Daily Digest Online

The recent terror attack in Sydney, Australia, has prompted intelligence officials and counterterrorism experts to issue urgent warnings. They argue that global jihadist networks are expanding their influence, contradicting the perception held by many Western governments that groups like the Islamic State (ISIS) are on the decline. Bill Roggio, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and managing editor of The Long War Journal, identifies a persistent miscalculation in Western policy. "We’ve always been quick to declare terrorist organizations defeated and insignificant, and that couldn’t be further from the truth," he stated. He points out that despite the loss of its territorial caliphate, ISIS maintains a significant presence, with approximately 2,000 fighters in Afghanistan alone, as noted in a recent United Nations report. According to Roggio and other analysts, the attack in Australia is clear evidence of a broader, intercon...

A political bombshell has detonated within Nigeria's security establishment, with a former state official making on-camera allegations that the country's Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, personally financed and supplied notorious terrorist commanders with cash and vehicles while he was Governor of Zamfara State. Musa Muhammad Kamara, who served as a Senior Special Assistant (SSA) under Matawalle, confirmed long-standing media reports in a viral video interview. He stated that he personally handled transactions that directly benefited high-value terror targets like Bello Turji, Kachalla Halilu, and Ado Aleru. Allegations of Direct Support to Terrorists In a detailed Hausa-language confession, Kamara outlined the alleged scheme: *   Provision of Vehicles: "Vehicles were given to Kachalla Halilu, Turji, Ado Aleru; those motorcycles were truly bought and given out." *   Cash Settlements : Kamara confessed to being a bene...

Nigerian security forces have reportedly killed more than 40 armed militants during a major raid on a hideout in Niger State, marking a significant operation against regional insecurity.  The development comes amid ongoing violence, as a separate attack on returning internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Taraba State left at least 17 people dead. Major Security Operation in Niger State According to security analyst Bakatsine, the operation targeted a militant camp in the Lakurawa area of Borgu Local Government Area. The hideout was said to be under the control of a militant leader identified as Amir Tajuddeen. Security forces stormed the camp and engaged the armed group in a clash that resulted in the reported deaths of over 40 fighters. The raid was described as a significant breakthrough in efforts to combat insecurity in the state. Separate Attack on Returning IDPs in Taraba In a tragic unrelated incident, violence struck returning...

The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has carried out new attacks in Northeast Nigeria, executing two individuals accused of spying for the Nigerian Army and raiding the properties of a police officer. The incidents, reported by security analyst Brant Philip, highlight continued militant activity in the region. Below is a summary of the key events: | Incident | Location | Reported Details | | Execution of Alleged Spies | Dekwa, Yobe & near Gubio, Borno | Two individuals accused of being army spies were killed. One was captured at home, and a vehicle was seized. | | Raid on Police Properties | Tetiba, Yobe State | Three houses belonging to Police Officer-in-Charge Mohammed Modu were set ablaze. Motorcycles and vehicles were stolen. No casualties were reported. | Details of the Incidents Security expert Brant Philip stated that ISWAP executed two alleged spies loyal to the Nigerian army. One was captured in his home in Dekwa, Yobe State, a...

In a stark and contentious assessment of Nigeria's long-running security crisis, prominent Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has declared the nation's military incapable of defeating bandit groups through force, insisting that negotiations offer the only viable path to peace. The cleric's remarks, made in an exclusive BBC interview, challenge the core premise of President Bola Tinubu's administration, which is pursuing a strategy of sweeping military reforms and a national security emergency aimed at crushing violent non-state actors. The Core Argument: A War Unwinnable by Bullets Alone Gumi framed the conflict in the northwest and beyond as a classic asymmetric struggle where a conventional military holds a disadvantage. "Where have you ever seen the military defeat guerrilla fighters? Nowhere," he stated. He cited the military's own doctrine, suggesting that kinetic (military) action constitutes only 25% of the solution...

A joint security operation by police and local vigilantes in Edo State led to the arrest of an unspecified number of suspected bandits and kidnappers at a hotel on Saturday, though accounts of the recovery of high-powered weapons have been disputed by the hotel's management. The arrests took place at Donchi Donchi Hotel on Odighie Road in the Agbede community of Etsako West Local Government Area. According to reports from local sources, the operation was triggered by community vigilance and a timely tip-off about the arrival of two Hilux vehicles carrying individuals described as "strange persons." Lawyers and community leaders, including Barr. Abdul Hakeem Enatto, shared details on social media, stating that a combined team of the Agbede Police Division, led by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) CSP Donald, and local vigilante members surrounded the hotel. They reportedly waited until the second Hilux vehicle entered the premises before moving in to apprehen...

A retired high-ranking Nigerian military officer has revealed a potentially pivotal moment in the nation's fight against banditry, claiming that a directive from the presidency of Muhammadu Buhari in 2021 halted a major military offensive that was on the verge of crippling armed gangs in the country's northwest and north-central regions. Retired Major-General Danjuma Ali-Keffi, who commanded the covert Operation Service Wide (OSW), detailed in a public account how his forces were making significant gains against bandits in states like Niger, Kaduna, Katsina, and Zamfara before being ordered to stand down. He alleges this pause, ostensibly to allow for negotiations with Fulani leadership, provided a crucial reprieve that allowed the bandits to regroup and survive. "The bandits operating in the North Central and North West zones were on the verge of capitulation in July/August 2021," Ali-Keffi stated, "until the administration gave them a re...