Baban Chinedu says Pastor Ezekiel Dachomo is a former Armed robber now turned crises entrepreneur

By: Zagazola Makama

Sheikh Yusuf Haruna Baban Chinedu, popularly known as Baban Chinedu, has launched a scathing and evidence-based attack on controversial Plateau pastor Ezekiel Dachomo in a viral video, accusing him of being a former armed robber and a liar who fabricated stories about meeting Jesus after a 1980 bank robbery in Jos.

Baban Chinedu declared: “Ezekiel Dachomo isn’t just someone seen in a photo with a bandit; no, he is the bandit! … Ezekiel committed armed robbery. We have records on him from 1976, from ’76 to sometime after 2000. … This man is a hardened armed robber.”

He played a clip of Dachomo admitting: “Because I went in 1980 is our gang that robbed a bank in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. 1980, they make away with a lot of money. It was my best friend that led the operation.” Baban Chinedu challenged: “Praise be to God, I hope you all heard the statement this man made. … He is lying! I want you to listen and know that first of all, this man is a complete hypocrite and a total liar. I swear, it was a gun that shot them! Angels? He claims Jesus came down with seven angels who struck them and killed fourteen people while he hid in the blood? You see, even the angels God sent down… only managed to kill fourteen people and lost track of where that one man was?”

The sheikh alleged Dachomo hid among corpses and was rescued by a gang member named Emmanuel, not Jesus: “He was begging Jesus for God’s sake to forgive him and spare his life. He claims that was where he met Jesus… By Allah, he is lying! … It was a gun that shot them! No Jesus descended there; he is lying to you.” He added: “A lady told me; she heard him when he was shot, and he still has the scar from that wound on his left side. … He is lying! At that time, it was the police, Nigerian security agents, Nigeria Police MOPOL who she said shot them.”

Baban Chinedu accused Dachomo of transitioning from “practical, street-level bandit” to “spiritual bandit” and inciting religious conflict: “The armed bandits of the past are the ones who transformed into these kidnappers. … All those who are making these plans are your boys… You’re insulting her religion, she told us the truth about everything that happened… You are a robber, and the government should investigate you; you’re behind all of this.”

He challenged Dachomo to court: “Ezekiel, I, Yusuf Haruna Baban Chinedu, challenge you: if you know there’s any falsehood in what’s being said about you, take it to court.” The sheikh demanded investigation: “We want the government if possible to investigate this man, I swear to God he’s an armed robber… By Allah, the government should know that Ezekiel is involved in this. Let him tell you the names of those he robbed with.”

The viral video has ignited fierce online reactions, with many praising Baban Chinedu’s evidence-based approach while others condemn the personal attacks on Dachomo, intensifying Nigeria’s ongoing religious and ethnic tensions occasioned by US recent remarks on Christians genocide propaganda. Watch the video in the comment section.

Baban Chinedu says Pastor Ezekiel Dachomo is a former Armed robber now turned crises entrepreneur

Freed victims expose evolving logistics, coercion tactics of terrorists in Kainji forest

By: Zagazola Makama

Fresh revelations by two freed abductees have shed light on the growing sophistication of terrorist logistics and control mechanisms within the Kainji Forest Reserve, raising concerns over the scale of insurgent entrenchment in the area.

The victims, identified as Badiyu Hamidu and Saminu Isah, regained their freedom and arrived in Babanna at about 1100hrs, providing what security analysts describe as “critical human intelligence” on insurgent operations.

According to their account, no fewer than 10 trucks conveying grains, yams, and other farm produce were offloaded at a terrorist camp deep within the forest. The scale of the supplies, analysts say, points to an organised logistics chain capable of sustaining prolonged insurgent activity.

More striking, however, is the reported use of abducted civilians to support these operations. The victims said they were compelled at gunpoint to assist in offloading the supplies, highlighting a pattern of forced labour increasingly adopted by terrorist groups to reduce exposure and maintain operational secrecy.

The presence of young boys guarding the supply operation further underscores concerns about the continued recruitment and use of minors in insurgent activities, a development experts warn could deepen the cycle of radicalisation in affected communities.

The narrative of “betrayal” advanced by the terrorists against fleeing communities also offers insight into the evolving relationship between armed groups and local populations. According to the victims, the insurgents claimed to have previously granted locals access to restricted economic activities such as farming, fishing, mining, and logging within the forest, despite government prohibitions.

This was interpreted as a form of shadow governance, where terrorist groups create informal economic systems to win local cooperation or compliance. However, the backlash against communities attempting to flee suggests a shift towards coercion as military pressure intensifies.

“The accusation of betrayal indicates that these groups are losing voluntary support and are now resorting to intimidation to retain control,” sources noted.

The development also illustrates the strategic importance of the Kainji forest corridor, which has increasingly emerged as a hub for criminal and insurgent activities, partly due to its difficult terrain and limited state presence.

The reported stockpiling of food and supplies may be linked to preparations for sustained resistance against ongoing and anticipated counter-terrorism operations in the region.

Freed victims expose evolving logistics, coercion tactics of terrorists in Kainji forest

Armed bandits blow up bridges linking Wawa and Luma in Borgu, security operations affected

By: Zagazola Makama

Armed bandits and insurgents have destroyed sections of two bridges connecting Wawa District and Luma District in Borgu LGA, Niger State, security sources confirmed.

The incident occurred at about 0200hrs on Wednesday when the attackers used improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to blow off parts of the bridges, which are located inside the Kainji Lake National Park forest.

The bridges are the only access route linking the two communities and Agwara LGA, raising concerns about disruptions to security operations along the corridor.

Authorities said combined security agencies are making urgent efforts to reach the second bridge, while monitoring continues by the New-Bussa Division to prevent further attacks and secure the route.

Armed bandits blow up bridges linking Wawa and Luma in Borgu, security operations affected