should have no place in our country… We will work harder to exterminate forces of evil wherever they are lurking.”
He extended condolences to families in Ruwi, Hurti, Tadai, Manguna, and Dafo villages, and directed Nigeria’s emergency agency to provide immediate aid.
The President’s remarks follow a surge of violence in Plateau, where more than 50 people have been killed since late March. On April 2 alone, over 30 died in raids on five Christian farming villages. Police and military officials have remained silent, and no arrests have been announced. Survivors continue to flee amid fears of more attacks.
- Boko Haram Strikes Military Base in Northeast Nigeria; Captain Among the Dead
Suspected Boko Haram militants launched a deadly attack early Sunday on a military base in Izge, a village in northeastern Nigeria’s Borno State, killing at least two soldiers, including a captain and a corporal, according to Daily Trust.
The assault began around 1:00 a.m. local time when the radical Islamic terrorists on motorbikes fired a rocket-propelled grenade at the military formation before storming the area. Local hunters and vigilantes joined soldiers in repelling the attack.
“It was a fierce battle,” a local source said. “The terrorists were overpowered and many of them dropped dead and others abandoned their motorcycles.”
The chairman of Gwoza county, Abba Kawu Idrissa Timta confirmed the attack but said he could not yet verify casualty figures. He noted that “scores of the terrorists were killed.”
- VOA Hausa Service Goes Off Air in Nigeria After U.S. Funding Cuts
The Voice of America’s Hausa-language broadcasts have gone off air in Nigeria following funding cuts by the Trump administration.
Listeners in northern Nigeria first noticed the disruption last month when expected news programs were replaced with music. “People started calling in, worried that there had been a coup in America,” VOA journalist Babangida Jibrin told local media.
The shutdown has left millions without access to one of the region’s most trusted international news sources—particularly in rural areas with limited media options. “Now I don’t hear from them again. I have always enjoyed their stories,” said Musa Ayuba, a 35-year VOA listener from Katsina State.
According to Premium Times, VOA Hausa reached an estimated weekly audience of 16.9 million for its programs. President Donald Trump’s funding cuts marks a significant gap in news access across northern Nigeria.
- 15 Domestic Staff Rot in Jail Over Jewelry Missing from Ex-First Lady’s Home
Fifteen former domestic workers of Nigeria’s ex-First Lady, Patience Jonathan, say they’ve spent the last six years in prison without trial over what they insist are false accusations of theft and attempted murder.
Speaking to Saturday PUNCH, one detainee said: “We have been in prison since 2019… there is no evidence to prove to the court and the case is not proceeding; she (Jonathan) is still waiting for witnesses to come till today.”
The group has been held in Bayelsa State since 2019 when Jonathan left office, charged with stealing jewelry and electronics worth over $130,000 and plotting to assassinate her. But after more than 40 adjournments, the court has delivered no verdict.
The Nigerian Bar Association has stepped in to seek a possible resolution. “We have reached out to the former first lady,” a top NBA official told Punch.
However, the Bayelsa State Prison Command dismissed the claims as “unfounded.” In a statement cited by Vanguard, spokesperson Isari Tombara said, “These inmates were lawfully remanded with valid court warrants.” He added that the inmates were last in court on April 3, 2025, and are due again on April 17.
—Ezinwanne Onwuka reports for TruthNigeria from Abuja.
