BREAKING: Residents in Shiroro LGA, Niger State, say they pay ₦7 million to bandits just to live in their homes and farm in peace.

Community leader Alh. Yahaya say that villages like Makera, Galapai, Chukuba & others are under bandit control — with each married man contributing to the payment.

He says security patrols have stopped, leaving locals to NEGOTIATE their safety directly with bandit groups.

Residents plead for urgent government action to protect lives and property.

16 Senior Officers Detained Over Alleged Coup Plot Against Tinubu.

Military authorities are continuing investigations into a foiled coup attempt against President Bola Tinubu’s administration, and PREMIUM TIMES has obtained exclusive details on 16 officers currently detained in connection with the plot.

According to security sources, 14 of the detained officers are from the Nigerian Army, with two others from the Navy and Air Force. Of the army personnel, 12 are from the Infantry Corps, one from the Signals Corps, and one from the Ordnance Corps.

The ranks of those in custody include a brigadier general, a colonel, four lieutenant colonels, five majors, two captains and a lieutenant. The Navy officer is a lieutenant commander, while the Air Force officer holds the rank of squadron leader.

Authorities have not issued a formal statement on the alleged plot, offering only a denial that it was linked to the scaled-down Independence Day celebrations on October 1.

Key Officers Identified are: Brigadier General Musa Abubakar Sadiq, believed to be the alleged ringleader, is from Nasarawa State and a member of NDA Regular Course 44. He was previously detained in 2024 over alleged diversion of relief materials and military equipment.

Colonel M.A. Ma’aji, from Niger State and a member of the 47 Regular Course, is suspected of playing a strategic planning role. He formerly commanded the 19 Battalion in Ondo State and served under Operation Delta Safe.

Other officers include: Lt. Col S. Bappah (Signals Corps), Bauchi State, Lt. Col A.A. Hayatu (Infantry), Kaduna State, Lt. Col M. Almakura (Infantry), Nasarawa State, Majors A.J. Ibrahim, M.M. Jiddah, M.A. Usman, D. Yusuf, and I. Dauda, Captains Ibrahim Bello and A.A. Yusuf, Lt. S.S. Felix, Lt. Commander D.B. Abdullahi (Navy), Squadron Leader S.B. Adamu (Air Force)
Sources say interrogations are ongoing, and details of alleged roles and motives have not yet been made public. The Defence Headquarters and the Presidency have remained silent.

More updates are expected as investigations progress.

Tinubu Revises Pardon, Reduces Maryam Sanda’s Death Sentence to 12 Years

President Bola Tinubu has reversed the earlier presidential pardon granted to Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death in 2020 for killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello. Instead, her death sentence has now been commuted to a 12-year prison term.

This adjustment was revealed in an updated official gazette released on Wednesday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.

According to the document, Sanda has already served six years and eight months at the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre in Niger State. With the revised sentence, she has approximately five years and four months left to serve before completing her term. 

The change was made on compassionate grounds.

The updated list also includes over 80 other inmates whose sentences were similarly reduced to shorter prison terms.

Postgraduate Student Arrested for Criticising Niger Governor on Facebook.

A postgraduate student of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai (IBBUL), Abubakar Isah Mokwa, has been arrested by the police for allegedly criticising Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of Niger State on Facebook.

Mokwa, a student of the Department of Agricultural Economy and Extension, was picked up by police from his off-campus residence in Lapai on Thursday.

Confirming the arrest, the spokesperson for the Niger State Police Command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said Mokwa was detained following a complaint bordering on cyber-related offences.

“The Niger State Police Command received a criminal complaint bordering on cyber bullying, cyber stalking and other Cybercrime related offences against one Abubakar Isah Mokwa, 29yrs, of Mokwa, and a postgraduate student of IBBUL,” Abiodun said.

He added that the suspect was “invited and arrested by the Lapai Division on 23rd October, 2025, at about 11pm and transferred to the State Police Command Headquarters, Minna for further investigation.”

According to him, “the suspect is in custody and further development will be made public.”

This arrest adds to a growing list of incidents involving the Niger State government and critics of Governor Bago.

In August, the state government suspended Badegi 90.1 FM, an independent radio station in Minna, over alleged criticism of the governor.

Reacting to the latest arrest, the International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria condemned what it described as “a growing pattern of repression against the press under Governor Bago’s leadership.”

“In January 2025, Yakubu Mustapha, the Niger State correspondent for Peoples Daily and Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the NUJ, was detained for three days after allegedly circulating an article critical of the governor’s media adviser,” IPI recalled.

“Similarly, in November 2023, Mustapha Nasiru Batsari, the Niger State correspondent of the Voice of America (VOA), was reportedly assaulting by a commissioner in Governor Bago’s cabinet after requesting an interview regarding a violent clash between farmers in Beji,” it added.

“We Won’t Pay Ransom or Negotiate with Bandits” — Niger Governor Bago Declares, Orders Statewide Mining Ban.

Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, has vowed that his administration will neither negotiate with bandits nor pay ransom for kidnapped victims, insisting that such actions only empower criminals and fuel insecurity across the state.

Bago made the declaration during a condolence visit to residents of Rijau and Magama Local Government Areas, where several communities were recently attacked by bandits in the Kontagora axis.

According to a statement issued on Wednesday by his Special Adviser on Print Media, Aisha Wakaso, the governor said Niger State had reached a critical point that demands collective resistance from its people. He warned that ransom payments would only commercialise kidn+pping and make the cr+me more lucrative.

“I will not negotiate with bandits. I will not pay ransom. The moment we start paying, they will open shop on our heads and keep kidnapping people,” Bago said. “This is a war situation, and we must all rise to defend ourselves. The constitution empowers us to protect lives and property, and we will not back down.”

In addition, Governor Bago declared a total ban on mining activities across Niger State’s Zone C, which includes Magama, Kontagora, Rijau, Wushishi, Mariga, Borgu, Mashegu, and Agwara LGAs. He linked illegal mining to the rising wave of insecurity, alleging that many miners operate freely in forest zones that are unsafe for residents.

“It is suspicious that miners can enter the forests freely, yet the bandits don’t touch them,” he stated, directing the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to arrest anyone caught engaging in mining activities.

Over 30 Feared Dead, 40 Injured In Niger State Tanker Explosion
Eyewitnesses said the victims were scooping fuel from a fallen tanker when the vehicle suddenly exploded, setting off a massive fire that engulfed several people.

Tinubu Grants Posthumous Pardon to Late Major General Mamman Vatsa

The family of Major General Mamman Vatsa has expressed profound gratitude to President Bola Tinubu following the posthumous pardon of the celebrated poet and senior military officer, nearly 39 years after his execution.

Vatsa, executed in 1986 after being convicted by a secret military tribunal for allegedly plotting a coup against then Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida, was finally cleared through the exercise of presidential clemency, alongside Herbert Macaulay and other notable figures.

In a statement from Minna, Niger State, Jonathan Vatsa, family spokesperson and former state Commissioner for Information, described the pardon as “the greatest moment of relief since the general’s death.”

He said:

“Today is the happiest moment in the life of the family after 39 years of sorrow and sadness following the killing of our late father, brother and uncle. Though nothing can bring him back to life, the family is consoled by this display of statesmanship by our dear president. He has written his name in gold, and history will forever remember him.”


Jonathan emphasized that the family has long maintained Vatsa’s innocence, calling the coup charge a “frame-up” and the trial a “stage-managed process” fueled by envy and hatred. He added:

“Justice can never be denied but can only be delayed. The family is convinced that the late Vatsa must be happy in his grave today by this singular act of compassion by President Tinubu. This goes to show that truth doesn’t expire.”


He also recalled that General Domkat Bali, a member of the military council at the time, had publicly questioned the evidence against Vatsa and whether execution was justified.

While some of Vatsa’s closest relatives, including his wife and several children, are no longer alive to witness the pardon, the surviving family members celebrated being part of this historic moment.

“The family still maintains that the late General Vatsa was innocent of the coup. But we thank President Tinubu for his magnanimity in granting him the state pardon,” Jonathan concluded.

Tinubu Grants Presidential Pardon for Herbert Macaulay,  175 Nigerians

On Thursday, the Council of State approved the exercise of the presidential prerogative of mercy for 175 persons across different categories.

The decision followed a presentation by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), who conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s recommendations based on the report of the Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy during the council meeting held at the State House, Abuja.

Although the full list of beneficiaries is yet to be released, pardons were granted to Herbert Macaulay, Nigeria’s nationalist icon, and Maj.-Gen. Mamman Vatsa (retd.), a former FCT minister, was executed in 1986 under the Babangida regime. Members of the Ogoni Nine and Ogoni Four were also named among the beneficiaries.

Macaulay, regarded as the father of Nigerian nationalism, was twice jailed by the British colonial authorities — in 1913 for alleged fund misappropriation and in 1928 for sedition following his newspaper’s publication during the Eleko of Lagos crisis. Historians have long questioned the fairness of his convictions.

Vatsa, a poet and member of the Supreme Military Council, was executed by firing squad for an alleged coup attempt, a case that has remained controversial for decades, with repeated calls for a posthumous pardon.

Of the 175 approved cases, 82 inmates received full pardons, 65 had their sentences reduced, while seven death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State said the decision reflects President Tinubu’s “commitment to justice, fairness, and correctional reform.”

The meeting, chaired by the President, also ratified key appointments, including Dr Aminu Yusuf from Niger State as Chairman of the National Population Commission and Tonge Bularafa as Federal Commissioner representing Yobe State. 

Both nominations were unanimously endorsed.

Findings by SaharaReporters revealed that EFCC officials carried out operations in the APC Quarters in Suleja, Niger State, over several consecutive days, conducting raids in the early hours of the morning. Sources say the raids began last Wednesday.

Insecurity: Gunmen Kidnap Prominent Lawyer in Niger State on Independence Day.

Heavily armed terrorists have attacked Ibeto town in Magama Local Government Area of Niger State, abducting a prominent lawyer, Barrister Isyaku Muhammed Danjuma, along with several residents in a daring daylight raid.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, coinciding with Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary celebrations.

A family source revealed that the attackers stormed the community in large numbers, wielding sophisticated weapons.

“A lot of them armed with dangerous weapons and guns even bigger than what the security operatives would carry entered our town today (early morning). They were targeting prominent people to abduct. So that was how they came for Barrister Isyaku Muhammed Danjuma. He is currently with them. They have taken him away into the bush. These bandits operated openly for hours without any police or army to rescue them,” the source said.

Checks showed that Barrister Isyaku had posted about the terrorists’ invasion on his Facebook page shortly before his abduction.
He wrote:

“Independence Day but bandits are here in Ibeto running riot.”

Moments later, his fears became reality.

The abduction was further confirmed by his associate, Mohd Gbedako Ndatsu, who reacted under the lawyer’s Facebook post.

“Please when you come across this post, pray for him because I just received a devastating news now that the poster has been kidnapped,” Ndatsu wrote.

This latest abduction follows a similar incident last week, when another young lawyer, Barrister Onyesom Peace Udoka, was kidnapped alongside her sister while returning home from her Call to Bar ceremony. The two were later freed after spending several days in captivity.

Udoka’s abduction occurred around Lokoja, Kogi State, on Friday, September 27, 2025, just days after she was officially called to the bar in Abuja on September 23.

Fmr. Pres. Goodluck Jonathan Will Run for President in 2027 — Jerry Gana.

Former Minister of Information and Orientation, Professor Jerry Gana, has declared that former President Goodluck Jonathan will contest the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Speaking to journalists after the PDP Niger State Congress in Minna on Saturday, Gana said Nigerians had tried other leaders after Jonathan and now wanted him back.

“In 2015, former President Goodluck Jonathan said his ambition was not worth the blood of Nigerians. After him, another President ruled for eight years, and now another has ruled for two years. Nigerians have seen the difference, and the difference is very clear. Nigerians are now asking us to bring back our friend, former President Goodluck Jonathan,” he stated.

“I can confirm that Goodluck Ebele Jonathan will contest the presidential election in 2027 as PDP candidate, and we should be prepared to vote for him to return as President again,” he added.

Describing PDP as “truly democratic and grassroots-oriented,” Gana said the party had always allowed Nigerians to choose their leaders freely and dismissed talk of internal crisis. 

“When there was a near crisis in the party, the founding fathers convened a consultative conference in Abuja and addressed all the issues. We are now prepared for the task ahead in 2027,” he assured.

He urged Nigerians to “shine their eyes” and vote out the current administration in favour of Jonathan’s return for “good governance.”

The state congress also produced Alhaji Aliyu Mohammed Halidu as chairman with 1,289 votes, defeating Zonal Chairman Alhaji Yahaya Abdullahi (Ability), who scored 1,269. Other winners were Alhaji Khadi Kuta, returned unopposed as Secretary, and Mrs Salome Ndakosu, elected Woman Leader with 1,373 votes against Ramotu Jibrin’s 590.

In his acceptance speech, Halidu called for unity, urging members to “join hands in ensuring the return of a people-oriented government in 2027.”

Kwara Police Seize Cannabis Hidden in Yam Tubers.

The Kwara State Police Command, working with operatives of the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Nigeria Forest Security Service (NFSS), and local vigilantes, has intercepted a vehicle transporting 127 bags of suspected cannabis concealed beneath tubers of yam.

Police spokesperson SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, in a statement on Saturday, described the seizure as another major breakthrough in the fight against crime and drug trafficking.

The operation, conducted on September 26, 2025, around 4 p.m. along the Babanla–Oreke–Oke-Ode axis, led to the arrest of two suspects, Dan-Teni Haruna and Rabiu Ibrahim both from Saliku in Magama Local Government Area of Niger State.

Authorities said investigations are ongoing to unravel the wider network behind the smuggling attempt.

TRADOC Nigerian Army Hosts 2025 Research and Development Conference

The Headquarters Training and Doctrine Command Nigerian Army (TRADOC NA) held its 2025 Research and Development Conference at Minna Military Cantonment, Niger State. The two-day event, themed “Research and Development: A Paradigm for Doctrinal Guidance in Contemporary Operational Environment,” focused on advancing military capacity through innovation and collaboration.

Commander TRADOC NA, Major General Kevin Aligbe, stressed the importance of adopting modern technologies and inter-agency cooperation for conflict management and peacekeeping, while commending the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, for his support.

Chief of Research and Development, Major General Aminu Chinade, urged participants to engage fully, noting the role of R&D in national transformation. The conference featured expert presentations, inter-agency participation, and paper sessions. Guest lecturers received plaques of appreciation, and a group photograph concluded the event.

Gunmen Kill Police Divisional Crime Officer At Home In Niger State

EFCC arrests 19 suspected internet fraudsters in Niger State.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Kaduna Zonal Directorate, has arrested 19 suspected internet fraudsters in Lapai Local Government Area of Niger State.

The suspects are 18 males and one female, who were arrested on Friday, September 19, 2025, after credible intelligence connects them to cybercrime activities.

Security analyst, Zagazola Makama, revealed that the seized items from the suspects included a Honda Civic, 33 mobile phones, five laptops, a power generator, three Bluetooth speakers, a white calabash and other fetish objects.

According to the EFCC, the suspects will be charged to court as soon as the investigations are concluded.

Christian forum faults Niger’s preaching law.

The Concerned Christian Youth Forum has faulted the new religious preaching law introduced by the Niger State government, describing it as “ill-advised, discriminatory and oppressive.”

The law, as stipulated by the state government, requires religious preachers in the state to submit their sermons for approval before delivering them publicly.

The government, through the state’s Religious Affairs Department, had introduced licensing for preachers and asked clerics to fill forms, undergo a screening panel, and obtain certification within two months.

Defending the policy in a recent appearance on TVC’s Politics, Governor Umar Bago insisted the policy does not constitute a ban on evangelism.

The governor argued the measure is needed to prevent preaching that might be “anti-people, anti-government” or which could incite unrest.

He said the initiative would be enforced in collaboration with state security agencies, including the Department of State Services, the Police, the Civil Defence, and the military.

However, in a statement issued on Wednesday, signed by its convener, Paul Adama, the forum stated that the policy constitutes religious censorship and violates constitutional provisions on freedom of thought and religion.

Kano State Tops 2025 NECO Performance Chart
The announcement was made on Wednesday by the NECO Registrar, Prof. Ibrahim Wushishi, during a press conference in Minna, Niger State.

NECO Releases 2025 SSCE Results.

The National Examination Council (NECO) has announced the release of the results of 2025 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).

NECO Speaks On Extending 2024 SSCE Registration Closing Date
Naija News reports that 60.26 percent of candidates recorded five credits and above in English and Mathematics.

The releasing of the result was announced on Wednesday at the Council’s headquarters in Minna, Niger State capital, by NECO Registrar, Professor Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi.

“Number of candidates with five Credits and above, including Mathematics and English is 818,492 representing 60.26%,” he said.

NECO Registrar put the number of candidates with five Credits and above, irrespective of Mathematics and English at 1,144,496, representing 84.26%.

He disclosed that the 1,367,210 candidates registered for the examination with 685,514 males and 681,696 females while 1,358,339 sat for the examination with 680,292 males and 678,047 females.

Niger Governor Bago Insists Preachers Must Submit Sermons for Approval.

Governor Umar Bago of Niger State has defended his administration’s regulation mandating preachers to submit their sermons for approval before delivering them.

Speaking on TVC’s Politics on Sunday, he said the move was to prevent messages that could incite unrest or undermine government authority.

“I didn’t ban evangelism… For everyone going to sermon on Friday, he should bring his scriptures for review, and it’s normal. Even in Saudi Arabia, this is done. We cannot say because you have been given the opportunity to be a cleric, you will go out and preach the gospel that is anti-people, anti-government and you think it’s normal,” Bago said.

On whether the move was linked to indoctrination, he added:
“It’s in that direction. We want to be able to see what they are preaching, hear what they are saying. We are working together with security agencies; the DSS, the Police, NSCDC and the military.”

Director General of Niger State Religious Affairs, Umar Farooq, confirmed preachers must obtain a licence within two months.
“It is true, the State Government has banned preaching. Any preacher who wants to preach must secure a licence between now and the next two months,” he said.

Reactions have been divided. Chief Imam of FUT Minna, Bashir Yankuzo, said:
“My opinion is that preaching is a command… the government cannot dictate who to preach to and who not to preach. But… if there are people who are going out of their way to cause security threats, using abusive words and so on, then government can have control.”

Niger CAN secretary, Raphael Opawoye, said the body had not been officially informed:
“The Christian Association of Nigeria is not aware of the ban. We shall come up with a statement when we are officially informed.”

But Islamic scholar Uthman Siraja strongly opposed the policy.
“The ban on preaching is an infringement of freedom of worship and religion. The best thing for the government to do is to invite and penalise any preacher who incites the public in the cause of his preaching,” he said.

Niger Governor Bago Orders Clerics To Submit Sermons For Approval, Introduces Preaching Licences

Niger State Governor, Umar Bago, has announced a controversial policy requiring clerics to submit their sermons for government approval before public delivery.

Speaking on TVC’s Politics on Sunday, Bago said the move was designed to curb inciting or “anti-people” messages, stressing that sermons deemed harmful to society or government would not be permitted.

He revealed that security agencies, including the DSS, police, NSCDC, and the military, would help enforce the directive.

“I didn’t ban evangelism. For everyone going to sermon on Friday, he should bring his scriptures for review. Even in Saudi Arabia, this is done,” Bago said.

The governor further disclosed that the state would introduce a licensing system for preachers. Clerics would be required to obtain official clearance before engaging in religious preaching.

Earlier, Umar Farooq, head of Niger State Religious Affairs, confirmed that all clerics must secure licences within two months. He explained that applicants would fill out forms and face a screening panel before being permitted to preach.