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Bandits to Benue farmer: Pay N500,000 before harvesting your crops
Bandits have demanded the payment of N500,000 from a farmer in a Benue state community before he would be allowed to access his farm to harvest crops.
The farmer, identified as a resident of Mbagena Council Ward in Kastina-Ala local government area, was allegedly targeted by local bandits who have reportedly been terrorising communities in the area and imposing ransom demands on residents.
His son, John James, a 300-level student of Benue State University (BSU), disclosed the development while speaking at a capacity-building workshop on Promoting Safety and Security Rights, Accountability and Access to Justice organised by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) in Makurdi at the weekend.
According to James, his father, who works in the public sector while also engaging in farming, was attacked at his residence about two weeks ago by suspected bandits who demanded N500,000.
James said the attackers initially gave his father three days to produce the money but later extended the deadline to seven days after he explained that he needed to harvest his farm produce before he could raise the ransom.
He said his father had planned to sell some of his crops, including groundnut, beniseed and soyabean, to raise the money demanded by the attackers.
James said, “About two weeks ago, terrorists invaded his compound in the night where he was sleeping alongside my mother after work. They charged him to pay a ransom of N500,000.
“My father pleaded with them because there was nothing at the moment. He had to plead with them for our lives because contacting the security would only worsen the situation.”
The student further narrated that the situation escalated when the attackers returned to the family home and abducted his mother, accusing his father of intentionally delaying the ransom payment.
According to him, the farmer was away attending a burial ceremony around Kastina-Ala town when the gunmen arrived at the residence and took his mother away.
James said his mother was eventually released after one of the abductors reportedly intervened and pleaded for her freedom after seeing her crying and in distress.
“She was freed but not without being tortured. As I talk to you now, my mother is suffering emotionally and physically from the pains she suffered in the course of the torture,” he said.
He disclosed that his father subsequently sought assistance from friends and relatives and was able to raise N200,000, which he handed over to the suspected bandits at about midnight on Thursday.
However, rather than allowing him unrestricted access to his farm, the attackers allegedly told him that he would have to complete the N500,000 ransom before harvesting the rest of his crops.
“When my father returned and handed them the money, they said it was not enough, that he had to complete it to N500,000 before he would be allowed to harvest anything from his farm,” he said.
James said the continued threats had left his father with no choice but to flee the community, while his farm produce remained unharvested.
“They are still threatening my father for the remaining amount, and he is on the run for fear of the unknown. He can’t go back to harvest everything now until he gets all the money,” James added.
The Enugu State Government has suspended His Royal Majesty, Igwe Eze William Ezugwu, the traditional ruler of Ibagwa Ogbozalla Opi Autonomous Community, in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu state.
The state government accused Igwe Ezugwu of violating provisions of the state’s Traditional Rulers Law.
In a letter of suspension dated September 24, the Enugu State Government cited his alleged failure to constitute his cabinet, failure to establish a Town Union governing body, and persistent conduct deemed inconsistent with the laws governing traditional rulers in the state.
The suspension comes barely three weeks after Igwe William Ezugwu received NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi at his palace in Opi, Nsukka LGA, where he reportedly blessed Obi’s presidential ambition.
The Deputy Commander of Operation Rainbow, CSP (Chief Superintendent of Police) Dennis David Babale, has been killed after gunmen suspected to be Fulani Bandits ambushed personnel of the security outfit along the Bokkos-Barkin Ladi road in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State.
Operation Rainbow is a State-backed community security and intelligence-gathering outfit in Plateau State, Nigeria, originally established in 2010 under former Governor Jonah Jang and recently revamped by Governor Caleb Mutfwang to combat rural violence and beef up grassroots security.
The incident reportedly occurred at about 4:06 p.m. on Tuesday, September 22, 2026 when the personnel, travelling in a Toyota Hilux vehicle, came under attack by unidentified gunmen.
Troops of Sector 4, Operation ENDURING PEACE (OPEP), responded to a distress report and moved to the location of the attack.
Sources told reporters that Babale sustained gunshot wounds during the ambush and was evacuated to the General Hospital, Barkin Ladi, for medical attention.
Following the attack, troops, working alongside personnel of other security agencies, launched offensive operations and a manhunt for the assailants within the general area.
Security forces have intensified efforts to track the attackers and prevent further attacks along the route.
Director General/CEO of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and Nigeria’s Permanent Representative at the World Meteorological Organization, Prof. Charles Anosike and other Chief Executive Officers of similar agencies across the world, have concluded a one week high level dialogue on Climate Science Information for Climate Finance and the 53rd Senior Official Field Exchange (SOFE) in Beijing, China.
The event which was hosted by World Meteorological Organization (WMO), took place from September 14 to 18, 2026 and featured discussions on: strengthening the role and leadership development of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) in mobilizing climate finance; aligning scientific and technical capabilities with risk-informed, people-centred early warning systems; shifting from technical assistance to sustainable investments by expanding practical cooperation between meteorological frameworks and multilateral financing entities; and support to NMHSs leadership on strengthening strategic thinking and fostering productive partnerships.
Held back-to-back with the High-level dialogue was the 53rd Senior Official Field Exchange to Fujian Province for first-hand exposure to the implementation of Multi-hazard, Alert, Zero-gap and Universal (MAZU) platform – China’s AI-driven meteorological early warning solution in support of the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative and disaster risk reduction practices through technical exchanges, field visits and peer learning.
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