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NIGERIA: UN HIGH-LEVEL MISSION VISITS BAMA, BORNO STATE, AHEAD OF FIFTH LAKE CHAD BASIN GOVERNORS FORUM

NIGERIA: UN HIGH-LEVEL MISSION VISITS BAMA, BORNO STATE, AHEAD OF FIFTH LAKE CHAD BASIN GOVERNORS FORUM
By: Michael Mike
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) and Head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Mr. Leonardo Santos Simão, the SRSG for the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), Mr. Abdou Abarry, and the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, Mr. Mohamed M. Fall, have visited Bama in Borno State, a day before the kick-off of the fifth Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum for Regional Cooperation on Stabilization, Peacebuilding, and Sustainable Development in Maiduguri.
The high-level officials highlighted the steady progress made in Bama. This includes joint Government, UN and partners efforts to provide internally displaced persons (IDPs) with humanitarian assistance and livelihood support and initiatives enhancing social cohesion and reintegration through social and economic activities. They also noted the challenges that remain including violence, the threat posed by the climate crisis, and inadequate basic services.
The officials visited a centre equipping young girls and boys with livelihood skills run by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and a UNICEF-run social cohesion project at the Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS) camp. In addition, they visited a nutrition centre supported by the World Food Programme (WFP) where malnourished children are receiving treatment. The officials also spoke with women and adolescent girls at a UNHCR/GISCOR Safe Space and met with representatives of humanitarian agencies in Bama. They also paid a courtesy call on the Shehu of Bama Dr. Umar Kyari Umar El-kanemi.
“I returned to Bama today, eight years since my last visit – which was a few months after it was liberated from the insurgency. A lot has changed since then, with marked improvement in the lives of people affected by the crisis. While there is still work to be done to address insecurity and its impact on civilians, I thank the Borno State authorities, donors, UN agencies and partners for their commitment and dedication through this journey that has made Bama what it is today. I also call for sustained support to address the remaining challenges,” said the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Malick Fall.
Bama town remains vulnerable to attacks by non-state armed groups due to its proximity to the Sambisa Forest. This has made it difficult for communities to carry out livelihood activities, including farming, fishing and firewood collection. This has increased their dependence on humanitarian assistance.
Bama illustrates the situation of many communities across the Lake Chad Basin impacted by 16 years of conflict in the region.
The fifth Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum will be held from 29 to 31 January in Maiduguri. It aims to foster dialogue, coordination and cross-border cooperation among state and national governments, the UN, regional economic communities, civil society organizations, and other partners to address the pressing challenges facing the region and to devise strategies for long-term stability and development.
Resources for media: Photos of the UN high-level mission to Bama, Borno State
Notes to editor:
- The fifth Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum will be held from 29 to 31 Januaryin Maiduguri. It aims to foster dialogue, coordination and cross-border cooperation among state and national governments, the UN, regional economic communities, civil society organizations, and other partners to address the pressing challenges facing the region and to devise strategies for long-term stability and development.
- NIGERIA: UN HIGH-LEVEL MISSION VISITS BAMA, BORNO STATE, AHEAD OF FIFTH LAKE CHAD BASIN GOVERNORS FORUM
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Bauchi Polytechnic students protest after 20 armed robbers raid campus hostel

Bauchi Polytechnic students protest after 20 armed robbers raid campus hostel
By: Zagazola Makama
Armed robbers on Monday at about 4am invaded male students’ hostels at the Federal Polytechnic Bauchi, dispossessing occupants of mobile phones and valuables, and stabbing two students in the process.
The attack, which took place in the early hours of Monday, occurred within the Gwalameji campus of the institution, located about four kilometres from the city centre.

Eyewitnesses told Zagazola Makama that the robbers, numbering between 15 and 20, broke into several hostel rooms and threatened students with weapons, including knives.
“They moved from room to room, collecting phones, laptops and money. Two students who resisted were stabbed before the attackers fled,” said a student who requested anonymity for security reasons.
Zagazola gathered that the incident sparked outrage among students, who later blocked the Bauchi–Dass highway near the school gate to protest what they described as recurring security lapses on campus.

The protest was dispersed by security operatives using teargas, while the institution’s management promptly suspended academic activities and ordered students to vacate the campus within two hours.
Troops of the 33 Artillery Brigade, police, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel were deployed to restore order.
Bauchi State Commissioner of Police, who visited the campus, addressed the students and assured them that efforts were underway to apprehend the perpetrators and strengthen campus security.
A security source told Zagazola that the targeted attack on male hostels point to the gaps in intelligence and emergency response, particularly given the proximity of the school to the state capital.

“The robbers operated for some time without interruption, which suggests that security patrols and outposts in the area need to be more proactive, especially since Gwalameji has a history of criminal incidents,” the source said.
The students, citing lack of security personnel, poor medical facilities and other welfare issues, staged a protest after being addressed by school officials.
Following a tip-off later in the day, police arrested three suspects, Mansur Yakubu, also known as Chasu; Abbas Auwal, 20; and Musa Bala, 20, alias Babannani all of Lushi area, Bauchi.
The suspects confessed to the crime and named their accomplices, identified as Kalifa Danboda of Birshin Gandu, and others known as Dady, Soja, Baki, and Sunusi, alias “Ba Su Aikin Allah,” who are currently at large.
Authorities says efforts are intensified to apprehend the remaining suspects.
Bauchi Polytechnic students protest after 20 armed robbers raid campus hostel
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Massive Bandit Attack in Kwara Police station, Leaves Police ASP Dead, Market Looted

Massive Bandit Attack in Kwara Police station, Leaves Police ASP Dead, Market Looted
By: Zagazola Makama
Armed bandits numbering about 200 stormed Babanla town in Kwara state on motorbikes at around 1:00 p.m. on Friday, killing a police officer and looting a local market.
Zagazola Makama gathered that the assailants, who fired sporadically, attacked the Babanla Police Station, where ASP Adejumo Wasiu attached to the ACPOL Offa was shot dead. His AK-47 rifle was taken by the attackers.
Sources said that the station was ransacked, though no additional arms were lost, as all other weapons were on charge at the time.
After the assault on the police facility, the gunmen moved to the town’s market, seizing large quantities of foodstuffs.
A joint force comprising military, police, vigilantes, and local hunters mobilized swiftly, repelling the attack and restoring order.
The number of civilian casualties remains unknown as at the time of filling this report
Massive Bandit Attack in Kwara Police station, Leaves Police ASP Dead, Market Looted
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Eight Suspects Escape from Police Custody in Gona in Bauchi One Rearrested

Eight Suspects Escape from Police Custody in Gona in Bauchi One Rearrested
By: Zagazola Makama
Police in Gona in Bauchi state are on a manhunt after eight suspects in custody for various offences escaped from their cell in the early hours of August 8, 2025.
Sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident occurred at about 12:20 a.m. on Saturday when the detainees broke out of their cell and forcefully opened the nearby exit door before fleeing to an unknown destination.
It was gathered that a rapid response patrol and divisional surveillance teams were deployed immediately. One of the escapees, identified as Abdullahi Haliru, has since been rearrested.
The sources said that authorities have circulated alerts to aid in the capture of the remaining fugitives
Eight Suspects Escape from Police Custody in Gona in Bauchi One Rearrested
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