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Scavenging Outlawed on Abuja streets, activities restricted to dumpsites

Scavenging Outlawed on Abuja streets, activities restricted to dumpsites
By: Michael Mike
Scavengers activities have been restricted in and around the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja to dumpsites as they have been warned against moving around either during the day or at night in the city.
The present ban followed the criminal activities of some scavengers popularly known as ‘baba nbolas’ in the area.
They have been alleged to be involved in carting away critical infrastructure especially manholes from the expressways in the city.

Parading 36 scavengers who were arrested with dangerous weapons and vandalized items, the Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, Dr Olusola Odumosu, said scavengers who roam the streets of FCT, indiscriminately, perpetrate all forms of criminal activities under the guise of scavenging.
According to him, the move by the FCT Administration was necessitated by the need to nip vandalism of public infrastructure such as manhole covers, streetlights, solar panels, armoured cables, and so on, in the bud.
Items recovered from the 36 suspects include four daggers, three jack knives, two chisels, three knives, two pinches and 10 bottles of codeine syrup.

Others are 45 wraps of indian hemps, thrash bags, pieces of iron rods and narcotic drugs.
The scavengers, he explained, go about the nooks and crannies of the city and satellite towns; house-to-house, estate-to-estate, scavenging for plastics, scrap metals and irons.
He said: “But from previous arrests, interrogations and investigations, we have realised that their real business is to vandalise and remove our road infrastructure such as: manhole covers, flood drain covers, streetlights, armoured cables, rail sleepers, iron rods for bridge enforcement and the likes, which would fetch them good money.
“The public also needs to know that some ‘Baba Nbolas’ now disguise to rob innocent commuters and bystanders as they go about with dangerous weapons to attack and disposes them of their personal belongings especially at night. Our record shows that many who dared to challenge them in the past had met their untimely deaths while others are maimed in various parts of the Federal Capital Territory” he said.
Many residents of the FCT and environs, Odumosu noted, have experienced sudden disappearances of many of their household items like generators, cooking pots, stoves, pressing iron, air conditioners, compressors, car batteries, security light panels, iron drain covers and so on.
“Scavengers are major suspects to most of such disappearances and they carry out these activities whenever they notice that there is no one in sight, but not without wielding dangerous weapons in case they are busted by the house owners.
“The most vital is that many of them work as informants for armed robbers, kidnappers, hired assassins, terrorists, bandits a#nd all sorts of criminal gangs. Many families have fallen victims of kidnapping, abduction for ransom, murder, assassination and the likes because they give information about your family, the number of children you have, the types of cars you drive, where you work and by extension, keeping tabs on your movement.
“They (baba nbola) also assess and profile you through the kind of household waste products you dispose which, in most cases, reveal your status and lifestyles.
Unfortunately, and in most cases, many of us perceive these miscreants and criminals as ordinary innocent, poor Nigerians, hustling for their daily bread so they move about unchecked and unquestioned by anyone, some of us even sympathise with them, by extending alms to them, whereas, they are responsible for the various crimes happening around you.
“Owing to these revelation and credible intelligence at our disposal, it is therefore imperative that citizens and residents join hands with the corps and other security agencies to flush out these dangerous elements in the FCT by chasing scavengers away whenever you see them in front of your houses, your streets, neighbourhood or estates.
“The public should note that, although, they appear innocent, armless and vulnerable, most of them are extremely dangerous, their activities are criminal in nature and they constitute threats not only to the safety and security of lives, property and infrastructure in the FCT but to Nigeria’s national security architecture as a whole” he noted.
The commandant used the occasion to advise FCT residents to dispose their refuse properly and stop patronising the Baba Nbolas for the sake of their own safety and that of their family members.
Scavenging Outlawed on Abuja streets, activities restricted to dumpsites
News
Borno State Councillors endorse Tinubu/Kashim for a second term

Borno State Councillors endorse Tinubu/Kashim for a second term
By: Bodunrin Kayode
The forum of Councillors in Borno State have endorsed the enthronement of President Bola Tinubu for a second term
The Councillors all from the All Progressive Congress (APC) gave the endorsement during a news conference in Maiduguri on Friday led by their Chairman of the Forum Kellum Geshehu.
While endorsing the Tinubu-Shettima Ticket for 2027, they said that they were pleased with the developmental projects of President Bola Tinubu and their son Senator Kashim Shetima who they say equally deserves a second term for pleasing the masses with basic dividends.
They maintained that as grassroot politicians who understood the pains of the masses especially when the subsidies were removed, it was clear that the economic policies applied by the party at the National level has given rise to massive production of foodstuffs and the reduction of prices of basic staples which before now were beyond the reach of a lot of people.
“We also express our profound satisfaction with the progress of the Government under the leadership of His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu. We see the Renewed Hope Initiative gradually yielding fruits for Nigerians.
“We specifically thank Mr. President for the confidence and trust in our son, His Excellency, Vice President Sen. KashimShettima, who has proven to be a dedicated, loyal, and capable partner in development.
“Therefore, the Borno State Supervisory Councillors Forum unanimously endorse the Tinubu-Shettima ticket for the 2027 Presidential election. We strongly support the President to retain Vice President Sen. KashimShettima as mate for the 2027 Presidential ticket, ensuring continuity and socio-economic gains currently being achieved in our great country.”
The councillors gave the endorsement based on the fact that the APC party under Professor Babagana Zulum has been doing well in his second term in Borno state following in the footsteps of the party at the national level.
They named sectors like Agriculture, education and the health sector as major areas of achievement of the academic turned politician Governor Babagana Zulum who has been a trailblazer in developmental projects in the state.
Borno State Councillors endorse Tinubu/Kashim for a second term
News
Boko Haram, ISWAP reconcile with Bakoura Doro faction in North-East, forge alliance

Boko Haram, ISWAP reconcile with Bakoura Doro faction in North-East, forge alliance
By: Zagazola Makama
In a major development that could reshape the security landscape in the North-East, Boko Haram and the Islamic State of the West African Province (ISWAP) have reconciled with the Bakoura Doro faction after years of bloody rivalry.
Zagazola Makama gathered that the reconciliation, according to credible intelligence marks a significant shift in the dynamics of the insurgency that has ravaged Borno and neighbouring states for over a decade.
Boko Haram, officially known as Jama’at Ahl al-Sunna li al-Da’wa wa al-Jihad (JAS), and ISWAP reportedly reached a truce with the Bakoura Doro group on Thursday, after weeks of internal negotiations aimed at consolidating their fighting strength and realigning their operational commands.
However, ISWAP leaders maintained their position of hostility toward the Abubakar Shekau faction, now under the command of Ali Ngulde, whose loyalists are entrenched in the Mandara Mountains along the Nigeria–Cameroon border.
According to field sources, ISWAP commanders used the meeting to warn their fighters against indiscriminate killings of local residents, citing the incident in Kirawa where innocent civilians were executed in error.
The group reiterated that attacks should only target government-backed militias and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), whom they accused of bearing arms against them.
Despite this rhetoric of restraint, both ISWAP and Boko Haram factions vowed to intensify their campaign of violence, with Boko Haram operatives under Bakoura Doro reportedly planning a renewed wave of kidnappings-for-ransom and bloodletting in vulnerable communities across Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states.
Security analysts view this reconciliation as a troubling development that could embolden the insurgents to regroup, and coordinate large-scale attacks against both military and civilian targets.
“The reconciliation between ISWAP and Bakoura Doro’s faction effectively closes one of the key internal cracks that previously weakened the insurgency. It allows them to pool resources, fighters, and logistics, which may translate to renewed offensives, particularly in border areas and ungoverned spaces.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian military continues to sustain pressure on terrorist enclaves through coordinated land and air operations, with the goal of preventing the insurgents from re-establishing control over liberated territories.
As the insurgents’ alliance solidifies, analysts caution that Nigeria and its regional partners must strengthen intelligence sharing, border control, and community engagement to mitigate the security risks posed by this new wave of jihadist consolidation.
Boko Haram, ISWAP reconcile with Bakoura Doro faction in North-East, forge alliance
News
Troops humiliate ISWAP in Ngamdu, kill 15 terrorists in ngamdu battle

Troops humiliate ISWAP in Ngamdu, kill 15 terrorists in ngamdu battle
By: Zagazola Makama
In yet another demonstration of tactical superiority and resilience, troops of Operation Hadin Kai have repelled a coordinated attack by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists on Ngamdu in Kaga Local Government Area of Borno State, killing 15 insurgents and uncovering their mass grave.
Zagazola Makama learnt that the attack, which occurred in the early hours of Friday, was described by military sources as “one of the most daring but costly misadventures” by ISWAP fighters, who launched simultaneous assaults on troops from three different flanks.
According to reliable sources, the terrorists began the offensive from the Gonori axis around 3 a.m., apparently to divert troops’ attention from their main objective. The diversionary assault was swiftly contained by the gallant troops, forcing the attackers to retreat with casualties.
The second wave of attack, launched along the Maiduguri–Damaturu highway, involved the use of command Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), rocket-propelled grenades.
Despite the intensity of the assault, troops advancing from Benisheikh managed to charge through the ambush position, though one Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle sustained damage to its engine and tyres.
The third flank of the attack targeted Alpha Company’s defensive location near the main supply route, but despite minor infiltration into their outer perimeter, the soldiers held their ground firmly and neutralized several of the attackers in close-quarter combat.
The sources said four soldiers paid the supreme price while three were wounded in action during the encounter.
Subsequent intelligence gathered from local sources revealed that ISWAP fighters conducted a mass burial for 15 of their slain members at Bula Wura village near Wasaram, less than 24 hours after the failed operation.
“The attack was well-coordinated but the response was even more professional. The terrorists came in waves, using multiple tactics, but our men held their ground and made them pay heavily,” said one military sources.
The military has also intensified clearance operations along the Maiduguri–Damaturu highway after terrorists planted IEDs to delay reinforcements. The road was temporarily closed for demining operations to ensure the safety of commuters.
As the military continues to dominate the theatre of operations, local communities are beginning to express renewed confidence in the ongoing counter-terrorism efforts, which have seen a steady decline in insurgent activities across major highways and rural settlements in recent months.
Troops humiliate ISWAP in Ngamdu, kill 15 terrorists in ngamdu battle
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