The leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has warned President Bola Tinubu that some of those around him are planning to betray him in the weeks leading up to the 2027 election.

In a statement signed by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, Primate Ayodele said many people close to the president do not genuinely support him and are only waiting for an opportunity to turn against him. Referencing the recent inauguration of the APC presidential council, he claimed most attendees were present merely for show, harbouring insincerity despite their public displays of support.

The cleric further alleged that politicians defecting to the APC would weigh down Tinubu’s re-election bid rather than strengthen it, describing such defections as a distraction rather than genuine support. He urged the president to distinguish his true allies from those acting in self-interest, warning that some around him would deliberately obscure the truth and push away genuinely supportive figures to protect their own interests.

“People who surround you will not want you to see the truth, and they will drive good people away from you because of their selfish interests. These are the people you have helped, and they are going to betray you. It will be painful,” Ayodele said, cautioning that the betrayal would likely surface roughly two weeks before the election unless Tinubu acted decisively beforehand.

The prophet also advised the president against being swayed by current praise and celebration, noting that significant campaign work remains outstanding — particularly in the North, where he said Tinubu’s team has yet to build a strong presence.

Leaders of the Fulani community in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State have rejected the continued presence of several security agencies in the area, including the Department of State Services (DSS), the police, the state-run Operation Rainbow, and local vigilante groups, calling instead for the deployment of soldiers.

In a viral video released Thursday, the leaders accused operatives of the DSS, Operation Rainbow, the police and local vigilantes of targeting members of their community while ignoring attacks on herders and the theft of their cattle. One speaker was heard saying, in Hausa, that the community wanted only soldiers stationed in Mangu — not the DSS, police, Operation Rainbow or vigilante groups.

The leaders also accused security operatives of illegally detaining more than 80 cows belonging to community members and alleged unfair treatment following the arrest of several armed Fulani militants in different parts of the LGA, which they characterised as targeted action against their community. They demanded the immediate withdrawal of the named agencies, arguing that only soldiers could guarantee their protection and provide a sense of justice.

One speaker claimed soldiers treated Fulani herders well, while another, criticising law enforcement under the current administration, stated that soldiers “obey us.”

The traditional ruler of Daffo community in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, Da Jatau Yohanna Samkwar, has died following an attack by gunmen suspected to be Fulani militias at his residence.

According to youth leader Malo Stephen, the gunmen stormed the monarch’s compound on Monday night, firing sporadically before gaining entry and shooting him in the leg and head. The ruler, who held the title Mishkaham Bokkos, was rushed to a hospital in Daffo and later referred to another facility, where he died on Wednesday.

Stephen said one of the traditional ruler’s sons had been kidnapped prior to the attack but was released on Sunday, shortly before the gunmen returned and shot his father. He described the frequency of such attacks in Bokkos as alarming, saying killings had become so routine that residents no longer report every incident.

The Chairman of the Community Peace Observers in Bokkos, Kefas Mallai, also confirmed the attack and voiced concern over the area’s deteriorating security situation. Mallai said residents were increasingly worried about recurring violence, noting a separate incident in which three people travelling by motorcycle along a road linking local communities were attacked — two of them reportedly killed and the third injured.

Both community leaders called on security agencies to intensify efforts to address the ongoing violence in the local government area.