The village head of Odonget community in Obubra LGA in Cross River State, His Highness Chief Richard Ahim Ayan, and other community stakeholders who escaped into bushes and neighbouring communities are lamenting over their wives, children, and other loved ones who are said to be missing or have been killed.

Last Thursday at about 1:00 a.m., soldiers from the 13 Brigade of the Nigerian Army invaded the community following reports that the locals requested illegal miners to pay N1,000 each before passing with their minerals. The soldiers reportedly burnt down more than fifty houses, including that of the village head, killed several villagers, arrested some, while more than 200 women, elderly persons, and children fled their homes and village for safety.

The soldiers have imposed a dawn-to-dusk curfew.

Precious minerals, including a very lucrative one locally called ‘Cusa’, used for gunpowder, have been mined illegally in communities in nearby Etung LGA over the last three years by men from northern parts of Nigeria in alleged connivance with powerful individuals.

“More than 500 armed soldiers are still occupying our village, making it very unsafe for our return. The whole village is a ghost town except for the soldiers sauntering about,” said a youth leader, Amos Agim, who is now hiding in Iyamoyom community.

Agim explained that since everyone fled from Odonget to Ochon, Itabang, and other communities, several family members have been reported missing while many have been killed.

In an interview, Agim lamented, “I don’t know where my wife and children are. Since early Thursday morning, everyone ran in different directions. My house has been burnt.

“The family of our village head is also scattered; some were killed. His house and many other houses were burnt down.”

Agim recalled the genesis of the problem, saying it began when the northern men mining the precious stones in nearby communities refused to pay N1,000 each before being allowed to evacuate the minerals through Odonget.

“One kilo of the precious stone is N35,000. They make so much money, yet they refused to pay at the checkpoint manned by the community vigilante.

“Trouble ensued. The miners then invited the soldiers, who arrived with arms and, instead of settling the problem, descended on our community, setting it ablaze and killing our people. As we speak, corpses still litter our community.”

Another displaced victim, Madam Charity Bissong, sobbing, said her aged husband and two grandchildren who could not escape were killed.

Reacting in a statement on March 12, 2026, Major Yemi Sokoya, Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, Headquarters of 13 Brigade Nigerian Army, denied the killings but disclosed that during their engagement with the community, only four people were killed while they lost one soldier.

He said the soldiers acted swiftly to prevent a total breakdown of law and order.

He added that they had to call for reinforcement from the 245 Battalion when armed local youths allegedly ambushed them.

The Edo State Government has ordered the immediate arrest and prosecution of students involved in a viral bullying incident at Igbinedion Education Centre.

The directive followed the circulation of a “disturbing and unacceptable” video showing students violently assaulting a peer in a school hostel.

The Commissioner for Information in the state, Kassim Afegbua, made this known on Monday during an interview on Channels Television programme, Sunrise Daily

Afegbua stated that the government took immediate action after seeing the video, which showed students allegedly bullying a fellow student.

He said the incident had raised serious concerns among parents and well-meaning Nigerians about discipline in schools and the conduct of students.

“It is quite disturbing. When we heard the news and saw the clips of the video, we were wondering what could have warranted such behaviour,” he said.

He described the act as unacceptable and stressed that there could be no justification for students bullying their peers.

“There will be no justification for that kind of treatment. It is very unacceptable,” he added.

According to him, the state government moved swiftly by expelling the students involved while also directing the police to ensure that those responsible are arrested and prosecuted.

“We took action almost immediately that led to the expulsion of the students involved. But it is not just about expulsion; we also directed the police to make sure the students are properly arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law,” Afegbua said.

The commissioner disclosed that he had also contacted the state Commissioner of Police to ensure that necessary steps were being taken in the investigation.

“I placed a call to the Commissioner of Police this morning to be sure they are taking steps. He told me he is expecting the parents to bring the students involved, and after investigations, they will be charged in court,” he said.

Afegbua described the incident as a wake-up call to parents and teachers, stressing the need for stronger supervision and discipline in schools to prevent similar occurrences.

JomogNews had reported that two male students, in a viral clip shared on X, were seen beating and kicking another student who was lying on the ground.

One of the students was captured dragging the victim by his suit and stomping on his chest while the boy cried in pain, as a third student who recorded the incident pleaded with them to stop.

The video sparked widespread outrage on social media, prompting disciplinary action by the school authorities.

The Edo State Police Command had summoned the school management to hand over the students involved for investigation and possible prosecution, as the state government promised sanctions for anyone found culpable.

Meanwhile, the Edo State Ministry of Education has set up a five-man investigative committee to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident and identify all students found culpable.

Several passengers sustained injuries on Monday after a passenger train travelling from Kaduna to Abuja derailed along the Abuja Kaduna rail corridor, forcing the train to halt and disrupting the journey.

Passengers aboard the Abuja bound service said the incident occurred during the early hours of the day when the train jolted violently, triggering panic inside the coaches.

According to eyewitness accounts, the train experienced a violent jolt during the early hours of the journey, triggering widespread panic among the 429 passengers on board.

While the train remained on the tracks, the impact of the mechanical malfunction caused injuries to several commuters.

Travellers said the impact threw some passengers from their seats as the train came to an abrupt stop.

Some passengers were said to have sustained varying degrees of injuries in the confusion that followed the incident.

In a statement, the Nigerian Railway Corporation said the incident occurred at about 10.30 a.m. near Asham and involved a rear locomotive and a passenger coach.

According to the corporation, preliminary findings indicated that the rear locomotive made contact with the coach immediately next to it due to a coupling issue.

The statement said some passengers sustained injuries and were promptly attended to before being taken to a nearby medical facility for proper medical care.

It added that no fatalities were recorded.

The corporation said emergency response protocols were immediately activated, while technical teams were deployed to the location to address the situation.

It also said the Safety Investigation Bureau had arrived at the scene to conduct a thorough investigation in line with established safety procedures.

The Abuja Kaduna standard gauge rail line remains one of the most patronised passenger routes in the country, providing a key transport link between Kaduna and the Federal Capital Territory.

The corridor has continued to attract large numbers of travellers, particularly commuters seeking a safer alternative to the Abuja Kaduna highway.