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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?
News
RHI Presents Food Items to Vulnerable Groups in Yobe State

RHI Presents Food Items to Vulnerable Groups in Yobe State
…Making it the 20th State to Benefit from the Support
By: Our Reporter
The Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) Food Outreach Program, launched in Abuja in March 2024 to provide monthly support to vulnerable groups and persons with disabilities, has reached Yobe State—making it the 20th state to benefit from the initiative.
Since its inception, the program has covered Abia, Adamawa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Oyo, Plateau, and Sokoto States before arriving in Yobe.
With generous support from the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa) and another industrialist who prefers to remain anonymous, assorted food items were delivered, bringing relief to many households, particularly those with disabilities.
The First Lady and Chairman of the Renewed Hope Initiative, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, noted that donors provide two truckloads of food items to each beneficiary state for onward distribution. Represented by the Wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Nana Shettima, she highlighted Yobe as a major beneficiary of RHI programs and interventions.
These include:

- The Tony Elumelu Foundation Women Economists Empowerment Program, which supported 500 women with ₦50,000 each.
- The RHI Women Agricultural Support Scheme, where 20 women received ₦500,000 each.
- A ₦68.9 million grant from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to the Young Farmers Club.
- Annual financial support to senior citizens, with 100 beneficiaries receiving ₦100,000 each in 2023 and 250 beneficiaries receiving ₦200,000 each.
- A ₦50 million financial grant to 1,000 petty traders.
- The Women in ICT Program, aimed at empowering women in the digital economy.
According to Senator Tinubu, these interventions are designed to complement the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni represented by his Deputy Governor, Alhaji Idi Barde Gubana reaffirmed his government’s commitment to the initiative, noting that the state has aligned with RHI through various empowerment programs for women, children, and vulnerable groups. These include the distribution of household items, skill acquisition schemes, and post-insurgency recovery programs that have economically empowered many women.
The State Coordinator of RHI and Wife of the Yobe State Governor, Hajiya Hafsat Kollere Buni, expressed gratitude to the First Lady for extending such impactful support to Yobe State. She also looked forward to stronger collaborations to further project the ideals of RHI and improve the lives of the people.
Also present at the event was Dr. Ubong Udoh, Managing Director of the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative, one of the key donors to the program.- RHI Presents Food Items to Vulnerable Groups in Yobe State


News
Monguno says lack of national cohesion fuels insurgency

Monguno says lack of national cohesion fuels insurgency
By: Zagazola Makama
Former National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd.), has warned that Nigeria’s fight against insurgency will remain elusive without national cohesion and a united front across society.
Monguno stated this in Abuja on Thursday at the launch of Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum, a new book authored by former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor (rtd.).
He said Boko Haram and other violent groups had thrived by exploiting Nigeria’s divisions, stressing that disunity among citizens, political actors, and institutions weakened the country’s capacity to defeat terrorism.
“Without national cohesion, insurgency will not end. Terrorists feed on our fault lines – ethnic, religious, political – and they weaponise them against us. If we remain divided, no amount of military might will deliver lasting peace,” Monguno said.
He urged Nigerians to rise above parochial sentiments and embrace a spirit of patriotism, solidarity, and common purpose. According to him, the fight against insurgency must go beyond the battlefield to include reconciliation, justice, and inclusive governance.
The retired General emphasised that the scars left by Boko Haram were not just physical but also psychological and social, making unity a vital condition for national healing.
“The book reminds us that security is not just the work of soldiers. It is the responsibility of leaders, institutions, and citizens. Unless we build cohesion, insurgency will continue to mutate in different forms,” he added.
Monguno commended Gen. Irabor for documenting his experience, describing the work as a guide that combines history, strategy, and national lessons for the future.
The event was attended by former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, the Minister of Defence, service chiefs, traditional rulers, diplomats, and senior government officials.
Monguno says lack of national cohesion fuels insurgency
News
Kukah says military operations alone cannot end insurgency, stresses soft power approach

Kukah says military operations alone cannot end insurgency, stresses soft power approach
By: Zagazola Makama
The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, has said Nigeria cannot defeat insurgency through military operations alone, stressing the need to embrace soft power and address root causes of insecurity.
Kukah made this known in Abuja on Thursday while reviewing Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum, a new book authored by former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor (rtd.).
He said the country’s reliance on military doctrines and repeated counter-insurgency operations had failed to produce lasting peace because Boko Haram represented an ideology, not just an armed threat.
“For years, we have had Operation Lafiya Dole, Operation Restore Order, Operation Hadin Kai, Operation Safe Haven, and many others. Yet, when one operation fails, another is launched. These operations have not ended the insurgency because you cannot fight an idea with weapons alone,” Kukah said.
The cleric argued that describing the insurgency only in military terms forecloses other sources of information and non-kinetic solutions that are critical to peacebuilding.
According to him, Boko Haram’s struggle is framed as a jihad, and many of its fighters see death as martyrdom, making them indifferent to conventional deterrence.
“The challenge before us is not merely about defeating insurgents on the battlefield, but about understanding the soft issues of life and death. Guns cannot build peace; soft power must complement military power,” he said.
Kukah pointed to chapters 11, 12 and 13 of Irabor’s book, which emphasise reconciliation, good governance, justice, and national healing as critical conditions for security.
He praised the author’s reflections for going beyond military strategy, describing them as “the writings of a priest” that call for dialogue, reforms and moral renewal.
The bishop added that Nigeria must prioritise structural reforms, political inclusion, patriotism, and judicial integrity to tackle grievances that feed extremism.
“The urgency now is to invest in soft power – in human development, reconciliation, and building trust in institutions. Military operations can only create space; it is ideas and justice that will sustain peace,” Kukah said.
The event attracted former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, senior government officials, service chiefs, diplomats, and other dignitaries.
End
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