The Department Of State Security Service (DSS) have intercepted a large consignment of weapons and ammunition allegedly being smuggled from the Niger Republic to armed bandits operating in north-western Nigeria.

The interception, which took place on Tuesday, November 10, at Dawakawa in Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State, followed a security operation targeting suspected weapons trafficking networks across the Nigeria-Niger border.

Security sources said the suspected smugglers were allegedly attempting to transport the weapons into Nigeria using camels, apparently exploiting remote routes and difficult terrain to evade security surveillance.

The operation led to the recovery of 21 AK-47 rifles, four PKT machine guns and 825 magazines.

The interception represents a significant disruption of an alleged cross-border weapons supply network suspected of facilitating the operations of armed bandit groups in the North-West.

The use of camels to transport the weapons highlights the increasingly unconventional methods employed by criminal networks to move arms and ammunition across porous border corridors.

The development also underscores the importance of sustained intelligence surveillance coordinated border security operations in preventing the movement of illicit weapons from neighbouring countries into Nigeria.

The recovered weapons are expected to provide security agencies with valuable leads towards identifying the suppliers, transporters and intended recipients of the consignment.

Zagazola report that several border communities along the Nigeria–Niger Republic frontier have emerged as vulnerable corridors for cross-border arms trafficking, bandit movements and other criminal activities, raising concerns over the security of Nigeria’s North-West.

The affected areas include Illela, Sabon Birni, Isa, Gudu and Tangaza in Sokoto State; Jibia, Kaita, Mai’Adua and Kongolam in Katsina; Zurmi and Shinkafi in Zamfara; as well as Kamba and Arewa Dandi in Kebbi State.

Security concerns around these border regions are linked to porous boundaries, informal trading networks and difficult-to-monitor rural terrain, which criminal networks like Bandits, Lakurawa and Boko Haram exploit for illicit activities.

The development reinforces the need for enhanced border surveillance, intelligence-sharing and coordinated operations to dismantle cross-border weapons supply networks.

Security agencies must also target the financiers and suppliers behind the trafficking networks rather than focusing solely on couriers. (Zagazola)

At least 23 soldiers of Chad’s elite Directorate-General of Special Services and Special Institutions (DGSSIE) have reportedly been killed in fierce fighting in Arkinya, in the Tibesti region, as clashes over control of gold mining areas intensify.

The fighting, which reportedly occurred on November 10, also left about 10 other soldiers injured, including several said to be in critical condition and requiring evacuation to Faya, according to a report by TchadOne, citing military sources.

Among those reportedly killed was a commander of the Command, Support and Assistance Company (COM/CCAS) attached to a DGSSIE regiment, indicating the severity of the confrontation.

The latest casualties underscore the growing human cost of the struggle for control of mineral-rich territories in northern Chad, where gold mining has increasingly become intertwined with armed conflict, military operations and competing economic interests.

According to sources the Chadian military has suffered hundreds of casualties, including dead and wounded personnel, since the beginning of the campaign to control gold-rich areas in Tibesti.

The report described the confrontation as a deadly conflict linked to the mining interests of the administration of President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, popularly known as Mahamat Kaka.

Tibesti, a vast and strategically sensitive region bordering Libya and Niger, has long been associated with gold mining, informal commercial networks and armed groups competing for influence over mineral-rich territories.

The region’s difficult terrain, remote settlements and porous borders have also complicated government efforts to establish effective security and administrative control.

The latest fighting raises fresh questions about the militarisation of mineral extraction in the Sahel, where gold has increasingly become both an economic lifeline and a source of violent competition.

Across Chad, Niger, Mali, Sudan and parts of northern Nigeria, the struggle over mineral resources has created overlapping interests involving armed groups, criminal networks, informal miners and state-linked economic actors.

The reported deaths in Arkinya further illustrate how mineral wealth, instead of generating prosperity for communities, can become a catalyst for prolonged military confrontation. (Zagazola)

The Anambra State Traffic Management Agency (ATMA) has reportedly suspended some of its officers after they were captured in a viral video singing a campaign song in support of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso.

The affected officers were allegedly handed a two-month suspension without pay, according to information obtained by our correspondent.

The disciplinary action was reportedly taken on Tuesday, November 10, following public reactions to the video, which circulated widely on social media.

The incident was said to have occurred at Nwagu Junction in Agulu, Anaocha Local Government Area, where the officers were deployed to manage traffic.

Sources said the officers were subsequently summoned to the agency’s headquarters in Awka, where they were asked to explain their involvement in the incident.

Although the circumstances surrounding the video remain unclear, accounts suggest that the officers joined in singing after a vehicle bearing the NDC logo drove past the junction with loudspeakers blaring the campaign song.

Efforts to obtain an official explanation from the agency were unsuccessful, as the ATMA commander declined to comment when contacted.

Meanwhile, the affected officers were said to be distressed by the suspension, with some reportedly seeking intervention from influential individuals to have the decision reconsidered.

Their relatives have also appealed to members of the public to assist the officers in securing alternative sources of livelihood, expressing fears that the two-month suspension without salary could worsen their families’ financial difficulties during the holiday season.