"Majority of Bandits Neutralised, Only Few Scattered Elements Remain"— Defence Minister,Matawalle.

The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has stated that most b+ndit leaders and their followers have been neutralised, noting that only a few scattered elements remain. He added that President Bola Tinubu has directed Operation FANSAN YAMMA troops to eliminate the remaining bandits in the North-West.

SaharaReporters previously reported that the Kebbi State Police confirmed the abduction of at least 25 students from the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, Danko/Wasagu LGA, on Monday morning.

The attack by heavily armed bandits resulted in the d+ath of one staff member and injury to another, CSP Nafi’u Abubakar Kotarkoshi said. The incident reportedly occurred around 4am, with assailants engaging police officers in a gun battle.

Matawalle made his remarks during a visit to the Theatre Command Headquarters, following Juma’at prayers at the Command Mosque.

According to his Director of Information, Ibrahim Sule, he conveyed President Tinubu’s appreciation for the troops’ courage, patriotism, and achievements in dismantling bandit formations across the Northwest.

He told the soldiers: “Most key bandit leaders and their foot soldiers have been neutralised through your gallant effort. What remains now are scattered elements, and the Commander-in-Chief has directed that these must be completely eliminated. You have every support needed logistics, equipment, welfare, and morale to finish the job.”

Matawalle was received by Theatre Commander Maj. Gen. Warrah Bello Idris, who briefed him on recent operations, including neutralising high-value targets and reclaiming communities previously under bandit control. The minister praised the troops’ resilience, calling their sacrifices the foundation for peace returning to Zamfara and neighbouring states.

Addressing officers and soldiers, Matawalle urged sustained vigilance and discipline, assuring them that total victory was near. “Your sacrifices will never be in vain. The President, the nation, and soon the people of this region will sleep peacefully,” he declared.

Bandits have raided the Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School (GGCSS) in Maga, located in the Danko Wasagu area of Kebbi State, killing the Vice-Principal, Hassan Yakubu Makuku, and kidnapping an unspecified number of students.

Maga, a community in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area, has suffered repeated attacks in recent times.A resident, Aliyu Yakubu, said the attackers stormed the school around 5 am on Monday without encountering resistance.

“The incident has thrown the entire community into panic. Residents of Maga are gripped with fear and sorrow,” he said.He added that the school principal, Makuku, was shot while attempting to shield the students during the invasion.

“He was h+t while trying to stop the bandits from taking the students. His death is a huge tragedy for both the school and the community,” he stated.

As of the time of filing this report, the police had yet to comment on the attack, as the command’s spokesperson, CSP Nafiu Abubakar, did not respond to repeated calls.

Kaduna community shares images of 12 residents Kidnapped by Bandits, including Ecwa Pastor.

The Gidan Waya community in Lere Local Government Area of Kaduna State has released photos of 12 residents abducted by bandits last week. Reports indicate the attack left four people dead and several others injured.

Among the kidnapped are six women, a minor, three young men, and an ECWA Church Reverend. The victims remain in the hands of the kidnappers, with the community urgently appealing for their safe and immediate release.

Amnesty International has condemned the attack, describing it as a stark example of the Nigerian authorities’ ongoing failure to protect citizens and hold perpetrators of human rights abuses accountable.

Sheikh Gumi Defends Negotiating With Bandits, Claims He Led 600 to Surrender.

Popular Islamic cleric Sheikh Gumi has strongly rejected calls for his arrest, saying his peace-building role in Nigeria’s security crisis is being unfairly politicised.

He argues that his role as a mediator with bandit gangs is patriotic, not criminal.

In a statement on Sunday, the cleric lashed out at critics who demand he be detained.

He described them as “spineless, irresponsible and unpatriotic imbecilic people” who prefer sensationalism over real solutions.

Gumi reminded Nigerians of a major intervention he led in January 2021 in Sabon Garin Yadi forest, Kaduna State.

He says he was accompanied by the then Kaduna State Commissioner of Police — representing the Inspector-General — when he met with over 600 armed bandits and their commanders.

According to him, the meeting was part of a peace process.

The bandits agreed to disarm in exchange for security guarantees and basic amenities. But, he claims, the government never delivered on its side of the bargain.

BREAKING: Residents in Shiroro LGA, Niger State, say they pay ₦7 million to bandits just to live in their homes and farm in peace.

Community leader Alh. Yahaya say that villages like Makera, Galapai, Chukuba & others are under bandit control — with each married man contributing to the payment.

He says security patrols have stopped, leaving locals to NEGOTIATE their safety directly with bandit groups.

Residents plead for urgent government action to protect lives and property.

NAF Crushes ISWAP Fighters, Destroys Bandit Camps Across Borno, Kwara, Katsina, Zamfara and Kaduna.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has intensified its nationwide counterterrorism and anti-banditry campaign, carrying out a series of precision airstrikes that eliminated ISWAP fighters and dismantled multiple criminal hideouts across the northern region.

According to a statement released by the Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the coordinated strikes targeted ISWAP strongholds in Mallam Fatori and Shuwaram in Borno State, as well as bandit enclaves in Garin Dandi and Chigogo in Kwara State, and Zango Hill in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State. Additional operations were also conducted in parts of Zamfara and Kaduna States.

Ejodame noted that the missions mark a significant phase in ongoing joint operations under Operation HADIN KAI and Operation FANSAN YAMMA, designed to degrade terrorist and criminal networks operating across Nigeria’s northern corridors.

He added that the success of these precision-led offensives reflects the renewed operational tempo of the Air Force, in line with directives issued by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke.

Each strike, he said, reinforces NAF’s commitment to deploying intelligence-driven, smarter airpower to deliver decisive blows against insurgents and bandits, while safeguarding citizens and strengthening national security.

ISWAP Terrorists, Bandits Killed As NAF Raids Hideouts In Borno, Others

NAF Bombs Several ISWAP Terrorists, Bandits To Death In Multiple Airstrikes.

Air strikes carried out by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) have resulted in the killing of several terrorists and bandits across the country and the destruction of their hideouts.

According to a statement on Monday by the NAF Spokesman, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, scores of Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists in Mallam Fatori and Shuwaram, Borno State, as well as bandits’ enclaves in Garin Dandi and Chigogo, Kwara State, as well as Zango Hill in Kankara local government area of Katsina State, were affected by the strikes.

He added that the coordinated missions were carried out on November 9, 2025, based on credible intelligence on the movement and activities of the criminals.

Ejodame said the missions represent a decisive phase in ongoing joint operations under Operation Hadin Kai and Operation Fansan Yamma, aimed at degrading terrorists and criminal networks across Nigeria’s northern theatres.

News reports that the NAF airstrikes dealt a heavy blow to ISWAP terrorists entrenched in the Northern Tumbuns of Borno State.

According to the NAF spokesman, the Air Component guided by real-time Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) feeds conducted precision strikes southeast of Shuwaram before shifting to Mallam Fatori, where ISWAP elements were observed mobilising with motorcycles and boats along the Lake Chad Basin.

According to him, the strikes destroyed the insurgent hideouts, logistics hubs, and weapons storage facilities, eliminating several terrorists and crippling their mobility capabilities.

“Post-strike assessments confirmed multiple neutralizations and a significant degradation of ISWAP’s operational networks in the area,” he said.

Similarly, NAF aircraft carried out precision air interdiction missions over Garin Dandi and Chigogo in Kwara State, striking bandits,’ camps with devastating accuracy based on credible intelligence.

He said the attacks caused panic in the enemy camp and inflicted heavy losses among the criminals.

In a related operation, air assets under Operation Fansan Yamma struck Zango Hill in Kankara LGA, Katsina State, the hideout of a terrorist kingpin and his fighters.

Ejodame said the aircraft guided by actionable intelligence and ISR surveillance, executed multiple attack passes, destroying key logistics hubs and neutralizing several terrorists in one of the most decisive strikes in the region.

Furthermore, the Air Component of Operation Fansan Yamma (Sector 1) conducted an Armed Reconnaissance mission across the northwest corridor, covering key settlements in Zamfara, Kebbi, and Kaduna States, including Kakihum, Dankolo, Kotonkoro, and Kuyello.

Ejodame said the locations served as known routes and hideouts for armed groups along the Birnin Gwari–Funtua axis.

“During the mission, coordination with Forward Operating Bases at Dankolo and Kotonkoro revealed suspicious movement near Wam Hill, where terrorists on motorcycles were spotted attempting to flee. The aircrew swiftly engaged and neutralized the targets, with no further hostile activity observed,” he said.

Bandits attacked Yan Kwada village in Shanono LGA, Kano State, on Sunday, abducting five women, including nursing mothers. Local sources said the assailants invaded the community, firing gunshots and breaking into homes. Two of the abducted women were later released, while three remain in captivity. The attack occurred a week after a military operation in the area reportedly killed 19 bandits. Residents, living in fear of further assaults, have urged security agencies and the Kano State Government to strengthen patrols across border communities between Kano and Katsina. Police have yet to comment on the incident.

A protest erupted in Isanlu community on Sunday following the killing of a popular elderly woman, Mrs Elizabeth Olorunshola, at Ilafin-Isanlu community in Yagba East LGA of Kogi State by bandits. Gunmen suspected to be bandits had killed the elderly woman in a fresh attack on the Ilafin-Isanlu community on Saturday night.

"Bandits Are On a Revenge Mission But They’re Ready for Peace Talks Unlike IPOB That Wants To Leave Nigeria" – Sheikh Gumi.

Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has once again stirred controversy by defending armed bandit groups operating across northern Nigeria, insisting that their attacks are driven by “revenge missions” rather than unprovoked violence.

Speaking in an interview on Trust TV on Friday, monitored by SaharaReporters, Gumi argued that Fulani herdsmen and bandit groups “do not attack people without cause.”

He referenced a past visit by former Bauchi State Governor Isa Yuguda to meet thousands of bandits in the forest, claiming the armed groups complained of losing family members and suffering various forms of hostility.

“Yes, I know they have killed, and it’s wrong to kill anybody innocent. This is absolutely an obnoxious thing to do. We don’t support that. But if you know their psychology, they are on a revenge mission,”
Gumi stated.

While acknowledging the violence perpetrated by the groups, the cleric insisted they were motivated by grievances rooted in perceived injustices, stressing that Fulani herdsmen had lived peacefully with other communities for centuries.

He urged the Tinubu administration to prioritize dialogue, rehabilitation, and reintegration, rather than relying heavily on military offensives.

“What the government needs to do is bring them together in a holistic form so that there is peace. They are ready for that. If you call them for peace, they come,”
Gumi added.

The cleric also sparked further debate by contrasting the bandits with members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), whom he accused of rejecting dialogue and pursuing secession.

“It’s unlike IPOB. The government has been trying to dialogue with them; they refuse. They are secessionists. Besides being terrorists, they are secessionists. Well, these people (bandits) are not secessionists. They want peace,”
he said.

Gumi has repeatedly advocated for amnesty and negotiation with bandits, a position that has drawn widespread criticism amid escalating insecurity in the North.

Alleged Genocide: Bayo Onanuga Reacts After Trump's Aide Said The USA Is Ready And Willing To Act.

Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Information and Strategy has reacted to the statement that Trump's aide, Marco Rubio made about alleged Christian genocide in Nigeria.

The reaction of Bayo Onanuga was contained in a post that he shared on his official X handle on Saturday, November 1, 2025.

In the post that Marco Rubio shared on his official page, he claimed that several Christians are being slaughtered and the US government is ready and willing to act.

Here is what Marco Rubio wrote on his official X handle;

"The ongoing slaughter of thousands of Christians in Nigeria by radical Islamists and Fulani ethnic militias is both tragic and unacceptable. As President Donald Trump said, the United State of America stands ready, willing and able to act".

However, Bayo Onanuga has now shared his thoughts after the post surfaced online. In a statement that he shared on his page, he said Christians are not being slaughtered in Nigeria.

He said both Christians and Muslims are being attacked in Nigeria. The presidential aide said what Nigeria needs from America is military support to fight the violent extremists in the country.

Here is what Bayo Onanuga wrote on his official X handle;

"Dear Secretary Rubio, there is no ongoing slaughter of thousands of Christians in Nigeria. This is a gross exaggeration of the Nigerian situation. What we do have are sporadic attacks on some villages by bandits and terrorists and the attacks are religiously insensitive. Christians, Muslims, churches and mosques are attacked randomly".

Over 50 Generals To Go As Tinubu Sacks Service Chiefs.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday sacked the service chiefs and appointed their replacements.

The statement announcing their removal, signed by the special adviser to the president on media and public communication, Sunday Dare, said the action was taken in furtherance of the Federal Government’s efforts to strengthen the national security architecture.

The President appointed former Army Chief, General Olufemi Oluyede, as the new Chief of Defence Staff, replacing General Christopher Musa.

The new Chief of Army Staff is Major-General W. Shaibu. Air Vice Marshal S. K. Aneke becomes Chief of Air Staff, while Rear Admiral I. Abbas is the new Chief of Naval Staff.
The Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major-General E. A. P. Undiendeye, retains his position.

President Tinubu expressed appreciation to the outgoing Chief of Defence Staff, General Musa, and the other service chiefs for their patriotic service and dedicated leadership.
The President urged the newly appointed service chiefs to justify the confidence reposed in them and to further enhance the professionalism, vigilance, and comradeship that define the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
“All appointments take immediate effect,” the statement said.
Those sacked with General Musa are the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar.

LEADERSHIP Weekend reports that yesterday’s changes mark the second major reshuffle of the military high command since President Tinubu assumed office in May 2023.
Yesterday’s change comes amid growing public outcry as the country continues to battle terrorism, banditry, and other forms of violent crime across several regions.

General Musa and those asked to leave with him had been in office since June 2023 and oversaw several major operations against Boko Haram, ISWAP, and armed bandits in the North-East and North-West.
Security analysts are unanimous that their tenure recorded significant gains.

Despite that, continued attacks and killings in different parts of the country had fuelled calls for a change in strategy and leadership.

The changes also came a few days after widespread rumours of an attempted coup to unseat President Tinubu surfaced in the media.

Though the Defence Headquarters denied it, saying there was no such attempt, yesterday’s sacking of the

service chiefs may lend credence to the alleged coup plot.

“Their sacking is as a result of losing the loyalty of those working with them. When a commander loses the loyalty of his men, then there is no need for him to remain the commander,” a security officer told one of our correspondents.

“We Won’t Pay Ransom or Negotiate with Bandits” — Niger Governor Bago Declares, Orders Statewide Mining Ban.

Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, has vowed that his administration will neither negotiate with bandits nor pay ransom for kidnapped victims, insisting that such actions only empower criminals and fuel insecurity across the state.

Bago made the declaration during a condolence visit to residents of Rijau and Magama Local Government Areas, where several communities were recently attacked by bandits in the Kontagora axis.

According to a statement issued on Wednesday by his Special Adviser on Print Media, Aisha Wakaso, the governor said Niger State had reached a critical point that demands collective resistance from its people. He warned that ransom payments would only commercialise kidn+pping and make the cr+me more lucrative.

“I will not negotiate with bandits. I will not pay ransom. The moment we start paying, they will open shop on our heads and keep kidnapping people,” Bago said. “This is a war situation, and we must all rise to defend ourselves. The constitution empowers us to protect lives and property, and we will not back down.”

In addition, Governor Bago declared a total ban on mining activities across Niger State’s Zone C, which includes Magama, Kontagora, Rijau, Wushishi, Mariga, Borgu, Mashegu, and Agwara LGAs. He linked illegal mining to the rising wave of insecurity, alleging that many miners operate freely in forest zones that are unsafe for residents.

“It is suspicious that miners can enter the forests freely, yet the bandits don’t touch them,” he stated, directing the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to arrest anyone caught engaging in mining activities.

Bandits kidnap INEC staff in Kogi.

Unidentified gunmen on Tuesday abducted staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, along Aloma Road in Kogi State.

The victims, all female staff, were reportedly travelling from Abuja to Anambra State on an official assignment ahead of the forthcoming governorship election when the incident occurred.

The assailants were said to have blocked the highway, fired shots at the vehicle, and shattered its windscreen. None of the occupants of the vehicle was hit by the bullets.

The INEC officials were reportedly deployed to Anambra for the printing of the voters’ register and other election materials in preparation for the governorship poll scheduled for the first week of November.

The gunmen were said to have abducted all the occupants of the bus, including the driver and his wife.

As of the time of filing this report, efforts to reach the Kogi State Police Public Relations Officer were unsuccessful.

Five Policemen Killed In Zamfara Bandit Ambush, Gov Lawal Mourns.

Five policemen have been killed and one declared missing after armed bandits ambushed a police patrol team on Thursday in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has renewed his call for the Federal Government to initiate peace talks with bandits, insisting that dialogue remains the most effective route to achieving lasting security in Nigeria.

In a Facebook post on Monday, Gumi referenced the recent peace deal between Israel and Hamas as proof that even long-standing conflicts can be resolved through negotiation.

According to him, if the United States could broker peace between Israel and Hamas—two groups once at bitter odds, then Nigeria should also be able to engage its own armed groups in dialogue.

“Peace between Israel and Hamas, whom they call terrorists, was brokered by the USA. Who says peace can’t be made with terrorists? Make peace with bandits and let us have peace,” Gumi wrote.

The Kaduna-based cleric, who has long advocated for engagement with non-state armed groups, reiterated that meaningful dialogue is key to ending the violence that has plagued many parts of northern Nigeria.

Zamfara Farmers Face N20 Million Ransom Threat Ahead of Harvest Season


Farmers in Shanawa, Jangeru, and Galadi communities of Shinkafi Local Government Area, Zamfara State, are raising alarm after bandits allegedly demanded N20 million from them to allow access to their farms ahead of the harvest season.

Residents claim the threats have disrupted farming activities, leaving many families anxious about potential loss of livelihoods. Community leaders have called on the state government and security agencies to intervene urgently to ensure farmers can work safely.

The looming harvest crisis threatens food security and highlights the continuing challenges posed by banditry in northwestern Nigeria.

Weeks after a peace agreement between the Katsina State Government and armed bandit groups, the Chairman of Sabuwa Local Government Area, Engr. Sagir Tanimu, has come under scrutiny for attending the wedding ceremony of children belonging to some of the bandits.

The ceremony, which took place in Kadawan Dandume village, was reportedly part of the state’s ongoing reconciliation efforts with the bandits operating in the region. Tanimu, alongside other dignitaries including the Prince of Kogo Emirate, Alhaji Ibrahim Bello Kogo, and the District Head of Sabuwa, joined Fulani residents in the forest to mark the occasion.

However, critics have expressed concern over the gesture, noting that despite the peace pact, the armed groups have yet to renounce their criminal activities or surrender their weapons. Locals insist that genuine peace can only be achieved when the bandits formally disarm and abandon violence.

The London Property that Exposes Nigeria’s Rot.

A quiet house at 79 Randall Avenue, North London, has become the unlikely centerpiece of one of the most extraordinary property fraud cases ever to involve two of Nigeria’s most prominent figures: the late General Jeremiah Useni and Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN.

That Nigerian politicians are corrupt is no news to anyone. What is remarkable is how their corruption is facilitated, even legitimized, by senior members of the Nigerian Bar in foreign courts. The case, decided in early September 2025 by the UK’s First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), revealed how this property – purchased in 1993 at the height of General Sani Abacha’s regime – was registered under the false name “Tali Shani.”

Decades later, the tribunal uncovered how this phantom identity was used to conceal Useni’s ownership and later became the basis of a failed attempt to pass the house to Chief Ozekhome. What emerged was a shocking tale of forgery, fabricated identities, and collusion between Nigeria’s political and legal elites.

Forged Identities and Fabricated Claims

The tribunal was tasked with resolving competing claims. On one side stood “Mr. Tali Shani,” produced by Chief Ozekhome as the supposed registered owner who had transferred the property to him in 2021. On the other was “Ms. Tali Shani,” presented by Nigerian law firm Edewor & Co. through their London agent, solicitor Kingsley Efemuai, who opposed the transfer. The stories quickly unraveled.

“Mr. Tali Shani” told the tribunal he bought the London house in 1993 at just 20 years old, using profits from selling sweets, mangoes, and cattle in Nigeria. He claimed he then appointed General Jeremiah Useni – then a powerful FCT Minister – as his property manager. The idea of a herdsman hiring a sitting general as property manager would be comical, if not absurd.

But “Ms. Tali Shani” was even more fantastical. Although she was the applicant in the matter, she never appeared throughout the proceeding. Her legal team submitted a raft of fraudulent documents: a forged Nigerian National Identification Number (NIN) slip that was created in Monaco, through an online loophole, a fake mobile phone bill later traced back to her lawyer Mohammed Edewor himself, and even a death certificate riddled with contradictions. When pressed on her absence from the proceedings, her lawyers first claimed she was gravely ill, then announced her sudden death in 2024, filing documents so sloppy they included a Sunday funeral scheduled on the wrong date.

Two men appeared as her supposed “son” and “cousin”. Their accounts contradicted each other and collapsed under questioning. When asked about picture of Ms. Shani’s funeral, one of the witnesses claimed the funeral photographer was “killed by bandits” immediately after the funeral.

But what was shocking at the end of the matter was that Ms. Shani never existed. She was the creation of some lawyer from the Nigeria law firm of Edewor & Co. Her legal team in Nigeria (Edewor & Co) and their London counterpart, Kingsley Efemuai, a London-based solicitor, submitted a bundle of fake documents to the tribunal in proof of her existence. When the charade unravelled under scrutiny, Mr. Efemuai abruptly withdrew from the case, leaving behind a trail of professional embarrassment.