Army troops neutralise 45 bandits in Katsina, including top bandit leader Kachallah Alti

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of the Nigerian Army have neutralised 45 suspected bandits during a fierce encounter in Danmusa Local Government Area of Katsina State.

Security sources said the operation followed credible intelligence on the movement of bandits suspected to be operating across parts of Katsina and neighbouring Zamfara.

Among those killed during the operation were two top bandit leaders identified as Alti, said to be a nephew and second-in-command to notorious bandit kingpin Adamu Alieru, and another commander known as Damale.

The sources said the confrontation occurred after bandits riding on motorcycles and armed with sophisticated weapons attacked Alhazawa village in Musawa Local Government Area on March 5, rustling cattle from residents.

Community members and some repentant bandits in the area reportedly resisted the attack, killing four of the bandits and recovering the stolen cattle, which were returned to their owners.

However, the bandits were said to have regrouped and returned in larger numbers on March 6, allegedly to launch a reprisal attack.

While moving toward Musawa through Maidabino A Ward, the bandits encountered troops deployed at the Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Dan Ali, Danmusa LGA.

This led to a fierce gun battle during which troops overpowered the criminals and neutralised 45 of them.

However, the operation recorded casualties on the side of the military as three soldiers were killed during the encounter.

Further checks indicated that Alti had recently assumed a more active operational role within the bandit network after the death of his brother, Kachalla Dan Isihu, who was previously killed by security forces during counter-banditry operations.

Alti was said to have coordinated several violent attacks across communities, particularly along the Danjibga axis in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara.

Security sources said troops had intensified operations in the area to track down other fleeing bandits and dismantle their networks.

Army troops neutralise 45 bandits in Katsina, including top bandit leader Kachallah Alti

Election Politics Must Not Derail National Security, Tunji-Ojo Warns Interior Agencies

By: Michael Mike

Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has issued a stern warning to agencies under his ministry not to allow the rising political temperature ahead of the 2026 elections to weaken national security operations or disrupt essential services to Nigerians.

Speaking at the end of a three-day strategic engagement with top officials and heads of agencies in Abuja, the minister stressed that the country’s internal security architecture cannot afford distractions at a time when institutions are expected to remain professional and focused.

Tunji-Ojo said election seasons often create pressure on public institutions, but agencies responsible for border control, emergency response, asset protection and correctional management must remain insulated from political distractions.

“This is 2026, an election year. You are professionals. Please don’t be distracted. Nigerians must continue to receive the services they deserve,” he said.

The minister noted that agencies under the Ministry of Interior interact directly with millions of citizens daily and therefore carry a heavy responsibility to sustain efficiency regardless of the political climate.

He cautioned officials against becoming complacent over past successes, stressing that continuous improvement and accountability must remain central to their operations.

According to him, teamwork and institutional discipline are critical to achieving the ministry’s mandate.

“Our mantra in the Ministry of Interior is one for all and all for one. We protect one another and ensure we deliver results. This is not a system where people shift responsibility. Buck passing has no place here,” he said.

Tunji-Ojo also charged the Nigeria Immigration Service to intensify efforts to secure Nigeria’s borders and tackle irregular migration, describing effective border management as a critical component of national security.

He urged the service to strengthen collaboration with border communities and state governments while ensuring officers are properly equipped to monitor and protect Nigeria’s vast border corridors.

“We must equip our officers with the right instruments to secure every inch of our border space. Irregular immigration must be addressed decisively to protect our country,” he said.

The minister equally directed the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to strengthen surveillance and protection of critical national infrastructure, particularly facilities vulnerable to vandalism and economic sabotage.

He emphasised that safeguarding national assets such as pipelines, power installations and public utilities remains essential to economic stability.

Tunji-Ojo further urged the Federal Fire Service to scale up emergency preparedness and rescue operations nationwide, stressing that Nigerians must have confidence that help will arrive swiftly in times of distress.

He also challenged the Nigerian Correctional Service to deepen rehabilitation programmes in custodial centres to reduce repeat offences.

According to him, correctional institutions must focus on reforming inmates and preparing them for productive reintegration into society.

“When individuals leave correctional centres worse than when they entered, it reflects a failure of the system. Our duty is to reform, rehabilitate and return better citizens to society,” he said.

While commending the leadership and personnel of the agencies for improvements recorded in areas such as immigration services, border management and emergency response, the minister urged them to remain committed to professionalism and results.

He stressed that Nigerians expect stronger institutions capable of delivering security and efficient services, regardless of the country’s political cycle.

Election Politics Must Not Derail National Security, Tunji-Ojo Warns Interior Agencies

The Mirage of Great-Power Protection: Lessons for the Sahel from Iran, Syria and Venezuela

By Oumarou Sanou

The world appears once again on edge. Tensions in the Middle East involving Iran, Israel and the United States have revived familiar questions about the limits of power, alliances, and survival in an increasingly volatile global order. Yet beyond the immediate theatre of conflict lies a deeper lesson; one that Africa, particularly the junta-led states of the Sahel, would do well to reflect upon.

Recent events in Syria and the mounting pressures faced by countries like Iran and Venezuela demonstrate a hard geopolitical truth: reliance on great powers for protection can often prove illusory. When crises escalate or strategic calculations change, even the most vocal allies may offer little more than rhetorical solidarity.

This is a reality that resonates strongly in today’s Sahel, where Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, the core of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), have pivoted sharply toward Moscow while distancing themselves from traditional Western partners and regional institutions such as ECOWAS.

There is nothing inherently wrong with sovereign nations pursuing partnerships with global powers. States must engage the world pragmatically to advance their interests. The danger arises when such alignments become ideological crusades that corner countries into rigid geopolitical camps. History suggests that when great-power rivalries intensify, smaller states risk becoming pawns rather than partners.

The experiences of Iran and Venezuela offer a cautionary example. Both countries have positioned themselves as defiant challengers to Western influence, often invoking anti-imperialist rhetoric to consolidate domestic authority. Yet when sanctions tightened and internal crises deepened, the much-touted backing of powerful allies such as Russia and China proved limited in practice. Diplomatic statements and symbolic gestures rarely translate into decisive rescue when the strategic costs are high.

In many respects, the Sahel is becoming the newest chessboard in the unfolding rivalry between Russia and the West. The region’s fragile states, struggling with terrorism, economic distress, and weak institutions, now find themselves at the intersection of competing geopolitical interests.

For the juntas governing Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, the embrace of Moscow has been framed as a break from Western paternalism. Yet the strategic risks of relying too heavily on a single external partner are significant. Unlike Iran and Venezuela, which possess vast oil resources that cushion the impact of sanctions and economic isolation, the Sahelian economies lack such buffers.

The limits of anti-Western posturing are therefore far sharper in this context. Iran and Venezuela at least had economic leverage and decades of state infrastructure before confronting global pressure. The Sahel’s military regimes do not enjoy similar advantages. Betting national stability on geopolitical confrontation without economic resilience could prove far more destabilising.

The presence of Russian-linked security contractors, from Wagner’s earlier operations to successor entities such as Redut, illustrates another dimension of the challenge. These deployments offer short-term tactical support but rarely substitute for strong national armies, effective governance, and regional cooperation. Security outsourced to foreign actors tends to be transactional rather than transformational.

Yet the deeper issue goes beyond any single partnership. Africa’s geopolitical dilemma is not simply about Russia, the West, or China. It reflects a recurring pattern in which African states seek external protectors rather than invest in internal strength.

From colonial dependency to Cold War alignments and today’s renewed great-power competition, the continent has often oscillated between competing patrons. Rejecting Western influence only to embrace Russian or Chinese influence does not constitute genuine liberation; it merely replaces one form of dependency with another.

What Africa needs instead is strategic autonomy. For the Sahel, this moment of geopolitical turbulence could become an opportunity to rethink its development trajectory. Strengthening governance, rebuilding public institutions, and addressing the root causes of insecurity: corruption, marginalisation, and economic exclusion, would offer far more durable stability than reliance on external military support.

Coups, after all, are symptoms of governance failure, not solutions to it. The region’s demographic reality makes this urgency even greater. With one of the youngest populations in the world, the Sahel cannot afford the economic stagnation that often accompanies geopolitical isolation. If instability persists, the consequences will be felt not only within the region but across West Africa and beyond through migration, economic disruption, and expanding insecurity.

A stronger African security architecture is therefore essential. The limitations exposed in ECOWAS responses, the underutilisation of the African Union’s standby mechanisms, and the fragility of regional intelligence cooperation all point to the same conclusion: Africa must build more credible collective security systems.

Equally important is the need for an assertive but balanced African foreign policy. The Sahel’s pivot toward Russia is partly a reaction against perceived Western paternalism. Yet the answer to unequal partnerships is not to substitute one patron for another. It is to negotiate from a position of confidence and independence.

Africa should engage with all global actors: East and West alike, in line with clear national and regional interests. Trade, investment, technology transfer, and security cooperation are welcome from any partner that respects African sovereignty. What should be avoided is ideological alignment that turns African states into frontline proxies in someone else’s strategic contest.

The Sahel today stands at a crossroads. Its choices will shape not only its own future but also the broader trajectory of governance and security across West Africa. If there is one lesson from Iran, Venezuela, Syria and other states caught in great-power rivalries, it is this: external patrons may offer support, but they rarely guarantee salvation. Therefore, Africa’s long-term stability will depend less on the promises of distant powers and more on the strength of its own institutions, leadership, and collective resolve.

Oumarou Sanou is a social critic, Pan-African observer and researcher focusing on governance, security, and political transitions in the Sahel. He writes on geopolitics, regional stability, and African leadership dynamics.

Contact: sanououmarou386@gmail.com

The Mirage of Great-Power Protection: Lessons for the Sahel from Iran, Syria and Venezuela