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A feared bandit leader, Jankare, has been killed by a rival gang during a violent clash along the Dutsenma axis of Katsina State.

Security analyst Zagazola Makama said the fight broke out after a dispute between Jankare and another bandit commander over recent attacks and control of territories in the area.

Jankare, who had long terrorised several communities in Dutsenma and nearby local governments, was reportedly shot dead during the confrontation.

He was infamous for leading kidnappings, killings, and cattle rustling operations across the region and was known for his TikTok videos, where he flaunted weapons and mocked security forces.

Makama said the slain bandit had recently attended a meeting of bandit leaders meant to settle internal disputes before falling out with his rivals.

Security agencies are said to be on alert to prevent reprisal attacks following his death

By Aderogba George

Nigeria, France and Italy have unveiled a joint effort tagged: “Common Operational Partnership” (COP Nigeria) to further wage war against human trafficking.

Speaking at the official unveiling of the project in Abuja on Wednesday, European Union Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Gautier Mignot, stated that the aim of the partnership was geared towards achieving two basic objectives. He listed the objectives as enhancing the capacity of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to dismantle trafficking cooperation along migratory routes.

Others, he said, was to dismantle criminal networks while safeguarding citizens, adding that that the partnership was a concrete step forward.

“Human trafficking violates fundamental rights. The EU Pact on Migration and Asylum and the renewed EU action plan alliance, will be held at ministerial level on Wednesday, 10 December 2025, in Brussels.

“Those technical expertise and coordination support will be crucial for the project’s success; and action, grounded in a whole of route approach. Cooperation with countries of origin and transit of victims will help in this direction. “This project also reflects our Team Europe approach, through which the resources and expertise on combating trafficking in human beings in 2026, with concrete actions to take into account international cooperation against these crimes,” he said. The EU envoy lauded the French Ministry of Interior and the Italian Ministry of Interior, Migration Partnership Facility (MPF), for their management support, along the main migration routes.

Mignot said that human trafficking rings exploit the most vulnerable, undermine security, adding that providing expert coordination to the project, the International Security Cooperation in migrants’ dignity would help curtail the menace. He said that the new initiative reflected a clear vision, adding that the objective was to send a strong and unified political message, that only through coordinated global effort can crush the menace. The EU Ambassador said that the initiative was also a commitment to action to dismantle trafficking networks, protect the vulnerable, and uphold the dignity and rights of every individual.

lso speaking, the French Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Marc Fonbaustier, stated that the project reflected a shared conviction that human dignity knows no border.

He said that contacting human trafficking was not just a necessity, but a moral duty for all nations, adding that the crime remained a silent, and devastating scourge

“This project is both concrete and ambitious. It is action oriented and forward looking. It aims to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement agencies, particularly NAPTIP, to improve information sharing.

“It also aims at encouraging joint investigations and ensure coordinated support for victims,” he said.

He lauded the Federal Government, NAPTIP and other security forces for their actions towards ridding the country of the crime of human trafficking.

The French Ambassador said that the International Center for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) would be funding the project, while CIVIPOL, the French Ministry of Interior’s operator for International technical cooperation would be implementing the project

He stressed that fighting human trafficking was also synonymous with fighting poverty.

Earlier, the Director-General of NAPTIP, Hajia Binta Adamu-Bello, noted that Nigeria occupies a strategic position in the migration dynamics of West Africa.

Represented by Mr Josiah Emerole, Director, Research and Programme Development, the D-G stated that Nigeria as a country of origin, transit, and destination for human trafficking, was grappling with multifaceted and evolving challenges.

She listed some of the challenges to include human trafficking and migrant smuggling, to related transnational crimes, such as sexual exploitation, document forgery, and drug trafficking.

damu-Bello stated that over the years, NAPTIP had made remarkable progress in its five cardinal areas of intervention such as Policy, Prevention, Protection, Prosecution, and Partnership.

She said that the agency was fully aware that the changing nature of trafficking and smuggling necessitated continuous innovation, deeper collaboration, and strengthening of institutional capacities across all levels.

“The Common Operational Partnership (COP) initiative, implemented by the Government of France with the support of Italian Ministry of Interior, represents a strategic opportunity to consolidate our achievements and introduce evidence-based, context-specific approaches to tackling these crimes in Nigeria.

“Built around four key pillars — Joint Needs Assessment, Training and Mentoring, Operational Support, and Geographic Focus, the COP Project provides a comprehensive framework to enhance investigation, prosecution, and victim-centered interventions.

“Equally important, it will promote effective intelligence sharing, joint operations, and operational synergy among NAPTIP’s zonal commands and our regional partners in West Africa,” she said.

damu-Bello said that the project would commence with pilot implementation in 3 target states: Cross River, Osun, Katsina, and the Federal Capital Territory, all strategically positioned along high-risk trafficking and migration corridors.

She said that these routes had witnessed increasing volumes of irregular movement and emerging trafficking trends aimed at accessing developed countries.

ccording to her, addressing these challenges requires coordinated and sustained action, which the new initiative aims to support.

(NAN)

By Ayox Ojo

Just like the police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on Thursday announced massive deployment of 10,250 personnel for the Anambra governorship election scheduled to hold on November 8, 2025.

The deployed personnel were drawn from the National Headquarters tactical squad, Awka, Anambra, Edo, Kogi, Imo, Abia, Delta, Rivers, Enugu, Ebonyi and Bayelsa state commands, NSCDC Public Relations Officer, Babatunde Afolabi, said in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

folabi, in the statement quoted the NSCDC Commandant General (CG), Ahmed Audi, as telling the state Commandants that the early deployment was a proactively strategic move to secure the election.

“All intelligence and undercover personnel are to proceed with immediate effect and man the various identified flash points while the tactical forces are to commence round the clock patrol.

“You are hereby directed to be professional while discharging your duties with respect for fundamental human rights of citizens,” Audi said.

The NSCDC boss disclosed that the deployed personnel were drawn from the National Headquarters tactical squad, Awka, Anambra, Edo, Kogi, Imo, Abia, Delta, Rivers, Enugu, Ebonyi and Bayelsa state commands.

He charged the commandants and Heads of Tactical Squads to collaborate with the Nigeria Police Force, who is the lead agency in election duty.

udi said that with effective Coordination, Cooperation and Collaboration amongst the security agencies, there would be a violence-free election in the state.

“Based on the resolution of the Inter-agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), the NSCDC alongside other security agencies on election duty will monitor the election process and provide adequate security for election materials and electoral officials on duty,” he said.

udi urged operatives deployed to various polling units and collation centers to adhere strictly with the already assigned posting order.

The CG however warned desperate politicians against insightful statements and actions that could trigger violence before, during, and after the governorship election.

udi assured the public of a peaceful gubernatorial process without hitches.

Police deploy 45,000 officers

Recall that the Nigeria Police Force has also indicated that it will deploy 45,000 officers across Anambra State in preparation for the governorship election.

Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, made the announcement during a meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security held on Tuesday at the Independent National Electoral Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

Egbetokun was represented by Commissioner of Police Abayomi Shogunle, who heads the Elections Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation unit at the event.

He said, “The IGP will continue to ensure that the Nigeria Police Force provides adequate security for all electoral processes in all parts of Nigeria, and in particular regarding the upcoming governorship elections in Anambra State.

“The Nigeria Police Force is deploying 45,000 police officers from across the states of the federation to go to Anambra State to ensure that there is a peaceful election.”

He also said only operatives of federal security agencies would be involved in the election.

“The Nigeria Police Force will ensure that only officers and officials from the ICCES will be permitted to play a role in the Anambra state governorship election.

“So, all the vigilante groups and all the other agencies of the states would not be allowed to have any role to play during this election,” he added.

Meanwhile, the military and other para-military agencies are also expected to announce their deployments in the days ahead.

By Ige Adekunle

The Police Command in Ogun says it has rescued a kidnapped victim, one Hassan Atoyebi, unhurt from kidnappers at Onipanu area in Ado-Odo-Ota Local Government of the state.

CSP Omolola Odutola, the Command’s Spokesperson, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday in Abeokuta.

ccording to her, the combined tactical team has demonstrated its operational efficiency by successfully rescuing a kidnapped victim unhurt in Onipanu area of the state .

She explained that the incident occurred on Oct. 27, about 8.16 p.m., when five unidentified armed men invaded the compound of one Alhaji Atoyebi and switched off the generator to lure the occupants outside.

Odutola said that unaware of the danger, the victim and another resident came out of the house to inspect what happened, but were ambushed by the assailants who subsequently abducted victim.

She said that they carted away a Point of Sale(POS) machine, 900,000 in cash, three mobile phones, a power bank, and keys to a Highlander and Corolla vehicles in the process of kidnaping the victim.

Odutola added that a few hours after the abduction, the kidnappers used the victim’s phone to contact the family, demanding a ransom of N30 million.

“Upon receiving the report, the Commissioner of Police, Lanre Ogunlowo, promptly deployed a combined tactical team of operatives from the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Anti-Crime Section, Surveillance Team, Vigilante Group, So-Safe Corps, and local hunters. The joint team traced the hoodlums to their hideout along the creeks and two of the kidnappers were neutralized while others fled with gunshot injuries. The victim was rescued unhurt and has since reunited with his family. His mobile phones and vehicle keys were recovered at the scene while efforts are on to recover the vehicles ,” she said.

Ogunlowo commended the gallantry and synergy displayed by the combined security teams in the rescue of the victim.

He assured members of the public that the command remains resolute in ensuring the safety of all residents.

He reiterated that Ogun would continue to be unsafe for criminal elements to operate in any form.

NAN

US President Donald Trump has described his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping as “amazing”, even though both leaders failed to reach a formal trade agreement.

The meeting, which took place on Thursday, was the first face-to-face encounter between the two leaders in six years. It comes amid rising hopes of easing tensions between the world’s two largest economies, following years of trade battles and tariff disputes.

While Trump was upbeat about the discussions, Beijing gave a more cautious response, saying the two sides had reached a “consensus” to resolve major trade issues.

Trump’s trade war with China had triggered a series of tit-for-tat tariffs that pushed import duties to more than 100 percent on both sides. Although both countries agreed to a truce in May, the tariffs have largely remained in place.

Thursday’s meeting did not produce a formal deal, but both sides hinted they were closer to an agreement after months of behind-the-scenes talks. Trade deals often take years to finalise, and the current discussions are seen as a step toward that direction.

One key outcome for Trump is China’s decision to suspend export controls on rare earth materials — vital components used in products such as smartphones, electric cars, and fighter jets.

The US president also announced that China would resume purchasing “tremendous amounts of soybeans and other farm products”, a move that could bring relief to American farmers affected by China’s retaliatory tariffs.

However, there was no progress on the long-running dispute over TikTok. The US has been pushing to separate the app’s American operations from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, citing national security concerns. Beijing said talks on the issue would continue.

Washington also confirmed it would reduce some tariffs linked to the flow of chemicals used in producing fentanyl — a synthetic drug blamed for the ongoing opioid crisis in the US. But other import taxes will remain in place, meaning goods from China are still being taxed at over 40 percent.

In a sign of improving relations, Trump said Beijing had invited him to visit China in April. He also revealed that China would open discussions with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, whose company sits at the centre of the US-China battle over AI chips.

Despite the friendly tone, analysts say there are still wide gaps between the two leaders’ approaches. Xi appeared calm and deliberate, saying both sides would work on “reassuring” their economies. Trump, by contrast, was more expressive, calling the talks “a good start” but showing visible tension given the high stakes.

Henry Wang, a former adviser to China’s State Council, said the meeting went “very well” and that both sides had “laid a framework and structure” for future negotiations.

Political commentator and author Reno Omokri has warned that no Nigerian must desire the overthrow a democratically elected government through a coup.

In a lengthy reflection shared on social media, Omokri argued that no military coup in Nigeria’s history has ever produced better governance than the democratic government it toppled. “Historically, such undemocratic changes have always resulted in a worse administration. Much worse,” he wrote.

Omokri cited Nigeria’s 1975 palace coup, which replaced General Yakubu Gowon with General Murtala Muhammed, as the only instance where a coup led to improvement, noting that under the subsequent Murtala/Obasanjo administration, Nigeria’s GDP rebounded from a -5.2% decline in 1975 to 6.8% growth by 1979.

However, he stressed that the coups which followed, including the December 31, 1983 takeover that ended President Shehu Shagari’s Second Republic, plunged Nigeria into years of repression, economic decay, and international isolation.

“From the loss of fundamental human rights to media crackdowns, letter bombs, and state-sponsored assassinations, military rule turned Nigeria into a pariah state,” Omokri said, recalling how the nation even lost visa-free status to the UK. “Under the military, a minister once said, ‘Telephones are not for the poor!’ Today, even beggars have phones,” he said.

Omokri outlined Nigeria’s 12 publicly known coup attempts, six successful and six unsuccessful, from the first in January 1966 to the alleged 2004 Hamza al-Mustapha plot. He noted that all but the first were planned or executed by northern military officers, “either admittedly or allegedly.”

The writer credited General Olusegun Obasanjo as a stabilising figure in Nigeria’s history, citing his roles in ending the Civil War in 1970, handing over to civilian rule in 1979, and returning to democratic governance in 1999.

Drawing on this historical pattern, Omokri warned against any romanticisation of military rule or “coup-baiting” in the media. “The best predictor of the future is the past,” he wrote. “Any undemocratic change of government would set Nigeria back, and may even, God forbid, result in another civil war” Omokri warned.

He concluded by asserting that democracy, despite its flaws, remains Nigeria’s best path forward, highlighting economic gains under the current administration, which he claimed has grown the nation’s GDP by $67 billion in two years and improved the global ranking of Nigeria’s passport.

Quoting late phone political sage, Obafemi Awolowo, Omokri ended with a stark reminder: “The worst civilian rule is better than the best military dictatorship.”

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Arsenal advanced to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup with a composed 2-0 victory over Brighton at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night, thanks to goals from teenage midfielder Ethan Nwaneri and winger Bukayo Saka.

The andgtunners, fielding a mix of youth and experience under Mikel Arteta, showed tactical discipline and attacking purpose against a Brighton side that struggled to convert their early chances.

Brighton began the match with intent, pressing high and testing Arsenal’s goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga on several occasions.

The Spanish shot-stopper produced a fine save in the eighth minute to deny Georginio Rutter from close range, before Maxim De Cuyper forced another top stop shortly after the break.

rsenal, however, weathered the early storm and gradually gained control. Their breakthrough came in the 57th minute when 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri finished off a flowing move, guiding a precise pass from Myles Lewis-Skelly into the bottom right corner to make it 10.

The goal galvanised the hosts, who began to dominate possession and push Brighton deeper into their half. Substitute Bukayo Saka sealed the win in the 76th minute, reacting quickest to a rebound inside the box to fire home Arsenal’s second and send the home crowd into celebration.

rteta made several tactical substitutions, bringing on Declan Rice, Gabriel, Jurrien Timber, and Saka to consolidate Arsenal’s control in the second half.

Despite Brighton’s efforts to find a late response, including chances for Stefanos Tzimas and Yankuba Minteh, Kepa remained solid in goal to preserve the clean sheet.

Brighton’s frustrations boiled over late on, with Olivier Boscagli shown a yellow card for dissent, as Arsenal calmly saw out six minutes of added time to secure their place in the last eight.

A tragic fire incident has occurred in Abuja in the early hours of Thursday, leading to the destruction of several goods.

The incident, which happened at the Jabi Lake Mall, was reported to have occurred around 3am, burning down goods in an adidas shop.

n eyewitness told PUNCH Online that the fire was quickly contained before it spread and caused more damage.

“Around 3am., this morning, there was a fire incident at the Jabi Lake Mall in Abuja. No loss of life or injury was recorded. Only the Adidas Sports shop was affected,” he said.

Josephine Adeh, the FCT police spokesperson also confirmed the incident, adding that they received a call informing them about the fire. Adeh noted that the police department acted quickly to ensure that no further destruction occurred.

“We received a distress call at about 3:40 a.m. We immediately deployed our men there to secure the place and prevent any breach of public order,” she said.

Popular Nigerian rapper Temidayo Omoniyi, professionally known as Zlatan Ibile, has revealed that he quit smoking four years ago.

The ‘Zanku’ crooner made this revelation during an interactive session with fans on Snapchat, where he candidly responded to a follower’s question about his smoking habits.

Responding to the fan who asked if he still smokes, Zlatan wrote:

“A day can’t pass without someone asking me this question. Yes, I quit smoking 4 years ago. And I have no issues with smokers.”

By Afusat Agunbiade-Oladipo Police said they have recorded another success in the battle against criminal elements with the rescue of a kidnap victim and arrest of two suspects in a raid at Omu-Aran Forest in Kwara state.

The spokesperson for Kwara Police Command, SP. Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi announced this in a statement on Thursday in Ilorin.

Ejire-Adeyemi described the rescue of the kidnapped victim and arrest of the two suspects as yet another operational success in the police sustained onslaught against criminal elements in Kwara state.

ccording to the statement, acting on credible intelligence, a combined team of police operatives and vigilante group rescued one Haruna Ahamadu unhurt from kidnappers’ den in Omu-Aran forest.

“Two suspects, Ayisa Ibrahim and Yakubu Hassan are currently in custody, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the gang. “The Commissioner of Police, CP Adekimi Ojo, commended the professionalism and dedication of the officers involved,” it sated.

Ojo assured members of the public that the command remained fully committed to dismantling criminal networks and ensuring the safety of all residents.

He reiterated that investigations were progressing steadily with promising leads already being pursued. “The command acknowledges the purposeful leadership and strategic direction of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, whose policing vision continues to strengthen operational efficiency and inspire proactive crime-fighting efforts nationwide”, the statement read.

(NAN)