An investigator with the State Security Service (SSS) on Tuesday told the Federal High Court in Abuja that terrorist kingpin, Shugaba, offered Tukur Mamu a N50 million cut from ransom payments linked to the 2022 Abuja–Kaduna train attack. The SSS operative, who testified as the sixth prosecution witness in Mamu’s terrorism trial, gave his evidence behind a shield for security reasons. He was led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, David Kaswe. According to the witness, the terrorist group also asked Mamu to teach them how to create a website for their operations. This emerged from four voice notes played…
Author: Abdoulaye Kay
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered a comprehensive security cordon around forests in Kwara, Kebbi, and parts of Niger State following recent kidnappings and increased terrorist activities in the affected areas. The directive was disclosed on Tuesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, in a post on his verified X handle. According to Dare, the President instructed the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to intensify and expand air surveillance across the deepest parts of forests in Kwara, where criminal groups are believed to be hiding. “The President has ordered the Nigerian Air Force…
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has decided to leave its monetary policy rate (MPR) unchanged at 27 percent, Governor Olayemi Cardoso announced today at a press conference in Abuja following the bank’s 303rd meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). The MPC emphasised that the unchanged rate underlines the bank’s insistence on maintaining a tight monetary policy stance. In tandem with the decision, the committee maintained a cash reserve ratio (CRR) of 45 percent for commercial banks, 16 percent for merchant banks and 75 percent on non-TSA public sector deposits. The liquidity ratio remained at 30 percent, and the…
Fresh controversy has erupted on social media over the academic and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) records of Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, following renewed public scrutiny and heated exchanges among supporters and critics. The dispute resurfaced after a supporter of the minister, Omolere Festus Dayo, circulated a lengthy defense titled “Facts Over Falsehood: Setting the Record Straight on Hon. Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo Academic and NYSC Records.” The statement sought to counter what he described as “deliberate misinformation” regarding the minister’s educational background and NYSC participation. Supporter Defends Minister’s Credentials In his post, Dayo insisted that Tunji-Ojo’s academic…
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the withdrawal of police officers attached to Very Important Persons (VIPs) across the country, ordering that they be redeployed to core policing duties. The directive was issued on Sunday during a high-level security meeting the President held in Abuja with the service chiefs and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS). Under the new arrangement, VIPs seeking official protection will now be required to request armed security personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), rather than the police. The move comes amid concerns over inadequate police presence in many…
Fifty students who were earlier feared abducted in the Papiri community of Agwara Local Government Area, Niger State, have safely returned to their homes, the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora has confirmed. The individuals, mostly students of St. Mary’s School, Papiri, had fled into the bush following an attack by suspected bandits earlier this week. According to the Diocese, all 50 persons listed have reunited with their families as of 23rd November 2025. In a document issued and signed by Rev. Fr. Jatau Luka Joseph, the Diocesan Secretary, the Church provided the complete names of those who returned, assuring the public…
Bandits who kidnapped worshippers from the Christ Apostolic Church, Oke-Igan, Eruku, in the Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, have demanded an alarming N3.5 billion — translating to ₦100 million for each victim. Pastor Lawrence Bamidele, who leads the church, confirmed that between 30 and 35 members were seized during Tuesday evening’s violent attack. Family members and community leaders said on Thursday that the kidnappers had started contacting relatives using the victims’ phones. Josiah Agbabiaka, secretary of the church, revealed that the abductors divided the victims into groups and that the first batch of 11 people had each been…
Barely 72 hours after bandits attacked the Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School (GGCSS) Maga, in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State and abducted 25 schoolgirls, terrorists have abducted students and staff members of St. Mary’s School in Papiri community, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State. Confirming the incident on Friday in Minna, the Niger State Government said the exact number of abducted persons was yet to be determined, adding that security agencies were still assessing the situation. The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Abubakar Usman, said in a statement that the attack occurred despite earlier intelligence…
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has disowned Zuldal Microfinance Bank Limited, warning that the entity is operating illegally and without any form of regulatory approval. In a detailed statement issued on Thursday, the Acting Director of Corporate Communications, Hakama Sidi Ali, cited the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA) 2020, noting that Section 2(1) clearly states that “no person shall carry on any banking business in Nigeria except it is a company duly incorporated in Nigeria and holds a valid banking licence issued by the CBN.” The apex bank said it became aware of reports that the firm,…
A Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), on the first count of the seven terrorism charges filed against him by the federal government. Delivering the judgment on Thursday, Justice James Omotosho held that the prosecution had successfully established its case on the first charge. The court relied heavily on video evidence tendered by the federal government, including recorded interviews in which Kanu allegedly issued violent threats against Nigeria and its citizens. The judge ruled that the content of the videos amounted to incitement and posed a threat to national…