Two Prominent bandits kingpins Kachallah Gwande, Madagwal, 12 others killed in major Faceoff with Rival Groups in Zamfara

By: Zagazola Makama

Two prominent bandit kingpin Kachala Gwande, Kachallah Madagwal and 12 other fighters were killed after a confrontation erupted at Kaurar Zomo village in the Kunchin Kalgo district of Tsafe LGA, Zamfara State, involving three rival bandit groups.

Intelligence told Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency expert and Security analyst in Lake Chad that
Alhaji TSAUNI’s group, Kachallah JAFARU’s group, and Kachallah GWANDU’s group, clashed in a fierce gun battle, on the Thursday, 17th of April, 2024, at approximately 15:45 hours, resulting in the reported death of 12 bandits from the three factions.

JAFARU, a notorious bandit kingpin known to operate from Faskari LGA in Katsina state, descended upon Kaurar Zomo village, which serves as TSAUNI’s stronghold, under undisclosed circumstances that led to the violent confrontation. JAFARU’s fighters overpowered and naturalised Gwande and his fighters.

The fight however escalated to other enclaves shortly after the news of Gwande’s death broke, resulting in another heavy gun battle with Kachallah Madagwal’s group who was nutrialised in the aftermath of the shootout.
Zagazola understands that several bandits who sustained severe gunshot wounds were promptly evacuated to Munhaye Health Facility for urgent medical attention.
The people of the area were currently trooping to the battleground to see the dead bodies of the neutralized bandits.

Note:

In light of the aforementioned incident, the internal strife within the rival bandit groups presents an opportunity in the ongoing battle against banditry.

This situation offers a strategic moment for the air components of Operation Hadarin Daji (OPHD) to potentially neutralize the warring factions while they are engaged in combat.

Two Prominent bandits kingpins Kachallah Gwande, Madagwal, 12 others killed in major Faceoff with Rival Groups in Zamfara

ECOWAS Court to Train Sierra Leone Lawyers, Law Students

By: Michael Mike

The ECOWAS Court will organize a training programme for lawyers and law students from Sierra Leone on the margins of its 2024 international conference to deepen their knowledge of the Court for improved practice, the President of the Court, Justice Edward Amoako Asante has said.

The president said during a meeting with the executive of the Sierra Leone Bar Association (SLBA) in Freetown on Tuesday, that the resource persons for the training will be drawn from senior lawyers from the Court who will be attending the conference.

He said the training should hopefully close the lacuna in the knowledge of the Court among legal practitioners from the country based on the realisation that most of the lawyers appearing before the Court for cases from Sierra Leone were from outside the country.

Justice Asante urged the leadership of the SLBA to help with the process for the successful conduct of the training, working in collaboration with other relevant bodies in the country including the leadership of the law school to streamline the participation and other elements of the training.

He announced that the President of the SLBA, Eddinia Michaela Swallow Esq will deliver a goodwill message at the 2024 conference of the Court which will be historic, being the first time the President of a country’s bar association will be allowed to deliver such a message since the inaugural conference in 2004.
Earlier, the President of the SLBA had thanked the Court for the ‘amazing opportunity,’ granted the country to host the conference describing it as the fulfilment of a dream for her and members of the legal profession in the country.

She suggested that the Court work with the bar associations of Member States to sensitize lawyers on the specificities of the Court in order to improve their practice, particularly for those who might find themselves appearing before the Court.
Justice Asante is leading a 12-member delegation of the Court to discuss arrangements for the successful hosting of the 2024 international conference of the Court scheduled to take place between the 13th and 16th of May 2024.

The conference is on the theme Enhancing the role, relevance and effectiveness of the ECOWAS Court of Justice through the strengthening of synergies between the Court and national stakeholders.

The President said it will provide a forum to generate constructive discussions around the strengths and weaknesses of the Court’s relationship with various national stakeholders and propose practical solutions for the enhancement of the role, relevance and effectiveness of the Court.

ECOWAS Court to Train Sierra Leone Lawyers, Law Students

Zulum Approves N1.3bn Scholarship for 997 Nursing, Midwifery Students in Borno

By: Michael Mike

Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum has approved N1.3 billion scholarship for 997 nursing and midwifery students who are indigenes of the state.

According to a statement on Wednesday, the scholarship programme received about 1,080 nominations, 40 from each of the 27 local government areas of the state, but after an entrance examination, 997 applicants passed and qualified to benefit from the scholarship.

Zulum, while launching the scholarship programme on Wednesday at the College of Nursing and Midwifery, Maiduguri, noted that with the scholarship, the beneficiaries would, on graduation, bridge the workforce demands in the state’s healthcare service delivery due to the increasing population growth.

He said: “The government has allocated a total of ₦1,305,189,000 for scholarships, with a breakdown of ₦124,149,000 earmarked for tuition fees.

“The remaining ₦1,181,040,000 will be disbursed as a monthly stipend of ₦30,000 to each beneficiary throughout their studies.”

Zulum further stated that his administration was constructing two colleges of nursing, one in the northern part of the state and the other one in the southern part.

He assured that the two colleges would be completed and opened for academic activities this year.

Highlighting the government’s efforts, the Commissioner for Education, Engineer Lawan Wakilbe, disclosed that from May 29, 2019 to date, Zulum’s administration had approved over N6 billion for scholarship with N2.7 billion of that amount approved from May 29, 2023 to date.

Meanwhile, the governor has awarded N201 million bursary allowance to 2,010 students of the Maiduguri College of Nursing who had not benefited from the scholarship.

The governor directed that each of the 2,010 nursing and midwifery students be credited with the bursary allowance of N100,000.

Zulum also commissioned a lecture theatre complex and a 3,000 people-capacity multipurpose hall for the College of Nursing and Midwifery, Maiduguri.

The governor also announced automatic employment for the 997 beneficiaries and other nursing students who had excelled academically, on completion of their studies.

In a related development, the Nursing Council of Nigeria (NCN) has commended Borno State for his commitment to improving nursing practice in the state, noting that the scholarship awarded by the governor on Wednesday was the first of its kind and so far the largest in Nigeria.

The Registrar of the Council, Dr Farouk Umar Abubakar, who was represented by the Director of Standard and Accreditation, Alhassan Ndagi, gave the commendation while delivering a goodwill message at the flag-off of the N1.3 billion scholarship for nursing and midwifery students in Maiduguri.

The register applauded the performance of the nursing students from Borno, stating that every year at the national examinations, students from Borno score more than 90 percent.

Zulum Approves N1.3bn Scholarship for 997 Nursing, Midwifery Students in Borno