Three Fulani youths slaughtered by suspected Mwaghavul militia buried in Mangu

By: Zagazola Makama

Three young Fulani herders allegedly killed by suspected Mwaghavul militia in Alohom community, Sabon Gari District of Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, have been buried.

The victims — Garzali Shuibu, 18; Bashiru Yakubu, 14; and Salim Abubakar, 15 — were reportedly attacked while grazing in the area on Saturday, Sept. 12.

Their Janazah prayer was observed before they were laid to rest, as grief and anger continued to grip the community following the killings.

According to a military situation report obtained by Zagazola Makama, troops of Sector 8, Operation Enduring Peace, were alerted after receiving information that herders had come under attack at Alohom.

The soldiers deployed from Sabon Gari moved to the location and reportedly found the bodies of the three youths, alongside 36 cattle that had been shot dead.

Another 12 cattle sustained gunshot wounds, while two other members of the herding group were reported missing.

Surviving members of the group alleged that the attackers were armed men suspected to be members of the Mwaghavul militia operating around Alohom, Gaude and the wider Mangu Halle areas.

The allegation remains subject to investigation by security agencies.

There were also claims by some Fulani residents that personnel of a sister security agency were sighted around the area during the incident but allegedly failed to prevent the killings.

That claim is also being investigated.

Empty tear-gas canisters were reportedly recovered from the scene, although their connection with the attack had yet to be established.

The killing of the three youths, particularly 14-year-old Bashiru Yakubu, has further inflamed tensions in the area.

It is difficult to comprehend how a community can lose three young people in such a violent manner, with one of the victims barely into his teenage years. These were not statistics; they were young lives, sons and members of families whose future has now been brutally cut short.

The incident has also raised fears of possible reprisal attacks, especially amid angry reactions circulating within the affected community.

Security agencies must urgently establish what happened, identify and arrest those responsible and prevent the killings from becoming another trigger for retaliatory violence.

Troops have intensified patrols and are dominating the area to prevent further attacks, locate the missing persons and restore confidence among residents.

Three Fulani youths slaughtered by suspected Mwaghavul militia buried in Mangu

NiDCOM: 198 Nigerians Visited in Maharashtra Prisons as FG Seeks Fresh Amnesty in India

By: Michael Mike

The Federal Government has intensified efforts to secure the release of Nigerians detained in India, with the Nigeria High Commission in the country visiting 198 inmates across five prisons in Maharashtra as negotiations continue for a fresh six-month amnesty for Nigerians held over immigration-related offences.

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), in a statement issued on Sunday by its Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, said the prison visits were conducted as of September 1, 2026, adding that Nigerians remained incarcerated in other Indian provinces.

The commission said the visits formed part of the Nigerian mission’s ongoing consular intervention in cases involving hundreds of Nigerians in Indian prisons, amid concerns over prolonged detention, immigration violations and delays in the prosecution of criminal cases.

According to NiDCOM, the Nigeria High Commission secured an amnesty programme between September last year and May this year that led to the release and repatriation of thousands of Nigerians detained mainly for immigration offences and other irregularities.

However, it said some Nigerians failed to take advantage of the amnesty before its expiration or did not utilise the opportunity when it was available.

The commission disclosed that Nigeria’s High Commissioner to India, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, was engaging her Indian counterpart to secure another six-month amnesty for Nigerians detained in camps who had no pending trials but remained in custody over immigration-related offences.

The development followed public concerns over the detention of a Nigerian identified as Mr Ekene in India, with NiDCOM assuring that the High Commission would examine his case and determine whether he qualified for early release and repatriation.

It said that where Ekene was eligible to leave India, arrangements could be made for his return, provided his family was able to raise the necessary funds, stressing that established legal and administrative procedures would have to be followed.

“The Nigerian High Commission is on his case and that of others in similar circumstances and has also been putting pressure on the Indian government to speed up cases of those awaiting trials for various offences,” the statement said.

NiDCOM, however, clarified that the proposed amnesty would not cover Nigerians awaiting trial for criminal offences, including drug-related crimes.

The commission urged Nigerians living in India without valid immigration status to take advantage of the next amnesty programme once it was implemented, warning that those who continued to remain in the country illegally risked arrest.

“Nigerians in India, who are in India irregularly, should take advantage of the next set of amnesty being negotiated when effected, while others who are still staying there illegally should utilise the opportunity or risk being arrested,” NiDCOM Chairman/CEO, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, advised.

The commission also appealed to Nigerians abroad to respect the laws of their host countries and avoid conduct that could lead to arrest, prosecution or prolonged detention.

The latest intervention underscores the continuing challenge of irregular migration involving Nigerians in India, where immigration violations have contributed to the detention of nationals without valid documentation, while separate criminal cases remain subject to the Indian judicial process.

NiDCOM said the Federal Government would continue to engage the Indian authorities on the welfare of detained Nigerians, the acceleration of pending cases and the repatriation of those legally cleared to return home.

NiDCOM: 198 Nigerians Visited in Maharashtra Prisons as FG Seeks Fresh Amnesty in India

Police Air Wing eliminates nine bandits, destroys camps, recovers arms in North-West

By: Zagazola Makama

The Nigeria Police Air Wing has eliminated nine suspected bandits and disrupted several criminal camps and logistics networks during sustained aerial operations across parts of Katsina and Zamfara States.

Seven of the suspects were identified as associates of notorious bandit kingpin, Ado Aleru, during operations conducted around Karaduwa, Matazu, Dutsin-Ma, Dan Musa and Yankuzo in Katsina State.

The Force said the operations involved coordinated surveillance, reconnaissance, troop insertion, air cover and interdiction missions aimed at disrupting bandit activities and denying the criminals freedom of movement.

In a separate operation around the Jangebe axis of Zamfara State, two senior lieutenants linked to another notorious bandit leader, Kachalla Abdullahi Na Sanda, were also eliminated.

The aerial operations also resulted in the destruction of bandit camps and the recovery of weapons and other military hardware.

Items recovered and destroyed included three PKM machine guns, three AK-47 rifles, 20 magazines, ammunition and a rocket launcher with warheads.

According to the Force, the coordinated air and ground operations have significantly disrupted the bandits’ communication and logistics networks while providing air support to ground troops and facilitating the rescue of kidnapped victims.

The Police said the operations would be sustained to prevent the criminals from regrouping, re-establishing camps and threatening communities across the affected areas.

Police Air Wing eliminates nine bandits, destroys camps, recovers arms in North-West