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 Politics › Coalition Calls For Independent Probe Of Alleged Attack On Sowore by Leonardobiageli(op): 8:58pm On Oct 30*. Modified: 10:08pm On Oct 30 |
Says politicians' conduct is embarrassing to civil society A coalition of civil society organisations in Nigeria has called for an independent investigation into a reported attack on opposition politician Omoyele Sowore Friday in Ekiti State, saying the politician's conduct had become a source of concern for the coalition. The group advised Sowore, the African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, to withdraw from the electoral process if he was unwilling to participate responsibly. In a statement issued in Bauchi, Bauchi State, the coalition questioned Sowore’s account of the incident, demanding that the events be examined by an impartial body. The statement was signed on behalf of the Centre for Public Integrity by Job Samuel Danfulani, John Samuel Nangi for Nigeria Integrity Watch, and Mohammed Ibrahim Sumaila for the Northern Council of Nigeria. Other signatories were Abdullahi Salisu for the Nigeria Ethnic Nationality Forum and Hassana Mohammed for the Foundation for Democracy in Africa. Noted the Coalition: "While we sympathise with Sowore, who claimed that he was attacked and taken to an unknown location, we also noticed some gaps in his account. He accused the Department of State Services (DSS), the Police and the Ekiti State Government of masterminding the attack. "We dare say that the allegations are wild and were made long before the facts were independently established. It would seem that Sowore’s allegations were aimed at discrediting the DSS, a security agency in court with him." Continued the Coalition, "We question the sequence of events in Sowore’s account, including his reported use of his personal social media account and his subsequent appearance at a hospital. "The sequence appears confusing, especially the part that police personnel attached to him were disarmed by suspected armed thugs. How Sowore ended up in police hospital remains a mystery," opined the Coalition. "The same Sowore who claimed that he was attacked unprovoked by suspected thugs in Ado-Ekiti was recently sighted on viral video clips attacking a lawyer inside the Federal High Court in Abuja. In another, he was seen having a heated verbal exchange with prison officers inside the same court. "Had the lawyer and the prison officers not restrained themselves, only God knows the kind of violence that would have greeted both encounters. "Very invaluable is the statement by the Ekiti State police command that the confusion was triggered by an altercation. Given Sowore's history of attacking persons who disagree with him, even in courts, it is not impossible that he or his rowdy supporters may have sparked off the Ekiti disturbances, which he now claims is an attack by thugs," noted the Coalition. "We urge Sowore to stop the comedy and also stop hiding behind the pillar of contesting elections to cause chaos," the Coalition stated. The coalition also urged Sowore to avoid statements that could inflame passions while the incident is being investigated. "We call on the authorities to establish what happened and make their findings public. Any inquiry should follow due process and protect the rights of everyone involved," declared the Coalition.
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| Crime › CRS Govt Lauds DSS And Others For Intercepting 3 Gpmgs, Cache Of High-calibre Ar by Leonardobiageli(op): 3:22pm On Oct 23 |
The Cross River government has lauded the Department of State Services (DSS) and sister security agencies for recently intercepting a huge cache of high-calibre weapons, which included three General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs). The state Deputy Governor, Rt Hon Peter Odey, made the commendation on Friday after inspecting the seized weapons at the DSS state headquarters in Calabar. Odey, whose visit was on behalf of Governor Bassey Otu, commended the Service on the intelligence operation that led to the seizure of the weapons, which included seven AK-47 assault rifles. The Deputy Governor stated that the arrest of two suspected gunrunners during the operation would help the DSS and sister security agencies apprehend those behind the illegal arms trade. He noted that had the weapons not been intercepted, there was a strong possibility that they could be used to wreak havoc in the state and neighbouring states, particularly during the forthcoming general elections. The Deputy Governor praised the growing synergy between the security agencies and the military, saying the development has helped the government increasingly turn the tide against criminal elements. Source: Channels
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| Crime › DSS Arraigns Five Men Suspected Of Kidnapping 20 Youth Coppers, Others In Imo by Leonardobiageli(op): 6:24pm On Oct 21 |
The Department of State Services (DSS), on Tuesday in Imo State, arraigned three persons accused of the Independence Day kidnapping of twenty (20) prospective Youth Corp members in the state. Also arraigned were two (2) other persons accused of kidnapping four persons in the State, four days after the Independence Day abduction. The five (5) defendants face charges of conspiracy, hostage-taking and unlawful possession of firearms. Three of them, Usman Aliyu 25, also known as Chonge; 21-year-old Babangida Aliyu; and 23-year-old Mohammed Ali, aka Smallie Pepper, are specifically charged with the kidnap of the prospective corps' members. They were charged with conspiracy to hostage taking punishable under Section 6 and abduction/hostage taking punishable under Section 3 of the Imo State Prohibition of Hostage Taking and Related Offences Law No. 4 of 2009. Similarly, the accused were charged with unlawful possession of firearms contrary to section 4(1) and punishable under section 5(19) of the Imo State Prohibition of Secret Cult and Carrying of Offensive Weapons Law 2004. The DSS prosecutors accuse the trio and others still at large of abducting the hostages along the Owerri–Mgbidi–Onitsha Motorway on Independence Day. They were travelling from Ibadan to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states. They were rescued after seven days. According to the charge sheet filed at the Imo State High Court, Oru Judicial Division, Mgbidi, the defendants were accused of unlawfully possessing three(3) AK-47 rifles, four(4) magazines, a pistol and eighty-one(81) rounds of live ammunition. In a related case, 27-year-old Aminu Haliru and 20-year-old Tange Ibrahim, aka Jijji, are accused of abducting four people around Owerri and Mgbidi on October 4. Prosecutors allege that Haliru, Ibrahim and others still at large collected eight million naira to release the four victims. They also face a charge of unlawfully possessing one AK-47 rifle and a pump-action gun. The prosecution listed N1.8 million as money recovered in the second case, while a DSS investigator and the hostages are listed as witnesses in both cases. All the accused pleaded not guilty to the 3-count charge. Subsequently, the cases were adjourned for accelerated hearing on the 22nd, 28th, 29th and 30th of October, 2026, for hearing (evidence of PW1).
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| Politics › BREAKING... Alleged Wiretapping: Again, Court Dismisses El-rufai's N120m Rights by Leonardobiageli(op): 4:30pm On Oct 19 |
*Awards N200,000 each in favour of DSS, ICPC, EFCC, AGF A high court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on Monday, dismissed a N120 million fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by the immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El'Rufai, against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Department of State Services (DSS), the Attorney General of the Federation, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). In dismissing the suit for lacking in merit, the court awarded N200,000 each in favour of the DSS, EFCC and ICPC. The presiding judge, Justice Sylvanus Orji, held that the letters of invitation by the EFCC and ICPC to the former governor met constitutional requirements and did not infringe on his rights. On El'Rufai's argument that there was no warrant for his attempted arrest by the DSS at the Nnamdi Azikiwe international airport, Abuja, the judge ruled that Service had inherent powers of the police pursuant to the SSS instrument and NSA Act. The court further held that the DSS had the mandate to maintain watchlist action and arrest persons of interest, stressing that El'Rufai cannot use the court to stop the agencies from performing their duties. On the question of whether the seizure of the ex-governor's international passport by the DSS was a violation of his fundamental human rights, the court held that it was satisfied that the seizure was lawful and pursuant to the powers of the DSS, and thus, the applicant failed to show that the seizure was continuous, permanent and unlawful. Source: channels
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| Politics › DSS Arrests Of NYSC Kidnappers, Faisal Maina: Why Intelligence Must Take Centre by Leonardobiageli(op): 4:56pm On Oct 18 |
By Olufemi Lawson The recent arrest of five suspected kidnappers linked to the abduction of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, alongside the arrest of fugitive Faisal Maina, represents a significant achievement by the Department of State Services (DSS) and a welcome development in Nigeria’s fight against insecurity. Beyond the arrests themselves, these operations reinforce the importance of intelligence gathering, strategic surveillance and coordinated security operations in confronting terrorism, kidnapping and other organised crimes threatening the country. The rescue of the abducted prospective corps members and the subsequent arrest of five suspects demonstrate the value of sustained intelligence work beyond the immediate scene of a crime. Similarly, the reported arrest of Faisal Maina, who had been on the run since 2020, underscores the importance of intelligence in tracking fugitives and ensuring that nobody remains permanently beyond the reach of the law. As I argued during a television interview yesterday, Nigeria must invest significantly more in intelligence if the country is to achieve lasting success in its war against terrorism, kidnapping, banditry and other criminal activities. While military operations, weapons and personnel remain important, security cannot be sustained through force alone. Intelligence enables security agencies to identify criminal networks, anticipate attacks, track perpetrators and dismantle their operational structures before they inflict further damage. Intelligence must therefore become the backbone of Nigeria’s national security strategy. The Federal Government must prioritise modern intelligence technology, digital forensics, personnel training, secure communication systems and improved operational logistics. Investing in prevention through intelligence is ultimately more effective and less costly than continually responding to attacks after lives and property have been compromised. I particularly commend Mr Adeola Oluwatosin, the Director-General of the DSS, for the renewed emphasis on the service’s traditional national security responsibilities, especially intelligence gathering, threat assessment and the prevention of threats to national security. In my assessment, this renewed direction represents a welcome departure from what critics had perceived in previous periods as a diversion towards unconventional approaches that risked overshadowing the service’s core intelligence mandate. The DSS occupies a critical position in Nigeria’s security architecture, and its effectiveness should be measured by its capacity to uncover threats, disrupt criminal networks and provide actionable intelligence that protects lives and national interests. The latest arrests demonstrate the practical value of a focused intelligence service. I salute the Director-General for his leadership and, more importantly, the officers and men of the DSS whose vigilance, professionalism and dedication contributed to these successes. However, the remaining suspects linked to the NYSC abduction must be tracked down, and all those found culpable must face the law. The successes also raised the need for greater synergy among the DSS, the military, the police, the EFCC and other relevant security and law-enforcement agencies. Criminal networks exploit gaps in coordination and information sharing. A more integrated security system, supported by joint intelligence operations and timely exchange of credible information, would significantly improve the country’s ability to prevent attacks and apprehend offenders. The Federal Government must also increase funding and operational support for the DSS to strengthen its technological capacity, personnel welfare, intelligence infrastructure and field operations. Adequate funding, accompanied by accountability and effective oversight, will enable the service to respond more effectively to evolving security threats. The arrest of the suspected kidnappers and Faisal Maina sends a strong message that intelligence-led operations can deliver tangible results. Nevertheless, the ultimate measure of success must be the prevention of future crimes, the dismantling of criminal networks and the restoration of public confidence. I urge the Federal Government to sustain its support for the DSS and other security agencies while ensuring that investigations and prosecutions are conducted in accordance with the law. Nigeria cannot afford to treat intelligence as a secondary component of national security. It must be recognised as a strategic national investment. I once again salute the Director-General and the officers and men of the DSS for their latest achievements. Their efforts deserve commendation and sustained institutional support. With stronger intelligence capabilities, improved inter-agency cooperation and adequate funding, Nigeria can make meaningful progress towards defeating terrorism, kidnapping and organised crime. Comrade Olufemi Lawson is the National Secretary of the Campaign for Democracy (CD). Source: leaders.ng
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| Crime › Breaking Alleged Cybercrime: Sowore's Subpoena Volte-face Absurd, DSS Counsel T by Leonardobiageli(op): 6:49pm On Oct 02 |
Breaking Alleged Cybercrime: Sowore's Subpoena Volte-face Absurd, DSS Counsel Tells Court Counsel to the Department of State Services (DSS), Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, on Friday told a Federal High Court in Abuja that a volte-face by the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, on a witness to subpoena is absurd and unprecedented. Sowore has opened his defence on the allegations of cyberbullying arising from posts he published on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook in August 2025, in which he described President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal” and accused him of misrepresenting the level of corruption in the country. Following the appearance of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, on a subpoena requiring the Department of State Services (DSS) Director-General, Tosin Ajayi, to appear, Sowore's lawyer, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, agreed with the AGF that the appearance of any other senior official of the DSS would do. On Friday, however, the same Olumide-Fusika made a dramatic volte-face, telling the court that the DSS boss must appear personally in court to testify as a defence witness. Responding, prosecuting counsel Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, argued that it was wrong for Sowore’s counsel, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, to insist that the DSS Director General must personally appear in court in compliance with a subpoena issued to him. Kehinde, in support of his argument, cited the Supreme Court decision in Ishaq v. Soniyi (2002) ALL FWLR (Pt. 498) 347 at 373, where the court held that where a subpoena is directed to a named public officer, it would be absurd to insist that only the named officer is to appear in due compliance with the subpoena. The prosecution counsel recalled that the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), who led the prosecution team on July 28, 2026, also made the same submission, namely that the defence could not insist on the personal appearance of the DSS boss where another appropriate official could represent him. Kehinde said it was on the basis of that understanding that the parties agreed that an official of the DSS would be nominated to represent the Director General. He told the court that, in keeping with the understanding, a DSS official had been designated and was present in court, ready to testify. The prosecution further argued that the DSS Director General had no personal interest in the case, having acted only in his official capacity. Kehinde said it would be impracticable for the Director General to personally attend every proceeding involving the DSS, particularly as the Service has cases pending before different divisions of the Federal High Court. He said, "This is a case that is over a year old. The prosecution closed its case on March 16, 2026. It is not an act of charity on the part of the defence to argue that, at a point, it agreed that an official of the DSS should come, but now it is insisting on the DG alone.” “The decision as to who should attend court is at the discretion of the court, not that of the defence. An official of the DSS is competent to give evidence in place of the DG,” he added. Following the arguments by both parties, Justice Mohammed Umar adjourned the matter until October 6, 2026, for ruling on whether the DSS Director General can be compelled to personally appear and testify as a defence witness in relation to actions taken by the Service.
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| Crime › Orire: How Kidnappers Dehumanized, Tortured Us For 56 Days, Victim Tells Court by Leonardobiageli(op): 5:03pm On Sep 17 |
A witness for the Department of State Services (DSS) on Thursday told the Federal High Court in Abuja how 49 students and teachers abducted from schools in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State were subjected to what she described as a “dehumanising” ordeal during 56 days in captivity. The witness, identified as AAA for security reasons, told Justice Salim Olasupo Ibrahim that the victims were moved through six different locations during their captivity, barefooted and forced to sleep on grass under heavy rain and intense sunshine before they were eventually rescued by security forces. Led in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, the DSS witness said the situation was particularly distressing because children as young as one and a half years old, including pupils from pre-nursery schools, were among those held captive during the period. According to her, the victims were abducted when a group of armed men invaded their schools on motorcycles, shooting sporadically and preventing the students and teachers from escaping. She said the attackers, who arrived on about 12 motorcycles, took the victims into the bush, with each motorcycle reportedly carrying about four people. She added that a Toyota car belonging to one of the teachers was also used to transport some of the victims. The witness said that after they were taken into the bush, the leader of the kidnappers addressed them and informed them that they were being held to negotiate the release of members of the Ansaru group, rather than for ransom. She further revealed that on two occasions, two of the teachers among the captives were taken away and killed, with the kidnappers claiming that the government was not serious about meeting their demands. The witness told the court that the kidnappers used the mobile phones they seized from them to contact their relatives and government officials to negotiate their demands. She described the conditions in captivity as extremely harsh, saying they suffered severe hunger and were left thirsty for most of the time. According to her, during water rationing, about four victims had to share a single cup of water. Even at that, she stressed, the water provided by the kidnappers was so stenchy that they had to close their eyes before drinking it. "We had to drink the dirty water just to survive,” she said. She said that initially, the captives were fed a combination of rice, salt, and palm oil. However, when the salt ran out, they were given rice and palm oil, and eventually only plain white rice after they ran out of palm oil. The witness also stated that the kidnappers flogged some of the young children to prevent them from struggling for food, adding that meals were served to the victims in plastic containers. According to the witness, throughout the 56 days in captivity, the victims had no opportunity to bathe or wash their clothes, leaving them extremely dirty by the time they were rescued. She told the court that their rescue occurred when they were at the sixth camp, where security forces engaged the kidnappers in a gun battle before successfully freeing them. Following the testimony, defence counsel, Bala Dakum, is expected to cross-examine the witness on Friday, September 18. Justice Salim Olasupo Ibrahim also ordered that the defendants remain in the custody of the DSS throughout the duration of the trial. Source::
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| Crime › DSS Trails, Nabs Man Impersonating Personnel In Abuja by Leonardobiageli(op): 11:59pm On Aug 19 |
*Arrested in tactical uniform, with fake pistol, allegedly extorting motorists The Department of State Services (DSS) late on Wednesday in Abuja arrested a man identified as Moferewa Maiye, discovered to be impersonating a personnel of the Service. Maiye, who claimed to hail from Agbajojun Village, Mopamuro Local Government Area of Kogi State, was trailed and arrested by DSS officers in his hideout around the NITEL Junction, along Adetokunbo Ademola Way, Wuse II, Abuja. At the time of his arrest, Maiye was in DSS tactical uniform and armed with a fake pistol. According to a security source, the Secret Police acted on credible intelligence that Maiye was using the uniform and the fake weapon to intimidate commuters and motorists, extorting money from them. During interrogation, the source added that the suspect reportedly claimed that his brother was DSS personnel who died years ago. He identified the brother as Monday Maiye, stressing that the DSS kit in his possession was his late brother's. The suspect is currently being interrogated as security operatives, the source stated, adding that the Service was investigating how he came about the DSS uniform and kit. "Investigators are also trying to establish how long the suspect has been involved in similar acts of impersonation and extortion. "The arrest underscores growing concerns by the Service over the activities of individuals who impersonate security personnel to intimidate members of the public and commit criminality," the source declared.
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| Crime › Oriire Kidnap: FG Arraigns Ansaru Commanders, Mahmuda, Abu Baraa, Others by Leonardobiageli(op): 8:34pm On Jul 29 |
Oriire Kidnap: FG Arraigns Ansaru Commanders, Mahmuda, Abu Baraa, and the Three New Suspects Arrested by DSS on Fresh Charges of Terrorism, Murder of Teachers The Federal government, on Wednesday, arraigned two commanders of the Ansaru terrorist organization captured by the Department of State Services (DSS) and their three foot soldiers for terrorism, kidnapping, and murder of two teachers of schools in Orire LGA of Oyo State.https://www.channelstv.com/2026/07/29/fg-arraigns-ansaru-commanders-three-others-over-oriire-kidnap/ 14 Likes 1 Share
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| Politics › DSS Untreads Its Old Path by Leonardobiageli(op): 10:12am On Jul 25 |
The appointment of Mr. Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi as the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) in August 2024 marked the beginning of a new era for the secret police, which members of the public then saw as operating beyond the rule of law. As the successor to Alhaji Yusuf Bichi, who led the DSS for six years under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, Ajayi’s appointment was seen as a square peg in a square hole, poised to align the agency’s operations with the imperatives of the nation’s democratic setting. Nearly two years since he became the DG, Ajayi has focused on operational shifts, including implementing institutional changes. Ajayi has turned the DSS into a security agency that has prioritised intelligence operations, with the secret police becoming more focused on intelligence-led operations, including building stronger ties with members of civil society to realise new essentials of a reformed security outfit. Under the human rights reform policy introduced by the DSS boss, the agency publicly approved financial compensation for at least 13 people who were victims of wrongful detention, mistaken identity, or operational errors. Among those compensated was a Sokoto-based trader who was erroneously shot during a 2016 gunrunning raid in Jos. He was awarded N20 million, comprising N10 million court damages plus an additional N10 million goodwill payout, alongside lifetime free DSS healthcare. An Abuja-based businesswoman, wrongfully arrested on oil bunkering suspicions during a raid, got compensated with the sum of N10 million. Five other individuals who were co-detained over the same oil bunkering investigation were awarded ₦10 million to share among themselves. In approving these rewards to compensate for wrongful treatment by the agency in the past, Ajayi was owning up to past mistakes and assuring Nigerians of the agency’s new resolve never to allow such mistakes to recur. In the past, the secret police were a metaphor for unconcealed coercion for the violation of human rights. The Ajayi-led DSS now operates within the confines of the law as it should be under a democratic setting. Civil Relations The DSS does not operate in exclusion of society. For the Service to succeed, encouraging collaborative relations with members of the public in the performance of its job is critical. Religion is becoming one of the nation’s fault lines, thereby widening the gulf of negative partisanship working against the country’s growth and unity among citizens. When Ajayi, the son of a Christian cleric, last year donated an Islamic school named Darul Ilm Centre for Islamic Studies, discordant tunes ripped through the airwaves, arguing that the DSS boss had no business donating Islamic schools to religious groups. The centre, which provides a hybrid curriculum on Islamic knowledge, Western education, and vocational skills, is in the Danbushiya community, Millennium City of Chikun Local Government Area. With the support of Ajayi’s friends and allies, the school was built by the secret police boss to cater to orphans and other vulnerable people. Since the Islamic school was donated by the DSS boss, who is a Christian, the project was celebrated as an act of religious tolerance, peace-building, and national unity. The secret police boss was not done, as he further donated a school named Kaduna Christian Academy, Sabon Tasha in Chikun LGA. Governor Uba Sani described the Academy as the best of ‘Non-Kinetic Warfare’, made possible through investing in a safe environment for youth education. The essence of the donated schools, according to Sani, is to counter the root causes of radicalisation and violent crime in violence-prone areas. The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd), who commissioned the project last month at the Kaduna Christian Academy, designated the academy as a “critical military asset without a single rifle”. For an agency that once evoked fear on account of its past, the institutionalisation of periodic humanitarian outreaches to orphanages by Ajayi across the 36 states has gone a long way to engendering community-level intelligence gathering. Within less than two years of assuming headship of the agency, Ajayi ensured the recruitment of 27 orphans and other less-privileged members, providing them with the platforms to contribute their quota in the service of Nigeria. More than anything, the DSS DG has transformed the traditionally strained relationship between it and the media. This singular feat has earned the DSS boss the ‘Man of the Year’ award from the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in June 2026; Press Freedom Commendation by the International Press Institute (IPI), as well as the award of ‘Friend of the Media’ by the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), among other awards. More On Prevention In nearly two years as boss of the secret police, Ajayi has spearheaded a strategic shift that harps on intelligence-led and preventive security measures. Instead of turning the force into a retroactive force, the DSS is focused on neutralising perpetrators of violent crimes before they strike. Inter-agency collaboration has expanded tactical cooperation between the DSS, the Nigerian Armed Forces, and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). The fallouts of these collaborative endeavours, recently leading to the rescue of abductees in Oyo State, are linked to the intelligence framework built under Ajayi’s leadership. Unlike in the past, when the DSS was too preoccupied with blowing its trumpet and making more noise than doing its job of securing the country, the DSS boss has closed the information directorate and only responds to issues when necessary. With vast field experience in the Niger Delta and many states in the North, Ajayi’s leadership of the secret police is intensifying efforts at combating economic saboteurs engaged in crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and activities of terrorists. Ajayi has refused to embrace the old style of indefinite detention, but has now resorted to legal fireworks for adjudication on matters handled by his agency’s investigators. Nigeria is yet to defeat its many security challenges, but Ajayi’s headship of the secret police has largely succeeded in turning the tables on negative perceptions that the DSS is incapable of being reformed. More than any security agency in the country, Nigeria’s secret police has become friendlier, devoid of the excessive intimidation it was famed for in the past. That is the legacy of Ajayi, whose headship of the secret police, in collaboration with the nation’s armed forces, is leaving no stone unturned to smoke out perpetrators of terror from their hidden caves and make them face the full wrath of the law.
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| Crime › Orire Kidnapping: FG Arraigns Three Suspects In Court by Leonardobiageli(op): 3:40pm On Jul 17 |
The Federal Government on Friday has arraigned three men, Abdulrazak Umar (a.k.a. Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (a.k.a. Yunusa bin Musa), and Shamsu Adamu Sani (a.k.a. Abu Itisar), for the recent kidnap of children and teachers of a school in Orire Local Government Area (LGA) of Oyo state.https://guardian.ng/news/fg-arraigns-three-suspects-over-kidnapping-of-oyo-pupils-teachers/ 19 Likes 2 Shares
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| Politics › Court Rejects Sowore's Bid For Long Adjournment In Trial For Allegedly Defaming by Leonardobiageli(op): 3:42pm On Jul 13 |
Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, rejected an application by online publisher and Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, seeking a long adjournment of his trial in the alleged defamation of President Bola Tinubu. The charges were filed against him by the Department of the State Service (DSS). Sowore, through his lawyer, Reuben Adakole, applied that his defence in the charge be shifted till after the two months annual vacation of the Court. The politician, who is on trial for allegedly calling President Tinubu a criminal on his social media handles, said the long adjournment he sought was because his choice lawyer, Olumide Fusika, SAN, was out of the country to attend to family matters. His request was however vehemently opposed by counsel to the DSS Mr Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, who drew the attention of the Court to ten previous adjournments the trial suffered at the instance of Sowore. The senior lawyer told Justice Umar that the latest request for long adjournment was a ploy to further frustrate the criminal trial. Kehinde, SAN, also drew the attention of the Court to day-to- day accelerated trial granted by the Court in line with the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice System ACJA 2015, stressing that granting two months adjournment would be against the earlier order of the Court. In a brief ruling, Justice Umar turned down the long adjournment application based on the previous order of the Court. The Judge subsequently ordered Sowore to be in Court on July 16 for continuation of his defense in the charge. Earlier, Sowore's first witness and Abuja based lawyer, Mr Deji Adeyanju had in continuation of his evidence insisted that President Tinubu during an official engagement in Benue state, said citizens have the right to insult, abuse, criticise and call him names and that law enforcement agencies should allow citizens exercise their rights as part of democracy. Adeyanju had also said that the President made it clear that the Judiciary should be the guardian of the public and should not be used as instrument of oppression against critics. The video clips of where the President was said to have made the remarks were played in the open Court. Under cross examination by DSS lawyer, Adeyanju admitted being a lawyer to Sowore but that he opted out later. He also admitted making comments on social media on his general experience on arrest and prosecution in such a trial. He, however, admitted that President Tinubu never spoke against the law taking its course when laws are broken by any individual. The matter has been adjourned till July 16 for continuation of defense by Sowore. 1 Like
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| Crime › Angwa Rukuba Killings: Court To Rule On Jurisdiction, As Suspects Remain In DSS by Leonardobiageli(op): 4:05pm On Jul 01 |
The Plateau State High Court sitting in Jos, on Wednesday, reserved ruling on a preliminary objection on jurisdiction filed by counsel to some suspects arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS), and standing trial for their roles in the Angwa Rukuba massacre of late March and early April of 2026. At the resumed trial on Wednesday, the Plateau State Director of Civil Litigation, Sabo Longji, told the court that two of the defendants filed a notice of preliminary objection challenging the the court's jurisdiction, praying the court to strike out the case against them. The prosecution, however, told the court presided over by Justice Gedeliah Fwomyon, that it filed a counter-affidavit dated June 29, 2026, which had been served on the defendants. When the defence counsel, led by M. I. Shaba (SAN), M. I. Salihu and S.M Danlami, drew the court's attention to the fact that the counter affidavit was filed out of time, the prosecution made a fresh application for extension of time, which the court granted. The judge adjourned the matter to 2nd July, 2026 to hear the motion, while the substantive matter was adjourned to 15th July, 2026. The defendants are to remain in the custody of the DSS. On Palm Sunday of 2026, a number of gunmen attacked Angwa Rukuba in Jos North LGA of the state, killing about 30 persons. Days later, the DSS arrested Adamu Isa Alhassan, Isa Umar Ibrahim, Auwalu Abubakar aka Auwalu Dogo, and Musa Abubakar Ibrahim aka Yaroro. The Plateau State government charged the four suspects alongside one Ado Ibrahim, said to be at large, with criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, illegal possession of firearms, and illegally dealing in arms and ammunition.
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| Crime › Again, Convicted Kidnappers Arrested By DSS Bag Death Sentence In Ekiti State by Leonardobiageli(op): 6:07pm On Jun 25 |
*Third Defendant Discharged as Chief Judge Commends DSS Prosecutors* Two men arrested by the Department of State Services have been sentenced to death by an Ekiti State High Court, following their conviction for kidnapping a staff of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). The kidnappers, Ibrahim Abubakar and Abdullahi Abubakar were convicted at the Ekiti State High Court I, Fajuyi, Ado-Ekiti, in suit number HAD/124C/2022. A third defendant, Usman Abubakar, was however discharged after the Court found insufficient evidence linking him to the abduction. The case bordered on the abduction of Omoboade Adesina, a female National Youth Service Corps staff member in Ekiti State, on 22nd April, 2022. The two convicts were subsequently arrested and prosecuted by the DSS. Delivering judgment, the Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Lekan Ogunmoye, sentenced two defendants to death by hanging and discharged the third defendant Futhermore, the Chief Judge commended the diligence of DSS prosecutors for proving the case beyond reasonable doubt. He specifically highlighted the identification parade conducted by the Service and the analysis of Call Data Records during investigation as pivotal to securing the conviction. The conviction marks yet another major courtroom victory for the Department of State Services, coming on the heels of a death sentence handed down by a Sokoto High Court against three men convicted of terrorism and cross-border arms proliferation, as well as the conviction a kidnapper in Kogi State earlier secured by the Service among others. The string of successful prosecutions further underscores the effectiveness of the DSS's intelligence-driven approach to investigating and prosecuting violent crimes. This also reaffirms the commitment of the Service in ensuring that perpetrators of kidnapping, terrorism, and related offences do not escape the full weight of the law. Source: TVC
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| Crime › Terrorism: Court Sentences Dss-arrested Mother, Sister Of Eliminated Terrorist K by Leonardobiageli(op): 3:40pm On Jun 19 |
Breaking; Terrorism: Court Sentences DSS-Arrested Mother, Sister of Eliminated Terrorist Kingpin, Battujo, To 40 Years In Prison The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday sentenced two women arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) for their involvement with terrorism to forty years in prison. The convicted women, Safiya Salihu and Halima Abdullahi, are mother and sister respectively of the terrorist kingpin, Kachallah Ibrahim Battujo, who was eliminated by Nigerian security forces, on June 10, 2026, following a failed mass abduction and attack on students writing WAEC exams in a forest near Iluke in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State. Justice Hauwa Joseph Yilwa handed the sentences after both women pleaded guilty to Counts 2, 4 and 5 of the five-count terrorism-related charge brought against them by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation. Both women escaped conviction on Counts 1 and 3, which bordered on they receiving N490,300 from Battujo, fully aware it was proceeds of terrorism, as well as Count 3, which was on their sponsored holy pilgrimage with the proceeds of terrorism. The Director of Public Prosecution, Oyedepo Rotimi, SAN, urged the court to strike out both counts, but convict them on the others. According to Count 2, both women "aided and abetted the activities of Battujo, a known bandit Kingpin and passed information through telephone conversations to the said Battujo, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 26 of the terrorism (Prevention Prohibition) Act, 2022." In addition to pleading guilty to Count 2, Battujo's mum also pleaded guilty to Count 5, which bordered on the concealment of information about her son's terrorism activities. On her part, Halima, who is sister of the eliminated terrorist kingpin, in addition to pleading guilty to Count 2, also pleaded guilty to Count 4 which also bordered on concealment of information that her brother illegally acquired firearms which she saw when she visited his forest camp. While the punishment for each of the Counts is 20 years, Justice Yilwa ordered that the sentences run concurrently, after which the convicts will undergo rehabilitation. The Counts are: 1. That you HALIMA ABDULLAHI and SAFIYA SALIHU, Female, adult, of Dungun Muaza Sabuwa LGA, Katsina State sometime in 2026 at Katsina State within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, did commit an offence, when you received the sum of four hundred and ninety, thousand, three hundred Naira only (N490,300) from Battujo a known terrorist, which sum you reasonably ought to know formed part of the proceeds of Terrorism, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under the section 21 of the Terrorism (Prevention Prohibition) Act, 2022. Count 2. That you HALIMA ABDULLAHI and SAFIYA SALIHU, Female, adult, of Dungun Muaza Sabuwa LGA, Katsina State sometime in 2026 at Katsina State within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, did commit an offence, when you aided and abetted the activities of Battujo a known bandit Kingpin and passed information through telephone conversations to the said Battujo, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 26 of the terrorism (Prevention Prohibition) Act, 2022. Count 3: That you HALIMA ABDULLAHI and SAFIYA SALIHU, Female, adult, of Dungun Mu'aza Sabuwa LGA, Katsina State sometime in 2026 at Katsina State within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, did commit an offence when you received sponsorship to travel for Hajj Pilgrimage from one BATTUJO a known bandit Kingpin from funds you reasonably ought to know formed part of Terrorism, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 21 of the terrorism (Prevention Prohibition) Act, 2022. Count 4 That you SAFIYA SALIHU, Female, adult, of Dungun Mu'aza Sabuwa LGA, Katsina State sometime in 2026 at Katsina State within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, did commit an offence concealed information about the activities of Battujo a known bandit Kingpin when you visited his forest camp and saw him in possession of firearms, an information which you knew to be of material assistance in securing his apprehension, but failed to disclose such information to any law enforcement or security officer as soon as reasonably practicable and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 16 of the terrorism (Prevention Prohibition) Act, 2022. Count 5: That you HALIMA ABDULLAHI, Female, adult, of Dungun Mu'aza Sabuwa LGA, Katsina State sometime in 2026 at Katsina State within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, did commit an offence when you concealed information about the activities of Battujo a suspected bandit Kingpin, an information which you knew to be of material assistance in securing his apprehension, but failed to disclose such information to any law enforcement or security officer as soon as reasonably practicable and thereby committed an offense contrary to and punishable under Section 16 of the terrorism (Prevention Prohibition) Act, 2022. Source: TVC
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| Politics › Nigeria Must Unite Against Insecurity—abdulsalami Abubakar by Leonardobiageli(op): 1:44pm On Jun 19 |
As insecurity continues across the nation, former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), has said every Nigerian has a stake in the fight against insecurity, saying that defeating terrorism and other criminal activities requires citizens to join hands with security agencies and government at all levels. In a statement released on the occasion of his 84th birthday, where he reflected on the state of the nation and expressed concern over the worsening security situation across the country, he noted that the recent death of Major General Abubakar Rabe (retd.) and many other Nigerians affected by insecurity underscored the urgency of collective action to restore peace and stability. According to him, his years of service in the Nigerian Armed Forces, including participation in the Nigerian Civil War and peacekeeping operations abroad, have given him a deep understanding of the sacrifices required to protect the nation, just as he acknowledged that many countries are facing economic and security difficulties. He noted that Nigeria must remain focused on supporting efforts aimed at maintaining law and order, adding that the country’s security agencies had demonstrated commitment in confronting terrorism but insisted that citizens must also play active roles in defeating criminal elements threatening national unity. He blamed the politicisation of security issues for worsening the crisis, warning that divisive narratives and selfish interests have weakened efforts to address insecurity. He expressed concern over the spread of misinformation and fake news on social media, saying such actions have emboldened terrorists and criminal groups by promoting false narratives and propaganda, even as he urged Nigerians to set aside ethnic, religious, and political differences and unite against those responsible for violence and instability. The former leader noted that criminals do not discriminate based on identity and further encouraged members of the armed forces and other security agencies to remain resolute in carrying out their duties despite the challenges they face. He also called on the authorities to sustain decisive measures aimed at ending insecurity and preventing further loss of lives. Reaffirming his commitment to the unity of Nigeria, the former Head of State said he still dreams of a peaceful and prosperous nation that future generations can inherit. He appealed to citizens to remain calm, law-abiding, and vigilant while offering prayers for the families of security personnel and other victims who have lost their lives in the line of duty. "It is clear that the success of attaining this objective must be inclusive. The armed forces and all other security agencies have been very strong in the fight against terrorism. But this is not their fight alone. Every citizen has a stake, and it is my plea that Nigerians unite to fight against terror,” the statement said. According to the statement, over the years, politicization of security matters has worsened the situation, and this has brought us to where we are today. Let us join forces with government and security agencies at all levels to defeat these evil ones, who do not recognise ethnicity, religion, political party, communal life, or other forms of identity. He said propaganda for political and other selfish gains is also giving oxygen to terrorist groups, even as the use of fake news on social media to propagate false narratives has served to encourage terrorists and other criminal groups. The success of one terrorist group encourages another, and unless we have a rethink, we will continue to promote this crisis. Source: https://dailypost.ng/2026/06/19/nigeria-must-unite-against-insecurity-abdulsalami-abubakar/
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| Crime › Terrorism: DSS Secures Another Death Sentence As Katsina Court Convicts Female C by Leonardobiageli(op): 3:26pm On Jun 16 |
Breaking..... A Federal High Court in Katsina State has sentenced a female arms courier to death by hanging after the Department of State Services (DSS) successfully prosecuted her for conspiracy to commit, aid and abet terrorism. This is the second death sentence secured by the DSS in the month of June. The convict, Hauwa'u Mukhtar, was arrested by the DSS on September 16, 2023, at Jibia Motor Park, Katsina State, while attempting to transport 438 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition to one Ado, a notorious bandit kingpin operating in Dunburum Forest, Zamfara State. On 3rd June, a Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced four men arrested by the DSS to death by hanging for their roles in the June 5, 2022, terror attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which claimed over 40 lives. Security sources revealed that, in Katsina, the DSS filed a two-count charge against Hauwa'u Mukhtar before High Court No. 3, Katsina, presided over by Justice A. B. Bawale. After evaluating the totality of evidence, witness testimonies, tendered exhibits, and final addresses of both prosecution and defence counsel, the court held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, finding Mukhtar guilty on both counts. The judge subsequently sentenced the convict to death by hanging in accordance with the provisions of the Penal Code Law of Katsina State, 2021. "The successful prosecution is a significant milestone for the DSS, demonstrating its capacity to not only intercept criminal actors but to follow through with decisive legal action that results in landmark convictions.', stated the source. It could be recalled that, about a month ago, a Federal High Court in Abuja convicted and sentenced one Halima Haliru Umar to 20 years imprisonment for unlawful possession of 302 rounds of AK-47 live ammunition and attempting to provide support for acts of terrorism marking the second conviction of a female arms courier secured by the DSS this year.
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| Crime › Papiri Church Kidnap: Court Sentences Five Linked To Attack To 25 Years In Priso by Leonardobiageli(op): 5:16pm On Jun 11*. Modified: 5:39pm On Jun 11 |
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday sentenced each of the five persons arrested on May 31, 2026, by the Department of State Services (DSS) for their involvement in the 21 November 2025 attack on St. Joseph Catholic Church, Papiri, Niger State, to 25 years in prison. In what could pass as the fastest terrorism trial in Nigerian history, Justice Binta Nyako handed the sentence shortly after the five men, including two Nigeriens, pleaded guilty to all the four terrorism-related charges pressed against them. The charges bordered on support for commission of act of terrorism, breaching both Section 16 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, as well as the the Firearms Act. The five men - Yusuf Mohamned (Aka Bature), Goni Ibrahim Bindi (Aka Goni Mutuwa), Sani Tukur (Aka Danladi), Mubarak Ibrahin amd Musa Alhaji Adamu (Aka Gado Banufe) were arrested at different locations by DSS operatives less than two weeks ago. In one of the arrests, DSS operatives recovered 15 AK-47 rifles and 1,434 rounds of live ammunition tucked in sacks in a Volkswagen Golf car. The recovered arms and ammunition were tendered in court. The court ordered the forfeiture of the Golf car to the Nigerian government. Dozens of gunmen on motorcycles had in the wee hours of November 21, 2025, stormed the Catholic Primary and Secondary Boarding School, rounding up students and teachers at gunpoint. While about 50 of the children managed to escape in the chaos that greeted the attack, the gunmen marched over 250 of the students for days into the Kainji Lake Reserve Forest. COUNT 1 of the charge read: That you, Yusuf Muhammad (a.k.a. Bature), adult, male, thirty-three (33) years old of Gofanti village, Borgu LGA, Niger State, Goni Ibrahim Bindi (a.k.a. Goni Mutua), adult, male, twenty-three (23) years old of Awadiri, Diffa region, Republic of Niger, Sani Tukur (a.k.a. Danladi), adult, male, twenty five 25) years old of Sansani Displaced Persons Camp, Diffa region, Republic of Niger, Mubarak Ibrahim, adult, male twenty eight (28) years old of Gofanti village, Borgu LGA of Niger State, and Musa Alhaji Adamu (a.k.a Gado Banufe) between 23d and 24th April, 2026 did commit an offence, to wit: jointly conspired to render assistance to a terrorist by agreeing and intentionally playing various roles towards conveying fifteen (15) AK 103 rifles as well as about one thousand, four hundred and thirty-four (1,434) rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition from Diffa region, Republic of Niger to one Malam Ahmad, a member of the Boko Haram terrorist group based in Borgu LGA of Niger State. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 26(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. COUNT 2: That you, Yusuf Muhammad (a.k.a. Bature), adult, male, thirty-three (33) years old of Gofanti village, Borgu LGA, Niger State, Goni Ibrahim Bindi (a.k.a. Goni Mutua), adult, male, twenty-three (23) years old of Awadiri, Diffa region, Republic of Niger, Sani Tukur (a.k.a. Danladi), adult, male, twenty five 25) years old of Sansani Displaced Persons Camp, Diffa region, Republic of Niger, Mubarak Ibrahim, adult, male twenty eight (28) years old of Gofanti village, Borgu LGA of Niger State, and Musa Alhaji Adamu (a.k.a Gado Banufe) between 23rd and 24th April, 2026 did commit an offence, to wit: rendered support for commission of act of terrorism to a terrorist by agreeing and conveying fifteen (15) AK 103 rifles as well as about one thousand, four hundred and thirty-four (1,434) rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition from Diffa region, Republic of Niger on behalf of one Malam Ahmad, a member of the Boko Haram terrorist group based in Borgu LGA of Niger State. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 13(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. COUNT 3: That you, Goni Ibrahim Bindi (a.k.a. Goni Mutuwa), adult, male, twenty-three (23) years old of Awadiri, Diffa region, Republic of Niger, Sani Tukur (a.k.a. Danladi), adult, male, twenty five (25 years old of Sansani Displaced Persons Camp, Diffa region, Republic of Niger and Musa Alhaji Adamu (a.k.a Gado Banufe), sometime between 23° and 24t April, 2026 at Kwangila area, along Kano-Kaduna express, Zaria; within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did commit an offence, to wit: you had in your possession fifteen (15) AK 103 rifles and about one thousand, four hundred and thirty-four (1,434) rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition carefully concealed in sacks containing dried fish loaded in a blue Volkswagen (golf 3) car with Republic of Niger registered plate number BT 9990 DA. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27(1) (a) (i), and (b) (ii) of the Firearms Act, CAP F28 LFN, 2004. COUNT 4 That you, Yusuf Muhammad (a.K.a, Bature), adult, male, thirty-three (33) years old of Gofanti village, Borgu LGA, Niger State, sometimes between February 2025 and April, 2026 did commit an offence, to wit: you had information which you know or believed to be of material assistance in securing the apprehension, prosecution or conviction of Malam Ahmad, a known terrorist hibernating in Gandu forest, Borgu LGA of Niger State, and you failed to disclose such information to law enforcement or security officers. You thereby committed an offence in contravention of Section 16 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.2022.
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| Politics › Youths March, Seek United Front Against Terrorism by Leonardobiageli(op): 5:33pm On Jun 09 |
Hundreds of young men and women on Tuesday at the National Assembly in Abuja, called on Nigerians, irrespective of their socio-political leaning, to unite against insecurity across the country. The youths said they could no longer stand by and watch what they described as the politicization of insecurity in the country. They called on politicians to bury their differences and support efforts by the federal government to tackle terrorism and insecurity. Bearing banners with such inscriptions as "Leaders from the ADC, PDP, ADC, APC Should Rise In One Accord Against Insecurity", "Nigerians Unite Against Insecurity," and the hashtag #NigeriansUniteAgainstTerror, among others, the youths said no country ever defeated terrorism from a disunited front. One of the speakers, Comrade Austin Okhai, urged former security chiefs to wade into the matter, saying this is the best time for them to put their experience to good use. “We call on former military leaders, former service chiefs, former directors of the DSS, former IGPs, and former NSCDC CGs to all collaborate in ensuring we have a country first,” he said. He warned that insecurity is affecting politics and daily life, saying, “No political party can go on a rally when the people you mobilise cannot return to their homes.” He stated that what is of paramount importance is to first have a country called Nigeria, stressing, "after that, we can talk of who becomes President, governor, or member of the National Assembly." Okhai cited examples from the United States, Israel, Pakistan, and Kenya, as countries that have several security challenges, however, adding that "no politician of political party in those countries used those insecurity challenges as a campaign tool." Also speaking, Comrade Isah Abubakar, said insecurity has become a nationwide problem affecting everyone, abd that it required collective effort to tackle. "It is now clear that we have a very serious challenge. There are roads in Nigeria that, once it is 5 pm, you cannot pass through,” he said. “And those that are affected are not only members of the APC, ADC, PDP, NDC, and PRP, but they are all Nigerians. It, therefore, has become imperative for us all to forget our political and religious differences and collectively fight this monster called terrorism and insecurity," he declared.
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| Crime › DSS Arrests 5, Including 2 Foreign Collaborators, Linked To Papiri School Kidnap by Leonardobiageli(op): 8:33pm On May 31 |
*Recovers Large Arms Cache—15 AK Rifles, 1434 Live Ammunition The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested five persons, including two Nigeriens, suspected to be arms couriers to gunmen who, on November 21, 2025, attacked St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri Village, Niger State, abducting nearly 300 students and staff. Recovered from the men were a large cache of arms, including 15 AK rifles and 1,434 rounds of live ammunition.https://dailytrust.com/dss-nabs-5-linked-to-papiri-school-kidnap/ 11 Likes 1 Share
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| Politics › NEYGA To Atiku, Obi: Stop Politicising The Insecurity You Created by Leonardobiageli(op): 8:50pm On May 28 |
The Northern Ethnic Youth Group Assembly (NEYGA) has chided Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, presidential candidates of the All Democratic Congress (ADC) and National Democratic Congress (NDC), for what they described as their "politicization" of Nigeria's security challenges. The group tasked both presidential candidates to learn from politicians in the United States and Israel who buried their political interests and supported their governments in the heat of the 9/11 and the October 7, 2023 attacks by Al-Qaeda and Hamas on US and Israeli soil. NEYGA spoke against comments by Atiku and Obi in the wake of recent attacks by gunmen on schools in Oyo and Borno States. resulting in the abduction of some pupils. While Obi accused the Tinubu government of lacking the capacity to protect schoolchildren, thereby converting them into what he called "Pawns in Ransom Economy," Atiku stated that the security challenges "make a mockery of the so-called Safe Schools initiative." Stated the ADC presidential candidate: "President Tinubu has no moral or political latitude to stay in Aso Villa a day longer if tens of hundreds of abducted citizens languish in captivity across the country," reminding that the primary responsibility of any government is the security and welfare of the governed. However, NEYGA said it was wrong, unethical, and unpatriotic for Atiku and Obi to seek to use the plight of innocent school pupils as a campaign tool, saying both politicians largely contributed to the current insecurity in Nigeria. NEYGA’s position was contained in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Alhaji Ibrahim Dan-Musa. Said the group, "We are disappointed that men who have held high political offices and who are aspiring to preside over Nigeria would resort to using the plight of children, especially those in distress, to seek cheap political points." "Such unfortunate comments by Atiku and Obi only lend credence to the claim by President Tinubu that some persons out there want to use insecurity to scare him out of the 2027 presidential race," observed NEYGA. According to the group, "Had the government in which Atiku served as Vice President nipped Boko Haram founder Mohammed Yusuf in the bud and tackled the menace of out-of-school children early enough, perhaps we wouldn't have found ourselves in this type of insecurity challenges." On Obi, NEYGA stated: The NDC presidential candidate served as a key adviser of a federal government that caressed terrorists. Sadly, the same Obi is today talking of "Pawns in Ransom Economy." He appears to have forgotten that it was the same government he served as adviser that taught terrorists that money could be made from kidnapping students and converting them to his "ransom economy." The group advised both politicians to learn how opposition politicians in other climes behave during periods of security challenges, stressing, "They rally support for the government in power." Said NEYGA: "Consider the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US. At least 2,977 people lost their lives in a matter of hours. President George Bush, a Republican, was in power. At no time did the Democrats face him. "All Americans united against the terrorists, so much so that it took a Democrat, President Barack Obama, nearly 10 years after 9/11 to hunt down the mastermind, Osama Bin Laden," noted NEYGA. "In 1972, members of the terrorist group Black September killed 11 Israeli Olympic team members at the Munich games. Prime Minister Golda Meir was of the Labour Party. Members of other political parties didn't attack her. They rallied round her government to ensure that all members of Black September were eventually eliminated," further noted the group. Continued the group, "More recently on Israel, on October 7, 2023, Hamas led a massive, coordinated surprise attack on Israel, killing 1,200 Israelis and taking about 240 persons hostage. No politician in Israel called for the resignation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They supported the government to fight Hamas, and the results are still being felt today. "In September 2013, gunmen from the Somali Islamist group Al-Shabab attacked the Westgate shopping centre in Nairobi, killing 67 persons and taking hundreds hostage. No Kenyan politician called for the resignation of President Uhuru Kenyatta. They supported his government, and today, Kenya is safer for that," remarked the group. "We find it strange and amusing that Atiku Abubakar, under whose Vice Presidency Mohammed Yusuf, the founder of Boko Haram, flourished, will be talking of insecurity in Nigeria as if he and his boss didn't nurture this Frankenstein monster. "We advise our former VP and Obi, who was part and parcel of the administration that lacked the courage to fight insecurity and who taught terrorists that schoolchildren are ideal pawns, to be more circumspect when commenting on insecurity," the group cautioned. Obi: "Sad: School Children Now ‘Pawns in Ransom Economy': There is nothing more heartbreaking for a nation than an inability to protect its children. The recent attacks and kidnappings of students from two schools in Mussa Village, Askira/Uba LGA, Borno State (North-East) and Ahoro-Esinele community, Oriire Local Government Area, Oyo State (South-West) mark a grave crisis that threatens the future of the nation,” he wrote. Atiku, the ADC presidential candidate, in a statement on Thursday by his media office, noted that no less than 42 schoolchildren were kidnapped on May 15 in terrorist raids in Government Day Secondary School, Mussa Central Primary School, and the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Secondary School in Mussa town, Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State. He said, “On the same day, over 40 students and teachers were also mass abducted from Community High School, Ahoro-Esiele; Primary School, Esiele; and Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School, all in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
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| Politics › Alleged Cyberbullying: Again, Sowore Fails To Enter Defence. by Leonardobiageli(op): 6:38pm On May 19 |
*Prosecution Counsel Accuses Sowore of delay tactics as Court Sets June 4 for Ruling on recusal petition.* Politician and online publisher Omoyele Sowore has failed to enter a defence in his ongoing trial before a Federal High Court in Abuja on cyberbullying-related offenses. Sowore is being prosecuted for allegedly making false claims against the person of President Bola Tinubu by referring to him as "a criminal" in a post he made on his X and Facebook accounts. When the case last came up on May 8, Justice Mohammed Umar, in a ruling, dismissed Sowore's no-case submission and upheld the argument by the prosecution counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), that a prima facie case has been established against Sowore to warrant his being called upon to enter a defence. Recall that before adjournment, the courts dismissed Sowore's fundamental rights suit and awarded a N1.5M fine to DSS and others. Justice Umar then ordered the defendant to enter his defence against the case already made out against him by the prosecution. Shortly after the ruling, Sowore and his lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, applied orally that the judge should withdraw from further handling the case on grounds of alleged bias. Following the objection raised by Kehinde that such applications are usually made formal to enable the adverse party to respond appropriately, Justice Umar ordered the defence to file a formal application on their request for the judge to recuse himself to enable the prosecution to respond and for the court to make a ruling. When the case came up on Tuesday, Abubakar told the court that his client had filed letters and applications to the court's Chief Judge, demanding a reassignment of the case to another judge. He said the applications, one filed personally by Sowore and the other by him (the lawyer), are accompanied by affidavits and exhibits containing reasons why they are asking that the case be reassigned to another judge. Responding, Kehinde said he was served on May 19 with the two letters filed by the defence on the same date (May 19). Kehinde argued that what the defence has done is contrary to what the court ordered them to do on the last date, which was to file a formal application to the court on their request for the judge's recusal. He said, "All the processes that they have filed are of no moment. This was not the directive of the court. We are opposed to all they have done." The prosecuting lawyer urged the court not to allow the defence to detect that pace of the proceedings in the case. He noted that the case has gotten to the stage where the defendant should enter his defence if he has one, and if he does not have one, he should tell the court so that the prosecution can make the appropriate application. In his reply, Abubakar argued that the defence has done the appropriate thing and urged the court not to allow itself to be railroaded into taking steps that are alien to the administration of justice. The defence lawyer urged the court to adjourn further proceedings in the case to await the decision of the court's CJ on the letters they wrote. Ruling, Justice Umar ordered the prosecution to file its response to the defence's letters dated May 19, which are addressed to the Chief Judge and which have also been served on the prosecuting lawyer. The judge adjourned further hearing till June 4 pending the outcome of the petition written by the defence to the court's CJ.
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| Politics › Alleged National Security Breach: Court Grants Bail To El-rufai With Stringent C by Leonardobiageli(op): 2:07pm On May 18 |
Orders Accelerated Trial The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai in the sum of one hundred million naira with one surety in like sum. Justice Abdulmalik, while delivering the ruling, imposed a series of stringent conditions the defendant must meet before perfecting the bail. The court held that the proposed surety must reside in either the Maitama or Asokoro district of Abuja and must deposit the original Certificate of Occupancy of his landed property at the court registry. The surety is also required to be a federal civil servant not below Grade Level 17 and must provide evidence of salary payments for at least three months, authenticated by a letter from the manager of the bank within the jurisdiction of the court. The court further ordered the surety to depose an affidavit of means, enter into a bail bond, and submit a recent passport photograph to the court registry. As part of the bail conditions, El-Rufai is to deposit all valid international passports with the court. The court also directed that a verification letter from the surety’s immediate department be submitted, alongside a tax clearance certificate covering the last six months. Justice Abdulmalik further ordered the defendant to report to the headquarters of the Department of State Services every last Friday of the month by 10 a.m. to sign an attendance register pending the determination of the case. The judge warned that failure to comply would lead to an automatic revocation of the bail. The court additionally directed the defendant to submit a letter of attestation from the Chairman of the Kaduna Traditional Council. Beyond the bail ruling, Justice Abdulmalik ordered that the trial proceed on an accelerated basis, signaling the court's intention to ensure the matter is heard and determined without unnecessary delay. Source: punchng.com
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| Politics › Justice Crack Denies Sowore's Lawyer, M. Abubakar As Clash Ensues In Court by Leonardobiageli(op): 12:34am On May 15 |
Justice Crack Denies Sowore’s Lawyer, Marshall Abubakar As Clash Ensue In Court Over Representation The bail application filed by Chidiebere Justice Mark, popularly known as Justice Crack, on Thursday suffered a setback at the Federal High Court in Abuja after two lawyers, Femi Balogun and Marshall Abubakar, clashed over who would represent him. Recall that Sowore had sent his self-appointed lawyer to stand in for Justice Crack, a development that threw mild drama at the court.https://independent.ng/justice-crack-denies-sowores-lawyer-marshall-abubakar-as-clash-ensue-in-court-over-representation/ 1 Like
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| Politics › Alleged Coup Trial: Cleric Says He Warned That The Plot Would Fail, Admits He Re by Leonardobiageli(op): 4:42pm On May 11 |
A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, viewed a video-recorded statement by Sheikh Sani Abdulkadir, the sixth defendant in the ongoing trial of persons accused of conspiring to overthrow the government of President Bola Tinubu. In the recording, the Sheikh, who admitted receiving money to pray for the success of the operation, however, claimed that he warned the alleged plotters that their plan was doomed and that they would be sabotaged from within. The video recording was played during the continuation of trial proceedings, with the fourth prosecution witness (PW4) still in the witness box. In the recording, Abdulkadir, an Islamic cleric, said he had known the alleged ringleader, Colonel Maaji, for less than a year and was approached through an intermediary identified as Sanda to offer spiritual support for the plot. He told investigators that Sanda informed him that his "Oga" intended to stage a coup and needed prayers regarding its likely success. After conducting the prayers, Abdulkadir said he advised them the operation would fail and that two persons would eventually expose those involved. A subsequent request was relayed back to him, he said, asking for further prayers to prevent those two individuals from speaking out. Money was later transferred to him for prayers and charity, and names of alleged participants were forwarded for inclusion. Abdulkadir said he first learned of the arrests through media reports after Sanda had informed him that Colonel Maaji had been unreachable for four days. He maintained throughout the recording that the funds he received were strictly for prayers and not in support of any coup attempt. He also acknowledged understanding that a coup meant a military overthrow of government but said he did not report the plot because he did not know who to report to. The cleric said his arrest came after he visited the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to resolve restrictions placed on his bank account. Upon contacting an EFCC deputy director, he was invited to the commission's office to explain the source of the funds. He denied making any coup-related statement while in EFCC custody and stated that he was neither assaulted nor tortured and that all his statements were made voluntarily. Following the playback, the prosecution sought to tender extrajudicial statements made by all six defendants before a special investigation panel and military police authorities. However, defence lawyers of all six defendants objected, arguing the statements were either involuntarily obtained or made in violation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA). Their objections include failure to inform defendants of their right to legal representation; alleged discrepancies between video recordings and corresponding written statements; allegations of coercion, inducement, and torture; and claims that the footage did not adequately establish the physical condition of defendants during recording. Counsel to the fifth defendant further argued that, given the number of accused persons, the court should conduct separate trial-within-trial proceedings for each disputed statement rather than a combined exercise. Responding, the prosecution urged the court to dismiss the objections, maintaining that the law does not mandate separate proceedings for each defendant and that the trial judge holds discretion over how evidence is received. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik ruled in favor of a single joint trial-within-trial to determine the voluntariness and admissibility of all the disputed statements. The case was then adjourned to May 12.
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| Politics › Zagazola Dismantles Masara Kim’s False “jihadist Burial Attack” Narrative In Pla by Leonardobiageli(op): 10:16am On May 10 |
By: Zagazola Makama The latest international media appearance by Plateau-based activist, Masara Kim Usman, has once again exposed how misinformation, emotional propaganda and outright fabrication are being weaponised to inflame Plateau’s communal crisis and falsely portray it as an “Islamic jihadist war” against Christians. In his now-circulating interview, Masara claimed that armed Fulani jihadists attacked a burial ground during funeral rites in Barkin Ladi while mourners were burying victims of earlier attacks. According to him, gunmen opened fire from surrounding hills, forcing locals to abandon proper burial rites and hurriedly dump corpses into shallow graves before fleeing for their lives. He further claimed he personally witnessed someone being shot during the attack and that armed terrorists carrying sophisticated weapons and sniper rifles attempted to massacre mourners. But there is one major problem with the entire dramatic story: absolutely nobody was killed or injured during the so-called burial attack. Not one casualty, no one corpse, not one hospital record, not one medical or security report from multiple security agencies and not one single verified victim, except him. The obvious question therefore remains if hundreds of armed “Fulani jihadists” attacked a crowded burial ceremony with sophisticated rifles and sniper weapons as claimed by Mr Masara, how did nobody die? How did nobody sustain injury? How does a “mass attack” end without a single casualty? The answer is simple, because the narrative was fabricated and staged to create panic, attract sympathy and push a false genocide narrative to international audiences. Even Masara’s own videos exposed the inconsistencies. The same man claiming he was running for his life under heavy gunfire somehow managed to hold his camera perfectly steady, maintain smooth commentary with british accent, control his breathing, avoid visible distress, remain spotless without sweat or dust, and narrate events calmly like a movie correspondent. At different times, he claimed he ran two kilometres. Later, the distance mysteriously became five kilometres. Yet throughout the footage, there was no sign of exhaustion, panic or trauma expected from someone supposedly escaping sniper fire and a coordinated terrorist assault. Even more damaging to the propaganda effort was what appeared in the background of the footage itself. While Masara shouted dramatically about “Fulani attackers,” some women visible in the same environment were calmly walking without panic, without taking cover and without any indication that an active attack was taking place nearby. In the same background some youths were asked to run while the documentary was being shot. In fact, the only armed individuals clearly visible in portions of the footage were local Berom militia carrying weapons and firing toward nearby hills. Security and community sources confirmed that before the burial commenced, armed Berom youths had already gathered around the area, allegedly mobilising for a reprisal attack on a nearby Fulani settlement following earlier killings of seven persons. Troops of Operation Enduring Peace deployed to the area reportedly intervened to stop the retaliatory mobilisation. According to findings, while tensions were high during the burial, sporadic gunshots were fired by the same local armed youths toward nearby hills, triggering confusion and panic which Masara and others immediately transformed into a staged “Fulani terrorist attack on mourners.” Masara also falsely claimed that while the burial was ongoing, “someone was shot” some distance away from him. Again, this claim collapsed immediately because there was no recorded casualty, no injured victim, no evacuation and no corpse connected to the supposed shooting. Not even community leaders could identify the alleged victim he claimed to have seen fall after gunshots. In his interview Masara claimed that local vigilante at the Burial responded with dane gunz but the Fulani had superior weapons than them. This further confirmed that the shooting was actually from within. The story simply never happened. Masara also attempted to frame Plateau’s crisis as part of a broader “Islamic jihad against Christianity” allegedly aimed at establishing an Islamic caliphate and destroying Western civilisation. According to him, Fulani attackers were fighting Christianity because “the West brought Christianity” and therefore wanted to eliminate Christians and Western influence. This claim is not only false but dangerously irresponsible. The reality is that Plateau State is NOT under invasion by Boko Haram, ISWAP or any international jihadist organisation. No terrorist organisation has claimed responsibility for attacks in Plateau. No ISIS flags have appeared in Riyom, Barkin Ladi, Mangu or Bassa. No evidence exists showing any coordinated jihadist structure operating in the state. What Plateau is experiencing is a long-running communal conflict driven by reprisals, cattle rustling, farm destruction, land disputes, livestock poisoning and cycles of revenge killings between armed groups from different ethnic communities. The killings are real.But they are happening on BOTH sides. Fulani communities have suffered attacks. Berom communities have suffered attacks. Livestock have been rustled and poisoned. Farms have been destroyed. Villages on both sides have buried victims. Even as this report is being compiled today 9th May 2026, fresh incidents involving attacks on livestock were again recorded in Bassa, where criminal youths reportedly shot and killed four cows, while in the night of 8th May 2026, attack was reported in Riyom where some people were killed in a cycle of reprisals that repeatedly triggers counter-attacks. Masara conveniently ignored these incidents because acknowledging them would destroy the false “one-sided jihad” or Christian Genocide narrative being sold internationally. He also falsely alleged that a Muslim soldier attached to Operation Enduring Peace aided attackers and was later arrested after refusing to engage the assailants. This allegation was another blatant fabrication. Checks revealed that the soldier in question, a naval rating, was away on an administrative assignment approved by his unit commander — who incidentally is also a Christian officer. He was neither armed nor deployed at the attacked location during the incident. But because the soldier was Muslim, propagandists immediately framed his absence as “evidence” that he collaborated with Fulani attackers. This reckless weaponisation of religion is exactly what continues to poison Plateau’s fragile environment. Every incident is instantly branded “Islamic terrorism.” Every criminal becomes “Fulani jihadist.” Every reprisal attack becomes “Christian persecution.” Meanwhile, the actual realities of criminality, communal reprisals and illegal arms proliferation are ignored. The same activists defending armed youths and illegal militias are often the loudest voices accusing security agencies of bias whenever arrests are made. Only recently, troops uncovered illegal arms fabrication factories in Plateau and arrested suspects manufacturing AK-47 rifles and ammunition components. Instead of condemning the criminal arms operation, some individuals openly defended the suspects and justified illegal weapon production as “community self-defence.” This dangerous normalisation of militancy or terrorism is precisely why Plateau remains trapped in endless violence. No society survives when civilians begin manufacturing assault rifles while activists celebrate them online. It is also important to note that several attacks highlighted by Masara conveniently omitted the reprisal context surrounding many incidents. Zagazola repeatedly maintain that many retaliatory attacks follow earlier incidents involving cattle rustling, poisoning of livestock, attacks on herders or destruction of farms. According to security source familiar with operations in Plateau: These attacks always have history behind them. Something usually happens before reprisals occur. We have repeatedly warned communities against poisoning cows, attacking herders and carrying out retaliatory raids. But propaganda often overshadows the real causes.” The source added that illegal arms in the hands of youths across affected communities remain one of the biggest threats to peace. The truth remains that Plateau’s crisis cannot be solved through emotional manipulation, fake genocide narratives, staged videos or international propaganda tours. The violence in Plateau is tragic and real. But turning a complex communal conflict into fictional “Islamic conquest” propaganda only deepens mistrust, fuels retaliation and prolongs the bloodshed. Peace will only come through accountability, disarmament, justice and honest engagement on ALL sides not through staged narratives designed to deceive the world and inflame tensions further. Source: Zagazola.org 2 Likes
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| Politics › Court Delivers Judgment In N5.5b Defamation Suit By Two DSS Officers Against SER by Leonardobiageli(op): 7:32am On May 05 |
A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) will on Tuesday deliver judgment in a N5.5 billion defamation suit filed by two operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) against the Incorporated Trustees of Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP). The group had on September 9, 2024, alleged that DSS operatives "unlawfully invaded" its Abuja office under the guise of wanting to see their directors. SERAP, in social media posts, claimed that not only did the operatives invade and unlawfully occupy its Abuja office, but also they harassed staff members. A post on SERAP’s X (Twitter) handle read: “Officers from Nigeria’s State Security Service (SSS) are presently unlawfully occupying SERAP’s office in Abuja, asking to see our directors. "President Tinubu must immediately direct the SSS to end the harassment, intimidation, and attack on the rights of Nigerians," the group added. On the heels of SERAP's allegations, the DSS issued a statement clarifying that the visit by its two officers, Sarah John and Gabriel Ogundele, was routine and aimed at familiarizing themselves with the organisation's new leadership. SERAP, however, stood its ground, insisting that the DSS operatives invaded its Abuja office and assaulted staff members. After weeks of several attempts by the DSS to make SERAP state what the secret police called "facts of the visit," the DSS officers, who said they were humiliated by the allegations and subjected to disciplinary action, filed a N5.5 billion defamation suit against SERAP. The two operatives asserted that no invasion occurred and that the SERAP report greatly damaged their reputation. However, on November 26, 2025, SERAP issued another statement, insisting that DSS officers indeed illegally invaded its Abuja office. "We stand by our statements of defence and statements on oath filed in court by our lawyers, Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, and Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN, and the correct reporting of what actually happened in court on Monday, November 24, 2025, that the DSS unlawfully invaded our Abuja office," stressed SERAP, in a statement signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare. Throughout court proceedings, witnesses affirmed that no physical assault occurred. SERAP's Oluwadare was to later tell the court that the reports of the invasion were based on information he got from one Vivian Amadi, his front-desk officer. The two DSS officers, in the suit, accused SERAP of making false claims that they invaded their Abuja office. While adopting the final written address of the claimants on February 19, 2026, their lawyer, Oluwagbemileke Samuel Kehinde, urged the court to grant all the relief sought by his clients. He urged the court to discountenance SERAP's address and further argued that the claimants had substantially proved their case, having established that the officers were the people referred to in the alleged defamatory publication made by the defendants. Kehinde argued that, as against the argument by the defendants, every person in the society must know the claimants before they can succeed in a defamation claim. He added that it was sufficient that the claimants’ colleagues are aware of the alleged defamatory publication and understood that it referred to the claimants (the DSS officers). Justice Halilu Yusuf thereafter announced in the open court that he had reserved judgment and that the date would be communicated to the parties. Listed with SERAP as a defendant in the suit, marked CV/4547/2024, is its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare. Today's judgment would be historic, as this would be the first time in Nigeria that security agents would be suing for defamation in their private capacity. Source: premiumtimesng.com
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| Politics › Silent Precision, Potent Results: SSS’ Strategic War Against Insecurity In Niger by Leonardobiageli(op): 10:09am On Apr 28 |
By Louis Achi Somewhere in Nigeria today, a market is open because an arms shipment was intercepted last week. A village is quieter because a bandit kingpin is in a courtroom. A child went to school this Monday morning in the South-East for the first time in years without fear. These things happened not by accident but because of decisions made, intelligence gathered, and operations executed by an agency that most Nigerians rarely think about until they have a reason to. The State Security Services (SSS) does not hold press conferences to celebrate its wins. It does not trend on social media when a terror cell is dismantled or when a truck carrying 164,000 rounds of live ammunition is stopped before it reaches its destination. Its operatives do not take bows when a fugitive for 13 long years is finally brought to justice. Or when a financier who bankrolled massacres from the comfort of a UAE business finds his accounts frozen. That is the nature of the work. Security, at its most effective, is invisible, a wall you only notice when it has a crack. But invisibility comes at a cost. When Nigerians do not seem to see the results, they cannot evaluate it fairly. And when the only stories that surface are the controversies, the detentions, the political cases, the headlines that fuel suspicion, the full picture is lost. This piece is an attempt to restore that picture. Because over the past 18 months, the SSS has been executing a strategy that is quietly, systematically, and eventually making Nigeria safer. The evidence is there for anyone willing to see. At the core of the SSS’ strategy is a clear logic: remove the commanders, and you collapse the hierarchy. Nowhere has this been more dramatically demonstrated than in the North, where a series of high-profile arrests have decapitated some of Nigeria’s most dangerous terror networks. In August 2025, operatives captured Mahmud Muhammad Usman, the self-proclaimed Emir of Ansaru and one of Nigeria’s most wanted terror figures alongside Mahmud al-Nigeri, who served as his chief of staff. About the same time, SSS operatives arrested Abubakar Abba, leader of the Mahmuda group, a Boko Haram faction responsible for terrorizing communities across Kwara and Kogi states and displacing thousands of residents. The Embassy of the United States described these operations as a major step in the fight against terrorism. Usman has since been sentenced to 15 years for just one of the many offenses, with prosecution continuing on other counts. Three months later, Ansaru commander Abdulazeez Obadaki was recaptured after a 13-year manhunt, closing the book on a man accused of masterminding the 2012 massacre of worshippers at Deeper Life Bible Church, near Okene, Kogi State. The secret police has also demonstrated creative, intelligence-led pursuits. In May 2025, two kidnapping kingpins responsible for violent attacks across the Sokoto-Zamfara axis were tracked and arrested at Abuja and Sokoto Hajj camps during pre-departure screening of pilgrims. In Kaduna State, joint SSS-Army operations across a single quarter recorded 34 successes, arrested 54 suspects, recovered weapons ranging from RPGs to heavy machine guns, and rescued 79 kidnapped victims. In the FCT, a joint operation in September 2025 neutralised bandit leader Abdullahi Umar, known as “Duna” whose gang had kidnapped a senior civil servant with a ₦150 million ransom demand. In Osun State, a 90-day undercover surveillance operation dismantled an ISWAP cell mid-training in the manufacture of explosives. Two of the most painful massacres in recent Nigerian history; the Yelwata killings in Benue State and in Angwa Rukuba, Plateau State, tested the government’s promise to bring perpetrators of mass violence to face justice. In both cases, the SSS helped the government pass that test. On 13 June, 2025, gunmen descended on Yelwata community in Guma LGA of Benue State, killing no less than 150 people and injuring 107 others in attacks that drew worldwide condemnation. President Bola Tinubu paid a personal condolence visit to Benue State where he tasked security agencies to fish out the perpetrators. The SSS moved with required urgency. Within 11 days, the Inspector-General of Police announced the arrest of 26 suspects. By August 2025, the SSS had filed six separate terrorism charges against nine suspects before the Federal High Court, Abuja. Two other suspects were charged for alleged reprisal attacks. The prosecution, led by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, is ongoing, with courts actively hearing evidence and eight government witnesses lined up to testify. The Angwa Rukuba case followed a similar pattern of Presidential commitment backed by SSS action. On 29 March, being Palm Sunday, gunmen killed more than 30 people, including children, in Jos North LGA of Plateau State. This triggered national and international outrage. President Tinubu visited Jos and personally assured residents that those behind the killings would be brought to book. On the heels of the President’s directive, the suspects were arrested between 3 April and 10 April, 2026. The Plateau State Government subsequently filed charges of criminal conspiracy to commit terrorism, culpable homicide, illegal possession of firearms, and unlawful dealing in arms and ammunition against five suspects arrested by the SSS. Courts have already ordered their remand in SSS custody as proceedings began. The aforementioned twin cases carry a significance beyond the individual prosecutions. They demonstrate that when the President speaks, the SSS listens and moves. It means that communities that have suffered devastating losses, beyond consolation with mere words, are seeing their attackers face the law. For a country long accustomed to impunity around mass killings, this is a huge milestone in the Criminal Justice System. On 5 June, 2022, gunmen attacked St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, killing over 50 church worshippers and injuring many more. As I pen this, the SSS is prosecuting Idris Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, in the Federal High Court, Abuja, for their alleged links to the attack. For nearly four years, the sixth suspect, Sani Yusuf, eluded arrest, becoming one of the most wanted fugitives in Nigeria. In February, however, the SSS arrested him in Iguosa community, along Powerline in Ovia North LGA of Edo State. Also before the Federal High Court in Abuja, the SSS is diligently prosecuting Khalid Al Barnawi and four others suspected to have carried out the 26 August, 2011 bombing of the United Nations building in Abuja. Over 20 persons from different countries died in the attack with over 70 others injured. Al-Barnawi is believed to be a founding member of Jama’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid Da’wah Wa’l-Jihad, the Boko Haram Islamist terror group. Charged alongside Al-Barnawi are Mohammed Bashir Saleh; Umar Mohammed Bello, a.k.a Datti; Mohammed Salisu and Yakubu Nuhu, a.k.a Bello Maishayi. What is more, to underscore the seriousness of the Service in the terrorism trial, the SSS, through its counsel, Alex Iziyon (SAN) moved a application for accelerated as the Service expressed its readiness for a timely conclusion of the trial. To be sure, armed groups do not sustain themselves on ideology alone, they need weapons, ammunition, and supply networks. The DSS has been systematically targeting those pipelines, and recent arrests reveal how sophisticated those networks are. In January, a notorious arms smuggler Abubakar Umar (Dangada) was intercepted in Zamfara with a large cache of weapons from Niger Republic. In May 2026, a joint operation on the Asaba-Onitsha expressway intercepted a truck carrying over 164,000 live cartridges allegedly bound for IPOB/ESN networks. These hauls, spanning motor parks, border routes, and highways, reveal a SSS that is reaching into every layer of the supply chain. In April 2026, operatives apprehended 25-year-old Nafisa Usman at a motor park in Kano while she was allegedly transporting 200 rounds of ammunition from Lafia in Nasarawa State to Kankara in Katsina, a known bandit corridor. Security sources disclosed that she had facilitated deals worth over ₦5 million, using Unguwa Uku motor park as a transit hub for consignments headed for Kankara forest. She was intercepted before the delivery could reach its destination. In a parallel case that went all the way to court, Halima Haliru Umar pleaded guilty before a Federal High Court in Abuja to illegally possessing 302 rounds of live ammunition she had couriered to a bandit leader. A Chief Magistrate Court in Taraba subsequently sentenced three other arms traffickers arrested by the SSS to 10 years in prison without the option of fine. Few cases in recent Nigerian history have generated as much controversy as the prosecution of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the outlawed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB). He was convicted of terrorism by the Federal High Court in Abuja in November 2025 and sentenced to life imprisonment. Several prominent Igbo leaders have been suing for a political solution. It is worth noting that, since Kanu’s conviction, there has been a marked improvement in security in the Southeast states. The Monday sit-at-home orders violently enforced since 2021, shutting markets, schools, banks, and petrol stations every Monday, came to a permanent end in February. The directive came from Kanu himself, behind his prison walls in Sokoto. Research by SBM Intelligence, Nigeria’s leading geopolitical research consultancy, calculated losses of over ₦7.6 trillion from those weekly closures between 2021 and early 2025. This wealth needlessly drained from one of Nigeria’s historically most commercially-active region. Today, markets in Onitsha, Aba, Nnewi and other commercial major towns in the South-East are open every day of the week. Schools now run on Mondays. The Nigerian Army has officially credited the detention of both Kanu and Finland-convicted IPOB figure Simon Ekpa with bringing measurable security improvements, stating that criminal activities and operational capabilities of ESN-linked groups have significantly decreased. A region that lost over ₦7 trillion in economic activity to enforced shutdowns is now on the path to a slow but steady economic recovery. Dismantling terror networks requires more than just arresting the foot soldiers. It requires cutting off the financial oxygen that keeps them alive. In April 2026, the Federal Government, through the Nigeria Sanctions Committee chaired by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) published an updated list of 48 individuals and 12 corporate entities designated as terrorism financiers. He followed up with an immediate directive to freeze all associated accounts and assets. The list spans the full breadth of Nigeria’s security challenge: ISWAP, Boko Haram, Ansaru, and IPOB-affiliated figures. The methods of financing revealed are striking, cryptocurrency and online fraud, ransom handling from the 2022 Abuja-Kaduna train attack, property purchases across multiple states, and fund transfers routed through businesses in the UAE. One suspect recorded account inflows of ₦61.4 billion before transferring tens of millions to convicted terrorists. Designating and freezing these networks attacks the problem at its root, cutting off the money before it ever reaches the field. Piece by piece, the picture emerging from Nigeria’s security landscape over the past months is one of a country beginning to seriously sanction all those who choose violence. Terror kingpins once considered untouchables are now in courtrooms. Arms supply chains that once fed banditry with impunity are being intercepted. Financiers who bankrolled massacres from the shadows are having their accounts frozen. Communities that watched their loved ones buried without justice are now watching suspects face the law. If this strategic momentum is sustained and deepened, and the SSS continues to build on its intelligence capacity, accelerate prosecutions, and tighten coordination with the military and sister security agencies, the judiciary, and international partners, the trajectory points toward something Nigerians have long desired, but hardly been served. Nigeria spent decades managing insecurity. However, the current strategy of the SSS suggests that defeating insecurity is possible. That there is a future worth building on. Results of the past months under Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi point to one thing: collectively, we can make Nigeria safe again! Louis Achi, a former associate editor at ThisDay and LEADERSHIP on Sunday, is a public issues analyst. https://www.premiumtimesng.com/opinion/875144-silent-precision-potent-results-sss-strategic-war-against-insecurity-in-nigeria-by-louis-achi.html
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| Crime › Angwa-rukuba Killings: Plateau Government Files Charges Against Five Suspects by Leonardobiageli(op): 7:59am On Apr 22 |
Few weeks after President Bola Tinubu visited Plateau State and promised justice for victims of serial attacks, the State Government on Friday filed charges against five suspects arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) in connection with the March 2026 killings of several persons in Angwa- Rukuba, Jos North LGA of the state.Source: https://guardian.ng/news/fg-files-charges-against-alleged-coup-plotters-investigated-by-army-dss/ 7 Likes 1 Share
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| Politics › Benisheikh Attack: Situating Security Agencies' Intel Response by Leonardobiageli(op): 12:24pm On Apr 13 |
By Louis Achi At the risk of sounding jaded, intelligence, intel, typically refers to secret, security, or strategic data gathered about an enemy or a situation. It often implies actionable knowledge used for decision-making in security, business, or competitive contexts. This topic is the focus of this analysis. In the aftermath of the recent attack by terrorists on the Nigerian Army Brigade Headquarters in Benisheikh, Borno State governor Prof. Babagana Zulum made a startling but sad revelation that the Nigerian Army received intelligence two days before the attack. According to the governor, the intelligence included movement and routes used by the terrorists, and that insurgents were headed towards the military barracks. The governor expressed regret that the Army failed to act. While Governor Zulum didn't disclose which of the security agencies supplied the intelligence to the Army, it isn't difficult to hazard a guess if what Zulum's colleague in Kebbi State, Alhaji Nasir Idris, said last November is anything to go by. In mid-November 2025, gunmen attacked Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State. The gunmen abducted at least 25 female students of the school. Shortly after the attack, Governor Idris visited the school. During the visit he expressed frustration over the failure to act on credible intelligence provided by the Department of State Services (DSS), which revealed a clandestine plot to attack the school. Lamented the governor, "This is clear sabotage. We received credible intelligence from the DSS that this school was likely to be attacked. The DSS further advised that we convene an emergency Security Council meeting, which we did. The decision was that we would provide round-the-clock protection for the students." He stated that he took the DSS report seriously, bearing in mind that the failure to act on similar intelligence led to the December 2020 kidnapping of over 300 pupils of a school in Kankara, Katsina State. On November 21, 2025, gunmen attacked St. Mary's Catholic School in Papiri Community, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, abducting over 300 students and teachers. After a month-long captivity, all kidnapped persons were confirmed free on December 21, 2025. The abduction and rescue of the Papiri victims wasn't without controversy, especially after it was confirmed that the school authorities defied an intelligence report by the DSS that all boarding schools shut down in the face of the possibility that they could be attacked by terrorists. A month earlier, the Kogi State governor, Alhaji Usman Ododo, lauded the DSS for what he called their timely and accurate intelligence reports. The governor spoke on the heels of a leaked DSS intelligence report that the state and neighbouring Ondo were likely to come under attack. Governor Ododo's Commissioner of Information and Communications, Hon. Kingsley Fanwo, who conveyed the gratitude of the state to the secret police, said Kogi State has always relied on credible intelligence of the Service. "The report itself is evidence that our security agencies are alive to their responsibilities. We commend the DSS for their vigilance and for providing early intelligence capable of preventing such evil plans from being executed,” stated the Commissioner. On its part, Ondo state didn't scoff at a leaked security memo by the DSS, which was addressed to the 32 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army, in Akure. The secret police, in the leaked memo , said it "confirmed plans by members of the ISWAP terrorist group to carry out coordinated attacks on communities in Ondo and Kogi States anytime soon." Further, stated the report: “Some identified target locations within Ondo State include, Eriti Akoko, Oyin Akoko communities in Akoko North West LGA and Owo town in Owo LGA respectively. "It was further gathered that the groups have commenced surveillance on potential soft targets in the above-mentioned locations." On the heels of the same leaked memo on planned attacks by ISWAP elements, the Ondo State Government called for calm among residents of the state. While describing the memo as "routine intelligence regularly shared among security agencies and government in the state," the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Idowu Ajanaku, disclosed that it is used to assess security threats and take proactive measures. Earlier in May 13, 2025 - exactly one month before the Yelwata massacre in Benue State, a leaked DSS intelligence report revealed that the secret police warned of “coordinated attacks on Tiv settlements” by “suspected armed Fulani mercenaries” across Nasarawa and Benue states. The document, which later surfaced on social media, detailed planned assaults on multiple communities including Yelwata where many Christian farmers would die in a horrific night of violence. In the leaked memo to the Defence Headquarters, DSS said it got intelligence that the planned attack was to avenge an alleged seizure of some cows by the state government. The communication identified the communities marked for attack as Mararaba, Jangargari, Wurgi, Gidan Antonny, Akon, Usende, Gaar, Vandikya, Chiata, Dooga, Gidan Baban Yara, Apelle, Pantaki, Kaambe and the Stadium area. Back to the Benisheikh attack. Governor Zulum's revelation raises fresh concerns about how early warnings are processed and acted upon within the current counter-insurgency framework under Operation Hadin Kai and other security outfits across the country. While the exact sequence of operational decisions remains unclear, analysts opine those advance warnings of the nature given by the DSS in Katsina, Niger, Benue, Kogi, Ondo, and very recently, in Borno, are typically intended to support precautionary deployments, surveillance, or other preventive measures. Granted, it is not always possible to determine with exactitude what actions were taken or were not. However, the unfortunate events that followed leaves much to be desired. Security observers say the situation reflects a broader, recurring concern in Nigeria’s security landscape, where early warning signals do not always appear to translate into outcomes that prevent catastrophic consequences. However, they are quick to caution that operational constraints, competing priorities, and the complexity of counter-insurgency environments can affect how intelligence is interpreted and acted upon. The experts opine that Nigeria has made notable progress in intelligence gathering over the years. They, however, argue that there is pressing need for government to enhance capabilities of security agencies to act on the intelligence. For instance, what is the capacity of our over stretched military, to keep protecting areas they long liberated? They deserve pity, as they cannot be everywhere. Our attention should rather be shifted to the police whose primary duty is the protection of life and property. Sadly, our police do not have basic capacity to protect communities liberated by the military. The result is that our military are compelled by the need to tackle fresh insecurity challenges, so abandon already liberated communities. From reports all over the country, it is clear that the problem in our hands is no longer that of the dearth of intelligence. In fact, we can say that there is abundance of intelligence - from the systematic one by the DSS, the local communities, and even foreign nationals and governments. Suggestions often advanced include more government support, enhancing community-based intelligence networks, improving inter-agency collaboration, and ensuring clearer frameworks for evaluating and acting on information relating to threats. Needless stressing the police should be properly equipped to be alive to its primary duty of protecting lives and property. They also stress the importance of accountability systems that review how intelligence is handled, while recognising the need to balance transparency with operational security. As security agencies continue to confront evolving insurgent tactics, the Benisheikh situation highlights the ongoing challenge of translating early warnings into effective preventive action. Beyond funding challenges, there is the pressing need to take intelligence reports with more seriousness. After all, there's nothing wrong with erring on the side of caution. We may have made costly mistakes. We can't, however, continue to afford to continue to wallow in such mistakes. It is not too late to begin to exhaustively review our security strategies, especially our handling of intelligence. Our security agencies should turn a new leaf. A stitch in time, they say, saves nine! Achi, a public issues analyst, former Associate Editor, THISDAY; LEADERSHIP on SUNDAY. Source: Thenaijanews.ng
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| Politics › Early Warning, Late Response: Fresh Questions Over Security Response To Borno’s by Leonardobiageli(op): 8:17am On Apr 11 |
Emerging reports from local sources suggest that Nigerian authorities received advance intelligence regarding a potential insurgent movement towards Benisheikh in Borno State, prompting fresh concerns about how early warnings are processed and acted upon within the current counter-insurgency framework under Operation Hadin Kai. According to local and security sources, suspected insurgents were sighted around 7 April in the Karnakasari area of the Borgozo axis. The information indicated the possible movement of armed groups believed to be affiliated with Boko Haram/ISWAP, reportedly travelling in groups of motorcycles and accompanied by gun trucks. The assessment suggested that such movements could pose risks to both security installations and civilian communities along the Benisheikh corridor in Kaga Local Government Area. These accounts indicate that the development was communicated as a potential threat ahead of the reported attack in the early hours of 9 April. While the exact sequence of operational decisions remains unclear, analysts note that advance warnings of this nature are typically intended to support precautionary deployments, surveillance, or other preventive measures, although it is not always possible to determine publicly what actions were taken or why certain responses may not have been visible. Security observers say the situation reflects a broader, recurring concern in Nigeria’s security landscape, where early warning signals do not always appear to translate into outcomes that prevent attacks or threats. However, they caution that operational constraints, competing priorities, and the complexity of counter-insurgency environments can affect how intelligence is interpreted and acted upon. Following a separate security incident in Kebbi State, Governor Nasir Idris highlighted the importance of strengthening local intelligence and improving rapid response mechanisms, noting that enhanced coordination would be critical in reducing vulnerabilities. In Borno State, Governor Babagana Zulum described the killing of Brigadier-General Oseni Braimah as “avoidable and sad,” stating that credible, actionable intelligence had been provided ahead of the attack. Speaking during an appearance on ARISE TV News, he called for a review of Nigeria’s security architecture, stressing that in some instances intelligence had been available days in advance of attacks. Experts maintain that Nigeria has made notable progress in intelligence gathering over the years, but argue that continued efforts are needed to strengthen coordination, communication, and responsiveness across security agencies. Suggestions often put forward include enhancing community-based intelligence networks, improving inter-agency collaboration, and ensuring clearer frameworks for evaluating and acting on threat information. They also stress the importance of accountability systems that review how intelligence is handled, while recognising the need to balance transparency with operational security. As security agencies continue to confront evolving insurgent tactics, the Benisheikh situation highlights the ongoing challenge of translating early warning into effective preventive action. Observers say sustained reforms aimed at improving response mechanisms may help reduce risks to both civilian populations and security personnel in vulnerable areas. Source: Vanguardngr.com
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| Crime › Several Bandits Killed As Army, DSS, Local Volunteer Forces Foil Attacks On Nige by Leonardobiageli(op): 6:37am On Apr 08 |
Troops of the Nigerian Army, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), and local volunteer forces on Tuesday successfully foiled what locals said would have been a large-scale attack by bandits on Bagna and Erena communities in Shiroro LGA of Niger State. Credible security sources disclosed that the move by the operatives followed advance intelligence on the planned attack. According to the sources, as bandits in their numbers made to storm the Bagna and Erene communities, the security operatives and volunteers ambushed them, killing scores of the attackers. Over 300 bandits armed with dangerous weapons and on motorcycles are headed to the communities. Unfortunately for them, security operatives and local vigilantes, who had credible intelligence on their movements, ambushed them. Scores were killed while many others fled toward the Makuba and Allawa axis," disclosed the source. Residents of the communities expressed gratitude to the security operatives and volunteer forces, noting that their gallantry saved them from what would have been a major disaster. "We are very happy. We thank the joint security forces for protecting us," one of the residents stated. "We are witnessing an increase in collaboration between security agencies and local volunteer forces. This has led to a bridging of security gaps and made the first line of defence against insecurity very effective," offered the source, stressing, "Their actions have helped strengthen security in several communities across the country." Source: https://thenaijanews.ng/2026/04/08/several-bandits-killed-as-army-dss-local-volunteer-forces-foil-attacks-on-niger-communities-2/
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