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Bandits abduct five foreign nationals in Zamfara

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Five foreign nationals from Burkina Faso have been abducted by suspected armed bandits while working at a gold mining site near Arafa village in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The abduction reportedly occurred around 11:15 a.m. on March 14 when a large group of bandits, believed to have been hiding between Arafa and Gidan Dankande villages, invaded the mining site and forcefully took the workers to an unknown destination.

Sources told Zagazola Makama that the heavily armed assailants fled into the surrounding bush shortly after carrying out the attack. By the time security operatives from a nearby Operation FANSAN YAMMA base arrived at the scene, the attackers had already escaped.

According to the sources, efforts are ongoing to locate the bandits and secure the safe release of the abducted foreigners, with security personnel currently combing the area for intelligence that could lead to their rescue.
The incident once again highlights the dangerous link between illegal mining activities and armed banditry in Zamfara State. Over the years, the North West’s rich deposits of minerals such as gold, copper and lithium have attracted both legitimate investors and criminal networks that exploit the resources for illicit gains.

Local sources say many bandit leaders in the region collect weekly royalties from miners, a system that has strengthened their control over several mining sites. Mining operations allegedly linked to influential or politically connected individuals are often left undisturbed, while ordinary miners face extortion, intimidation and repeated attacks.
These payments serve as more than protection fees; they provide crucial funding for criminal operations, including the purchase of weapons, logistics for kidnappings and the recruitment of more fighters.

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The latest abduction of the five foreign nationals is seen as another reflection of this criminal economy.

In 2019, the federal government banned gold mining in Zamfara in an effort to curb illegal mining and rising insecurity. Two years later, authorities also introduced a no-fly zone to stop the smuggling of minerals and weapons. However, the measures failed to reduce violence, as deaths linked to insecurity in the state reportedly increased by 183 percent in the four years following the ban.

The ban also had unintended consequences. Thousands of miners who had already been displaced from their farmlands due to insecurity were forced to operate under the control of armed groups. Profits from these illegal mining activities further financed attacks, kidnappings and cross-border recruitment of bandits.

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Trump expresses fear of being impeached

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The President of the United States (US), Donald Trump, has expressed concerns over his administration’s continuity, saying he might be impeached.

Recall that the Republican is the only US president who has been impeached twice.

Although he was acquitted by the Senate on both occasions, the 80-year-old politician has warned his supporters ahead of a looming impeachment.

He predicted that the impeachment would likely happen if the Republicans lost control of Congress in November’s midterm elections.

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“You will lose everything” if Democrats took control of Congress.

“I’m going to be impeached. They’re going to impeach me. They have no idea why,” Trump said in his address at a rally in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

There are concerns in the US that Democrats will gain seats in the House of Representatives in November, while the Senate control is viewed as more contentious.

Trump, who was campaigning in South Carolina for Darline Graham, who was appointed to the Senate in July after the passing of her brother, Republican senator Lindsey Graham , feared that the Democrats’ victory would threaten his administration’s policies, including tax cuts and immigration measures.

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“If we lose, you’re going to lose your border, you’re going to lose your tax cuts, you’re going to lose everything that we’ve done,” Trump told supporters.

He further noted that taxes would increase, wages would decrease, and companies would exit the US if a Democratic-controlled Congress were to take power.

Trump urged his supporters to treat the midterm elections as if he were running himself, insisting that his political influence was on the line.

“What I really want you to do is pretend, please, that I’m on the ballot. Just come and vote,” Trump said.

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BREAKING: 200 members dump APC, join ADC in Niger

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Over 200 members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger State have defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as political activities gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The defectors, comprising mostly women and youths, were received into the opposition party by the ADC deputy governorship candidate in the state, Hon. Mamma Musa.

They were welcomed during a ceremony held on Saturday at the ADC secretariat in Bosso Local Government Area of the state.

Speaking on their decision to leave the APC, some of the defectors said they had decided to move on, accusing the ruling party of losing direction and neglecting the interests of the people.

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One of the defectors, Hassan Salihu, said they left the APC because, in his view, governance had become personalised under the party’s administration in the state.

Another defector, Abdullahi Adamu, popularly known as Shaban, alleged that the APC administration had abandoned members who worked to bring the party to power.

Adamu said he lost his vehicle while campaigning for the APC but claimed that despite the sacrifice, he received no meaningful support from the party.

The defectors also cited hardship and poverty among the reasons for their decision, expressing optimism that the ADC would provide better opportunities and improve their fortunes.

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The latest defection comes about a month after former commissioners, local government chairmen, councillors and other political appointees from the immediate past administration in the state joined the ADC.

The earlier defection was led by a former Chief of Staff to former Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, Alhaji Maikil Bmitosahi, who accused the incumbent administration of running a one-man government.

The development adds to growing political realignments in Niger State ahead of the 2027 elections, with opposition parties seeking to strengthen their structures and attract defectors from the ruling APC.

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Iranian hackers ‘shut down British power plant for four days’

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A small UK power generator was forced to shut down for four days after it was targeted in a cyberattack reportedly linked to Iranian hackers.

The incident, which is reported to have taken place last month, is believed to be the first time Iranian-affiliated hackers have successfully shut down a UK facility of this kind.

Sources did not name the facility, but it is understood to be a “small-scale energy generator” and the incident did not pose any risk to the wider grid, The Telegraph reports.

It is thought to have been reported to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), part of GCHQ, which responds to serious cyber incidents affecting UK organisations.

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In response, the government issued briefings to power companies and wrote to businesses with advice.

Earlier this year, Dr Richard Horne, head of the NCSC, warned that most nationally significant cyber attacks on Britain were carried out by hostile states, including China, Iran and Russia.

He said the body dealt with around four of these attacks each week, and warned businesses to be prepared to protect themselves against cyber attacks without needing the option of paying ransoms, because the UK could be targeted “at scale” if it were to become involved in an international conflict.

The Telegraph

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