metro
We’ll Bring In Foreign Mercenaries If FG Fails To End Terrorism – El-Rufai
The Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has threatened to bring in foreign mercenaries to fight terrorists hibernating in forests areas around Kaduna State if the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari fails to tackle the terrorism head-on.
El-Rufai, who spoke with journalists shortly after briefing the president on the recent killings in Kaduna State including Monday’s bomb explosion on the Abuja-Kaduna rail line which claimed nine lives with a yet-to-be known number of people abducted, said state governors will have no choice but to take action to protect the lives and properties of their people.
Speaking in Hausa, El-Rufai said: “I have complained to Mr president and I swear to God, if action is not taken, we as governors will take actions to protect the lives of our people.
“If it means deploying foreign mercenaries to come and do the work, we will do it to address these challenges.”
Daily Trust reports that the Nigerian government under former President Goodluck Jonathan was in 2015 accused of hiring mercenaries from South Africa to fight Boko Haram even though the then federal government had denied the claim.
However, El-Rufai who said the president has assured him that action will be taken to bring an end to terrorism in the next few months, explained that the best way to tackle terrorism once and for all was for the Nigerian Armed Forces to bomb forest enclaves where terrorists are hibernating.
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Speaking on Monday’s attack on the rail line, he said: “They came ready and they have been preparing for a long time and knew which coach to attack, abduct the VIP.
“And I have been saying that the forests where these bandits are hiding, it is high time that we go there and bomb them all. Everyone in the forest should be killed.
“Unless this is done, this problem will persist and it is capable of destroying Nigeria as a whole.”
“These people (terrorists) are getting money. The way they are so emboldened; they fear no authority, no soldier and so why won’t security agents go to their enclaves and kill them all?
“We know where they are, SSS gives reports on them every day, they have their numbers including that of Dogo Gide and what he is planning,” he said.
The governor also made it clear that his administration will not pay ransom to secure the freedom of the abducted passengers even though he said the terrorists are yet to make specific demands.
He said, “They have contacted some of the families but they have not made specific demands yet.
“They are not the ordinary kidnappers, it’s Boko Haram members that connived with bandits to launch the attack and so our thought is, they may demand the government to pay the ransom.”
He assured that security personnel were working tirelessly to locate the terrorists and rescue the passengers, adding that government will always give priority in protecting the lives of citizens over everything.
DAILY TRUST
metro
Autopsy Confirms Destiny Boy Died from Toxic Substances
Autopsy Confirms Destiny Boy Died from Toxic Substances
The tragic death of 22-year-old Afrofuji singer Afeez Adesina, popularly known as Destiny Boy, has been clarified following the release of his official autopsy report. The findings confirm that toxic substances, including tramadol and methamphetamine, were present in his system and played a critical role in his untimely passing.
Destiny Boy passed away on January 17, 2026, a loss that sparked intense speculation on social media, with videos circulating showing his body being transported to a mortuary. These clips fueled public concern and rumours about the circumstances of his death. (pmnewsnigeria.com)
According to the Ogun State Police Command, the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) carried out the autopsy. The toxicology report detected dangerous levels of tramadol, its metabolites, and methamphetamine in Destiny Boy’s body. The official cause of death was determined to be aspiration pneumonitis, a severe lung inflammation resulting from the ingestion of these substances. (lindaikejisblog.com)
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DSP Babaseyi Oluseyi, Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed that at least one suspect has been arrested in connection with the singer’s death and that investigations are ongoing. The police emphasized that the case remains under careful examination to determine all contributing factors.
Destiny Boy, who first gained recognition in 2019 for his Fuji rendition of Davido’s “If”, later covered popular tracks by Tekno, 2Baba, 9ice, and Small Doctor. His original songs, including Lamba, One Transaction, Gbese, Billion Dollar, Mio Gbonkankan, and Lowkey, solidified his rising fame in Nigeria’s music industry. He also welcomed his first child with partner Iremide in November 2024.
The autopsy report has provided much-needed clarity after months of uncertainty and public debate surrounding Destiny Boy’s sudden death, highlighting the dangers of substance misuse among young entertainers. Fans and industry colleagues have expressed deep sorrow while advocating for awareness on drug safety and mental health support in the entertainment industry. (tell.ng)
Autopsy Confirms Destiny Boy Died from Toxic Substances
metro
DHQ Reveals Over 60% of Terrorist Fighters Not Ideologically Driven
DHQ Reveals Over 60% of Terrorist Fighters Not Ideologically Driven
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has disclosed that more than 60 percent of terrorists and armed fighters in Nigeria are not motivated by ideology, but are individuals who were coerced, abducted, or caught up in conflict dynamics. The military says this highlights the need for tailored deradicalisation, rehabilitation, and reintegration programmes to address insecurity across the country.
Brigadier General Yusuf Ali, National Coordinator of Operation Safe Corridor (OPSC), revealed during a press briefing in Abuja that many individuals surrendering from armed groups such as Boko Haram and its splinter factions are low-risk combatants often forced into violent networks due to survival, economic pressures, or coercion. According to OPSC data, thousands of former fighters have been successfully rehabilitated and reintegrated into society since the programme’s inception in 2016.
Launched in 2016, Operation Safe Corridor is a federal government-led non-kinetic counter-insurgency programme coordinated by the DHQ in collaboration with agencies including the Ministry of Justice and Nigeria Police. The initiative encourages voluntary surrender, provides deradicalisation training, and facilitates reintegration into civilian life.
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General Ali emphasised that the programme is evolving to address regional realities and cater to the specific needs of affected communities. He said new plans include establishing Victims’ Rehabilitation and Reintegration Camps in the North-West and North-Central regions, such as the DRR camp in Tsafe, Zamfara State, and a planned facility in Benue, to help victims of violent extremism recover from trauma, displacement, and loss.
“The programme is evolving to become more victim-sensitive,” Ali said. “Sustainable peace cannot be achieved if victims of conflict feel neglected. Many live with deep psychological scars, and addressing that trauma is as important as rehabilitating ex-combatants.”
The OPSC Coordinator also stressed that misconceptions about the programme persist. He clarified that OPSC is not amnesty, not a shortcut to evade justice, and not a recruitment pathway into the Armed Forces. The government is working to enhance public understanding through stakeholder engagement, media campaigns, and partnerships with agencies such as the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy on Reconstruction and Rehabilitation.
Experts say that understanding that the majority of fighters are not ideologically committed could help shape more effective deradicalisation and reintegration strategies, addressing root causes like coercion, poverty, lack of education, and social exclusion. The DHQ’s findings underscore the importance of combining military operations with community-focused rehabilitation to achieve lasting peace in conflict-affected regions.
DHQ Reveals Over 60% of Terrorist Fighters Not Ideologically Driven
metro
Fire Engulfs Yaba Market in Lagos, Traders Suffer Huge Losses
Fire Engulfs Yaba Market in Lagos, Traders Suffer Huge Losses
A major fire outbreak has ravaged a popular market in the Yaba area of Lagos State, destroying shops and goods worth millions of naira and causing panic among traders and residents. The blaze reportedly started in the early hours of Saturday around 3 a.m., quickly spreading across several sections of the market.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as chaotic, with thick smoke and flames consuming parts of the market near the Popo section. Traders and locals desperately tried to salvage their belongings, but much of the property was lost in the inferno. Videos circulating on social media captured the intensity of the fire and the frantic efforts of residents to control it.
An eyewitness, identified as Lugar Feliz during a TikTok livestream, said firefighters were on the scene but faced challenges in containing the blaze, with claims that some fire trucks lacked sufficient water. Several social media users on X (formerly Twitter) raised alarms about the incident, sharing videos and updates as the fire spread.
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Traders affected by the fire lamented the financial losses. One resident, Adeoluwa, said he woke up to find shops behind his completely razed, estimating that billions of naira worth of goods may have been destroyed. Other reports suggest that hundreds of traders lost merchandise, highlighting the devastating economic impact on small business owners.
As of now, the cause of the fire remains unknown, and authorities, including the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, have not released an official statement on the full extent of damage or whether there were casualties. The incident adds to a growing trend of market fires in Lagos, often attributed to poor infrastructure, overcrowded stalls, and inadequate fire safety measures.
Affected traders are now calling for improved emergency response systems, better fire safety protocols, and stricter enforcement of safety regulations to prevent future disasters in crowded commercial hubs like Yaba.
Fire Engulfs Yaba Market in Lagos, Traders Suffer Huge Losses
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