metro

Ansaru, a splinter group of the dreaded Boko Haram terrorists, in Massive Recruitment In Kaduna

Published

4 years ago

May 6, 2022

One of the flyers distributed by the Ansaru terrorists

Distributes ‘Sallah Gifts’

Members of the notorious Ansaru terrorist group have commenced massive recruitment of residents around communities in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Daily Trust has gathered.

Ansaru, a splinter group of the dreaded Boko Haram terrorists, has been operating in Birnin Gwari villages for years.

On Wednesday, Daily Trust gathered that members of the group had besieged the villages of Damari, Farin Ruwa, Kwasa Kwasa, Kuyello, Gobirawa as well as Tabanni, Kutemeshi and Kazage in a clandestine recruitment strategy masked in the form of Sallah celebration with the people.

A cross-section of villagers who spoke with our correspondents said the terrorists distributed Sallah gifts in the form of biscuits, performed motorcycle stunts to the delight of villagers and distributed pamphlets, flash disks and other accessories on the activities of the group.

Birnin Gwari, located in Kaduna Central Senatorial District has been infiltrated by bandits with the southern and eastern parts of the area being the worst hit.

Our correspondents report that in October 2021, a violent clash between members of the Ansaru group and bandits claimed the lives of at least 30 bandits around the Damari axis of the same LGA.

Multiple sources had confirmed to Daily Trust that the clash, which was a battle for supremacy came three weeks after members of the terrorist group who were fleeing the military onslaught in Zamfara State took refuge in Saulawa and Damari where they hoisted their flags.

READ ALSO:

On April 5 this year, terrorists suspected to be members of the group attacked a military formation along the Kaduna-Birnin Gwari highway and killed 11 soldiers, four villagers and injured many others.

The terrorists also bombed two Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC) attached to the security personnel.

When contacted, Kaduna State Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said the government was aware of the threat by the Ansaru having received intelligence report.

He said the issue has been reported to the appropriate authorities.

Content of the pamphlet

A five-page pamphlet titled; We are not Boko Haram but Ansaru, was said to have been circulated by members of the Ansaru group in an attempt to lure residents to join their group.

Daily Trust analysed that the pamphlet was written in the form of questions and answers. It stated that “Our name is Jama’atul Ansaril Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan.”

The pamphlet also claimed that the group’s mission is pure jihad, free of extremism to praise the words of Allah, adding that its difference from other jihadist groups is that its ideology is based on the Sunnah of the Prophet and past scholars. But security experts who spoke to our correspondents dismissed the claim, saying the government, clerics and traditional rulers must rise to the occasion so as to avoid a repeat of what happened in the North East.

They said people with extreme religious tendencies are fond of using soft words to deceive the gullible to submission before showing their violent disposition, which is against the teaching of Islam.

The group said in the leaflet; “Whoever believes in Shahada and faces Qibla (the east) to pray is considered a Muslim to us and so deserves to be protected just as we would protect ourselves and our family members. We will celebrate with him in times of happiness and mourn with him in terms of sorrow. He is free from our harm and we are not going to hand him over to his enemies.

“Planting bombs in markets, mosques and motor parks among other places is not what we believe in because, in these places, the majority of the casualties are the poor people. We are not out for materialism because if this is what we wanted, we would have remained in our parents’ houses to enjoy the world. We are also not out to seek for positions or support any political party or tribe or any worldly thing.”

They are our saviours from bandits – Locals

Sources from the affected communities told our correspondents that the group besieged several communities on motorcycles to rejoice and preach to residents against indulging in any celebration that was against the tenets of Islam.

READ ALSO:

It was also gathered that sadly, some unsuspecting residents welcomed the terror group as their protectors or saviours against armed bandits terrorising their communities. A resident of one of the communities, Musa Ibrahim, who confirmed the presence of the terror group said they had joined locals in riding motorcycles before they distributed biscuits to the people.

“They visited the Kuyello area, Tabanni, Kutemeshi and also my village, which is Kazage to join the people in the Sallah celebration.

“They participated in motorcycle stunts within the communities; nobody was harmed and they warned against indulging in any dangerous play. They equally preached and shared biscuits to the people,” he said.

He said they were not bothered by the activities of the group, but in fact, welcomed them as saviours from bandits. “With their presence, bandits will dare not attack our communities,” he said.

Another resident of the Kuyello area said the terrorists had shared pamphlets a day before Sallah, calling on the residents to join their group as they wished them happy Eid-el-Fitr. He explained that the group was not known to attack the people but preach about Islam and offer protection to locals against bandits.

“They called on people to join their group during preaching, telling us that they are not Boko Haram,” he said, adding that even though they did not access the centre of Kuyello town, they had visited its surrounding villages to preach. Muhammadu Isa, a resident of Kuyello confirmed that many youths have expressed interest in joining the group even if it means for protection against bandits.

“There are some communities where members of Ansaru provide access to residents to go to their farms and guard the residents while at farms,” he said.

‘They’ve filled the vacuum created by govt’

Similarly, a local vigilante leader in Damari said since the government has allegedly failed to protect the people, many locals have resolved to find protection by joining the Ansaru group.

“We are tired of talking about one thing and if joining the terror group is what will give us protection against the bandits, I think it’s a risk our people are willing to take,” he said.

Recruitment strategy is similar to Boko Haram -Experts

A security expert on activities of terrorist groups in Northern Nigeria, Musa Bala explained that what members of the Ansaru group were presently doing in Birnin Gwari was similar to the strategy employed by members of Boko Haram to lure Nigerians to join their movement.

“This was how Boko Haram started. It is the same strategy they used to get a lot of followers; through economic empowerment and by providing resources to the people. So, if you look at what is happening with Ansaru in Kaduna, Ansaru is a breakaway of Boko Haram and so has the same ideology, using the same strategy to get people to join them,” he said.

Bala explained that looking at the current economic situation and the hardship, especially among rural farming communities that have been denied access to their farmlands by bandits, it is no wonder the people will be vulnerable to Ansaru tactics.

“With the coming of Ansaru, they are now preaching to the people that they are going to protect them from the bandits and also from atrocities committed against them by government authorities, but this is purely a recruitment drive to get a lot of followers so they can continue to strike,” he said.

He warned that this protection deceit offered by the group will only last at the initial stage, adding that, with time, the people will be put under taxes and levies, they will be made to farm for the terrorists and they will be asked to commit all kinds of atrocities.

“Their girls will be married off to members of the Ansaru, the menace will start to come out and by then, it will be too late because the people will not have the boldness to say no since any resistance at that time will be met by violence. They will establish a caliphate system where everything will be done under their laws,” he said.

He explained that the only reason why members of Ansaru had not been confrontational around the Kaduna axis in the past was because they were few at the beginning as the forest areas were dominated by the bandits and kidnappers.

“They are now becoming stronger and want to dominate. The attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train on March 28 shows that they are planning and they are now all out because they know they can overrun security personnel.

“I do believe the attack on the train was carried out by the Ansaru even though it has not been confirmed. They are holding for the release of their commanders and other members,” he said.

There was no immediate response from the Kaduna government or security operatives in the state before going to the press.

Up Next

18 confirmed dead, six missing in Katsina boat accident

Don't Miss

We’ve Completed Repair Of Bombed Rail Track, Kaduna Train Services Will Commence Soon – FG

metro

Atiku Offers Scholarship to Viral Niger Teen Miner After 37 Miners’ Deaths

Published

8 hours ago

September 20, 2026

Trends Admin

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar

Atiku Offers Scholarship to Viral Niger Teen Miner After 37 Miners’ Deaths

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has offered a scholarship to Yusuf Aliyu, the teenage artisanal miner from Niger State whose account of conditions at a gold-mining site went viral following the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in the state.

Atiku made the scholarship offer after a video of the teenager speaking about his experience at the mining site attracted widespread attention.

The offer means Atiku intends to provide the teenager with financial support for his education, although specific details such as the level of education covered, the duration of the scholarship and the institution where Yusuf would study were not immediately disclosed.

Atiku said the teenager should have the opportunity to pursue his education rather than remain dependent on mining to support himself and his family.

The teenager reportedly said that young people at the mining site engaged in the activity because of poverty and the need to support their families and pay school fees.

Yusuf also alleged that personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) had been shooting at miners at the site. He questioned the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the detained miners and disputed the initial explanation that the fatalities were linked to a disease outbreak.

The allegations made by the teenager have not been independently established and remain subject to investigation.

The teenager’s comments came after 37 suspected illegal miners died while in NSCDC custody in Niger State.

The victims were among people arrested during anti-illegal-mining operations in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of the state on September 15 and 16.

The Niger State NSCDC Command initially said the detainees died following a suspected disease outbreak. However, accounts from survivors and families have raised questions about the conditions under which the detainees were held.

READ ALSO:

Reports have cited allegations of overcrowding, inadequate ventilation and difficult conditions inside the detention facility, while the actual cause of the deaths remains a matter for investigation.

The Federal Government has since ordered an independent investigation into the incident.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed that the circumstances surrounding the deaths be thoroughly investigated, while Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo constituted a 10-member independent committee to examine the incident.

The government also suspended the Niger State NSCDC Commandant and 20 other NSCDC officers pending the outcome of the investigation. The committee was given two weeks to complete its work and submit its report.

The panel includes representatives of the Niger State Government and Minna Emirate Council, as well as a representative of the Miners Association of Nigeria, lawyer and human rights activist Deji Adeyanju, former Assistant Inspector-General of Police Hosea Hassan Karma and other members.

The deaths have generated public concern over the treatment of people arrested during illegal mining enforcement operations, particularly following reports that some of those detained were teenagers.

The controversy has also renewed attention on the difficult circumstances surrounding artisanal mining in Niger State, where some young people reportedly enter mining because of limited economic opportunities and the need to support their families.

Atiku, while announcing the scholarship, also questioned the continued poverty in communities with significant mineral deposits.

He called for greater attention to the welfare and education of children involved in mining and raised questions about the Federal Government’s handling of artisanal mining.

The former vice president also referred to the Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Development Initiative (PAGMI) introduced under the Muhammadu Buhari administration and questioned what had become of the programme in Niger State.

His comments represent his political position on the incident and the Federal Government’s handling of artisanal mining. The independent committee is expected to establish the facts surrounding the deaths and determine whether any official or other person should be held responsible.

Meanwhile, Yusuf’s story has drawn attention to the wider challenge of keeping children out of hazardous work and ensuring access to education for vulnerable children in mining communities.

Atiku’s scholarship offer is specifically intended to help Yusuf continue his education and pursue opportunities outside artisanal mining. Details of how the scholarship will be administered have not been publicly provided.

The allegations against the NSCDC personnel and other claims surrounding the deaths remain under investigation.

Atiku Offers Scholarship to Viral Niger Teen Miner After 37 Miners’ Deaths

metro

NDLEA Seizes N3.4bn Drugs, Arrests Fake Police Officer in Nationwide Crackdown

Published

8 hours ago

September 20, 2026

Trends Admin

NDLEA Seizes N3.4bn Drugs, Arrests Fake Police Officer in Nationwide Crackdown

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted more than 1.3 million pills and capsules of tramadol and other opioids, alongside about 6,000kg of cannabis, in a series of operations across several states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The agency said the seizures had an estimated street value of more than N3.4 billion, while its operatives also arrested a man accused of impersonating a senior police officer while allegedly transporting illicit drugs.

The operations were conducted in Lagos, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe and Imo states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory, according to a statement issued by NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.

One of the biggest seizures occurred at the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos, where NDLEA operatives intercepted 603.75kg of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis.

The consignment, according to the agency, was valued at about N1.811 billion.

The 40-foot container carrying the drugs reportedly originated from Montreal, Canada, and arrived in Nigeria on September 12.

Following intelligence received by the NDLEA, the container was placed under surveillance before a joint examination by NDLEA personnel, the Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies on September 16.

The Canadian Loud was allegedly concealed in 31 black jumbo bags loaded into two Toyota Sienna vehicles inside the container.

In Delta State, NDLEA operatives arrested 49-year-old Innocent Ekpe along the Benin-Onitsha Expressway in Asaba on September 16.

READ ALSO:

The agency said Ekpe was found with 292.48kg of skunk, allegedly concealed inside a silver Toyota Sienna bus.

According to the NDLEA, preliminary investigation indicated that Ekpe allegedly presented himself as Godwin Emeka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, and used a forged police identification card to evade security checks while transporting illicit drugs.

A 39-year-old alleged accomplice, Nduka Joseph, was also arrested.

In Edo State, NDLEA operatives arrested 45-year-old Matthew Ossai at an auto-repair workshop along Agbor Road in Benin City.

The agency alleged that the workshop was being used as a cover for storing illicit drugs.

Officers recovered 48kg of Canadian Loud, 152 grammes of methamphetamine and a metal box allegedly used to store the substances.

Another major seizure was recorded in Niger State, where NDLEA operatives intercepted more than 1.1 million assorted tramadol tablets and capsules, in addition to codeine syrup, methamphetamine and Exol tablets.

The drugs were allegedly concealed in eight sacks being transported from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Mararaba, Nasarawa State.

Two suspects, Aminu Isyaku, 23, and Jamilu Habibu, 25, were arrested along the Abaji-Abuja Highway on September 18 in connection with the consignment.

The agency also reported an earlier interception on September 15 along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway at Chachi, Tafa Local Government Area of Niger State.

Three suspects — Bashir Usman, 20; Abubakar Nuhu, 18; and Abdulrahman Abdulwahab, 18 — were arrested during the operation.

The NDLEA said officers recovered two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles and a magazine, a locally made pistol and magazine, and nine rounds of 9mm ammunition concealed in a black travel bag.

In Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested Onyeka Ofor at his residence in Aguda, Surulere, on September 18 and recovered 48,900 tablets of tramadol 225mg.

The agency also intercepted seven cartons of cannabis weighing 59kg at a logistics company, leading to the arrest of a suspect identified as Luke Ugokwe.

Another suspect, Ibrahim Hudu, 43, was arrested at Apongbon, where NDLEA officers recovered 998.38kg of nitrous oxide gas.

In Gombe State, operatives recovered 154,480 capsules of tramadol from two suspects identified as 27-year-old Sabi’u Umar and 19-year-old Hassana Muhammad.

NDLEA personnel in Imo State also arrested 25-year-old Ifesinachi Godwin along the Owerri-Onitsha Road with 43.85kg of skunk, according to the agency.

Meanwhile, four suspects — Blessing Effiong, Saviour Peter, David Friday Sunday and Ability Peter Sunday — were arrested during an operation targeting a cannabis farm in Ita-Ogbolu forest, Ondo State.

The NDLEA said about 5,000kg of cannabis was destroyed on the two-hectare farm, while 48kg of dry and fresh cannabis was recovered as exhibits.

The agency said the latest operations demonstrate its continued efforts to disrupt the production, trafficking and distribution of illicit drugs across Nigeria.

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the officers involved in the operations and urged them to sustain intelligence-led enforcement activities.

The suspects remain under investigation, and the allegations against them have not been established by a court.

NDLEA Seizes N3.4bn Drugs, Arrests Fake Police Officer in Nationwide Crackdown

metro

Oyo: Police Arrest Serving Air Force Personnel Over Alleged Robbery, Abduction

Published

8 hours ago

September 20, 2026

Trends Admin

The Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, CP Abimbola Olugbenga.

Oyo: Police Arrest Serving Air Force Personnel Over Alleged Robbery, Abduction

The Nigeria Police Force has arrested a serving Nigerian Air Force personnel over an alleged armed robbery and abduction in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The arrest was made on September 17, 2026, as police operatives investigated the reported incident, according to the Force’s latest operational update.

A blue Toyota Camry allegedly used during the operation was also recovered by the police and taken as an exhibit.

The police did not disclose the identity, rank or unit of the Air Force personnel, nor did they provide details about the alleged victim or explain the circumstances under which the robbery and abduction occurred.

The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Ibadan, for further investigation.

The arrest was among several security operations recorded by the police in Oyo State and other parts of the country between September 17 and 20.

In a separate development in Oyo State, police operatives arrested three suspected members and associates of a kidnapping syndicate.

One of the suspects was arrested on September 18 at Kanbi Village in Atisbo Local Government Area following what the police described as credible intelligence.

Two other suspects were also arrested for allegedly concealing or facilitating the activities of the kidnapping group.

The police said the investigation into the three suspects was also being handled by the SCID in Ibadan.

The two Oyo cases are separate in the police operational summary, and there was no indication that the Air Force personnel arrested over the alleged robbery and abduction was among the three suspects linked to the kidnapping syndicate.

The latest arrests form part of wider police operations targeting kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, sexual offences and other criminal activities across several states.

READ ALSO:

The Force reported arrests and recoveries in Oyo, Kogi, Kano, Delta, Cross River, Nasarawa, Gombe and Bayelsa states during the period under review.

In Kogi State, police detectives arrested a suspect following a fatal shooting at Ohunene Community in Ajaokuta Local Government Area and recovered a barrel gun allegedly linked to the incident. Another suspect was arrested in Anyigba, Dekina Local Government Area, following a reported missing-person case.

In Kano State, a female suspect was arrested in connection with the death of her husband at Katsalle Quarters in Rogo Local Government Area.

Delta State police reported separate arrests involving alleged sexual offences, including cases involving minors. Officers also arrested three suspects during a raid on a suspected criminal black spot at Umusadege, Kwale, in Ndokwa West Local Government Area, where the suspects were allegedly linked to drug trafficking and cult-related activities.

In Cross River State, police operatives tracked and arrested a suspect following the circulation of a video allegedly showing a cult-related firearm discharge in Calabar.

In Nasarawa State, police recovered a white Toyota Camry allegedly involved in a fatal road traffic incident at Gudi, Akwanga Local Government Area.

Gombe State police also recovered a blood-stained machete from the scene of a suspected culpable homicide at Duggari Hills in Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area.

In Bayelsa State, a murder suspect was moved to the SCID in Yenagoa for protective custody following unrest at Ebedebiri, Sagbama Local Government Area. Tactical teams were subsequently deployed to the community to restore law and order.

For the Oyo State Air Force personnel, the police investigation remains ongoing. The recovered Toyota Camry is being treated as an exhibit while detectives work to establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged robbery and abduction.

Similarly, the three suspects arrested in connection with the alleged kidnapping syndicate remain under investigation.

The allegations against all the suspects have not been established by a court, and the investigations are expected to determine whether they will face criminal charges.