₦airaland Forum

BREAKING: The Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO), Lagos has raised concerns that rising cases of organ failure and cardiovascular diseases in Nigeria may be linked to the consumption of foods processed with locally fabricated grinding machines.

Former Governor Nasir El-Rufai is bent on causing nationwide unrest and bringing down President Bola Tinubu’s government out of frustration and disillusionment, the presidency says.

Mr Tinubu’s special adviser, Temitope Ajayi, also claimed that the former Kaduna governor was attempting to divert public attention from his corruption case with a recent allegation that National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu imported thallium sulphate into the country.

ONSA denied the allegation.

“The truth is: Mallam El-Rufai has two clear intentions behind his recent actions and tantrums. One, to create political tension in the country, create an atmosphere of fear and unrest, and then damage the government through deliberate misinformation.

“Two, to divert attention from his domestic problems in Kaduna state, where he is facing massive corruption allegations. To draw attention to himself and project himself as a victim of persecution, he wants to nationalise his personal problems with his home state government, knowing that Nigerians will not be on his side over corruption charges,” the presidential adviser explained on Sunday.

Mr Ajayi urged the ex-governor to, “instead of behaving like a drowning man holding on to a straw to stay afloat, Mallam El-Rufai should brace up to face his corruption allegations and make peace with himself and his own people”.

Highlighting the problems of Mr El-Rufai, the presidential adviser said, “He lost the support of the state’s critical stakeholders. He lost the governor, who had once been his political soulmate, a man he had supported to become a senator of the federal republic and, later, the governor after him, even if half-heartedly.

“El-Rufai lost the entire 28 members of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, who unanimously endorsed a petition to both the ICPC and the EFCC to probe him over N432 billion corruption allegations, for which both agencies have invited him.”

INEC Clarifies Basis for 2027 General Election Dates, Notes Stakeholder Concerns

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) wishes to address public concerns arising from the recently released Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 General Election, particularly regarding the dates fixed for the conduct of elections.

The Commission recalls that the Timetable was developed in strict compliance with the Timelines contained in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the Electoral Act, 2022, and the INEC Guidelines and Regulations for the Conduct of Elections, 2022.

The INEC Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections, made since 2019, fixed the dates elections are to be held. Paragraph 2 of the Regulation provides:

“Election to the office of President and Vice President, as well as National Assembly, shall hold on the Third Saturday of February of any General Election year, while election to the Office of Governor and Deputy Governor and the State Houses of Assembly shall hold two (2) weeks thereafter.”

Accordingly, and in faithful observance of these extant legal and regulatory provisions, the Commission fixed Saturday, 20th February 2027 for the Presidential and National Assembly Elections and Saturday, 6th March 2027, for the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly Elections.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Commission has taken due notice of concerns expressed by stakeholders regarding the coincidence of the scheduled dates with certain nationally recognised holidays and observances. The Commission wishes to assure the public that it remains sensitive to all legitimate concerns that may impact electoral participation and the overall conduct of elections.

In view of these representations, the Commission is currently undertaking consultations and may, where necessary, seek appropriate legislative intervention to address the concerns raised, while ensuring that any adjustment remains consistent with constitutional and statutory requirements.

INEC reiterates its unwavering commitment to transparency, inclusivity, and the credible conduct of the 2027 General Election. The public will be duly informed of any further developments.

Mohammed Kudu Haruna
National Commissioner, Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee
13th February 2026

Bandits Roam Freely In Zamfara Communities, Collect Levies, Attend Friday Prayers Armed Amid Minimal Security –Report

Bandits are reportedly operating openly in rural communities across Zamfara State, moving freely with assault rifles, collecting levies from residents and enforcing control over daily life in areas where government security presence is virtually non-existent.

Residents of Dayau in Anka Local Government Area and Dolen Moriki in Zurmi Local Government Area have reportedly been living under the effective control of bandit groups, which have entrenched themselves in the communities without fear of security intervention.

Meanwhile, both communities are experiencing sustained bandit presence with little or no visible state security infrastructure, leaving residents vulnerable and forced into uneasy coexistence with the armed groups.

In Dayau and Dolen Moriki, bandits reportedly move openly with AK-47 rifles slung over their shoulders without concealment or apparent fear of interception by security forces.

According to a security expert, Bakatsine, on Friday, bandits now enter local markets and shops openly to purchase goods, while social interactions between gunmen and residents occur in public spaces, largely driven by coercion rather than acceptance.

The gunmen also reportedly attend Friday congregational prayers while visibly armed, further normalising the presence of weapons within civilian life and deepening fears among residents.

Residents say the situation is worsened by the absence of visible state authority structures.

Community members report no permanent police deployment, no sustained military presence and limited or no access to electricity and other basic government services.

Several villagers described living under an imposed authority, where bandits effectively regulate daily activities, movement and farming schedules.

Civilians in the affected communities disclosed that they are compelled to pay levies or provide food supplies to the bandits under duress.

One of the residents noted that the community has been forced into a survival arrangement with the armed groups.

“We are forced to coexist with them. We do not even want the government to provoke them unless it can fully remove them,” Bakatsine quoted a resident as saying.

“If security forces come and leave, the gunmen return to punish us through killings, abductions and preventing farming.”

However, the testimony reflects a recurring fear among residents that temporary security interventions often lead to brutal reprisals once forces withdraw, leaving communities more vulnerable than before.

Residents said the continued absence of a permanent security presence has entrenched the power of the bandits, who now operate openly and dictate the rhythm of daily life.

Do you know what it means to find the severed heads of cats neatly arranged in trays at a market square? Only the initiated know. If curiosity pushes you further, speak to officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency. They have seen things—unspeakable things. They have seen cat heads openly displayed for sale. Won ti rí orí ologbo l’á tê. One day, one discovery. A signpost into a very dark world.

Please follow me on this excursion on what happens from skunk farms in Colorado to Nigeria’s street corners:

Skunk inside the plantain chips packaging.

Ketamine, ecstasy and tramadol pills hidden in coffee satchels and book parcels.

Cocaine concealed deep in a woman’s sacred place, yes, and then more in her footwear.

95 wraps of cocaine in a 62-year-old man’s stomach.

More skunk hidden inside rechargeable electrical bulbs.

Metamphetamine (Meth) concealed in giant music speakers.

Tramadol tablets packed inside a car’s spare tyre and doors.

And this!

Illicit ‘orisirisi’ hidden inside frozen snails.

Mind-bending drugs do to society what welders do with wrought iron. They bend reason, warp senses, destroy destinies and drag the bizarre into the open.

Seriously, if drugs had legs, they would be the most restless travellers in Nigeria. They travel by every means of transport available, including backpacks and innocent-looking lunch boxes of dispatch riders. If, for instance, cocaine, skunk and meth had mouths, they would be screaming, “Anywhere but there!” I mean, they get pushed into all kinds of hot, even smelly places. Because honestly, where haven’t drugs been found?

Once upon a time, when NDLEA said it had made a seizure, Nigerians pictured the usual suspects: airports, seaports, border towns, maybe one dark bush path where a nervous courier, whose village people had pursued to Lagos, bumps into an NDLEA checkpoint, sweating like a Christmas goat. Those were the innocent days. Today, NDLEA press releases read like stuff from a badly managed magician show. Drugs are no longer just smuggled; they are imaginatively hidden.

Creativity has gone virally criminal or crimininally viral because more and more people are becoming mules, couriers. More and more colourful drugs are getting into Nigeria and are being distributed with devil-may-care daring but foolhardy people. The recruitment drive must be something to be researched, too. How is it that every week NDLEA reports its catch, a new arrest, complete with names, photographs and visuals, right the following week, a new guy is caught with another dangerous drug hidden in another creative place? Every day, every week? Does Nigeria even have enough jail space to keep these people? Why is it that the arrests are not stopping this evil business? Whose children, fathers, mothers, even grandparents are these mules?

These are some of the questions that run around my head every weekend. I read those statements from NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.

For years, NDLEA officers have watched suitcases at the airports like hawks with binoculars. Drugs inside bags? Old news. Drugs sewn into clothes. Been there. Drugs swallowed, packed in the stomach like export goods? Sadly familiar.

But today’s smugglers have moved on to bigger things. They have moved to more irreverent locations.

Yes, drugs have turned up inside holy books. Yes, holy books. The irony and anger alone would power the national grid. Cocaine tucked neatly between pages of prayer, as if divine intervention would make NDLEA officers look the other way. Maybe the smugglers thought, “Surely God will understand.” No such luck.

NDLEA witchcraft understood and swooped in. How do they even do it, like they have ‘inside eyes’ or there is GPS installed inside the officers upon graduation from training college?

They see drugs hidden inside food items. Not just any food—our food. Yams, plantains, garri sacks, and crayfish containers. Things your mother sends you from the village. Imagine opening a bag of foodstuff with joy, only to discover it carries enough illicit substances to rent a shop and put those evil things on display, if it were possible.

The drug trade in Nigeria now is free for all. Years ago, mules were beautiful girls who believed maybe to have sexy ways to hoodwink airport officers. Not any longer. There is no age or gender barrier. There was Mama Kerosene” , real name Fatima Ilori, a 65-year-old female drug kingpin (also known as Mama Kerosene or Mamak Rousin), arrested in the Onireke/Elekuro area of Ibadan, Oyo State. The NDLEA found 238.4 kg of skunk, a cousin of cannabis, on her. There was also a Remi Bamidele (45), arrested at Sasa, Ibadan, with over 10kg of various cannabis strains, including Colorado, Scottish Loud, Ghanaian Loud, and Canadian Loud. Read that again. I did not even know there were so many ‘Louds’. Maybe there is even Nigerian Loud.

And now to the two cases that informed this piece.

A suspected drug kingpin operating a “Colorado” synthetic cannabis lab at Badeku in Ibadan, Oyo State, was nabbed recently. According to NDLEA Officers, in his lab, they found and seized ‘precursor chemicals and skunk production paraphernalia’. Yeah, a skunk production laboratory. He was manufacturing what would kill, maim and steal other people’s joy and future. He was not a retailer or wholesaler. He was a manufacturer. He would have employees, marketers and the supply chain.

The second guy is a 62-year-old drug dealer, Nwabueze Izueke, who was arrested at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport with 95 jumbo wraps of cocaine concealed in his stomach. He is 62, probably with married children and a couple of grandchildren. He is probably a titled man, a deacon or some sort of church leader.

When I saw the report, I felt like crying, for him, for all of us. I thought of how long he could spend in jail. He is eight years short of 70. What kind of life will he have in there? Then I thought of how many lives his past jumbo trips had ruined, and I became even sadder.

Take a moment to think of all the angles of these two businessmen, how long they have been at it, and the hundreds of them still hiding in dark places and manufacturing skunk and packaging Loud.

Once upon a time, checking car boots was enough. NDLEA has since learned that smugglers think three steps ahead and one step sideways.

These days, drugs have been found inside fuel tanks—yes, fuel tanks. Because why not turn a car into a rolling chemistry experiment? Others were hidden in the dashboards, car doors, spare tyres, and shock absorbers. Vehicles are no longer means of transportation; they are mobile drug warehouses, stash houses on wheels.

Some smugglers have been known to hide drugs inside coffins. Coffins. The dead, apparently, are not exempt from being unwilling accomplices. Shouldn’t all these force the nation to pause and ask deep questions about morals, desperation, and how far some people will go to make money?

Nigeria is an agricultural nation, but NDLEA’s discoveries have added an unexpected crop to the list of what we plant. There are cannabis farms tucked away in forests, plantations hidden among legitimate crops, fields that look peaceful until you realise they are not cassava or corn farms. They are rogue farms, desecrating the soil that should grow yams and cocoyams, cocoas and kolanuts.

More saddening still are the offices, corporate spaces and even homes where these evil transactions are going on even as you read this. Drugs have been found inside bedrooms, kitchens, wardrobes, and ceilings. Not just hidden but stored with intention. Some homes function like quiet distribution centres, blending into neighbourhoods where everyone greets everyone and jog together.

Even offices have not been spared. Corporate respectability has occasionally turned out to be just a costume, with drugs hidden in filing cabinets, behind shelves, or inside office equipment. It turns out that not all paperwork is paper. Some are paperwork to wrap Colorado and the skunk.

But why won’t these dark evils stop? This thing is real evil, great, a present danger with long scrawny demonic fingers reaching out to destroy the tomorrow of every user and cause pain, indescribable sorrow to the friends and family of victims.

How is it that some people are comfortable building their wealth and empire on the tears and terror of the drug business? They build places of worship and hospitals, set up foundations and charities to ‘help the less-privileged’. They destroy millions and pay the school fees of a hundred, and continue as if that will somehow wash away the evil they inflict on the world.

For as long as mind-bending substances are circulated by dry-eyed, mean men and women, there will be no real development in Nigeria. We can amend the electoral act from now till hell freezes over, buy new equipment to fight terror, those whose minds are bent, young and old, will continue to bend our destinies.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has refuted a report claiming that the Federal Government directed it to suspend enforcement actions on sachet alcohol and 200ml PET bottle alcoholic products.

The agency said this in a statement signed by its Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, on Wednesday.

NAFDAC described the publication as false and misleading, saying it did not reflect any official communication sent to the agency by the Federal Government.

“At no time has the Agency received any formal directive ordering the suspension of its regulatory or enforcement activities in respect of sachet alcohol products,” the agency stated.


NAFDAC added that it had begun evacuating “the violative satchet alcohol and alcohol in PET bottles less than 200 ml from different companies.”


NAFDAC denies banning Amoxicillin in Nigeria
It said it also observed that some companies were already stopping production in smaller pack sizes after realising the agency’s aim was to protect children from easy access to alcohol.

“As published, about 50% of minors and underage patronize retailers of alcohol sold in sachets and PET bottles less than 200 ml,” NAFDAC said.

The agency said it remained committed to safeguarding public health and ensuring compliance with existing laws, adding that any decision affecting national regulatory actions would be communicated through official government channels.

It urged members of the public, industry stakeholders and the media to disregard the report and rely only on verified information issued through its official platforms and authorised government communication channels.

NAFDAC also cautioned against spreading unverified information capable of causing misinformation, fake news and misinterpretation of government policy.

LONDON, Feb 9 (Reuters) - OPEC's oil output fell in January due to lower supply from Nigeria and Libya, a Reuters survey found on Monday, which offset increases in members including Venezuela after the U.S. capture of Nicolas Maduro and the ending of an oil blockade.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries pumped 28.34 million barrels per day in January, down 60,000 bpd from December's total, the survey showed, with Nigeria posting the largest decline.

OPEC+, comprising OPEC and allies including Russia, in January began a first-quarter pause of its monthly output increases amid concerns of a supply glut.

Many members are running close to capacity limits and some are tasked with extra cuts to compensate for earlier overproduction, which has limited the impact of the increases.

Under an agreement by eight OPEC+ members covering January output, the five of them that are OPEC members - Algeria, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE - were to keep output unchanged before the effect of compensation cuts totaling 130,000 bpd for Iraq and the UAE.

The survey shows that they increased output by 60,000 bpd month on month, but total output remained below their targets.

Nigeria had OPEC's largest output decline, and Libyan supply also fell as bad weather impacted loadings, the survey found.

Iranian crude supply fell further. Iran is subject to U.S. sanctions that seek to curb its oil exports over its nuclear work, and new measures were announced in January over Tehran's crackdown on protesters.

Among countries with higher output, Iraq exported more from its southern terminals. Venezuelan crude output increased slightly and exports jumped.

Venezuelan production has risen close to 1 million bpd, Reuters reported on Monday, having earlier reported that Venezuelan exports of crude and refined products rose to some 800,000 bpd in January.

The Reuters survey is based on flow data from financial group LSEG, information from other companies that track flows, such as Kpler, and information provided by sources at oil companies, OPEC and consultants.

'No network in 9 states’ – Akpabio justifies Senate decision on electronic transmission


Ahead of the 2027 election in Nigeria, Senate President Godswill Akpabio has justified the removal of mandatory electronic transmission of results from the amended Electoral Act.

DAILY POST reports that the Senate had last week removed mandatory e-transmission of election results from the legislation.

The Senate’s decision sparked controversy across the country with Nigerians, including opposition parties and the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, urging the lawmakers to reverse the decision.

Responding to the controversy during the launch of a book by former senator, Effiong Bob, titled ‘The Burdens of Legislators in Nigeria’, Akpabio blasted the critics, noting that it is the responsibility of the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, to determine the modality of elections.

While justifying the decision of the Senate, Akpabio noted that there is no network in nine states among the 36 states in Nigeria, due to insecurity.

He further asked Nigerians to direct their grievance to INEC, stating that the agency is responsible for deployment of technology.

Akpabio said, “Real-time transmission means that in over nine states where networks are not working because of insecurity, there will be no election results. Nationally, it means that if the national grid collapses and no network is working, no election results will be valid.

“But you see them talking. We even have a young man from Akwa Ibom who is publicity secretary to one of the parties. When you see him talking you will think he knows it all.

“He doesn’t know anything about lawmaking, and he would talk and talk and talk. But what can I say? I can’t answer. The Senate does not conduct elections, we don’t deploy technology, we only make laws. And INEC must apply the law.

“The timing scoop and modality rests with INEC, acting within the framework of the law enacted by the parliament and interpreted by the Supreme Court.”

2027: Electoral Act row escalates as Falana, Utomi, Bugaje kick against rejection of e-transmission of results


•We will not be intimidated – Akpabio

By Henry Umoru

Controversy over a new Electoral Act ahead of the 2027 elections deepened yesterday, as notable activists under the auspices of Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) condemned, in strong terms, the decision of the Senate to remove mandatory electronic transmission of election results as proposed by the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026.

The body subsequently called on the Senate to immediately reinstate and pass the mandatory electronic transmission of results in the bill, as well as publicly account for those members who opposed the clause.

Leaders of the Steering Council of the newly launched MCE include Dr. Usman Bugaje, Prof Pat Utomi, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo, Hajia (Dr) Bilikisu Magoro, Comrade Ene Obi, Comrade Salisu Mohammed, and Comrade Bala Zakka.

This happened on a day Senate President Godswill Akpabio said the National Assembly will not be intimidated over a new Electoral Act.

In a statement, yesterday, in Abuja, by MCE Media Coordinator, Comrade James Ezema, the group described the Senate action as a deliberate sabotage against the aspirations of Nigerians.

According to the platform, the transmission process is a minimum safeguard against result tampering, ballot rewriting, and post-election fraud.

The statement reads:”A newly launched coalition of groups of leading political activists in Nigeria, Movement for Credible Elections (MCE), categorically rejects the decision of the National Assembly through the Senate to remove and refuse the mandatory electronic transmission of election results as proposed by the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026.

“The action of the lawmakers is considered by MCE as a direct attempt by the National Assembly to subvert the right of Nigerians to freely choose their leaders. By rejecting the mandatory transmission of election results from the polling units and other critical clauses, the National Assembly has chosen opacity over transparency, manipulation over credibility, and elite conspiracy over the sovereign will of the people.

“This is not lawmaking, it is deliberate democratic sabotage against the aspiration of the people of our country, as mandatory electronic transmission of results is not controversial. It is a minimum safeguard against result tampering, ballot rewriting, and post-election fraud. Any legislature that blocks it is openly defending a system that thrives on electoral corruption, stolen mandates and manufactured elections.

“MCE therefore wishes to make it clear that there is no acceptable justification for rejecting mandatory transmission except for the fear of the genuine votes and mandate of the electorate.

“What this means to many who have come together under the banner of this new coalition is that the status quo, where results are vulnerable to manipulation between polling units and collation centres will remain and be exploited in 2027. If we fail to provide the transparency desired by Nigerians, apathy will grow, and this, in turn, will undermine public confidence in elections, with citizens choosing to express their votes in other ways.

“Not only has the failure of transparent election outcomes rewarded impunity and electoral fraud, it has also enabled the courts to become the tool of mandate purchase by the highest bidders and appendage of the executive.

“Whereas elite state capture has become the order of the day in Nigeria, where impunity and oppression reign, this anti-democratic action of the lawmakers shows an unwillingness to submit themselves to transparent competition in a desperate bid to be beneficiaries of the corrupt systems enthroned since 1999.

“This decision confirms what Nigerians already know, that the Nigerian political class is afraid of technological transparency because it exposes their shady and corrupt dealings during elections.

“By this medium, we are calling on our teaming partners and allies not to accept any attempt to rollback the planned Occupy NASS mass protest but to mobilize and proceed peacefully on a mass civic action to defend the popular yearnings of Nigerians in resisting any attempt to return Nigeria to the dark days of manual manipulation and backroom results arising from the distortions occasioned by glitches and interferences with the will of the electorate.

“Again, as we converge in Lagos on Monday, 9th February, as earlier scheduled to address the world on the consequences of another rigged election in Nigeria, we call on Nigerians everywhere, students, workers, traders, professionals, women, youth, community leaders, the media, and the international community to stand up and speak out and be counted in the emergency Occupy NASS mass protests holding in Abuja.’’

We will not be intimidated – Akpabio

Meanwhile, Senate President Akpabio said the Senate will not be intimidated but will do what is right to give Nigerians an Electoral Act that advances democracy.

Akpabio noted this during the public presentation of a book titled, ‘The Burden of Legislators in Nigeria,’ written by Senator Effiong Bob at the NAF Centre, Abuja, yesterday.

He explained that the uproar over Section 60 (3) of the Electoral Act was unnecessary because the amendment process was ongoing.

Akpabio said: “We have not passed the votes and proceedings, there is still harmonization but people are already on television sitting on panels abusing the Senate for something that is yet to be completed.

“We have not completed it until we look at the votes and proceedings. When we bring out the votes and proceedings, any Senator has the right to rise to amend it.

“We can amend anything before we approve the votes and proceedings. Why abuse the Senate when what we have is incomplete?

“I can’t talk until they tell me to drop the gavel. In this case, we are yet to complete the process. Why are people setting up panels on TV stations and abusing us? I leave them to God.”

In a veiled reference to comments made on television by the Chief Executive of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, PLAC, Clement Nwankwo, over the controversy, Akpabio said: “We will not be intimidated. We will do what is right for Nigeria and not that of one NGO. Retreats are not law-making.

“Why do you think that the paper you agree to in Lagos must be approved? I must state clearly that there is no fog or mist in the insinuations.”

Plenary

While explaining what happened during plenary, the Senate President said: “All we said is remove the words ‘Real-time’ to allow INEC decide the mode of transmission. If you make it mandatory and the system fails, there will be a catastrophe.

“So, the door is still open for ADC, APP and any other to make adjustments. There is a conference committee, which reviews the votes and proceedings before the amendment is passed.

“Real-time means that there will be no election results in nine states where there is no network, or any part of the country where there is a grid breakdown, which means there is no election.

“Technology must save and not endanger democracy. You put real time in law when you don’t even have electricity in your community.”

Ahead of 2027 general elections, the National Assembly has been finalizing amendments to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026, a law meant to update the legal framework governing the 2027 general elections.

One of the most contentious issues in the bill has been Clause 60(3), which deals with how election results from polling units are transmitted and reported.

Civil society groups, political actors, and many Nigerians have called for the clause to be amended to mandate the electronic transmission of results in real time directly from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing (IReV) portal, to curb manipulation and strengthen transparency.

However, when the bill got to the Senate floor for its third reading last week, debates focused intensely on this issue.

A yet-to-be-confirmed number of soldiers have been reported killed by militants from the Islamic State-backed faction of Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), formerly known as Jamā'at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da'wah wa'l-Jihād, in an attack on a military base in Jakana, Kaga Local Government Area of Borno State.

Military sources told SaharaReporters that the insurgents stormed the community, shooting in all directions before attacking the military facility with explosives on Friday morning.

The terrorists were said to have come in different groups and could not be counted. The sources added that many Nigerian soldiers were killed while others fled into the bush.

“An attack occurred this morning, 06/02/2025, at an Army outpost along Maiduguri/Damaturu Road, Jakana town, by Boko Haram terrorists, with many casualties recorded on our side. Their corpses have been transferred to 7 Div military hospital in Maiduguri,” a top source said.

During the attack, the gunmen burnt armoured tanks and military vehicles and made away with unquantifiable ammunition, the source added.

This comes a few days after many soldiers were killed in an attack on another military base in Sabon Gari, Damboa Local Government Area of the state.

A few days before the attack, seven military personnel, including a newly promoted Lieutenant Colonel, were killed in an ambush by the terrorists.

SaharaReporters had reported that Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed was leading a troop of soldiers from Maiduguri to Damasak, Mobbar Local Government area of Borno State, when they came under attack by the insurgents on Monday, January 26, 2025 (not 2026).

Military sources had said the terrorists used explosives and heavy gunfire.

Apart from the dead bodies recovered, many other soldiers were seriously injured, while a yet-to-be ascertained number of personnel are also still missing.

Since the death of JAS leader Abubakar Shekau, ISWAP has been consolidating its grip in locations around Lake Chad.

The sect’s membership has swollen with the defection of hundreds of Boko Haram fighters under Shekau.

The Nigerian Army has repeatedly claimed that insurgency has been largely defeated and frequently underplays any losses.

The terror group has caused over 100,000 deaths and displaced millions of people mainly in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states.

36 soldiers killed in coordinated jihadist attack in Niger

By: Zagazola Makama

At least 36 Nigerien soldiers have been killed in a large-scale attack by jihadist fighters linked to Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) on Makalondi, a border town between Niger and Burkina Faso, security sources have confirmed.

Zagazola report that the attack occurred on Feb. 4 at about 6:30 p.m. in the Tillabéri region of Niger. Preliminary reports indicate that the assailants overran a military position, killing at least 36 soldiers and injuring several others, some critically.

According to sources, the attackers seized at least 12 military vehicles mounted with heavy machine guns, along with weapons, ammunition and personal effects. One of the vehicles was later found destroyed a few kilometres from the scene.

In response to the scale of the attack, Niger’s Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Salifou Mody Barmou, visited Makalondi on Feb. 5 for an on-the-spot assessment, underscoring the gravity of the human and material losses.

In a related incident, suspected Islamic State Sahel/ISWAP terrorists on Feb. 6 at about 2:00 a.m. attacked a Customs post in Kouré town, Dosso Region, about 60 kilometres south of Niamey. Casualties included one Customs lieutenant and one Forest Service sergeant declared missing, while two Customs informants were killed.

Security sources said one Customs vehicle was burnt, another taken away, and several motorcycles destroyed during the attack.

Meanwhile, in neighbouring Mali, JNIM fighters also launched coordinated assaults on Dozo militia positions in Nayo (Ségou Region) and Bandiagara (Mopti Region) between Jan. 29 and Feb. 3, resulting in heavy casualties among the pro-government militias.

Reports indicated that the Dozo groups had earlier raised alarms that they were surrounded by terrorists and had requested intervention from the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa), but no timely response was provided.

JNIM has intensified operations across central Mali, blockading key supply routes to Bamako and laying siege to villages linked to Dozo groups, in what appears to be a strategy to weaken state authority and force political concessions.

The Alliance of Sahel States (AES) comprising Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso has since announced renewed efforts to combat terrorism through a joint military force, as international partners continue to express concern over the deteriorating security situation in the Sahel.

Magarau village, located in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State, has been completely abandoned following repeated attacks by armed bandits loyal to Bello Turji. The sustained violence has forced the entire community to flee, leaving behind only ruins, silence, and a… pic.twitter.com/pbqh51wJtf

— Bakatsine (@DanKatsina50) February 6, 2026

Sokoto Community Deserted After Bandits Kill Village Head, Chief Imam, Others; Loot Homes

Bandits reportedly loyal to notorious kingpin Bello Turji have reported killed the village head of Magarau, its chief Imam, and deserted the entire village.

Residents of the community in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State have fled, leaving homes empty and properties damaged.

A video obtained posted online by security expert Bakatsine shows the condition of the village after the attacks.

The narrator described the house of the late village head, highlighting the impact of the violence on the community.

“I hope the general public can see; this is what is left of the house of the late village head of Magarau, who was killed by armed bandits,” he said.

“This is the centre of the village and you will not find anyone here, not even an animal. They were displaced while many others were killed.”

The video also shows the deserted home of the late chief Imam.

The narrator explained that buildings were destroyed and while several properties were looted.

“Also, as you can see in this video, that is the deserted house of the late chief Imam of Magarau, who was also killed by the bandits. Houses were demolished and food items were carted away. And the entire village is now empty; no one is living there,” he said.

Also seen is the locked and empty home of the local vigilante leader, who was killed.

The narrator said, “Also, the empty house that has been locked is the house of the head of local vigilantes; he was also killed by the bandits.”

The attacks in Magarau follow a series of recent violent incidents attributed to armed groups in other parts of Nigeria.

Nigeria has been experiencing escalating insecurity, particularly in the North Central, Northwest, and Northeast regions.

In Kwara State, gunmen attacked the communities of Woro and Nuku, killing at least 162 people, according to the Red Cross and local authorities, with some estimates putting the toll at around 170.

Homes and shops were set ablaze as residents fled into the surrounding bushland, marking one of the deadliest assaults of the year.

In Kaduna State, 166 worshippers abducted during raids on churches in Kajuru Local Government Area in mid‑January have reportedly been freed, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) confirmed. The kidnappings initially involved about 177 people, with 11 escaping shortly after the attacks.

Benue State has also experienced organised violence, with armed attacks resulting in multiple civilian deaths and severe disruption to rural communities.

Dangote Refinery has outlined its fuel production and distribution operations, warning that reliance on coastal logistics could significantly increase petrol prices if the additional costs are transferred to consumers.

In a statement on its official X account on Thursday titled “Six things to know about Dangote Refinery fuel production and distribution”, the company said its refinery operates a world-class gantry facility with 91 loading bays, capable of handling up to 2,900 tankers daily and evacuating over 50 million litres of petrol and 14 million litres of diesel through continuous 24-hour operations.

Dangote noted that gantry loading, which it described as the most cost-efficient evacuation method, helps eliminate port charges, maritime levies, and vessel-related expenses that do not benefit end users.

The firm said, “Gantry loading is identified as the most cost-efficient evacuation method, as it eliminates port charges, maritime levies and vessel-related costs that do not benefit end users.”

The refinery also emphasised that marketers are free to choose between gantry and coastal loading, adding that the company does not impose restrictions on evacuation modes. However, it warned that coastal logistics could add about N75 per litre to petrol costs, potentially pushing pump prices close to N1,000 per litre if passed on to consumers.

“Marketers are free to choose between gantry and coastal loading, and the refinery does not impose restrictions on evacuation modes. Coastal logistics can add about N75 per litre to petrol costs, potentially pushing PMS pump prices close to N1,000 per litre if passed on to consumers,” it said.

Dangote Refinery added that Nigeria’s daily consumption averages “about 50 million litres of PMS and 14 million litres of diesel,” noting that reliance on coastal logistics could impose “an additional annual cost of approximately N1.752 trillion.”

Highlighting the impact of local refining, the firm said, “Local refining has significantly reduced fuel prices, with diesel falling from about N1,700 to N980–N990 per litre, and PMS dropping from around N1,250 to N839–N900 per litre, while also easing FX pressure and supporting naira stability.”