News
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FG Didn’t Pay Ransom for Kebbi and Niger Kidnap Victims — Senate Spokesman, Adaramodu
Senate spokesman Yemi Adaramodu has insisted that the Federal Government did not pay ransom for the release of individuals recently abducted in Kebbi and Niger States. Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Friday, Adaramodu addressed growing public concern over the lack of visible evidence showing clashes between security forces and the kidnappers during the rescue operations. “From our side at the National Assembly, we believe the Federal Government did not pay any ransom to anybody,” he said. He noted that engagements with abductors can take different forms, either “through force or persuasion”, and that not all security operations…
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Bandits haven’t enjoyed city life, combine amnesty, military action – ACF’s Dalhatu to FG
Chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Bashir Dalhatu, has urged the Federal Government to adopt a combined strategy of negotiation and military force in addressing insecurity across northern Nigeria. Speaking on ARISE Television’s Morning Show on Friday, Dalhatu argued that the dual approach has worked in other regions and could yield similar results in the North. He suggested that a model similar to the Niger Delta amnesty programme, which rehabilitated militants through education and reintegration, could be explored. Dalhatu noted that many bandits grew up without access to schooling or exposure to urban life. While insisting that crime must…
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UniPort student sentenced to death for murder of girlfriend
A Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt has sentenced 26-year-old Damian Okoligwe, a 400-level Petrochemical Engineering student of the University of Port Harcourt, to death by hanging for the murder of his girlfriend, Justina Otuene, a 300-level Biochemistry student. Justice Chiwen Nsirim Nwosu delivered the judgment on Friday, ruling that the prosecution led by Charles Obediah-Mbaba, proved beyond reasonable doubt that Okoligwe killed Justina in October 2023 at his Ozuoba residence. The court held that her death resulted directly from his actions. Okoligwe was arrested after neighbours alerted police to a foul smell coming from his room. Officers forced…
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I might have been a math teacher if I wasn’t a musician – Tems
Nigerian singer Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has shared what her career path might have looked like if music hadn’t worked out. During an interactive Q&A with fans on X on Tuesday, a follower asked what she would be doing today if she wasn’t an artist. Tems replied: “I might have been an accountant or a mathematics teacher.” Before her rise to global fame, the Grammy-winning singer worked as a digital marketer, a job she quit in January 2018 to pursue music full-time. She released her debut single Mr Rebel in July 2018, gaining early attention in Nigeria. Her…
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‘’We know their locations, but these areas are places where direct strikes could endanger civilians” – Minister of Defence speaks on the challenges of fighting bandits
Minister of Defence Mohammed Badaru Abubakar has shed light on the military’s challenges in confronting bandit groups, saying the main obstacle is the risk posed to civilians in areas where the criminals operate. Speaking to the BBC Hausa Service, Badaru explained that the military often identifies the locations of bandits but cannot launch immediate attacks due to the danger to nearby communities. “This is how guerrilla warfare works. There will be periods of calm, then an attack that shakes the nation. Yes, we know their locations, but some areas are places where direct strikes could endanger civilians, or forests where…
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Insecurity: ‘Let’s tell President Tinubu the truth’- Senator Seriake Dickson tackles colleagues for commending President Tinubu despite abductions
Senator Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa West) has called on the Senate to be honest with President Bola Tinubu about Nigeria’s worsening security situation instead of offering praise. During Wednesday’s plenary, Dickson warned against “sugarcoating” the crisis, saying leaders must avoid political correctness and sycophancy. “The President needs to be told the true situation. Sugarcoating is hypocrisy and a disservice to the country,” he said. He criticised a proposal to commend the President on security efforts, calling it insensitive and ill-timed, especially to victims of banditry, insurgency, and kidnapping. “If things were going well, we wouldn’t be here. How will victims, grieving…
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We are in this fight together – Tinubu Declares Nationwide Security Emergency, Orders Massive Police and Military Recruitment
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday declared a nationwide security emergency, directing the Nigerian Police and Armed Forces to immediately recruit more personnel to combat rising insecurity. In a statement from the State House, Tinubu authorised the police to recruit an additional 20,000 officers, raising the total planned intake to 50,000. He also approved the use of NYSC camps as temporary training centres and ordered officers withdrawn from VIP duties to undergo crash retraining for deployment to high-risk areas. “In view of the emerging security situation, I have decided to declare a nationwide security emergency and order additional recruitment into…
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Bandits whereabouts known, attack risky – Presidential aide, Bayo Onanuga says
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, has defended the federal government’s response to the wave of insecurity troubling northern Nigeria.Speaking on ARISE News’ Prime Time on Monday, Nov. 24, he said security agencies already know the identities and hideouts of the bandit groups behind recent mass abductions — including the attack on St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State. According to Onanuga, the challenge isn’t lack of intelligence but the operational risks involved. He explained that many of the bandits operate from enclaves where abducted civilians are used as human shields, making direct…
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Present the proof – IPOB slams Sen. Orji Kalu over his claim that 30,000 South Easterners d!ed due to Nnamdi Kanu’s activities
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has pushed back hard against Senator Orji Uzor Kalu after he claimed that 30,000 people lost their lives due to the activities of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and the movement in the South East. IPOB is demanding evidence to back the senator’s allegation, insisting that neither the group nor Kanu is responsible for any deaths or destruction in the region. Instead, the organisation maintains that its members have been the victims, facing arrests, extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, and other attacks by state-backed security forces. In a strongly worded statement issued by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful,…
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Breaking: FCTA Orders Immediate Closure of All Senior Secondary Schools in Abuja Over Security Threats
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has directed all public senior secondary schools in Abuja to shut down on or before Friday, November 28, citing pressing security concerns. The directive was issued in a memo signed by Aishatu Sani Alhassan, Director of School Services at the FCT Secondary Education Board. According to the memo, school principals were instructed to halt all academic activities immediately and ensure students are dismissed safely and in an orderly manner. Schools are also required to notify staff, parents, and students, adjust their academic schedules, and await further instructions regarding resumption. The move follows a series…
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Insecurity: Hold those responsible to account — UN tells Nigerian Government
The United Nations has issued a stern condemnation of the rising wave of mass abductions in north-central Nigeria, urging the Federal Government to act swiftly and decisively to stop the attacks and bring the perpetrators to justice. Speaking at a press briefing in Geneva, UN rights office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said the organization is alarmed by the scale and frequency of the recent kidnappings. “We are shocked at the recent surge in mass abductions in north-central Nigeria. We urge the Nigerian authorities at all levels to take all lawful measures to halt these vile attacks and hold those responsible to…
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“Face the Truth, Security Solutions Must Come From Within” – Shehu Sani tells Northern leaders
Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has urged northern political leaders to confront the region’s worsening insecurity with honesty, courage, and a long-term commitment to real solutions. Speaking in Kaduna on Tuesday during a visit by the Open Heart Foundation and the Women Empowerment Centre, Sani said the North has battled severe insecurity for more than 15 years, driven by deep-rooted social, economic, and governance failures. He stressed that the region can no longer ignore the underlying causes of violence: “The root problems are poverty, underdevelopment, and illiteracy. These communities are part of us, the solutions must come from within.”…
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