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Nigerian Air Force Airstrike in Katsina Frees 76 Hostages but One Child Dies
The Nigerian Air Force has carried out a major operation in Katsina State that freed dozens of people who had been living in captivity. The airstrike, launched on Pauwa Hill in Kankara, targeted a bandit hideout and led to the rescue of 76 hostages, mostly women and children. Many of them had been taken during recent attacks, including the violent raid on a mosque in Unguwan Mantau where worshippers were killed.
Sadly, not everyone made it out alive. Authorities confirmed that one child died during the rescue mission, casting a shadow over what was otherwise seen as a significant breakthrough.
Military officials said the strike was part of an intensified campaign against armed groups that have for years tormented communities in the northwest through kidnappings, raids, and killings. In a separate but coordinated action within the same region, another airstrike killed 35 militants.
This wave of operations comes at a time when banditry and insurgency remain some of the most pressing security challenges in Nigeria. Rural villages in states like Katsina, Zamfara, and Kaduna have suffered repeated attacks, forcing families to abandon their homes and live under constant fear. Officials believe that by dismantling strongholds such as the one in Kankara, they can begin to restore a sense of safety to affected areas.
TV anchor Rufai Oseni makes headlines as he speaks on fuel subsidy in Nigeria. He shared that Nigeria can have fuel subsidy without the long queues at filling stations.
“When we were still paying subsidies, there were no long queues. We were subsidising. So you can still have a subsidy regime going on, and there will be no long queues because production was close by. Dangote had it. That’s just it. That argument also falls flat.
“The biggest beneficiaries of subsidy are not Nigerians. They are crony capitalists that have big infrastructure, and they do contracts. They have been the biggest beneficiaries of the subsidy,” he said.
Lagos State Governor, Sanwo-Olu, speaks to those in the electricity sector about the usual blackouts in the state.
He speaks on ways things can change in the state and how electricity can be provided.
“We need to drop corporate egos, abandon long-standing excuses, and confront the harsh realities obstructing progress in the power sector.”
“We, state governments, used to give excuses that everything is centralised, so the Federal Government has unbundled it now. What have we done in a year and a half?” Sanwo-Olu asked.
“We take two steps forward, we go five steps backward,” he said.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has declared Thursday, August 20, a work-free day for public servants in the state to mark the Isese Festival.
Speaking on the celebration, he said “Ìṣẹ̀ṣe is not a relic. It is a living expression of our traditions and a celebration of Yoruba spirituality as an important part of Nigeria’s cultural and religious landscape,” he said.
He added “When the drums sound in Lagos on Thursday, they answer drums in Havana, in Salvador, in Port of Spain. Fifty-five million people and counting. Lagos is not observing a local holiday. Lagos is standing at the centre of a global heritage,” Aregbe said.
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