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Bandit Ambush in Kanam: Dozens of Vigilantes Reportedly Feared Dead

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No fewer than 70 members of a local vigilante group are allegedly feared dead following a suspected ambush by armed bandits in Kukawa and Bunyun communities of Kanam Local Government Area, Plateau State. The incident occurred on Monday during a security patrol mission aimed at identifying criminal hideouts in the area.

The Chairman of the Kukawa Vigilante Group, Aliyu Baffa, confirmed the attack, stating that the incident occurred when a combined team of vigilantes from different formations in Wase LGA moved toward a suspected bandit hideout in the nearby forest reserve.

According to Baffa, the vigilantes were on a reconnaissance mission to identify criminal enclaves in the forest popularly known as Madam Forest, which shares boundaries with Bauchi and Taraba States. However, they were ambushed less than a kilometer from Kukawa town by heavily armed bandits wielding sophisticated weapons.

“They took us by surprise,” Baffa said. “More than 70 of our men were killed on the spot. By evening, we had already buried them in Kukawa, but several others are still missing. We fear more bodies may be found in the surrounding bushes.”

He added that the attackers appeared to have prior knowledge of the movement of the vigilante team, suggesting a planned and coordinated assault.

In Bunyun village, which was also affected, a resident, Musa Ibrahim, told reporters that at least 10 members of the local security team were killed in a similar attack. The bandits, according to him, also set several houses ablaze during their raid on the community.

“We lost 10 of our local defenders here. The bandits not only attacked, they burned down many houses and caused panic across the village,” Ibrahim lamented.

The incident has sparked fresh concerns over the growing audacity of armed groups operating in the forested regions of Plateau State and neighboring areas. As of the time of filing this report, security agencies are yet to issue an official statement on the incident.

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Google adds Nano Banana-powered image generation to Gemini’s Personal Intelligence

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Google on Thursday announced that Gemini’s Personal Intelligence feature will get Nano Banana-powered image generation to create images with personalized context.

That means its AI images can be created using Gemini’s understanding of your likes and interests, without those having to be explicitly noted in the prompt.

This works because Gemini already has context of your data through Google account connections, such as Gmail and Google Photos. So, instead of typing “Generate an image of my dream home, my interests are tennis and music,” you can now just say, “Design my dream home.” 

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What’s more, the Nano Banana-powered connection can also use the labels in your Google Photos, so that it understands names and words that describe a group, like “Family”. For instance, you can create an image by saying, “Generate an image of my family and me doing our favorite activity.”

The company said the “sources” button will show how Gemini derived the context for image generation.

Image Credits:Google

Google said that just like other connections, Gemini might get the context wrong, and you can provide feedback. Plus, you can also provide reference photos for image generation by clicking the “+” icon.

The image generation feature will be available to Plus, Pro, and Ultra subscribers in the U.S. within the coming days. Google plans to bring the feature to Gemini in Chrome desktop and to other users soon.

Google first launched Personal Intelligence earlier this year and made it available to all U.S. users in March. Earlier this week, the company expanded the feature to more users in countries like India and Japan.

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JUST IN: FG Graduates 744 Repentant Terrorists After Rehabilitation Programme

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No fewer than 744 former terrorists and victims of violent extremism on Thursday graduated from the Federal Government’s De-radicalisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration programme under Operation Safe Corridor.

A breakdown of the graduates shows that two are from Abia State, 10 from Adamawa State, one from Akwa Ibom State, two from Anambra State, 12 from Bauchi State, 597 from Borno State, three from Ebonyi State, one from Enugu State, 15 from Kano State, three from Katsina State, one from Kebbi State, five from Kogi State, four from Nasarawa State, two from Niger State, two from Plateau State, two from Sokoto State, and 58 from Yobe State.

The participants also include foreign nationals: one from Burkina Faso, one from Cameroon, two from Chad, and four from the Niger Republic.

In terms of religion, 733 of the graduates are Muslims, while 11 are Christians.

Speaking at the ceremony in Gombe, the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, said the initiative is not a reward for violence but a strategic tool to counter extremism.

Represented by the Director of Special Operations Forces at Defence Headquarters, Rear Admiral Kabiru Tanimu, he said the programme addresses the human dimension of insurgency and supports long-term peacebuilding.

He added that while military operations remain necessary to neutralise threats, sustainable peace depends on rehabilitation and reintegration efforts.

Oluyede stressed that Operation Safe Corridor is not an amnesty programme, but a structured intervention aimed at reducing violence, weakening extremist recruitment, and promoting stability.

He urged the graduates to embrace a new path, warning against a return to violence, and encouraged them to contribute positively to society.

According to him, successful reintegration requires support from state governments, communities, families, and institutions.

Earlier, the Coordinator of Operation Safe Corridor, Brig. Gen. Yusuf Ali, said the programme was designed as a strategic response to insurgency, combining security operations with rehabilitation efforts.

He explained that participants underwent psychosocial support, vocational training, religious reorientation, civic education, and behavioural transformation.

Ali noted that many beneficiaries were victims of coercion and forced recruitment, adding that the programme gives them an opportunity to rebuild their lives and reintegrate into society as responsible citizens.

He emphasised that reintegration is a shared responsibility requiring community acceptance and institutional support.

The Governor of Gombe State, Muhammad Yahaya, represented by his aide, urged the graduates to embrace the opportunity for a fresh start and become productive members of society.

He said the programme reflects the Federal Government’s commitment under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to peacebuilding, de-radicalisation, and reintegration efforts.

The graduation highlights Nigeria’s continued shift towards combining military operations with non-kinetic strategies in addressing insurgency, particularly in the North-East, as part of broader efforts to reduce recidivism and promote long-term stability.

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