₦airaland Forum

Further review shows that production in June 2025 stood at 1.50 million barrels daily; May, 1.45 million daily; April, 1.48 million daily; and March, 1.40 million daily.

ASaharaReporters review of the monthly crude oil production data released by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has shown that Nigeria recorded its lowest crude oil production in ten months in September 2025.

According to OPEC, Nigeria's crude oil production stood at 1.39 million barrels per day in September 2025, down from 1.43 million barrels recorded in August and 1.50 million in July 2025.


Further review shows that production in June 2025 stood at 1.50 million barrels daily; May, 1.45 million daily; April, 1.48 million daily; and March, 1.40 million daily.

Other figures include February 2025 with a daily average of 1.46 million barrels, January 2025 with 1.53 million barrels daily, and December 2024 with 1.48 million barrels daily.

Of the ten months reviewed, Nigeria failed to meet OPEC’s quota of 1.5 million barrels per day on seven occasions.


Crude oil production has continued to be hampered by several factors, including widespread sabotage, pipeline vandalism, and poor management of the country's oil sector.

These challenges have led to Nigeria consistently falling short of its production quotas despite having the capacity to produce more.

Industry experts have called on the government to intensify efforts to address these issues, warning that continued shortfalls in crude oil production could affect the country’s revenue generation and economic growth.

Nigeria has also been unable to meet local refinery demand for crude oil, SaharaReporters earlier reported.

This comes as the Federal Government disclosed that a total of 67,657,559 barrels of crude oil were supplied to local refiners for processing between January and August 2025.

This figure, confirmed by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), highlights ongoing challenges in bridging the crude allocation gap facing indigenous refineries despite Nigeria’s rising production levels.

Speaking in Abuja, the Head of Media and Strategic Communications at the NUPRC, Eniola Akinkuotu, said the crude allocation was made in line with the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 and the Domestic Crude Supply Obligation policy.

"A total of 67,657,559 barrels were delivered to local refiners between January and August this year. All refiners got that amount within the eight-month period,” Akinkuotu stated.

In a document seen by SaharaReporters and published by the NUPRC, an estimated total of 123.4 million barrels was projected to be required by local refineries between January and June. The daily requirement was put at 770,500 barrels, while the monthly need was forecast at 23.8 million barrels.



With 67.7 million barrels of crude oil made available to domestic refineries between January and August, it means that over 55.8 million barrels needed for local consumption (using January to June NUPRC domestic needs estimates) were not supplied.



This indicates that the Nigerian government could not provide at least 45% of the crude oil required locally.



Previously, SaharaReporters reported that Nigeria’s foreign trade statistics for the first and second quarters of 2025 showed that the country imported fuel worth N4.13 trillion between January and June 2025.

Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the National Assembly has proposed that presidential and governorship elections be conducted in November 2026, instead of the usual February or March of the election year.

The proposal is contained in the draft amendments to the Electoral Act 2022, which were discussed on Monday during a one-day public hearing held by the Joint Committee on Electoral Matters, chaired by Senator Simon Lalong (APC, Plateau South).

According to Section 4(7) of the proposed amendment, “Elections into the office of the President and Governor of a State shall be held not later than 185 days before the expiration of the term of office of the last holder of the office.”

With the expiration of the current administration fixed for May 29, 2027, this means that the next presidential and governorship elections would take place around November 2026, as 185 days before May 29 falls within that month.

Similarly, the proposal for federal and state legislative elections under Section 4(5) states that such polls “shall be held not later than 185 days before the date on which each of the Houses stands dissolved.”

Lawmakers say the amendment aims to allow sufficient time for the resolution of election disputes before winners are sworn in.

Explaining further, the Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Hon. Adebayo Balogun, said the amendment would help prevent situations where court cases linger after winners assume office.

“We are proposing that all election litigations be concluded before the swearing-in of declared winners,” Balogun said.

“To achieve this, we are recommending that the current 180 days allowed for tribunal judgments be reduced to 90 days, while appellate and Supreme Court decisions should each take no more than 60 days — all within 185 days before inauguration.”

He added that the proposal would also require corresponding amendments to Sections 285 and 139 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to align with the new timeline.

At the public hearing, several stakeholders — including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) represented by Prof. Abdullahi Zuru — backed the push for electronic voting and electronic transmission of results to enhance transparency.

Under Section 60(5) of the proposed amendment, the law would make it mandatory for presiding officers to transmit results both electronically and manually. Failure to comply would attract a penalty of one-year imprisonment, a ₦1 million fine, or both.

The proposed amendments also introduce early voting, allowing certain categories of Nigerians — such as security personnel, INEC officials, accredited journalists, observers, and ad-hoc staff — to vote up to 14 days before election day.

The joint committee’s document also proposes the removal of election timelines from the Constitution and their inclusion in the Electoral Act, to make future adjustments more flexible.

“Section 28, now renumbered as Section 27(5–7), was introduced to reflect this change and unlock the constitutional restrictions on election timelines,” the document stated.

Stakeholders at the hearing broadly endorsed the reforms, describing them as timely steps toward improving Nigeria’s electoral credibility, strengthening institutional efficiency, and ensuring that post-election litigations no longer overlap with new tenures.

The recent announcement of a presidential pardon by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has, as expected, provoked outrage across the nation.

Ordinarily, the power of presidential pardon is a solemn prerogative, a moral and constitutional instrument designed to temper justice with mercy and to underscore the humanity of the state. When properly exercised, it elevates justice and strengthens public faith in governance.

Regrettably, the latest pardon issued by the Tinubu administration has done the very opposite. The decision to extend clemency to individuals convicted of grave crimes such as drug trafficking, kidnapping, murder, and corruption not only diminishes the sanctity of justice but also sends a dangerous signal to the public and the international community about the values this government upholds.

At a time when Nigeria continues to reel under the weight of insecurity, moral decay, and a surge in drug-related offences, it is both shocking and indefensible that the presidency would prioritize clemency for those whose actions have directly undermined national stability and social order.

Particularly worrisome is the revelation that 29.2% percent of those pardoned were convicted for drug-related crimes at a time when our youth are being destroyed by narcotics, and our nation is still struggling to cleanse its image from the global stain of drug offences.

Even more disturbing is the moral irony that this act of clemency is coming from a President whose own past remains clouded by unresolved and unexplained issues relating to the forfeiture of thousands of dollars to the United States government over drug-related investigations. It is, therefore, no surprise that this administration continues to demonstrate a worrying tolerance for individuals associated with criminal enterprise.

A presidential pardon is meant to symbolize restitution and moral reform. Instead, what we have witnessed is a mockery of the criminal justice system, an affront to victims, a demoralization of law enforcement, and a grave injury to the conscience of the nation.

Clemency must never be confused with complicity. When a government begins to absolve offenders of the very crimes it claims to be fighting, it erodes the moral authority of leadership and emboldens lawlessness.

Nigeria deserves a leadership that upholds justice, not one that trivializes it. -AA

Multiple security sources familiar with the incident noted that the suspects were believed to be couriers for a politically exposed person (PEP), although their exact identities and destination were not immediately disclosed.

Security operatives at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA1) in Lagos State have reportedly arrested a group of passengers caught travelling with a staggering $6.1million in cash.

According to a Premium Times report, the suspects, described as a group of young men, were intercepted at the domestic terminal of the airport while preparing to board an Aero Contractors flight.

Multiple security sources familiar with the incident noted that the suspects were believed to be couriers for a politically exposed person (PEP), although their exact identities and destination were not immediately disclosed.

The passengers were apprehended by operatives of the Aviation Security (AVSEC) unit, who reportedly became suspicious after routine screening checks revealed the unusual amount of foreign currency being moved.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment publicly, confirmed that the suspects had been handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for interrogation and further investigation.

“We are still working with the EFCC to unravel the full details,” a senior AVSEC official said on Saturday.

Years ago, in a similar development, the Nigerian Customs operatives attached to the airport in Lagos had impounded the sum of $8,065,612 about to be illegally ferried out of the country through one of the international airlines in 2020.

The service said that the sum was discovered in 20 wraps inside a coaster bus at the tarmac of the airport on January 16, 2020 at the E-Wing of the airport.

Former Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col Hameed Ali (retd), had said that the money laundering was discovered through intelligence put in place by the command at the airport.

The Presidency has rejected the World Bank’s recent report estimating that 139 million Nigerians are living in poverty, saying the figures do not reflect current realities under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

In a statement, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, said the data quoted by the World Bank must be properly contextualised, noting that it is based on historical and modelled estimates rather than real-time assessments.

According to the statement, the World Bank’s estimate was derived from the global poverty benchmark of $2.15 per person per day, set in 2017 under the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) framework. Dare explained that the figure, when converted to today’s exchange rate, equals about ₦100,000 per month—an amount that is above Nigeria’s new minimum wage of ₦70,000.

“The measure is an analytical construct, not a direct reflection of local income realities,” he said. “The poverty assessment under the PPP methodology relies on outdated consumption data, with Nigeria’s last major household survey conducted in 2018/2019.”

He added that the estimate does not account for the informal and subsistence sectors that sustain millions of households across the country.

The Presidency maintained that the figure should be regarded as a global model estimate, not an empirical representation of conditions in 2025, and emphasised that the country’s poverty trajectory is now one of recovery and inclusive reform.

Dare listed a range of government programmes aimed at reducing poverty and improving living standards, including:

Conditional Cash Transfers (CCT): Expanded to reach 15 million households nationwide, with over ₦297 billion disbursed since 2023.

Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme (RH-WDEP): Covering all 8,809 electoral wards, providing micro-infrastructure and social services at the community level.

National Social Investment Programmes (NSIPs): Strengthened initiatives such as N-Power, TraderMoni, MarketMoni, FarmerMoni, and the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme.

Food Security Measures: Including distribution of subsidised grains and fertilisers, mechanisation initiatives, and the revival of strategic food reserves.

Renewed Hope Infrastructure Fund (RHIF): Financing key energy, road, and housing projects to reduce living costs and boost job creation.

National Credit Guarantee Company (NCGC): Expanding access to affordable credit for small businesses, women, and youth.

The Presidency said the government is addressing long-standing structural challenges such as overdependence on imports, productivity constraints, and regional disparities.

It noted that reforms such as the removal of fuel subsidies, exchange rate unification, and fiscal redirection toward productive sectors are part of efforts to tackle the root causes of poverty and promote sustainable growth.

Dare said the World Bank itself has acknowledged that these reforms are contributing to macroeconomic stability and renewed growth momentum.

The statement added that the administration’s medium-term focus is to ensure that macroeconomic stability translates into tangible welfare gains for citizens through affordable food, quality jobs, and reliable infrastructure.

It said ongoing investments in agriculture, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and power reliability are expected to create employment and lower living costs.

According to the Presidency, Nigerians are expected to begin seeing improvements in food prices, income levels, and purchasing power as these programmes continue to take effect.

The Nigeria Police Force says enforcement of the vehicle tinted glass permit has been suspended following a court order halting the exercise.

Spokesperson for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh, disclosed this during an interview on AIT on Wednesday.


She confirmed that the decision came after the police officially received the court order.

“Information reaching me from the office of the PRO is that the order has been received and the enforcement of the tinted permit is now on hold pending the court’s verdict,” Adeh said.

She explained that the directive to suspend enforcement would remain in place pending the outcome of the ongoing legal process.

“We are waiting for the verdict. We are not against the courts, and we will continue to wait until we get a verdict,” she added.

Addressing public concerns about the purpose of the tinted glass regulation, Adeh clarified that it was introduced for security reasons, noting that some criminal activities had been carried out using vehicles with darkened windows.


“The law was not made by us. We are enforcers. The policy was purely security-driven. Some criminals were using tinted vehicles to commit offences, making it difficult for law enforcement to identify suspects,” she said.

Adeh also dismissed claims that the policy was designed for financial gain, explaining that all payments related to tinted permits are made directly into the Federal Government’s Treasury Single Account (TSA), not to the police.

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu appears detached from the people he leads. Despite his self-declared situational awareness of all things Nigerian, some of his officials seem to be shielding him from the harsh realities of the biting hardship in Nigeria. This explains why some of the President’s claims in his 65th Independence Day broadcast on October 1 are being subjected to intense scrutiny.

Virtually all countries have experienced some form of social, economic, and technological progress over the last 65 years, and Nigeria cannot be an exception. However, the last two years have seen a sharp decline in living conditions for most Nigerians.

According to the President, his administration has turned the corner and “the worst is over for Nigeria.” He added that yesterday’s pains are giving way to relief on several fronts. Yet, this assertion seems to be a stretch.

As the President rightly observed, the accurate measure of Nigeria’s success should not be limited to economic statistics alone, “but rather in the food on our families’ tables, the quality of education our children receive, the electricity in our homes, and the security in our communities.”

Currently, these indices remain low in Nigeria. Hence, the worst is not over yet.

Tinubu stated that Nigerians now have access to better education and health care than in 1960. At Independence, he said, Nigeria had 120 secondary schools with a student population of about 130,000. By 2024, that number had grown to more than 23,000 secondary schools—a great leap in 65 years!

He reminded Nigerians that at Independence, the country had only two tertiary institutions: the University of Ibadan and Yaba College of Technology. By the end of 2024, there were 274 universities, 183 polytechnics, and 236 colleges of education, comprising federal, state, and private institutions.

However, the main issue is not the increase in the number of institutions but their ability to fulfil their mandates. Nigerian universities consistently rank low in the Webometrics table. Besides, the quality of output matters greatly. In some public schools, pupils still learn in classrooms without roofs and sit on bare floors.

University staff unions frequently strike over poor pay and inadequate facilities. The Federal Government has failed to honour a N1.2 trillion Memorandum of Understanding with ASUU to revitalise universities since 2009. The true measure of any government’s achievements lies in the quality of life of the people, not merely in numbers.

The health sector tells a similar story. Although there are more health institutions, the quality of healthcare remains poor. Most public hospitals lack basic equipment necessary for diagnosing and treating ailments. The doctor-to-patient ratio is 3.9 per 10,000, far below the prescribed global minimum.

If the healthcare system were functioning well, the Nigerian elite would not be spending between $1 billion and $1.6 billion annually on medical tourism.

In addition, over 60 per cent of Nigerian doctors would not be working abroad, and those remaining would not frequently strike.

It is heartening that foreign reserves have increased to $42.03 billion—the highest since 2019—thanks to forex reforms.

However, the Excess Crude Account is badly depleted, falling from over $2 billion in 2015 to just $535,823.39 in August. Despite lower oil prices, the ECA was as high as $20 billion in 2008.


The drop in the ECA balance in recent years is due to frequent government raids. In an economic recession, Nigeria would normally rely on the ECA, which this government should revive.

The President proudly noted a GDP growth of 4.23 per cent in the second quarter of 2025. His administration also swiftly surpassed its 2025 non-oil revenue target, achieving over N20 trillion by August.

But what about the manufacturing sector? It slowed to 1.60 per cent growth in Q2 2025, with its GDP share dropping to 7.81 per cent from 8.01 per cent in Q2 2024. What efforts have been made to revive the textile industry?

Sadly, many Nigerians rely heavily on imported clothes. In 2024, textile imports cost Nigeria N726 billion, up 92 per cent from the N377 billion recorded in 2023 following the naira devaluation.

While certain macroeconomic indicators are trending upward, the impact on ordinary lives remains questionable. What is the average wage? Can a professor adequately feed a family of six on today’s earnings? The N70,000 minimum monthly wage is a pittance after the naira devaluation.

In 2020, GDP per capita was $2,019.66; by December 2024, it had dropped significantly to $835.49, a 58.6 per cent decline.

High inflation has disrupted everything and left Nigerians in misery. Tinubu celebrated inflation’s decline to 20.12 per cent in August 2025, the lowest level in three years.

In comparison, the inflation rate in the Benin Republic was 1.0 per cent in July, rising slightly to 1.30 per cent in August. The Consumer Price Index there decreased 0.50 per cent in August compared to July.

Although the naira has stabilised somewhat from the volatility of 2023 and 2024, it remains weak.

At the start of the Fourth Republic in 1999, the exchange rate was N21.89 to $1. When Tinubu took office in May 2023, it was about N460.72 to $1. Today, it stands at around N1,500 to $1. This has severely impacted businesses, many of which have closed, resulting in significant job losses.

In the power sector, little has been done to ensure constant electricity as generation remains a dismal 5,000MW, while peers like Egypt do 10 times that, and the national grid continues to collapse. Tinubu has only raised tariffs to bridge government deficits.

Infrastructure development has been suboptimal, despite the President’s claims of expanded transport infrastructure across rail, roads, airports, and seaports. Many federal roads desperately need repairs or complete reconstruction.

In agriculture, Nigeria still imports basic food while exporting raw commodities.

Tinubu’s claim that Nigeria now exports more than it imports is a half-truth. The reality is that many Nigerians cannot afford to import due to prohibitive costs and a high exchange rate. Only a handful can manage it.


The country remains under siege from criminals, although Tinubu asserts that it is winning the war against terrorism, banditry, and violent crimes. He noted that peace has returned to many liberated communities in the North-West and North-East.

The truth is that the government has largely failed to secure Nigerians. Terrorism has surged, especially in the North-East and North-Central. New terror groups like Lakurawa and Mahmuda exemplify this with increasing forays southwards into states like Kwara.

From May 2023 to April 2024, the National Bureau of Statistics reported 614,937 deaths in Nigeria. Between January and March 2025 alone, about 2,000 Nigerians were killed in violent incidents nationwide.

Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum lamented that terrorists now attack and kidnap people almost daily in many communities. Millions have been displaced.

Primarily, it is political officeholders who maintain a good standard of living—perhaps this is what is confusing the President and his speechwriters.

The President should realise that no one grades their own exams. It is futile to benchmark his achievements against the Muhammadu Buhari administration. He should instead compare his administration to that of Olusegun Obasanjo.

Nigeria should benchmark itself against countries like Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, and Indonesia, which also began their development journey around 1960.

The essence of government is to ensure the welfare of its citizens. Any policy or macroeconomic growth that does not improve the lives of the people is worthless.

The Federal Government on Monday emphasised the critical importance of the 650,000-barrel-per-day Dangote Refinery, declaring that it must be supported at all costs to succeed.


The government’s position was stated by Vice President Shettima and emphasised by Minister of Budget and National Planning Senator Bagudu at the opening of the Nigerian Economic Summit 2025 in Abuja.

The government said the $20 billion facility is a national asset that must be supported to function.

Following last week’s industrial action by oil workers under the aegis of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, Vice President Kashim Shettima declared that Nigeria is greater than PENGASSAN.

He said, “Aliko Dangote, he’s not an individual, he’s an institution, and he’s a leading light in Nigeria’s economic parliament. And how we treat this gentleman will determine how outsiders will judge us. If he had invested $10 billion in Microsoft, in Amazon, or in Google, he probably might be worth $70 to $80 billion by now.

“But he opted to invest in his country, and we owe it to future generations to jealously protect, promote, preserve, and protect the interests of this great Nigeria.

“I wish to call for caution, retrospection, and a deeper sense of patriotism from both labour and the organised private sector in defining and improving the relationship between labour and industry in the interest of maintaining our steadily improving economic fortunes.

“It’s not about holding the whole nation to ransom because of a minor labour dispute.


“Nigeria is greater than PENGASSAN. Nigeria is greater than each and every one of us. I’m not coming to you as a partisan.”

In a statement personally signed by him on Saturday, Atiku said it was “deeply unfortunate” that despite the worsening insecurity across the country, President Tinubu had not visited any of the affected states to sympathise with grieving citizens.

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s visit to Plateau State, describing it as proof that the president’s priorities do not align with the suffering of ordinary Nigerians.

In a statement personally signed by him on Saturday, Atiku said it was “deeply unfortunate” that despite the worsening insecurity across the country, President Tinubu had not visited any of the affected states to sympathise with grieving citizens.

"With large swathes of the country still under siege from unrelenting insecurity and thousands of innocent lives lost, it is deeply unfortunate that President Bola Tinubu has not, for once, found it worthy to visit any of the affected states to commiserate with the grieving citizens," Atiku said.

He lamented that the president only chose to visit Plateau — “one of the most terrorized parts of the North Central” — to attend a social event hosted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, rather than to console victims of recent attacks.

"Today, however, the President suddenly remembered Plateau State — one of the most terrorized parts of the North Central — not to share in the people’s pain, but to attend a social event under the auspices of his party’s national chairman," he stated.

"It is a sad reflection of priorities and a glaring mockery of leadership that while families in Plateau continue to bury their loved ones, President Tinubu chose to grace a political funeral rather than stand with the people in their darkest hour."

According to Atiku, the president’s actions amounted to “a heartless exhibition of disregard for empathy, compassion, and the dignity of human life.”

"Between the APC National Chairman and his President, what we witnessed today is a heartless exhibition of disregard for empathy, compassion, and the dignity of human life," he said.

The former vice president further decried what he described as the government’s continued insensitivity to victims of violence across the North Central states.

"From Benue to Niger and most recently Kwara, the entire North Central region has endured some of the most horrific waves of violence in recent history. Yet, not once has the APC-led government deemed it necessary to physically stand by the victims or console their families," Atiku said.

He recalled that even during Tinubu’s symbolic visit to Benue State in June, the president avoided the areas most affected by violence.

"Even when Tinubu made a symbolic visit to Benue State in June, he never bothered to set foot in Yelewata — the epicentre of the massacre. Instead, he ended his trip comfortably in Makurdi, turning his back on the people whose tears and blood still stain the soil," Atiku noted.

"Now again, he is in Plateau State, not to console the bereaved or reassure the broken, but to celebrate and make merry with his party elite while the people mourn," he added.

Atiku said Tinubu’s actions have sent a clear message to Nigerians about his leadership style.

"The message could not be clearer: this is a President who would rather feast than feel — a leader who finds pleasure where the people find pain," he said.

He warned that Nigerians are paying attention and will remember the president’s choices.

"The Nigerian people are watching — and they will remember," he concluded.

SaharaReporters earlier reported that Tinubu was at the funeral service of Lydia Yilwatda, mother of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda.

Plateau has experienced series of Kidnappings, killings and destruction of properties by bandits.

The Federal Government on Sunday dismissed claims by some international platforms and online commentators that terrorists in Nigeria are carrying out a systematic genocide against Christians.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, in a statement on Sunday, described the claims as false, divisive and harmful to Nigeria’s peace.

“The Federal Government strongly condemns and categorically refutes recent allegations by certain international platforms and online influencers suggesting that terrorists operating in Nigeria are engaged in a systematic genocide against Christians.

“Such claims are false, baseless, despicable, and divisive,” Idris said.


He stressed that Nigeria’s security challenges should not be misrepresented as religiously motivated.

“Portraying Nigeria’s security challenges as a targeted campaign against a single religious group is a gross misrepresentation of reality.

“While Nigeria, like many countries, has faced security challenges, including acts of terrorism perpetrated by criminals, couching the situation as a deliberate, systematic attack on Christians is inaccurate and harmful,” the minister added.

According to him, terrorists have attacked Nigerians across faiths, not sparing Muslims, Christians or people of other identities.

“These criminals target all who reject their murderous ideology, regardless of faith.

“Muslims, Christians, and even those who do not identify with any religion have suffered at their hands,” he stated.

Highlighting security operations, Idris said between May 2023 and February 2025, security forces neutralised 13,543 terrorists and criminals, while nearly 10,000 hostages were rescued across the country.

He recalled that the leadership of Nigeria’s al-Qaeda affiliate, Ansaru, was also recently captured.


“Only last month, the top leadership of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan — commonly known as ANSARU — was captured in a well-coordinated counter-terrorism operation,” the statement noted.

Idris further explained that over 700 convictions had been secured in the prosecution of Boko Haram suspects.


“In the fight against terrorism, Nigeria has made significant strides in prosecuting Boko Haram suspects.

“To date, we have successfully prosecuted seven batches of suspects, securing over 700 convictions,” he said.

He dismissed the genocide narrative as a distortion of Nigeria’s multi-religious reality, adding that the country’s leadership reflected inclusivity.

“Christianity is neither endangered nor marginalised in Nigeria. It is doubtful that foreign interlopers into Nigerian affairs are aware that the current heads of both the Armed Forces and the Police Force are Christians, a fact that underscores the inclusivity of our national leadership,” Idris stressed.

The minister also pointed to international recognition of Nigeria’s interfaith harmony.

“In March of this year, the inaugural Commonwealth Peace Prize was awarded to two Nigerian religious leaders, Rev. Dr. James Movel Wuye and Imam Dr. Muhammad Nurayn Ashafa, co-founders of the Interfaith Mediation Centre,” he said.

He urged international media and commentators to avoid sensationalism and divisive rhetoric, and instead support Nigeria’s efforts against terrorism.

“We urge the international media and other commentators to act with responsibility and have respect for facts.

“All stakeholders are advised to avoid ignorance, sensationalism, and divisive rhetoric, and instead support Nigeria’s ongoing efforts in the fight against terrorism and all forms of criminality,” Idris added.