DSS, forest guards rescue 7 abducted victims from ISWAP enclave in Borno

By: Zagazola Makama

The Department of State Services (DSS), in collaboration with forest guards, has rescued seven persons abducted by suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists in Borno State after a heavy gun battle in a forest enclave.

Sources told Zagazola Makama on Wednesday that the victims were seized on Jan. 19 while they had gone into the bush to fetch firewood near Ajiri Camp in the outskirts of Maiduguri.

The source said the seven were intercepted by the terrorists during the scavenging exercise and taken into the forest.

“In the process, two of them managed to escape and returned to Ajiri Camp to alert the community. The abductors also sent one of the boys on a bicycle to go home and raise a ransom of N20 million,” the source said.

He added that upon receiving the information, forest guards working with the DSS mobilised to the area and stormed the terrorists’ enclave.

“The operatives switched off their motorcycles and trekked for almost an hour to avoid detection before engaging the terrorists in a fierce gun battle, which forced the ISWAP elements to flee and abandon their captives,” the source said.

According to him, the victims were freed unhurt and are currently receiving support and profiling by the relevant authorities.

The Commander of the Forest Guards, Hassan Modu, who coordinated the operation with the said the success was due to timely intelligence and joint action.

“We moved quietly, on foot, and engaged them. The terrorists fled when they realised we had closed in on their enclave,” Modu said.

He commended the DSS for their support and urged residents to continue to provide credible information to security agencies to curb criminal activities in the state.

Zagazola recalled that the forest guards were trained, equipped and are continuously supervised by the Department of State Services (DSS) to operate as an auxiliary community-based security outfit.

The DSS provides them with basic intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance skills, conducts regular drills on tracking and bush operations, and embeds its officers to guide their activities.

Through this structure, the forest guards work under the strategic control of the DSS, ensuring professionalism, discipline and effective coordination in joint operations against terrorists and other criminal elements.

DSS, forest guards rescue 7 abducted victims from ISWAP enclave in Borno

Makoko: When Urban Renewal Becomes a Humanitarian Disaster
By Kome Odhomor

By any standard of governance, the ongoing demolition of homes in Makoko, Lagos, is deeply troubling. What is unfolding in this historic waterfront community is not merely an urban planning exercise; it is a humanitarian crisis created by policy choices that appear to ignore human dignity, due process, and the lived realities of the urban poor.

Makoko, a century-old fishing settlement overlooking the Third Mainland Bridge, is home to hundreds of thousands of residents whose lives are intricately tied to the Lagos Lagoon. For generations, fishing has sustained families, funded education, and anchored a resilient community. Yet, since late December 2025, demolition squads backed by armed security operatives have reduced large sections of the community to rubble, displacing families without prior consultation, adequate notice, or clear resettlement plans.

The justification offered by the authorities—that structures near power transmission lines pose safety risks—might appear reasonable at face value. However, the manner of execution raises serious questions. Residents insist that demolitions extended far beyond the agreed safety corridor of 100 metres, sweeping away homes, schools, clinics, and places of worship. By the time civil society organisations visited the area, hundreds of structures had already been destroyed, rendering thousands homeless.

More disturbing are the human stories emerging from Makoko. Families speak of homes destroyed without warning, belongings lost, and nights spent sleeping in canoes on the lagoon. There are accounts of teargas deployment during demolition, fires consuming buildings, and the tragic deaths of children and vulnerable persons amid the chaos. These are not statistics; they are lives irreversibly altered by state action.

Makoko’s plight is not new. Like many informal settlements in Lagos, the community has long lived under the shadow of eviction, often linked to the city’s mega-city ambitions. The memory of the Maroko demolitions of the 1990s—when over 300,000 people were displaced—still lingers as a painful reminder of how urban development can be pursued without regard for social justice. To see a similar pattern repeating itself decades later is both disappointing and alarming.

Urban renewal is not inherently wrong. Cities must evolve, infrastructure must be protected, and safety concerns must be addressed. But development that destroys livelihoods, displaces families without alternatives, and deepens inequality cannot be described as progress. A government committed to inclusive growth must recognise that housing is not a privilege, but a right, and that the urban poor are stakeholders, not obstacles, in city planning.

Today, Makoko’s children are out of school, parents are struggling to preserve fishing-based livelihoods, and families face exposure to the elements without access to clean water, sanitation, or healthcare. Insecurity has increased, and fear has replaced the fragile stability that once defined daily life in the community.

The Lagos State Government must halt further demolitions and open genuine dialogue with Makoko residents. Any safety-driven intervention must be transparent, legally grounded, and accompanied by humane resettlement options. Forced evictions without consultation or compensation undermine public trust and violate fundamental human rights principles.

Makoko did not emerge overnight, and it cannot be erased without consequences. How Lagos treats its most vulnerable communities will define the moral character of its development agenda. Urban progress should uplift people, not push them into deeper poverty. Anything less is a failure of governance and compassion.

Kome Odhomor, is of Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF)

Makoko: When Urban Renewal Becomes a Humanitarian Disaster
By Kome Odhomor

Troops receive rescued kidnap victims, arrest suspected gunrunner in Cross River

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of 82 Division/Joint Task Force South-East, Operation UDO KA (OPUK), have received eight rescued kidnap victims from the Cameroonian Armed Forces and arrested a suspected gunrunner in Cross River State, the Nigerian Army has said.

Sources told Zagazola Makama development is contained in a security update on activities in the Area of Responsibility (AOR) of the formation as at Jan. 20.

According to the sources troops of 13 Brigade, deployed on patrol along the Ikang waterways, received the eight victims at about 6:16 p.m. on Jan. 18 at the Pastors Fishing Port general area.

The sources said the victims, who were travelling from Nigeria to Cameroon, were kidnapped by suspected sea pirates along the Cameroon waterways but were later rescued by the Cameroonian Armed Forces after a gun battle with the criminals.

“The rescued victims were conveyed to the troops’ Forward Operating Base (FOB), where they were debriefed and subsequently released,” the sourcss said.

In a related development, troops of 13 Brigade, based on credible intelligence, arrested a suspected gunrunner at Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State at about 8:00 a.m. on Jan. 20.

The suspect, identified as Mr Ojo Friday, was apprehended with a total of 245 ammunition cartridges.

The army said the suspect is from Ochon in Obubra Local Government Area of Cross River State but resides at Abomege in Ebonyi State.

“The suspect and recovered items are currently in custody for preliminary investigation,” the sources added.

The military high command reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining operations to curb criminal activities and ensure the safety of lives and property across the region.

Troops receive rescued kidnap victims, arrest suspected gunrunner in Cross River