Index to Nigerian Newspapers

A Nigerian Air Force (NAF) airstrike in Kakindawa village, Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State, has resulted in the death of 16 vigilantes. The incident occurred when the vigilante group was on its way to assist neighbors in Tungar Kara village, who had been attacked by bandits. The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) carried out a coordinated air and ground assault on Fakai Hills in Zamfara State, neutralizing scores of bandits loyal to notorious kingpin Kachallah Bello Turji. The operation resulted in the rescue of several kidnapped victims and inflicted heavy casualties on Turji's network. The state government has commended the Nigerian military's efforts in the renewed onslaught against bandits in Zamfara State and commiserated with the families of the civilian casualties affected by the airstrike at Tungar Kara in Zurmi LGA.

The National President of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Baba Ngelzarma, has raised an alarm over the rising target and killing of the association's leaders by gunmen across several states, calling on both federal and state governments to urgently provide protection. This plea follows the recent killing of the association's acting Katsina State Chairman, Alhaji Amadu Surajo, who was murdered alongside three others during a late-night attack in Mai Rana village by suspected bandits, who also abducted two of his wives and his undergraduate daughter. Surajo had only taken over the leadership position three months prior following the mysterious disappearance of his predecessor, Munnir Lamido, whose whereabouts remain unknown after his vehicle and phones were found abandoned on a highway in June. As security forces deploy to the area to investigate and restore peace, local observers note growing concern over whether these recurring attacks are standard acts of banditry or targeted assassinations, while police authorities state they are awaiting a formal briefing on the incident.

The Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board has approved the promotion of 24,202 senior officers across four paramilitary agencies, as announced by Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo in Abuja. This promotion, which is the second batch in 2025, affects the Nigerian Correctional Service (11,426 officers), Nigeria Immigration Service (4,336), Federal Fire Service (2,581), and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (5,859). The Minister stated that promotions were based on factors like national spread, performance, and availability of vacancies, aimed at boosting personnel morale and enhancing service delivery. This follows a similar promotion of 20,867 senior officers in 2024, as part of ongoing efforts to address delays in career progression and improve staff welfare, especially after a period of stagnation in promotions.

A violent attack by a suspected terrorist group struck a facility belonging to the Nigerian Immigration Service located at the Kangiwa border in Kebbi State during the evening hours of Friday, January 10, 2025. The tragic incident resulted in the loss of four lives, specifically claiming the lives of a local watchman and three contractors who were working on the premises at the time, while also causing severe destruction to the local security infrastructure. Fortunately, official reports confirmed that no immigration officers suffered any harm during the assault. In the wake of this tragedy, the spokesperson for the immigration service expressed deep sorrow and extended heartfelt condolences to the grieving families of the victims. Authorities have emphasized that they are actively collaborating with other security organizations to track down, identify, and bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice, while firmly maintaining their dedication to national border security.

A former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel, was detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Abuja following allegations of money laundering, fund diversion, and theft involving seven hundred billion naira. The anti-graft agency initiated the investigation after receiving a petition from a civil society organization alleging that the former governor could not account for massive funds received from the federation account during his two terms in office between 2015 and 2023, while leaving behind substantial debts and uncompleted projects. According to sources within the agency, investigators uncovered suspicious cash withdrawals totaling thirty-one billion naira from a single account associated with the Office of the Governor between 2019 and 2023.

During a press briefing in Abuja, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, clarified that the military does not have the authority to grant amnesty to surrendered terrorists and bandits. Responding to reports of bandit commanders surrendering in Katsina State, Kangye explained that while these surrenders show the success of military operations, decisions regarding amnesty rest strictly with other relevant government agencies. Additionally, the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, addressed the ongoing detention of community leaders in Okuama, Delta State, following a tragic March 2024 ambush that killed seventeen soldiers. Gusau stated that the Defence Headquarters had not received any court orders or official requests for visits regarding the detainees, noting that the military would respond appropriately once proper legal procedures are followed. Highlighting recent operational successes, Kangye revealed that troops rescued over five hundred kidnapped victims, arrested over one thousand suspects, and witnessed the surrender of hundreds of terrorists and their families. He noted the elimination of several notorious terrorist leaders, including Amir Abu Fatimah, Kinging Auta, Abdul Jamilu, Salisu, Mallam Jidda, Maiwada, Mai Dada, Nwachi Eze, and Yellow Danbokkolo, alongside the arrest of wanted criminals like Buhari Umar, Hassan Mohammed, Saleh Sani, and Shittu Muazu Bakassi. Finally, under Operation Delta Safe in the Niger Delta, security forces successfully protected national resources by destroying over one hundred illegal refining sites and recovering stolen crude oil and petroleum products valued at more than 3.5 billion Naira.

Nigeria has been ranked sixth in the 2025 Global Terrorism Index, up from eighth place in 2023 and 2024. Burkina Faso topped the index with a score of 8.581, followed by Pakistan, Syria, Mali, and Niger. Somalia, Israel, Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, India, Colombia, and Russia ranked seventh to sixteenth. The report recorded 565 terrorism-related deaths in Nigeria in 2024, indicating an increase in fatalities over the past two years. Globally, deaths from terrorism have declined by almost a third since the peak in 2015, with Iraq and Nigeria recording the largest decreases. In 2024, the number of countries affected by at least one terrorist attack increased from 58 to 66, the highest number since 2018. The Sahel region has become the global epicenter of terrorism, accounting for 51% of all terrorism-related deaths in 2024, a nearly tenfold increase since 2019. The Sahel region has become the global epicenter of terrorism, accounting for 51 percent of all terrorism-related deaths in 2024. Niger recorded the largest increase in terrorism-related deaths globally in 2024, surging by 94% to 930 fatalities, suggesting that the gains made in Burkina Faso may be temporary.

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund has approved over N20,075,050,006.55 for disbursement to 192,906 students enrolled in public tertiary institutions across the country. Leading public universities such as Bayero University, the University of Maiduguri, and the University of Jos recorded the highest numbers of beneficiaries and total allocations, receiving hundreds of millions to over one billion naira each. Meanwhile, several smaller polytechnics, colleges of education, and specialized federal colleges recorded far fewer student beneficiaries, receiving modest funding amounts ranging from just over one hundred thousand naira to several hundred thousand naira.

The Nigeria Police Force compulsorily retired six senior officers, including a former Commissioner of Police in the Federal Capital Territory, Bennett Igweh, while additionally demoting two officers prior to their retirement following an extraordinary meeting held by the Police Service Commission. A wireless message circulated by the Force Secretary instructed that the affected high-ranking officers, whose service terminations took effect on various specified dates, must have their names immediately expunged from the national payroll system. This administrative directive targeted several senior personnel, such as Idowu Owohunwa and Simon Lough, due to compliance actions and service reviews. When journalists sought official comments regarding the sweeping directives, force spokespersons directed inquiries to the Police Service Commission, stressing the strict regulatory framework governing senior personnel records, career longevity, and disciplinary procedures within the nation's security architecture.

The Nigeria Labour Congress, supported by several prominent civil society organizations, has declared a nationwide protest for February 4 to oppose a newly approved fifty percent telecommunication tariff hike announced by the Nigerian Communications Commission. Organizers condemned the price increase as an insensitive burden on citizens already struggling with severe economic hardship, escalating fuel costs, and rising inflation, warning that failure to reverse the decision could trigger a widespread boycott of telecommunication services and further mass action. Conversely, telecommunications service providers and subscriber associations have defended the rate adjustment as a vital measure to ensure industry sustainability and improve service quality, arguing that resistance to the finalized tariff will ultimately harm service delivery and that labor unions should redirect their efforts toward core worker welfare issues.

The Federal Government's approval of a fifty percent tariff increase for telecommunications companies, the first in over a decade has ignited intense pushback from subscribers, labor unions, and student organizations across Nigeria. While the Minister of Finance and major service providers like Mobile Telephone Network and Airtel argue that the price hike is essential to sustain network infrastructure against severe inflation and rising operational costs, consumer groups are mounting aggressive resistance. The National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers is lobbying the Nigerian Communications Commission to cap the hike at ten percent while threatening legal action, whereas both the Nigeria Labour Congress and the National Association of Nigerian Students are preparing nationwide protests and consumer boycotts to block the policy, which they argue unfairly burdens citizens struggling with an already high cost of living.

Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum and the federal government have publicly disagreed over a resurgence of violent attacks by Boko Haram insurgents. During a security meeting in Maiduguri, Governor Zulum warned that the state is losing ground due to continuous killings, abductions, and the dislodgment of military bases by terrorists. In response, the federal government through the Minister of Information and National Orientation maintained that security agencies are working tirelessly around the clock and that massive investments in military hardware are successfully returning the nation to normalcy. Military authorities echoed these assurances, stating the heavy sacrifices made by troops on the front lines and urging public support, while security experts and traditional leaders emphasized the urgent need for enhanced border security and decisive action against the renewed insurgency.