BREAKING: Terrorists On Motorbikes Storm Village Near Woro In Kwara, Loot Phone Shops

A group of professional journalists operating under the auspices of the Edda Media Practitioners has alleged a subtle and imminent attack on the people of Oso Edda in the Edda Local Government Area of Ebonyi State by assailants from the Amasiri clan in the Afikpo Local Government Area of the state.

The coordinator of the media group, Ikenna Emewu, stated this during a press conference in Abakaliki on Monday, adding that over 11 voice notes recorded in the Amasiri dialect and currently trending on different WhatsApp platforms, which have been reviewed by this medium, indicated that another attack was being planned by warlords from the area against the Edda community.

It was reported that no fewer than four persons were killed and beheaded, and another abducted, when hoodlums from the Amasiri clan allegedly attacked Okporojo village in the Idima Edda community of the state on January 29, 2026. The incident also led to the destruction of houses and other properties worth millions of naira.

The incident, our correspondent gathered, attracted widespread condemnation from within and outside the country, prompting Governor Francis Nwifuru to sack all political appointees, shut down schools, and declare a curfew in the area.

According to Mr. Emewu, the people of Edda have lost no fewer than 14 persons and over 29 houses since the Amasiri assailants launched attacks on them.

“We first of all want to use this opportunity to appreciate Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru of Ebonyi State for his efforts in ensuring that peace returns to Oso Edda after his intervention to stave off more bloodshed from the Amasiri attackers.

“We also want to state that we have indisputable evidence that the nine attacks on Oso Edda at three locations between June 2023 and January 2026 were carried out by Amasiri, a neighbouring town to Edda. We are convinced that the volume of security intelligence at the disposal of the government and security agencies supports our claims.

“This press briefing became necessary as we have collected additional evidence of the collective complicity of Amasiri in masterminding and executing the series of violent attacks on Oso Edda over the years.

“The attacks have cost us 14 lives, resulted in the abduction of two others whose whereabouts are unknown, and led to the burning of over 29 houses, acres of farmland, and other valuables over three years.

“However, the timely, lawful, and dutiful intervention during the last onslaught on January 29, 2026, has brought some relief to our people. That is why we decided to cooperate with the Ebonyi State leadership and not take any unlawful action.

“In the meantime, in addition to supporting the government’s moves and working with the security forces on the ground, we have been diligently monitoring incidents to ensure we are never caught unawares again by Amasiri’s agents of violence.

“Our duty of alertness was activated two days into the curfew when people from Amasiri started circulating false information on social media claiming that two soldiers were killed in Oso Edda to tarnish our image, already marred with the blood of the innocent. But that attempt failed because no such killing occurred.

“To confirm that it was a lie manufactured by the assailants’ propaganda machine, on February 4, the Nigerian Army, through the Commander of the Abakaliki Cantonment, Lt. Col. Emmanuel Chielo, addressed the press to debunk the claim,” he said.

He added, “In the past two days, we have received nine recorded voice messages circulating on WhatsApp and spoken in the Amasiri dialect detailing plans to attack Oso Edda again at any time.

“The plans, as contained in these voice clips in our possession, also include an intention to attack Nigerian soldiers stationed at Amasiri on a peace mission.

“On February 10, we made public other messages circulated by them in which two individuals admitted to participating in the past attack on Okporojo.

“This time, the messages reveal a plan to provoke soldiers on the ground at Amasiri into a clash, then escape and lead the soldiers to Oso Edda. When that happens, their men in ambush would attack the soldiers, create a social media narrative that the Edda people killed the soldiers, and provoke the soldiers to retaliate against Edda.

“The attackers’ strategy is intended to distract the soldiers and provide an opportunity to launch another brutal assault on Edda, with any casualties blamed on the military.

“The plan is not only to attack Edda again but also to lure the Nigerian Army into unprofessionalism and random killings in Oso Edda. Their agenda is to tarnish the reputation of the Nigerian Army, whose operatives have been diligent and orderly in their peace mission in Amasiri since their deployment on January 31.

“They boasted in one of the voice clips that they were spiritually fortified after visiting four towns in Cross River State to obtain protection from gunfire. They claim that as long as they remain on Amasiri soil, they cannot be harmed by soldiers’ gunfire, which is why they aim to confront the soldiers at worst-case scenarios.

“Before this public statement, we had already passed the audio clips to the relevant security agencies and alerted them of impending violence by the Amasiri assailants.

“Given the importance of the media in public awareness, I urge you to disseminate this message widely so the public understands that we are not crying wolf. We hope it will be acted upon.”

Reacting on Monday evening, indigenes of the Amasiri clan flooded social media to deny the allegations.

According to Kingsley Adams, “Amasiri is not daft. The claim that we are planning an attack is another lie.”

Another indigene, Nicholas Azu, said, “What joy do you derive from these lies and deceit? You are happy that the military and governor are allegedly treating us unfairly in your favour.”

Onya Emmanuel added, “You wrote a lot and claimed to have voicemail and clips as evidence, but in the end we saw no proof. What is happening in Amasiri is bigger than what people see; it’s a political war, not even a land dispute.”

Ebonyi: Group raises alarm over threats from Amasiri, cites voice notes as evidence

The increase in admission deposits for the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) by the management of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), from N500,000 to N1 million, has sparked reactions among residents in Edo State.

DAILY POST reports that the increase represents a 100 per cent hike in the cost of accessing critical care services at the hospital.

The office of the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC), disclosed this in an internal memorandum dated January 30, 2026. The memo approved an upward review of ward consumables and admission deposits across the hospital.

Other new admission deposit increments include: N150,000 for medical wards, N200,000 for private wards, N100,000 for day-case admissions, N150,000 for orthopaedic wards, N200,000 for neuro wards and N150,000 for obstetrics and gynaecology wards

Ward consumables were also reviewed upward to N20,000 per week for patients in the Labour and Emergency Complex, while ordinary wards will now attract N15,000 per week.

The memo said the review became necessary in view of prevailing funding realities and the need to promote efficiency, reduce waste, and enhance the maintenance and procurement of medical consumables.

It added that under the revised structure, ICU admission will now require a deposit of N1 million, while the Labour Ward Complex deposit has been fixed at N200,000. According to the memo, the adjustments are aimed at ensuring sustainable hospital operations and improving service delivery.

Meanwhile, the development has sparked reactions among residents, many of whom took to social media to criticise the teaching hospital authorities.

In their responses, residents decried what they described as an astronomical increase in hospital charges and the reported privatisation of laboratory services at the Accident and Emergency (A&E) unit.

Reacting, the Head of the Public Relations and Information Unit of the hospital, Osaretin Iyen, said the private laboratory service engaged at the A&E unit was introduced to complement the hospital’s existing diagnostic services.

Iyen explained that the laboratory is intended to function alongside UBTH’s laboratories to augment capacity and efficiency, not to replace or supplant the hospital’s core laboratory services.

He added that there are over ten functional laboratories across the hospital.

He further stated that the decision was taken strictly in the overriding interest of patient care and safety, particularly for critically ill patients whose survival depends on immediate and uninterrupted access to laboratory investigations.

“This is especially when there are challenges with the UBTH laboratory in the Accident and Emergency unit,” Iyen said.

Reactions trail UBTH’s increases of medical bills by 100 per cent