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How NAF Airstrikes Killed Zamfara Bandits’ Leaders, Others
Early morning airstrikes by personnel of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Saturday morning claimed the lives of two kingpins and about a dozen other bandits operating around Birnin Magaji Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
Daily Trust on Sunday gathered that a notorious bandit, Alhaji Auta, was killed when a military jet dropped a bomb on him as he was being conveyed on a motorcycle from his camp to the location of his herds of cattle, early in the morning.
The sustained attacks also claimed the lives of many of his gang around his camp and adjoining areas.
The raid on Auta’s camp is a second major victory recorded by the air force within the space of a month, after the raid that killed the twin kingpins, Tawaye, in Dumburum in the first week of December.
Multiple sources confirmed Auta’s death yesterday, though there was no official report on the operation.
A resident of the area who doesn’t want to be mentioned said the bomb that killed the bandit was dropped on him while riding along Nasarawa Mailayi-Gusami Road.
While Auta’s death was corroborated by the sources who spoke to our reporter, the account of what followed after the first airstrike that killed him differed.
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A resident of Birnin Magaji, who gave his name as Jamilu, said 12 of Auta’s men were eliminated when they rushed to the scene to pick his body.
But two sources however gave the casualty in the second attack as seven, who, they said, were killed after Auta’s funeral.
Aliyu Birnin Magaji, another resident, said the jet returned to the area three times, after killing Auta, including around 9:30pm last night.
“Mourners who had gathered after he was killed were bombed and seven of them were killed. After the jet left, their friends came back to move the bodies but the jet returned and bombed them. Right now no one knows how many were killed as no one is willing to go there,” he said.
Aside Auta, another arrowhead in his group, Kachalla Ruga, was also reported dead.
Auta is among the four arrowheads of the gunmen terrorising the Birnin Magaji area, others being Alhaji Shingi, Alhaji Nashama and Shehu Bagewaye.
Commenting on the operation, a researcher who recently interviewed Auta, James Barnett, described Auta as a “deadly bandit” as he called for a concerted effort on all fronts to consolidate the aftermath.
“He was also a de facto powerbroker in Birnin Magaji. He kept that area from being overrun by other gangs like that of Turji and he had historically been one of the key negotiators in previous amnesty deals in Zamfara State.
“Federal and state governments need to be prepared for handling any fallout of his death, including bandits staging reprisals against local communities, Auta’s gang fracturing, or bandits who had been in amnesty talks withdrawing from these talks. Coordination between state and federal governments and all security agencies is needed to ensure that kinetic and non-kinetic actions are in sync and complement each other,” he said.
Daily Trust
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BREAKING: Appeal Court stops Sanusi’s reinstatement as Kano emir
BREAKING: Appeal Court stops Sanusi’s reinstatement as Kano emir
The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has stopped the reinstatement of Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II as the Emir of Kano.
The court on Friday halted the enforcement of its January 10 judgment, which upheld the Kano State government’s repeal of the 2019 Emirates Council Law, pending the Supreme Court’s determination of an appeal on the same matter.
The ruling was unanimously delivered by a three-member panel led by Justice Okon Abang.
It ruled that the applicant, having served as Emir for five years before his removal, had legal rights that required protection until the Supreme Court delivers a final verdict.
The appellate court had earlier set aside a June 20, 2024 ruling by Justice Abubakar Liman of the Federal High Court in Kano, which nullified the Kano State government’s dissolution of five emirates in the state and the subsequent reinstatement of Sanusi as the 16th Emir of Kano.
The Court of Appeal then ruled that the lower court lacked jurisdiction over the case
Dissatisfied with the ruling, an injunction request was filed by Alhaji Aminu Babba Dan Agundi (Sarkin Dawaki Babba) against the Kano State Government, the Speaker of the State Assembly, the Inspector General of Police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and other security agencies.
Dan Agundi sought to restrain the respondents from enforcing the appellate court’s judgment while awaiting the apex court’s decision.
However, in its unanimous decision, the Court of Appeal agreed that the application had merit and granted the injunction.
Justice Abang stated, “The law is settled. The court is enjoined to exercise its discretion judiciously and in the interest of justice.”
The ruling ordered that all parties must maintain the “status quo ante bellum,” preserving the situation as it was before the Federal High Court’s judgment on June 13, 2024.
metro
Tragedy as 25-year-old man hangs self in Ogun forest
Tragedy as 25-year-old man hangs self in Ogun forest
The Police Command in Ogun State has launched an investigation into the death of a 25-year-old man, Toye Dominic, whose body was discovered hanging from a tree in a forest near Alagbodagbo Village, Ijebu Igbo.
In a statement released on Thursday, the command’s spokesperson, CSP Omolola Odutola, confirmed the incident and said the body was found around 4:30 p.m.
According to Odutola, a local hunter, Kareem Olawalose, came across the scene while on a hunting trip and promptly reported the discovery to the Ijebu Igbo Divisional Police Headquarters.
After spotting the body, Olawalose sought assistance from a nearby village, where he met the deceased’s elder brother, Joseph Dominic.
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The brother disclosed that Toye had left for the farm earlier in the day but failed to return, prompting a search by concerned family members.
“Policemen and villagers on arrival at the scene, observed that the deceased had set aside his farm tools before proceeding further into the forest, where he was found hanging from a tree.“No suicide note was found, and family members expressed shock and disbelief over the incident,” Odutola said.
She added that officers documented the scene with photographs, and the body was taken to General Hospital, Ijebu Ode, for further examination.
Odutola assured the public that the police would carry out a comprehensive investigation to determine the events leading to the tragedy.
She also encouraged community members to stay alert and support people who might be experiencing emotional distress, emphasizing the importance of mental health awareness and timely intervention.
Tragedy as 25-year-old man hangs self in Ogun forest
metro
Ex-Kwara Gov AbdulFatah Ahmed rearranged in N5.8bn fraud case
Ex-Kwara Gov AbdulFatah Ahmed rearranged in N5.8bn fraud case
The Kwara State High Court has fixed April 10 and 11 for the continuation of the trial of former governor AbdulFatah Ahmed and his finance commissioner, Demola Banu, over the alleged diversion of 5.78 billion naira from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) fund.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting the two officials, who have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Testifying in court, Engineer Abdulsalam Olanrewaju, a former project manager at the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), revealed that despite the state paying counterpart funds in 2014 and 2015, no contracts were awarded.
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He stated that while the 2013 contractors were eventually paid after protesting delays, funds meant for subsequent projects remained unused.
During cross-examination, Olanrewaju clarified that signatories to the SUBEB account were the accountant, permanent secretary, and executive chairman of the board.
Earlier, a second witness, Dr. Musa Dasuki, emphasized that matching grants from UBEC and SUBEB are strictly meant for school infrastructure and cannot be diverted for other purposes.
Ex-Kwara Gov AbdulFatah Ahmed rearranged in N5.8bn fraud case
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