Journalist | Researcher| Human Security | @UOCuniversity
Joined December 2010
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Hearing of the abduction of the Director Finance of Mafara local government area in Zamfara state, who was on his way this afternoon to his new posting in Gummi. He was kidnapped in Kumbu village, which is under Anka local government.
Imagine bandit leader Muhammad Gwaska summoning over two dozen community leaders to warn them against political activities, stating elections would not be allowed in their communities.
Attendees say Gwaska sees the new infantry battalion in Anka as a ploy to kill Fulani so elections can proceed. Wondering where he got that idea?
It is unclear why authorities have not eliminated or at least arrested him, as community leaders and the military in Bagega know his location.
He is expanding influence, launching attacks in Bukkuyum and Gummi (where he was shot months ago) in Zamfara and Tambuwal in Sokoto.
He also led the recent destruction of walls at the infantry barracks under construction.
If nothing is done and he follows through with his threat, civilian disenfranchisement is expected in the affected communities.
He’s also said to have recruited hundreds of new bandits, including from Niger 🇳🇪.
Hopefully, authorities have plans to nullify his threats.
It will be interesting to see if the president will physically campaign in the northwest, especially in Zamfara, and what he’ll tell the people.
The level of underreporting and abandonment that go on in the region is quite unfortunate.
4 soldiers, 3 policemen and 1 civil defence personnel died in the attack, with 19 civilian casualties. There is a scarcity of blood at Anka General Hospital, where the wounded were evacuated.
Bandits in Zamfara this afternoon attacked a military-led convoy of civilians from Gwashi heading to Nasarawa Market in Bukkuyum local government area. A couple of soldiers and a policeman were among the casualties, with 12 bodies of civilians recovered so far.
The incident happened between Gwashi and Gurusu.
Attack was most likely carried out by Muhammad Gwaska.
Bandits in Zamfara this afternoon attacked a military-led convoy of civilians from Gwashi heading to Nasarawa Market in Bukkuyum local government area. A couple of soldiers and a policeman were among the casualties, with 12 bodies of civilians recovered so far.
The incident happened between Gwashi and Gurusu.
Attack was most likely carried out by Muhammad Gwaska.
Led by Abu Yazid, the Lakurawa men had crossed over from Sokoto with the intention to rustle cattle in Maiyama. The encounter with the construction workers was unexpected. Sighting the expatriate, the group changed its plan, from rustling cattle to abducting the expatriate.
Luckily, the team of security personnel averted what would have certainly been a big disaster. The security forces were also able to inflict casualties on the group, forcing them into a retreat.
This hopefully sends a message to NSAGs that may be looking to score big with the abduction of expatriates in the region. More importantly, the incident further highlights the worrying and continuing rise in insecurity, with elections three months away.
One important question that Nigerians should be asking is how safe they will be when they head to their polling centres to cast their votes.
premiumtimesng.com/news/top-…
However, despite the presence of the security forces, bandits continued to extort miners, calling them on the phone to demand payment. According to insiders, some miners initially complied and paid the bandits, but as security improved, miners increasingly grew bolder and resisted the bandits’ demands.
“The miners felt the bandits were no longer a threat because of the presence of the soldiers. Some were afraid that if they continued sending money to the bandits and they were caught, they would be accused of collaborating with bandits,” a small-scale gold dealer in Bindin told the ICIR.
icirnigeria.org/how-bandits-…
It’s more reason why the governors need to consider generating their own electricity. Abia has done it. Lagos is in the process. With the liberalization of power generation, the north has no excuse. There are so many ways the governors can do this. One way is to take advantage of the solar-friendly weather.
The only thing stopping them is that they are chronically lazy.
Ongoing bandit attack in Anka town reported. Security forces are engaging them around the Federal Government College and preventing entry into the city centre.
A security report yesterday said bandits were massing at Kwanan Maji village, 6 km from Anka, but no action was taken.
The bandits are perhaps unhappy about the recent establishment of 28 Infantry Battalion in the town. The presence of the battalion is expected to boost the long-term security of the town and its surrounding.
From insurgents to security assets: Nigeria’s unconventional response to insecurity
They once fought the Nigerian state. Now, they are fighting to keep it from being overwhelmed.
Former Boko Haram members are being deployed to fight bandits and jihadists across Northwest and Northcentral Nigeria – turning years of insurgent experience against armed groups they might once have fought alongside.
But Nigeria is also trying to avoid another problem: allowing these new security actors to become part of the insecurity they were recruited to fight, as has happened with some vigilante groups.
From insurgents to security assets, my latest article examines one of Nigeria’s most unconventional security experiments – and the lessons it could hold for the wider Sahel.
gga.org/from-insurgents-to-s…
Even the president calls them ‘illegal miners’. Such a shame.
I have ordered a full and transparent investigation into the deaths of suspected illegal miners detained by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps following enforcement operations around the Lt. Gen. Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi Estate in Minna, Niger State.
The life of every Nigerian matters. No citizen should lose their life while in government custody as a result of negligence, abuse, inhumane treatment or dereliction of duty.
I am deeply concerned by the reported deaths. This is a grave matter, and the circumstances must be investigated urgently and thoroughly.
The Federal Government will continue to combat illegal mining and other criminal activities across our country. Those operations must be conducted strictly within the law and with full respect for the dignity and fundamental rights of every person taken into custody.
The fact that these individuals were suspected of illegal mining does not remove their right to life, dignity and humane treatment. We will not tolerate deaths arising from official negligence, abuse, dereliction of duty or the failure of public officials to protect lives placed under their care.
Where the investigation establishes that any official, through action, abuse or negligence, contributed to these deaths, that officer must be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law. There must be accountability.
I have directed that the investigation be comprehensive, transparent and unhindered. It must establish the circumstances of the arrests, the condition of the detainees when they were taken into custody, the conditions under which they were held, the number of persons detained at the facility, the medical attention provided to them and the events leading to their deaths.
The suspension of officers is an administrative step. It cannot substitute for a proper determination of criminal responsibility where the evidence warrants prosecution.
I have therefore directed the Ministry of Interior and the leadership of the NSCDC to cooperate fully with all relevant investigative authorities. No officer must interfere with the investigation or attempt to frustrate the establishment of the truth.
I extend my condolences to the families of those who died and pray for the repose of their souls. I also appeal for calm among the affected families and communities. The Federal Government will pursue the truth and take appropriate action based on credible evidence.
We must never allow the pursuit of one form of illegality to create another. Government must enforce the law firmly, but government itself must obey the law.
The sanctity of human life is non-negotiable.
BOLA AHMED TINUBU, GCFR
PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
These herders, at least the older one, seemed to know they were doing wrong. The older boy even filmed the cattle grazing on a corn farm and destroying the crop. Imagine how the farmer will feel when he sees the damage tomorrow. If this can happen in the city, imagine what goes on in the bushes and forests.
While the government shares the blame, as it is responsible for protecting everyone, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) is not doing enough to educate herders against grazing on farmlands.
This is one of the best reports I’ve read on the non-kinetic approach of the Nigerian government to the Boko Haram crisis. Obi’s ability to bring together all the complex issues and make them coherent is fascinating. A brilliant addition to the literature. thenewhumanitarian.org/analy…
Honoured to sit down with the brilliant @briticoyemo of @BBCNews to put a spotlight on Northern Nigeria's banditry - a crisis that demands more than just military solutions. My key takeaway? This isn't just a security failure, it's a governance and livelihood failure too.
youtube.com/watch?v=pMg3KZGL…
Malik Samuel retweeted
An unreported truce has amazingly held for three months between the Nigerian government and Boko Haram 🇳🇬 ☮️. Can it become a building block for a lasting peace? See my story:
thenewhumanitarian.org/news/…
“It could be just a temporary, tactical ceasefire that benefits both sides, but doesn’t really affect the trajectory of the war,” said conflict researcher Malik Samuel. “I don’t think it’s a step towards a sustainable peace settlement.” thenewhumanitarian.org/news/…
INTERVIEW: How we are reforming the SSS – DG, Oluwatosin Ajayi premiumtimesng.com/features-…
"It’s part of our philosophy that people are our greatest intelligence asset. Human intelligence is more valuable than any technology because people can provide context, answer questions, and be engaged repeatedly in ways machines cannot. That’s why I believe in treating people fairly and correcting injustices. When people trust you, they are more willing to work with you. In security, we summarise it this way: one of the most effective counterterrorism measures is “reducing areas of discontent”.
Many Nigerians will attest to the fact that since assuming office, the DG, @OfficialDSSNG has been a breath of fresh air in an organisation previously notorious for human rights violations.
This is one interview I found genuinely interesting.
Malik Samuel retweeted
#JournalismIsNotATarget
For more than 25 years, I have worked as a journalist across five newsrooms before founding HumAngle. Since 2009, I have specialised in conflict, insurgency, terrorism, political instability and the failures of governance that allow violence to thrive.
HumAngle’s journalism has earned national and international recognition because we go where the story is, speak to those closest to it and follow the evidence. That work depends on communities, whistleblowers, local residents, vigilantes, state officials and non-state actors. Engaging sources is not a crime. It is the foundation of serious journalism and credible research.
Tracking my calls and targeting my sources will not stop my journalism, nor dismantle the conflict-reporting network I have built over two decades. It will only endanger innocent people, obstruct legitimate public-interest work and deepen mistrust between citizens and the state.
I remained professional, law-abiding and guided by integrity in my thirties, even when my access to armed actors was at its height. I have even greater reason to uphold those principles now, in my fifties, while leading one of Africa’s most consequential newsrooms and knowledge institutions.
This overzealousness on the part of some security personnel is unnecessary. I worked with many of your predecessors. They have retired. You, too, will retire.
Nigeria belongs to all of us. Journalists, researchers, doctors, lawyers, soldiers and investigators each have a duty to help it survive, function and prosper peacefully.
Leave my sources alone. Leave my journalism alone. Let us each serve this country without criminalising the legitimate work of the other.