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Ohanaeze Ndigbo Urges South-East to Avoid Protests
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the leading Igbo socio-cultural organization, has urged South-East states to refrain from participating in nationwide protests scheduled for August 1-10, 2024. These protests, organized by various groups, aim to address the escalating living costs and hardships faced by Nigerians. Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, released a statement explaining the organization’s stance, citing historical instances where Igbo people have disproportionately suffered during major protests and riots.
Isiguzoro referred to events like the 1978 “ALI MUST GO” protests, the 1989 anti-SAP riots, the 1993 June 12 protests, the 2012 Occupy Nigeria protests, and the 2020 END SARS protests, highlighting significant losses of life and property for the Igbo community. The organization emphasized that the prevailing security challenges in the Southeast region make it impossible to conduct safe protests, and participation could exacerbate existing security issues, leading to further chaos.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo also expressed concerns that Igbos could once again be perceived as sacrificial lambs in the upcoming protests, urging Igbo residents in the northern states and the Southwest to boycott the protests for their safety. The organization stressed that the primary focus for the Southeast region should be the release of Nnamdi Kanu, rather than engaging in nationwide protests.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has reportedly declared a strike at Taraba State University over outstanding salary-related demands and delays in payments.
The strike is scheduled to begin today, October 12, 2026. According to the union’s chairman, the union had been engaging the Taraba State Government over its outstanding demands since February 2026.
“The union had exercised considerable patience and demonstrated its commitment to dialogue since February 2026, when it began engaging the Taraba State Government over the outstanding issues,” Mbave said.
“The union had earlier suspended its planned industrial action following an appeal by the government for additional time through the Office of the Head of Civil Service, in the interest of maintaining industrial harmony,” the chairman added.
The Chairman of Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State, Torseer Yina, has imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the ancient town.
The curfew takes effect from Thursday, October 8, 2026, following unrest and violent protests in the area.
According to reports, the action was taken to contain the unrest and violent protests by members of BEMOA following the death of one of its members by unknown gunmen.
The protest, which was reportedly hijacked by hoodlums, turned violent after an angry mob burnt two vehicles belonging to the Benue State Civil Protection Guards.
The Gboko council chairman said the curfew takes effect immediately and warned that anyone caught flouting the order or breaching public peace would be decisively dealt with.
Nine people have died in a fatal road crash along the Ijebu-Ode-Benin Expressway in Ogun State.
The crash occurred on Monday at about 4:55pm around the Bethel area along the Ijebu-Ode/Ore axis of the expressway. It involved a white Toyota Hiace commercial bus belonging to Delta Line and a white Sino truck operated by Bill Gas Solution Ltd.
According to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), all nine people involved in the crash, comprising three males and six females, died in the incident.
The FRSC said the crash occurred while it was raining and the road was wet, with preliminary investigations identifying speed violation as the probable cause.
The FRSC rescue team arrived at the scene shortly after receiving the report, while the bodies of the victims were taken to the General Hospital Morgue in Ijebu-Ode.
The Ogun State Sector Commander, Oludare Ogunjobi, urged motorists, especially commercial drivers, to obey speed limits and exercise extra caution when driving in the rain.
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