Last year, a student fell unconscious after walking out of a bathroom at Central High School in Pueblo, Colorado. When Jessica Foster, the school district’s lead nurse, heard the girl’s distraught friends mention drugs, she knew she had to act fast.
Emergency responders were just four minutes away. “But still four minutes — if they are completely not breathing, it’s four minutes too long,” Foster said.
Foster said she got a dose of naloxone, a medication that can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose, and gave it to the student. The girl revived.
In 2021, a student at Mitchell High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado, overdosed in class after snorting a fentanyl-laced pill in a school bathroom. (Parker Seibold/KFF Health News/TNS)
Forty-five miles away in Colorado Springs, Mitchell High School officials didn’t have naloxone on hand when a 15-year-old student overdosed in class in December 2021 after snorting a fentanyl-laced pill in a school bathroom. That student died.
Colorado Springs’ school district has since joined Pueblo and dozens of other districts in the state in supplying middle and high schools with the lifesaving medication, often known by one of its brand names, Narcan. Since passage of a 2019 state law, Colorado has had a program that allows schools to obtain the medicine, typically in nasal spray form, for free or at a reduced cost.
Not all schools are on board with the idea, though. Though more districts have signed on since last year, only about a third of Colorado districts had enrolled in the state’s giveaway program at the start of this school year. And within the dozen counties with the highest drug overdose death rates in the state, many school districts had not signed up in the face of ongoing stigma around the need for the overdose reversal medication.
The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration recommends that schools, including elementary schools, keep naloxone on hand as fatal opioid overdoses rise, particularly from the potent drug fentanyl. And 33 states have laws that expressly allow schools or school employees to carry, store, or administer naloxone, according to Jon Woodruff, managing attorney at the Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association, which tracks naloxone policies across the country.
Jessica Fosteris the nurse supervisor for Pueblo School District 60. Last year, Foster administered Narcan to a student who had fallen unconscious in the hallway outside of a school bathroom. (Parker Seibold/KFF Health News/TNS)
Among those, about nine states require at least some K-12 schools to store naloxone on-site, including Illinois, whose requirement goes into effect in January. Some states, such as Maine, also require that public schools offer training to students in how to administer naloxone in nasal spray form.
Rhode Island requires all K-12 schools, both public and private, to stock naloxone. Joseph Wendelken, a spokesperson for the Rhode Island Department of Health, said in the past four years naloxone was administered nine times to people ages 10 to 18 in educational settings.
In early September, the medication also became available over the counter nationally, though the $45 price tag per two-dose package has some addiction specialists worried it will be out of reach for those who need it most.
Central High School in Pueblo, Colorado, gets naloxone at no cost from a local nonprofit called the Southern Colorado Harm Reduction Association. (Parker Seibold/KFF Health News/TNS)
But the medicine still isn’t as publicly widespread as automated external defibrillators or fire extinguishers. Kate King, president of the National Association of School Nurses, said reluctance to stock it in schools can stem from officials being afraid to provide a medical service or the ongoing cost of resupplying the naloxone and training people to use it. But the main hang-up she’s heard is that schools are afraid they’ll be stigmatized as a “bad school” that has a drug problem or as a school that condones bad choices.
“School districts are very careful regarding their image,” said Yunuen Cisneros, community outreach and inclusion manager at the Public Education & Business Coalition, which serves most of the state’s school districts. “Many of them don’t want to accept this program, because to accept it is to accept a drug addiction problem.”
That’s the wrong way to think about it, King said. “We really equate it to our stock albuterol for asthma attacks, our stock epinephrine for anaphylactic reactions,” she said.
Colorado health officials could not say how often naloxone had been used on school grounds in the state. So far this year, at least 15 children ages 10 to 18 have died of fentanyl overdoses but not necessarily in schools. And in 2022, 34 children in that age group died, according to the state Department of Public Health and Environment. That included 13-year-old José Hernández, who died in August 2022 from a fentanyl overdose at home just days after starting eighth grade at Aurora Hills Middle School. His grandmother found his body over the bathroom sink in the early morning.
With the arrival of this new school year, supplies of naloxone are on hand for kids in more Colorado schools. Last year, state lawmakers appropriated $19.7 million in federal aid to the Naloxone Bulk Purchase Fund, which is accessible to school districts, jails, first responders, and community service organizations, among others.
“It’s the most we’ve ever had,” said Andrés Guerrero, manager of the state health department’s overdose prevention program.
According to data provided by Colorado’s health department, 65 school districts were enrolled in the state program to receive naloxone at low or no cost at the start of the school year. Another 16 had reached out to the state for information but hadn’t finalized orders as of mid-August. The remaining 97 school districts either didn’t stock naloxone at their schools or sourced it from elsewhere.
Guerrero said the districts decide whom to train to administer the medicine. “In some cases, it’s just the school nurses. In some cases, it’s school nurses and the teachers,” he said. “And in some cases, we have the students as well.”
In Durango, the 2021 death of a high schooler galvanized students to push for the right to carry naloxone with them to school with parental permission — and to administer it if need be — without fear of punishment.
It took picketing outside a school board meeting to get permission, said Hays Stritikus, who graduated this spring from Durango High School. He’s now involved in drafting legislation that would expressly allow students across the state to carry and distribute Narcan on school grounds.
“The ultimate goal is a world where Narcan is not necessary,” he said. “But that’s just not where we live.”
Some health experts disagree that all schools should stock naloxone. Lauren Cipriano, a health economist at Western University in Canada, has studied the cost-effectiveness of naloxone in secondary schools there. While opioid poisonings have occurred on school grounds, she said, high schools tend to be really low-risk settings.
More effective strategies for combating the opioid epidemic are needle exchange sites, supervised drug consumption sites, and medication-assisted treatment that reduces cravings or mutes highs, Cipriano said. But those approaches can be expensive compared with naloxone distribution.
“When the state makes a big, free program like this, it looks like they’re doing something about the opioid epidemic,” she said. “It’s cheap and it looks like you’re doing something, and that’s, like, political gold.”
Denver Public Schools, the largest school district in Colorado, started stocking naloxone in 2022, said Jade Williamson, manager of the district’s healthy schools program.
“We know some of the students are on the forefront of these things before older generations,” Williamson said. “To know where to find it, and to access it when needed through these adults who’ve trained, whether that’s a school nurse or a school administrator, I think it brings them some sense of relief.”
The state’s seven largest districts, with more than 25,000 students each, all participate in the state program. By contrast, a KFF Health News analysis found, only 21% of districts with up to 1,200 students have signed up for it — even though many of those small districts are in areas with drug overdose death rates higher than the state average.
Some school districts figured out a path to getting naloxone outside of the state program. That includes Pueblo School District 60, where lead nurse Foster gave naloxone to a student last year.
The Pueblo school district gets naloxone at no cost from a local nonprofit called the Southern Colorado Harm Reduction Association. Foster said she tried signing up for the state program but encountered difficulties. So she decided to stick with what was already working.
Moffat County School District RE-1 in Craig, Colorado, gets its naloxone from a local addiction treatment center, according to district nurse Myranda Lyons. She said she trains school staffers on how to administer it when she teaches them CPR.
Christopher deKay, superintendent of Ignacio School District 11Jt, said its school resource officers already carry naloxone but that the district enrolled in the state program, too, so that schools could stock the medication in the nursing office in case a resource officer isn’t around.
“It’s like everything — like training for fire safety. You don’t know what’s going to happen in your school,” said deKay. “If the unthinkable happens, we want to be able to respond in the best way possible.”
This investigation by NNEOMA BENSON seeks to unravel the identities and agenda of the perpetrators of the Farmers-Herders crisis in Benue State while exploring the various narratives surrounding the conflict. The report, which documents the plights of victims, is also a fact-check of allegations of religious undertone to the crisis.
They are rarely masked, invading villages in black hoods and trousers or army camouflage with crossbody bags. They have a striking resemblance, wielding dangerous weapons as they skulk about grown bushes 一 Only those lucky to flee their farms and communities live to tell the story.
Augustine Ikwulono, 68, arrived from his farm at about 5 p.m. in April 2023. He was having an early supper outside the small open area of his residence in the Imana Ikobi community, Apa Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State, when he heard the muddled footsteps of villagers. Everyone in his household, including his wife, fled, leaving him behind.
Augustine Ikwulono. NneomaBenson/THE WHISTLER
“Before I could reach that compound,” he said, pointing at the nearby building, “I met with them — the Fulani — the ones that met me wore Army Camouflage, and they carried sophisticated weapons. They did not say anything to me but opened fire and shot me in my back while trying to escape.
“I couldn’t do anything but run into the bush with my back bleeding from the bullet wound. I climbed a hill and burst out on one side, where I met one Isah, who felt sorry for me and asked me to sit down. I told him no, I would go. So, he sent for a machine (motorcycle) to pick me up from under the hill to the hospital”, he said while recounting his escape to THE WHISTLER.
Ikwolono spent four days in a hospital in Agatu LGA, less than an hour’s drive from Apa, where doctors operated on him. He recovered and returned to his village to see his house razed and his farm proceeds, mostly yam, harvested and others carted away by the assailants.
Since then, his health has deteriorated, and he lacks the strength to provide for his family as he should. “Feeding is now a challenge”, he said, and the family’s daily consumption of processed cassava (also known as fufu) and palm fruit extract used for soup is past bearing.
Scorched Earth Attacks And Graves
At least 40 houses were razed in Imana Okobi. Few villagers have renovated or rebuilt their homes, while some sleep on the bare ground after their mattresses are destroyed or carted away.
A razed building in Imana Ikobi community, Apa LGA, Benue State. NneomaBenson/THE WHISTLER
Oinu Matthew told THE WHISTLER that his extended families now cohabit and feed on the meagre produce from their farms. Other times, they depend on their neighbours for a meal. The father of six children from Imana Okobi also had a near-death experience after assailants invaded the same community on February 27. He had escaped into the bush after hearing gunshots.
“I saw the men wearing black up and down with guns, and they pursued me into the bush. I saw their faces. They looked like Fulani men,” he said, adding, “Unfortunately, I told one of my brothers who was at home to leave the house while I was running away. When I could cross the community through the bush, I called my brother’s phone, and a Fulani man picked it up.”
Oinu Matthew.NneomaBenson/THE WHISTLER
The Fulani man told him his group had killed his brother and asked him to come and pick up his corpse! “That day, they killed five men. They burnt our houses, destroyed our assets and stole our properties. They started living in our houses permanently. They cooked our chickens, and they left nothing behind for us.”
Data from various leaders of the Apa LGA showed that at least 98 men were killed between January and May 2023, and (12) communities were also affected within the period under review.
A breakdown of the data showed that 13 men were killed in Imana Ikobi in separate attacks. In April, 13) were killed in Opaha, including (2) army officers, (8) in Ugbogbi and (3) in Oiyi. In March, (3) were killed in Odugbo and (1) in Edikwu Ich.
In May, (7) were killed in Akpete, (7) in Olopa and (3) in Ochumeku. In February, (1) was killed in Kano-Ochumekwu, (30) in Ikobi and (9) in Ijaha Ikobi within the period in review.
Samuel Enokola, a traditional leader of the Ugbobi community, explained that the herders do not touch women when they attack a village. They kill only the men whom they regard as threats to their existence.
Ochanya James, a resident of Imana Ikobi,stands in front of her house, razed by herders.NneomaBenson/THE WHISTLER
So, when these attacks occur, residents flee to Ugbokpo, where they squat with relatives after an attack because there are no Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Idoma lands. During the day, they would journey for at least two hours on foot to their villages and farms. The people suffer in the aftermath of such attacks.
Women Here Are Brave
Like Ugbokpo, Obagaji is a haven for displaced communities in the Agatu LGA. The suburb is the headquarters of Agatu, another worst-hit area among the Idoma-speaking tribe. Agatu is bound to Apa by the North, and the proximity makes both axes danger zones.
A drive over a 74-kilometre distance, across over ten communities in Agatu, showed that the villagers are yet to recover from the mass invasion of the Fulani herders between 2013 and 2016 and other pockets of attacks in subsequent years.
Ologba, a community after Obagaji, is deserted, and no human lives there. The razed buildings are dressed with branches from aged trees, and the locals are now refugees in Obagaji while others moved to Otukpo LGA, bound to Agatu by the South.
Data obtained from the LGA officials by THE WHISTLER showed that the Fulani between 2013- 2016 affected 15 communities, razed over 700 houses, displaced over 1000 women and children and killed over 368 people.
Between 2019 and mid-2023, at least 105 incidents of farmers-herders crisis were recorded; over 1,500 people were reportedly killed, and over 1.5 million people were displaced in the state.
Moving through the Agatu hinterlands, talking to dozens of people across the affected communities revealed that fear of death from an attack by locals or suspected herders is palpable.
Women, the most vulnerable victims, are raped, injured or widowed. They are attacked by both herders and local criminals.
“Some women are raped by herders and abandoned on their farms. Not many survive; those who do will take two or three days before we find them,” a community leader of Kokolo, Anthony Aboje, said.
On March 13, Oteni and her husband were en route to their farm on a motorcycle when herders intercepted them.
Oteni displays her hand where herders macheted her earlier in March 2023. NneomaBenson/THE WHISTLER
Speaking in Idoma, she said, “I was going to Ogboji on a market day when two Fulani men attacked me. They met me at Odugbelo. They asked us to give them our motorcycle, and we refused. Then, they beat us and cut my hand with their sharp machete. They collected our motorcycle, and we have yet to see it”.
Rebecca Micheal, with ten children from Agatu LGA, said they are constantly faced with armed herders skulking about the bushes, chasing them away from their farmlands.
“I was on my farm with other women in July when I saw the bush moving. Then we knew they were coming. They were carrying guns and chased us away from our farms,” Micheal said, noting the difficulty maintaining previous outputs of farm produce.
Mary Emmanuel, mother of four, is a farmer, but the conflict with herders in Agatu LGA has restricted her activities. NneomaBenson/THE WHISTLER
Mary Emmanuel, 26, whose portions of lands are now inaccessible due to recurring attacks from herders, said, “If I go to the farm alone, they will kill me.” She currently farms on a small portion near her house.
The descriptions of the villagers here are peculiar. Both men and women would rather forsake their farms than get killed when herders invade their farmlands, and for most women, walking in groups prevents the attackers from harming them.
The Victims Are Also Aggressors
The once peaceful farming and fishing environment of Agatu has lost its innocence. According to John Ikwulono, former Vice Chairman of Agatu LG Council, “Agatu has become a place where people are restless, undergoing pains and challenges as a result of both internal and external crises. Internal crisis because we have a communal crisis that has affected some communities in Agatu.”
John Ikwulono, immediate past vice chairman of Agatu LGA. NneomaBenson/THE WHISTLER
Aside from the herders and farmers conflict, Benue communities also suffer intra-communal crises on the sideline. It is barely acknowledged or given attention. Most villagers are afraid to speak of the internal killings and kidnappings recorded across the LGA, and to those outside the state, every incident is perpetrated by Fulani herders.
David Ogbole, Co-convener of Movement Against Fulani Occupation, described the situation as one of the components of insecurity in the state where a community or a clan within a community clashes over farmland, fishponds and chieftaincy issues.
Elizabeth Inalegwu, 35, was sighted in the Aila community on one of her farms. The mother of five is stuck with the farm in Aila and has involuntarily neglected the farm in Egba for fear of being killed. Now, she is left with little produce for harvest by 2024.
Elizabeth Inalegwu on one of her farms in the Aila community, Agatu LGA. NneomaBenson/THE WHISTLER
“In our heap farm, we cannot go there now because of the Egba people coming to attack us. We have now left that side between Ogbalu, Aila and Odugbelo. Our property is still on that farm because we planted Guinea corn and Iron beans after Fulani removed our yam. Even to go there and spread chemicals or cut the grass, we cannot go because of the Egba people,” she said.
Amos Odoba, an opinion leader of the deserted Ologba, explained that there had been an ongoing conflict between Egba and Ologba over an ancestral fish pon1d beyond the invasion of Fulani herders in his community.
Amos Odoba, an opinion leader of Ologba, Agatu LGA. NneomaBenson/THE WHISTLER
He said, “The Ologba and the Egba have been fishing together, but the disagreement came like a joke over a fish pond. The military tried to make peace, but it failed. Then, they started to kidnap and kill people”.
He recalled what led to the issue, saying, “But there was a survey carried out by a Federal government unit. They told us that the fish pond is suspected to have crude oil, so many big men from that place (Egba) wanted to take over the fish pond so that they can use it for themselves, and that has been the genesis”.
The Fight Over Land
The age-long conflict between farmers and herders remains a catalyst for the numerous deaths and displacements recorded across Idoma, Tiv and other minority-speaking tribes.
But history says the Fulanis and Benue people coexisted peacefully in their communities until recently. The presence of the Fulanis, their families and cattle from November to March was mutually beneficial to the people.
The fertile grasses in Benue made the cows of the pastoralists grow fatter and healthier, while the cow dung fertilised the soil for farmers.
The Benue indigenes bought chickens, Main-Shanu and Nono (cow milk extraction) from the Fulani, while the community reciprocated by selling various kinds of grains. As a result, some local government areas such as Ogbadebo LGA have naturalised Fulani bearing Idoma names.
Ogbole explained that the Fulani had a pass-ritual: “They come after the harvest seasons in November to eat the post-harvest wastes beside the farmlands.
An Illustration of the beneficialandcordial relationship between farmers and herders in Benue State before the ongoing crisis.NneomaBenson/THEWHISTLER
“By the time the rains begin in April, they quickly return to the North, where the grasses are grown for grazing and to avoid the river volume getting too high for their cows to cross. So, they cross while the rivers are still dry in April.”
The Fulani made Benue their home, given the limited resources in Northern Nigeria. Most pastoralists took abode in LGAs like Guma and Logo by the Benue Valley for easy access to water.
The year-round river accommodates at least 200,000 cattle yearly, encouraging an influx of herders and cattle in Guma, Agatu and Gwer-West LGAs. So, what changed?
Ogbole, in his book: ‘Herdsmen Crisis in Nigeria: The Benue Peace Option’, claimed that “By 2001, a Tiv farmer named Omandi found a Fulani man grazing his cow on his farm and crops.
“When he accosted the Fulani man, the herder drew out his sword and killed him. That was the first offspring of blood in that relationship between herders and farmers.”
The situation degenerated, with the Benue locals vowing not to accommodate the herders in their communities.
The pastoralists would then avoid hostile areas for fear of being attacked, yet the encroachment continued, as did reports of killings on both sides and the rustling of cows.
Traditional rulers on both sides prevailed over the recurring disputes, and “for every encroachment on the Benue man’s farm, the pastoralists are asked to pay a fine, often outrageous,” Baba Ngelzarma, National President, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN), told THE WHISTLER.
Giving a background of the crisis, Benue-born Ibrahim Galma, National Secretary of MACBAN, Benue Chapter, explained how climate change also exacerbates the conflict over land.
Ibrahim Galma, National Secretary, MACBAN, Benue State Chapter. NneomaBenson/THEWHISTLER
He said, “Due to factors including desertification, lack of greener pastures during agricultural development, population growth, and many grazing areas in Nasarawa and Plateau States becoming farming areas, the only saving grace for the herders became the riverine of Benue due to its year-round water because cattle cannot survive without water.
“The Benue River passing through the state became a competitive area for the herders who concentrated their grazing in Agatu and Gwer West. Due to their increase, farmers who used to farm around the river bank started to have problems with the Fulanis for trespassing into their farmlands.”
When the Benue locals attacked them for trespass, the Fulanis complained to the kindred heads in the state, whom they believed would intervene and settle the disputes.
“But things changed in 2014 when more sophisticated weapons were used to attack our cattle. Many cattle were killed in Agasha and along the riverine areas, including 17 herders.
“We do not know how they got the weapon because those people are criminals. This triggered the crisis in Guma, Logo LGAs and some parts of the Makurdi metropolis, and the herders retaliated. So, it became more complex and many lives were lost,” Galma narrated.
The alleged Agatu criminals would later kill a Fulani leader, Ardo Buderi and attack pastoralists and their cattle in the riverine areas of the LGA, and there would be a departure of Fulanis in preparation for the gruesome invasion of Agatu where thousands were displaced and hundreds killed.
According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), “Approximately two-thirds of the labour force makes a living through farming or pastoralism.
“With minimal irrigated land, both activities rely heavily on seasonal rainfall and related weather patterns, so the effects of climate change can be intense.”
Global warming has also increased the severity of droughts and contributed to extreme seasonal variability in water supply across the Sahel and neighbouring countries.
These long-term climatic trends disrupt and harm traditional livelihoods like farming and herding, increasing economic uncertainty.
Analysing the situation, Murtala Abdullahi, a climate and environmental analyst, said that Nigeria has at least 11 states in the North battling with factors exacerbating climate change.
These factors include the felling of trees and increased use of firewood, which expose the soil and expand desertification in such areas.
The effect, Abdullahi said, “Increases the scarcity of these lands, and for pastoralists, there is going to be conflict over land with farmers competing for more resources with pastoralists.”
The crisis between farmer-herders has become a significant security problem, leading to the death and displacement of thousands of Nigerians, while climate change has aggravated the conflict.
The reality far outnumbers reported incidents as each dry season reminds the Benue farmer of his loss and impending tragedy — his inability to sleep without trepidation, educate his child, access health care, and cultivate on his farmland, among others, owing to seasonal infiltration of pastoralists.
Fulanis Are Victims Too
The consequences are evident as many pastoralists who spoke to THE WHISTLER during this investigation said they were innocent of the crimes attributed to them but admitted to the existence of criminals on both sides, perpetuating attacks and fuelling the crisis.
“The Benue people use firearms to attack herders, and they acquire them indiscriminately, and herders find ways to protect themselves.
“In Benue, it has become a habit to find youths with firearms, and we regard them as criminals; even the herders found with firearms, we call them criminals. We also accuse them because we have seen those victimised with bullets. We also have Fulani attacked with bullets, confirmed by the police.”
While the Benue farmers have accused the herders of plots of taking over their land by killing the locals and destroying their properties, the pastoralists said they had recorded many cattle rustling, theft and killings by Benue militants.
However, both Ogbole, an indigene of Otukpo LGA in Benue and Ngelzarma, from Yobe, Adamawa State, had different stance on the issue of cattle rustling but agreed that there were criminal elements among herders and the Benue residents.
David Ogbole, a campaigner against herdsmen in Benue State.
According to Ogbole, cattle theft differs from cattle rustling: “People who rustle cattle don’t rustle for the meat, but for the cargo they carry, including contraband drugs, hard currency, and arms.
“Once a rustler sees a herd of cattle, he knows who it belongs to and what cargo it carries.” But Ngelzarma faulted the claim, saying, “That is a blatant lie” because cattle rustling demands an in-depth knowledge of the art of herding, including the ability to command the cattle’s attention enough to separate the cattle from the general herd.
Findings indicate that the farmers and herders in Benue bear the brunt of cattle rustling and the general crisis among the ethnic groups.
Respondents on the conflict confirmed to THE WHISTLER that criminal elements among Benue people connive with Fulani criminals to rustle herds of cattle, fueling mutual suspicion that triggers violence. Usually, the actual perpetrators are never punished; only innocent residents become victims.
Data obtained and analysed by THE WHISTLER showed that 1,304 herders were killed in 13 Benue LGAs between 2013 and date. The numbers may be more, but the whereabouts of at least 328 are still unknown.
Ngelzerma shared a telling experience. He said, “There was a time when the Benue people went on a rampage, killing the herders and their cattle, and when they came for reprisal, they didn’t care who you were or what you had.
“If you think that what they have in the forests are just huts and you destroy and kill them, the same people you see with the cattle will also come and burn your houses.
“And these people are not militias. They are the same Fulani herders; the Benue farmers kill their cattle and wives, and we have pictures where they were brutally killed. So, if you kill his cow, he will also damage all you have. It is a tooth for a tooth thing,”
Videos seen by THE WHISTLER showed how herders mutilated the corpses of residents in the Tiv-speaking areas around the Makurdi axis after killing them.
It was likely retaliation for the killing of Fulani cattle, as pictures made available by the herders showed at least 117 cattle slain by suspected Benue locals in December 2022.
Slain cows of herders killed in December 2022 in Benue State. NneomaBenson/THE WHISTLER
All efforts to visit the affected communities in the Tiv-speaking area failed due to severe insecurity.
It was also challenging to find a Fulani herder in Benue State to speak to because they had been “chased out” of their settlements by the locals. They now reside in Nasarawa communities bordering Benue State.
Ardo Muhammed Madaki, Emir of Kadarko Giza development area in the Keana LGA of Nasarawa bordering Benue State, told THE WHISTLER he was “chased out by former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom” following the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law 2017.
The law was a response to the rising tensions and cycle of attacks, resulting in the deaths of thousands, the destruction of farm products and houses, cattle rustling, and the disruption of peace and orderliness in the State.
It was aimed to prevent clashes between nomadic livestock herders and crop farmers, among others.
But the Fulani have alleged that the Livestock and Community Volunteer Guards (LCVG) set up by the immediate past Governor of the State, Samuel Ortom, to ensure compliance with the law prohibiting the open grazing of cattle in the state is being used to exploit them.
The herders accused the Guards of exploiting the outfit by deliberately chasing the cattle into neighbouring Tiv communities to confiscate them for ransom.
Before the law was enacted, Emir Madaki said he lived in the Guma LGA of Benue with his family, where he went about his herding business unperturbed despite the crisis.
“Honestly, I have been managing since I left Benue State. Grazing my cattle has also been difficult because if I cross the boundary into Benue State, the Livestock Guards will shoot and kill my cattle.
“Since last year, the Guards would enter Nasarawa and chase our cattle into Benue so that we could pay a ransom. If you have many herds of cattle, and the Guards chase you into Benue State…
“They could demand N30 million to release the cattle, and we pay the money to Linus, a Tiv man in charge of the Livestock Guards.”
Alhaji Jaile Madaki Doma from Akpata LGA, Nasarawa, also narrated his ordeal in the hands of the Tiv people. His community borders the Tiv-speaking area of Benue. His experience with Tiv criminals and the Livestock and Community Volunteer Guards (LCVG) is unpleasant. Speaking to THE WHISTLER, he said in Fulani language:
“The people that came into our community came to kill our people. I cannot remember what they were wearing, but the government officials came and arrested more than 600 of our cattle and asked us to pay over N20 million.”
According to MACBAN, a total of 27,000 livestock have been killed and rustled in the last 10 years, while the immediate past administration of the state auctioned 4,500. “We have paid a total of N400 million ransom to get our cattle confiscated by the Livestock Guards since 2013 to date,” MACBAN said.
An illustration of a cow being attacked after crossing established grazing boundaries
The Fulani herders accused the immediate past administration of Benue State of complicity in the farmers-herders crisis. “Often, the Livestock guards never return the cattle in the same number they were seized,” Ngelzerma said.
To a Fulani man, his cattle are his pride, and he will do everything to nurture them until they are mature for commercial purposes, used for marriage settlements and dowry for his female children.
The herders said a cow is worth at least N600,000 and a similar tragedy will happen to those who kill their cattle or herders.
“In the Northern region, the Fulani do not have lands. They stay in the Forest. They don’t lay claim in those areas because whenever development comes, they move away from that area. Their main concern is where their cattle will find grass, and they don’t care about the land. They are there to take nobody’s land,” Ngelzarma said.
In the convoluted and complex moving parts of the conflict in Benue State, the herders-farmers’ crisis has turned into a theatre of war, where the combatants dig deeper and deeper into their holes with no end in sight.
This story was produced with funding support from the International Centre for Journalists (ICFJ) in partnership with Code for Africa.
Barry Melrose, the American media personality described as the best NHL analyst on television will be stepping away from his role on ESPN after being diagnosed with Parkinson.
Longtime ESPN personality John Buccigross made the heartbreaking announcement, revealing that Melrose will be spending time with his family for the foreseeable future.
Buccigross said;
“I’ve worked with Barry at ESPN for over a quarter century. Cold beers and hearty laughs in smokey cigar bars. A razor sharp wit, he was always early & looked like a million bucks. I love him. I’ll miss him. Wayne Gretzky on a life dedicated to hockey.”
Melrose both played and coached in the NHL for years before he began breaking down games for ESPN beginning in 1996. He took a brief hiatus from the network to coach the Lightning, but returned a short time later.
Sports executive, Gary Bettman also said;
“Hockey on ESPN won’t be the same without him. Barry’s gigantic personality and trademark style have made our game bigger, more exciting and more entertaining,
“His love for hockey is obvious and infectious. And it is impossible to have a conversation with him without a smile on your face.”
The Nigerian Government has directed all civil servants and workers of the country’s core ministries whose details are yet to be captured by the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) to partake in an ongoing registration exercise.
SaharaReporters learnt the affected federal civil servants from across the country are required to go to Abuja for the exercise; meanwhile, their salaries have been delayed.
The newspaper obtained a circular issued by the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, dated October 3, 2023 with reference number HCSF/HRM/M.1125/T4/194, and for the attention of all Permanent Secretaries.
SaharaReporters gathered that about 17,000 workers are affected while a document exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters shows that workers affected in the Ministry of Labour and Employment are up to 1,831.
According to the circular, all the affected workers are mandated to show up for a physical exercise in Abuja from Monday, October 16 to Friday, October 27, 2023, at the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN), Kubwa Expressway, Abuja.
Reacting to this, one of the affected workers who spoke to SaharaReporters said the government was insensitive despite the economic hardship they are currently facing due to the non-payment of their salaries since May when they decided that all the workers must show up at Abuja for the physical screening.
The registration exercise for the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) started in May 2017 and it was repeated in subsequent years and concluded in April 2023.
At the end of the exercise, the Accountant General of the Federation was directed to pay only civil servants whose records had been verified and uploaded on the IPPIS portal.
The statement reads further: “It is regrettable to observe that some civil servants failed to take part in the exercise, or neglected to complete it, leading to the suspension of their salaries.
“All officers whose salaries have been suspended, are being given the last opportunity to access the IPPIS verification portal, update their records and present themselves for physical verification. Specifically, the officers, fall into two categories, as follows: a) those who did not update their records online; and b) those who updated their records but were unable io complete the process and/or could not print The slip, indicating conclusion of the online registration exercise.
“The portal – https://verification.ippis.gov.ng, – will be open for the officers from Tuesday 3rd to Tuesday 10th October, 2023. Thereafter, the physical verification will hold from Monday, 16th to Friday, 27th October 2023 at the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN), Kubwa Expressway, Abuja. The exercise will take place between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm on each of the days.
“All officers are expected to present the original copies of the documents listed below: (i) Letter of Appointment (Temporary): (ii) Letter of 1st Appointment into Service (Permanent & Pensionable): (iii) Assumption of Duty Certificate; (iv) Letter of Transfer of Service (where applicable); (v) Letter of Confirmation of Appointment or Gazette Publication; (vi) Letters of the last three (3) Promotions; (vii) Birth Certificate/Declaration of Age; (viii) Educational Certificates: First School Leaving Certificate – Secondary School Certificate or Equivalent, OND, HND, NCE (if applicable) University Degree, -NYSC Certificate/Exemption, Higher Degree and/or Professional Certificate, (ix) Identity Card of present MDA; (x) Recent IPPIS Pay Slip; (xi) Copy of Letter of Last Posting; (xii) IPPIS On-line Records Update Completion Slip; and (xiii) Duly completed and signed Personnel Verification Form with recent passport photograph affixed.
“Officers are also expected to complete the attached Personnel, Verification Form duly signed by their Heads of Department (The Form can also be downloaded from the CHOSE website).”
“All concerned officers are to note that this is the last opportunity for the exercise,” the circular added.
The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, on Tuesday charged troops of Operation Hadin Kai, to deal decisively with the Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists in their areas of operations.
Musa gave the directive in his address to troops at the Headquarters Theatre Command, Operation Hadin Kai, in Maiduguri, Borno State.
He said: “Don’t just come and sleep in the theatre, make sure you look for Boko Haram and kill. Anybody who comes to the theater and finishes without killing one Boko Haram is not complete.
“So you must make sure before you go (kill one), look for them, that’s the only way we can finish them completely. They should not be looking for us, we should be looking for them.
“Do not go and sit down until they attack and we repel; there is nothing like repel, go and find them and kill them.
“The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria said ‘I should come and see how you are doing and to thank you. We all appreciate your sacrifices and commitments. It is not easy to come here and leave your families and stay.
“The President said he is happy with us and wishes all the very best. He also reminds us that it is not yet over but that we are moving on the right track. If we continue the way we are going, very soon Boko Haram will come to an end.
“It is good you finish so that you all go back to your families. The only way we can do that is if we defeat Boko Haram completely. And I know we can do it because all of you are gallant soldiers. And it is a task for every Nigerian, it is not only for the Army, Navy, and Air Force alone or the police, it’s for everybody.”
Lubb-dupp. Lubb-dupp. Those are the words that health care professionals often use to mimic the sound of your heartbeat. That steady, regular sound is made by your heart valves opening and closing as blood circulates through your heart.
You may have heard the term “heart murmur.” A murmur is an extra heart sound that can be heard by a stethoscope. Sometimes, the murmur sounds like a humming, which can be faint or loud. It might be temporary or persistent. Heart murmurs may be present at birth or develop later in life during pregnancy, phases of rapid growth like adolescence or from a fever or anemia.
The murmur may disappear as quickly as it comes if it has a temporary cause. However, a murmur also could be persistent and loud, easily heard and sound like a churning mill wheel or cooing seagull. This might indicate a serious heart problem.
What causes a heart murmur?
Multiple factors can cause a murmur. It could be a heart valve problem or a hole in the heart.
The valves in your heart act as doors between the chambers, or rooms, of the heart. In the case of a murmur, a valve may be tight or leaky. When heart valves are very tight or narrow, this is called stenosis. A murmur also might be from a leaky valve, called regurgitation.
A murmur also may occur from high blood flow in people with a fever or with low red blood cells, called anemia.
Some people have a family history of heart murmur and heart disease. Some are born with a congenital condition causing a murmur. Others have had a recent severe infection or illness that could damage a heart valve and need immediate medical attention.
What are the symptoms?
Innocent or harmless heart murmurs don’t typically cause symptoms, and most aren’t serious.
Symptoms of a serious or worrisome heart murmur depend on the cause and require evaluation by a health care professional. These symptoms may include:
— Blue or gray lips or fingernails
— Chest pain
— Fainting
— Fever
— Leg swelling
— Lingering cough
— Shortness of breath
— Sudden weight gain
— Swollen liver or neck veins
— Worsening fatigue
How is it diagnosed?
It’s common for a heart murmur to be detected during a physical exam being given for another reason. If a health care professional hears a murmur, you’ll be asked questions about your personal and family history that could indicate a reason for the murmur.
Several criteria are used to determine if a murmur is innocent or worrisome, including:
— Volume — The loudness of the murmur is evaluated on a scale from 1 to 6. The loudest heart murmur is a 6.
— Location — The location of the murmur in the heart will be identified, along with whether the sound spreads to the neck or back.
— Pitch — The murmur may be high-, medium- or low-pitched.
— Timing of the murmur — A murmur that occurs when blood leaves the heart is a systolic murmur. A murmur that occurs when the heart fills with blood is called a diastolic murmur. A murmur also may be heard throughout the heartbeat. When the murmur is heard as blood passes through the heart, it may be a sign of a larger heart problem.
You will need to undergo testing to determine the cause of the heart murmur. Your health care professional will likely order an ultrasound picture of your heart, called an echocardiogram or echo, to show detailed images of your heart’s valves, chambers, structure and function.
Once the cause has been found, some people will need repeated evaluation. Others may need surgery to treat the cause of the murmur, especially if it is to adjust a tight or leaky valve or to close a hole in the heart.
In some situations, people may need to take antibiotics before going to a dentist to protect the heart valves from potential infection. This infection, called endocarditis, can be spread via the bloodstream during dental work.
It’s important to learn if a heart murmur is innocent or serious so you can get the proper treatment.
A Nigerian Army Special Court-martial sitting in Abuja has sentenced the former Group Managing Director, Nigerian Army Properties Limited (NAPL), Maj. Gen. Umaru Mohammed to seven years imprisonment.
Umaru was sentenced to jail over an 18-count charges bordering on forgery and misappropriation of funds among others.
The court ordered him to pay back $2,178,900 and N1.65bn to the Army properties and NAPL.
The general who pleaded not guilty to all allegations was also tried on charges of forgery, even as the court found him guilty of 14 counts.
Immigrants who come to the U.S. without authorization have very limited access to government benefits. But an old falsehood revived by conservatives conflates aid given to authorized refugees with the limited assistance available to immigrants who entered the country illegally. The claim also inflates the benefits given to refugees.
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Social media has been awash with claims inflating the amount of government aid given to immigrants as crossings at the southern border continue to draw attention.
Vivek Ramaswamy, a candidate for the Republican nomination for president, for example, posted one such meme on Oct. 2. It said: “Retirement plan: 1) Move to Mexico 2) Give up citizenship 3) Come back illegally 4) Set for life!”
The same claim has been circulating since September, racking up tens of thousands of engagements, after Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado wrote on X, “Biden is giving each illegal family $2,200 per month plus a free plane ticket and free medical care. If you come to this country illegally, you get everything handed to you on a silver platter. If you’re a struggling American citizen, you get nothing.”
We emailed Boebert’s campaign to ask what her claim was based on, but we didn’t get a response. Our email to her congressional office asking the same thing wasn’t answered, either.
Protesters demonstrate in Queens, N.Y. on August 16, 2023. Photo by Leonardo Munoz via Getty Images.
So, we don’t know where she got her faulty information. But there had been a story on the Gateway Pundit, a conservative website known for spreading false claims, that made a similar claim on Sept. 7, the day before Boebert posted on social media.
The headline on that story said: “Outrageous! Border Patrol Agent Reveals Biden Regime Gives $2,200 of Taxpayer Money Per Illegal Immigrant Family, Plus a Plane Ticket, Housing, Food, Free Medical Services.”
But the only support for that claim in the story came from a video posted on X on Sept. 6 purporting to show an anonymous border patrol agent. As the camera panned around a group of people who appeared to be immigrant parents with children, the border agent said, “They get a check every month. … My understanding, I’ve heard it’s around $2,200.”
About two weeks before that video was posted, retired Army Col. Douglas Macgregor had claimed on Tucker Carlson’s show, hosted on X: “We hand every alleged asylum seeker – illegal migrant – pouring into the border in Texas or wherever else, we hand them when they get there $2,200 and we put them on that $2,200 diet from there on out per month.”
We reached out to Macgregor, a frequent guest on conservative broadcasts, to ask where he got his information about the monthly payments. His office told us it came from a July 24 post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, from a group called Texans for Strong Borders.
That post repeated, almost verbatim, a widely debunked claim that conservative commentator Charlie Kirk made on Twitter in 2019 about refugees — not people living in the U.S. illegally.
Both posts claimed: “The government pays out $2,125/month in refugee benefits to refugees resettled in the United States.”
We asked Texans for Strong Borders why it posted this debunked claim four years after it was first made, but we didn’t hear back.
Misinformation is often recycled in this way and this claim, in particular, is a perfect example.
It started as a falsehood about refugee assistance in Canada in 2004 and later migrated to the U.S. We wrote about versions of this claim, beginning in 2007, and then again in 2009, 2010, and 2019.
PolitiFact wrote about another version of the claim in 2018, when a Facebook post wrongly said “illegal refugees get $3,874/mo.” The fact-checking site pointed out that authorized refugees are eligible to receive a one-time grant worth a total of $2,125.
Kirk saw that and included the figure in his 2019 post, a spokesman for Kirk told PolitiFact after his tweet had resurfaced and was widely repeated in 2021. Importantly, Kirk had misrepresented the one-time grant as a monthly payment.
Now, time and repetition have flattened that initial misrepresentation of a fact into a complete falsehood by conflating aid to authorized refugees with limited assistance given to migrants who entered the country illegally.
The bottom line is, U.S. law prohibits immigrants who came to the U.S. without authorization from accessing most federal benefits.
There are some narrow exceptions, including emergency medical treatment; immunization against communicable diseases; short-term, non-cash disaster relief; and some services such as soup kitchens, crisis counseling and intervention, and short-term shelter.
Those who have sought asylum in the U.S. and have been granted refugee status after applying through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, on the other hand, have access to some aid.
U.S. law defines a refugee, in part, as someone who is “unable or unwilling” to return to their country “because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.”
The number of refugees who are accepted each year is capped by the president under the Refugee Act of 1980 — for fiscal year 2023, the cap is set at 125,000 — so the number of people eligible for benefits is limited. As of the end of August, with one month of the fiscal year left, the U.S. had admitted a total of 51,231 refugees, according to State Department data.
Those benefits include a one-time payment from the Department of State to help refugees resettle, which is now $2,375 per refugee. Only $1,275 is available to be given directly to refugees, though, to cover things such as food, clothing and rent. The rest goes to the resettlement agency, which provides services and case management for refugees during their first three months in the U.S.
Other assistance programs that refugees are eligible for are time-limited, such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, and Refugee Cash Assistance, or RCA.
TANF is a state-administered program for needy families that is funded jointly by federal and state governments. It is available to refugee families for their first five years in the U.S. According to the most recent data available from the Department of Health and Human Services, as of fiscal year 2021, 93% of TANF recipients were U.S. citizens, while 7% were immigrants living in the U.S. legally. Families receiving TANF benefits that year got, on average, $517 per month.
RCA is a federally funded program that is also administered by states. Cash benefit levels are set by each state, so the amounts vary. That program, which is available to refugees who don’t qualify for TANF, covers only the first eight months that a refugee is in the country.
So, the claim from Ramaswamy and the others suggesting that anyone who enters the U.S. without authorization is entitled to more benefits than citizens is wrong. Those immigrants have very limited access to the country’s social safety net programs.
Ramaswamy didn’t respond to our questions about his claim.
Sources
U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Southwest Land Border Encounters. Updated 22 Sep 2023.
Macgregor, Douglas. Emailed response to FactCheck.org. 3 Oct 2023.
Reuters Fact Check. “Fact Check-Refugee resettlement and social security benefits meme is misleading.” Reuters. 6 Oct 2021.
Putterman, Samantha. “Comparison of refugee, Social Security payments is outdated and exaggerated.” PolitiFact. 30 Sep 2021.
Jackson, Brooks. “Refugees Don’t Get $1,800 Per Month.” FactCheck.org. 7 Dec 2007.
Jackson, Brooks. “Social Security for Immigrants and Refugees.” FactCheck.org. 17 Apr 2009.
Jackson, Brooks. “A Mythical Florida Mom (And Other False Claims About Immigrants).” FactCheck.org. 14 May 2010.
Hale Spencer, Saranac. “Comparing Benefits for Refugees and Senior Citizens.” FactCheck.org. 19 Jul 2019.
Valverde, Miriam. “Facebook meme misleads about refugee benefits, Social Security checks.” PolitiFact. 21 Nov 2018.
Congressional Research Service. “Unauthorized Immigrants’ Eligibility for Federal and State Benefits: Overview and Resources.” 29 Nov 2022.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Refugees. 26 Oct 2022.
U.S. Department of State. Press release. “The Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2023.” 27 Sep 2022.
U.S. Department of State. “U.S. Refugee Admissions Program: Reception and Placement.” Accessed 2 Oct 2022.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “What is TANF?” Updated 9 May 2023.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “How Many People Participate in the Social Safety Net?” 20 Jan 2023.
A 30-year-old Kenyan woman accused of beating and issuing death threats to her mother has been charged with threatening to kill contrary to section 223 (1) of the Penal Code.
Ann Wambui is accused of threatening to kill her mother, Jane Muthoni, at her house in Ruai, Nairobi, on September 14, 2023.
The accused person, is alleged to have uttered words “nakwambianga nitakuua na huskiangi, nitakuua saa hii”, to her mother Ms Jane Muthoni.
Police and the state prosecution office believe these words, which are translated in English to mean; (I have been warning you that I will kill you and you have never taken me seriously. I can kill you right now) amounted to threats to the complainants life.
Ms Muthoni was inside her house when she discovered that one of the items she uses in her business was missing and she went to her daughter’s (Wambui’s) bedroom to ask if she knew where it was.
However, the suspect is said to have woken up and issued the death threats to her mother who fled the room as she pursued her.
The suspect is alleged to have followed her mother to the sitting room where she wrestled her to the ground and pulled her hair as she screamed for help.
A neighbor intervened and rescued the complainant from her daughter and escorted the complainant out of the house.
Ms Muthoni reported the incident to the police and officers visited the complainant’s home where they recovered a hammer beneath a pillow and panga beside the suspect’s bed.
The items have been kept as exhibits in the case against Ms Wambui.
The suspect denied the charges before Principal Magistrate Irene Gichobi of the Makadara Law Courts.
She was released on a cash bail of Sh30, 000. The case will be mentioned on November 11, 2023, before hearing starts on February 26, 2024.
Ms Muthoni has fled her home and sought accommodation elsewhere fearing for her life.
Her neighbor who rescued her is listed as a witness in the case alongside two police officers.
EU Commissioner Thierry Breton has warned the billionaire owner of X (formerly Twitter) against allowing the platform to be used for disinformation amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The letter dated October 10, 2023, and addressed to Musk reads, “Following the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas against Israel, we have indications that your platform is being used to disseminate illegal content and disinformation in the EU.
“Let me remind you that the Digital Services Act sets very precise obligations regarding content moderation.
“First, you need to be very transparent and clear on what content is permitted under your terms and consistently and diligently enforce your own policies.
“This is particularly relevant when it comes to violent and terrorist content that appears to circulate on your platform. Your latest changes in public interest policies that occurred overnight left many European users uncertain.
“Second, when you receive notices of illegal content in the EU, you must be timely, diligent and objective in taking action and removing the relevant content when warranted. We have, from qualified sources, reports about potentially illegal content circulating on your service despite flags from relevant authorities.
“Third, you need have in place proportionate and effective mitigation measures to tackle the risks to public security and civic discourse stemming from disinformation.
“Public media and civil society organisations widely report instances of fake and manipulated images and facts circulating on your platform in the EU, such as repurposed old images of unrelated armed conflicts or military footage that actually originated from video games. This appears to be manifestly false or misleading information.
“I therefore invite you to urgently ensure that your systems are effective, and report on the crisis measures taken to my team.
“Given the urgency, I also expect you to be in contact with the relevant law enforcement authorities and Europol, and ensure that you respond promptly to their requests.
“Moreover, on a number of other issues of DSA compliance that deserve immediate attention, my team will follow up shortly with a specific request.
“I urge you to ensure a prompt, accurate and complete response to this request within the next 24 hours. We will include your answer in our assessment file on your compliance with the DSA. I remind you that following the opening of a potential investigation and a finding of non-compliance, penalties can be imposed.”
