Echotitbits – Nigeria News

Tag: Zamfara State

  • Zamfara Government Accuses Defence Minister Matawalle of Politicising Security Operations

    Zamfara Government Accuses Defence Minister Matawalle of Politicising Security Operations

    Insights shared by Daily Post indicate the Zamfara State Government has accused Minister of State for Defence Bello Matawalle of using federal security agencies to intimidate political opponents.

    State officials claimed recent operations disproportionately affected opposition figures, while the minister reportedly denied wrongdoing and said actions were focused on tackling banditry.

    The dispute reflects deeper political rivalries within the state as insecurity remains a major public concern.

    **Echotitbits take:** When security becomes politicised, citizens lose. Watch for any presidential mediation, independent oversight of operations, and whether state–federal cooperation on intelligence and enforcement deteriorates or improves.
    Source: TheSun – https://thesun.ng/zamfara-govt-accuses-defence-minister-nsas-office-of-hounding-opposition/ 2026-01-08

    Photo Credit: TheSun

  • Zamfara to raise pay for 11,300 Juma’at imams from January 2026

    Zamfara to raise pay for 11,300 Juma’at imams from January 2026

    2025-12-31 09:28:00

    According to Vanguard, the Zamfara State Government says it will upgrade salaries for 11,300 Friday‑prayer imams and other clerics beginning January 2026 as part of a wider welfare push.

    Governor Dauda Lawal was quoted as linking the planned review to recommendations from an integrated e‑payment system, alongside ongoing spending on clerics’ stipends.

    The announcement comes as the state seeks stronger community engagement and social stability amid persistent security pressures in the North‑West.

    Daily Trust reported the governor “announced plans to upgrade the salary scale of 11,300 Juma’at Imams,” while Leadership said the government “promised to upgrade the salaries of Imams of Jummat Mosques and other Islamic clerics with effect from January 2026.”

    Echotitbits take: If properly funded and transparently implemented, this could strengthen community‑level social support and messaging against extremism. Watch for fiscal sustainability and whether similar welfare moves extend to broader public‑sector and frontline security workers.

    Source: Vanguard — December 31, 2025 (https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/12/11300-zamfara-imams-to-enjoy-salary-upgrade/)

    Vanguard December 31, 2025

    Photo Credit: Vanguard

  • Nigerian Troops Kill One Bandit, Arrest Two Others in Zamfara 

    Nigerian Troops Kill One Bandit, Arrest Two Others in Zamfara 

    Nigerian troops of Operation Hadarin Daji have killed an armed bandit and arrested two others when they engaged the criminals with superior firepower during a night patrol at Bakinruwa Riverside in Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

    In a statement on Saturday, by the Coordinator, Media Operations, Defence Headquarters (DHq), Major General John Enenche, troops engaged the criminals who fled in disarray due to troops’ overwhelming superior firepower. During the encounter, one of the armed bandits was neutralized, while 2 of them were arrested. One AK-47 rifle and a loaded magazine were also recovered from the criminals.

    READ ALSO:

    Release of Kankara Schoolboys Vindicates Buhari, Let’s Re-strategize Security – APC Chieftain

    “On 17 December 2020, troops of Forward Operating Base Shinkafi, while on night patrol, came in contact with some armed bandits at Bakinruwa Riverside in Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara State” the General said.

    In a related development, on 18 December 2020, troops deployed at Shinkafi arrested one Zainab at Shinkafi town in Shinkafi Local Government of Zamfara State.

    According to General Enenche, the suspect was found roaming the town in police uniform.

    He explained that: “A preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect is from Birnin Magaji Local Government Area of the State and has been involved in defrauding unsuspecting members of the public. All arrested suspects have been handed over to appropriate prosecuting agency for necessary action” Enenche stated.

    The DHq chief attributed the latest efforts of the Nigerian military to its committment to forestall banditry and other criminal activities in the North Central Zone of the Country. He added that troops of Operation HADARIN DAJI have sustained its aggressive fighting posture in the Zone.

    READ ALSO:

    US AFRICOM Activates Joint Task Force-Quartz

  • Flood: Residents of Kaura Namoda in Zamfara cry for help

    Flood: Residents of Kaura Namoda in Zamfara cry for help

    Residents of Kaura Namoda and it’s environ in Zamfara State have cried out to Government for help as their community is threatened by flood.

    The call for intervention in the area was made in statement by the spokesman of Kaura Namoda Empowerment and Development (KANEDEF), Abdulrazak Bello.

    Bello in the statement appealed to all concerned authorities to do the needful to save lives and property of residents through enlightenment, counselling and directives, especially to those living around riverine areas.

    According to Bello, the quantity of water overflow, the danger it posed to the area and the destruction to the community as witnessed by officials of KANEDEF who visited the River Gagare in the early hours of (Friday), calls for urgent action to salvage people of the town from danger.

    in a chat, the officer in charge of Nigeria Merological Agency, Gusau Office, Muhammad Garba, told Radio Nigeria that the Agency had earlier issued flood warning to people of Maru, Gusau, Gummi, Shinkafi, Tsafe and Zurmi Local Government Areas including their neighboring towns which Kaura Namoda is among them.

    To avoid impending danger to lives, Radio Nigeria reported further that Garba urged residents living in the riverine areas to vacate for their safety.

    River Gagagare is said to be the major River that crossed the city of Kaura Namoda to the north.

  • EFCC arrests Chinese nationals for bribing officer with N100m

    EFCC arrests Chinese nationals for bribing officer with N100m

    Two Chinese nationals have been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for offering bribes worth N50 million to a top official of the anti graft agency.

    The EFCC disclosed in a statement posted on its verified Twitter page that the suspects, Meng Wei Kun and Xu Koi, who were arrested in Sokoto on Monday allegedly offered to bribe the Zonal Head of the agency in the State, Abdullahi Lawal with the objective of compromising ongoing investigation of corruption.

    READ ALSO: President Buhari may appoint ex-Minister Gambari as Chief of Staff

    “The bribe was allegedly offered in a desperate bid to compromise ongoing investigations of a construction company, China Zhonghao Nig. Ltd, handling contracts awarded by the Zamfara State Government in the sum of N50,000,000,000.00(Fifty Billion Naira)”, the commission stated.

    The EFCC’s investigation of China Zhonghao Nigeria Ltd is in connection with the execution of contracts for the construction of township roads in Gummi, Bukkuyun, Anka and Nassarawa towns of Zamfara state, including the construction of 168 solar- powered boreholes in the 14 local government areas of the state.

    The EFCC stated that due to “the consistency and professionalism of investigation being conducted, the company reached out to Lawal with an offer of N100,000,000( One Hundred Million Naira) as bribe to “bury” the matter.

    “In a grand design to trap the corrupt officials, Lawal played along. On Monday, two representatives of the company Meng Wei Kun and Xu Kuoi offered him cash totalling fifty million naira in their office along airport road, Sokoto. The cash was offered as a first installment.

    “The suspects were promptly arrested with the cash as an evidence”, EFCC stated.

    China Zhonghao Nig. Ltd is being investigated for alleged conspiracy, misappropriation of public funds, embezzlement, official corruption, abuse of office, stealing and money laundering obtained against the Zamfara state government through inflated and uncompleted contracts awarded to the company.

    Investigations have so far revealed that China Zounghao Ltd has received payments of over N41 billion from the Zamfara State government out of which about N16 billion equivalent to over $53 million was allegedly diverted and traced to some bureau de change operators .