Index to Nigerian Newspapers

France has suspended military cooperation with Mali, and its troops have already left the military base at Timbuktu. This is part of a reorganisation of Operation Barkhane, which aimed at removing its 5,100-strong force that battled jihadists in the Sahel since they entered Mali in 2013. The withdrawal of troops has left with mixed reactions in Mali, especially in the minds of Mohamed El Bashir, president of the municipal youth council, who said it will make the region less secure. Equatorial Guinea's defender Saul Basilio Coco-Bassey Oubina (L) fights for the ball with Ivory Coast's defender Maxwell Gnaly Cornet during the Group E Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2021 football match between Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast at Stade de Japoma in Douala on January 12, 2022. Mali has faced two coup d'etats since 2013, leading to increased violence and killings. Colonel Assimi Goita has pledged to return to civilian rule, but a four-day National conference recommended a five-year delay. A major coalition of political parties has rejected the government's plan, saying it is in violation of the transition charter.

The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) has claimed that $15 billion has been squandered through fraudulent arms procurement deals in the last 20 years, allowing groups like Boko Haram to thrive. However, troops of 5 Brigades and Sector 3 Joint Task Force of Operation Hadin Kai have killed three terrorists at an illegal border market in Borno State, recovering an AK-47 rifle, a truck, two motorcycles, four empty magazines and rounds of ammunition. The Northern States Governors' Forum (NSGF) has expressed appreciation for the Federal Government's approval to deploy Super Tucano fighter jets against bandits, while the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq, has condemned the recent killings in Zamfara State as horrific and tragic.

About 100 top officers including Generals, Brigadier Generals, Air Vice Marshals, and Admirals in the Nigerian Army, Navy and Airforce may proceed on compulsory retirement following the appointment of new service chiefs on monday by President Tinubu. aside from the imminent gale of retirement, many officers would be promoted to thier next rank to fill the vacancies that would be created by the retiring generals as part of the reorganisation of the services of the new service chiefs. Tinubu announced the immediate retirement of General Lucky Irabor, Chief of Defense Staff, Lt.General Farouk Yahaya Chief of Army Staff, Vice Admiral awwal gambo Chief of Naval Staff and Air Marshal Oladayo Amoo Chief of Air Staff and replaced them with new military chiefs. The new chiefs are Major General Christopher Musa Chief of Defense Staff, Major General Taoreed Lagbaja Chief of Army Staff, Real Admiral Emmauel Ogalla Chief of Naval Staff and Air Vice Marshal Hassan Abubakar Chief of Air Staff. DIG Kayode Egbetokun was appointed Inspector General of Police.