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NSCDC Cracks Down on Railway Vandals, Recovers Stolen Sleepers in Bauchi

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NSCDC Cracks Down on Railway Vandals, Recovers Stolen Sleepers in Bauchi

By: Michael Mike

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has dealt a major blow to a criminal syndicate involved in the vandalism and illegal movement of railway infrastructure following the arrest of two suspects and the recovery of a large quantity of stolen railway sleepers along the Bauchi-Kano corridor.

The operation, carried out by the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad (CG’s SIS), was part of an intensified crackdown on economic saboteurs accused of targeting critical national assets across the country.

The suspects, identified as 65-year-old Alzuma Yakubu and 32-year-old Ismail Muhammad, were intercepted while transporting suspected vandalised railway materials in a Peugeot Boxer vehicle with registration number KMC-366-TE.

According to the NSCDC, the operatives acted on credible intelligence concerning the illegal movement of railway infrastructure from Tafawa-Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State to Kano State.

According to the spokesman of the Corps, Afolabi Babawale, upon interception and thorough inspection of the vehicle along the Bauchi-Kano Road, operatives discovered a huge consignment of suspected railway sleepers concealed inside the truck.

He said the driver, Yakubu, and Muhammad, who allegedly claimed ownership of the recovered items, were immediately arrested, while the vehicle and stolen materials were impounded as exhibits.

He noted that the breakthrough followed a strategic directive by the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Ahmed Audi, who ordered the relocation of the CG’s Special Intelligence Squad to Bauchi State after concerns emerged over the increasing vandalism of railway infrastructure in the region.

He said the deployment came on the heels of an alarm reportedly raised by the Governor of Bauchi State over the activities of suspected criminal elements allegedly operating under the guise of contractors linked to “Des-Rail Limited.”

In response, the Commandant General mandated the Special Intelligence Squad, under the leadership of Commandant Apollos Dandaura, to dismantle networks involved in the systematic destruction and illegal removal of railway infrastructure along the Bauchi-Gombe axis.

Security sources disclosed that the arrested suspects are currently providing useful intelligence to investigators, as efforts intensify to uncover the wider syndicate behind the operation.

Investigators are also said to be tracking secret warehouses allegedly used for storing vandalised railway materials before they are transported to other states for illegal sale.

The NSCDC described the operation as a major success in the federal government’s ongoing efforts to safeguard Critical National Assets and Infrastructure (CNAI), particularly railway facilities considered vital to national economic growth and transportation development.

The Corps warned vandals, scrap dealers and other criminal elements involved in the destruction of public infrastructure that Bauchi and neighbouring states would no longer serve as safe havens for their illicit activities.

The latest interception underscores growing concerns over the rising threat posed by infrastructure vandalism in Nigeria, with security agencies increasingly battling organised syndicates accused of sabotaging public investments worth billions of naira.

Analysts said sustained attacks on railway facilities not only undermine economic development but also threaten ongoing efforts by the federal government to modernise the nation’s transportation network and improve regional connectivity.

NSCDC Cracks Down on Railway Vandals, Recovers Stolen Sleepers in Bauchi

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Centre lauds Kaduna Govt over life skills, gender education policies approval

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Centre lauds Kaduna Govt over life skills, gender education policies approval

By Aisha Gambo

The Centre for Girls’ Education (CGE) has commended the Kaduna State Executive Council for approving the Kaduna State Life Skills Policy and the State Policy on Gender in Education (SPGE 2026–2030).

The Executive Director of the organisation, Habiba Mohammed, made this known in a statement issued on Wednesday in Kaduna.

She said the approval marked a transition from donor-supported, time-bound interventions to a sustainable, government-led framework for delivering life skills education and promoting gender equity in schools.

According to her, the Life Skills Policy will equip young people with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values required to succeed in education, employment and life, while the Gender in Education Policy providzbves a framework to promote equity, inclusion, participation, retention, completion and improved learning outcomes.

“The approval moves life skills and gender equity from the margins of the classroom into the core of Kaduna State’s education system,” she said.

Mohammed said CGE contributed to the development and validation of the policies through its system-strengthening project supported by Co-Impact, OASIS Initiative and the Malala Fund, in collaboration with the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) and the Kaduna State Ministry of Education.

She said the policies built on more than 18 years of the organisation’s Safe Space model, which independent evaluations showed had helped reduce child marriage, increase school enrolment and delay early marriage.

According to her, the AGILE programme in Kaduna has reached more than 127,319 girls and 6,250 boys between the ages of 14 and 18, while over 1,400 female and male teachers have been trained as mentors.

She added that institutionalising the model through public policy would ensure that life skills education became a permanent component of the state’s education system.

Mohammed said the policies would address barriers to school access, retention and completion, particularly for girls and other vulnerable learners.

She added that they would also institutionalise life skills as a co-curricular programme, strengthen evidence-based decision-making across the state’s 23 local government areas and guarantee continuity beyond donor-funded programmes.

The executive director commended Gov. Uba Sani for providing the leadership that made the policy approval possible.

She also appreciated the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Abubakar Sani Sambo, the Kaduna State Ministry of Education, the AGILE State Project Implementation Unit, the World Bank and other stakeholders for their contributions to the process.

Mohammed reaffirmed CGE’s commitment to supporting the Kaduna State Government with technical assistance during the implementation phase, including teacher training, gender-responsive education sector budgeting and monitoring.

She said the ultimate goal was to ensure that every girl and boy in Kaduna State had the opportunity to learn, develop and thrive.

Centre lauds Kaduna Govt over life skills, gender education policies approval

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Troops Kill Six ISWAP Fighters, Wound Seven in Failed Attack on Borno Military Base

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Troops Kill Six ISWAP Fighters, Wound Seven in Failed Attack on Borno Military Base

By: Zagazola Makama

Six fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) were reportedly killed and seven others seriously wounded during a failed attack on a Forward Operating Base (FOB) at Logomani in Borno State, credible intelligence sources have disclosed.

The sources told Zagazola Makama that the terrorists launched the attack on the military position in the early hours of July 7 but suffered significant casualties after troops mounted a fierce resistance.

According to the intelligence assessment, the attackers had assembled at Garal before advancing on the military base.

Following the failed assault, surviving insurgents were reportedly seen regrouping at Chukun Gudu, where they buried six of their fighters killed during the encounter.

Among those reportedly buried was a senior fighter identified as Munzir, also known as Ba Alayi, who was said to be an indigene of Wulgo.

The development comes as troops of Operation HADIN KAI continue sustained clearance operations aimed at dismantling terrorist enclaves and disrupting insurgents’ logistics and mobility across the Lake Chad region.

Troops Kill Six ISWAP Fighters, Wound Seven in Failed Attack on Borno Military Base

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Cholera Outbreak Kills Nine ISWAP Terrorists in Timbuktu Triangle

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Cholera Outbreak Kills Nine ISWAP Terrorists in Timbuktu Triangle

By: Zagazola Makama

A cholera outbreak has reportedly claimed the lives of nine fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the Timbuktu Triangle, a known terrorist stronghold in Borno State, intelligence sources have disclosed.

The sources told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the outbreak had spread through the group’s enclaves, highlighting deteriorating sanitary conditions and limited access to medical care within the insurgents’ camps.

According to the intelligence, two additional ISWAP fighters infected with the disease were allegedly executed by fellow terrorists after attempts to manage their condition at Kimba village proved unsuccessful.

The sources said the development pointed to the worsening health conditions within the terrorist hideouts, where sustained military pressure has disrupted logistics, including access to medicines and treatment facilities.

The sources added that commanders had also been urged to intensify efforts to intercept medical supplies and pharmaceuticals intended for terrorist camps in order to further degrade ISWAP’s treatment capability and operational resilience.

The reported outbreak comes amid sustained offensives by troops of Operation HADIN KAI, who continue to target terrorist enclaves and logistics networks across the Lake Chad region in a bid to degrade the insurgents’ fighting capacity.

Cholera Outbreak Kills Nine ISWAP Terrorists in Timbuktu Triangle

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