News
Escape hopes dashed for thousands of Afghans at Taliban crossing
Thousands of Afghans trying to escape the misery at home have flocked to their country’s southern border with Pakistan, but their attempts to get across have been stopped by the Taliban.
Zakariullah, sitting on a dirt road in the trading town of Spin Boldak only a few hundred metres from Pakistan, says he has been turned back more than half a dozen times, sometimes violently.
“They say only people from the area with papers,” Zakariullah, a 25-year-old farmer and father of three, told AFP on the weekend.
“We want to cross the border to work there because there are no jobs here.”
The new Taliban rulers insist Afghans need to stay and rebuild their conflict-ravaged country.
“They tell people ‘It’s your country. You should not leave’,” said 25-year-old Rahmadin Wardak, who was also trying to flee.
On the other side, their Pakistani counterparts in Chaman were also stopping those attempting to cross.
“Every day, 8,000 to 9,000 people try to cross the border without having the necessary papers, and are turned back,” one Taliban border guard, Mullah Maulvi Haqyar, told AFP.
Maulvi Noor Mohammad Saeed, a Taliban official in Kandahar province, confirmed the authorities were asking “people and families to not leave the country”.
“Doing that, you lose respect for your Afghan culture,” he told AFP.
Sticks and Pipes
At the border, only day labourers and traders — all young men wearing traditional flat pakol hats and sweating under the weight of their goods — were allowed to cram into a narrow corridor topped with barbed wire that led to the next checkpoint.
A second corridor for other travellers lay mostly empty, with a few exceptions including elderly men and women loaded onto wheelbarrows seeking urgent healthcare in Pakistan.
But scores of Afghans are eager to leave a country on the verge of economic collapse since the Islamists seized power in mid-August and foreign aid money dried up.
Jobs have vanished while farmers are struggling with the impact of a drought.
The United Nations has warned a third of the population is facing the threat of famine.
Zakariullah, whose farmland was 600 kilometres in Kabul province, said he now hoped to find work in Pakistan. He would then send for his wife and children to join him.
But, like many others at the border crossing, the journey to Spin Boldak has stripped away his meagre savings.
Mohammed Arif said he left his home in Nangarhar in the east because he had “no money, no food to feed my eight children”.
Commotion erupted outside the border office as hundreds pleaded with the Taliban to let them through, during a visit by AFP on the weekend.
Guards wielding sticks and pipes tried to control the frenzied scene as a crush of people pushed to get across to sell their possessions — and keep hunger at bay for a few more hours.
None of them made it.
Critical Situation
Before the Covid pandemic and recent upheavals, the border was mostly open, with few restrictions for the tens of thousands who crossed daily.
But when the Taliban seized Spin Boldak early on in their dizzying offensive, Pakistan shut the gates and left huge crowds of stranded travellers to amass on both sides.
The crossing reopened when the hardline group ousted the US-backed government and assumed power in mid-August.
More Afghans arrived, fearing the Taliban would return to their brutal rule in the 1990s.
“At first, lots of people could cross,” said Sami Ul Haq, who monitors the crossing point for the UN refugee agency UNHCR. “Before we had up to 24,000 people coming a day.”
There were few restrictions at the crossing during the last two weeks of August, but then the Taliban and Pakistanis clamped down.
And on Thursday, the Taliban said they were shuttering the gates completely in protest against Pakistan — which has repeatedly said it would not accept Afghan refugees — accusing officials of creating hurdles for Afghans with the right papers.
The UNHCR has meanwhile not reported huge movements of people towards the borders.
With the war over, some Afghan refugees living in Pakistan have even returned.
But the agency last month said it was preparing contingency plans for up to 500,000 rushing into neighbouring countries by the end of the year.
“We need to prepare in case any change inside the country could trigger a massive displacement,” Bertrand Blanc, a UNHCR senior emergency officer, told AFP in Islamabad.
“For the moment, we are in a wait and see situation.”
The Kano State House of Assembly has initiated impeachment proceedings against Deputy Governor Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo over allegations of gross misconduct, abuse of office, and breach of public trust.
The notice was presented yesterday during plenary by the Majority Leader, Lawan Hussaini Dala, who said the action follows Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Dala said the allegations stem from Abdussalam’s tenure as Commissioner for Local Government (2023–2024) and his current role as deputy governor. He accused the deputy governor of diverting funds meant for the 44 local government councils.
According to the majority leader, Abdussalam allegedly received N1.5 million monthly from each council between June 2023 and January 2024, totaling N462 million. Between February and July 2024, he allegedly collected N3.255 million monthly from each council under the guise of special assignments, amounting to N726 million.
Dala also accused the deputy governor of abuse of office, claiming he facilitated payments of N10 million from each council to NovoMed Pharmaceuticals Limited, totaling N440 million, in violation of state procurement laws.
“The misuse of official capacity to confer undue advantage constitutes abuse of power and undermines public trust,” Dala told lawmakers, adding that the allegations amount to gross misconduct under the Constitution.
The impeachment notice was reportedly endorsed by 38 lawmakers, meeting the constitutional threshold to proceed. The Speaker has acknowledged receipt, and the House is expected to serve the allegations on the deputy governor.
If approved, a panel may be constituted by the state Chief Judge to investigate the claims.
As of filing, Abdussalam had yet to respond publicly to the allegations.
The Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, on Wednesday inaugurated a seven-member committee on the establishment of state police, giving it four weeks to submit its report.
The inauguration was held during his maiden conference with senior police officers at the Peacekeeping Conference Centre, Force Headquarters, Abuja.
Charging members of the panel to discharge their duties with professionalism and objectivity, Disu described the assignment as “both significant and timely,” noting that it would shape the framework through which state policing may operate in Nigeria.
“In carrying out this assignment, your deliberations must be guided by professionalism, objectivity, and a clear appreciation of the unique complexities of policing a diverse nation such as our own,” the IGP said.
He stated that if properly designed and effectively implemented, state policing holds significant potential benefits for the country.
“By bringing law enforcement closer to communities, state police institutions can deepen local knowledge of security dynamics and enable quicker and more targeted responses to emerging threats,” he added.
The committee is expected to review existing policing models within and outside Nigeria, assess community security needs and emerging risks, and propose an operational framework for the establishment and coordination of state police structures.
It will also address issues relating to recruitment, training, standards and resource allocation, as well as develop accountability and oversight mechanisms to ensure professionalism and public trust.
The panel is chaired by Olu Ogunsakin, with Bode Ojajuni as secretary. Other members are Emmanuel Ojukwu, Okebechi Agora, Suleyman Gulma, Ikechukwu Okafor and Tolulope Ipinmisho.
Disu said the committee had about four weeks to conclude its assignment and submit a comprehensive report.
The move marks one of the first major steps taken by the new police chief since his appointment and confirmation a few days ago.
The development comes amid rising security concerns across the country, with several stakeholders advocating state policing as part of measures to tackle insecurity.
President Bola Tinubu had earlier asked the National Assembly to commence the process of amending relevant laws to pave the way for the creation of state police.
President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday swore in Olatunji Disu as the Inspector-General of Police (IGP).
Disu took the oath of office at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, shortly before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.
The President also administered the oath of office to six commissioners of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) and two commissioners of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC).
The ceremonies were witnessed by ministers, senior government officials and family members of the appointees.
The council meeting began shortly after the swearing-in.
In attendance were Vice President Kashim Shettima; the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume; the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu; and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs EsthMrs.Walson-Jack.
Disu was appointed acting IGP on February 25, 2026, by President Tinubu, following the resignation of former IGP Kayode Egbetokun.
His appointment was subsequently endorsed by the Nigeria Police Council (NPC).
The former Assistant Inspector-General of Police assumed office last Wednesday.
He previously served as Assistant Inspector-General in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex, Alagbon, Lagos, after his promotion to the rank last year.
A former head of the Lagos Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Disu has pledged to deliver accountable, modern and professional policing.
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