Tag: Escalating Insecurity

Zamfara: Bandits abduct 79 residents, traders in fresh attacks

Aminu Imam

…Victims include villagers, butchers, animal dealers Zamfara State has once again come under the grip of banditry as gunmen abducted at least 79 persons in separate attacks across Bukkuyum and Gusau local government areas of the state. According to reports by Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication, heavily armed bandits invaded Buzugu and Rayau villages in Bukkuyum LGA around 2:45 a.m. on October 18, abducting 73 residents and whisking them away to an unknown destination. The attackers, said to be in large numbers and wielding sophisticated weapons, operated for several hours…

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Terror in Zamfara: 30 villagers snatched in daylight raid

Aminu Imam
Terror in Zamfara

At least 30 residents have been abducted following a fresh attack by bandits on Zamfarawa village, in the Zugu district of Bukkuyum local government area, Zamfara state. According to a counter-insurgency publication, Zagazola Makama, the attackers stormed the community around 2:20 p.m. on Tuesday, shooting indiscriminately to disperse residents before abducting 30 people and fleeing to an unknown destination. This latest incident adds to the wave of insecurity sweeping across Zamfara, where armed gangs continue to terrorise rural communities. Earlier this month, suspected gunmen kidnapped two councillors and an Imam…

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Borno: Police, JTF repel B’Haram assault, as soldiers reportedly abandon battlefront

Aminu Imam
Borno Police, JTF B'Haram assault

A combined team of the Nigeria Police Force and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) successfully repelled a Boko Haram attack in Banki, Bama LGA of Borno State, at the weekend – even as some soldiers reportedly fled the battlefield. Residents, who spoke to newsmen, commended the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in-charge of Banki, for rallying his men and mobilising local support during the fierce gun battle. A resident, simply identified as Aminu, said the DPO refused to abandon his post despite being advised to flee. “He organised…

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North-Central Under Siege: Bandits ravage Kwara, Kogi, and Abuja

Aminu Imam
N'East under seige

…Demand cash, food as ransom A fresh wave of kidnappings and killings has engulfed Nigeria’s North-Central region, with armed gangs terrorising communities across Kwara, Kogi, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). In Kwara State, residents in at least nine local government areas – including Edu, Patigi, Kaiama, and Ifelodun – say bandits have taken control of forest settlements, abducting villagers and demanding not just cash but also food and drinks as ransom. “They now ask for money, food, and even alcohol,” lamented former NLC chairman, Emmanuel Ayeoribe. In Abuja, kidnappers…

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“We’re living like prisoners”: Sokoto communities cry out

Aminu Imam
Sokoto communities cry out

…As bandits sack 17 towns, kill, abduct dozens Fear and despair have gripped communities in Kebbe Local Government Area of Sokoto State as bandit attacks escalate, leaving behind a trail of death, abductions, and mass displacement. From Dukura to Dalijan, Fakku, and Ingushi, residents recount nights of terror, villages raided, livestock stolen, homes torched, and families torn apart. What was once a peaceful farming belt has now become a battlefield where survival is a daily struggle. At a press conference on Saturday, community leaders led by Adamu Haruna of Kebbe…

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Kwara Killings: North on fire, South on edge

Aminu Imam
Kwara killings

…”Nigeria facing genocide” Yoruba groups warn Fresh outrage has trailed the September 17 massacre in Oke Ode, Ifelodun local government area of Kwara State, where 15 people — including vigilantes, women, children, and the village head — were killed by armed bandits.  The attack has triggered warnings from both political leaders and Yoruba groups about an impending national security collapse. Northern Nigeria’s 19 governors, elders and political heavyweights yesterday declared that insecurity and poverty in the region have reached breaking point—warning the crisis now threatens national stability. At the Northern…

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Katsina Peace Deal: ‘Kill 10, 20 will rise’ – Bandit leader dares Armed Forces 

Aminu Imam
Bandit leader dares Army

A notorious bandit leader, Kachalla Ummaru, has warned that government military operations targeting bandits could exacerbate insecurity, asserting that any attempt to kill 10 bandits would lead to 20 more emerging in retaliation, while killing 30 could trigger further unrest in cities and villages. Ummaru made the remarks on Saturday during a peace dialogue between bandit groups and community leaders in Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State. He urged security operatives to exercise restraint, emphasizing that the dialogue process would only succeed if all parties approached it in good…

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“Poverty, unemployment fueling North’s insecurity” – Gov. Sani

Aminu Imam
Uba Sani Kaduna Governor scaled

Kaduna State governor, Senator Uba Sani, has identified poverty, unemployment, lack of schools, hospitals, and commerce in rural areas as root causes of crime, insisting that leaders must take responsibility.  The governor gave the caution at the public presentation of a book: ‘Where I Stand’, written by the Late Sheikh Abubakar Mahmud Gumi, which was translated by Sheikh Ibrahim Jalo Jalingo into Arabic. He also advised the opposition to stop politicising the issue of insecurity by claiming that bandits can be carpet-bombed out of existence or submit.  Governor Sani represented…

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“Declare state-of-emergency on insecurity”, Northern Elders urge Tinubu

Aminu Imam
NEF urges Tinubu

…Say Nigeria’s stability, regional security under threat The Northern Elders Forum, (NEF), has called on President Bola Tinubu to declare a ‘state of emergency’ in northern Nigeria, citing the extraordinary scale of insecurity and the government’s constitutional and international obligations to protect lives. The Forum lamented that state security agencies remain overstretched, under-resourced, and in some cases complicit through inaction, leaving citizens vulnerable while eroding public trust in government. In a communiqué issued yesterday by its spokesperson, Professor Abubakar Jika Jiddere, the NEF expressed grave concern over the spate of…

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Escalating Insecurity: “I have to create State Police, as bandits attacks worsen” – Tinubu

Aminu Imam
Tinubu State Police

President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed that the establishment of state police is unavoidable as part of efforts to strengthen security across the country. Speaking on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja during a courtesy visit by a delegation of prominent Katsina indigenes led by Governor Dikko Raɗɗa, Tinubu said the Federal Government is committed to confronting insecurity head-on. The President directed security agencies to reassess their operations in Katsina State, which has witnessed a spike in banditry, and disclosed that advanced military equipment and surveillance technology would be deployed.…

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