News
Boko Haram Sacks Military Base In Borno …Kills 15 Soldiers, Injures 19 …Kidnaps Winners Pastor, Youth Corps Member
Suspected armed members of the most dreaded terrorists group in Nigeria, Boko Haram, yesterday invaded a Military Formation at the outskirts of Magumeri Local Government Area of Borno State, and sacked all the inhabitants in the base.
Due to lack of telecommunications networks, information on the attacks was delayed.
Sources claimed that both Boko Haram and some security operatives suffered quite a number of casualties in the clash, as residents of Magumeri fled into the bush for safety.
Already, some residents have started returning back from the bush after 48hours as security situation normalises.
Magumeri Local Government Area of Borno State located north and about 35 kilometers away from Maiduguri, the state capital had witnessed series of Boko Haram attacks and killings in recent times.
A local who is a resident of the town living near the market and close to the District Head Palace, Abur Zanna said,” the Boko Haram terrorists entered the town at exactly 5:40 pm in a large convoy of trucks and motorcycles shouting slogans like, “Allahu Akbar” meaning, God is Great, moving round the town scaring the residents and making some residents to flee into bushes to hide for safety as there are no villages close by”.
Another highly placed Politician from Magumeri who is not authorized to talk to the press confirmed the attacks and sacking of the military base and some civilians in the latest attacks.
He said, at the time of the attacks, some soldiers, policemen and many civilians took to their heels for safety due to fire power from the terrorists that last for three to four hours.
Another civil source, a staff of Magumeri Local Government Area who was in company of officials that visited the town to assess the situation with a view to assist victims, BakakaModu said, “We are aware of the attack.
“We were told since Friday evening when they entered Magumeri but we cannot come over immediately due to security situation till this morning (Sunday) when we are able to reach Magumeri town and went round the town assessing the situation.”
“We found out that no structure was affected neither any body was killed or wounded as suspected during the invasion by the Boko haram insurgents. But a lot of damages have been done to the military base and property in the base.
“The military officials refused and denied us access to visit the base to assess the extent of destruction at the formation which is located at about 3 kilometers away from Magumeri town outskirts northwards of the town along Magumeri-Gubio road.
“Normalcy has returned to the town since Saturday afternoon and the military, police, civil defence and Vigilante CJTF have returned back to their respective base.
“Things are under control as at the time we visited. The situation is calm and everybody was advised to go about his or her normal businesses but to be extra careful and be on the watch out, especially, any suspicious element in their midst and report immediately any suspected movement of persons or object around to security agents nearest to them.
“We have since returned to Maiduguri as we operate from Maiduguri due to destruction of our secretariat by the BHTs which is yet to be repaired or renovated by the state government like those of Bama, Gwoza, Danasak, Gajiram, Askira/Uba, Chibok, Damboa, etc,”BakakaModu said.
Meanwhile, suspected Boko Haram fighters have killed 15 Nigerian soldiers in an attack on a military base in Borno State, security sources said Saturday.
The terrorists rode into Magumeri Local Government Area and sacked a brigade there at about 6:00 p.m. on Friday, our correspondent learnt.
A captain, a lieutenant and 13 soldiers lost their lives following intense firefight with the terrorists, sources said.
Our correspondent has withheld the identity of the officers to allow Nigerian Army enough time to notify their loved ones.
Nineteen soldiers were wounded in the attack. They were evacuated to the military hospital in Maiduguri for treatment.
About 24 soldiers who survived the attack, which was first reported by Agence France Presse last Friday, left the base to a safer military facility, sources said.
Heavy military equipment, including anti-aircraft machine guns and Toyota Hilux vehicles, were reportedly stolen by the insurgents during the attack.
It was not immediately clear the level of casualties against the terrorists. The Islamic State in West Africa (ISWA) had already claimed credits for the attack via its propaganda channels.
The army has not issued a statement about the attack. A spokesperson did not immediately return requests for comments on Friday night.
The attack came as the military was managing the aftermath of a similar overrun of a base in Borno on April 26. At least five soldiers were killed on that day while the dozens feared missing were yet to be found.
The attacks by the Book Haram have continued despite the efforts of Nigeria’s security agencies in partnership with those of neighbouring countries.
The Boko Haram, which demand an Islamic state in Northern Nigeria, has been largely restricted to the three North-eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. However, they still carry out attacks on soldiers and civilians in those states.
Also, gunmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect have kidnapped a National Youth Service Corps member, Abraham Amuta and a cleric with Living Faith Church (Winners Chapel), identified as Pastor Oyeleke in Borno State.
Friends of the corps member said on Twitter that they were abducted two weeks ago on their way to Chibok to distribute relief items to Internally Displaced Persons and evangelise.
It was said that they were in a vehicle alongside some other passengers when the attack occurred.
Amuta, it was learnt, is the only son of his parents.
One of his friends, who go by the name Success Ezeanya, wrote, “Abraham Amuta is a corps member serving in Maiduguri. He was abducted by Boko Haram two weeks ago. He went for evangelism with a pastor from his church – Living Faith. He is an only son. Let’s not forget him in our prayers.
“He is a Batch B, stream 1 corps member serving in Maiduguri, Borno State. It’s been over two weeks now since he went missing in Maiduguri. Some people claiming to be Boko Haram have called and claimed to have abducted him. Please retweet until the Federal Government sees this.”
Due to the volatile nature of Borno State, corps members are usually given the option to redeploy.
Last November alone, a total of 818 out of 1,118 corps members of the Batch C redeployed.
Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State had pleaded with corps members deployed in the state not to seek redeployment, assuring them of his government’s commitment to their welfare and security.
He also told them that they are major stakeholders in the task of the development of the state.
According to him, the state still pays monthly allowances of N10,000 to all categories of corps members; N50,000 to paramedics graduates and N100,000 to corps members who are medical doctors.
The immediate past Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brig. Gen. Zakari Kazaure, had warned corps members living in volatile areas not to engage in evangelism
He insisted that the concern of the corps members should be to serve and not to go and indoctrinate the host communities.
“Let me, however, warn you that you are posted to go and serve and not to go and evangelise. Your concern should be to serve and not to go and indoctrinate your host communities. Conversion of souls is not your concern,” Kazaure had said.
The Spokesperson for NYSC, Mrs. Adenike Adeyemi, did not respond to repeated telephone calls yesterday.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a large consignment of cocaine concealed in heads of imported dry stock fish and arrested a key member of the syndicate responsible for shipping the drugs abroad.
The agency disclosed this in a statement issued yesterday by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
He said the arrest and seizure followed intelligence on trans-border criminal activities.
Babafemi said the intelligence led to a sting operation by operatives of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Strategic Command of the Agency at the Ojo area of Lagos on Thursday, March 19, 2026.
“In the course of the operation, three jumbo size bags were found in possession of the kingpin 36-year-old Akputa Dickson Ejike.
“A search of the bags led to the recovery of Two Hundred and Thirty-Seven (237) wraps of cocaine buried in the heads of imported dry stock fish locally known as ‘Okporoko.’
“The cocaine pellets have a gross weight of 5.80 kilograms. The consignment was intended for export to Delhi, India,” the statement read.
In a separate operation on Wednesday, March 25, NDLEA operatives from the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) intercepted two consignments bound for the United Kingdom at a courier company in Lagos.
“In one of the shipments that originated from Cotonou, Benin Republic, 1.9 kilograms of methamphetamine were found concealed in automobile filters while the second parcel contains 40 ampoules of Morphine Sulphate and nine ampoules of Fentanyl,” the statement said.
Babafemi added that on March 26, a Special Operations Unit (SOU) raided the home of 46-year-old Omolade Abigail Jolayemi, known as “Iya Ghana,” at 13 Carter Street, Yaba, Lagos.
According to him, she and her associate, 31-year-old Sarah Zainab Agbabiaka, were arrested after operatives recovered 135 blocks of cannabis weighing 76.30 kilograms.
“Same day, the SOU operatives also arrested Anayo Lucky Ohabiro, 39, at Doyin bus stop, Surulere, Lagos following credible intelligence. A total of 78 blocks of Ghana Loud weighing 41kg were seized from him,” he said.
In Ekiti State, the statement added that “an 80-year-old grandpa, Oke Samuel, was on Thursday 26th March arrested by NDLEA operatives during a special raid operation at Mosafuneto camp, Erinmo road, Efon-Alaaye Ekiti. A total of 2.2kg skunk and 1.8grams of methamphetamine were recovered from him.”
Another suspect, 37-year-old Enuwa Kehinde Kingsley, had 894.72 kilograms of skunk seized from an uncompleted building in Ogbese, Akure North, Ondo State.
Elsewhere, 35-year-old Saater Nyam was apprehended at Pevi village, Guma LGA, Benue State, with 116.7 kilograms of skunk on Tuesday, March 24.
In Edo State, a warehouse raid in Ekpoma town, Esan West LGA, on Monday, March 23, led to the arrest of 25-year-old Felix Donald and the seizure of 576.5 kilograms of skunk and 33 bottles of codeine-based syrup.
In Taraba State, Babafemi said NDLEA officers intercepted a truck carrying 100 blocks of compressed skunk weighing 135 kilograms concealed in animal feed bags from Garbachede to Gombe State on Tuesday, March 24.
Two suspects, 21-year-old Osama Mamuda and 22-year-old Auwal Umar, were arrested in connection with the seizure.
Babafemi noted that the agency has also continued its War Against Drug Abuse social advocacy, conducting sensitisation lectures in schools across Cross River, Adamawa, Oyo, Kano, and Lagos states.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Marwa (Rtd), commended operatives from MMIA, SOU, DOGI, Ekiti, Ondo, Benue, Edo, and Taraba Commands for their efforts and praised all commands nationwide for balancing drug supply reduction with drug demand reduction initiatives.
The Christian Association of Nigeria has called on political leaders at all levels to demonstrate empathy and take urgent steps to ease the growing economic hardship facing Nigerians, as Christians mark Palm Sunday.
In a statement issued on Sunday, CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, said the significance of Palm Sunday offers timely lessons for leadership, particularly during a period marked by economic strain and global uncertainty.
Reflecting on the biblical account of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, Okoh noted that the moment symbolised humility, peace, and purposeful leadership rather than a display of power.
“Jesus entered Jerusalem with calm resolve at a time of uncertainty and expectation. It was not a show of force, but a message of peace, purpose, and hope,” he said.
He stressed that the country’s current socio-economic realities demand similar qualities from those in authority.
“Across Nigeria, many are feeling the weight of the times. The cost of living is rising, and for countless families, daily life is getting harder,” Okoh said.
He linked domestic economic challenges to global developments, particularly tensions involving Iran, Israel, and the United States, which he said are disrupting energy markets worldwide.
“The impact is already here. Fuel is more expensive. Transport costs are rising. Food prices are climbing,” he said, warning that such pressures are intensifying the hardship faced by ordinary citizens.
The CAN president emphasised that in times of uncertainty, the tone and actions of leaders are critical in restoring public confidence.
“For many Nigerians, the concern is simple and immediate: how to cope, how to plan, how to stay afloat. When life feels this uncertain, people need reassurance, stability, and the quiet confidence that those in positions of responsibility understand what they are going through,” he stated.
He further urged leaders to embrace a style of governance rooted in restraint, compassion, and commitment to the common good.
“True leadership is not always loud. It is seen in empathy and in decisions that ease burdens, calm anxieties, and bring people together. This is a time for such wisdom,” Okoh added.
Beyond government, CAN also called on the Church and citizens to promote unity and peace, drawing inspiration from the collective spirit associated with Palm Sunday.
“It reminds us of a moment when people from all walks of life came together with one purpose. That same spirit is needed now. We must stand for peace, strengthen unity, and support one another,” he said.
Addressing young Nigerians and those most affected by the economic downturn, Okoh encouraged resilience and hope.
“The challenges are real, but they are not the end of the story,” he said, urging citizens not to lose faith amid difficulties.
He expressed hope that the lessons of Palm Sunday would inspire renewed commitment to national cohesion and shared progress.
“As we journey through this sacred season, may the spirit of Palm Sunday guide us towards quiet courage, shared purpose, and a renewed commitment to the good of all,” the statement added.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has charged the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South -South to be united and work together to ensure that the ruling party achieves its ultimate goal in the region.
The governor who spoke at the South South Zonal Congress in Asaba, Delta State, said working in unity and with a common purpose will enable them deliver optimally to the electoral fortunes of the party in 2027.
“We can only achieve our goal when we are united and we work together. I surely believe that this is the right time, the right people and the right place. My charge to those of you elected today is that the responsibility is going to be very tasking but I believe strongly that they will deliver for our party,” he said.
Fubara expressed confidence that the newly elected leadership of the party would be equal to the task.
He expressed profound gratitude to the Delta State Government for hosting the Zonal Delegates Congress, stressing that he believes that the best will come from the South South region.
The Congress which attracted the creme de la creme of the APC in the zone, saw the re-election of the zonal leadership through consensus. The reinstated leaders were promptly inaugurated at the ceremony.
Some of the dignitaries in attendance include the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, Governors Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, Duoye Doris of Bayelsa State, Monday Okpebholo of Edo State, Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State, Bassey Otu of Cross River State and Sheriff Oboroevwori of Delta State.
Also in attendance were the members of the National Assembly as well as members of the State Houses of Assembly from the South South Zone.
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