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Sambisa: Expert proffers solution as insurgents regroup, reclaim forest amid evolving military tactics

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As the Nigerian military intensifies its operations in the northeast, reports of renewed Boko Haram offensives have sparked fresh concerns about the group’s lingering threat, despite years of government-led counterinsurgency efforts.

In recent weeks, multiple attacks in parts of Borno State—especially in Marte, Rann, and Gajiram—have shaken local communities and exposed the persistent danger posed by the insurgents.

The incidents have included ambushes on security convoys, raids on rural communities, and coordinated hit-and-run strikes.

These developments come even as the Nigerian Army sustains its air and ground offensives into the infamous Sambisa Forest, long believed to be the strategic hideout and operational hub for Boko Haram factions.

Coordinated attacks spark renewed fears
in Marte, located near the Lake Chad region as insurgents launched a brazen assault on a military convoy earlier this month.

The ambush reportedly caused significant casualties and left military assets damaged.

Around the same time, in Rann, insurgents raided the town, looting homes and forcing residents to flee. The town’s proximity to the Cameroon border and previous displacement history made it most vulnerable.

Gajiram, in Nganzai Local Government Area, also came under fire as insurgents attacked military formations, leading to a prolonged exchange of gunfire.

Residents reported hearing sustained explosions, further fueling panic among the population.

These attacks have sparked concerns that Boko Haram remains capable of regrouping in Sambisa and launching well-coordinated strikes despite ongoing military pressure.

Military offensive in Sambisa: Progress and pitfalls

The Nigerian military has responded with a renewed offensive in Sambisa Forest, deploying ground troops and launching airstrikes on insurgent hideouts.

The campaign is part of efforts to root out remaining terrorist elements and prevent the regrouping of fighters flushed out of liberated towns.

However, military experts warn that the current approach may not yield lasting results.

Retired Nigerian Army officer, Captain Abdullahi Adamu Bakoji has raised concerns about the sustainability of the strategy.

Speaking to Ekwutosblog in Kano, Capt. Bakoji commended the military’s courage but warned that temporary offensives, where troops kill a number of insurgents and then retreat to base, allow surviving fighters to regroup and reclaim lost ground.

“The current offensive of attacking Sambisa forest, killing a few hundreds of Boko Haram fighters while the rest run away, and the boots return to camp—this will give them room to return to the forest,” he warned.

Bakoji also explained that Boko Haram fighters have developed tactical responses to evade attacks, including hiding in dugouts to escape aerial bombardment.

He called for the military to be equipped with more sophisticated weaponry and advanced intelligence-gathering tools.

Call for permanent presence and post-conflict strategy

Bakoji emphasized the importance of a permanent security presence in Sambisa and other vulnerable zones.

He urged the Federal Government to establish multiple military bases in the region to prevent a resurgence.

“The government must, after the victory, create as many military bases as possible to prevent Boko Haram and related elements from taking refuge in the forest,” he said.

Security analysts have echoed concerns that while the military has made notable gains—liberating towns, rescuing captives, and dismantling cells—the insurgency has proven difficult to be fully eliminated due to Boko Haram’s ability to exploit ungoverned spaces and adapt to evolving military tactics.

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Garba Shehu’s ‘Villa rat’ confession proves Kanu’s prophetic insight- IPOB

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IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu

The Indigenous People of Biafra has said the recent revelations by the Spokesman to former President Muhammadu Buhari, Garba Shehu that they used the “Villa rat” invasion story to cover up Buhari’s prolonged illness and absence from governance, has vindicated the position of the pro-Biafran leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

In a press statement released by the IPOB’s Spokesman, Emma Powerful, on Saturday, the group claimed that Kanu was the first to bring the information to the public and was persecuted by the likes of Shehu, who described it as “fake news” and “hate speech”.

 

Powerful said, “The IPOB under the leadership of our incorruptible and prophetically gifted leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, notes with righteous vindication the stunning admission by Garba Shehu, former spokesman to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, that the now-infamous ‘villa rat invasion’ story was a calculated lie to cover up Buhari’s prolonged illness and absence from governance.

“Let the world take note: what Mazi Nnamdi Kanu said years ago on Radio Biafra, that Muhammadu Buhari was gravely ill and incapable of leading Nigeria, and that Aso Rock was enmeshed in a web of lies and deception, has now been confirmed by one of the principal architects of that deception himself.

“The same Garba Shehu who accused our leader of ‘fake news’ and ‘hate speech’, has now confessed, with no shame, that they orchestrated a national charade to fool over 200 million people. What greater treason can be committed than lying to an entire nation about the health and whereabouts of its so-called president?

“This disgraceful confirmation vindicates everything Kanu has ever said about the fraudulent and deceptive nature of the Nigerian state. He told the truth and was persecuted for it. He warned Nigerians that their President was missing in action, that shadowy forces had hijacked the machinery of government, and that the people were being ruled by deception.

“Instead of investigating the truth, the Nigerian media and political elite mocked him. They ridiculed his divine insight. They arrested him. They tortured him. They abducted and renditioned him. But they could not bury the truth.”

The group, however, insisted that Shehu’s cowardly confession is not an act of courage, adding that it is a delayed admission born of guilt and irrelevance.

“Where was this honesty when the Nigerian people needed it? Where was this ‘truth’ when IPOB and our leader were being vilified, jailed, and labeled terrorists for speaking it? If this level of deliberate misinformation had happened in any sane society, those responsible would be in jail for subverting the constitution, undermining national security, and deceiving the electorate. But Nigeria rewards mediocrity, protects liars, and punishes truth-tellers.

“Let it be clearly stated once again: Mazi Nnamdi Kanu does not lie. He does not speculate. He speaks only divine truth, and every word he has ever uttered is manifesting before your eyes. From the exposure of Buhari’s health fraud, to the Fulani expansionist agenda, to the illegality of his abduction and extraordinary rendition — time continues to prove Mazi Nnamdi Kanu right.

“Those who still doubt the divine calling of our leader should watch as every falsehood told against him crumbles one after the other. The truth is like the rising sun — it cannot be suppressed. Today Garba Shehu has confessed. Tomorrow others will follow. Aso Rock is a house built on lies, and the foundation is shaking,” the statement added.

The group urged Nigerians and international community to stop enabling tyranny in Nigeria, adding, “You now have confirmation from the mouth of the regime’s own spokesperson that the Nigerian people were lied to on a grand scale. If this does not concern you, then you are complicit.

“In the words of our leader: we are without fear before our enemies” and “in the end, we always win.”

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Enugu Govt averts bloodshed as boundary committee settles Isienu-Amagunze, Akpugo dispute

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A long-standing and potentially violent land dispute between Isienu-Amagunze in Nkanu East Local Government Area and Ndiuno Akpugo in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State has been peacefully resolved by the Enugu State Boundary Committee.

The conflict, which nearly escalated into a bloodbath on December 11, 2024, followed allegations by residents of Isienu-Amagunze that Chief Uche Nnaji, Nigeria’s Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, had encroached on their land under the pretext of executing a federal project.

According to them, the project was a renewed attempt to take over farmland that had been unsuccessfully claimed four years earlier.

Tensions heightened when bulldozers invaded over six hectares of cassava and yam plantations owned by local farmers in Isienu-Amagunze.

However, swift intervention by the Enugu State Government prevented what could have been a deadly communal clash.

Fulfilling its promise to resolve the matter, the State Boundary Committee released its findings on Thursday July 10, 2025, affirming the demarcation between the two communities.

According to the committee’s report, “the boundary between both communities is the point demarcated by a seasonal stream known as the IYI – EZI stream bordering the Akpugo community and Isienu-Amagunze community,” which also serves as the current administrative boundary between Nkanu East and Nkanu West LGAs.

The announcement was made at the Government House, Enugu, in the presence of representatives from the disputing communities—Ndiuno-Uwani Akpugo, Ndiagu-Uwani Akpugo, and Isienu-Amagunze—as well as key government officials.

Among those present were the Commissioner for Chieftaincy, Local Government and Rural Development, Deacon Okey Ogbodo; representatives of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and the State Surveyor General; Secretary of the Committee, Barr. Solomon Ejim; and the Chairman of the State Traditional Rulers Council, HRM Ikechukwu Asadu (Igwe Ogadagidi).

Reacting to the decision, Hon. Anthony Okey Mbah, who represents Nkanu East Constituency in the State House of Assembly, praised the verdict, stating it “aligns with the position of the Isienu-Amagunze community to the boundary committee as to where the true boundary is.”

Hon. Mbah noted that the ruling contradicted the claim by the Akpugo community, which argued that the boundary should lie beyond the Nkanu East Local Government headquarters at the Atavu River.

On behalf of the traditional ruler, town union executives, and other stakeholders of Isienu-Amagunze, Hon. Mbah expressed deep appreciation to Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah for what he described as the “historic resolution” of a decades-long boundary conflict.

He further emphasized that “the swift intervention of the state government had averted what could have resulted in a bloody communal conflict between the two neighbouring communities.”

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Tinubu returns to Abuja after Saint Lucia, Brazil trip

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President Bola Tinubu is expected to return to Nigeria on Saturday (today) two weeks after his two-nation visit to Saint Lucia and Brazil.

The President’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga announced this in a post on his official X handle.

Ekwutosblog recalls that Tinubu departed Abuja for Saint Lucia and Brazil on Saturday, June 28, 2025.

The President paid a state visit to Saint Lucia as part of efforts to deepen Nigeria’s engagement with Caribbean nations and strengthen South-South cooperation.

Tinubu on July 4th departed Saint Lucia for Brazil where he attend the 2025 BRICS Summit, held July 6-7, 2025.

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