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FACT CHECK: How Bello Turji ambush DSS personnel and HYBRID forces in Fakai village, Zamfara
FACT CHECK: How Bello Turji ambush DSS personnel and HYBRID forces in Fakai village, Zamfara
By: Zagazola Makama
Following the deadly ambush on a covert counter-banditry operation in Chida village of Fakai, Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara State, by the DSS and Hybrid personnel, conflicting reports have continued to swirl around the actual number of casualties and the circumstances surrounding the attack.
Some media outlets initially reported that 24 security personnel were killed. Others, in the following hours, raised the figures to 40, and by the next day, some headlines claimed up to 100 fatalities. However, an in-depth fact-check conducted by Zagazola Makama has uncovered discrepancies in the early media narratives and clarifies what truly transpired.
The Operation
On June 23, a joint covert operation involving the Department of State Services (DSS) and a special unit of the HYBRID Forces a blend Civilian Joint Task Force operatives was launched into the notorious bandit stronghold of Chida village. The area is a known operational base of Bello Turji, one of the most wanted terror leaders in the North West.
According to credible intelligence sources familiar with the operation, over 314 personnel were mobilised for the assault. The objective was a targeted neutralisation of Bello Turji and his lutenant that have reigned terror in the North West region.
At the onset, the mission recorded initial success. Over 25 bandits were reportedly neutralised, and several camps were destroyed in the first phase of the assault.
However, things tool a bad turn quickly when fleeing terrorists reportedly reached Turji’s inner enclave and informed him of the incursion. In response, Turji is believed to have mobilised more than 100 heavily armed fighters for a swift counter-attack.
According to sources on the ground, the DSS-led personnel, operating without clear aerial surveillance or local terrain advantage, were taken by surprise in a devastating ambush. The attackers reportedly surrounded the operatives and launched a coordinated assault with heavy fire.
The ambush resulted in the instant deaths of 10 members of the HYBRID Forces and one Bashir Maniya an ex-militant leader along with two of his lieutenants from Sokoto who had joined the mission. An additional 28 operatives fled into surrounding bushes in a bid to escape. Twenty-three others, including DSS personnel and local civilians, were wounded during the assault, and 48 individuals were still unaccounted for at the time of filing this report. Two operational vehicles belonging to the DSS were also destroyed, and some weapons were reportedly seized by the bandits.
Reality Check on Fatalities
Contrary to exaggerated figures circulating online and in print, official intelligence sources confirmed to Zagazola that only 13 confirmed deaths occurred in the ambush 10 HYBRID operatives, 3 private collaborators. The majority of the operatives 238 out of 314 returned without injury. Bello Turji later did a video showing at-least 9 people who were killed at the scene, while others died from injuries.
Communication Failure and Lack of Reinforcement
One critical factor that complicated the aftermath was the total blackout in GSM communication in Zamfara’s Shinkafi axis. With no satellite or radio relay functioning at the time, reinforcements could not be deployed promptly. The terrain, notorious for its poor access roads and dense bush paths, due to the rain fall, further impeded a quick response by the troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA.
Security experts who spoke to Zagazola Makama emphasised that the outcome may have been different had there been real-time intelligence coordination, backup planning, and multi-agency synergy, especially involving the military or air support during the operation.
The DSS reportedly undertook the mission with minimal collaboration from the Nigerian Army or Air Force, despite the high-risk nature of the target.
Security analysts warn that no single agency should undertake deep incursions into hostile territories like Shinkafi without full-spectrum support including ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance), air support, casualty evacuation plans, and fallback protocols.
While the nation continues to support and commend the bravery of operatives confronting violent non-state actors in the North West, it is imperative that future missions—particularly those targeting high-value targets like Bello Turjiare better coordinated. Only a unified front across intelligence, military, and paramilitary agencies can yield sustainable results and prevent tragic losses.
FACT CHECK: How Bello Turji ambush DSS personnel and HYBRID forces in Fakai village, Zamfara
NAPTIP Vows Tough Crackdown on Traffickers in 2026 as 93 Convicted in 2025
By: Michael Mike
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has warned that 2026 will be an extremely difficult year for human traffickers operating in the country, as the agency intensifies its crackdown on trafficking networks across Nigeria.
The Director-General of NAPTIP, Hajiya Binta Bello made this known in Abuja while reviewing the agency’s activities in 2025 and outlining its operational plans for 2026.
Bello disclosed that in 2025, NAPTIP secured the conviction of 93 human traffickers, describing the achievement as significant given the complexity of prosecuting trafficking cases.
She also stated that the agency intercepted over 2,500 potential victims who had been deceived and recruited for various forms of exploitation within and outside Nigeria, adding that many of them were rehabilitated and reintegrated into society.
According to her, the agency’s increased surveillance and coordination among its commands led to a rise in rescues, arrests, and successful prosecutions during the year. She noted that traffickers were effectively disrupted, with several high-profile suspects arrested and convicted.
Among those apprehended were operators of some orphanages and care homes allegedly involved in trafficking and exploitation of children. Bello said over 120 suspected trafficked children were rescued from such facilities.
She further revealed that in collaboration with international partners, NAPTIP rescued more than 370 Nigerian victims from countries including Ghana, Senegal, and Côte d’Ivoire.
Looking ahead to 2026, the NAPTIP boss said the agency would scale up its operations by strengthening partnerships with other security agencies, civil society organizations, and development partners. She also pledged closer collaboration with federal, state, and local governments, including the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), to improve grassroots monitoring and prevention.
Bello emphasized that NAPTIP would work more closely with the legislature and judiciary to ensure stronger legal backing and faster prosecution of traffickers.
She added that within the first weeks of 2026, NAPTIP had already secured three convictions and warned that more traffickers would face jail unless they abandon their criminal activities.
The Director-General reiterated the agency’s commitment to nationwide awareness campaigns, particularly in rural communities, to reduce vulnerability and protect potential victims from traffickers.
NAPTIP Vows Tough Crackdown on Traffickers in 2026 as 93 Convicted in 2025
NEDC Deploys ₦3bn Ophthalmic Equipment, Begins Training at Maiduguri Eye Hospital
By: Michael Mike
The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has commenced a two-week Ophthalmology Equipment Set-Up and Training Programme at the Maiduguri Eye Hospital in Borno State, following the deployment of advanced eye-care equipment valued at over N3 billion.
The programme, which began on Monday, marks a major step in the Commission’s efforts to improve specialist healthcare delivery and address preventable blindness across the North-East region.
Activities on the first day included the installation, calibration, and coupling of cutting-edge ophthalmic equipment, alongside the start of hands-on technical and clinical training sessions. The exercise is aimed at ensuring the newly supplied equipment is fully operational and optimally configured for effective eye-care services.
The training is being led by Prof. Abdull Mohammed Mahdi, a Chief Consultant in Ophthalmology, with support from Dr. Abuh Sunday, also a Chief Consultant, and a multidisciplinary team of experts in ophthalmology and biomedical engineering.
Participants include consultant ophthalmologists, resident doctors, ophthalmic nurses, optometrists, and biomedical engineers from the Maiduguri Eye Hospital and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH). They will receive intensive practical training on the operation, maintenance, and efficient use of the equipment.
According to the NEDC, the initiative is expected to significantly enhance the hospital’s diagnostic and surgical capacity, particularly in the management of cataract and glaucoma cases. The Commission noted that the intervention aligns with its long-term objective of transforming Maiduguri Eye Hospital into a regional centre of excellence for ophthalmic care.
In addition to the equipment deployment and training, the Commission is undertaking extensive renovation and infrastructure upgrades at the hospital to support modern clinical operations and improve patient experience.
The NEDC is also extending similar ophthalmic interventions across other states in the North-East. Of note is the ongoing construction of an ultra-modern Eye Institute at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) in Bauchi, which commenced last year and is scheduled for accelerated implementation this year.
Officials of the Commission described the intervention as a strategic investment that combines modern medical infrastructure with deliberate human capacity development, noting that the ₦3 billion equipment deployment and training programme will have a lasting impact on access to quality eye-care services in the region.
NEDC Deploys ₦3bn Ophthalmic Equipment, Begins Training at Maiduguri Eye Hospital
NSCDC personnel, 16 others arrested in raid of criminal hideout in Yobe
By: Zagazola Makama
Security operatives in Yobe State have raided a notorious criminal hideout in the Saman Tudu area of Pompomari District, Damaturu, arresting a personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and 16 other suspects.
A reliable source told Zagazola Makama that the raid was carried out on Jan. 18 at about 7:20 p.m. following a coordinated, intelligence-driven operation targeting criminal elements who use the area as a haven.
The source said the enclave served as a convergence point for trafficking and consumption of illicit drugs, as well as planning and execution of various criminal activities within the community.
“During the operation, the team stormed and ransacked the hideout, leading to the arrest of 17 suspects, including one Mohammed B. Kolo, identified as an NSCDC personnel attached to the Yobe State Command,” the source said.
He added that exhibits recovered from the scene included a knife, five bicycles, dried leaves suspected to be cannabis sativa, hemp wrapping papers, a long sack used as a mat and the sum of N8,500 found inside a sack suspected to contain the drugs.
The suspects are currently in custody while investigation is ongoing to determine their level of involvement in criminal activities.
The source said those found culpable would be charged to court for prosecution after the conclusion of investigations.
Residents were urged to continue supporting security agencies with timely and credible information to sustain the fight against crime in the state.
NSCDC personnel, 16 others arrested in raid of criminal hideout in Yobe
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