By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

US President-elect, Donald Trump’s incoming administration plans to immediately order a series of deportation raids targeting illegal immigrants after his inauguration.

Chicago is expected to be the first major city targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents as part of Operation Safeguard, the New York Times reported, citing two people familiar with planning the undertaking.

The massive deportation operation is expected to target criminals and gang members in the United States illegally and run for one week.

Trump has promised to conduct the largest deportation program in U.S. history.

Up to 200 ICE agents are being sent to Chicago to help kick off the operation on Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported. The agency has already asked agents to volunteer for the post-inauguration raids.

“There’s gonna be a big raid across the country,” Tom Homan, who will be in charge of U.S. borders once Trump takes office, told Fox News in an interview.

Homan has previously said he will instruct ICE agents to carry out raids on illegal immigrants at their workplaces.

In addition to Chicago, the sweeping crackdown will also target other major U.S. cities with large immigrant populations.

Trump is set to take the oath of office on Monday, January 20, in an inauguration that will take place indoors.

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

A faith-based civil society organization, CSO that monitors and reports on Hajj and Umrah activities, the Independent Hajj Reporters, IHR, has commended the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, for selecting a different Saudi-based Hajj service provider for the 2025 Hajj season.

It said the decision would create healthy competition among service providers interested in efficiently, qualitatively, and satisfactorily serving Nigerian pilgrims.

The CSO, in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Malam Ibrahim Muhammed, in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, and made available to our correspondent on Sunday in Abuja, said the quest for improved Hajj services has been a major challenge for Nigerian pilgrims owing to the repeated failure of providing satisfactory services.

”We applauded the decision to pick another service provider that will cater for the needs of pilgrims within the Masha’ir areas during the five days of Hajj,” he said

The national coordinator, who is currently in Saudi Arabia to monitor the pre-Hajj arrangements, said available information shows that the new company, Mashariq Al Dhahabia, is an experienced provider that has served top-rated Hajj countries, like Indonesia and Malaysia, and ranked among the top five Hajj service providers by the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.

“The company served 249 706 which is the largest number of Hajj pilgrims during the 2023 hajj. They were awarded as the Best Hajj Service Providers during the 2022 Hajj by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah,” he stated.

IHR said it further understood that NAHCON is planning to recruit another service provider to provide services for very important personalities, VIP pilgrims so as not to repeat the experience of previous years, which is also a desired step forward.

It, however, urged NAHCON to set a parameter of performance for the newly selected service providers to serve as a baseline for determining continuous patronage, advising that such criteria should be based on pilgrims’ satisfaction and adherence to contractual terms.

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Bello Turji, a notorious bandit leader, is reportedly on the run following a sustained military offensive targeting his camp in Fakai, Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

A counterinsurgency reporter, @Zagazola, disclosed that troops under Operation Fansan Yanma launched a combined ground and air assault, dismantling Turji’s key hideouts in Fakai.

The offensive follows a series of successful operations in Zamfara’s Sabon Birni Local Government Area, where multiple bandit camps, including Zangon Dan Gwandi, Zangon Tsaika, and Zangon Kagara, were destroyed.

Among the camps targeted were Zangon Dan Gwandi, Zangon Tsaika, Zangon Kagara, and a school reportedly used by Turji to store foodstuffs and weapons. The military burned the school to prevent it from serving as a supply base for Turji’s network.

“Intelligence sources comfirmed to Zagazola Makama that Turji’s group has suffered significant losses. ‘We killed his son and many of his fighters during the operation. I also listened to Turji’s panicked voice calling for reinforcements from seven other bandit leaders. None of them showed up, and one of his spies narrowly escaped from us today,’ the sources said.

“A considerable number of Turji’s associates, including high-profile lieutenants and possibly family members, were neutralized during the targeted strikes.

“Further reports reveal that four of Turji’s fighters were injured in previous encounters, while others have retreated to Mangwarorin Gebe, allegedly hiding stolen livestock and valuables.

“The operation, described as strategic and carefully planned, is primarily led by special forces with support from the General Officer Commanding (GOC). The special forces are supplemented by personnel from the Navy’s Special Boat Service (SBS), provided by the Theatre Command.

This operation is one of the most decisive efforts in recent times. Our forces are committed to ending the impunity of notorious bandits. This is a sustained campaign to dismantle these networks completely, sources said