By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai, OPHK, have apprehended 18 suspected logistics suppliers allegedly enroute Gubio, with plans to proceed to the Gudumbali axis, a known Boko Haram terrorists, BHTs, enclave.

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai, OPHK, have apprehended 18 suspected logistics suppliers allegedly enroute Gubio, with plans to proceed to the Gudumbali axis, a known Boko Haram terrorists, BHTs, enclave.

This is contained in a daily operational report made available to the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday.

The military said the suspects were intercepted while travelling towards the location to deliver the goods to the terrorists.

According to the report, preliminary investigation revealed that all 18 suspects confessed to engaging in the supply of goods to the terrorist group.

“They admitted that they routinely purchase and convey items to the terrorists.

“Their justification was lack of employment, which points to a deeper socio-economic challenge in Maiduguri and its environs,” the army said.

The development, according to the reportt, validates recent remarks by the Chief of Defence Staff on the link between economic hardship and the sustenance of insurgency logistics networks.

“The arrest highlights the critical role of civilian collaborators in sustaining terrorist operations, particularly in remote areas such as Gubio and Gudumbali,” it added.

The army called for a comprehensive approach combining military operations with economic empowerment and job creation to address the root causes of insurgency in the region.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has condemned the arrest of a Muslim cleric who hosted him over the weekend, describing the incident as a sign of deepening threats to civil liberties in Nigeria.

In a statement shared on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Tuesday, Obi said he was notified that Sheikh Ahmad Tijjani Umar was taken into custody by security operatives shortly after their meeting in Kaduna on Sunday.

“This development underscores the deeply troubling state of our nation and our democracy, where freedom of speech and movement is increasingly threatened, and where citizens and perceived political opponents face harassment and unnecessary persecution,” Obi wrote.

The former Anambra governor warned that such actions risk eroding Nigeria’s democratic foundations if left unchecked. He urged authorities to uphold the rule of law and refrain from tactics that intimidate dissent.

“This country must defend freedom and free speech, which are the hallmarks of every democratic society. Suppression and intimidation of dissent can never stand in a democratic society, and this Nigerian government must understand this fact,” he added.

Obi called on those “bent on undermining our already fragile democracy” to desist and adhere to democratic principles in dealing with citizens.

As of Tuesday morning, security agencies had not issued an official statement regarding the cleric’s arrest or the circumstances leading to it. Sheikh Umar, a respected religious figure in Kaduna, has not been publicly charged.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Security was heightened on Tuesday around the Federal High Court in Kaduna as operatives of various agencies took positions ahead of the arraignment of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over alleged corruption-related offences.

As early as 7:00 a.m., heavily armed personnel drawn from the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Police Force, the Mobile Police Force, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps were deployed to strategic points leading to the court premises located at the old Nigerian Defence Academy.

Vehicular movement was restricted, with motorists forced into a single lane from the Ungwan Sarki axis through Kawo, causing early morning traffic disruptions.

The development followed an earlier announcement by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission that it would arraign El-Rufai on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, before the Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna.

The anti-graft agency, in a Monday statement by its Head of Media and Public Communications, John Odey, disclosed that El-Rufai would be arraigned alongside one Joel Adoga in suit number FHC/KD/73/2026.

According to the commission, the charges border on alleged conversion and possession of public property, as well as money laundering.

“The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission is set to arraign the former Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufa’i, and one Joel Adoga at the Federal High Court of Nigeria in the Kaduna Judicial Division on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. The charges range from conversion of and possession of public property to money laundering,” the statement read.