Nigerian Military Smoke Bandits in N/West Africa In Another Deadly Precision Airstrike

By: Zagazola Makama

The Air component of Operation Hadarin Daji (OPHD) has launched another devastating intelligence led aerial and ground coordinated operation targeting Top Bandit Kingpin MONORE in the east of Katsina village of Danmusa LGA.

The operation, conducted on 28 April 2024, at about 7am, yielded significant success as the Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) post-strike conducted revealed the neutralization of over 20 terrorists. an unknown number of high profile fighters including members of the MONORE’s family were neutralised.

Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that MONORE is the Chief Coordinator of all atrocities committed by bandits in Danmusa, Musawa, Matazu, Safana and Kankara LGAs in Katsina state. The bandits kingpin has killed dozens of people, razed villages, attacked commuters and placed ransom on communities.

His hideout was located in the east of Katsina village of Danmusa LGA, before he eventually evacuated to a new hideout around Bichi Mallamawa mountains along with his family and fighters, were he was trailed and nutrialised.

In another development, NAF airstrikes bombarded the camp of another camp of bandit kingpin KACHALLAH DOGO IDI, located around the border between Katsina and Zamfara State.

The damaging airstrikes resulted in the Suyanisation of 26 bandits, while dozens of fighters including Kachallah Dogo Idi sustained various degrees of injury.

The airstrike which disoriented the bandits led to the escape of 23 women captive of the bandits. The women were kidnapped last week in Shemori Gidan Kwabo and Gidan Kare.

The success of these airstrikes and ground troops operation under Operation Hadarin Daji underscores commitment of the Armed forces toward eradicating terrorism and ensuring the safety and security of Nigerian citizens.

These airstrikes complement the ongoing efforts of ground forces in the North West and represent a crucial step forward in the fight against terrorism through inter agency collaboration.

Nigerian Military Smoke Bandits in N/West Africa In Another Deadly Precision Airstrike

NAF airstrikes hit Bello Turji’s camp in Sokoto, exterminate scores of fighters including 3 bandit kingpins

By: Zagazola Makama

Airstrikes conducted by the Air component of Operation Hadarin Daji of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on April 27, 2024, at Bello Turji’s camp in KAGARA forest located between Shinkafi in Zamfara and Isa LGA in Sokoto, has resulted in the killing of . scores of fighters including three top bandit kingpins.

It was gathered that the Air strikes were conducted a few hours after the terrorists carried out a reprisal attack on a unit of Civilian Joint Task force at Forward Operating Base ISA, in response to the killing of 7 bandits and recovery of 7 AK47 rifles, 4 x motorcycles and other items. Eight Civilian Joint Task Force paid the supreme price during a gunbattle with the bandits.

Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama, a Counter Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad region that acting on intelligence on withdrawal of the attackers towards the axis of Shinkafi, the Air component immediately dispatched aircraft to track down the terrorists.

Sources said that the terrorists were trailed to Kagara Forest under a Mango tree between Shinkafi and Isa. Consequently, NAF aircraft attacked the camp in multiple waves, leading to the instant obliteration of scores of the terrorists.

The fleeing bandits were intercepted and mopped up by the ground troops in an ambush at Makwaruwa village in Sabon Birni of ISA lGA.

Battle damage assessment indicated that some top bandits like KACHALLAH UBAN DABA, DAN JANGERU and DOGO NA HANTS, while 13 bandits sustained various degrees of injuries. Bello Turji reportedly escaped the attack.

Zagazola understands that the wounded bandits were sneaked into Kagara under ISA and receiving treatment in a Primary school.

The sources said that shortly after the killing Bello Turji’s fighters, the surviving angry fighters stormed Rijiya Malladan and Harin Shalla in ISA where they set the village in flames and destroyed food items. They were, however, pushed back by the Joint troops of Operation Hadarin Daji in collaboration with government backed militia, otherwise known as Yan sa Kai.

The preceding week has no doubt been eventful, especially for Operation Hadarin Daji (OPHD) in Northwest Nigeria. Alongside the Land Component and other security agencies, aircraft under these operational theatres have ensured that terrorist, insurgents and other criminal elements operating in the regions do not constitute significant security threats to innocent citizens within the regions.

NAF airstrikes hit Bello Turji’s camp in Sokoto, exterminate scores of fighters including 3 bandit kingpins

National Justice Summit 2024: FG, International IDEA, others call For Reforms in judicial appointment processes 

•Summit seeks reduction of CJN’s powers

By: Michael Mike

Federal Ministry of Justice, International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), and other stakeholders in the nation’s judiciary have made far reaching recommendations that will address the issues of judicial appointment process, funding and eradicating delays in the administration of justice in Nigeria, at the just concluded two-day National Summit on Justice 2024.

The event was organised by the Federal Government in collaboration with the European Union funded RoLAC II Programme of the International IDEA.

In a communique issued at the end of the summit at the weekend, it was noted that the National Policy on Justice 2024 to 2028, will now serve as a roadmap, paving the way for a more efficient, equitable and responsive justice system for all Nigerians. 

Chairman, Joint Planning Committee of the Justice Summit, Dr Babatunde Ajibade, SAN, who read the communique, said the summit had three technical sessions.

Ajibade stated that the general consensus reached at the summit was that the role of the National Judicial Council in discharging its responsibility for judicial appointments into the Superior Court of record required significant review.

The stakeholders expressed concern about the fact that the Chief Justice of Nigeria, who is the chairman of the NJC is also the chairman of the Federal Judicial Service Commission, the body that initially reviews proposals or lists of candidates by appointment into judicial office. 

The summit pointed out the seeming inconsistency between the CJN playing both roles, as it would appear that he is recommending candidates to himself being chairman of both bodies, and being the person who appoints a significant number of the members of both bodies other than those who are statutory members.

There’s a general consensus by the summit on the need to reconstitute or propose  reconstitution of both the NJC and the FJSC. 
On the role of the State Judicial Service Commission in judicial appointmens, the summit concluded that there was a significant need to ensure that composition of the SJSC is more diverse, that it reflects the interests of the users of the justice sector. 

Stakeholders noted the fact that the current NJC guidelines may have subverted the intent of the constitutional provision, empowering the SJSC to make judicial appointments, because the NJC guidelines, rather than authorising the SJSC to prepare a shortlist of potential candidates for judicial appointments, appear to address that responsibility solely in the Chairman (Chief Judges of States). 

The summit therefore called for an amendment of the  aspect of the NJC guidelines to make clear that the development or preparation of shortlist of candidates for judicial appointments is something that is to be done by the Commissions as a whole and not just by the Chief Judges.

On the general approach that ought to be taken to reforming the judicial appointments process, the summit stressed that focus should be on increased transparency in the appointment process,  meritocracy and on meaningful performance evaluations of those who seek judicial office.
Also, it was recommended that Nigeria should consider the model that is currently being used in Kenya. 

There was a consensus on the need to codify the judicial appointments process, such that the discretion that is currently witnessed in the appointments process is reduced to the barest minimum. 
On funding, budgeting and administration for the judiciary, the summit resolved
that the current process for funding the courts was totally deficient as it was evident that the provisions of the Constitution as amended by the Fifth Amendment, authorising that funding for the State courts should be a joint effort carried out by the executive and the judiciary was not being implemented in any shape or form in the majority of the states. 

Clear recommendations were made that this was something that needed to be pursued and dealt with decisively, as the summit stated that funding of the judiciary at the federal level is much better than what obtains in the States of the Federation.

More so, the summit observed the need to professionalise the administration of the courts, as well as to appoint persons with clear administrative experience to be selected through a transparent process to administer the courts, and to separate the administration of the courts from the administration of justice. 

On eradicating delays in the administration of justice agenda for leveraging the rules of procedure and effective case management in Nigeria, the panel considered the importance of limiting the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, and ensuring that matters that would go to the Supreme Court would only be matters of significant national importance. 

The summit held that before a matter goes to apex court, it would only be by the leave of the Supreme Court, and that the automatic right of appeal to the will be severely curtailed and will be limited only to matters relating to the office and the election into the office of the president of the federation, Vice President and, and Governors of the States. 

National Justice Summit 2024: FG, International IDEA, others call For Reforms in judicial appointment processes