2 weeks Ago By Ayo Yusuf
Francis Sardauna in Katsina A military airstrike carried out in the North-west states, including Katsina, has eliminated banditry kingpin, Gwaska and 100 others in their enclaves. The Katsina State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr. Nasir Mua’zu, who disclosed this in a statement, said the operation was a crucial component of a broader strategy initiated by security stakeholders to restore stability in Katsina and North-west regions.
He said during the operation, the military forces recovered and subsequently destroyed two machine guns, locally fabricated shotguns, and other weapons to prevent their reuse by criminal elements. “The Nigerian Army’s 17 Brigade and 213 Forward Operating Base (FOB) of the Air Component of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on April 10, 2025, executed a coordinated strike on bandit strongholds in Mununu Bakai, Zango, Jeka Arera, Malali, and Ruwan Godiya areas spanning Kankara and Faskari LGAs. “The precision operation, based on actionable intelligence, eliminated a high-value target identified as Gwaska, who served as second-in-command to an ISWAP-linked leader.
“Intelligence reports confirm that Gwaska had recently relocated from Danmusa Local Government to Munumu Forest. “It is expedient to state that this successful mission has significantly disrupted the criminal networks that have long terrorised communities across Faskari, Kankara, Bakori, Malumfashi, and Kafur LGAs. “Similarly, security forces conducted another successful operation in the early hours of April 10, 2025, targeting bandit routes at Dutsen Wori by Dandume-Kandamba Road, located at the outskirts of Dandume town at the border with Faskari and Sabuwa Local Government Areas.
“The operation, executed at about 3:45 am, resulted in the elimination of six bandits, including their commander, while several other bandits escaped with various degrees of bullet wound.” The Armed Forces also successfully intercepted and recovered seven motorcycles while four others escaped into the forest. The bandits were tracked from their base at Maigora/Doroyi camp in Faskari Local Government Area.
US Embassy Introduces New Visa Interview Requirements for Nigerian ApplicantsThe United States Embassy has introduced updated visa interview requirements for Nigerian applicants, effective from April 22, 2025.In a statement released at the weekend, the US mission emphasised that all applicants attending visa interviews in Abuja and Lagos must present a DS-160 form featuring a confirmation barcode that begins with “AA” followed by two zeroes (00). Crucially, this barcode must match the one used to book the appointment online.
Applicants with mismatched barcode information would be denied entry to the Consular Section and disqualified from their scheduled interviews. “Starting April 22, 2025, all visa applicants in Abuja and Lagos must bring a DS-160 visa application form with a confirmation/barcode number (starting with AA and followed by 00 – two zeroes) that matches the one used to make their appointment online. You also must make your appointment in the location you selected when filling out your DS-160,” the statement read.
To avoid issues, applicants are strongly advised to verify that their DS-160 barcode matches their appointment information at least two weeks before their interview date. The embassy also clarified that DS-160 forms from previous applications cannot be reused. In the event of a mismatch, applicants must log into their AVITS account at least 10 days before the interview and submit a correction request.
“If your DS-160 barcode is incorrect, you must log into your AVITS account at least 10 days before your appointment to create a support ticket requesting correction of your barcode number,” the mission added. Additionally, appointments must be made at the same location indicated on the DS-160 form. Applicants who are turned away due to mismatched barcodes will need to resolve the issue and reschedule a new appointment.
If the visa fee has expired, a new payment may be required. Since January 1, all applicants have also been required to visit the US Consulate General in Lagos twice as part of the visa application process..
