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WADEMOS Insists Term Limit, Democratic Reforms Key to Peace in West Africa

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WADEMOS Insists Term Limit, Democratic Reforms Key to Peace in West Africa

By: Michael Mike

As the Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) holds on Sunday, the West Africa Democracy Solidarity Network (WADEMOS) has asked that presidential term limits should be enforced in West African countries and presidents that change constitutional provision for personal gain should equally be treated as coupists.

The Project Coordinator of the West Africa Democracy Solidarity Network, (WADEMOS), Marie-Josiane Ngah led a meeting in Abuja on Friday where the resolution was made and the position asked to be communicated to the Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States for adoption.
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Speaking ahead of the 64th ECOWAS Heads of State Summit, Ngah emphasized the importance of tackling these issues to safeguard democracy in the region.

She said: “This campaign is not just an exercise for us; it is a necessity given the challenges we face,” while highlighting the limited effectiveness of ECOWAS in addressing unconstitutional changes in government, citing a lack of robust enforcement mechanisms as a major factor enabling some leaders to bypass term limits with minimal consequences.

Ngah also called attention to the critical role of civil society, the media, and other stakeholders in reversing the trend of term elongation. “With support from partners like the Open Society Foundation, WADEMOS has made significant progress in raising citizens’ awareness and engaging regional bodies through advocacy, research, and public campaigns,” she said.

She urged stakeholders to remain steadfast in their efforts. “Let us reaffirm our commitment to democratic principles, strengthen solidarity among civil society actors, and ensure ECOWAS remains a unifying force for West Africa. Together, we can safeguard democracy and enhance regional cooperation,” Ngah added.

Speaking at the same event, Professor David Dosseh, National Coordinator of Tournons La Page-Togo, emphasized the overwhelming support of African citizens for term limits. “Afrobarometer surveys have shown that the majority of African citizens want term limits institutionalized. It’s time ECOWAS responded to this clear demand,” he said.

Dosseh criticized the reluctance of some leaders to relinquish power at the end of their terms. “Why is it so difficult for leaders to respect term limits and return power to the people? Citizens are tired of seeing power treated as personal property,” he said. He added that good governance, political stability, and development depend on leaders adhering to these democratic principles.

As ECOWAS approaches its 50th anniversary, Prof. Dosseh called for deep reforms to consolidate democracy in the region. “This is an opportunity for ECOWAS to ensure lasting stability, even in the Sahel. Heads of state must unanimously agree to enforce term limits for all leaders across member states,” he concluded.

Sadikh Niass, International Relations Officer of Afrikajom, also highlighted the urgency of preserving ECOWAS’s role in regional integration. “The solidarity within WADEMOS continues to benefit citizens, and ECOWAS has greatly improved movement and relationships across the region,” Niass said. He warned that the potential withdrawal of Sahelian countries poses a threat to these achievements and urged leaders to address the situation urgently.

As the ECOWAS Heads of State prepare to meet, the calls for reform from civil society groups like WADEMOS, Tournons La Page, and Afrikajom echo the demands of millions of West Africans. The summit presents an opportunity for leaders to prioritize democracy, regional integration, and the will of the people in shaping the region’s future.

WADEMOS Insists Term Limit, Democratic Reforms Key to Peace in West Africa

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DSS-led joint operation crushes ESN strongholds, kills top kingpins in Imo

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DSS-led joint operation crushes ESN strongholds, kills top kingpins in Imo

By: Zagazola Makama

A wave of coordinated security offensives in Imo State has barbecued the Eastern Security Network (ESN), the militant wing of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), with the killing of key kingpins and the dislodgement of notorious terrorist camps in forested parts of Njaba and Isu Local Government Areas.

Zagazola Makama understand that The offensive, which began on June 29, was spearheaded by the Department of State Services (DSS) in close collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, special forces, and local tactical units.

It was launched after the arrest and detailed confessions of two ESN commanders Uchenna Opara, popularly known as Ntanta Miri, and Ozioma Ihedoro, a.k.a OZ, both natives of Umuaka community in Njaba LGA.

Acting on actionable intelligence, the joint team raided and obliterated several terrorist enclaves, including Umuele Umuaka, Ezioha, and Ugbele Umuaka, known safe havens of the separatist group.

A fierce gun battle ensued as operatives stormed the camps. Three ESN fighters were neutralised during the confrontation, while others reportedly escaped with bullet wounds. Their bodies were later recovered along the Ugbele Umuaka axis.

What followed was a methodical clearance operation targeting the B44 camp cluster, long considered one of ESN’s strategic base networks. The camps, codenamed B44 Tangle 2, 4, 5, 7, and 9, were all successfully dislodged by the joint force.

A caterpillar operator working with the team was tragically killed in the line of duty when the group came under sudden fire while approaching the B44 main camp. He was rushed to the Federal University Teaching Hospital (FUTH), Owerri, but later confirmed dead by a medical officer on duty.

Items recovered from the operation included:
One AK-47 rifle, 15 rounds of live ammunition, pump-action shotgun, two locally made IEDs, one human skull and a Biafran flag

In addition, two suspected ESN members were arrested during the combing of nearby bush paths. The duo Emeka Ogene Sabinus of Ezi Isu in Isu LGA and Nnabuike Emmanuel of Ohofia Oduma in Aninri LGA, Enugu State were said to bear tribal incisions associated with the proscribed militia.

The collapse of the B44 cluster was significant in the counterinsurgency drive in the South-East, where pockets of armed resistance have posed growing threats to residents, security personnel, and national assets.

“The terrain is difficult, but our operatives are relentless,” a senior official close to the operation said. “We are targeting leadership figures, supply chains, and safe havens.”

Meanwhile, efforts are ongoing to apprehend fleeing fighters, with mop-up operations continuing in adjoining forest belts across Orlu, Njaba, and Isu corridors.

The Imo offensive adds to a growing list of successes by joint intelligence-led operations aimed at stabilising regions grappling with armed separatist violence, kidnappings, and the weaponisation of local grievances.

DSS-led joint operation crushes ESN strongholds, kills top kingpins in Imo

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FCT police arrest three wanted kidnappers linked to killings, mass abductions

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FCT police arrest three wanted kidnappers linked to killings, mass abductions

By: Zagazola Makama

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested three most-wanted bandits and kidnappers operating across Abuja and neighbouring parts of Kaduna State.

According to a police sources, the arrests were carried out on June 29 between 5:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., by operatives of the Scorpion Squad led by ACP Victor O. Godfrey, following actionable and digital reconstructive intelligence.

The sources told Zagazola Makama that the suspects were identified as: Abdulkadir Abubakar, a native of Mpape, FCT, Mohammed Tasiu Sani, of Rigina, Kaduna State, Suleiman Jibrin, 27, of Sabon-Gayan, Kaduna State.

The three suspects, all Fulani by tribe, have been on the command’s most-wanted list for
their roles in multiple kidnapping and banditry operations, particularly in Jere, Kajuru, the FCT and its environs.

During interrogation, the suspects confessed to abducting victims and moving them to detention camps in Kachia and Rigina forests in Kaduna State. Some victims, they admitted, were held for months, while others were killed at will.

The sources revealed that one of the suspects, Abdulkadir Abubakar, provided disturbing details of internal executions within the gang, in which some members were killed by their own leaders over mistrust and betrayal.

An operational motorcycle, popularly referred to by locals as the “Boko Haram Motorcycle,” was recovered during the raid. The suspects are currently assisting operatives in ongoing efforts to recover arms and ammunition, and to track down other gang members still at large.

FCT police arrest three wanted kidnappers linked to killings, mass abductions

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Young farm labourer shot dead while fleeing Amotekun in Osun

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Young farm labourer shot dead while fleeing Amotekun in Osun

By: Zagazola Makama

A 20-year-old farm labourer identified as Solomon (surname yet unknown) has been found dead with gunshot wounds after he was allegedly shot by a member of the Western Nigeria Security Network, also known as Amotekun, along the Ilesa/Iperindo Road in Osun State.

The incident, which occurred on June 29, followed the reported confrontation between a local security operative and a group of five farm labourers on their way to a farmland.

According to Temidayo Olowookere, the employer of the deceased, the labourers were accosted around 11:00 a.m. by an Amotekun operative, one Ajayi Ibukun, who accused them of extorting money from passersby. Two members of the group were apprehended, while the remaining three fled into the bush.

Olowookere said the detained workers were later released to him in the afternoon. However, later in the evening, when two of the three fleeing labourers returned, Solomon remained missing.

A search party was immediately organised. His body was discovered in the bush with gunshot wounds on his back, raising suspicions that he may have been shot during the initial confrontation.

His remains were evacuated to Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesa, where he was confirmed dead and deposited at the morgue for autopsy.

Police say efforts are currently underway to trace and apprehend the security operative allegedly involved in the shooting, while the community continues to call for justice.

Young farm labourer shot dead while fleeing Amotekun in Osun

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