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Insecurity: 11 National Parks Receive Patrol Vehicles from ACReSAL

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Insecurity: 11 National Parks Receive Patrol Vehicles from ACReSAL

By: Michael Mike

Policing of the nation’s forest to ward off the threats of insurgents, banditry and other criminal activities receive a boost with the donation of Toyota Hilux Vehicles to 11 National Parks in Northern Nigeria.

The donation was made at the weekend by the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) to the National Park Service of Nigeria.

Speaking during the presentation of the 11 vehicles one to each of the 11 national parks in the North by the National Project Coordinator, Mr. Abdulhamid Umar to the Conservator-General of the NPC, Dr Ibrahim Goni, the Minister of Environment, Alhaji Balarabe Lawal said the occasion marked another milestone in our collective efforts to protect and preserve Nigeria’s rich natural resources.

He said: “The handover of these vehicles to the National Park Service of Nigeria is a demonstration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’scommitment to enhancing the capacity of our National Park Service in the task of providing transportation for the Park Ranger Guards, National Park Personnel, Tourists to the Parks, and Researchers.”

He noted that: “Indeed, the deployment of these vehicles will significantly improve the Service’s effectiveness in combating the dangerous trend of poaching and preservation of the wildlife. Improved patrol capacities and real-time monitoring will boost surveillance and rapid response to potential threats to our National Parks located in 11 states.

He added that: “The ACReSAL Project has made tremendous strides in building community resilience and increasing sustainable landscape management practices, aligning perfectly with our ministry’s vision for environmental sustainability and biodiversity conservation.”

The Minister said: “Notable achievements of the Project include the development of 6 Strategic Watershed Management Plans, restoration total of 77,271 hectares of degraded landscapes, planted 1,698,694 trees across the 19 participating states of the north and FCT through shelterbelt, woodlot, agro-forestry, and other land restoration activities. Additionally, the project has improved conservation and park management in Yankari Game Reserve, Jos Wildlife Park, Gombe State Department of Forestry, and the National Park Service.

“Furthermore, the ACReSAL project under my leadership as the Chairman of the Federal Steering Committee has procured and distributed ICT equipment to various ministries, departments, and agencies at both federal and state levels, significantly improving operational efficiency and effectiveness. Additionally, office buildings and conference halls of some MDAs are being renovated, providing a more conducive environment for implementing environmental policies, plans, and programs for sustainability of the Project.”

He added that: “A total of 1,003,000 people have benefited from the project since commencement in 2022, with 49% being female. The project has also promoted peace-building and conflict resolution efforts through the engagement of Search for Common Ground.”

On his part, National Project Coordinator for Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL), Mr Abdulhamid Umar said: “We are here to provide succour and direct support for biodiversity and revival of the ecosystem that speaks and take care of fauna and flora.

“We are here because of the standing rules of the national park in providing conservation of international repute.”

He noted that the vehicles would only for resumption of activities in the forest and around the national parks that were disturbed by insurgency and banditry, and subsequently revamp the land affected by deforestation.

The Conservator-General of the National Park Service (NPS), Dr Ibrahim Goni while commending ACReSAL for its gesture, promised that the vehicles would be deployed to good use, he equally assured that the ICT equipment earlier donated by ACReSAL would be used to deliver efficient services in the national parks.

He commended ACReSAL for their support to the Service, while appealing for more of such gestures to be made extended.

Insecurity: 11 National Parks Receive Patrol Vehicles from ACReSAL

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Exclusive: How bandit kingpin Jankare was killed in Katsina

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Exclusive: How bandit kingpin Jankare was killed in Katsina

By: Zagazola Makama

Fresh fact have emerged how the Notorious bandit kingpin, Kachalla Abdurrahman Jankare, was killed by a rival in an internal dispute in Tsaskiya village, Safana Local Government Area of Katsina State.

Reliable security and local sources Zagazola Makama that Jankare was gunned down on Thursday by a fellow bandit identified as Nazanku, a trusted ally of another notorious bandit leader, Dan Ori.

The incident, sources said, stemmed from a feud over the seizure of a rifle and a bag containing magazines belonging to Nazanku.

“Last week, Jankare seized Nazanku’s rifle, and just yesterday, he also took a bag in which he kept magazines. This provoked Nazanku, who confronted him and shot him dead,” one of the sources said.

Only seven people reportedly attended Jankare’s funeral prayer before he was buried later in the day.

Until his death, Kachalla Jankare was one of the most feared lieutenants of the late Kachalla Usman Modi Modi and was linked to several deadly attacks and kidnappings in Dutsinma, Safana, and Kurfi Local Government Areas of Katsina State.

His death is said to have triggered renewed tension among rival bandit factions across the northwest forest axis.

Exclusive: How bandit kingpin Jankare was killed in Katsina

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JNIM claims first attack in Kwara, four months after announcing new brigade

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JNIM claims first attack in Kwara, four months after announcing new brigade

By: Zagazola Makama

Al-Qaeda–linked militant group, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), has claimed responsibility for an attack in Kwara State, its first in Nigeria, four months after announcing the establishment of a new brigade in the country.

According to intelligence sources, the attack reportedly occurred in the northern part of Kwara, along the border corridor linking Niger and Kogi States.

JNIM, which operates mainly in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, announced in June the creation of a new brigade for Nigeria, raising concerns about a possible southward expansion of jihadist influence.

Zagazola said that the claim aligns with earlier intelligence warnings of cross-border infiltration through smuggling routes connecting Benin Republic and Niger.

“JNIM’s latest statement describes the attack as the debut operation of its Nigerian brigade. If verified, this would indicate a dangerous evolution of the regional threat landscape,” the source said.

Security operatives in Kwara, Niger, and Kogi States should intensify patrols and surveillance in response to the development, with reinforcements deployed to border communities.

Military and intelligence agencies should work to identify possible linkages between JNIM operatives and local extremist networks.

The incident comes amid heightened regional insecurity and the continued fragmentation of terror groups across the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin.

JNIM claims first attack in Kwara, four months after announcing new brigade

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ISWAP ambush mobile police patrol team in Yobe

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ISWAP ambush mobile police patrol team in Yobe

By: Zagazola Makama

Suspected members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) on Wednesday ambushed a mobile police patrol team along the Bara–Gulani axis of Yobe State, inflicting injuries on two officers and carting away a rifle.

Zagazola learnt the ambush occurred at about 5:00 p.m. while the team, comprising operatives from 19 PMF on special duty in Bara and 79 PMF Buni Yadi, was responding to a distress call from Kojoli village in Gulani Local Government Area.

It was gathered that the officers had been alerted by residents after armed herders reportedly invaded local rice farms and destroyed crops. The patrol team, led by ASP Sunday Yunana, moved to the scene but came under heavy attack from the assailants.

The insurgents, believed to be operating under the ISWAP faction, opened fire using assault rifles and other weapons before retreating into the bush.

Two personnel, identified as Sgt. Abdullahi Aminu and Cpl. Aliyu Suleiman, sustained machete injuries during the exchange, while one of their rifles was initially seized by the attackers.

However, the team reportedly fought back, recovering the stolen weapon and dispersing the attackers after an intense gun battle. A large herd of cattle suspected to have been used by the assailants to cover their movement was also recovered.

The wounded officers were evacuated to the General Hospital in Bara for treatment, while security reinforcements were deployed to the area to forestall further attacks.

ISWAP ambush mobile police patrol team in Yobe

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