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50 Pupils Escape Niger School Abduction, Reunite with Families Amid Ongoing Rescue Efforts

Ola Akinola
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50 Pupils Escape Niger School Abduction, Reunite with Families Amid Ongoing Rescue Efforts

MINNA, Niger State– In a glimmer of hope amid one of Nigeria’s largest school kidnappings in recent years, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) announced Sunday that 50 pupils from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area, have escaped their captors and safely reunited with their parents.

“We have received some good news as fifty pupils escaped and have reunited with their parents,” CAN stated, noting the escapes occurred between Friday and Saturday following the brazen early-morning raid on November 21.

The children, aged 10 to 18 and comprising both boys and girls, fled during the chaos of the attack, which CAN now confirms involved the abduction of 303 students and 12 teachers—far exceeding initial reports of over 200 victims.

The assault, attributed to suspected armed bandits wielding sophisticated weapons, targeted the school’s hostels around 2:00 a.m., also leaving a security guard shot and abducted.

Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, chairman of CAN’s Niger State chapter, who visited the site post-verification, described the incident as a “dastardly act” and urged prayers for the remaining captives, including the injured guard.

“The children who were able to escape have scattered… and the only information we are getting is that the attackers are still moving with the remaining children into the bush,” Yohanna added earlier, highlighting the fluid nature of the crisis.

Niger State Police Command, led by Commissioner Adamu Abdullahi Elleman, has mobilized tactical units, military personnel, and local hunters to scour surrounding forests for the 253 still missing students and staff.

Authorities expressed optimism for swift rescues.
The attack, the second major school abduction this month after 25 girls were seized in neighboring Kebbi State’s Maga town on November 17 (with one later escaping), has ignited national fury and international scrutiny.

In response, the Federal Government shuttered 41 northern Unity Colleges on Friday, and Niger State Governor Mohammed Umar Bago declared a Christmas holiday for all schools statewide.

President Bola Tinubu postponed his G20 summit attendance to prioritize the crisis, vowing intensified operations.

CAN and community leaders called for bolstered school security nationwide, decrying the “unacceptable” toll on the vulnerable. As rescue teams press on, the escapes offer a tentative victory, but the fate of the rest hangs in the balance, underscoring Nigeria’s deepening struggle with banditry and child safety.

Tension in Ogoniland as Second HYPREP Water Tank Collapses, Security Tightened Across Project Sites

Toyin Adebayo
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Tension in Ogoniland as Second HYPREP Water Tank Collapses, Security Tightened Across Project Sites

The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has raised fresh concerns after another massive water tank collapsed on Saturday in Ebubu community, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State—barely a month after a similar incident occurred in Gwara community, Khana LGA.

The latest collapse, which happened around 10 a.m. on November 22, 2025, has prompted HYPREP to immediately strengthen security across all 16 water project sites in Ogoniland.

In a statement signed by its Head of Communications, Enuolare Mba-Nwigoh, the agency expressed regret over the inconvenience caused to residents of Ebubu, assuring the public that steps were being taken to restore water supply and ensure safety.

Mba-Nwigoh revealed that a technical team led by the Director of Technical Services, Professor Damian-Paul, had been deployed to assess the damage. The affected water station has since been cordoned off, and a formal investigation is underway.

According to the statement, Project Coordinator Professor Nenibarini Zabbey has directed the Chief Security Officer to tighten security to prevent any form of interference with HYPREP infrastructure.

“Non-project personnel and non-facility staff are no longer allowed into the 16 water facilities and active HYPREP sites in Ogoni without authorization,” the statement read.

Despite the setback, HYPREP reaffirmed its commitment to delivering a sustainable and comprehensive cleanup of Ogoniland.

Chaos in Okitipupa: Thugs Attack Fuji Star Obesere, Destroy Equipment at Burial Ceremony

Saladin Babagana
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Popular Fuji musician Abass Akande, widely known as Obesere, was on Friday violently attacked by suspected thugs during a burial ceremony at the Government Field in Okitipupa, Ondo State.

The Omorapala singer, who was billed to entertain guests, was ambushed just as he prepared to mount the stage, leading to a chaotic disruption of the event.

Eyewitnesses said the thugs stormed the venue without provocation, attacking Obesere and his band members and destroying musical equipment worth millions of naira. The sudden violence triggered panic as guests fled in different directions.

Ms. Bosede Akinyemi, one of the guests, described the scene as terrifying.
“I was at the party yesterday. It was very shameful. The thugs attacked Obesere and his band while they were entertaining guests. They destroyed his instruments. I had to remove my shoes and run for my life,” she recounted.
She added that one of the band members was reportedly stabbed while trying to defend the team.

Confirming the incident, Chairman of Okitipupa Local Government, Hon. Andrew Ogunsakin, condemned the attack as “unfortunate and unacceptable,” stressing that such violence does not reflect the values of the community.

“I received the news of the mistreatment meted out to Obesere and his team with deep disappointment. This incident is unacceptable,” Ogunsakin said.
He assured the public that steps were being taken to ensure such occurrences are prevented in the future and pledged to personally reach out to Obesere to convey the council’s regrets.

The local government chairman also vowed to thoroughly investigate the attack and restore confidence in the safety of residents and visitors.

South-South Must Stay Alert: Ekpebide Warns Schools, Churches, Markets of Looming Kidnap Threat

Roland Edet
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Ambassador Preye Ekpebide has issued a strong security warning to schools, churches, and market authorities across Nigeria’s South-South region, urging them to heighten vigilance as terrorists increasingly target soft locations for kidnappings and attacks.

Ekpebide, who is the Third Phase National Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) and Senior Special Assistant to the Delta State Governor on Security Matters, gave the advisory in Warri, citing the growing wave of student abductions in northern Nigeria.

He noted that with the recent closure of schools and reinforced security measures in the North, terrorist groups may change tactics and shift operations to southern states, where institutions remain vulnerable.

According to him, “the rise in school-related abductions nationwide shows that criminal syndicates are focusing on educational institutions because they are soft targets capable of generating national panic and sensational reactions.”

Ekpebide urged authorities in schools, churches, and markets to strengthen surveillance and improve existing security structures to avoid being caught unprepared.

He emphasized that the protection of students, teachers, worshippers, traders, and community members must become a top priority, insisting that urgent and collective action is needed to forestall any attack.

“The security threats facing schools today demand immediate attention. Our children are our future, and their safety must be treated as a sacred responsibility. I call on all school heads, teachers, and community leaders to act swiftly and decisively. Prevention is now more important than ever,” he said.

The security aide also appealed to traditional rulers, youth leaders, parents, and local government authorities to collaborate with school and market administrators to enforce stricter security measures.

Ekpebide stressed that safeguarding lives and property is not the exclusive duty of government or security agencies but a shared responsibility of all citizens.

Troops Foil Midnight Boko Haram Raid in Magumeri, Terrorists Flee With Gunshot Wounds

Uche Kingsley
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Troops of the North East Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), have once again repelled a midnight attack by suspected Boko Haram insurgents who attempted to invade Magumeri Local Government Area of Borno State.

Magumeri, located about 45 kilometres from Maiduguri in the Northern Senatorial District, came under heavy assault late Saturday night, but security forces successfully halted the attackers.

Sources confirmed that although no lives were lost, the insurgents set ablaze an unspecified number of residential houses and vehicles belonging to members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and volunteer groups who assisted in resisting the assault.

A military source said the troops “stood their ground and overwhelmed the attackers,” forcing many of the insurgents to flee with gunshot wounds. He added that morale remains high as troops continue combing the area to secure communities across Magumeri, Borno State, and the wider North East.

Confirming the incident, the Executive Chairman of Magumeri LGA, Hon. Abubakar Abdulkadir Yaro, told our correspondent in a telephone interview on Sunday morning that gallant troops, alongside CJTF members, hunters, and volunteers, repelled the terrorists at about 3 a.m.

“We received a distress call that some Boko Haram terrorists attempted to invade Magumeri town, but they were repelled by our gallant troops and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force/Hunters/Volunteers,” Yaro said.
“The terrorists fled after they were overwhelmed. Unfortunately, some residential houses and property were set ablaze, and we are still compiling details.”

The chairman commended security forces and community volunteers for their resilience and assured that normalcy has returned, with residents going about their daily activities.

Act Now or Face a Health Catastrophe: NAFDAC Warns as Nigeria Battles Rising Antimicrobial Resistance

Toyin Adebayo
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DG of NAFDAC
DG of NAFDAC

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has issued a stark warning that Nigeria risks sliding into a public health disaster unless urgent, collective action is taken to curb the growing threat of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).

Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, gave the warning at the 2025 World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) commemoration in Lagos, where she said the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials in humans, animals, and agriculture is weakening the country’s ability to treat even common infections.

Represented by her Special Assistant, Dr. Gbenga Fajemirokun, Prof. Adeyeye described AMR as “one of the most urgent and silent public health threats of our time,” stressing that the health of humans, animals and the environment is inseparably linked.

Speaking on this year’s WAAW theme, Prof. Adeyeye said the campaign is a powerful reminder that the fight against AMR does not end in hospitals or pharmacies.

“It begins on our farms, in our veterinary clinics, and across our food production systems. The choices we make today will determine Nigeria’s health security for generations,” she said.

She warned that in human health, AMR leads to treatment failures, prolonged illness, higher mortality risks, and complications during medical procedures. In agriculture, the routine and unregulated use of antimicrobials in livestock, aquaculture and crop production is fueling the spread of resistant pathogens.

“Resistance anywhere is a threat everywhere,” she declared.

Strengthening Regulations, Surveillance, and Stewardship

Highlighting NAFDAC’s One Health strategy, the DG outlined four priority areas guiding the agency’s AMR response:

Stronger regulation and surveillance

Antibiotic stewardship in communities and hospitals

Rational use of antimicrobials in animal care

Engagement with agricultural value chains and robust public enlightenment

Prof. Adeyeye said the Agency is intensifying oversight of human and veterinary antimicrobials, curbing substandard veterinary drugs, enforcing quality standards, and strengthening pharmacovigilance systems.

She emphasized that antimicrobials for animals must be used strictly under veterinary supervision—never for growth promotion or as a substitute for proper farm practices.

“We are working with the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development and veterinarians to promote safer alternatives like vaccines, biosecurity and improved farm management,” she added.

The NAFDAC boss urged healthcare professionals and veterinarians to use antimicrobials judiciously and only under evidence-based guidance.

She called on farmers to adopt responsible husbandry, hygiene and vaccination practices, while advising pharmacists to dispense antimicrobials only with valid prescriptions.

To Nigerians, she appealed:
“Avoid self-medication, seek professional care, and demand responsibly produced food. The story of AMR must be told clearly, urgently and repeatedly.”

Prof. Adeyeye painted a hopeful picture of a Nigeria where infections remain treatable and the food chain remains safe but warned that the future must be earned through coordinated national action.

“The fight against AMR will be won or lost based on our collective efforts across the human–animal–environment interface. Let this year’s WAAW mark a renewed commitment to unity and sustained action.”

Also speaking, Director of NAFDAC’s Veterinary Medicine and Allied Products Directorate, Mrs. Temitayo Stephanie Adeoye, described AMR as a growing threat to modern medicine and food security.

She warned that overuse of antimicrobials and environmental contamination with drug residues have accelerated the emergence of resistant pathogens.

“If not urgently addressed, Nigeria risks returning to a time when minor infections could once again become fatal,” she cautioned.

Adeoye said NAFDAC, through VMAP and other directorates, is strengthening surveillance, enforcing responsible antimicrobial use, and ensuring circulation of only safe, quality medicines.

She added that the Directorate is collaborating with partners under the One Health platform to enhance reporting, laboratory capacities and data harmonization for impactful AMR interventions.

Trump Again Threatens Military Action, Aid Cutoff to Nigeria Over “Christian Genocide” Claims

Ola Akinola
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Trump Again Threatens Military Action, Aid Cutoff to Nigeria Over “Christian Genocide” Claims

WASHINGTON D.C. – United States President Donald Trump has escalated his administration’s confrontation with Nigeria, threatening unilateral military action and a complete cutoff of American aid over what he described as a “genocide” of Christians in the West African nation.

In stark remarks during a conservative radio program on Friday, the President expressed intense frustration with the Nigerian government’s response to religious violence, branding the country “a disgrace” and vowing to intervene if the situation does not improve.

“They’re killing people by the thousands. It’s a genocide, and I’m really angry about it,” President Trump stated. “And we pay, you know, we give a lot of subsidies to Nigeria. We’re going to end up stopping.”

The comments represent a significant intensification of the administration’s posture toward Nigeria, which the State Department recently redesignated as a “Country of Particular Concern” over religious freedom violations. President Trump specifically accused the Nigerian government of failing to protect Christian communities from violence perpetrated by Islamic extremists.

The threat of military action against Islamist militants in Nigerian territory marks a potential major shift in U.S. foreign policy, suggesting possible direct intervention if Abuja does not “do more” to secure vulnerable populations.

The Nigerian government has consistently rejected characterizations of the violence as religiously-motivated genocide, arguing that the security crisis stems from complex intercommunal conflicts, banditry, and terrorism that affect citizens across religious lines.

President Trump’s latest statements signal mounting pressure on the bilateral relationship and suggest that substantial U.S. assistance programs to Nigeria may face imminent review or termination.

NANS Threatens Mass Protest Over Alleged Corruption in FCTA Advertising Department

Toyin Adebayo
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NANS Threatens Mass Protest Over Alleged Corruption in FCTA Advertising Department

ABUJA – The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has issued a stark ultimatum to the Federal Capital Territory Administration, threatening widespread protests over what it describes as systemic corruption, intimidation, and abuse of regulatory power within the Department of Outdoor Advertisement and Signage (DOAS).

In a strongly-worded statement signed by National Secretary General Comrade Anzaku Shedrack Ovye, the student body accused DOAS officials of operating like a “cabal” targeting young entrepreneurs in the advertising sector.

The association specifically cited the case of Comrade Dr. Donald Amagbo, a NANS ambassador and licensed advertising practitioner, who they claim has faced repeated harassment through security operatives, enforcement teams, and media allies of the department.

“This is a classic case of civil servants enriching themselves at the expense of young professionals,” the statement read. “DOAS-FCTA has become a rogue department, acting against the Constitution and court orders granting autonomy to local governments.”

NANS leveled particularly serious allegations against an Assistant Director at DOAS, Engr. Akintunde Babadiya, accusing him of simultaneously running private advertising operations through Media Outcome Ltd while wielding regulatory power to suppress competitors.

The student organization demanded immediate structural reforms, including the scrapping of DOAS and creation of a new regulatory agency headed by licensed practitioners from either the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria or the Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria.

They also called for the Code of Conduct Bureau to investigate the assistant director for alleged violations of public service rules regarding private business interests.

Warning of imminent mobilization, NANS declared that any further harassment of Comrade Amagbo would trigger mass student protests at both DOAS and FCTA secretariats.

The ultimatum signals escalating tensions between youth groups and regulatory authorities in the capital, with students vowing that “aluta continua” – the struggle continues – until substantive reforms are implemented in Abuja’s outdoor advertising sector.

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Federal Government Defends Delayed Terrorism-Financing Prosecutions, Citing Need for “Delicate” Investigations

Toyin Adebayo
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Federal Government Defends Delayed Terrorism-Financing Prosecutions, Citing Need for “Delicate” Investigations

ABUJA – The Federal Government has stated that its cautious approach to prosecuting individuals suspected of financing terrorism is due to the necessity for “extensive and delicate” investigations, pushing back against public criticism that the process is being unduly delayed.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made the clarification on Friday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, addressing growing concerns over alleged government complicity in the nation’s escalating insecurity.

“It is not a question of having the list or not having the list; it is not as simplistic as that,” Idris stated. “Investigations have to be conducted… There must be sufficient investigation carried out.”

The minister’s comments come against a backdrop of sustained public pressure on successive administrations to identify and bring to justice the backers of terrorist groups such as Boko Haram, ISWAP, and various bandit factions, particularly in northern Nigeria.

While the previous government under President Muhammadu Buhari had disclosed that some suspected financiers had been identified, no high-profile prosecutions have followed, fueling skepticism among civil society groups and security analysts.

Idris defended the current administration’s record, asserting that President Bola Tinubu’s government is “working assiduously” to end terrorism. He pointed to security gains since May 2023, claiming that over 13,500 criminals had been “neutralised,” more than 17,000 apprehended, and that court proceedings for some were underway.

“Sometimes we forget the successes we have recorded,” he remarked, urging public recognition of these efforts.

On related matters, the minister confirmed that the appointment of ambassadors, a subject of recent public discourse, is being finalized by President Tinubu, with nominees currently undergoing mandatory security vetting.

Idris also highlighted ongoing diplomatic engagements with the United States and other international partners, emphasizing Nigeria’s openness to cooperation. “What we feel is that there is no proper understanding of what the situation is about. This is the message we are taking to them,” he said.

Follow NewsFocus for further updates on national security and governance.

European Push to Ban Sharia Law Gains Momentum, Backed by Over 50 Parliamentarians

Ola Akinola
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European Push to Ban Sharia Law Gains Momentum, Backed by Over 50 Parliamentarians

BRUSSELS – A campaign for a comprehensive EU-wide ban on the application of Sharia law is gaining significant political traction, with a proposal by Swedish MEP Charlie Weimers now endorsed by more than 50 parliamentarians across 20 member states and slated for formal parliamentary review.

The initiative, publicly supported by Norwegian journalist Rebecca Mistereggen, argues that religious legal systems like Sharia are fundamentally incompatible with the European Union’s core values of equality and individual rights. Weimers contends that such parallel legal structures systematically enable discrimination against women, LGBTQ+ individuals, non-Muslims, and apostates.

“The existence of parallel legal systems is unacceptable in the European Union,” Weimers stated, citing the operation of Sharia councils in the United Kingdom and a recent French poll indicating that 57% of young Muslims there prioritize Sharia law over republican civil code.

The proposed ban aims to systematically dismantle existing Sharia structures across member states, with Weimers calling for direct involvement from EU agencies to assist national governments in enforcement. The move is strategically designed to force all political factions—from left to center-right—to declare their stance on the principle of European secularism.

This legislative push forms part of a broader political offensive by Weimers, who is also supporting a lawsuit against EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The combined efforts represent a significant challenge to the EU’s established political groups, compelling them to take a definitive position on the role of religious law within Europe’s legal framework.

As the proposal advances toward parliamentary debate, it promises to ignite a contentious continent-wide discussion on religious freedom, legal pluralism, and the boundaries of cultural accommodation in modern European societies.

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