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EXCLUSIVE: Fulanis decry injustice in North West, seek end to violence in Zamfara as top bandits weigh surrender

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EXCLUSIVE: Fulanis decry injustice in North West, seek end to violence in Zamfara as top bandits weigh surrender

By Zagazola Makama

In the heart of Zamfara’s conflict-weary forests, a growing chorus of Fulani herders and leaders is calling for an end to violence not with weapons, but through dialogue and justice. They say they are ready to embrace peace, if government addresses long-standing grievances that have festered into bloody confrontations.

For over a decade, northwestern Nigeria has been plagued by banditry, livestock rustling, mass abductions and retaliatory attacks that have left hundreds dead and thousands displaced. But in a rare show of willingness, Fulani stakeholders at a recent meeting in Gusau expressed readiness to renounce violence if treated with fairness.

The sensitisation forum, hosted on May 4 by the Commander of 1 Brigade, Nigerian Army, brought together Fulani leaders under the aegis of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), alongside top security officials, including representatives of the State Director of Security and the Commissioner of Police.

Fulani leaders from all 14 local government areas of Zamfara attended the meeting, where they poured out their grievances — some dating back years — and appealed for genuine government intervention.

“We are not all bandits,” Fulani leaders insist

“I have lost over 150 cows to Yansakai, yet I have never carried a weapon or joined any group,” said Mallam Salisu Umar, a herder from Maru LGA. “But every time they see a Fulani man, they see a bandit. Is that fair? Is that justice?”

Another herder, Muhammadu Sale, alleged that just last Friday, vigilantes stole about 300 livestock belonging to a law-abiding Fulani man. “They never took the animals to the committee on recovery of livestock — they sold them in the market in connivance with some local security actors,” he said. “In Rijiya, Gusau LGA, another 370 livestock were stolen and diverted.”

The Yansakai vigilante groups, originally formed to protect communities, were accused of indiscriminate violence against Fulani settlements, burning homes, killing unarmed civilians, and rustling cattle under the guise of fighting banditry.

According to Mallam Haruna Dogo from Anka LGA, the situation has become so dire that Fulani children cannot attend schools in Hausa-dominated communities. “The hatred has grown so deep that our children are denied access to education and basic amenities. We are being cut off from society,” he lamented.

Several speakers at the forum said Fulani herders were being profiled, attacked, and even executed without trial. “In some cases, a Fulani youth is captured, beaten until he confesses to being a bandit, and then killed. If anyone dares retrieve his corpse, they are accused of being an accomplice,” said one leader.

Another Fulani elder said he had not travelled in a vehicle for four years out of fear, noting that the meeting in Gusau marked his first time stepping out in days. “Thousands of Fulani families are hiding in the bush, living in fear. Their only crime is being Fulani — and because of a few criminals among us, the whole society sees us as enemies.”

“Our cows are stolen, and security agencies look the other way”

One of the most serious allegations raised at the forum was the alleged collaboration between rogue security personnel and vigilante groups.
“They recover our cows and sell them,” alleged Alhaji Musa Bature from Tsafe. “We sometimes find the stolen animals in open markets. When we report to police, nothing is done. Security agents are benefitting from these crimes.”

He said this cycle of dispossession and injustice was pushing many Fulani youths into banditry.

“Even when we warn them, they say they have no choice. Food is scarce. A mudu of rice is nearly N10,000. Slippers cost N5,000 because of the risks traders face. This desperation leads them into evil acts like kidnapping.”

Umar Jega from Bakura LGA said his entire village was razed by Yansakai last year. “We lost everything. No one was held accountable. We are treated like people without rights.”
Many Fulani leaders at the forum blamed systemic injustice for driving youth into militancy.

Hope from within: top bandits open to surrender

In a potentially game-changing development, several notorious bandit leaders, including Saidu Naeka, Jimmi Smally and Kabiru Yankusa, have indicated willingness to surrender arms on the condition of safety and reintegration. Even Notorious bandits leaders like Bello Truji and Alhaji Nashama have were also part of those who agrees to key into the ongoing non-kinetic efforts.

There are some Fulanis who see the approach as a ploy to arrest them while others think it was politically motivated to manipulation manipulate them. Also, bandits kingpins like Ado Alero and Madele showed interest initially, by sending their representatives to attend the meeting.

“These men are tired,” said a source familiar with the dialogue. “They want peace, but they need assurance they won’t be killed or humiliated. Some of them have also lost loved ones in the cycle of violence.”

Sources said the bandit leaders had already begun patrolling parts of Sokoto Road to deter attacks. “Just last week, they eliminated two bandits who attempted to block the road.”

Following the meeting, more than 100 kidnap victims were released in separate operations in Moriki and Kango Forest. Some victims were handed over directly to the military, while others were rescued by vigilantes and handed over to troops. “We were told we were being released because their leaders now want peace,” said Rabiatu Halliru, one of the freed captives.
Another victim, who spent five months in captivity, said: “It was a miracle. We didn’t pay any ransom. They told us they had made a promise to release us and they kept it.”

The non-kinetic approach initially brought relative calm in the Anka general area, until when some hybrid forces brought in from the North East attacked and beheaded an innocent Fulani boy and cut off some part of his body, roasted it and eat it, that’s when tensions grew again. Another Fulani woman was killed by the Yansakai when she went to the Market, with the accusation that she was linked with bandits.

Fulani leaders propose roadmap to peace

To consolidate peace, Fulani leaders proposed a number of initiatives, including: disbanding or properly regulating the Yansakai vigilantes who were neither employed or recognized by the government. They also want government to reconsider reopening of their cattle markets and herders’ movement corridors.

The Fulani elder also demanded that they want schools, boreholes, and health centres to be constructed in Fulani communities, while insisting on equal treatment of offenders, regardless of ethnicity because they said there are two types of banditry, the one perpetrated by the criminal bandits amongst them and the one perpetrated by Yansakai along with some rogue security personnel.

They proposed direct engagement between MACBAN and bandit leaders to facilitate further releases and end attacks on farmers, nothing that If such opportunity is wasted, more lives will be lost,” warned Mallam Abubakar Sani from Zurmi.

“We are tired. Our children are tired. Let this be the beginning of the end.”he said.

Alhaji Bello Maiturare, MACBAN Chairman in Zamfara, pledged to lead the dialogue with bandits. “We’ve spoken to some of them. They are listening because of this meeting. If the government keeps its word, we will bring more people out of the bush.”

“Most bandits are not sincere” – Theatre Commander

However, the Theatre Commander of the Joint Task Force, Operation FANSAN YANMA, Maj.-Gen. Oluyinka Soyele, expressed caution.

“Most of the bandits are not sincere. Even after promising to stop attacks, they continue killing and kidnapping people,” he said.

Soyele reiterated that Governor Dauda Lawal and the Government, through the Operation Safe Corridor initiative, had consistently said that only genuinely repentant bandits who renounce violence would be accepted.

“If they are serious and send emissaries to declare their readiness to stop, why not? We are not happy fighting our own people whether Hausa or Fulani , they are Nigerians.”

“But let me tell you what usually happens: when they feel the heat from military operations, they offer to surrender. Once the pressure eases, they regroup, rearm and return to terrorism.”

On the issue of Yansakai, Soyele said: “No one owns up to forming it, but everyone agrees it was created by the Hausa community to protect themselves from cattle rustling. If attacks stop from one side, we can contain the other. But the key is sincerity.”

“Even today, they attacked Maru. We still hear of pockets of attacks here and there by Dan Sadiya. So where is the sincerity?” the Theatre Commander Insist.

Special Appeal to the Defence Headquarters, National Security Adviser, National Counter Terrorism Centre, and DSS: A Call for a Unified, Sustainable Approach to Ending Banditry and Restoring Peace in the North West

However, Zagazola Makama, noted that as Nigeria marks over 15 years of protracted violence and insecurity in the North West, it is time to acknowledge a hard but essential truth: the military alone cannot end banditry.

“What we face is no longer a purely kinetic conflict; it is a complex socio-security crisis that demands a whole-of-society approach, one that combines force with dialogue, justice with reconciliation, and tactical operations with strategic engagement.

“We commend the Defence Headquarters and the intelligence community for the consistent pressure mounted on bandits across Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, and Niger States. We also acknowledge the courageous efforts of security forces on the frontline.

However, it is time to complement those military operations with non-kinetic solutions that address the root causes of the violence, as recently demonstrated in Katsina, Kaduna, and Benue States, where targeted engagement with bandit leaders and conflict stakeholders has begun to yield positive results.

“Let us be candid: the pattern of violence across the North West, North Central, and even parts of the North East suggests that the same networks of armed bandits are interlinked from Zamfara and Katsina to Benue, Plateau, and Taraba.

Their grievances of the Fulani people are strikingly similar ranging from extrajudicial killings by vigilantes (Yan Sakai), loss of livelihoods, lack of inclusion in governance, to ethnic profiling. While these do not justify actions of some criminals amongst them, they point to the urgent need for political, social, and security reintegration mechanisms.

A tragic illustration of this is the recent escalation in Birnin Magaji LGA, Zamfara State, where 25 communities have been banned from accessing their farmlands by a notorious kingpin, Alhaji Nashama. According to local sources, Nashama had earlier promised to protect these communities from rival bandit groups. However, following the alleged killing of two of his relatives, Babuga and Usman whom he claimed were innocent by Yan Sakai operatives, he imposed a violent embargo on farming activities in the area, vowing to kill anyone seen in the fields.

This is not an isolated case. It reflects the fragile trust deficit between rural communities, vigilantes, and armed groups, and point to why pure military responses cannot sustainably resolve this crisis. If we are to prevent further reprisals and displacements, we must take bold steps to re-establish dialogue channels, backed by the intelligence and verification strength of the DSS, the National Counter Terrorism Centre, and community leaders.

We therefore urge the Federal Government to seize this opportunity to chart a new strategy for lasting peace in the Country. The success of community dialogue efforts in places like Katsina and Kaduna, proves that where there is political will and strategic coordination, peace is possible. The time has come to act not just with force, but with foresight.

Nigeria deserves peace. The people of Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, Benue, and Plateau deserve to farm, trade, and live without fear. Let us give peace a chance decisively and deliberately.

Zagazola Makama is a Counter Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad Region

EXCLUSIVE: Fulanis decry injustice in North West, seek end to violence in Zamfara as top bandits weigh surrender

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RHI Flow With Confidence program Launched across Nigeria

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RHI Flow With Confidence program Launched across Nigeria

“Don’t Allow Shame or Stigma Affect Your Confidence” – Senator Oluremi Tinubu to School Girls at the Launch of Flow With Confidence Program in Maiduguri, Borno State

By: Our Reporter

The Flow With Confidence program, a vital menstrual health intervention, is designed to empower schoolgirls with knowledge, build confidence, and promote improved menstrual hygiene. The initiative targets 370,000 beneficiaries, mostly from rural communities who struggle to access hygienic care while in school.

Launched simultaneously in seven states – Borno, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Kebbi, and Lagos – by the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the program provides each beneficiary with a one-year supply of disposable sanitary pads.

At the official launch in Maiduguri, the First Lady was represented by the Wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Nana Shettima. She stressed that it is unacceptable for young girls to face significant challenges during their menstrual cycle, often forcing them to miss school days because they cannot afford sanitary pads.

Senator Oluremi Tinubu noted that many girls resort to unhygienic alternatives, hence the introduction of Flow With Confidence as a safe, hygienic option to enhance reproductive wellbeing. Each state under the initiative will have 10,000 beneficiaries.

Encouraging the girls, the First Lady urged them not to allow shame or stigma to affect their confidence but to boldly pursue their dreams as future leaders of the nation. She further called on corporate organizations and well-meaning individuals to support the program, while charging traditional, religious, and community leaders to ensure transparent distribution in their localities.

Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, represented by the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Umar Usman Kadafur, expressed the government’s profound appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whose leadership continues to rekindle hope and restore dignity to countless families by prioritizing economic empowerment as a driver of national development.

The Governor also commended the First Lady for addressing an often-neglected aspect of girls’ and women’s dignity and reproductive health.

Similarly, the Borno State RHI Coordinator and Wife of the Governor, Dr. Falmata Umara Zulum, lauded the First Lady’s commitment to caring for the most vulnerable in society through her numerous interventions under the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), complementing the efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Meanwhile, the First Lady also handed over assorted food items to the Borno State RHI Coordinator, Dr. Falmata Babagana Zulum, for onward distribution to vulnerable groups and persons with disabilities. This places Borno among the beneficiaries of the monthly RHI Food Outreach Scheme, flagged off in March 2024 with support from two leading industrialists.

RHI Flow With Confidence program Launched across Nigeria

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Fagbemi Calls for Appellate Mechanism in ECOWAS Court

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Fagbemi Calls for Appellate Mechanism in ECOWAS Court

…Insists Absence of Appellate Court at Regional Level Undermines Access to Justice

By: Michael Mike

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi has called for the establishment of an appellate mechanism within the ECOWAS Court of Justice, stating that the absence of such mechanism continued to undermine access to justice in the region.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2025/2026 legal year of ECOWAS Court, Fagbemi said while the finality of judgments is crucial, fairness also demands that decisions be open to review in order to correct possible errors of law or procedure.

Fagbemi while noting that the absence of appellate court at the regional level is a letdown, said: “It is concerning that there is currently inadequate room for appeal against the judgments of the ECOWAS Court. While finality is important, justice must also be seen to be fair and revisable,” insisting that: “The absence of a separate appellate mechanism limits access to justice. As we expand the Court’s reach, we must also ensure that its decisions are subject to the same standards of review and accountability that underpin robust judicial systems.”

He urged the Court to draw lessons from other regional judicial institutions such as the European Court of Human Rights, the East African Court of Justice and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, which, according to him, offer valuable models of transparency, judicial independence and procedural innovation.

He however restated Nigeria’s support for the ECOWAS Court as host country, describing it as central to regional integration, human rights enforcement and stability. “Nigeria remains steadfast in its support for the ECOWAS Court of Justice… I pledge to continue advocating for legal reforms that align domestic laws with regional obligations while respecting our constitutional order and national interests,” Fagbemi added.

Also speaking, the President of Cabo Verde, José Neves, said community justice remains vital for Africa’s credibility in global affairs. He stressed that strengthening institutions such as the ECOWAS Court was essential for peace, democracy and integration on the continent.

He said: “In a continent still marked by border disputes and recurring tensions, the existence of an independent and respected community tribunal is a civilisational triumph that we must preserve and enhance,” Neves said. He noted that access to the Court by individual citizens was one of the most significant gains of regional integration, as it brings justice closer to the people.

Neves also called for reforms within African sub-regional bodies to make them more effective in addressing contemporary challenges such as insecurity, institutional fragility, migration and climate change.

In his address, the President of the ECOWAS Court, Justice Ricardo Goncalves, disclosed that the Court handled 34 new cases in the past year, including matters relating to civil and political rights, economic freedoms, and disputes between member states.

He also revealed that the Court held 79 judicial sessions and issued 54 rulings, many of which reaffirmed key principles such as the justiciability of socio-economic rights and the supremacy of community law over conflicting national legislation. According to him, 112 cases are currently pending before the Court.

Fagbemi Calls for Appellate Mechanism in ECOWAS Court

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Trans-Border Security: Zulum travels to Niger Republic Community

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Trans-Border Security: Zulum travels to Niger Republic Community

By: Michael Mike

Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum on Wednesday, undertook a working visit to Diffa Region of Niger Republic on Wednesday.

The visit, which included a high-level security and economic delegation, focused on strengthening the existing collaboration between Nigerian and Nigerien forces in the ongoing fight against insurgency, particularly around the shores of Lake Chad.

Diffa is a community 17 km from Damasak town in northern Borno where thousands of Nigerians displaced by Boko Haram insurgency are currently taking refuge.

Zulum was received by the Governor of Diffa, Brigadier General Mahamaduo Ibrahim Bagadoma, and other senior officials. The leaders held closed-door meetings centered on joint patrols, intelligence sharing, and sustaining the recent gains that have pushed insurgents out of many of their former strongholds.

Zulum outlined plan to leverage the improved security situation to facilitate the return of thousands of displaced farmers to the vast and fertile agricultural lands around Dutchi town within the Lake Chad basin.

Part of the Governor’s entourage are Engr Bukar Talba, a member of the House of Representatives, Speaker, Borno State House of Assembly, Abdulkarim Lawan, and otheir senior government officials.
[10/2, 6:35 PM] Mike Olugbode: Maiduguri: For Over a Month, MSF Responds to High Numbers of Children Suffering from Malnutrition.

Since late August and early September, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams have scaled up their medical response in Maiduguri, northeast Nigeria, following a sharp rise in malnutrition cases that overwhelmed MSF-supported facilities. Although admissions have slightly decreased now, the number of children receiving treatment remains very high.

“A month ago, we witnessed a worrying increase in admissions, compounded by a surge in measles cases,” said MSF Project Coordinator Daniela Batista. “Our isolation units for measles patients were quickly filled, and even the additional space we opened reached capacity. Now, those units remain around 70 percent full.”

Since 8 September, MSF’s Inpatient Therapeutic Feeding Centre (ITFC) at Nilefa Kiji Hospital (NKH) has nearly doubled its bed capacity to accommodate the influx of malnourished children. By the third week of September, the emergency facility was recording an average of more than 85 new admissions daily.
In a context of reduced global humanitarian funding, some organizations in Maiduguri reduced their support for – or even left – nutritional outpatient nutrition programmes, causing a significant drop in access for first line care fir malnourished children.
 
At MSF’s extension facility in Shuwari, teams treated 3,265 children for malnutrition and referred 1,521 others for continued care between August and early September, when the upsurge began. More than 625 malnourished children have also been treated for measles — a disease which can contribute to malnutrition and whose complications can result from malnutrition.
 
The situation is further exacerbated by shortages of essential supplies. Therapeutic milk — critical for treating severe acute malnutrition — is in short supply, while access to ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) remains a chronic concern. Some partner ITFCs have indicated they can only accept referrals if MSF provides additional medical supplies such as antibiotics, admission kits, and therapeutic milk.
MSF teams also reported regular admissions of patients from Zabarmari — a community they are currently unable to access due to security and logistical challenges. MSF is engaging with the Borno State Ministry of Health to assess and potentially support the local Primary Health Centre (PHC) to ensure residents can access care.

Borno State continues to face the effects of a decade-long insurgency, with recent reports of violence in areas surrounding Maiduguri.

This surge in Maiduguri mirrors an alarming trend seen in all MSF nutrition facilities across Kebbi, Sokoto, Kano, Katsina, and Bauchi in recent months. According to UN estimates, 2.5 million children across northeast Nigeria are at risk of acute malnutrition.

MSF called on health authorities and humanitarian organizations to urgently address the shortages in medical supplies and staffing, and to strengthen community-level health systems to prevent further deterioration.

Trans-Border Security: Zulum travels to Niger Republic Community

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