Suspected herders kill four hunters in Kwara

• Arewa women protest against insecurity
• EFCC denies brutalising Benue NBA boss

Four men identified as local hunters were yesterday ambushed and killed by suspected herdsmen in Faje community in Asa Local Council of Kwara State.

Sources said that five local hunters, working as community vigilance members, on two motorcycles, were attacked on a bushy path near the village.

It was gathered that the suspected herdsmen gunned down three of the five hunters, while two ran back to the village to inform members of the community of the incident.

However, before people in the village could arrive at the scene of the attack, the assailants had reportedly bolted with one motorcycle belonging to the hunters, abandoning the one they took to the area.

The Guardian gathered that another hunter that was hit by a bullet died yesterday morning.

HUNDREDS of women, under the aegis of Jam’iyyar Matan Arewa (JMA), yesterday, protested against the attacks and killings in parts of the country, while calling for a referendum to determine the future of the country.

The Arewa women said the referendum must be taken seriously by government to placate those calling for the balkanisation of the country.

According to the protesters, the Federal Government must provide adequate security to protect innocent Nigerians from terrorists in almost every state.

The President of JMA, Hajiya Rabi Saulawa, told journalists that “Nigeria is today sadly at the precipice. The northern part has become the centre of perennial crisis of epic proportions from all fronts.”

IN another development, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has denied brutalising the Chairman of Nigerian bar Association (NBA) in Benue State, Mr. Justin Gbagir.

Operatives of the EFCC in Makurdi had allegedly beaten the NBA boss to pulp.

The Guardian gathered that the incident happened when Gbagir visited the office of the anti-graft agency to help secure the release of Mrs. Aver Shima, an NBA member that was detained by the operatives.

Shima, a law officer with Benue Ministry of Justice, is seconded to offer official legal services to Benue State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).

The Information Officer of the EFCC, Adebayo Adeniran, denied the assult allegations against the operatives.

He urged newsmen to wait and get a formal statement from the EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, from Abuja.

The NBA chairman was reportedly in hospital receiving treatment at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), Makurdi, at the time of this report.