Mother strangles her two-day-old baby, dumps him by riverside

A 23-year-old mother, Joy Iember Iorzua is currently cooling her heels at the Benue State Police Command for allegedly killing and dumping her two-day-old baby at the River Ujiiragbo, in Gwer, Benue state.

The mother, reportedly delivered the baby (boy) two days ago and later allegedly strangled him for reasons yet to be ascertained.

A source said ”after killing the baby, she wrapped his remains in a polythene bag, put him in a carton and dumped it at the popular Ujiiragbo River.

”The dastardly killing was however exposed when members of the vigilante group on patrol in the area, got wind of her action and her intention to escape from the community for fear of being apprehended.

”They trailed and arrested her, after which angry members of her community descended heavily on her before handing her over to the Police at Aliade.

”The truth is that this is not the first time this type of allegation is being levelled against her, and that was what prompted the angry reaction of the people who were outraged by her action”.

The Divisional Police Officer, DPO, for Aliade, Superintendent of Police, Bitrus Madani who confirmed the arrest disclosed that the suspect had been transferred to the State Command headquarters for further interrogation.

21 Killed In Attacks On Benue Communities By Suspected Fulani Herdsmen

Separate attacks on Benue communities by suspected Fulani herdsmen claimed 21 lives over the weekend.

The Benue communities that were attacked include Apera, Gberija, Tse Pilla, Uchagh, Ukaha, Atenger, Agema and Agule in Guma where six persons were killed while another 15 were killed at Oguchi-Ankpa in Agatu local government area by the invaders.

A source from Guma local government council said, “They marched into our villages from Awe in Nasarawa State and passed through Damko before invading and burning down eight villages in Guma local government.

“Unfortunately, the herdsmen stormed the affected villages when most men had gone to their farms and since we thought that the persistent crisis had been settled by both the Benue and Nasarawa state governments, we were not prepared for the surprise attack.

“They killed six of our people who were mostly women, because they were at home preparing meals for their husbands and children who had gone to their farms at the time of the attack.

“Several persons were seriously injured while many are still missing as at today and no one has a clue as to their whereabouts.

“In fact this latest attack has brought to the fore the need for both the Benue and Nasarawa state governments to take a closer look at overhauling the security apparatus operating on the border between the two states,” he said.

Meanwhile, Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam has charged the people of the state to be vigilant and report suspicious movements in the communities to security agencies, following the weekend invasion of Benue communities by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

Speaking yesterday at the Catholic Church, Oshigbudu after inspecting the damage at Enogaje, one of the communities earlier attacked by the marauders, Suswam urged the people to “be security conscious and report suspicious movements to the relevant security agencies”.

Owerri Autocrash: At Least 19 Passengers Dead

At least 19 persons yesterday lost their lives in a ghastly auto crash along Owerri-Aba federal highway.

The two vehicles involved in the crash, a commuter bus and a Nissan Xterra, was moving in opposite directions.

According to an eyewitness, the crash occurred at about noon yesterday, between Umuowa and Ihitte, Ngor Okpalaeke local council area of Imo State.

She said all the 19 passengers, including the bus driver and conductor, died on the spot, but the Nissan driver survived the crash.

“The only survivor, a pregnant woman that had her two legs chopped off, was bleeding profusely. Her fate obviously hung in the balance. She was in a very critical situation and I pray God will see her through the ordeal”, the woman said amid sobs.

On what led to the crash, most of the sympathizers were of the opinion that the two vehicles were on top speed and eventually ran into each other while trying to avoid a pothole along the road.

The remains of the accident victims were later moved to an undisclosed morgue by officers and men of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC.

informationng.