EXCLUSIVE:Army troops rescue 12 abducted girls in Askira/Uba in Borno

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have successfully rescued 12 teenage girls abducted by ISWAP terrorists in Mussa District of Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, reliable security sources confirmed on Sunday.

The victims, all aged between 15 and 20, were kidnapped on Nov. 23 while harvesting crops on their family farmlands. The incident triggered panic across the district, forcing many residents to flee to neighbouring communities.

A security source, told Zagazola Makama that the rescue operation was successful as all the girls had returned safely.

Although details of the operation were still sketchy at the time of filing this report, sources said some individuals played significant roles in facilitating the safe recovery of the girls.

Zagazola could not immediately verify whether any ransom was paid or the precise circumstances that led to the rescue.

The rescued girls include: Fatima Shaibu,(17) Fatima Umaru (15), Hauwa Abubakar (18), Saliha Muhammed (15), Sadiya Umaru (17), Amira Babel (15), Zara Adamu (17), Nana Shaibu (15), Zainab Musa (18), Zainab Muhammed (17), Jamila Saidu (15) and Hauwa Hamidu (17).

Zagazola learnt that the victims have since been moved to a secure military location for medical evaluation and profiling, after which they will be reunited with their families.

The rescue comes amid renewed military offensives in the southern Borno axis, where troops have intensified clearance operations against ISWAP remnants responsible for recurrent attacks and abductions.

Parents of the abducted girls expressed relief, describing the development as a “major emotional breakthrough” after a week of uncertainty and fear.

EXCLUSIVE:Army troops rescue 12 abducted girls in Askira/Uba in Borno

Nigeria’s diversity not a burden but a gift that must be safeguarded – Marwa

By: Michael Mike

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) has urged Nigerians to always remember that the country’s diversity is not a burden but a gift and a trust that must be safeguarded by all.

Marwa gave the charge while delivering the keynote address at the public presentation of a book: Buni Boy, written by late legal luminary Niyi Ayoola-Daniels in Abuja on Saturday 29thNovember 2025.

According to him, “Today holds a special significance for me due to the profound and compelling nature of this gathering. What moves me most is not only the book itself but also the life of its author and what that life represents. It speaks to the unity and strength woven through our diversity as Nigerians. To many people, the author’s narrative may seem distant, almost unreal, as if drawn from another world. Yet those of us who grew up in the 1960s know it as lived truth.

“The experience captured in the narrative mirrors the country we once walked through with unguarded hearts.

“The story stirs my memories and reminds me of a time when life was plain in its blessings and people showed more kindness in their daily dealings.

“This evening, I am not here to retell the story, for it stands strong on its own. Instead, I will reflect on its core theme, to remind Nigerians of this era that our diversity is not a burden but a gift and a trust we must safeguard.

“I have long been an advocate of unity in diversity and of the strength that rises from it. Hence, today’s occasion provides me an opportunity to further amplify the message. The Nigeria of my youth understood its own diversity, even in the troubled days of the 1960s when the civil war raged through this country. I recall my teenage years at the Nigeria Military School, NMS Zaria, where the pupils came from diverse ethnic backgrounds.

“It was never a school for northern boys alone. No, not a school for Hausa, Fulani, Kanuri, Tiv or Idoma. It was a school for all ethnic groups in Nigeria. Whether you speak Hausa, Yoruba or Igbo, we regarded ourselves as kin. Our teachers reflected the same broad mix. For instance, from 1966 to 1970, the Commandant of the NMS was a Yoruba officer, Col. T. B. Ogundeko, of blessed memory. We didn’t see him as a Yoruba man. We saw a Nigerian, a man with whom we have a shared identity.

“Before attending NMS, however, I had my primary education across four cities: Zaria, Enugu, Abeokuta, and Lagos. This was the result of my father’s mobile life as a soldier. Living in different sociocultural settings taught me early that people of other tongues and traditions are still my own. That truth has stayed with me ever since.

“The Nigerian Army, where I served for over 30 years, is built on a foundation of unity, and the ideal of one Nigeria shapes its work. That experience only strengthened my conviction. As an officer, I served across the country and built bonds that cut through the artificial barriers created by our sociocultural differences. In the army, intermarriage and close fellowship pushed us to look past ethnic lines and stand together as one.

“On a personal note, my life has taught me that the diversity of this country enriches us. It sharpens our understanding of one another. It strengthens the fabric of our shared existence. It unites far more than it divides, whatever the voices of doubt may say today.

“In my private and professional life, I have always embraced the full breadth of Nigeria’s diversity. My friends come from every corner of the country. I have worked with people of every ethnicity. The people around me, even today, reflect the wide spectrum of our multiethnic nation. The chieftaincy titles I hold, more than 30 in number, show that same reach. Even my own family reflects our national mix.

“Wherever I stand in this country, whether among the Ogoni, or Bachama, among Igbo or Idoma, anywhere at all, I am at home.”

Marwa recalled that as Military Administrator of Lagos state, the Yoruba people showed him great love and supported his administration despite their hostility to the government at the federal level then. He said the support he received from Lagos encouraged him to conduct a free and fair election that brought his successor to office.

He said: “Even though the Head of State then Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar did not interfere in my conduct of the governorship election, the military hierarchy did. After seeing the then Senator Bola Tinubu’s strong campaign and popularity, the military hierarchy instructed me to prevent him from emerging governor because of his pro-democracy activism in NADECO against the military government then but I chose to conduct a free and fair election that produced the most popular candidate as governor of Lagos state. The rest today is history.”

Marwa said Nigeria may have its peculiar challenges because of how poorly its diversity has been managed over the years, “but these difficulties cannot justify any idea of tearing the nation apart”, adding that “our challenges should instead push us to repair the fault lines and pursue greater inclusion.”
Speaking on the book, Marwa commended the widow of the author, Mrs Leticia Ayoola-Daniels for keeping her late husband’s memory alive. “Barrister Niyi Ayoola-Daniels is no longer with us, but his legacy lives on. The Buni Yadi Foundation keeps his ideals alive. I must say that the real-life story told in the book resonates deeply with me. This is not only because I once served as the military governor of the old Borno, where Buni Yadi was then located, but also because I have met the family of the noble Alkali, the judge whose sense of duty anchors the book and shaped the author’s life. It is also because the transformation of an eighteen-year-old boy in the 1960s and the wisdom of a judge who held firmly to justice reflect the very heart of the Nigerian spirit.”

Nigeria’s diversity not a burden but a gift that must be safeguarded – Marwa

NIS Decries Killing of Personnel at Kebbi Border

By: Michael Mike

The Comptroller General of Immigration, Kemi Nandap has decried the violent attack and killing of three personnel of National immigration Service (NIS) and destruction of assets at border patrol formation in Kebbi State.

The CGI, in a statement signed on Saturday by the Service Public Relations Officer, ACI Akinsola Akinlabi while confirming the violent and coordinated attack carried out by unidentified armed men on the Bakin Ruwa Checkpoint , under the Tuga Border Patrol Formation in Kebbi State, said the

incident occurred on Thursday, 27 November, 2025, at approximately 2200hrs.

She lamented that three gallant NIS personnel lost their lives in the line of duty, and several operational assets and facilities at the location were destroyed.

Akinlabi, in the statement, said: “The Service extends its heartfelt condolences and unwavering support to the families, colleagues, and loved ones of the fallen personel, honouring their selfless sacrifice and commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s Borders.”

He said: “The Comptroller General has ordered an immediate tactical response, deploying reinforcements to the affected formation, intensified joint operations with other security agencies, enhanced intelligence-gathering along the entire Tuga axis, and heightened patrols to deter further threats and restore full security control of the area.”

He added that: “The Nigeria Immigration Service remains resolute in its mandate to securing the nation’s Borders and will not be deterred by acts of criminality. We urge the public to remain calm and continue to cooperate with security agencies in their efforts to secure the Nation.”

NIS Decries Killing of Personnel at Kebbi Border