Daily Digest Online

A viral video has surfaced showing Nigerian soldiers detaining a group of armed men patrolling in a local security vehicle in Kwara State, with one suspect making explosive claims that their weapons and vehicle were provided by the state government. The arrest, which occurred in the Ifelodun Local Government Area, captured a tense interrogation where the detained men, seen prostrate on the ground with their hands tied, attempted to explain their presence. The Suspect's Allegations In the video obtained by Sahara Reporters, one suspect, speaking in a mix of Hausa and Nigerian Pidgin, directly implicated the Kwara State authorities. "Ilorin government na him give us this motor and the weapons," the man stated, using the common reference for the state government based in Ilorin, the capital. "They were the ones that gave us the rifles." He insisted their activities were sanctioned, claiming they had been conducting patrols in the...

In a startling revelation that exposes a critical vulnerability in Nigeria's security strategy, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, has detailed how criminal gangs use sophisticated communication tricks to operate with impunity in the country's vast unconnected areas. The federal government, now aware of this gap, is responding with a massive infrastructure project aimed at literally connecting the dots to combat insecurity. The "Tower Hopping" Tactic During an appearance on Channels Television's Politics Today, Minister Tijani explained that the common assumption—that bandits use unregistered SIM cards—is not the primary issue. Instead, these criminal networks have adopted a more technical method to avoid detection. "They were not using the normal towers; they bounce calls off multiple towers," Tijani stated. This technique, effectively "hopping" a signal across several cell tow...

In a major blow to banditry in Nigeria's troubled northwest, troops have killed a top associate of notorious warlord Bello Turji, causing disarray within his ranks and marking a significant advance in the military's campaign. The operation is part of a sustained offensive that analysts say is tightening the noose around one of the region's most feared criminals. Nigerian Army forces, in collaboration with local vigilantes, eliminated Kachalla Kallamu (real name Musa) during a raid in the early hours of Monday, December 8, around Kurawa village in Sokoto State's Sabon Birni Local Government Area. Kallamu was a senior commander and close ally within Bello Turji's network, also acting as a key logistics supplier. Profile of the Slain Commander and Operation Impact Kallamu was a formidable figure in his own right. A Tuareg leader whose family migrated from Niger, he commanded about 100 fighters and specialized in kidnappings and attacks across So...

Nigerian military forces are tightening the noose around notorious bandit commander Bello Turji, following a major operation that eliminated one of his key allies and logistics suppliers in Sokoto State. The successful strike has caused significant disruption within Turji's network, marking a potential turning point in the long-running campaign against banditry in Nigeria's northwest. In the early hours of Monday, December 9, troops from the 8 Division of the Nigerian Army, collaborating with local vigilante groups, launched an offensive in the Sabon Birni Local Government Area. The operation resulted in the death of the notorious bandit commander **Kachalla Kallamu** around Kurawa village. The Target: Who Was Kachalla Kallamu? Kallamu was a major terror figure in eastern Sokoto, responsible for years of killings, kidnappings, and extortion. Security expert Prof. Murtala Ahmed Rufa'i, author of "I am a bandit," provided a detailed profile o...