Tinubu Orders Shettima to Convene NEC Meeting on Ranching Amid Rising Farmer-Herder Clashes

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to summon a special National Executive Council (NEC) meeting focused on resolving Nigeria’s escalating farmer-herder crisis through ranching reforms. The directive comes as violent clashes surge across several states. Tinubu also ordered the immediate training, arming, and deployment of additional forest guards to combat kidnapping, banditry, and terrorism. According to the presidency, the worsening insecurity demands a more aggressive, coordinated national response to protect citizens.


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#Ranching
#Insecurity

Tinubu Reaffirms Withdrawal of Police From VIP Escorts, Orders Strict Clearance for Exceptions

President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his directive withdrawing police officers from VIP escort duties, insisting that only individuals who secure his personal approval through the Inspector-General of Police will receive special protection. Speaking before the Federal Executive Council meeting, Tinubu said the decision aims to redeploy security personnel to critical national security operations, particularly the fight against kidnapping and terrorism. He ordered the Interior Minister and NSCDC to replace withdrawn police escorts with civil defence operatives and directed the NSA and DSS to review nationwide security deployments. Tinubu also emphasised arming forest guards. The directive follows a national debate reignited by Wole Soyinka, who criticised the excessively large convoy attached to Seyi Tinubu, calling it a misuse of security resources.

Police Arrest Notorious Suspect in Murder of Anambra Lawmaker Azuka Justice

The Anambra State Police Command has arrested 26-year-old Ugochukwu Uzor, the alleged mastermind behind the abduction and killing of Anambra lawmaker Hon. Azuka Justice. Police operatives captured the suspect during a major offensive in Ogbaru, recovering a locally made Beretta pistol and live ammunition. According to police spokesperson SP Tochukwu Ikenga, Uzor confessed to leading several violent criminal gangs across Anambra and neighbouring states and admitted involvement in the December 2024 abduction and murder of the lawmaker, whose decomposing body was found at the 2nd Niger Bridge in early 2025. Authorities described the arrest as a major breakthrough in efforts to dismantle kidnapping and armed robbery syndicates. Residents were urged to remain vigilant and support ongoing security operations.

Corruption Fueling Nigeria’s Security Crisis, CISLAC/TI Warn on UN Anti-Corruption Day

CISLAC and Transparency International-Nigeria warn that corruption is the driving force behind Nigeria’s deepening insecurity, accusing political leaders, security chiefs, and military elites of profiting from opaque defence spending and fraudulent security contracts. The groups cite diversion of funds, recruitment racketeering, illegal arms deals, extortion, and poor welfare for frontline personnel as key factors undermining the fight against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and organised crime. They call for urgent reforms, full transparency in defence procurement, strict sanctions for corrupt officers, and independent oversight to stop what they describe as an entrenched “insecurity economy.”

BREAKING: Islamic cleric Sheikh Gumi has described the kidnapping of schoolchildren as a “lesser evil” compared to k!ll!ng soldiers, insisting that Nigeria must negotiate with bandits to prevent greater bloodshed.

Bandits Shoot Prominent Resident As Zamfara Community Suffers Second Attack in One Week

Bandits launched a midnight attack on Bakura town in Zamfara State, marking the second assault on the community within a week. The gunmen shot a respected resident, Alhaji Kabiru Daket, before fleeing into the night, sparking fear and unrest among locals. The attack comes amid broader security concerns as investigations reveal that bandit networks linked to kidnapping, terrorism, and cattle rustling have migrated from Niger Republic and Nigeria’s North-West into Kwara and Niger forests. Security forces recently intercepted seven fleeing suspects from the Gbubu Forest enclave, disrupting their operations but highlighting the spread of organised criminal camps across multiple states. Authorities have yet to issue an official statement on the Bakura incident.

PRESIDENT TINUBU WELCOMES THE RETURN OF 100 CATHOLIC STUDENTS, CHARGES SECURITY AGENCIES ON SAFE RETURN OF OTHERS

President Bola Tinubu has commended the security agencies for their tireless efforts in securing the freedom of the 100 students of Papiri Catholic School in Niger State.

While expressing his joy over the safe return of the students, President Tinubu equally charged the security agencies to ensure the swift release of the remaining 115 students and their teachers who are still held hostage.

President Tinubu assured the parents that both the federal and the Niger State governments are working closely to reunite all the abducted students with their families.

"I have been briefed on the safe return of 100 students from the Catholic School in Niger State. I rejoice with Governor Umar Bago and commend our security agencies for their steadfast work in ensuring the safe return of the students to their families since the unfortunate incident on November 21.

"My directive to our security forces remains that all the students and other abducted Nigerians across the country must be rescued and brought back home safely. We must account for all the victims. The Federal Government will continue to work with Niger State and other states to secure our schools and make the learning environment safer and more conducive for our young ones.

"From now on, our security agencies, working with the governors, must prevent future kidnappings. Our children should no longer be sitting ducks for heartless terrorists intent on disrupting their education and subjecting them and their parents to unspeakable trauma," President Tinubu said.

How Bandits Relocated From Niger Republic to Kwara–Niger Forests Before Police Intercepted Their Escape

An investigation has uncovered how armed bandits migrated from Niger Republic into forest corridors in Kwara and Niger states, establishing fortified bases used for kidnapping, robbery, cattle rustling, and cross-border operations. The criminals, pressured by intensified military and police raids, attempted a coordinated escape from Gbubu Forest but were intercepted by the Nigeria Police IRT, leading to the arrest of seven suspects from Nigeria and Niger Republic. The suspects confessed to belonging to multiple syndicates and described how porous borders, forest networks, and local collaborators aided their activities. Authorities say more arrests are expected as operations continue.

PRESIDENT TINUBU WELCOMES THE RETURN OF 100 CATHOLIC STUDENTS, CHARGES SECURITY AGENCIES ON SAFE RETURN OF OTHERS

President Bola Tinubu has commended the security agencies for their tireless efforts in securing the freedom of the 100 students of Papiri Catholic School in Niger State.

A statement by Special Adviser to the President, Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga indicates that
while expressing his joy over the safe return of the students, President Tinubu equally charged the security agencies to ensure the swift release of the remaining 115 students and their teachers who are still held hostage.

President Tinubu assured the parents that both the federal and the Niger State governments are working closely to reunite all the abducted students with their families.

"I have been briefed on the safe return of 100 students from the Catholic School in Niger State. I rejoice with Governor Umar Bago and commend our security agencies for their steadfast work in ensuring the safe return of the students to their families since the unfortunate incident on November 21.

"My directive to our security forces remains that all the students and other abducted Nigerians across the country must be rescued and brought back home safely. We must account for all the victims. The Federal Government will continue to work with Niger State and other states to secure our schools and make the learning environment safer and more conducive for our young ones.

"From now on, our security agencies, working with the governors, must prevent future kidnappings. Our children should no longer be sitting ducks for heartless terrorists intent on disrupting their education and subjecting them and their parents to unspeakable trauma," President Tinubu said.

Intelligence Report Uncovers Hundreds of Kidnapping and Bandit Syndicate Members Across Northern Nigeria

A classified Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) report has exposed a vast network of kidnapping and bandit syndicates operating across the North-West and North-East. The investigation reveals detailed profiles of key kingpins, informants, logistics operators, and possible links to politically exposed persons.
Hotspot states like Katsina, Zamfara, and Kaduna dominate the findings, with suspects tied to ransom collection, weapons sourcing, international communication, and alleged collaboration with security and political figures. The report highlights how coordinated criminal networks sustain abductions, banditry, and cross-regional movement of armed groups.

Kwara Police Arrest Kidnapping Kingpin After DSS Detains Doctor Treating Bandits

The Kwara State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a notorious kidnapping kingpin, Aliu Abubakar, just hours after the DSS detained a medical doctor accused of providing drugs and medical treatment to armed groups operating in the Kwara–Niger forest belt. Abubakar was apprehended at Oro-Ago Motor Park following community intelligence, with digital forensics reportedly revealing photos of him wielding an AK-47, posing with gang members, and displaying cash believed to be ransom proceeds.
The arrest is linked to an ongoing security sweep that recently intercepted ammunition couriers tied to the same network. Authorities say the coordinated crackdown is exposing the financial, logistical and medical support systems sustaining kidnapping operations in rural communities. The suspect is in custody and providing actionable intelligence expected to lead to more arrests.


#KwaraSecurity

#KidnappingKingpin

#DSSArrests

Dalung Lauds Tinubu’s Benin Airstrike but Questions Failure to Tackle Insecurity in Nigeria

Former minister Solomon Dalung has praised President Bola Tinubu for Nigeria’s swift military intervention in Benin Republic, describing the airstrike against coup plotters as decisive and effective. However, he criticised the government for failing to apply the same urgency to Nigeria’s worsening insecurity. Dalung questioned why operations against terrorists, bandits, and kidnappers at home lack the coordination displayed in Benin, citing unanswered attacks such as the killing of Brig. Gen. Musa Uba and mass school kidnappings. He warned that Nigeria’s inability to protect its citizens fuels international calls — including past remarks by Donald Trump — for external intervention. Dalung urged Tinubu to deploy equal military strength to Sambisa, Niger, Zamfara, Plateau, and Kaduna, insisting that national strength must be proven within Nigeria’s borders.


#NigeriaSecurity

#TinubuAdministration

#SolomonDalung

Kidnapping Began in Southern Nigeria, Not the North — Gov Sule Warns Against Regional Blame

Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule says kidnapping did not originate in the North as widely believed, arguing that the crisis first emerged in Nigeria’s oil-producing southern region between 2003 and 2009. Speaking on Channels TV’s Sunday Politics, he described a tense governors’ meeting where rising insecurity sparked anger and frustration among members. Sule recounted how oil workers were frequently abducted in the Niger Delta for economic ransom and urged Nigerians to stop regionalising insecurity. He stressed that kidnapping has now become a national problem requiring collective effort to defeat.


#InsecurityNigeria

#GovSule

#KidnappingCrisis

Imo Govt Seals Hotel, Mortuary Linked to Wanted Kidnap Kingpin After Decomposed Bodies Found

The Imo State Government has sealed a hotel and private mortuary allegedly used as criminal hideouts by wanted kidnap kingpin Stanley Morocco Oparaugo. A joint security operation led by CP Aboki Danjuma raided the facilities in Umuhu, Ngor-Okpala, uncovering severely decomposed bodies stored in unhygienic conditions, raising suspicions of organ-harvesting and other illegal activities. Forensic experts secured the scene while Oparaugo — now declared wanted — remains on the run. Authorities have deployed heightened security along the Owerri–Aba Expressway as the crackdown on kidnapping networks intensifies.

Imo Police uncover hotel and mortuary allegedly used for kidnapping, organ harvesting in Ngor Okpala, Imo State

Operatives of the Imo State Police Command have uncovered a hotel and a mortuary allegedly used by a criminal syndicate for kidnapping, ransom collection and organ harvesting along the Airport–Owerri–Aba Road in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area.

The discovery, announced on Saturday, followed weeks of covert surveillance ordered by the Commissioner of Police, Imo Command, CP Aboki Danjuma, after a series of disturbing reports of kidnapping attacks on motorists in the Ngor Okpala axis.

According to police accounts, intelligence-led investigations revealed that one High Chief Stanley Oparaugo, also known as “Morocco,” of Ngor Okpala, is the suspected kingpin of the syndicate. He allegedly owns Jessy Best Hotel, Ihitte Okwe, and a nearby mortuary known as Ugwudi, both situated along the Airport–Owerri–Aba Road.

Police said the gang lured victims into the hotel, where they were robbed, abducted and forced to pay ransom. Several victims who reportedly paid ransom were never seen again by their families.

Further investigations indicated that victims were moved from the hotel to the mortuary, where they were allegedly killed and their body parts harvested for sale to criminal buyers.

Led by CP Danjuma, police operatives visited the scene, where Jessy Best Hotel was found completely deserted. At the Ugwudi mortuary, officers discovered several mutilated corpses, believed to be victims of the operation.

The police said efforts are ongoing to track down the fleeing High Chief Oparaugo and members of his criminal gang.

The operation was conducted in collaboration with the Imo State Commissioner for Health, the Chairperson of Ngor Okpala Local Government Area and local vigilante groups. Tactical teams, including the ACP in charge of operations, the Divisional Police Officer for Ngor Okpala and community vigilantes, have been deployed to take over the area and prevent further criminal activity.

The Imo State Police Command urged residents to remain vigilant and continue providing information that could assist in the ongoing investigation.

Families Raise Alarm as UNICROSS Lecturers Remain Missing Six Months After Kidnapping in Imo State

Families of two young lecturers from the University of Cross River State, Engr. Odu Emmanuel Odu and Eja Vincent Ndifon, have cried out over the lack of progress six months after the pair were kidnapped along the Okigwe–Okwele Road in Imo State. Despite early media attention, ASUU involvement, and repeated visits to security agencies, the families say they have received no updates from the police, DSS, or the Imo State Government. Both victims, aged 32, were travelling from Lagos to Calabar after purchasing a vehicle when they were abducted. The families describe the ordeal as emotionally devastating and call on authorities to release investigation findings and intensify rescue efforts, noting that the lecturers were promising PhD candidates and active ASUU members.

Four Travellers Abducted in Broad Daylight as Bandits Strike Again in Kogi’s Yagba East

Four travellers were abducted on Sunday afternoon in the Odo-Ogbe area of Yagba East, Kogi State, after bandits ambushed them around 2:00 p.m. The victims, who were riding on a motorcycle, were overpowered and dragged into the surrounding forest by the armed attackers. One of those taken has been identified as Oju Lari, whose image is circulating locally in search efforts. Residents say the area has become increasingly dangerous due to recurring kidnappings and violent raids. Community leaders are urging security agencies and the state government to take immediate and sustained action to restore safety, as fear and insecurity continue to worsen. Authorities have not yet issued an official statement on the incident.

Macron Backs Tinubu as France Pledges Full Support to Nigeria Amid Escalating Terror Threat

French President Emmanuel Macron has assured President Bola Tinubu of France’s full support as Nigeria battles a worsening wave of terrorism, mass kidnappings, and violent attacks across the North and Middle Belt. Macron revealed via his official X account that he spoke directly with Tinubu, expressing solidarity and promising to strengthen France’s security partnership with Nigeria at the president’s request.

The call comes as Nigeria declares a nationwide state of emergency after multiple mass abductions of schoolchildren and deadly assaults on churches and rural communities. Tinubu announced plans to recruit 20,000 additional police officers, deploy forest guards, and reinforce security in schools and places of worship.

The crisis coincides with international concern, including U.S. President Donald Trump’s warnings and rising criticism over Nigeria’s handling of insecurity. Analysts caution that Tinubu’s increased troop deployment may not be enough to curb the escalating violence.

Tiger Base Torture Atrocities Exposed: Nigerian Authorities’ Silence Fuels Public Anger — Okechukwu Nwanguma

In a powerful exposé, Okechukwu Nwanguma details years of torture, extortion, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings carried out by Imo State’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit, known as Tiger Base. Despite petitions, eyewitness testimonies, and mounting evidence, Nigerian authorities have maintained what he describes as “criminal silence.”
Cases highlighted include the extortion-driven arrest of Izuchukwu Madueke, the month-long secret detention of Christian Kelechi, the torture and death of Japheth Njoku followed by a cover-up, and the enforced disappearance of Johnbosco Onuocha. Nwanguma warns that the unchecked brutality mirrors the patterns that triggered the 2020 EndSARS revolt.
He calls for immediate suspension and prosecution of implicated officers, independent investigations, and full enforcement of anti-torture laws, stressing that continued government inaction risks igniting another nationwide public uprising.

IPOB Assures South-East Is Safe for Christmas, Urges Igbos Worldwide to Return Home

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has declared the South-East region safe for Christmas celebrations, urging Igbos at home and abroad to return in large numbers. In a statement by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, the group said security in the region has significantly improved, noting that the Eastern Security Network (ESN) and IPOB volunteers are on ground to protect residents and visitors throughout the festive season.
IPOB dismissed reports of widespread insecurity as “sponsored instability” and criticised what it described as exaggerated media portrayals of violence in the region. It also debunked a recent viral video of alleged kidnappings along the Owerri–Aba Road, insisting it was an old clip. The group maintained that the South-East remains one of the most peaceful parts of Nigeria and encouraged Ndi Igbo to return home confidently and invest in the region.