Police arrest suspect, recover pistol in Zamfara

By: Zagazola Makama

The Zamfara Police Command says it has arrested a suspect and recovered a locally made fabricated pistol during a patrol operation along the Gusau–Kaura Namoda road.

Sources said the arrest was made on Oct. 12 at about 11:30 a.m. by a patrol team led by DSP Oludele Oparinde.

According to the sources, the team intercepted one Yakubu Kasimu, who was riding a Boxer motorcycle, and on searching him following his suspicious behaviour, a locally made pistol was found in his possession.

The suspect and the recovered exhibit have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Gusau, for further investigation.

Police arrest suspect, recover pistol in Zamfara

UPDATE: Peace accord reached between Katsina communities and bandit leaders

By: Zagazola Makama

A peace accord has been reached between representatives of communities from Bakori, Kafur, Malumfashi, Kankara, and Funtua Local Government Areas of Katsina State and bandit elements operating within the Funtua zone.

The meeting, which was convened on Oct. 12, 2025, at Kakumi Village in Bakori LGA under the Operation Safe Corridor initiative, was aimed at restoring sustainable peace and security across the affected communities.

According to sources, the dialogue brought together key stakeholders, including traditional rulers, elected local government chairmen, and representatives of the bandit groups.

Community representatives included Alhaji Abdurrahman Kandarawa (Bakori), Abubakar Musa Barde (Kafur), Alhaji Bature Dan Kanjiba (Malumfashi), Alhaji Audu Goya (Funtua), and Alhaji Kasimu Dantsoho (Kankara). Traditional leaders in attendance were Alhaji Ado Bello (District Head of Bakori), Tsiga Jarman Katsina, Galadiman Katsina Alhaji Abdullahi Mahuta (Malumfashi), Danejen Katsina Alhaji Abdulkadir (Kafur), and Sarkin Maskan Katsina (Funtua).

Representing the bandit elements were Ado Aleru of Yankuzo in Tsafe LGA, Zamfara State; Isiya Kwashen Garwa of Guga Ward, Bakori LGA; Babaro of Gidan Gamji, Kankara LGA; and Alhaji Iliya Zango Dan Sabau, also from Kankara LGA.

The meeting, held under close monitoring, lasted from 2:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. and ended peacefully with all parties pledging to uphold the terms of the agreement.

Resolutions reached included the restoration of law and order, the cessation of hostilities, and the renewal of mutual respect for peaceful coexistence between the communities and the repentant bandit groups.

UPDATE: Peace accord reached between Katsina communities and bandit leaders

PRNigeria Staff Member Kidnapped En Route to Young Communication Fellowship

By: Zagazola Makama

The media community has been rocked by the news that Salis Manaja, a multimedia staff member with Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR), the publishers of PRNigeria and Economic Confidential, has been kidnapped by gunmen. Manaja was abducted while traveling from Abakaliki to Ilorin to participate in the organization’s annual Young Communication Fellowship programme.
Manaja was discovered missing on Saturday after other IMPR staff members, led by Dahiru Lawal, arrived in Ilorin ahead of the annual event. Attempts by his colleagues to reach the multimedia specialist failed when his phone became unreachable.

A source close to the family confirmed that the abductors have since made contact, demanding a ransom for his release. Details regarding the exact location where the kidnapping took place remain unconfirmed. Efforts to reach the publisher of PRNigeria for comment were unsuccessful as his mobile phone was either switched off or receiving foreign dialing tones.

The PRNigeria Young Communication Fellowship is an annual capacity-building program held at the organization’s training centers in Kano, Abuja, and Ilorin, aimed at nurturing young journalists and communicators.

The tragic incident casts a shadow over the start of the program, underscoring the severe security risks faced by journalists and travelers across Nigeria.

PRNigeria Staff Member Kidnapped En Route to Young Communication Fellowship