Metro
CCT boss gives reasons why 9 northern forests must be cleared to end terrorism
The Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Dr. Mainasara Kogo, has called for aggressive military action against bandits and terrorists in Nigeria, including the bombardment of nine forests across the North.
Speaking at the 2025 Sir Ahmadu Bello National Annual Memorial Conference held at the Arewa House in Kaduna on Saturday, Kogo emphasised the need for decisive action to tackle terrorism and insecurity across the region.
The conference, which attracted dignitaries from the North, was with the theme: ‘Nigeria’s Leadership for National Cohesion and Stability, Under The Contemporary Governance.’
The CCB Chairman, who was the guest speaker on the occasion, noted that in order to address the security challenges, the nine forests in northern Nigeria that provide shelter to terrorists be bombed to ashes by the military.
He identified the forests as Sambisa(Borno) Mandara mountains(located in Lake Chad), Falgore forests(Kano), Rugu forests(Katsina), Sabon Birni forests(Sokoto), Dansadau,(Zamfara) Birnin-Gwari(Kaduna) and Kontagora(Niger) and Birnin Kogo forests in Katsina states.
According to him, once these forests, which harbour the bandits and terrorists are bombed, the activities of these hoodlums would automatically cease.
Umar said, “The nine bushes that provide shelter to the terrorists in northern Nigeria (the Sambisa, the bushes around Mandara mountains up to the enclave of Lake Chad, the Falgore forests, the Rugu forests up to Shinkafi, the Sabon Birni forests, the Dansadau down to Birnin Kogo forests, the Birnin Gwari, the Kontagora to Yau’ri back to Funtua), must be bombed into ashes! This will automatically kill the terrorists and deny the remnants of the shelter they get from the bushes.
“Then, turn the area into belts of industrial commercial agriculture, which will take care of the 2nd terrorist (hunger) through bumper agricultural production, which will equally gain employment for our teeming unemployed youths.
“Then create industrial farms with a network of roads, farming housing settlements, the nucleus of which will spring up new hamlets and towns Then cluster industries will spring up, e.g. textiles, confectioneries, noodles, factories, flour industries, oil milling factories, will beef up economic activities that will gain foreign exchange earnings for the country.”
The CCT chairman also called for a comprehensive overhaul of the nation’s security architecture while recommending the creation of specialised security bodies, such as “National Border Security Police, National Ports Police, National Airports Police, National Cyber Crime Police, and National Anti-Terrorism Police.”
He also emphasised the importance of auditing security spending over the past 20 years to ensure accountability and transparency.
The CCT boss said, “Punish the guilty; punish the perpetrators e.g. several container loads with Arms and Ammunition have, at different times, been arrested, apart from the informants and international collaborators, but to date, we do not know if anyone has ever been convicted. The leadership in Nigeria must be ready to punish.
“Re-jig the security architecture; the President should unbundle the provisions of Section 153 of the Constitution that provides for the National Security Council, the National Police Council and the National Defense Council and make the councils to create the following security bodies:
National Border Security Police, National Ports Police, National Airports Police, National Cyber Crime Police, National Anti-Terrorism Police
“After this, incorporate all the changes in sections 214 – 216 of the Constitution, which gives the power of territorial internal security to the Nigeria Police and sections 217 – 219 of the Constitution that says the police can seek reinforcement from other security formations if the problems before them are overwhelming. In short, leave the police to coordinate all matters of internal-security.
“We want a comprehensive audit of all the monies released for security in the past 20 years. By the time you audit all the monetary spending vis-a-vis what is on ground, you then find out why despite ‘purchase of drones’, Torcanos, and no rat has visibly been brought to public glare.”
Earlier in his welcome address, the National President of Gamji Heritage, Ahmed Abdullahi, called on Nigerians to unite and find lasting solutions to the country’s pressing challenges.
Abdullahi highlighted the achievements of the late Sir Ahmadu Bello, including transformative institutions and projects such as Arewa House, Ahmadu Bello University, and the Kainji and Jebba Hydroelectric Projects.
“Our commitment to progress remains unwavering. With Allah’s guidance, we will overcome these challenges and build a stronger, united Nigeria,” he said.
Other speakers at the conference included the Vice Chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum, Ambassador Ibrahim Mai Sule; Justice Mainasara Kogo Umar; and the Director-General of the Centre for Democratic Development Research and Training, Zaria, Prof. Abubakar Mohammed.
Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers on Tuesday attacked an Abuja-bound bus belonging to GUO Transport Company along the Akunu axis of Ondo State.
The suspected kidnappers injured some passengers and left the vehicle riddled with bullet holes.
SaharaReporters obtained a disturbing video from the scene showing the aftermath of the attack.
Bullet holes riddled the body of the vehicle, and blood was visibly splattered across the front seats, indicating that some passengers were injured during the ambush.
“Make I come make them bring tyre out there. I thank God nothing happened to me. You no see wetin bullet do this place (Let us bring the tyre out of there. I thank God nothing happened to me. Can you see how they damaged the vehicle with bullets?),” the driver said in the video, pointing to damage on the bus caused by bullets.
The attack reportedly occurred between Akunu in Ondo State and Ayere in neighbouring Kogi State, an area notorious for frequent bandit and kidnapper activity, despite regular police checkpoints in the region.
“Kidnappers open fire on Abuja bound GUO bus shortly after driving about 3 minutes passing a police checking point Akunu in Ondo, before Ayare in Kogi state,” an X user who claimed to be privy to the development added.
One passenger could be heard urging others to re-enter the bus so the exhausted driver could rest.
When SaharaReporters contacted GUO Transport through its official WhatsApp line for comment, the company’s automated response said: “Thank you for contacting GUO Transport. We’d love to help, but we’re currently off work hours. We’ll attend to all enquiries in the next working hour.”
As of the time of filing this report, the spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, Funmilayo Odunlami, had yet to respond to multiple calls and follow-up messages seeking comment.
A devastating fire that broke out early Tuesday morning has reportedly destroyed at least 55 shops in the herbal medicine section of the Zamfara Central Market.
This incident follows a similar fire just six weeks ago, which also ravaged more than 100 shops in the same market.
The fire, which began around 1:00 AM, is still under investigation, and the exact cause remains undetermined. There are, however, suspicions that the blaze may have been triggered by flammable herbs stored in some of the affected shops, although no official conclusions have been reached.
Alhaji Sa’adu Dahiru, the chairman of the affected section, confirmed the scale of the damage and described the incident as catastrophic. “The fire also destroyed shops belonging to blouse and seasoning sellers,” he explained. “I know some of our members who have lost everything. These people have families to care for and depend on this business for their livelihood.”
Dahiru shared a poignant story of one of the traders who had stored ₦50,000 in his shop, intending to deposit it in the bank on Tuesday, but the money was destroyed in the fire along with his goods. He called on the state government to provide financial support for those affected. “I am appealing to the state government to look into our plight and offer us assistance,” he added.
Alhaji Ahmad Salihu Shinkafi, the Managing Director of the market, said the management is still probing the fire’s cause. He noted that some traders suggested that the blaze might have been sparked by a herb that is sensitive to excessive heat, which can cause it to explode. “We are still investigating to determine the exact cause of the fire,” he said.
Shinkafi also highlighted the preventive measures that had been implemented in the market, including a ban on the use of fire within the premises. “We don’t allow tea sellers, food vendors, or others who use fire near the market,” he explained. “So, only God knows what caused this inferno.”
As the victims assess their losses and call for government intervention, this incident underscores the growing concern over recurring fire disasters in markets across northern Nigeria, highlighting the need for improved safety measures to prevent such tragedies in the future.
A 35-year-old man, Gaddafi Isah, and Badamasi Isah, aged 30, have been beaten to death by a mob over the suspected theft of livestock at Katsayal village in the Sandamu Local Government Area of Katsina State.
A counter-insurgency expert focused on the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, made this known in a post on his X handle on Monday.
According to him, intelligence sources revealed that the two victims had driven their father’s vehicle to the outskirts of the village to learn to drive.
He stated that, in the process of the practice, a mob approached and accused them of stealing livestock.
He added that the mob surrounded the two men and beat them severely, causing them to sustain varying degrees of injuries.
“The victims were rescued by the security forces who were deployed to the scene and rushed to the Community Health Centre in Sandamu for treatment, but they were later confirmed dead by a medical doctor,” he posted.
He also disclosed that the vehicle the deceased victims were driving was also damaged during the attack.
He noted that the police had launched an investigation into the incident, and efforts were underway to apprehend the perpetrators responsible for the attack.
When contacted, the spokesperson of the state police command, Abubakar Aliyu, did not respond to calls made to his telephone line.
A text message sent had yet to be replied to as of the time this report was filed.
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