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ANALYSIS: While NSCDC in Borno battles vandals, Yobe command caught escorting them — sabotage or systemic rot?
ANALYSIS: While NSCDC in Borno battles vandals, Yobe command caught escorting them — sabotage or systemic rot?
By: Zagazola Makama
Let’s not mince words: something stinks in Yobe, and the stench is coming from a scandal that cuts to the heart of national security and institutional credibility.
On July 8, 2025, troops of Operation Hadin Kai in Yobe intercepted a truck stuffed with vandalised railway iron sleepers. Alongside it, a shiny NSCDC-marked Hilux van, yes, an official vehicle of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps was caught red-handed escorting the stolen goods. And who was in it? Five NSCDC officers.
This wasn’t a case of mistaken identity. This wasn’t a situation where officers were tricked or “unaware of the content.” No. A total of ₦128,500 in bribe money was found hidden in one officer’s inner clothing. This was collusion. This was betrayal. This was sabotage.
And while the NSCDC in Borno State is cracking down on infrastructure vandals, parading suspects, and backing Governor Zulum’s bold efforts to protect public assets, their counterparts in Yobe were busy escorting criminals to Damaturu, enabling the theft and dismantling of Nigeria’s fragile railway infrastructure.
Let’s talk about Borno for a moment. In July 2023, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum banned metal scavenging entirely, citing clear links between scavengers, terrorism, and sabotage. People were trekking deep into forests Boko Haram territory not to farm or trade, but to dig up abandoned government property: street lights, cell towers, even military scrap. There were cases where scavengers picked up Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) thinking they were scrap metals. Some died instantly. Others caused massive panic.
And now, what happened in Kano just this week? An IED exploded inside a scrap pile, killing five people and injuring many more in the Hotoro area. Preliminary intelligence? The metal came from the North-East, most likely Yobe. The Kano State Government didn’t wait for another disaster; they immediately banned all scrap metal imports from the North-East. They’re connecting the dots.
So why are we not doing the same? Let’s break it down: In Borno, scrap scavenging is banned because it risks lives and national security. In Yobe, NSCDC officers are allegedly collecting bribes to escort stolen metal infrastructure potentially including explosives from forest zones undergoing military operations. In Kano, people are dying from explosives hidden in scrap metal traced to Yobe.This isn’t just corruption, it’s a national security threat from same NSCDC that is meant to protect these installations? The same agency tasked with defending our national infrastructure? The ones who take an oath to secure our communities?
Let’s ask the hard questions now, not when the next bomb explodes: Who licensed the scrap operators in these zones? Who signed off on the movement of tonnes of metal from remote forests to cities under NSCDC escort? Are scrap yards being monitored for IED contamination?Why are there no nationwide protocols between NSCDC, the military, and state governments on scrap metal movement?
The time for lip service is over. The time for “we will investigate” is done. The dots are connected, and the picture is disturbing.
It is not enough for Yobe NSCDC to remain silent while their officers are in custody. Nigerians demand answers. Governor Zulum was right to act in 2023. Kano has followed suit. Yobe must now take a stand before more blood is spilled over a business that is fast turning from petty theft into mass murder.
And for every officer who chooses bribes over duty, you’re not just sabotaging infrastructure. You’re sabotaging the very country you swore to protect.
ANALYSIS: While NSCDC in Borno battles vandals, Yobe command caught escorting them — sabotage or systemic rot?
Boko Haram leader Bakoura denies report of his death in Niger airstrikes
By: Zagazola Makama
Boko Haram Leader, Ibrahim Bakoura Doro, alias Abu Oumaimah, has denied reports by the Government of Niger Republic that he was killed in recent military operations in the country’s Diffa region.
The Nigerien Armed Forces (FAN) had, on Friday, announced that Bakoura was eliminated alongside several insurgent commanders during precision airstrikes carried out on Aug. 15 in Korongol, Kournawa and Shilawa.
The strikes, according to FAN, destroyed Boko Haram logistical bases, neutralised dozens of fighters and eliminated high-ranking commanders, including Bakoura, described as a central figure in the group’s hierarchy.
The operation was celebrated as a major success, with Niger’s Head of State, Gen. Abdurahamane Tiani, identifying Bakoura as one of the key actors allegedly involved in attempts to destabilise the country.
However, in an intercepted communication obtained by security sources on Saturday , Bakoura dismissed the report of his death as false.
He was heard telling his commanders that he saw the news of his “killing” on social media, as announced by Niger Republic and circulated by conflict analyst Zagazola Makama.
While admitting that the airstrikes indeed took place, he insisted that he was not among those killed.
Boko Haram leader Bakoura denies report of his death in Niger airstrikes
Niger Republic claims killing of Boko Haram leader Ibrahim Bakoura Doro alias Abu Oumaimah
By: Zagazola Makama
The Government of Niger Republic says its armed forces have allegedly killed a senior Boko Haram leader, Ibrahim Bakoura, also known as Abu Oumaima, during a military operation in the country’s Diffa region.
Nigerien Armed Forces (FAN), disclosed this in a statement released on Tuesday, saying the operation was carried out on Aug. 15 through a series of precision airstrikes targeting Boko Haram positions in Korongol, Kournawa and Shilawa.
The strikes reportedly neutralised dozens of fighters, destroyed logistical supplies and eliminated high-ranking commanders, including Bakoura, who was described as a central figure in the faction’s hierarchy.
Nigerien authorities said the successful operation reaffirmed their commitment to defending the country’s sovereignty and securing its territory against persistent terrorist threats.
Army General Abdurahamane Tiani, Niger’s Head of State, had earlier identified Bakoura as one of the key actors allegedly involved in attempts to destabilise the country.
However, independent verification of Bakoura’s death has not been established. Conflict analyst Zagazola Makama noted that the claim could not be independently verified, but stressed that if confirmed, it would mark a major victory for counterterrorism operations in the Sahel.
Security experts believe the alleged killing of Bakoura, who has long been associated with Jama’at Ahl al-Sunna li al-Da’wa wa al-Jihad (Boko Haram), would represent both a symbolic and operational blow to the insurgents across the Lake Chad Basin.
Niger remains a frontline state in the regional fight against terrorism, despite its withdrawal from the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), its often collaborating with Nigeria, Chad and Cameroon under a bilateral engagement.
Niger Republic claims killing of Boko Haram leader Ibrahim Bakoura Doro alias Abu Oumaimah
Troops repel terrorist attack in Borno, kill two ISWAP commanders, others
By: Zagazola Makama
Nigerian troops of Operation HADIN KAI have repelled an attack by terrorists in Wulgo, Borno State, killing at least seven fighters including two of their commanders.
Zagazola Makama report that the encounter also left several terrorists severely wounded during the fierce exchange of fire.
The slain commanders were identified as Abu Nazir, the Munzir of Juye, and Abu Fatima, the Munzir of Koloram.
According to the source, the troops recovered four motorcycles from the terrorists after the attack. However, an armoured vehicle (MRAP) belonging to the troops was set ablaze by the fleeing insurgents.
“The terrorists came heavily armed but were decisively engaged. We inflicted heavy casualties on them, including two of their senior commanders,” the source said.
Troops repel terrorist attack in Borno, kill two ISWAP commanders, others
Boko Haram leader Bakoura denies report of his death in Niger airstrikes
Niger Republic claims killing of Boko Haram leader Ibrahim Bakoura Doro alias Abu Oumaimah
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