"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.

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.

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.

UK warns against travel to six Nigerian states over rising insecurity.

The United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office has issued a fresh warning against travel to parts of Nigeria, citing escalating insecurity, violent crime, terrorism, and kidnappings across multiple regions.

In its latest Foreign Travel Advice published on GOV.UK and sighted by our correspondent on Sunday, the FCDO stated, “Insecurity is increasing across Nigeria. Kidnapping, violent crime, and intercommunal violence occur throughout all regions of Nigeria.”

The advisory urged British nationals to exercise extreme caution, review safety procedures, and ensure they have contingency plans in place.

The FCDO advised against all travel to Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe, Katsina, and Zamfara states, citing a “high and increasing threat from Boko Haram or Islamic State West Africa, particularly around transport hubs, religious areas and large gatherings.”

The statement warned that “humanitarian personnel, vehicles, supplies, and infrastructure can be targeted by terrorists and criminals.”

In addition, the UK government advised against all but essential travel to Bauchi, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Jigawa, Sokoto, Niger, Kogi, Plateau, and Taraba states, as well as the outer suburbs of Abuja within the Federal Capital Territory.

The FCDO said, “Violent crime, often involving firearms, has increased and spread from the outer suburbs to more central, wealthier areas of the city.”

It added that “British Government staff in Nigeria have been advised to restrict travel to an area broadly within the Abuja metropolitan area.”

Concerned Nigerians petition Trump over Zamfara killings.

A coalition under the banner of Concerned Nigerians for Human Security has petitioned United States President Donald Trump, calling for international attention and decisive action over the worsening security situation in Zamfara State and other parts of northern Nigeria.

In a petition addressed to the US President, the group described the killings and mass displacement in Zamfara as “a humanitarian tragedy that demands urgent global response”.

According to the coalition, thousands of Nigerians, including men, women, and children, have been killed, abducted, or forced to flee their homes as a result of ongoing attacks by armed groups.

“We write not just as citizens mourning the thousands whose lives have been brutally cut short across parts of northern Nigeria, but as people who recognize your important role as a global leader always ready to confront moral wrongs,” the letter read in part.

The group alleged that while billions of naira are allocated for security across states, the crisis in Zamfara continues to worsen, leading to the deaths of innocent citizens and the destruction of entire communities.

It claimed that the situation reflects what it called “a total breakdown of leadership and accountability in the management of security resources”.

The coalition urged President Trump and the US government to impose visa restrictions on certain political figures, including Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, to “apply international accountability pressure on political actors who trade human lives for political and financial gain”.

“Leadership is a moral duty, not a personal luxury,” the group said, adding that sanctions would “disrupt the comfort derived from foreign refuge and compel responsibility at home”.

Large Movement of Fulani Herdsmen Reportedly Leaving Nigeria for Cameroon via Adamawa Border.

Reports from Fufore Local Government Area in Adamawa State indicate that a significant number of Fulani herdsmen, many traveling on motorbikes, are moving out of Nigeria across the border into Cameroon. According to eyewitness accounts, including that of local observer Patrick Anum, the movement has been steady and organized, with groups seen heading towards border communities in the early hours of the day.

The movement is suspected to be an act of fleeing the country by the killer herdsmen due to the threat by the head of the American Government, President Donald Trump that the US could intervene in Northern Nigeria, killing terrorists allegedly persecuting Christians if the Nigerian Government refuses to ‘act fast’.

What has drawn attention, however, is the apparent lack of interference by Nigerian security agencies stationed along the border routes. Sources suggest that the herdsmen are being allowed to cross freely, raising questions about whether the movement is coordinated or part of a broader security realignment in the region.

This development comes amid renewed concerns over insecurity and shifting dynamics in Nigeria’s northern states. In recent months, the Nigerian security architecture has undergone multiple operations targeting banditry, terrorism, and cross-border criminal activities, particularly in the North East and North West regions. Military offensives in parts of Zamfara, Katsina, and Kaduna have reportedly displaced several armed groups, pushing some to seek refuge or reorganize in neighboring countries.

Security analysts suggest that the movement of Fulani groups toward Cameroon could be linked to these intensified operations. Some observers fear that the exodus might not merely be pastoral migration but could involve elements retreating from ongoing military pressure or attempting to regroup across the border. Others, however, view it as part of the seasonal transhumance pattern traditional herding movements that have been complicated in recent years by conflict, climate change, and growing insecurity.

The federal government has recently emphasized the need for tighter border surveillance and regional cooperation to manage such cross border movements. Yet, the apparent passivity of local security personnel in Adamawa has sparked debate over whether this current migration is being tacitly permitted or simply beyond the capacity of existing border control mechanisms.

As northern Nigeria continues to grapple with overlapping security challenges from insurgency and banditry to farmer-herder tensions this latest development underscores the fragile nature of border management and the deep interconnection between internal security and regional mobility.

Court sacks House of Reps Member for defecting from PDP to APC.

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has removed Hon. Abubakar Suleiman Gummi from his seat in the House of Representatives for defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Gummi, who represents Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency of Zamfara State, was sacked on Thursday by Justice Obiora Egwuatu, who also directed the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, to stop recognising him as a member of the lower chamber.

In his judgment, Justice Egwuatu ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh election within 30 days to fill the vacant seat. The certified true copy of the judgment was sighted on Friday.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1803/2024, was filed by the PDP and its Zamfara State Chairman, Jamilu Jibomagayaki. The plaintiffs, represented by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ibrahim Bawa, contended that Gummi’s defection violated Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), since there was no division in the PDP at the time he left the party.

They asked the court to declare Gummi’s defection unconstitutional and to compel the Speaker to declare his seat vacant.

In his defence, Gummi argued through his counsel that his defection was necessitated by internal crises within the PDP both at the national and state levels, which, he claimed, made it impossible for him to effectively represent his constituents.

Justice Egwuatu, however, dismissed the lawmaker’s argument, holding that the evidence before the court did not establish any division within the PDP capable of justifying defection.

In a scathing remark, the judge condemned what he described as the “growing culture of political prostitution” among elected officials who switch parties without relinquishing the mandate given to them by voters.

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.

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.

Kano Court Jails TikToker, Mai Wushirya, Over Indecent Video, Orders Female Partner’s Arrest.

A Magistrate Court in Kano has remanded popular TikTok personality, Ashiru Idris, widely known as Mai Wushirya, in a correctional centre for posting indecent videos featuring a dwarf woman, whose identity remains undisclosed.

Presided over by Magistrate Halima Wali of Court No. 7, the court ordered that the content creator remain in custody for two weeks pending the continuation of the case.

According to LEADERSHIP, officials of the Kano State Censorship Board arrested Mai Wushirya last week after clips showing him shirtless and engaging in what authorities described as “immoral and demeaning acts” with the woman went viral on social media.

The Board stated that the videos violated state censorship laws, which prohibit the production or circulation of obscene or sexually suggestive content.

Speaking after the ruling, the Board’s Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Sani Sulaiman, said the court had also directed that the woman featured in the videos appear at the next hearing.

“The court has ordered that his partner be brought before it at the next sitting. Before his arraignment, we tried to get him to cooperate with us to locate her, but he refused. Now that there’s a court order, we are confident she will be found,” Sulaiman said.

He further disclosed that the woman is believed to have fled to Zamfara State, but authorities are working to ensure her return to Kano to face trial alongside the TikToker.

Police Disclose Identities of Imam, Worshippers Killed in Zamfara Mosque.

Tragedy struck in Zamfara State on Friday when gunmen stormed a mosque in Yantodon Daji village, Tsafe Local Government Area, killing the Imam and four worshippers during morning prayers.

Three other people were abducted in the raid.

The State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Maikaba, who confirmed the incident, said the attackers deliberately targeted the mosque to provoke public outrage.

“We believe the bandits deployed this method just to draw attention. They have seen the reaction when a mosque was attacked in Malumfashi, Katsina State, and that is why they carried out a similar act here in Zamfara,” Maikaba told journalists.

According to him, the armed men opened fire indiscriminately on worshippers, killing five people before whisking away three others to an unknown destination.

Those killed were identified as:
Sale Dangero, 75
Mamman Yaro, 72
Malam Lawali Bataribas, 67
Malam Jafaru, a retired ASP, 68
Malam Safiyanu, 55

The abducted victims were named as Danyaye Alh. Gambo, Malam Basiru, and Ibrahim Bello.

Maikaba added that preliminary investigations traced the assault to a notorious bandit leader, Bakin Malam, and his loyalists operating around the Makera axis.

He assured residents that security operatives were already on the trail of the attackers and vowed that those responsible would be brought to justice

BREAKING NEWS: Peace Deal Collapses As Bandits Abduct 40 worshippers from a mosque located in Gidan Turbe village, Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, this morning.

Coalition Gives Zamfara Governor Dauda Lawal 7 Days to Expose Bandit Hideouts or Face Mass Protests

The Coalition of Citizens Against Banditry and Insecurity in Nigeria (CABIN) has issued a seven-day ultimatum to Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, demanding that he reveal the exact locations of bandits and criminal gangs operating in the state.

The group warned that if the governor fails to act within the stipulated time, it would mobilize nationwide protests and call on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in Zamfara.

In a statement signed by its president, Comrade Solomon Charles Abutu, CABIN accused the governor of admitting—through recent public comments—that he knows where the bandits reside but has failed to hand them over to security agencies.

“Governor Dauda Lawal has confirmed in his own words that he knows where the killers, kidnappers, and bloodthirsty bandits reside. By that singular admission, he owes Nigerians a moral and constitutional duty to immediately hand them over. Anything short of this within seven days will amount to complicity,” the coalition declared.

The group condemned what it described as the governor’s “weaponisation of lamentation”, stressing that despite receiving billions of naira in monthly security votes, insecurity in Zamfara has only worsened.

CABIN also alleged that bandits have infiltrated political circles in the state, claiming some operate within Government House Gusau under the protection of compromised officials.

“Zamfara has become the epicentre of Nigeria’s banditry crisis. Governance is not about saying ‘I cannot do it.’ Leadership requires courage and political will. If Governor Lawal has run out of ideas, let him resign instead of normalising excuses,” the statement added.

The coalition vowed to mobilize residents, civil society organisations, and student unions for mass demonstrations in Gusau, Abuja, and other cities if the ultimatum lapses without action.

CABIN also called on President Bola Tinubu to personally monitor the situation and hold Governor Lawal accountable, warning that failure to act decisively would embolden criminal networks nationwide.

“Governor Lawal has seven days to prove his loyalty to the Nigerian people—or face the full weight of civic resistance,” the group declared.

Zamfara Governor Under Intense Pressure to Resign After Shocking Banditry Admissions.

Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State is facing mounting pressure to step down following a viral video in which he admitted to knowing the locations of bandits plaguing the state but claimed he was powerless to act. The undated clip, spoken in Hausa, has sparked widespread outrage, with critics labeling the governor’s remarks as reckless and self-incriminating.

BREAKING: 28 Persons Infected As Rare Flesh-Eating Disease Hits Adamawa, Authorities Await Diagnosis

At least 28 people have been struck by a rare disease in Adamawa State, with victims suffering flesh and bone destruction.

Dr. Suleiman Bashir, Chairman of the Adamawa State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, confirmed the outbreak on Saturday, noting that specimens have been sent to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in Abuja for analysis. Results are expected in 10 days.

While eight victims are receiving treatment at the Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital (MAUTH), Yola, others continue to rely on local remedies despite free government treatment.

The outbreak is most severe in Malabu, Fufore LGA, where residents report symptoms beginning as boils before spreading into deep wounds that eat into flesh and bones.

Authorities have urged residents to seek prompt medical care and report unusual health cases, warning against reliance on traditional medicine.

The development has rekindled concerns about Nigeria’s preparedness against emergent health crises, recalling past outbreaks such as meningitis (1996), lead poisoning in Zamfara (2010), Ebola (2014), and Lassa fever.

#Adamawa #PublicHealth #NCDC

Empower Me and I’ll End Banditry in 2 Months-Gov. Dauda Lawal to FG.

Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has thrown a big challenge to the federal government. He has sensationally declared that banditry would be a thing of the past if the federal government gives him direct and complete control of security agencies in the country.

He’s not done. He also declared categorically that he knows the movement of every single bandit leader operating in Zamfara State as he can track them on his mobile phone!

But in a viral video that has sent social media buzzing, the governor lamented that he is seriously handicapped in the fight against banditry in the state because he lacks direct control over security agencies and outfits operating in Zamfara.

The governor lamented that the situation where security chiefs in the state only take orders from Abuja could be counter-productive.

“We have dozens of tracking facilities which we fixed across the state just to help security in tracking the bandits.,’ he disclosed.

“I swear to Almighty Allah, wherever a bandits’ leader is located within Zamfara state, I know it and if he goes out, I know,

“With my mobile phone, I can show you where and where these bandits are today. But we cannot do anything beyond our powers.

“If today, I have the power to give orders to the security agencies, I can assure you, we will end banditry in Zamfara State within two months.

Nigerian Armed Forces Don’t Support Payment Of Money To Criminal Groups — Defence HQ

The Chief of Defence Operations, Major General Emeka Onumajuru, has clarified that the Nigerian Armed Forces do not support paying bandits, stressing that such measures have proven ineffective.

He explained that instead of financial settlements, the military runs a Disarmament, Demobilisation, and Reintegration (DDR) programme under Operation Safe Corridor in Gombe and Zamfara for repentant fighters who surrender their weapons and undergo profiling.

Onumajuru urged communities to work with security agencies to strengthen Nigeria’s borders.

His remarks followed recent criticism by former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai, who accused the government of adopting a “kiss-the-bandits” policy. However, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) dismissed El-Rufai’s claim as “false and baseless,” insisting no payments or incentives are being made to criminal groups.

Source: Channels TV

#Security #Nigeria #Defence

Former Zamfara State Central Senator, Kabiru Marafa, has accused President Bola Tinubu of showing undue favoritism to Lagos State, as reported by Punch on Tuesday, 2 September, 2025.


Senator ‎Marafa, who recently resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC), voiced his concerns during a media interview.

‎He argued that Tinubu’s position as president gave him control over vast national resources.

‎According to Senator Marafa, over N3 trillion had been directed to Lagos since Tinubu took office.


‎He said this was unfair because Lagos did not vote for Tinubu in the 2023 elections, while Zamfara did.

Sentaor ‎Marafa also claimed that most of the president’s aides were chosen from Lagos.

‎He said this showed that Tinubu prioritized his home state over regions that supported him politically.

‎In contrast, Zamfara, which delivered votes for Tinubu, received little recognition or reward.

‎The former Zamfara State senator stressed that his politics is not about personal loyalty to one leader.


‎He said he joined politics to improve the lives of his people, not to serve individuals.

‎He dismissed the idea of political slavery, insisting that fairness and equity should guide appointments and allocation of resources.

‎‎“‎If Mr President didn’t get the opportunity he got now to be the President, would he have been able to allocate resources of over N3tn to Lagos State? Would he have been able to appoint the number of aides from Lagos State, where he lost elections and won in Zamfara State? I’m not in politics to serve anybody,” he said.

Former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai has accused the federal government of paying bandits instead of confronting them with force.

“What I will not do is to pay bandits. They are paying bandits. They are empowering bandits. This is what this government has done. We have the evidence. They are paying bandits. They are empowering bandits.

It’s a national policy driven by the Office of the National Security Adviser, and Kaduna is part of it. Many states are objecting to that. But that is the policy now.” He declared: “My position has always been that the only repentant bandit is a dead one. Let’s kill them all. Let’s wipe them.

Let’s bomb them until they are reduced to nothing. And then the 5% that still want to be rehabilitated can be rehabilitated.”

Warning against negotiations, he said: “You do not negotiate from a position of weakness. You don’t empower your enemy. You don’t give him money to go on and buy more sophisticated weapons.

That’s why the security problem has not gone away. It will not go away. As long as this policy continues.” He also cited reports: “Just last week, SBM published a report that showed that the security situation in Kaduna and Zamfara has actually deteriorated…

What the government has been doing both at the national and state levels is buying the media from reporting it.” Defending himself, he added: “Even if it is my son or my father who is president or governor and he’s not doing the right thing, I lose the right to disagree or criticise?

Is that negative? Is that what Nigeria is?” El-Rufai stressed the government has failed Nigerians “on all fronts, including security, economy, and governance.”

Marafa Confirms Resignation From APC
He, however, did not give his reason for dumping the APC.
The former Tinubu/Shettima 2023 Presidential Campaign Coordinator in Zamfara State disclosed this to Channels Television via a text message on Sunday.