News
Jihadists kill 40 Mali civilians caught up in turf War
An Islamic State-linked group killed around 40 civilians this week who were caught up in a rivalry between warring jihadist groups in Mali’s conflict-plagued north, local sources told AFP on Friday.
The latest bloodshed in the Sahel country, which has been struggling to counter a grinding Islamist insurgency since 2013, comes as France said it would withdraw its forces after disagreements with the ruling military junta.
“There are at least 40 civilian deaths in three different sites” in the Tessit area near the borders of Burkina Faso and Niger, a civilian official in the area told AFP.
The official, whose name is being withheld for security reasons, said the death toll was provisional because the information was patchy and coming in slowly from the remote and dangerous area.
“These civilians had been accused by one (jihadist) group of complicity with the other group,” the official said.
Two Tessit residents, based in the regional capital Gao and national capital Bamako, confirmed to AFP the scale of the violence after speaking with witnesses who had fled the carnage.
A spokesman for a group of armed northern militias reported a similar death toll.
Tessit is in the “three borders” area, a hotspot of jihadist violence.
The Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (EIGS) and the Sahel’s largest jihadist alliance, the al-Qaeda-aligned GSIM group, are particularly active in the area.
As well as attacking local and foreign troops, they have been fighting each other for territory since 2020.
– Civilians ensnared in rivalry –
Tessit, a rural area in the Gao region, has seen an outbreak of violence in recent weeks, with the hashtag #JeSuisTessit (I am Tessit) appearing on social media.
It has been cut off from the telephone network for several years, making communication difficult.
Three local sources including the northern militia spokesman, said that GSIM fighters went to several villages near Tessit, including Keygourouten, Bakal and Tadjalalt, between February 8 to 10.
Accusing the local shopkeepers of supplying their rival EIGS, the GSIM fighters ransacked a health centre, a pharmacy, a water tower and a shop, as well as stealing an ambulance.
The GSIM fighters also ordered the residents to leave. Between 150 and 200 households fled to Niger and surrounding towns, an aid worker and Tadjalalt residents said on condition of anonymity.
Then on Monday and Tuesday, EIGS fighters arrived in the same villages.
“They accused the men of being accomplices of GSIM. They killed the old men and the young men,” the official in the Tessit area said.
Thirty were executed in Tadjalalt, the official said.
It is a common scenario, the official added, saying that “when a (jihadist) group passes through a village, the one that comes later accuses the residents of being accomplices”.
The residents of the villages, who are “unable to kill a fly”, thus become caught up in the rivalry.
Mali’s ruling junta, which seized power in a coup in 2020 after rising public outrage about elected leaders’ inability to stem the jihadist bloodshed, has yet to speak about the Tessit violence.
The forces deployed to the three borders area include the national army as well as French and European troops and UN peacekeepers.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday announced that he was withdrawing his nation’s troops which had been fighting jihadists in Mali since 2014.
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.
-
Politics3 days agoIbarapa East Assembly Hopeful, Ramon Congratulates Ajiboye, Says Emergence Good for Oyo APC
-
Politics7 days agoMakinde: My Successor Must Be Loyal to Oyo, Not Me
-
Politics3 days ago2027: Former Oyo Deputy Governor Adeyemo Emerges APC Chairman (See Full List)
-
Politics7 days agoFintiri Dumps PDP for APC, Moves with Cabinet, 14 Adamawa Lawmakers