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At least 40 Civilians killed, 42 injured in Burkina Jihadist attack – UN

Published

3 years ago

November 29, 2023

Advocate News Nigeria

At least 40 Civilians killed, 42 injured in Burkina Jihadist attack – UN

• Burkina Faso military

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At least 40 civilians were killed in a jihadist attack in the northern Burkina Faso town of Djibo at the weekend, the UN Human Rights Office said Tuesday.

Burkina has been caught since 2015 in a spiral of jihadist violence perpetrated by rebels affiliated with the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda, which are also hitting neighbouring Mali and Niger.

“A large number of Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) fighters attacked a military base, homes and Internally Displaced People’s camps in the city Djibo, in the Sahel region, killing at least 40 civilians and injuring more than 42,” the UN agency said.

The agency said attacks on civilians were “inexcusable and must stop” with those behind them apprehended and judged at a fair and independent trial.

It added that deliberate targeting of civilians constituted a “war crime”.

Djibo, near the border area straddling Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, has been besieged by jihadist groups active in the region for months.

Several convoys seeking to resupply the town have been attacked.

Burkinabe security force sources told AFP that jihadists had carried out a massive attack Sunday on an army post at Djibo and that the army had killed dozens of attackers.

The sources added soldiers had been killed but did not mention civilian casualties.

A security source told AFP the Djibo army post had been the “target of a sizeable jihadist attack perpetrated by armed terrorist groups”, adding an unspecified number of soldiers “paid the supreme sacrifice to hold Djibo”.

The source added the army had inflicted “heavy losses on the enemy”.

Another security source put the number of attackers in the hundreds, saying they were beaten back when the army called in air support.

The source said the waves of assailants had arrived on motorbikes and pickup trucks and carried out an attack lasting more than three hours.

That source added that several dozen jihadist fighters had been “neutralised”.

Jihadists Besiege Djibo

The official Burkina Faso news agency AIB said “more than 400 terrorists (were) cut down during the counter-offensive of the Burkinabe Armed Forces against nearly 3,000 criminals who tried to seize the town of Djibo.”

AIB added that the “horde of terrorists” had sought “to sow death and desolation in Djibo, before taking control of the city”.

The Sahel region around the city is one of the worst-hit zones in Burkina Faso and has witnessed some of the bloodiest exchanges.

The country has been run since September last year by a military junta led by Ibrahim Traore, who led the country’s second putsch in eight months.

The military rulers have made the fight against the jihadist groups who control around 40 percent of the country their top priority.

The past eight years have seen the nation riven by a widening spiral of violence also experienced by neighbouring Mali and Niger, both of whom have seen their own military coups in the past three years.

The violence in Burkina Faso has displaced more than two million people and left more than 17,000 dead, civilians and army included, with some 6,000 killed so far this year according to NGO ACLED, which collects real-time data on reported political violence.

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Enugu Senatorial By-election: Asogwa’s landslide victory affirms APC’s dominance, Says Gov Mbah

Published

7 hours ago

June 22, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

Senator-elect, Ikeje Asogwa

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…Describes Asogwa as people’s champion

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has congratulated the winner and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Saturday by-election for Enugu North Senatorial District, Chief Ikeje Asogwa, describing the landslide victory as an affirmation of APC’s overwhelming acceptance and dominance in the state’s politics.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Sunday, declared APC’s Asogwa winner of the senatorial seat formerly won in 2023 by Labour Party Senator Okey Ezea, who died after an illness in November 2025.

The district covers Nsukka, Igbo-Eze North, Igbo-Eze South, Uzo-Uwani, Igbo-Etiti, and Udenu Local Government Areas (LGAs).

The Returning Officer, Professor Christian Ezeibe, who announced the result in the early hours of Sunday at the INEC office in the LGA, said Asogwa polled a total of 162,360 votes to defeat his closest rival, Nestor Ezeme of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 9,299 votes.

Reacting, Mbah described it as a “statement victory,” noting that the people of the senatorial district had not only made the best choice for quality representation, but had also demonstrated total alignment with the APC.

“On behalf of the Government and good people of Enugu State, I congratulate Chief Ikeje Asogwa on this resounding victory.

“It is a statement and landmark victory both for us as an administration and for the APC as a party.

“If anybody was in doubt, the landslide victory proves, beyond rhetoric, that APC has now emerged as the unquestionable dominant political force across the length and breadth of our state. Our people are fully aligned.

“It is also a vote of confidence in Chief Ikeje Asogwa, a people’s champion, who has distinguished himself in the service of his people and the state.

“There is no doubt that his presence at the centre will strengthen state-federal government partnership and the inflow of dividends of democracy,” he stated.

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Terrorists burn NSCDC Checkpoint, kidnap resident in Kebbi

Published

7 hours ago

June 22, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

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Suspected terrorists on Saturday raided Tsamiya, a community in Bagudo Local Government Area of Klebbi, setting ablaze security checkpoint belonging to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), a local brothel, and the residence of one Sule Mai Goge.

In a statement, the Public Relations Officer of the State Police Commander, SP Bashir Usman, said one Alhaji Yusuf Bazamfare was kidnapped during the attack on the community.

He said following the attack, the Command had deployed tactical personnel to Tsamiya town.

The statement added that a comprehensive investigation into the incident had since commenced, with efforts to rescue the kidnapped victim and track the perpetrators ongoing.

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Two grandpas arrested for selling illicit drugs to teenage secondary school students

Published

19 hours ago

June 21, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

The suspects

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…as NDLEA intercepts illicit consignment from China, Dubai-bound Loud concealed in ladies’ bags

…nabs wanted couple in Ekiti, 75-year-old grandma, others in Oyo raid

An 84-year-old grandpa, Godfrey Orji and 75-year-old Godwin Obulunbiya Obiora are now cooling their heels in the custody of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) following their arrest for dealing in illicit substances, which they sell to teenage secondary school students in Umuahia, Abia state capital.

Pa Obiora was arrested by NDLEA operatives on Friday 19^th June 2026 following credible intelligence that he was selling illicit substances to young students and others in his patent medicine store located at 4 Club road, Umuahia, where 4.64 kilograms of opioids including tramadol and diazepam were recovered from him during a search of his premises.

In his case, Pa Orji who is a pensioner and also into the illicit drug trade, was nabbed by security guards at Saint Silas Secondary School, Old Umuahia, for supplying illicit drugs to two teenage students (names withheld) in the school. The guards thereafter handed them over to the police who in turn transferred them to NDLEA on Thursday 18^th June.

In his statement, one of the two teenagers, a 15-year-old SS2 student claimed the 84-year-old grandpa supplies him the drugs which he takes and also sells to fellow students. While the two grandpas are billed to have their day in court, the students have been placed on counselling and rehabilitation.

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives have intercepted a consignment of ADB Chminaca, a synthetic cannabinoid classified as a dangerous new psychoactive substance (NPS), at a courier firm in Lagos. The shipment coming from China with a gross weight of 9.5 kilograms was concealed in a carton. This was followed by another seizure on Tuesday 16^th June at a different logistics company in Lagos where 300grams of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis was found hidden in ladies’ handbags.

In another interdiction operation in Lagos, NDLEA officers on Friday 19^thJune raided the home of a wanted drug dealer Lukman Badmus (a.k.a. Lukman Ogombo) in Ogombo area of Ajah where nine bottles of codeine syrup and 30 grams of skunk were recovered.

A swift follow up operation at Lukman’s wife shop in Patey area of Lagos Island led to the recovery of additional two bottles of codeine and drug paraphernalia, while 42 compressed blocks of skunk weighing 22.5kg were also recovered from a mini bus parked in front of her shop. Attempt by the wife, Aisha Saraki, to flush some of the drug exhibits in the toilet during the raid was thwarted by operatives.

In Kogi state, NDLEA officers on patrol along Okene/Lokoja highway on Friday 19^th June intercepted a suspect Tochukwu Onah, 33, coming from Lagos to Abuja with 1.030kg methamphetamine concealed in custard containers, while a couple: James Tony Chukwudi, 48, and James Kehinde, 35, wanted in connection with the seizure of 117 kilograms of skunk since 26th March, 2026 in Ekiti state were eventually arrested at Oniyo street Efon-Alaaye-Ekiti on Tuesday 16th June after months on the run.

In Oyo state, 75-year-old Tudun Olubiyi and two others: Nasiru Buhari, 22; and Buba Musa, 47, were arrested by NDLEA operatives when their house located in Dangote area, Elekara, Oyo town, was raided on Saturday 20th June with 118 jumbo bags containing 1,416kg skunk covered with sawdust recovered.

A suspect Patrick Imoukhede, 45, was arrested on Wednesday 17^th June when NDLEA officers raided the Khagba forest, Ikao, Owan East LGA, where they destroyed 1,744.075kg skunk and recovered already processed 169kg of same substance, while another raid at Ebora Camp, Ilushi in Esan South LGA led to the destruction of 2,424.945kg of cannabis, with a suspect Augustine Anyamone, 45, apprehended with 395kg skunk in a separate operation in the area.

With the same zeal, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities in schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week. These include: WADA enlightenment lecture for students and staff of Orun Community Grammar School, Orun Ekiti; Government Girls Secondary School, Charanchi, Bichi, Kano; Federal Technical College, Doma, Nasarawa; Tafida Community Secondary School, Zango, Katsina; and Government Technical College, Onitsha, Anambra, while the Rivers state command paid a WADA advocacy visit to the Paramount Ruler of Rumuogba kingdom, Rivers state, HRH Barr. Temple Ejekwu, among others.

While commending the officers and men of DOGI, Abia, Ekiti, Oyo, Lagos, Kogi, and Edo Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) noted their drug supply reduction efforts balanced with WADA sensitization activities while he charged them and their compatriots across the country not to rest on their laurels.

Femi Babafemi

Director, Media & Advocacy

NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja

Sunday 21st June 2026