News
DSS Reportedly Arrests Hadejia, Former Aide To Tinubu’s Minister, Matawalle For Treason, Gun-Running
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Bashir Hadejia, an ex aide to Nigeria’s Minister of State, Defence, Bello Matawalle, has been reportedly arrested on charges including treason, subversive activities, gun-running, and transnational crimes.
It was gathered that the arrest was carried out in a joint operation by the Nigeria Police Force and by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Hadejia was former aide to Matawalle when he served as Governor of Zamfara State.
It was learnt that Hadejia who specialises in money laundering and other transnational crimes was over the weekend arrested for treason, subversive activities against the Nigerian government, trans-border gun-running, heist, and other crimes.
The former Director of Strategy and Communications to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Chief Jackson Ude, made this known on his X handle on Wednesday, while disclosing that the arrest was prompted by intelligence reports indicating Hadeja’s involvement in smuggling large quantities of weapons and gold bars, reportedly stolen from the Central Bank of Libya orchestrated by Matawalle.
According to the report, Hadejia is alleged to have used dangerous goods as a cover for aiding terrorism and other criminal activities in Nigeria’s northern states.
According to Ude, in August 2020, then Governor, Bello Matawalle, accompanied by his aide, Bashir Hadejia, went to Aso Rock and presented then President Muhammadu Buhari with Gold Bars mined from Zamfara State as part of the Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Development Initiative (PAGMI).
“In 2024, the security agencies arrested Hadejia on the orders of Matawalle and, then accused him for possessing bars of gold carrying Gaddafi’s statue worth one tone believed to have been stolen from the Libyan Central Bank.
He said Matawalle’s antics were a clear case of how politicians in government used security agencies to arrest and charge citizens of crimes they never committed.
“Matawalle is accusing Hadejia who was once his close ally of leaking information about him to me. It is not a case of treason, terrorism or stolen Gold Bars. This is just a war of two former friends with one who is in government, using his position to intimidate the other.”
Further investigation uncovered incriminating documents, including tracking files of high-profile individuals and an international passport from the Republic of Vanuatu, which expires on September 14, 2030.
However, a video surfaced showing Hadejia with gold bars and a statue of Gaddafi, believed to be stolen from the Libyan Central Bank.
Hadejia is reportedly cooperating with authorities, revealing the names of his sponsors and associates, including a former director of the Department of State Services (DSS).
In a video posted on Thursday by Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency expert and security analyst in the Lake Chad region, Bashir Hadejia can be seen in a video call with someone identified as “Ade Vanuatu,” evaluating a consignment before its delivery
It would be recalled that Bello Turji, the notorious bandit kingpin in Zamfara, recently made serious allegations against Matawalle and others, claiming that the issue of insecurity plaguing the country had the full backing of the Minister—an allegation which Matawalle has denied through the media.
Turji stated that the failed Amnesty programme, supervised by the Minister, had led to the escalation of crises in the North West.
He also alleged that some of the bandit leaders involved in the peace truce moved to Sokoto metropolis after handing their arms over to their subordinates, who were then involved in kidnapping for ransom.
According to Turji, these subordinates were making returns to their leaders residing in Sokoto town. He named some of these leaders as Bashari Maniya, Kabiru, and Buhari.
“Dan Maigari is the younger brother of Bashari Maniya; he has 150 guns. His hideout is in the Maradun riverine area, and he is responsible for attacks in the Maradun axis,” said Turji.
Efforts by SaharaReporters to reach the DSS spokesman, Peter Afunanya, and the Nigerian Police Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, for confirmation through calls and text messages were unsuccessful.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Enugu Governor Peter Mbah has expressed deep grief over the passing away of former Super Eagles skipper and coach, Christian Chukwu, describing him as a football icon, titan, and phenomenon.
Reacting to the development on Saturday Mbah said: “I received with a deep sense of loss the passing away of Chairman Christian Chukwu. It is a personal loss to us as Ndi Enugu, his home state, and indeed to Nigeria as a nation and Africa as a continent.
“Christian Chukwu was a national icon, a football titan, field marshal, and phenomenon. His exploits as a footballer united the country across ethnic divides and creed.
He was patriotism personified, serving the nation and Africa unreservedly both as a player and coach of the highly successful Rangers International Football Club of Enugu and Super Eagles of Nigeria, which he captained to victory as Green Eagles at the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON. He also coached the Harambee Stars, Kenya’s senior male national team, among others.
“Chairman, as he was fondly called, gave his all not only to the nation but to the rest of Africa. He wrote his name in gold in the annals of the history of Nigerian and African football.
Our dear legend has gone the way of all mortals, but the fond memories and the pride he gave Ndi Igbo and Nigeria as a whole will be cherished forever.
“My heart goes out to his family, Ndi Enugu, the Nigerian sports community and the entire nation over this irreplaceable loss. May the good Lord grant his soul eternal repose.”
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
No fewer than seven people lost their lives on Saturday following the detonation of an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by Boko Haram terrorists in Borno State.
The deadly incident occurred along the Maiduguri-Damboa Road, a notorious route that cuts through the Sambisa Forest—an area long plagued by insurgent activities.
The victims were part of a convoy of vehicles being escorted by the military from Damboa to Maiduguri.
According to eyewitness accounts and local sources, the explosion struck as the convoy—organized to provide safe passage through the volatile region—was underway. Several other passengers sustained varying degrees of injuries and were rushed to a hospital in Maiduguri for urgent treatment.
The Maiduguri-Damboa Road serves as a vital link between the state capital and several local government areas in southern Borno, including Chibok and Gwoza.
For years, the route remained closed to civilian traffic due to persistent terrorist threats. However, under the administration of Governor Babagana Zulum, the road was reopened, with military escorts deployed to accompany travelers twice weekly after clearing the area for explosives.
Saturday’s attack raises fresh concerns about the safety of the corridor, despite consistent military presence. The blast also comes just days after Governor Zulum publicly raised alarm over renewed Boko Haram activity in the state, highlighting the persistent threat the group poses to peace and development in the region.
Authorities are yet to release an official statement on the incident, while investigations and security operations in the area continue.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has initiated a search following the theft of a black Toyota Hilux vehicle belonging to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Nuhu Ribadu, which was stolen during Friday’s Juma’at prayers in Abuja.
It was gathered that the vehicle was parked around 1:05pm opposite the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) complex in Area 10, while the official attended prayers at a nearby mosque.
Security source, Zagazola Makama, disclosed the incident via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, revealing that the ONSA official returned from the mosque only to find the vehicle missing.
According to him, a sources said the theft was immediately reported to the Garki Police Division at approximately 2:00 p.m., leading to a swift response by law enforcement.
Meanwhile, the FCT Police Command promptly activated a stop-and-search operation at various checkpoints and across all entry and exit points in the capital city.
Police authorities confirmed that investigations are ongoing and all efforts are being made to apprehend the culprits and recover the vehicle.
The Command said it had intensified efforts to track down the fleeing suspects and recover the stolen Hilux.
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