Community leader killed in Bokkos ambush in Plateau

By: Zagazola Makama

A community leader has been killed in an ambush by suspected armed militias in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday when a joint patrol team comprising military personnel, vigilantes and hunters was attacked along the Horop–Laban–Nawala feeder road, which shares boundary with Nasarawa State.

Sources confirmed that the victim, Mr. Dabit Clement Joseph, popularly known as Chepti, aged 47, who was the Youth President of Horop District, was shot dead during the ambush.

His remains have been evacuated and deposited at Luna Hospital morgue in Bokkos.

Police said investigation into the incident has commenced, with efforts underway to track down and apprehend the perpetrators.
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Borno State Governor Prof. Zulum’s digital transformation leads strategic digital growth initiatives at GITEX Nigeria 2025.

By: Our Reporter

The Borno State Information and Communication Technology Development Agency (BICTDA), under the able leadership of Hon. Engr. Mohammed Ahmed Kabir Wanori, supported by the Governing Board Chairman Dr. Idris Mohammed Yelwa and Prof. Mustapha Tijani, is actively building partnerships to accelerate digital innovation in Borno.

At GITEX Nigeria 2025, the BICTDA team of eight young innovators engaged with Cisco and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) to explore exciting opportunities that can spark digital innovation and entrepreneurship, strengthen data protection, share knowledge, and grow Borno’s digital economy.

Hon. Engr. Wanori applauded Governor Zulum for his unprecedented support for digital growth, ICT development, and the empowerment of young people.

These meetings reflect BICTDA’s commitment to positioning Borno as a major driver of the North East sub-region’s digital future, creating new opportunities for startups, businesses, and young innovators across the region.

Borno State Governor Prof. Zulum’s digital transformation leads strategic digital growth initiatives at GITEX Nigeria 2025.

Rival gangs kill two bandit kingpins in Zamfara ambush

By: Zagazola Makama

Two notorious bandit kingpins, Kachalla Mai Hidima and Kachalla Bingil, have been killed in a violent ambush by rival gangs in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

Zagazola Makama learnt that the incident occurred along the Mai Kogo–Mai Aya Aya axis, within the Dansadau district of Maru.

The sources said the ambush was staged by unidentified assailants, who opened fire on the kingpins and their men, killing them instantly.

“Kachalla Mai Hidima and Kachalla Bingil were caught in the ambush while moving between villages. Their deaths are believed to be linked to long-standing rivalries among bandit factions operating in the Dansadau forest,” one source explained.

Kachalla Mai Hidima, who once served under the notorious bandit leader Dogo Gide, later broke away to establish his own criminal cell. He was said to have established a major base east of Gidan Fulani Mai Kudi, near Hannu Tara in Dansadau.

The killing of the two kingpins illustrates the deepening fractures within bandit networks in Zamfara, as competing groups battle for control of territory, hostages, and illicit revenue streams such as cattle rustling and illegal levies on farming communities.

“This is part of a larger trend of internal conflicts among bandits, especially in Maru, Anka, and Shinkafi, where pressure from military operations has disrupted old alliances,” another source observed.

The Dansadau axis of Maru LGA has remained one of the most volatile hotspots in Zamfara’s banditry crisis, serving as a strategic stronghold for several armed groups over the past decade.

Rival gangs kill two bandit kingpins in Zamfara ambush