The security team in Kwara State has traced an anonymous kidnap threat letter written to the Venra Community in Kaiama council area, to a member of security operatives in the area.

]The suspect, identified as Zakari Usman, was arrested by the Army after an anonymous letter of a kidnap threat that had been in circulation about two weeks ago was traced to him.

Usman was alleged to have written an anonymous threat letter that terrorists were coming to Venra, a few kilometres from Kaiama, to kidnap five people.

It was discovered that the same person who found the letter, raised the alarm and circulated the correspondence, was later traced to be Mr Zakari Usman (aka ‘Minister’).

According to security checks, Usman is a native of Venravillage and a member of the much-touted newly inaugurated Nigeria Forest Security Services (NFSS).

A source toldThe Guardian Newspaper that: “Mr Zakari Usman personally wrote and pasted the letter himself to create panic for the purpose of extortion or to fraudulently secure a paid security contract from the community to ‘safeguard’ against the non-existent threat.”

When contacted, the Acting Information Officer, Savannah Shield,Captain J. Yaya, neither confirmed nor denied the report.

“You can go and publish your story if you like, but there’s a need for us to have an engagement so that we can have a better understanding of reporting security matters like this,” he said.

ALSO, the military has intensified efforts to enhance operational efficiency and institutional performance by adopting a standardised evaluation framework.

To this end, the Army Headquarters Department of Standards and Evaluation convened a sensitisation seminar at the Nigerian Army Conference Centre and Suites, Asokoro, Abuja.

Speaking at the event, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, represented by the Military Secretary of the Army, Major General Everest Okoro, described the initiative as a critical step in strengthening institutional development.

He noted that the forum marks the department’s first major engagement since its establishment and underscores the commitment of the Nigerian Army to professional excellence.

Shaibu explained that the Department of Standards and Evaluation serves as the Army’s quality assurance arm, tasked with enforcing compliance with established benchmarks, conducting periodic combat-readiness assessments and evaluating operational activities.

Accordingly, these measures are designed to identify performance strengths, address systemic gaps and drive continuous improvement through refined evaluation mechanisms.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Chief of Army Standards and Evaluation (CASE), Major General Bobby Ugiagbe, stated that the seminar aims to promote the systematic application of standards to strengthen discipline, professionalism and operational effectiveness.

He added that it would also facilitate the institutionalisation of standardised evaluation practices across the Nigerian Army for enhanced performance outcomes.

The seminar highlights the Nigerian Army’s deliberate push to entrench a culture of accountability, precision and continuous improvement by strengthening compliance systems and refining performance metrics in line with global best practices.

RELATEDLY, the Army and Southern Kaduna leaders, including traditional and religious leaders, and youth representatives drawn from five local councils, have organised a one-day summit as part of efforts to avert farmers/herders’ clash and guarantee a peaceful and harmonious coexistence among the diverse ethnic groups in the zone as the 2026 farming season begins.

Organised by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Division Nigerian Army and Commander, Operation Enduring Peace, Maj.-Gen. Folusho Oyinlola, the summit brought together stakeholders from Jama’a, Kaura, Kauru, Zango Kataf, and Kwoi local councils.

The event was designed to boost agricultural productivity and demonstrate that the military’s mandate extends beyond combat to the economic well-being of law-abiding citizens.

The renewed commitment bridges the gap between security oversight and economic empowerment, establishing a firm foundation for stability across the region’s fertile landscapes.

Speaking during the engagement, the GOC submitted that a thriving society depends entirely on mutual tolerance, warning that insecurity is the primary driver of poor harvest seasons.

Represented by the Chief of Staff to the Operation, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Sule, Oyinlola acknowledged that the current relative calm in Southern Kaduna is the direct result of deliberate conflict mitigation and community cooperation.

The Commander Sector 7, Operation ENDURING PEACE, Col. Dele Fapohunda, reiterated that hostility is an ineffective approach to dispute resolution.

Chairman of Jama’a Local Government Area, Peter Dogara, called for a mutual understanding between farmers and herders, and committed to holding periodic engagements with local chiefs.