Category Nigeria News

The 8 Division of the Nigerian Army/Sector 2 Joint Task Force North-West (Operation Fansa Yanma) has confirmed that its Strike Team deployed to counter banditry and terrorism in Sokoto has neutralised 11 bandits and recovered a substantial cache of arms.

A statement on the official social media handle of the Nigerian Army Headquarters said the troops acted on precise, credible intelligence.

According to the statement, the Strike Team executed a well-coordinated ambush and engaged the bandits in an intense firefight.

The Army revealed that the operation led to the neutralisation of 11 bandits, while several others escaped with gunshot wounds. Troops recovered eight AK-47 rifles, five extra magazines, and 26 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.

READ ALSO: Army Eliminates Notorious Bandit Leader Kallamu In Sokoto

It added that the bold and tactical operation, conducted near Kurawa Village in Sabon Birni Local Government Area, also disrupted a planned attack on Tara Village—an area considered critical for cross-movement by terrorist and bandit groups.

The Army stated that the operation not only prevented a potential terrorist attack but also delivered a significant blow to the bandit and terrorist network operating in the Sabon Birni corridor, which has remained a flashpoint in recent times.

The Minister of Defence, Retired General Christopher Musa, has applauded the Armed Forces of Nigeria for their rapid intervention during last Sunday’s attempted coup in the Republic of Benin.

Speaking in Abuja at the investiture of twenty-eight newly promoted senior Army officers, General Musa said the professional response of the Nigerian Armed Forces played a key role in thwarting the plot.

He explained that the incident serves as a reminder that the military must remain vigilant at all times, prepared to protect Nigeria and its allies from emerging threats.

General Musa, however, stressed that no arm of the military can operate successfully in isolation, emphasizing that national security requires seamless joint operations across the Army, Navy, Air Force, and other security agencies.

Acting on two separate requests from the Government of Benin, President Tinubu first ordered Nigerian Air Force fighter jets to enter the country and take over the airspace to help dislodge the coup plotters from the National TV and a military camp where they had regrouped.

READ ALSO: Tinubu Hails Nigerian Military For Swift Response In Foiling Benin Coup

The decoration ceremony took place at the Army Headquarters Command Officers’ Mess 1, Asokoro, Abuja, where 28 Brigadier Generals were elevated to the rank of Major General, including a posthumous promotion.

General Musa, who was the Special Guest of Honour, praised the officers for their courage, professionalism and years of selfless sacrifice.

He noted that their elevation underscores their consistent commitment to national security and the collective effort to strengthen the Nigerian Army.

He urged them to confront emerging security threats with fresh resolve, stating that their new roles place them in pivotal positions to shape the strategic trajectory of the Army.

“These officers are among the finest leaders in our Armed Forces,” he said, expressing personal pride in their achievements.

The Minister further emphasized the need for deeper inter-service cooperation, enhanced intelligence sharing and unity of effort across all security agencies.

The Screening Committee of the Accord Party has cleared Governor Ademola Adeleke to participate in the party’s governorship primary, ongoing on Wednesday in Osogbo.

This was confirmed in a statement by the Chairman of the Screening Committee and National Organising Secretary of the party, Ibe Thankgod.

Thankgod said Adeleke, met all the requirements for nomination and was subsequently cleared as the sole aspirant for the party’s governorship ticket.

He also described the governor as a “worthy gubernatorial aspirant” of the party.

The certificate of clearance was presented to Adeleke by the committee chairman.

Responding, Adeleke thanked the screening committee and the party leadership, saying he was ready to lead the Accord Party to victory in 2026.

“I am ready for the primary, and I am ready for the general elections.

‘We are winning by God’s grace”, the governor was quoted as saying.

READ ALSO: Soyinka Faults Excessive Security Around Seyi Tinubu

Police operatives in Anambra State have arrested a suspected notorious armed robber linked to the high-profile murder of a state lawmaker, Hon. Azuka Justice.

Justice, a member of the Anambra State House of Assembly, was abducted and subsequently murdered on December 24, 2024. The lawmaker’s gruesome death shocked the state and drew widespread condemnation.

Disclosing the suspect’s arrest in a statement on Wednesday, spokesman of the Anambra State Police Command, Ikenga Tochukwu, said operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Awkuzu, nabbed 26-year-old Ugochukwu Uzor, during a coordinated offensive operation in Iyowa Odekpe, Ogbaru Local Government Area, on December 8.

Tochukwu said police operatives engaged Uzor in a fierce confrontation before he was subdued and taken into custody.

One locally made Beretta pistol and eleven rounds of live ammunition were recovered during the operation.

READ ALSO: Kidnapped Anambra Lawmaker Justice Azuka Found Dead

Uzor, described by police as the leader of several violent criminal gangs operating across Anambra and neighbouring states, was found with distinctive tattoos on his body bearing the inscriptions “No Forgiveness” and “No Mercy,” which investigators say reflected his hardened criminal disposition.

Tochukwu said upon interrogation, the suspect confessed to his role in the abduction and subsequent murder of the lawmaker.

The Command’s spokesman described the arrest as a significant milestone in ongoing efforts to dismantle criminal networks operating within the state, stressing that investigations are continuing to track and apprehend Uzor’s accomplices.

He urged the public to remain vigilant and cooperate with law enforcement agencies by reporting suspicious activities.

The 2023 Young Progressives Party (YPP) presidential candidate, Malik Ado-Ibrahim, has praised President Bola Tinubu’s decision to deploy Nigerian troops to the Benin Republic during the recent coup attempt.

Speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today, the security consultant described the move as “a very wise and clever, well-designed political statement.”

Ado-Ibrahim added on Tuesday that the deployment was aimed at protecting Nigeria’s economic interests and reinforcing regional stability.

“It was not only a message to other African countries that think we are weak in our national defence, but also a step to save our country and its economy.

“Lagos needed protection, and the rights given to him under ECOWAS allowed him to make that decision quickly,” he said.

He argued that Tinubu acted within regional protocols.

“I think the President did the right thing. One of the premium edicts from the civil war was the country-centric circle. The countries around us must remain protected because that reinforces our democracy.

“The President going into Benin created a parallel between seeking Senate permission and knowing that ECOWAS rules allow such action. Benin sits close to the centre of Nigeria’s economy, next to Lagos. We must ensure that area is protected, and many have forgotten how close we came to destroying Lagos’s economic lifeline,” he stated.

READ ALSO: [West African Coups] What Nigeria Must Do To Achieve Political Stability — Falana

Ado-Ibrahim also expressed concerns about Nigeria’s internal security structure.

He said the country’s biggest challenge remained weak intelligence capacity.

“Our problem is not troop motivation. We have very capable soldiers. We also have credible advantages with the air force and an air superiority the enemy does not possess.

“We are lacking simple things needed to defeat these issues on the ground. Most of it lies in intelligence gathering, and the lack of it limits our ability to act as swiftly as we did in Benin over the weekend,” he said.

The remarks follow the Sunday’s coup attempt in Benin, where soldiers led by Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri seized the state-run television station in Cotonou and declared the removal of President Patrice Talon.

Loyalist forces, backed by Nigerian troops and an ECOWAS standby unit, crushed the uprising within hours.

Several people were killed, and at least 14 suspects were arrested, while Tigri remains on the run.

The coup plotters cited worsening security, unfair promotions, and restrictions affecting the 2026 presidential election.

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said that President Bola Tinubu remains steadfast in tackling security challenges in the country and is acting decisively to address the concerns.

He stated this when he received in his office at the State House Abuja the faculty and participants of the Executive Intelligence Management Course 18 of the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS).

Led by the NISS Commandant, Joseph Odama, representatives of the 78 participants were at the Presidential Villa to present the executive brief of their end-of-course report to the Vice President who received the report on behalf of President Bola Tinubu.

Addressing the delegation, Shettima assured that the Tinubu administration is determined to support the security establishment in Nigeria and beyond to discharge their responsibilities to the nation.

READ ALSO: Nigeria Remains Committed To Regional Stability, Peace – Shettima

He said he was impressed with the composition of the EIMC 18, noting that the security of Africa is a collective responsibility of all stakeholders given the peculiarity of the situation.

“President Tinubu is working round the clock to address concerns in the security sector. It is absolutely essential that we fuse as one to address these issues, and all hands must be on deck to salvage the situation,” he said.

The Commandant of the NISS, Joseph Odama, told the Vice President that the 18th edition of the flagship programme, EMIC 18 commenced on February 19, 2025, pointing out that it had “been a ten-month journey of intense intellectual discovery, strategic broadening and unparalleled professional fellowship.”

Noting that this year’s team was composed of 78 distinguished participants of the rank of Deputy Directors and above, Odama said they “were meticulously drawn from the military, para-military, law enforcement agencies and strategic ministries, departments and agencies of both federal and state governments.

“In significant testament to our pan-African mandate, we were privileged to host five African countries, which had earlier been mentioned. With the graduation of the AIMC 18, the institute has proudly graduated 1,130 strategic leaders.

“These are men and women who have been rigorously equipped to think critically and act decisively, as well as proffer innovative solutions to the most complex security and developmental challenges facing our nation and the continent at large.”

The Commandant expressed the institute’s deepest appreciation to President Tinubu and the Vice President for their visionary and pragmatic leadership, saying the Renewed Hope Agenda under the President’s stewardship was already manifesting in tangible progress across the nation.

The highpoint of the occasion was the presentation of the report titled, “Non-state Actors in Security Management in Africa: Issues, Challenges and Prospects for Peace and Development” by representatives of the EIMC 18 participants.