AES intelligence agencies probe bandit leaders, Nigerian politicians over arms deal Intelligence agencies from the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, are investigating notorious bandit kingpins from Northwestern Nigeria over the procurement of arms and ammunition. According to Zagazola Makama, a security analyst and counterinsurgency expert on Lake Chad, the probe has also been extended to certain Nigerian politicians allegedly involved in peace deals that funnelled significant funds to the kingpins, which are now being used to buy weapons across the border. According to credible sources, this development...