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Dreaded ISWAP Leader, Al-Barnawi, Reportedly Killed

ISWAP

Dreaded ISWAP leader, Al-Barnawi, reportedly killed

The once dreaded leader of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) Abu Musab Al-Barnawi, has been reportedly killed in a gun battle with security forces in Borno State, multiple reports say.

The terrorist warlord was allegedly killed in the last week of August, shortly after former boss and erstwhile leader of the Boko Haram sect, Abubakar Shekau, was killed by the ISWAP group.

Al-Barnawi, who was placed on the most wanted list of terrorists by the Nigerian Army and some international anti-terrorism agencies, was the son of the late Boko Haram founder, Mohammed Yusuf, who was also killed by security forces in 2009 when he launched a war against the Nigerian state.

After his father’s death, Al-Barnawi became the group’s leader but soon fell out with Shekau and in 2016, the Islamic State (IS) militant group announced Al-Barnawi as the leader of its West African affiliate, Boko Haram, which was hitherto led by Shekau.

Al-Barnawi then became a vicious terrorist, leading sustained attacks on military facilities and troops in the Lake Chad region, while at the same time strategising on how to subdue Shekau.

It was reported at various times that ISIS partly chose Al-Barnawi as leader in the Lake Chad region in order to punish Shekau who reportedly “violated all known norms” and to also retain the confidence of Boko Haram fighters who were loyal to his father, Yusuf, amid threats from other factional groups.

Al-Barnawi was also said to have been trained by ISIS for years ahead of his ascension to power.

He controlled large chunks of territory in Northern Borno, imposed taxes on the local population and earned serious income from fishing, asides from the financial and material support he got from ISIS.

Al-Barnawi’s fighters had also destroyed many military super camps in Dikwa, Monguno, Abadam and Marte in Borno, and other military facilities around Geidam in Yobe State.

During his reign of terror, Al-Barnawi established many cells on the Lake Chad islands and surrounding villages from where his fighters launched attacks on Nigeria, Niger and Chad.

There are, however, two versions of the story of Al-Barnawi’s death, with one saying he was killed by Nigerian troops and the other version saying he died during a rival war within the ISWAP camp.

The first version has it that security operatives in the theatre of operation killed him alongside five top ISWAP leaders and many foot terrorists in an ambush around Bula Yobe, a community near the Borno/Yobe states border along Mobbar and Abadam axis that leads to the Lake Chad area.

The second version say he was killed in a leadership tussle between his group and another faction of terrorists from Central Africa that wanted to overthrow.

The military high command in Nigeria, has, however, neither confirmed nor denied the killing of Al-Barnawi because of the sensitivity of the issues involved.

The Director, Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Benjamin Sawyer, was also not forthcoming when asked to either confirm or deny the story.

“If there is a problem in their (Boko Haram) camp, how will I know? We normally have a fortnightly brief on operations.

“If ISWAP or BHTs are fighting among themselves, it is the media that always gives the entire nation the information. It is not us, because we are not in their camps,” he was quoted as saying.

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Cleric backs Zulum’s alcohol ban

The Chief Imam of Maiduguri International Airport, Muhammad Ibrahim Adam, has commended the Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, for the recent ban on the sale of alcohol, while urging the state to consider establishing Hisbah to enforce the ban.

In a statement released on Sunday, the State Directorate of Information, Ministry of Information and Internal Security, said the cleric described the decision as timely and commendable in preserving the spiritual and moral fabric of society.

“The Imam called on the government to consider the establishment of Hisbah, a moral enforcement body in the state, to help enforce Islamic principles and curb immoral practices,” the statement read.

It was stated that the Imam concluded with prayers for continued peace, unity, and development in Borno State and across Nigeria.

“The consumption of alcohol and other intoxicants is an act prohibited by all religions, as they open doors to all sorts of immoral and criminal behaviours in society,” it added.

Recalled that Zulum made the alcohol ban announcement on Tuesday at the inauguration of a reconstituted committee on “revocation of illegal hotels, brothels, shanties, and criminal hideouts and curbing the menace of antisocial vices” at the council chambers of the Government House in Maiduguri, the state capital.

The governor, during the meeting, said the ban on the sale and consumption of liquor and alcoholic content stems from the rising cases of clashes among rival groups, cultism, prostitution, drug abuse, thuggery, and theft, which have led to the loss of lives and valuables.

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Court orders EFCC to return $20,000 bribe money collected by its officers to lawful owner

The Ikeja Special Offences Court sitting in Lagos has ruled that the bribe money demanded and collected by operatives of the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2019 be released to the owner, Mr Olalekan Abdul.
Justice Mojisola Dada (Mrs) gave the orders on April 30, 2025.
A certified true copy of the ruling reads:- An Order granting delivery and/or restoration to the Defendant of the sum of $20,000:00 (Twenty Thousand United States Dollars) property of the Defendant (Olalekan Abdul) tendered and admitted as Exhibit B at the trial proceeding of 8/3/2023 and ordered to be held and kept in escrow Domiciliary Account in Polaris Bank, Ikeja in the name of the Chief Registrar of the High Court of Lagos State in pending completion of this case (now – concluded) be and is hereby granted.
In the same vein, the court also granted the leave as follows “That an Order lifting the lien on and directing the release to the Defendant (Olalekan Abdul) of the sum of N10,000,000:00 (Ten Million Naira only) held in Defendant’s Surety’s Mrs. Jemilat
Oluremi Yusuf – Sada’s Access Bank Account No. 1374520332 as condition for Defendant’s bail (as per the Ruling of this Honourable Court dated 31″ day of January 2020) pending completion of his trial on the charge. In this matter (now concluded) be and i s hereby
granted.

Recall that the same court had on March 5, 2025 discharged and acquitted the Chairman of Cleanserve, Azubuike Ishiekwene, and the Managing Director/CEO Olalekan Abdul of the case of fraud and forgery made against them by a nominal complainant.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had initially arraigned the defendants on a 26-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery, using false documents without authority, possessing fraudulent documents, stealing and making documents without authority.
The Commission was acting at the behest of a nominal complainant, a certain Mr. Chris Ndulue, who claimed he was a director in the private company but was not in the file of the Corporate Affairs Commission and had no valid proxy.
Ishiekwene and Abdul, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge following their arraignment on January 30, 2020.
During the pendency of the charge, which started five years ago with suit number ID/11126C/2019, the prosecution had called nine witnesses, while the defence had called four witnesses.
Mr. Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN) appeared for the first defendant, Abdul, and Dr. Muiz Banire (SAN) appeared for Ishiekwene, the second defendant.

Following a series of applications, one of which challenged the EFCC’s use of a fiat by Lagos State in a case in which the defence counsel argued that a $20,000 bribe had compromised an operative and that the prosecution was on a mission of “persecution,” the office of the Attorney-General of Lagos State, Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN), stepped in and took over the matter after a review.
Before the Lagos State AG stepped in, the court had ordered the recovery of the $20,000 from the custody of the EFCC and admitted the same as an exhibit.
During the investigation, an EFCC operative demanded a bribe in 2019 to “kill the matter” because, according to him, the facts suggested that Ndulue had no case.
A report of the demand was made through Mr. Ola Olukoyede (then the Secretary of the Commission), who ordered a sting operation in Lagos, during which other EFCC operatives apprehended the operative.
When the report reached the then-chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, he squashed it, redeployed the operative who had demanded a bribe, and turned the case against the defendants who had reported the operative.

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Two trucks collide, crush dispatch riders on Eko Bridge

Two dispatch riders lost their lives following a crash involving two fully loaded Mack trucks, with registration numbers; T-10357 LA, and KJA 107 XM.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), General Manager, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, said this in a statement on Sunday.

The statement was signed by Mr Taofiq Adebayo, Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA .

Bakare-Oki noted that the accident occurred Sunday morning on the Eko Bridge, inward Alaka corridor.

“Preliminary findings suggest that the driver of one of the articulated trucks, reportedly driving at an excessive speed while allegedly dozing off, lost control of the vehicle.

“The truck then careened into another moving trucks ahead of it, triggering a violent impact.

“This collision led to the dislodgement of a 20-foot container from one of the trucks, which subsequently crushed two unsuspecting dispatch riders who were navigating the route at the time.

“Both victims were confirmed dead at the scene,” he said.

He added that the swift and coordinated response from LASTMA officers, who were on routine traffic monitoring duty beneath the Eko Bridge, ensured the immediate rescue of one severely injured truck driver.

He said the driver was promptly transported to a nearby hospital in a Lagos State Government ambulance for urgent medical attention.

He, added that however, the remaining two truck drivers absconded from the scene, presumably out of fear of the grim aftermath.

“Investigations are currently underway to trace and apprehend the fleeing drivers involved in the fatal crash.

“To forestall further incidents and safeguard other road users, LASTMA personnel immediately cordoned off the affected stretch of the bridge and redirected vehicular traffic through the Coastain Roundabout inward Alaka en route to Stadium,” he said.

Bakare-Oki consoled the bereaved families, while expressing deep sorrow over the loss of innocent lives.

He reiterated the critical importance of responsible driving, particularly for operators of articulated vehicles.

The LASTMA boss urged all drivers to exercise utmost caution, maintain full alertness, and ensure their vehicles are roadworthy before commencing any journey.

Bakare-Oki further emphasised the agency’s ongoing, robust public enlightenment campaigns aimed at instilling safety consciousness among drivers, especially those operating heavy-duty vehicles.

Other emergency responders at the scene of the accident includes: Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Lagos State Fire and Rescue Services, Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LSNSC), State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SEHMU) and Police man from Iporin Division of the State.

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