By Kingsley Omonobi, Wole Mosadomi, Bashir Bello, Ndahi Marama & Haruna Aliyu
ABUJA — The Nigerian Air Force, NAF, has upped its counter-terrorism and counter-banditry operations nationwide with a series of precision airstrikes that neutralised scores of Islamic State of West Africa Province, ISWAP, terrorists at Mallam Fatori and Shuwaram areas of Borno State.
This came as operatives of the FCT Police Anti-Kidnapping Unit in a joint operation with personnel of the Department of State Services, DSS, local hunters and vigilante groups, embarked on special church patrol within forests and border communities linking Bwari in Kaduna State, Bwari in Niger State, and Gwagwalada, also in Niger State.
This is even as bandits reportedly kidnapped at least four nursing mothers at Yan Kwada village, Faruruwa community in Shanono Local Government Area of Kano State yesterday.
Also, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has ordered a manhunt for the gunmen who carried out a midnight attack on residents of Sarkin Noma community in Keana Local Government Area, assuring that the perpetrators will be brought to justice without delay, while his Kebbi State counterpart, Dr Nasir Idris, also yesterday, boasted said that there was no inch of territory under the occupation of armed bandits in his state.
Similarly, a deadly clash among the factions of Boko Haram, the Jam’at Ahl as-Sunna lid-Da‘wa wa’l-Jihd, JAS, and the Islamic State of West Africa Province, ISWAP, has resulted in the death of more than 100 victims at Toumbun Gini, an island community in Abadam Local Government Area of Borno State.
However, the NAF precision strikes also destroyed bandit enclaves in Garin Dandi and Chigogo, Kwara State, as well as Zango Hill in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State.
Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, who disclosed these yesterday, said: “The coordinated missions, executed on November 9, 2025, represent a decisive phase in ongoing joint operations under Operation Hadin Kai and Operation Fasan Yamma, aimed at degrading terrorist and criminal networks across Nigeria’s northern theatres.
“In Borno State, NAF air interdiction missions dealt a heavy blow to ISWAP terrorists entrenched in the Northern Tumbuns.
“Guided by real-time Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance, ISR, feeds, air assets conducted precision strikes south-east of Shuwaram before shifting to Mallam Fatori, where ISWAP elements were observed mobilising with motorcycles and boats along the Lake Chad Basin.
“The strikes destroyed insurgent hideouts, logistics hubs, and weapons storage facilities, eliminating several terrorists and crippling their mobility capabilities.
“Post-strike assessments confirmed multiple neutralisations and a significant degradation of ISWAP’s operational networks in the area. Simultaneously, NAF aircraft carried out precision air interdiction missions over Garin Dandi and Chigogo in Kwara State, striking bandit camps with devastating accuracy based on credible intelligence.
“The attacks caused panic and inflicted heavy losses among the criminals. In a related operation, air assets under Operation Fasan Yamma struck Zango Hill in Kankara LGA, Katsina State, the hideout of a terrorist kingpin and his fighters.
“Guided by actionable intelligence and ISR surveillance, multiple attack passes were executed, destroying key logistics hubs and neutralising several of the terrorists in one of the most decisive strikes in the region.
“Demonstrating sustained reach and precision, the air component of Operation Fasan Yamma (Sector 1) conducted armed reconnaissance mission across the North-West corridor, covering key settlements in Zamfara, Kebbi, and Kaduna states, including Kakihum, Dankolo, Kotonkoro, and Kuyello.
“These locations serve as known routes and hideouts for armed groups along the Birnin Gwari–Funtua axis.
“During the mission, coordination with Forward Operating Bases at Dankolo and Kotonkoro revealed suspicious movement near Wam Hill, where terrorists on motorcycles were spotted attempting to flee.
“The air crew swiftly engaged and neutralised the targets, with no further hostile activity observed. The success of these precision operations across Borno, Kwara, Katsina, and the wider north western corridor underscores the Nigerian Air Force’s renewed tempo, following the directives of the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke.
“Each mission reaffirms NAF’s resolve to project smarter and intelligence-driven airpower to project purposeful lethality against insurgents and criminals while protecting the lives and properties of citizens towards enhancing national security.”
FCT police, DSS commence special patrols on places of worship, border areas
Similarly, operatives of the FCT Police Anti-Kidnapping Unit, in a joint operation with personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS), local hunters, and vigilante groups, have commenced a special church patrol within forests and border communities linking Kaduna and Niger states.
Commencement of the joint operations followed the directive of the Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory, CP Miller Dantawaye, for deployments to ensure the safety of worship centres and residents across the FCT during the ember months.
“The operation, which lasted between 6am and 5:30pm, was aimed at strengthening community confidence, deterring criminal elements and ensuring that worshippers across the FCT can conduct their religious activities without fear of harassment or attacks.
“During the patrol, church leaders in the affected areas were engaged and reassured of the unwavering commitment of the CP to their safety and that of their congregations. They were also sensitized on proactive security measures, including the need to minimize late-night religious activities, maintain close contact with security agencies, and promptly report any suspicious movements or persons.
“Furthermore, the CP has directed the blocking of identified access routes often exploited by criminal elements as part of intelligence-led preventive measures.
“Strategic security posts within the forest areas remain active and under constant supervision.
“The FCT police command continues to emphasize that safety is a shared responsibility, and residents are encouraged to remain vigilant, report suspicious activities, and cooperate with the police and other security agencies,” spokesman of the command, SP Josephine Adeh, said.
4 nursing mothers abducted in Kano
However, as the military was dealing with terrorists and bandits bandits in some parts of the north, the criminals reportedly kidnapped at least four nursing mothers at Yan Kwada village, Faruruwa community in Shanono Local Government Area of Kano State.
The chairman, Faruruwa community and environs security committee, Yahaya Bagobiri, who confirmed the development, said the bandits, who stormed the community on their motorcycles, had earlier abducted five women, one of whom narrowly escaped from their captivity.
Bagobiri said the bandits after abducting the nursing mothers, threw away their babies and took the women away.
He added that the bandits also carted away 50 cows and other unspecified number of animals, lamenting that despite the presence of security personnel deployed to the area, the bandits still carried out their atrocities in the area.
“We continue to witness these attacks almost on a daily basis, despite the presence of the military and other security agents. Even yesterday’s attacks, we heard about it that they were coming and we alerted the security agents but nothing was done until they came around 9pm, raided houses and whisked away the nursing mothers.
“Among those nursing mothers kidnapped, one luckily escaped back to her family, leaving four other mothers with them,’’ he said.
Bagobiri urged President Bola Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and other top security echelon to come to their rescue before it gets too late. He said: “We earlier on, appreciate the immediate response of sending the military to our area, we still thank the government for that gesture but we want them to provide more armed personnel around the areas.”
Bagobiri, however, said taking proactive measures will go a long way in helping curtail the menace and restore peace to the area.
It will be recalled that some weeks ago, troops had engaged in a gun fight with the bandits, killing 19 of them and losing two officers to the encounter.
Gov Sule orders manhunt after midnight attack in Keana LGA
Also, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State yesterday ordered a manhunt for the gunmen who carried out a midnight attack on residents of Sarkin Noma community in Keana Local Government Area, assuring that the perpetrators will be brought to justice without delay.
The directive followed renewed violence in parts of the state, including Keana and Lafia, which has raised fears of infiltration by criminal elements.
In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Affairs, Mr. Peter Ahemba, the governor condemned the attack in the strongest terms, describing it as a deliberate attempt by enemies of peace to destabilise the state.
‘’We wish to stress that the state government will not allow those enemies of peace to succeed in their evil acts against the peace-loving citizens.
“Efforts will not be spared to sustain the hard-earned relative peace achieved by the present administration since its inception in 2019,’’ he said. Ahemba disclosed that Governor Sule directed security agencies to ensure immediate arrest and prosecution of all those behind the violence.
He also confirmed that the state government is working closely with security agencies and community leaders to implement fresh security measures to prevent further attacks.
Residents were urged to remain calm and cooperate with law enforcement authorities by providing credible information that can help track down criminals.
“We, therefore, call on citizens to assist security agencies with useful information that would lead to the arrest of criminals in all parts of the state,” Ahemba added.
No inch of Kebbi under bandits’ control — Gov Idris
On his part, the governor of Kebbi State, Dr Nasir Idris, yesterday boasted that no inch of the state is under the control of bandits.
The governor, who disclosed this while declaring open a security summit organised by Arewa Media Practitioners Forum in Birnin-Kebbi, maintained that insurgents now attack and retreat to neighbouring states as Zamfara, adding, however, that security forces had made it impossible for them to take control of any town, village or local government in the state.
He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his financial and moral support in the fight against insurgency and banditry across the country.
Earlier in his keynote address, the Sultan of Sokoto, Mohammed Sa’ad Abubakar III, described insurgents as monsters every region in Nigeria must unite to eradicate, but lamented that some people have chosen to describe bandits’ activities as genocide against Christians in the North.
Also speaking at the summit, former Chief of Army Staff, General Abdurahman Danbazau, attributed escalation of insecurity to poverty, poor education and absence of affordable healthcare.
He said Northern leaders must rise to the occasion, beyond security summit, by proffering solutions that will make summits achieve their objectives. Danbazau chided the US for branding Nigeria a country of particular concern.
“Nigeria is not a country of particular concern but of particular interest to Western leaders because the North embodies huge mineral deposits they are eyeing,’’ the former COAS said.
Over 100 killed as B/Haram factions clash with ISWAP in Borno border community with Niger
In a similar development, a deadly clash between factions of Boko Haram, the Jam’at Ahl as-Sunna lid-Da‘wa wa’l-Jihd, JAS, and the Islamic State of West Africa Province, ISWAP, has resulted in the death of more than 100 victims at Toumbun Gini, an island community in Abadam Local Government Area of Borno State.
Abadam is the council headquarters of Mallam Fatori, which shares boundaries with Niger Republic in Northern Borno senatorial district.
Security sources revealed that the clash occurred on Sunday afternoon, following an attempted offensive by ISWAP fighters.
According to the source, ISWAP mobilised fighters using 10 high-powered watercraft and launched an attack to reclaim the island, believed to have recently fallen under the control of rival JAS faction.
However, intelligence reportedly reached JAS leadership ahead of the assault, enabling them to set up a counter-ambush.
At exactly 1500 hours, ISWAP boats arrived and what was planned as a surprise offensive quickly turned into a deadly trap.
“The first shots were decisive but JAS fighters, however, overpowered them within minutes. ISWAP was routed,” the source said.
The source said over 50 ISWAP fighters were killed during the ambush, with seven of their boats seized, while the remaining three vessels escaped with casualties.
Video clips showing the aftermath of the clash surfaced online on Sunday.
The continued push by JAS against ISWAP could force surviving ISWAP fighters deeper into mainland communities bordering Kukawa, Monguno and Marte LGAs, increasing security risks for civilians and security personnel.
“What is happening on Lake Chad today is a conflict within a conflict and Nigerian troops remain in the middle of the battlefield. The fighting could be leveraged strategically by intensifying pressure on both groups simultaneously.
“This is the best time for the Nigerian military to tighten the corridor and deny both factions space to regroup,” another source said.
APC govs task monarchs to invoke local, spiritual powers against insecurity
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Governors Forum yesterday called on traditional rulers across the country to consult and invoke local and spiritual powers to wage total war against the insecurity.
Chairman of the Forum and governor of Imo State, Chief Hope Uzodimma, made the call when he led a delegation of progressive governors on a solidarity and condolence visit to Governor Mohammed Umar Bago at Government House Minna, Niger State.
He said though President Bola Tinubu had taken bolder steps to stem the insecurity in the country, there is still the need to seek traditional means of fighting the insecurity scourge to a stand still.
“I am, therefore, calling on traditional rulers to conjure with the gods of the land to protect the nation towards ending the insecurity.
“The President is committed in capacity building and we at the sub-nations are committed to all his ideals, and are showing what good governance is all about,” Governor Uzodimma declared.
He said they were in the state to commiserate with the government and people of the Niger State over Mokwa flooding, incessant boat mishaps, tanker accidents and insecurity that had led to the death of many people and displacement of several others.
“We have come to see one of our own, to console him and encourage him to be strong Ours is to support him in prayers, materially, and logically to ensure that the families affected are comforted.”
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