The assailants, armed with rifles and reportedly using coordinated tactics, stormed Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga town around 4 a.m. local time, engaging police in a gunfight before scaling the perimeter fence and seizing the students, police spokesperson Nafiu Abubakar Kotarkoshi said.

Vice Principal Hassan Yakubu Makuku was shot dead while resisting the attackers, and another staff member sustained gunshot injuries, he added.

Police said additional tactical units, soldiers and local vigilantes have been deployed to comb suspected escape routes and surrounding forests in a search-and-rescue operation.

Northwest Nigeria has witnessed repeated school abductions by armed gangs seeking ransom, despite government pledges to improve security in the region.

Islamist militant group Boko Haram kidnapped 270 schoolgirls in 2014 in the northeastern town of Chibok. While many of the girls managed to escape or were later released, some have never been returned.

The convoy, led by Brigadier-General M. Uba of the 25 Task Force Brigade, was returning from a patrol near Wajiroko village in northeastern Borno state late on Friday when it came under sustained gunfire, the army said.

Four military personnel were confirmed killed.

The army spokesperson did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment, but an earlier statement denied reports that Uba had been abducted, describing them as “fake news” and urging the public to disregard unverified claims circulating online.

However, in a statement posted on its Amaq propaganda channel, ISWAP claimed responsibility for the ambush and said it had executed the army officer identified as a brigade commander following an interrogation. Reuters could not independently verify the claim.

Borno state remains the epicentre of Nigeria’s war against Boko Haram and its splinter group ISWAP. Despite military offensives, insurgents have repeatedly overrun army bases and communities this year, retreating only after reinforcements arrived.

A recent surge in attacks has raised concerns over the safety of front-line troops and the effectiveness of counter-insurgency operations in the region.

Education Minister Tunji Alausa said the programme, introduced just three years ago, had failed to deliver and was being scrapped with immediate effect.

Instead, English will be reinstated as the medium of instruction from pre-primary levels through to university.

The now-defunct programme was launched by former Education Minister Adamu Adamu, who had argued that children learnt more effectively in their mother tongue.

At the time, Adamu argued that pupils grasped concepts more readily when taught in “their own mother tongue” – a view supported by numerous UN studies on early childhood education.

Nigeria’s education system is facing serious problems, including poor-quality teaching, inadequate resources, low teacher pay, and numerous strikes.

Although 85% of children attend primary school, fewer than half complete secondary education.

Some 10 million children are out of school in Nigeria, more than in any other country, according to the UN.

Announcing the reversal of the language policy in the capital, Abuja, Dr Alausa pointed to poor academic results from those areas which had adopted mother-tongue teaching.

He cited data from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the National Examinations Council (NECO), and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

“We have seen a mass failure rate in WAEC, NECO, and JAMB in certain geo-political zones of the country, and those are the ones that adopted this mother tongue in an over-subscribed manner,” the minister stated.

The abrupt cancellation of the policy has drawn a mixed response from education specialists, analysts and parents.

Some have hailed the government’s decision, agreeing that the implementation was problematic and contributed to falling standards.

Others, however, believe the policy was abandoned prematurely. They argue that such a significant shift requires substantial investment in teacher training, the development of textbooks and learning materials, and a longer timeframe before it can be fairly judged and begin to bear fruit.

Education expert Dr Aliyu Tilde praised the reversal, saying Nigeria isn’t ready for such a move.

“Does Nigeria have trained teachers to teach in the dozens of indigenous languages in the country? The answer is no. Also, the major exams like WAEC, JAMB are all in English and not in the mother tongue languages.

“I think what’s needed to improve the quality of our schools is bringing in qualified teachers,” he told the BBC.

A mother who has two children in early education schools, Hajara Musa, said she supported the reversal as it would help young children to learn English at an early age.

“English is a global language that is used everywhere, and I feel these kids should start using it from the start of their schooling instead of waiting for when they are older,” she told the BBC.

However, social affairs analyst Habu Dauda disagreed.

“I think it was scrapped prematurely instead of giving it more time. Three years is too little to judge a big shift such as this – the government ought to have added more investment,” he said.

The debate highlights the ongoing challenge in Nigeria of balancing the promotion of its rich linguistic heritage with the practical demands of a national curriculum and a globalised economy where English proficiency is dominant.

The soldier, identified as Lt AM Yerima, was part of a unit that prevented Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike from accessing a disputed plot of land in Abuja on Tuesday.

In the video, which has been viewed millions of times, the minister is seen becoming increasingly agitated as Lt Yerima, citing orders from his superiors, calmly refuses him entry.

Many social media users have hailed the soldier’s demeanour, describing him as “courageous” and “brave”, with some using his photo on their WhatsApp statuses.

The confrontation was particularly striking to many Nigerians because Wike, a former governor of the oil-rich Rivers State, is considered one of the most influential figures in President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

He has a fearsome reputation and is seen as someone who normally gets his way in a country where lower-ranking officials rarely stand up to those in authority.

“I commend the gallantry of this military officer, Lieutenant A.M. Yerima, for his unshakable boldness and composure despite the offensive utterances from FCT minister; Wike. He’s well trained and fearless, he refused to be bullied,” one user posted on X.

“Discipline, courage, and integrity. The true spirit of the Nigerian military. The young officer A.M Yerima stood his ground with professionalism and honor,” agreed another X user.

In the video, Wike is heard saying to the soldier: “You are a very big fool. At the time I graduated, you were still in primary school.”

While Wike was still speaking, the officer cuts in to say: “I am not a fool sir.”

However, it is not clear why the soldiers were there.

The BBC has asked the Nigerian military for comment.

Wike challenged the soldiers to provide proof of their legal right to occupy the land.

Wike later told journalists he had visited the site after officials from the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council reported being chased away by soldiers.

He said the land fell under the federal capital jurisdiction which he oversees and that his administration had a duty to investigate reports of illegal construction and land encroachment.

“This is what prevents us from progressing,” Wike said. “When the officials came, they said soldiers chased them away. I thought they did so illegally.”

He said the soldiers were unable to produce the documents he requested.

The announcement follows a high-level bilateral meeting held in Abuja, Nigeria, on Friday, November 7, 2025.

The meeting was co-chaired by COP Lydia Yaako Donkor, Director-General of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, and Deputy Inspector-General of the Nigeria Police Force, Sadiq I. Abubakar, mni, PhD. It brought together senior representatives from law enforcement, immigration, intelligence, and diplomatic institutions from both countries.

Key discussions focused on the growing link between human trafficking and cybercrime, the rising number of victims across the sub-region, and the need for stronger regional coordination.

DIG Abubakar commended COP Donkor for initiating the bilateral engagement during the INTERPOL Africa Regional Conference earlier this year in South Africa. In response, COP Donkor praised Nigeria’s cooperation and reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to enhanced intelligence sharing and coordinated enforcement operations.

Both sides agreed to establish a Joint Task Force (JTF) to manage cross-border trafficking cases, designate focal officers for real-time information exchange, and develop standard operating procedures for victim repatriation and support. They also resolved to roll out joint public awareness campaigns targeting youth and border communities, and to convene a meeting of West African Police Chiefs to align regional strategies against trafficking.

The meeting concluded with the signing of a communiqué reaffirming Ghana and Nigeria’s joint resolve to dismantle trafficking networks, safeguard victims, and strengthen cooperation under ECOWAS and INTERPOL frameworks.

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In a video released on Truth Social he pledged to “do things to Nigeria that Nigeria is not going to be happy about” and “go into that now-disgraced country guns-a-blazing”. But the White House’s interest in this subject did not come out of the blue.

For months, campaigners and politicians in Washington have been alleging that Islamist militants were systematically targeting Christians in Nigeria.

But the BBC has found that some of the data being relied on to come to this conclusion is difficult to verify.

In September, popular television host and comedian Bill Maher upped the ante, describing what was happening as a “genocide”.

Referring to the Boko Haram group, he said, “They have killed over 100,000 since 2009, they’ve burned 18,000 churches”.

Similar figures have also been gaining traction on social media.

The government in Abuja has pushed back on these claims, describing them as “a gross misrepresentation of reality”.

It did not deny that there was deadly violence in the country. But officials said that “terrorists attack all who reject their murderous ideology – Muslims, Christians and those of no faith alike”.

Other groups monitoring political violence in Nigeria say the number of Christians who have been killed is far lower, and say most victims of the jihadist groups are Muslims.

Nigerian security analyst Christian Ani said that while Christians had been attacked as part of a broader strategy of creating terror, it was not possible to justify claims that Christians were deliberately being targeted.

And Nigeria is facing various security crises across the country, not just violence by jihadist groups, and these have different causes, so they should not be confused.

The country’s 220 million people are roughly evenly split between followers of the two religions, with Muslims in the majority in the north, where most attacks take place.

What are US politicians saying?

Prominent Texas Senator Ted Cruz has been campaigning on the issue for some time and, highlighting similar figures to Maher on 7 October, he wrote on X that “since 2009, over 50,000 Christians in Nigeria have been massacred, and over 18,000 churches and 2,000 Christian schools have been destroyed”.

In an email to the BBC, his office made clear that, unlike Maher, the senator was not calling this a “genocide” but describing “persecution”.

But Cruz accused Nigerian officials of “ignoring and even facilitating the mass murder of Christians by Islamist jihadists”. Trump, echoing these words, has described Nigeria as a “disgraced country”, saying the government “continues to allow the killing of Christians”.

The Nigerian government has denied this, saying it is doing its best to tackle the jihadists. Some officials have also welcomed the prospect of the US helping fight the insurgents, as long as it is not done unilaterally.

The authorities have certainly struggled to contain the violent jihadist groups and criminal networks – most weeks seem to come with stories of fresh attacks or abductions.

Boko Haram – infamous for kidnapping the Chibok girls just over a decade ago – has been active since 2009, but its activities have been concentrated in the north-east, which has a majority Muslim population. Other jihadist groups have also emerged, including the Islamic State West Africa Province but they also operate in the north-east.

The figures for Christian deaths cited by some in the US are alarming, but assessing their accuracy is hard.

Where do their numbers come from?

When it comes to the source of the data, on a podcast in September, Cruz directly referred to a 2023 report by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (InterSociety) – a non-governmental organisation that monitors and tracks human rights abuses across Nigeria. His office also sent the BBC a number of links to online articles on the issue – most of which pointed back to InterSociety.

Maher did not respond to a BBC request for the source of his figures, but given certain similarities to those used by Cruz, it seems likely that he was drawing on InterSociety’s work.

For data that could be shaping US policy towards Nigeria, InterSociety’s work is opaque.

In its report published in August, which was an amalgamation of previous research and updated numbers for 2025, it said jihadist groups in Nigeria had killed over 100,000 Christians in the 16 years since 2009.

It also notes that 60,000 “moderate Muslims” also died during this period.

InterSociety did not share an itemised list of sources, making it hard to verify the total number of deaths it reports.

In response to this criticism, the organisation has said that “it is almost impossible to reproduce all our reports and their references dating back to 2010. Our easy method is to pick their summary statistics and add them to our fresh discoveries or findings to make up our new reports.” But the data sources quoted by InterSociety in its reports do not reflect the figures published.

What about those killed in 2025?

Looking at deaths this year alone, InterSociety concluded that between January and August, just over 7,000 Christians were killed. This is another figure that has been widely shared on social media, including by Republican Congressman Riley M Moore, who has been a leading voice on this issue in the House of Representatives.

InterSociety includes a list of 70 media reports as some of the sources to its findings on the attacks against Christians in 2025. But in about half of these cases, the original news stories did not mention the religious identity of the victims.

For example, InterSociety quoted an Al Jazeera report of an attack in north-eastern Nigeria, saying that according to the news organisation “not less than 40 farmers mainly Christians were abducted by Boko Haram in Damboa part of Borno State”.

But Al Jazeera’s report didn’t mention that the victims were “mainly Christians”, as quoted by InterSociety.

InterSociety told the BBC that it does further analysis to identify their background, without explaining how exactly in this case, but did mention their knowledge of local populations and use of “Christian media reports”.

Adding the number of death referenced in these reports cited by InterSociety does not result in the stated total of 7,000.

The BBC added up the number of deaths from the 70 reports and found that the total was around 3,000 deaths. Some of the attacks also appear to be reported more than once.

To explain the shortfall, InterSociety says it also estimates the number of people it believes have died in captivity and includes eyewitness testimonies it cannot make public.

Who is behind the killings?

Included in its list of perpetrators are Islamist militant groups like Boko Haram but also Fulani herders. The Fulanis are a mainly Muslim ethnic group who live across West Africa and have traditionally earned their living by raising cattle and sheep.

The inclusion of the Fulani herders, who InterSociety describes as “jihadists” in all its reports, however, is the source of some controversy in Nigeria over how these killings should be categorised.

While the herders tend to be Muslim, many researchers in this field reject the description of this as a religious conflict, saying it is often about access to land and water.

Fulani herders have come into conflict with both Muslim and Christian communities across Nigeria.

Security analyst Mr Ani argues that “to say that they are jihadists – it’s a far stretch. It has nothing to do with that. It has a lot more to do with rogue and criminal elements.”

Confidence McHarry, a senior security analyst at Africa-focussed consultancy SBM Intelligence, says the clashes are often due to ethnic tensions and competition over resources.

“It might be ethnic in nature – they’re seeking to grab lands, they’re seeking to expand territory, but the more they displace communities and the more they attack worship centres, the more these things tend to get looked at in that light.”

InterSociety also mention what are known in Nigeria as bandits, saying they are mostly ethnic Fulanis in the north-west of the country, who are involved in kidnapping and have a track record of killing both Christians and Muslims.

Who has been campaigning on this?

Concerns about threats facing Nigerian Christians has been discussed by politicians in the United States and by international Christian groups for a long time.

In previous years, it has been raised in the US by the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) – a group proscribed in Nigeria which is fighting for a breakaway state in the mainly Christian south-east.

Intersociety has been accused by the Nigerian military of being linked to Ipob but the NGO has denied any connection.

Another Biafran separatist group has also claimed to have played a key role in promoting the “Christian genocide” narrative in the US Congress.

The Biafra Republic Government in Exile, BRGIE, described it as a “highly orchestrated effort”, saying it had hired lobbying firms and met US officials, including Cruz.

The senator declined to comment.

What do other research groups say?

InterSociety’s figures are far higher than other sources of data on the number of Christians killed in Nigeria.

Acled, which closely monitors violence in West Africa, has produced very different numbers. The sources for its published findings can be easily traced and checked.

Its senior analyst, Ladd Serwat, did not directly address the InterSociety reports but told the BBC that the figure of 100,000 deaths, touted on social media, would include all acts of political violence in Nigeria, and so it would not be true to say this is the number of Christians who have been killed since 2009.

Acled has found that just under 53,000 civilians – Muslims and Christians – have been reported killed in targeted political violence since 2009.

Looking at just the period from 2020 to September 2025, Acled says that about 21,000 civilians were killed in abductions, attacks, sexual violence and the use of explosives.

It identified 384 incidents where Christians were specifically targeted from 2020 to September 2025, in which 317 people died, meaning they account for just a small proportion of those killed.

For its sources, Acled relies on traditional media, social media where the reports can be verified, rights groups as well as local partners.

What about Trump’s figures?

In a Truth Social post last Friday, Trump cited a figure of 3,100 Christians killed. He was referring to a report by Open Doors for deaths for the 12 months from October 2023, a White House official said.

Open Doors is a charity which researches the persecution of Christians worldwide.

In its reporting it says that while 3,100 Christians died, 2,320 Muslims were also killed in that 12-month period.

Open Doors also includes what it calls “Fulani Terror Groups” in its list of perpetrators and says they were responsible for almost a third of Christians killed during those 12 months.

Frans Veerman, senior research fellow at Open Doors, said “what we see now is that Christians are still targeted, but increasingly some Muslims are targeted by Fulani militants”.

Analysts say there are many violent attacks on mosques and Muslim communities in the north-west of the country.

“One could say that this is part of the broader insecurity,” said Mr McHarry. “The reason why it is not assumed to have a religious dimension is down to the fact that the identities of the people who are carrying out these attacks against Muslims are themselves Muslims.”

President Donald Trump last week put Nigeria back on a list of countries that the U.S. says have violated religious freedom, and said on Saturday he had asked the Defence Department to prepare for possible “fast” military action if Nigeria does not crack down on the killing of Christians.

Washington’s decision to designate Nigeria as a violator of religious freedoms has strained diplomatic ties between the two countries.

THREATS OF MILITARY ACTION UNWARRANTED, MINISTER SAYS

Defending Nigeria’s record, Information Minister Mohammed Idris told a press briefing that Trump’s threats of military action were unwarranted and misrepresented Nigeria’s complex security challenges.

“…any narrative suggesting that the Nigerian State is failing to take action against religious attacks is based on misinformation or faulty data,” Idris said.

Nigerian Chief of Defence Staff General Olufemi Oluyede said on Monday the country faced terrorism, not persecution of Christians, and the Nigerian presidency has said it would welcome U.S. help in fighting Islamist insurgents as long as the country’s territorial integrity is respected.

Idris said President Bola Tinubu’s government had made significant progress in tackling terrorism since taking office in May 2023.

“The Government of Nigeria remains open and willing to work closely with the Government of the United States, other friendly nations and partners, to achieve our shared goal, the complete elimination of terrorism on Nigerian soil,” Idris said.

More than 13,500 militants have been killed, 17,000 suspects arrested, and over 11,200 hostages — including women and children — rescued, he said.

Idris said terrorism affected both Christians and Muslims, and that the government is committed to ending extremist violence through military action, regional cooperation and dialogue with international partners.

Nigeria, home to more than 200 ethnic groups practicing Christianity, Islam and traditional faiths, has a history of coexistence but has also seen sporadic violence, often driven by ethnic tensions and competition over scarce resources.

The revelation came during a candid conversation on The Honest Bunch Podcast, where Waje retraced how a young church singer from the east of Nigeria found herself on one of West Africa’s most played tracks.

Waje said the opportunity came early in her career after she was signed to a small label as a teenager.

She described being a young mother, singing in church and learning on the job rather than navigating the business side of music.

When the song exploded, she said she did not fully grasp its reach, and because she trusted the label and lacked knowledge about royalties and contracts, any money that might have been generated did not reach her.

She succinctly summarised her experience by saying, “I didn’t make any money.”

The track in question appears on defunct music group P-Square’s 2007 album Game Over and is now commonly credited as featuring Waje on various streaming and catalog listings, a detail that confirms her vocal role on the record.

Yet Waje’s account highlights a recurring industry problem of young vocalists contributing to major hits without being equipped to claim credit or earnings at the time.

Beyond the financial issue, Waje used the interview to sketch the very human side of her rise. She recalled freestyling and finishing her own breakout song, “I Wish”, in P-Square’s home studio; the scramble to get a passport that stopped her from appearing in the ‘Do Me’ video shot abroad; and the way early success arrived before she had the infrastructure to turn it into sustained career momentum.

She also reflected on lasting relationships with artists who helped launch her, including moments of mentorship and protection that shaped her path.

Waje declined to fan public flames about longstanding disputes surrounding P-Square, saying she prefers not to weigh in on family fallouts that are complex and private.

Her wider message in the interview is clear: talent can open doors, but without basic business knowledge and proper management, artists can easily be left out of the rewards that follow a hit.

Source: Amelley Djosu

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Trump said on Saturday that he had asked the Defence Department to prepare for possible “fast” military action in Nigeria if Africa’s most populous country fails to crack down on the killing of Christians.

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“We welcome U.S. assistance as long as it recognises our territorial integrity,” Daniel Bwala, an adviser to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, told Reuters.

But Trump on Sunday told reporters the U.S. military could deploy troops to Nigeria or carry out air strikes to stop what he called the killing of “very large numbers” of Christians there, but gave no further details.

“I envisage a lot of things,” Trump said aboard Air Force One, without elaborating.

Bwala sought to play down tensions between the two states, despite Trump calling Nigeria a “disgraced country.”

“We don’t take it literally, because we know Donald Trump thinks well of Nigeria,” Bwala said.

“I am sure by the time these two leaders meet and sit, there would be better outcomes in our joint resolve to fight terrorism,” he said.

ISLAMIST INSURGENTS WREAK HAVOC FOR YEARS

Nigeria, a country of more than 200 million people and around 200 ethnic groups, is divided between the largely Muslim north and mostly Christian south.

Islamist insurgents such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province have wrought havoc in the country for more than 15 years, killing thousands of people, but their attacks have been largely confined to the northeast of the country, which is majority Muslim.

While Christians have been killed, the vast majority of the victims have been Muslims, analysts say.

In central Nigeria there have been frequent clashes between mostly Muslim herders and mainly Christian farmers over access to water and pasture, while in the northwest of the country, gunmen routinely attack villages, kidnapping residents for ransom.

Item 1 of 3 A newspaper vendor pulls a newspaper with an article reporting U.S. President Donald Trump’s message to Nigeria over the treatment of Christians, at a newspaper stand in Ojuelegba, Lagos, Nigeria, November 2, 2025. REUTERS/Sodiq Adelakun

[1/3]A newspaper vendor pulls a newspaper with an article reporting U.S. President Donald Trump’s message to Nigeria over the treatment of Christians, at a newspaper stand in Ojuelegba, Lagos, Nigeria, November 2, 2025. REUTERS/Sodiq Adelakun Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

Nigeria “does not discriminate against any tribe or religion in the fight against insecurity,” Bwala said. “There is no Christian genocide.”

VIOLENCE ‘DEVASTATES ENTIRE COMMUNITIES’

“Insurgent groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa often present their campaigns as anti-Christian, but in practice their violence is indiscriminate and devastates entire communities,” said Ladd Serwat, senior Africa analyst at U.S. crisis-monitoring group ACLED.

“Islamist violence is part of the complex and often overlapping conflict dynamics in the country over political power, land disputes, ethnicity, cult affiliation, and banditry,” he said.

ACLED research shows that out of 1,923 attacks on civilians in Nigeria so far this year, the number of those targeting Christians because of their religion stood at 50.

Serwat said recent claims circulating among some U.S. right-wing circles that as many as 100,000 Christians had been killed in Nigeria since 2009 are not supported by available data.

NIGERIA REJECTS ALLEGATIONS OF RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE

Trump’s threat of military action came a day after his administration added Nigeria back to a “Countries of Particular Concern” list of nations that the U.S. says have violated religious freedoms. Other nations on the list include China, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia and Pakistan.

Tinubu, a Muslim from southern Nigeria who is married to a Christian pastor, on Saturday pushed back against accusations of religious intolerance and defended his country’s efforts to protect religious freedom.

When making key government and military appointments, Tinubu, like his predecessors, has sought to strike a balance to make sure that Muslims and Christians are represented equally. Last week, Tinubu changed the country’s military leadership and appointed a Christian as the new defence chief.

In the capital Abuja, some Christians going to Sunday Mass said they would welcome a U.S. military intervention to protect their community.

STRIKES WOULD TARGET SMALL GROUPS ACROSS WIDE AREA

“I feel if Donald Trump said they want to come in, they should come in and there is nothing wrong with that,” said businesswoman Juliet Sur.

Security experts said any U.S. air strikes would most likely seek to target small groups scattered across a very large swathe of territory, a task that could be made more difficult given the U.S. withdrew its forces last year from Niger, which borders Nigeria in the north.

The militant groups move between neighbouring countries Cameroon, Chad and Niger, and the experts said the U.S. may require help from the Nigerian military and government, which Trump threatened to cut off from assistance.

Timmap, a 300-level student, reportedly attacked and hacked Mafurai to death during a misunderstanding in his residence.

According to a security source, the incident came to light after operatives of the Plateau State Police Command, attached to the Laranto Division, received a distress call on Saturday morning.

“Following the distress call received at about 9:30 a.m., the Divisional Police Officer of Laranto Division led a team of officers to the scene, where the suspect was arrested,” a police source stated.

Further investigation revealed that the suspect buried the victim in a shallow grave he had dug inside his room.

The remains of the deceased have since been exhumed and deposited at the Bingham University Teaching Hospital morgue for autopsy.

Police sources confirmed that the suspect is currently in custody, while efforts are ongoing to determine the motive behind the gruesome act.

Authorities have assured the public that a full investigation is underway to ensure justice is served.

The reshuffle comes amid persistent security challenges across Nigeria, including Islamist insurgencies in the northeast, armed banditry in the northwest, and separatist unrest in the southeast.

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General Olufemi Oluyede was named Chief of Defence Staff, replacing General Christopher Musa, who was appointed just over two years ago after Tinubu came into office.

Major-General W. Shaibu was appointed Chief of Army Staff, while Air Vice Marshal S.K. Aneke and Rear Admiral I. Abbas were named Chiefs of Air and Naval Staff, respectively.

Major-General E.A.P. Undiendeye retained his position as Chief of Defence Intelligence.

“All appointments take immediate effect,” the presidency said in a statement.

Source: Reuters

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This milestone reflects a $2.16 billion year-to-date increase in his fortune, with a recent $430 million valuation gain contributing to the surge.

Just days earlier, Dangote’s net worth stood at $29.8 billion; only $200 million shy of the mark.

The impressive rise aligns with the expansion of his industrial empire, particularly the completion of a $160 million cement plant in Attingué, about 30 km north of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

The 50-hectare facility boasts an annual capacity of three million metric tonnes, making it one of Dangote Cement’s largest sites outside Nigeria.

With the new plant, the company’s total installed capacity across Africa now stands at approximately 55 million tonnes per year, spread across 11 countries.

Dangote also has his eyes set on the oil sector, announcing plans to more than double his refining operations to 1.4 million barrels per day. This expansion would see the Dangote Group surpass the output of the world’s current largest refinery in Jamnagar, India, which produces 1.36 million barrels per day.

Reports further suggest that within the next year, Dangote Refinery plans to sell between 5% and 10% of its shares on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.

Since the launch of the $20 billion Dangote Oil Refinery in May 2023: which began operations in October of that year with a production capacity of 370,000 barrels of diesel and jet fuel daily; Dangote’s wealth trajectory has been notably dynamic.

In October 2023, shortly after the refinery’s commissioning, Bloomberg ranked him as the 81st richest person globally, with a net worth of $20.4 billion. However, his fortune experienced fluctuations before rebounding dramatically.

At the start of 2024, South African billionaire Johann Rupert briefly overtook him as Africa’s richest man, boasting $10.3 billion compared to Dangote’s $9.5 billion. Dangote soon reclaimed the top spot, with his net worth surpassing $20 billion by late January 2024 after a +$282 million valuation jump and a year-to-date gain of $6.91 billion.

Although market fluctuations saw his fortune dip mid-2024—dropping from $13.8 billion in July to $13 billion in October—Dangote’s wealth rebounded strongly to $27.8 billion by the end of the year.

By August 2025, his net worth had climbed to $29.3 billion, and now, as of October, the Nigerian industrialist has officially entered the $30 billion club.

Dangote’s continued rise underscores his expanding influence across Africa’s industrial landscape—from cement to oil refining—solidifying his position as not only the continent’s richest man but also one of its most transformative business figures.

Another 52 people with varying degrees of injuries are currently receiving treatment at a hospital, said Abdullahi Baba Ara, head of the Niger state emergency service.

Villagers rushed to collect fuel from the overturned tanker which suddenly exploded, setting off a massive fire that engulfed them.

Tanker explosions are a recurring tragedy in Nigeria, despite repeated warnings about the dangers of collecting spilled fuel.

The intense blaze burned many victims beyond recognition, and the injured were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The accident occurred near the Essan and Badeggi communities along the Bida-Agaie road in the Katcha Local Government Area of Niger state.

Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago sent his condolences to the people, describing the incident as “worrisome, unfortunate and pathetic.”

“[It] is disheartening how people have continued to approach a fallen tanker to scoop its contents” despite several awareness campaigns, said a statement by his chief press secretary Bologi Ibrahim.

The tanker, carrying petroleum products from Lagos in southern Nigeria to the north, is said to have crashed due to the bad condition of the road.

Poor road conditions are a major contributor to road accidents in the country.

In October last year, a fuel tanker explosion killed 153 people in Jigawa state, north-west Nigeria.

In January this year, a truck carrying about 60,000 litres of petrol overturned near Suleja, also in Niger state, killing at least 86 people and injuring nearly 70 others.

Source: BBC

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Rukayya was immediately rushed to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) in Bauchi for emergency medical treatment. 

Unfortunately, an ophthalmologist at the hospital confirmed that the minor will never regain her vision. 

The PPRO said five other members of a ritualist syndicate have been arrested in connection with the heinous act. 

“On 17th October 2025, at about 1800hrs, one Muhammad Adamu ‘m’ of Bayan Dutse Village, Wailo, Kubi Ward, Ganjuwa LGA, Bauchi State, reported at the Soro Divisional Police Headquarters that on the same date at about 2000hrs, one Auwal Dahiru ‘m’, aged 17 years of the same address, attacked his daughter Rukayya Muhammad ‘f’, aged 7 years, with the intention of k!lling her and attempted to pluck out her eyes,” the statement read. 

“Upon receipt of the report, a team of detectives led by CSP Aliyu Mohammad Goni, Divisional Police officer (DPO) Soro Division immediately dispatched to the scene, where the suspect was arrested. 

“At the same time, the victim was quickly evacuated to Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi, for medical treatment.

“The following suspects were arrested in connection with the crime: 1. Auwal Dahiru ‘m’, aged 17 years, of Bayan Dutse, Wailo, Kubi Ward, Ganjuwa LGA 2. Mohammed Rabiu ‘m’, aged 19 years 3. Saleh Ibrahim ‘m’, aged 20 years 4. Nasiru Muhammad ‘m’ of Soro town Ganjuwa LGA, 5. Hassan Garba ‘m’ of Soro town, Ganjuwa LGA, Bauchi State. 6. Garba Dahiru ‘m’ aged 43 of Soro town.

“A preliminary investigation’s findings revealed that a 7-year-old girl, Rukayya Muhammad, tragically lost her eyes…

The incident came to public attention after a distressing video surfaced online showing the victim crying for help and covered in blood after the brutal assault.

According to the police, preliminary investigations revealed that the attack was allegedly triggered by the victim’s refusal to marry Baragon after discovering that he was already married with four children.

“During interrogation, the suspect voluntarily confessed to using bottles and stabbing the victim,” Iringe-Koko said.

The police confirmed that the victim is currently receiving medical treatment in the hospital, while an in-depth investigation is underway to uncover the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga A. Adepoju, has commended the operatives for their swift response and praised the public for providing credible information that led to the suspect’s arrest.

He assured the public that justice would be served and reiterated the Command’s commitment to tackling gender-based and domestic violence across the state.

The incident occurred on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, at Murjani Hotel, where the officer had checked in.

According to reports, hotel staff discovered Tukur’s lifeless body around 8:30 a.m. and promptly notified the police.

Sources revealed that three women — Khadija Ali (34), Aisha Lawal (30), and Hafsat Yusuf (22) — were with the deceased at the hotel prior to his death.

It was gathered that Khadija and Aisha spent the night with him, while Hafsat joined them later and also stayed over.

Investigators reportedly found empty sachets of unidentified substances in a wastebasket inside the room, raising suspicions of possible substance use.

The body of the deceased has since been conveyed to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Katsina, where doctors confirmed his death before transferring it to the mortuary for autopsy.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has been informed of the development, while police say investigations are underway to ascertain the exact cause of death and the role of the three women in the incident.

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Police spokesperson who confirmed the incident detailed that the suspect repeatedly assaulted his lover, Joy Jimoh, during a heated argument.

The tragic event was first reported by 45-year-old Ngozi Gregory, who informed the police that Ademola attacked Joy when she requested repayment of the loan.

The assault left the victim unconscious, and she was rushed to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead by medical personnel.

Following the report, the Divisional Police Officer of the Idanre Division led detectives to the scene, where the suspect was apprehended.

The victim’s body has since been deposited at the morgue for autopsy, while preliminary investigations continue.

Commissioner of Police CP Adebowale Lawal strongly condemned the violent act, describing it as “a senseless and inhumane act of domestic brutality.”

He assured the public that justice would be served and directed that the case be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) for a comprehensive probe.

He further warned that the command would not tolerate any form of domestic violence or abuse, reiterating the police’s resolve to ensure the protection of all residents, particularly women and vulnerable persons, across the state.

The industrial action comes just weeks after universities resumed for a new academic year.

Announcing the decision, the leader of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Professor Chris Piwuna, described the decision as “inevitable” due to what he said were government failures.

The government has urged lecturers to reconsider the strike, stressing that constructive dialogue remains the best way to resolve the crisis.

The government added that striking lecturers can expect not to be paid under the country’s “No Work, No Pay” labour law.

In a statement, it said it had made a comprehensive offer to the union addressing key issues such as working conditions, institutional governance and staff welfare.

The government added that it was still awaiting ASUU’s official response.

Nigeria’s university lecturers have a long history of industrial action over issues of funding, salaries, and welfare.

ASUU’s disputes with successive governments date back to the 1980s.

Agreements reached in 1992, 2009, and 2013 have often gone unfulfilled, prompting repeated strikes.

The last major one in 2022 lasted for eight months, disrupting the academic calendar and affecting millions of students nationwide.

It took an industrial court to stop the strike and force the teachers to go back to the classrooms.

Observers say these recurring strikes reflect deeper structural challenges in Nigeria’s higher education sector, including chronic underfunding, politicised management and a persistent lack of trust between the government and university unions.

Source: BBC

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Nigeria’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology Uche Nnaji has resigned just days after allegations emerged that he had forged his academic credentials.

The resignation follows a newspaper investigation that claimed Nnaji submitted falsified certificates to President Bola Tinubu during his ministerial appointment in 2023.

Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga confirmed Nnaji’s resignation in a post on X late on Tuesday, quoting the minister as saying he had been “a target of blackmail by political opponents.”

Nnaji has denied the accusations of forgery and has insisted that he did graduate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) with a degree in microbiology/biochemistry.

This follows the expiration of the Federal Government’s visa amnesty initiative.

The amnesty programme, introduced on July 5, 2025, allowed foreign nationals with expired immigration documents to regularise their status without penalty.

The window officially closed at midnight on September 30, 2025.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, just minutes before midnight, the Service Public Relations Officer, ACI Akinsola Akinlabi, said enforcement operations would begin on October 1, targeting holders of expired Visa on Arrival VoA, expired single or multiple-entry short visit and business visas, as well as individuals with expired Comprehensive Expatriate Residence Permits and Automated Cards CERPAC.

Foreign nationals found to be in violation will face sanctions, including removal from the country, payment of penalties, or restrictions on future entry.

According to the NIS, the penalty framework includes: Less than three months’ overstay: removal, payment of $15 per day, or a two-year entry ban.

“Three months to one year: removal, payment of $15 per day, or a five-year entry ban.

“One year and above: removal and a 10-year or permanent entry ban”.

The agency stressed that the move was aimed at ensuring lawful migration, safeguarding national security, and promoting transparency in Nigeria’s immigration system.

vanguardngr

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Speaking on the Echo Podcast, the 42-year-old was asked what part of himself he had to let go in the process of becoming a music tycoon.

In response, Don Jazzy admitted that marriage might be the one thing he did not see coming.

He also revealed what he thinks he could have become if he were not a music executive

“I would have been in the music industry still, or probably an influencer.

“I never thought I would be 40-something and not be married, maybe I lost that one. If it comes, it comes; if it does not come, I am totally fine,” he said.

The producer, who has built a reputation for discovering and nurturing some of Nigeria’s biggest stars, including Tiwa Savage, Rema, and Ayra Starr, stressed that he remains fulfilled with his career achievements despite the trade-off.

Don Jazzy’s remarks have since sparked fresh conversations online about the balance between personal life and professional ambition, especially in the entertainment industry.

Source: Vanguardngr

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Celebrity chef Hilda Baci is set to embark on her official attempt to set a new Guinness World Record for the largest pot of jollof rice—and Guinness World Records is cheering her on.

The global record body confirmed recognition of the attempt and even commented on Hilda’s post to encourage her, writing: “Best of luck Hilda and team!”

Hilda Baci, who shot to international fame in 2023 after breaking the record for the longest cooking marathon, will attempt to cook 250 bags of rice in a single giant pot.

The highly anticipated event will take place at Eko Hotels, Lagos, with thousands of fans and supporters expected to attend.

Ahead of the attempt, Hilda and her mother were seen praying together, asking for strength, protection, and endurance.

The heartfelt moment moved spectators, many of whom consider her mother a driving force in her remarkable journey.

Hilda Baci also shared a lighthearted update on social media, writing, “Yes, I can officially confirm this pot is squeaky clean! I rolled up my sleeves and washed it myself. In just a few hours, this same pot will carry thousands of servings of Nigerian Jollof history in the making.”

The event, which was initially slated for Muri Okunola Park, was relocated to Eko Hotels in Lagos, to accommodate overwhelming interest, with more than 20,000 people registering to attend.

Watch video below: 

Source: Vanguard Ngr

Edun told reporters in Abuja the surcharge, targeting petrol, diesel, and other fossil fuels, required a formal government proclamation and an official order signed by the finance minister to be published in the National Gazette before implementation.

“The order will not be issued immediately. Government is aware of the economic situation of the times and would not deliberately increase the burden on Nigerians,” he said.

Since coming into office in 2023, President Bola Tinubu has ended petrol and electricity subsidies and twice devalued the naira currency as part of reforms to boost Nigeria’s decade-long sluggish output. However, those steps triggered the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation and have yet to deliver faster growth.

The fuel surcharge is part of the new Nigeria Tax Act, signed into law in June, was designed to harmonise tax rules and boost revenue as part of a broader fiscal overhaul.

While Edun emphasised that the surcharge was not a new tax, he noted its origins in a previous 2007 law, describing its inclusion in the new act as a move for “harmonisation and transparency”.

Source: Reuters

Temi, now married to Afrobeats singer Mr. Eazi, shared on Instagram that her reception attire was the result of months of dedication by a highly skilled team.

According to her, seven embroidery specialists, three couturiers, and five handworkers collectively invested 4,590 hours in designing and completing the gown and its accompanying cape.

Adding to the uniqueness of the look, she disclosed that a Korean artisan spent 67 hours handcrafting a bespoke fan to complement the outfit.

“My vision for my reception look was to match the opulence and richness of the tent, and @miss_sohee overdelivered! …Thank you for weaving a piece of your rich culture into our rich culture,” Temi wrote.

The couple’s love story has captured wide public attention. They first exchanged vows in a civil wedding on May 9 in Monaco, followed by a traditional ceremony in Dubai on July 5, and later sealed their union with a white wedding in Iceland.

Their nuptials, recently featured in Vogue Magazine, highlighted their journey and shared exclusive photographs.

After the weddings, Temi updated her social media profile to reflect her new name, officially adopting her husband’s surname, Ajibade.

 

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A post shared by Temiloluwa Ajibade (@temiotedola)

Temi and Mr. Eazi, who got engaged in April 2022, have emphasised that their wedding celebrations were kept intimate, attended only by close family and loved ones.

Source: Adomonline

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On Friday night militants struck the village of Darul Jamal, home to a military base on the Nigeria-Cameroon border, killing at least five soldiers.

The Nigerian Air Force said it killed 30 militants in strikes after receiving reports of the raid on the village, where residents had recently returned following years of displacement.

The attack comes amid a resurgence in jihadist activity in Nigeria’s north-east, with Boko Haram fights and rivals, the West African branch of the Islamic State group, stepping up attacks.

More than 20 houses and 10 buses were destroyed in Darul Jamal, while at least 13 drivers and labourers, who had been working on reconstruction efforts in the town were killed, Reuters reported.

Visiting the village on Saturday, Borno Governor Babagana Zulum said: “It’s very sad, this community was resettled some months ago and they went about their normal business,” he told AFP news agency.

“The numerical strength of the Nigerian army is not enough to contain the situation,” he said, adding that a newly established force called the Forest Guards was set to bolster security personnel in the embattled region.

Nigerian Air Force spokesperson Ehimen Ejodame said surveillance revealed militants “fleeing northwards from the town towards nearby bushes,” on Friday night.

“In a series of three precise and successive strikes, the fleeing terrorists were decisively engaged, resulting in the neutralisation of over 30 insurgents,” he said.

The military has intensified operations in north-eastern Nigeria this year, following persistent targeted attacks on its formations and installations.

In April, Governor Zulum warned that Boko Haram was making a comeback after its fighters staged a series of attacks and seized control of some parts of the state.

Borno has been at the centre of a 15-year insurgency by the militant group, which has forced more than two million people to flee their homes and killed more than 40,000.

At the height of its powers in 2015, Boko Haram controlled huge areas in Borno state before being beaten back.

The fight against the militants became even more challenging after neighbouring Niger withdrew its troops from a regional force set up to tackle the jihadist group.

Boko Haram gained international notoriety in April 2014 when it kidnapped more than 270 schoolgirls from the town of Chibok, also in Borno state.

Source: BBC

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Zamfara is the epicentre of attacks by armed men, known locally as bandits, in northwest Nigeria, where gunmen have made travel and farming dangerous.

Between July 2024 and June 2025, at least 4,722 people were abducted, according to SBM Intelligence.

The attackers stormed the village of Gamdum Mallam in Adafka, Bukkuyum, around midday on Saturday, riding dozens of motorbikes and firing indiscriminately, according to village head Muhammadu Mai Anguwa.

“They killed and kidnapped many women and children, and took them towards Makakari forest,” he told Reuters.

Huzaifa Isa, a resident of Gamdum Mallam, said the assailants split into two groups. “One group was kidnapping people and livestock, while the other set up a roadblock at Adafka’s main entrance, shooting at anyone who tried to pass,” he said.

“We were being treated like slaves in our own land, as if there is no government.”

Local lawmaker Hamisu Faru confirmed the incident by phone. “At least 100 people have been abducted since Saturday morning,” Faru said.

“The bandits attacked Nasarawa Burkullum under heavy rain, crossed the river into nearby villages, and abducted 46 more people in Ruwan Rana village.”

Residents say they fear further attacks as the armed group is reportedly attempting to cross into the forest boundary again.

Zamfara police didn’t immediately respond to requests for comments.

Source: Reuters

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Speaking at the Future Energy Conference (FEC), hosted by the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), Mr. Jinapor said the proposed framework aims to strengthen regional energy security and deepen West African integration.

“We believe we can work together. Ghana takes gas from Nigeria, generates power, and re-exports. We are in discussions to see if we can create a barter arrangement where we take their gas, convert it into power, and supply electricity back to Nigeria in the spirit of West African cooperation,” he explained.

He highlighted Ghana’s growing role in regional power integration, noting that the country already supplies electricity to Togo, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, and Benin. Mr. Jinapor also confirmed that Ghana’s nuclear energy program remains part of plans to establish a reliable base-load supply for the subregion.

The Future Energy Conference, ACEP’s annual flagship event, brings together governments, multilateral institutions, private sector actors, academics, and civil society to discuss governance, innovation, and policies needed to close Africa’s energy access gap. This year’s edition, themed “Financing Africa’s Energy Future: Unlocking Investments for Energy Access and Economic Transformation,” focused on mobilising investments to tackle energy poverty and accelerate the continent’s economic transformation.

Source: MyJoyOnline

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“I wanted my dress to stop people in their tracks.”

The 18-year-old from Florida, who has Haitian and Dominican roots, wore a black garment made from a sequined and beaded lace fabric, which is commonly used in traditional Yoruba designs for events where people want to wear matching clothes.

“I didn’t just want a dress,” Brianna tells the BBC.

“I wanted a story I could wear – something that said: ‘This is who I am, and this is where my roots run.'”

High-school proms in the US are a rite of passage – long-idealised in countless coming-of-age movies – and are an opportunity for some to make a statement about identity and fashion.

The event is more than a party, it is a spectacle: part red carpet; part social milestone and for many young women – a powerful moment of self-expression.

But when Brianna made a TikTok video of herself in her African prom gown, she did not expect the reaction she got – it went viral and her post now has more than 1.1 million views.

This reflects a growing interest that has driven demand for custom-made outfits with bold designs and unique embellishments.

What began as a TikTok and Instagram trend – with people like Brianna flaunting their garments – has led to a booming business that links fashion designers in Africa to young people outside the continent.

The average price for an African-made prom dress ranges from $600 to $1,000 (£440 to £740), depending on the complexity of the design, fabric choice and added details. Custom luxury pieces can exceed $1,500.

This may sound expensive but is much cheaper than having a garment custom made in the US – where the cost starts at around $3,500 and can go much higher depending on the designer and materials.

The BBC spoke to five fashion designers in Nigeria and Ghana who, in all, fulfilled more than 2,800 orders for prom dresses during the 2025 season, most of them bound for the US.

Designer Shakirat Arigbabu and her team, based in south-western Nigerian city of Ibadan, were responsible for 1,500 of those.

She has carved out a niche for herself even though the prom tradition is not popular in her country.

“Ninety-eight per cent of dresses we made went to the US. We were working in shifts, just to meet deadlines,” Ms Arigbabu says.

Her business, Keerah’s Fashion Cave, employs 60 full-time staff and at least 130 contract staff have been brought in during peak periods.

In 2019, when she had her first major prom order, she had 50 dresses to deliver. By 2024, the orders passed 500, and this year that figure trebled.

Even though for the wearers of the gowns, post-prom may be a chance to bask in the afterglow of June’s event, those making them are back at work.

Every July, Ms Arigbabu’s team of tailors start preparing for next year: corset bases are cut; silhouettes are sketched; fabrics are sourced.

“It’s not seasonal anymore – it’s an entire cycle. Prom consumes everything,” she says excitedly.

Business has also boomed for designer Victoria Ani and her workshop in Uyo, south-eastern Nigeria. She says she has shipped more than 200 gowns to New York, New Jersey and California.

She began tapping into this market in 2022 and now has a team of eight. A single gown takes three to seven days to complete, depending on the design, she says.

Ms Ani believes choosing an African designer is a cultural statement.

“They say there is this pride when they can say: ‘My dress came from Nigeria,'” she says. “We had about three clients who won ‘best dressed’, and two who were prom queens.”

Popular styles include corseted bodices, high slits, feathered trains, detachable capes and beaded sleeves. Some are inspired by Met Gala themes, Yoruba bridal looks or Afrofuturist aesthetics.

“We get requests like ‘Coachella queen’ or ‘Cinderella but African,'” says Accra-based Ghanaian designer Efua Mensah, adding that the prom season has become a reliable sales cycle for businesses like hers.

Nian Fisher, 17, from Miami in Florida, describes the experience as “unique”.

She found her designer on Instagram, drawn to their 200,000-strong following and “work ethic that goes above and beyond, they don’t do the bare minimum”.

All arrangements were made over WhatsApp, including a live video call where a tailor in Nigeria guided her and her mum through taking measurements.

“They made sure every number was perfect so my dress would fit like a glove,” she says.

When the emerald gown arrived, “everyone was amazed”, Nian says.

“The veil dragged across the floor, the fabric was heavy, and people kept saying: ‘Wow… a beautiful black queen.'”

Her mother, Tonya Haddly, admits she was nervous about ordering from abroad.

“But when I saw that train flowing from her head to the floor and catching the light, I knew instantly this was not made in America.”

Social media has been a meeting place for US teenagers and African fashion designers who are taking advantage of the market opportunity.

When Memphis high schooler Trinity Foster, 18, went searching for a prom dress, she wanted something “rare to see” in the US and found it on TikTok from a Lagos-based designer.

Even though she had never worn a super-formal gown before – only loose sundresses – Trinity trusted the designer’s guidance, settling on a fitted look with “at least one over-the-top piece”.

The two-week process was smooth, the vacuum-sealed package nerve-wracking to open, but inside was a perfectly fitting gown that made her feel like “like Tiana” on prom night – referring to Disney’s first African-American princess.

“I was super excited… happy we didn’t have to send it back or anything,” she says.

Her Instagram post drew sweet comments, curious questions and more than a few people asking who made it.

The hashtag #AfricanPromDress now has more than 61 million views on TikTok.

“Instagram brings the sales,” Ms Arigbabu says. “TikTok brings the fame.”

For the Nigerian designer, most orders come through Instagram DMs, after potential clients have browsed photos of dresses tagging her brand and then get in touch.

But social media also brings complications.

Ms Arigbabu recalls a few frustrated clients who went public with their complaints instead of contacting her directly: “One girl said: ‘I don’t want it resolved – I want to go viral.'”

Efua Mensah, a designer in Accra, who shipped 404 dresses to the US this year, says: “Sometimes, dresses arrive late because of customs issues or courier backlog.”

Sometimes, they are simply overwhelmed. “There are days we are working 20 hours fixing one gown while packaging another,” she says.

Still, designers say most clients are satisfied – often filming detailed unboxing videos, tagging the brand and helping to fuel visibility and a surge in orders.

African designers who spoke to the BBC said that US prom dress orders accounted for a big chunk of their annual revenue – in one case up to 25%.

With Ms Arigbabu’s team in Ibadan already preparing for next year’s prom season, she says for the first time she will not have to lay off temporary staff.

However, the new 15% US tariff for goods imported from Nigeria presents an immediate challenge.

“The tariff will increase the cost… making them less competitive in the US market,” the designer says.

While the higher price may reduce sales, she says she is considering making small adjustments, cutting costs, improving efficiency and exploring alternative markets to stay competitive without overburdening her customers.

“Of course, I’m worried,” she admits, reflecting the wider anxiety among Nigerian businesses navigating US President Donald Trump’s trade policy shift.

Another big change will be that instead of operating on the old model, where each dress was crafted only after an order, she plans to transition to a ready-to-wear system, with garments being available to ship immediately.

Affordability is also a key issue – and while cheaper than buying an equivalent piece in the US, a prom dress requires significant financial resources.

As the market is growing in sophistication so are the ways to pay, with designers starting to use online payment plans to spread the cost.

Looking back, Brianna says the price tag was worth it as prom was everything she had hoped for since she was little.

“I reminisce about prom a lot – it’s something girls dream about since childhood.

“Honestly, if my nails were ugly, my make-up was disgusting, and my hair wasn’t cute, as long as I was in that dress, I was fine.”

Source: BBC

The announcement by Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday comes as the country steps up a crackdown on online scam operations, which lured victims through online romances to hand over cash for fake cryptocurrency investments.

EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale later told the AFP news agency that another group of 39 Filipinos, 10 Chinese and two people from Kazakhstan had also been deported since August 15.

More deportations were also scheduled in the coming days, he added.

The anticorruption agency released pictures of Asian men wearing surgical face masks, lined up at airport check-in counters.

The deportees were among 792 suspected cybercriminals arrested in a single operation in the affluent Victoria Island area of Lagos in December. At least 192 of those arrested were foreign nationals, of whom 148 were Chinese, the EFCC said.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, has a reputation for internet fraudsters known in local slang as “Yahoo Boys”, and the EFCC has busted several hideouts where young crime suspects learn online scamming skills.

According to the agency, foreign gangs recruit Nigerian accomplices to find victims online through phishing scams. The attackers typically try to deceive victims into transferring money or revealing sensitive information such as passwords to accounts.

The scams target mostly Americans, Canadians, Mexicans and Europeans, the EFCC said.

Experts say the fraudulent investment schemes used by cyber-scammers have become increasingly sophisticated and dynamic as they leverage the latest technologies and digital tools.

The schemes ultimately leave victims – many of whom invest their savings, business capital, and borrowed money – unable to do anything but watch their hard-earned money disappear.

Experts also warn that foreign “cybercrime syndicates” have set up shop in Nigeria to exploit its weak cybersecurity systems.

Source: Aljazeera.com

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The command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, disclosed in a statement in Uyo on Wednesday that the victims were rescued from a compound in Obio Etoi village, Uyo LGA, following a formal request for assistance from the Ghana Police Service and INTERPOL.

She said operatives, acting on credible information, surrounded the well-fenced building at approximately 4:17 p.m. on Monday, August 18, 2025. The raid led to the rescue of 10 males and 10 females (names withheld), all confirmed to be Ghanaian nationals.

The statement read:
“On August 18, 2025, operatives of the command successfully rescued 20 Ghanaians trafficked to Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. The human trafficking victims were rescued from a compound in Obio Etoi village after an operation that was a collaborative effort following a formal request for assistance from the Ghana Police Service and INTERPOL. Acting on credible information, operatives surrounded a well-fenced building at approximately 1617 hours on Monday.”

DSP John said that after the rescue, the victims appeared disoriented and unable to provide useful information, leading investigators to suspect they might have been hypnotised.

“Investigation is ongoing, and further developments will be communicated to the public as they become available,” the statement added.

Source: Punch.ng

In its 2025 Annual DNA Testing Report released this week, the Lagos-based genetic testing company disclosed that 25 per cent of paternity tests conducted between July 2024 and June 2025 showed that the presumed fathers were not biologically related to the children in question.

Though slightly lower than 2024’s 27 per cent, the figure highlights what the firm calls a “worrying and consistent trend.”

“These findings are not just about science; they tell us something profound about trust, relationships, and the legal and economic realities of Nigerian families today,” said Operations Manager at Smart DNA, Elizabeth Digia.

“Our role is to provide certainty through accurate testing while encouraging sensitive handling of the life-changing information our clients receive.”

The report noted that firstborn children, especially sons, were significantly more likely to have negative paternity test results, with firstborn boys recording a staggering 64 per cent exclusion rate, far higher than later-born siblings.

It also revealed that immigration-related DNA testing surged to 13.1 per cent of all tests, a direct result of Nigeria’s escalating emigration wave, popularly dubbed the “Japa” phenomenon. This marks a sharp increase from previous years as more families seek documentation for foreign relocation.

“Many of our clients are dual-citizenship families processing DNA documentation for children, often as part of long-term emigration plans,” the report noted.

Another key finding was that 88.2 per cent of all paternity tests were initiated by men, with only 11.8 per cent coming from women. Older men, particularly those aged 41 and above, accounted for nearly half (45.5 per cent) of all tests, suggesting financial stability plays a major role in initiating paternity verification.

Children between ages 0 and 5 made up the majority of those tested, at 58.6 per cent, up from 54 per cent in the previous year.

According to analysts, this shows a growing trend of parents seeking early clarity to avoid future complications.

While Lagos State still accounted for the bulk of DNA testing (69 per cent), the report shows a shift in demand from the Mainland to the Island. Lekki (20.3 per cent), Yaba (15.8 per cent), Ajah and Ikorodu (10.5 per cent each), and Surulere and Ikeja (9 per cent each) ranked as top testing hubs.

Ethnic distribution of clients showed a continued dominance by Yoruba families (53 per cent), followed by Igbo (31.3 per cent).

Hausa participation remained minimal at 1.2 per cent, suggesting significant cultural differences in attitudes toward paternity testing.

A vast majority—83.7 per cent—of DNA tests were done for “peace of mind” rather than legal requirements, with court-mandated tests accounting for just 1.4 per cent.

The gender of tested children also revealed cultural leanings: 53.8 per cent were male, pointing to continued emphasis on verifying male lineage for reasons possibly linked to inheritance and family name preservation.

The report calls for urgent legal reform, noting Nigeria lacks specific laws addressing paternity fraud, unlike countries such as South Africa. It also recommends that public health policies integrate DNA testing into family planning and premarital counselling frameworks.

“We’re seeing more people come forward with doubts they’ve harboured for years,” Digia said. “Some of these cases involve emotional trauma and even financial exploitation. A policy framework is overdue.”

Smart DNA emphasised that its report is based on anonymised data from real cases and does not represent the general population. “Our figures reflect those who already had reason to question paternity, and as such, the results should not be extrapolated to all Nigerian families,” the firm explained.

Source: Vanguardngr.com

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The passengers were travelling to Goronyo market, a popular food produce market in the state, when the boat capsized. Ten people have been rescued, Zubaidar Umar, the head of the National Emergency Management Agency, said in a statement on the social media platform X.

The agency said it is collaborating with local authorities and emergency responders in a search and rescue operation to locate the missing persons.

Three weeks ago, at least 13 people died and dozens more were missing after a boat ferrying around 100 passengers capsized in Niger State, in north-central Nigeria.

Source: Reuters

Davido and his wife, Chioma, lost their three-year-old son in October 2022 after he drowned in a swimming pool at their Banana Island residence in Lagos.

In a recent interview with ABC News’ Rocsi Diaz, the singer described the incident as life-changing, saying it gave him a deeper perspective on resilience and purpose.

He added that the strength he and his wife showed during the difficult period has inspired many, with several people approaching him to thank him for encouraging them to stay strong in their own hardships.

The host asked, “Having to go through the loss of your son at that period, being able to step away and look back into your career, gave you a refocus and reappreciation of how you wanted to move going forward.”

Davido responded, “Of course, it changed my life. I know how many people who randomly come to me at the airport to tell me how my strength has inspired them in hard times. I was telling my wife the other day that I’m proud of how we bounced back. Now, we got twins. They are big and shouting everywhere. For us to be able to go through the loss of our son and be able to bounce back in a major way is huge.”

Source: Vanguardngr

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The decision was announced by the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, the Most Reverend Henry Ndukuba, who described the development as ‘an abomination’ and a serious departure from biblical truth.

The announcement came during the opening session of the 14th Church of Nigeria Conference of Chancellors, Registrars and Legal Officers, held on Tuesday at the Church’s national secretariat in Abuja.

With the theme ‘Called as a Watchman’, the event brought together legal minds from across the Church to discuss matters of doctrinal integrity, justice, and governance.

Primate Ndukuba delivered the keynote address titled ‘The Decade of the Reign of God: Progress, Challenges, and Prospects.’

Reacting to the Church in Wales’ elevation of a lesbian bishop, the Primate said, “We reject the election of the Right Reverend Cherry Vann as the Archbishop of Wales.”

He compared it to the 2003 consecration of Gene Robinson in the Episcopal Church (USA), which had also led to Nigeria severing ties with that province.

“Just as the Church of Nigeria took steps after the election of Gene Robinson in the United States, we are severing every tie and relationship with the Church of Wales,” he said.

Primate Ndukuba also criticised what he described as the growing influence of revisionist teachings within sections of the Western Church.

“These individuals have not relented from their evil agenda; rather, they have intensified it. What they call their wisdom and culture is an abomination to God,” he declared.

Despite cutting formal ties with the Church in Wales, the Church of Nigeria reaffirmed its support for orthodox Anglicans in the region through platforms such as the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON).

“We pray that the Church of God in Wales will rise up, and that the faithful among them will stand strong. We, the Church of Nigeria, alongside GAFCON, will stand with them,” Ndukuba assured.

Looking ahead, the Primate said the Church of Nigeria plans to expand its global mission, with new registrations underway in countries like Germany, the Netherlands, and Finland.

“We feel that the Lord is calling us back to Europe for mission,” he said.

The Primate also used the opportunity to highlight the Church’s ongoing contributions to the GAFCON movement.

He revealed that the Church of Nigeria had recently contributed $2.5 million to the GAFCON Endowment Fund and was planning a local Nigerian GAFCON Endowment worth $2.3 million to support orthodox Anglican work and mission.

On constitutional and legal matters, Ndukuba urged legal officers to strengthen the Church’s internal reforms and national engagement.

“You are to understand yourselves to be watchmen for the Church. You defend the Church against all forms of aggression. As modern-day watchmen, we must first listen to God, then speak His truth in love, knowing our duty lies in obedience,” he said, calling on legal professionals to support the Church’s constitutional review and advocate for a new Nigerian constitution.

Source: Vanguard Nigeria

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Confirming the arrests, the Command’s spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, said the incident was reported on July 30, 2025, by one Mr. Innocent, a resident of Jikwoyi Phase II.

According to her, Mr. Innocent informed the Jikwoyi Police Division that his 16-year-old daughter, Miss Lead Way Innocent, had left home on July 18, 2025, to sit for an examination at Government Secondary School, Karu, Abuja, but never returned.

He later received a phone call from unknown persons demanding a ransom for her release.

“Upon receipt of the report, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Jikwoyi Division immediately launched a discreet investigation,” SP Adeh stated.

“Through coordinated intelligence gathering and digital tracking, the phone number used to contact the complainant was traced to a residence in Jikwoyi Phase II. Operatives proceeded to the location, where Miss Lead Way Innocent was found in the company of one Mrs. Tina Mayowa, the wife of Mr. Mayowa Adedeji. The two were seen eating and conversing freely, showing no signs of distress.”

Further investigations led to the arrest of Miss Joy Innocent, elder sister of the alleged victim, and her boyfriend, Mr. Mayowa Adedeji.

Police findings revealed that Joy conspired with her boyfriend—who is legally married to Mrs. Tina Mayowa—to fake the kidnapping of her younger sister in a calculated attempt to defraud their father.

It was also discovered that Lead Way Innocent was not only aware of the plan but actively participated in it. She willingly stayed with the suspects throughout the period of her supposed abduction, while Joy remained at home, pretending to be unaware of her sister’s whereabouts, as their father frantically tried to raise the ransom.

The suspects are currently in custody and assisting the police with further investigations.

There is a music section with a set of drums. Sash-wearing church wardens move around to enforce order.

But it is also different. For hours, the only sounds are exclamations and thunderous bursts of drums, with their vibrations the cues for when to pray, kneel or respond to the preacher’s calls for “Hallelujah.”

This is a church for deaf people in Somolu, a mixed-income suburb, where about 50 to 60 people worship weekly.

Imoh Udoka, a father of two children, has attended the church for 36 years. He was 9 years old when he contracted meningitis, losing his hearing as well as access to his faith. Most churches in Nigeria do not have accommodation for deaf people.

Then Udoka, now a teacher of sign language, discovered the church via community outreach. “Here in this church, we have access to worship God in our sign language,” he told The Associated Press.

‘God also understands us’

Remi Akinrenmi is one of the pastors. Every Sunday, he mounts the pulpit with charismatic energy to preach in sign language. His big frame makes for a commanding presence.

On one Sunday, he preached about the sinister consequences of jealousy. On another, he preached the importance of faith. Attendees waved their hands above their heads in response to “Praise the Lord.”

Most important for Akinrenmi is that members see the church as a community.

“There was no community for us before the deaf church started,” he said. “Now, we see each other and say, ‘Oh, you are deaf, too. I am also deaf.’ And we are now together and have formed a community.”

God understands every language, he said: “With sign language, God also understands us.”

Disability advocates say that in the absence of inclusive churches and institutions, churches like this and a handful of affiliates in southern Nigeria are crucial, especially in African societies where the perception of people with disabilities is influenced by traditional beliefs. Some see a disability as a divine punishment.

“An exclusive space like this church offers them an opportunity for a safe space to be able to connect and relate,” said Treasures Uchegbu, founder of Speaking Fingers, a sign language advocacy group in Lagos. “They can say, ‘I am not a deaf person just standing alone, I have other deaf people around.’”

How the church came to be

The church organises evangelism outreach programs to other deaf communities in Lagos. It also runs a teaching unit for sign language, a vital tool for understanding the world better, according to Akinrenmi.

Hearing children of church members also attend the classes to better relate to their parents and others, and some hearing students attend church services for immersion learning.

The church started in 1956 in colonial Nigeria as the Christian Mission for Deaf Africans. In today’s Nigeria, an estimated 10 million people out of the population of 220 million are deaf or have difficulty hearing.

There is limited infrastructure in Nigeria for people with disabilities, and laws to improve their welfare and prevent discrimination are barely enforced. Efforts by advocates to push for more inclusive legislation have not materialised. They blame a lack of political will.

Oluwakemi Oluwatoke-Ogunjirin, a 49-year-old worker with the Lagos state government, was born deaf. She attended hearing churches with her family, but always felt lost.

Depending solely on public infrastructure in other parts of life, she struggles to get by. But at the church, she said, she has found a community where she can feel safe and understood.

“The church goes beyond faith; we have people like ourselves that we can talk to as friends,” Oluwatoke-Ogunjirin said.

With the church’s help, she has improved her sign language and can communicate widely, breaking the isolation she grew up with.

“The sign language makes life very easy for us,” she said. “It helps us communicate beyond the church.”

Delivering judgment on Thursday, July 31, 2025, Justice Hannah Ajayi acquitted four other defendants—Ahmed Abdulwasiu, Jamiu Uthman, Suleiman Muyideen, and Abdulrahman Jamiu—of all charges, stating that there was no evidence linking them to the crime.

Bello was found guilty of luring Hafsoh Lawal to his residence on February 10, 2025, under the guise of a romantic relationship, only to kill and dismember her body.

Justice Ajayi described the act as “cruel, wicked, and an extreme display of human wickedness.” She stated that evidence presented during the trial proved that the victim was killed for ritual purposes and the illegal trade of human body parts.

She also dismissed Bello’s claim of love and intention to marry the victim as a calculated ploy to deceive her.

Upon arrest, police found a cutlass believed to have been used in the murder, a bottle containing blood, the victim’s palm, and her personal belongings in Bello’s room. Other decomposed body parts were later recovered at a nearby dumpsite.

Bello was consequently sentenced to death by hanging, while the four others were discharged and acquitted.

Source: Linda Ikeji Blog

In recent years, criminal gangs in the region, known in the country as bandits, have taken to kidnapping people as a means to raise money.

In this incident, 56 people were taken from Banga village, Kauran Namoda local government area in March. The gunmen then demanded a ransom of one million naira ($655; £485) per captive, media in Nigeria report.

Local government chairman Manniru Haidara Kaura said that most of those killed were young people who “were slaughtered like rams”.

“What happened was that the bandits demanded ransom money, and after some back-and-forth, they were given what they asked for. They then released 18 people, including 17 women and one young boy, on Saturday,” Haidara added.

“Only they [the gunmen] know why they killed them. They are senseless and heartless people. They forget that they are killing their own brothers, and we will all meet before Allah.”

Residents said three pregnant women who were among the hostages gave birth while in captivity, but all the new-borns died due to lack of care.

Survivors recounted being forced to witness the brutal killing of fellow hostages before being allowed to leave the forest.

Sixteen of those released on Saturday are in hospital receiving treatment, while the bodies of the 38 killed by the bandits are unlikely to be returned as in these cases corpses are rarely released.

In a statement, the Zamfara government condemned the killings calling them “barbaric and cowardly” and declared that such atrocities added to its resolve to wipe out terrorism from the state.

“To the grieving families, we share your sorrow and pray for strength and healing. To the good people of Zamfara, remain united and vigilant. Report suspicious activities, and together, we will defeat evil.”

The government has said that the killers would be brought to justice.

In an attempt to curb the spiralling and lucrative kidnapping industry, a law was enacted in 2022 making it a crime to make ransom payments. It carries a jail sentence of at least 15 years; however, no-one has ever been arrested on those charges.

It also made abduction punishable by death in cases where victims die.

But families often feel forced to pay to save their loved ones, citing the government’s inability to ensure their safety.

BBC

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The body of the former president, accompanied by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and some family members of the late former president, landed at the airport runway at about 1:59 pm.

President Bola Tinubu and some members of Buhari’s family were on the ground to receive the remains.

The body was, thereafter, taken to Daura, the ex-president’s hometown, where he will be buried.

See photos below:

Source: ChannelsTV

Buhari, a former military ruler after a coup in the 1980s, returned to frontline politics to become the first Nigerian president to oust an incumbent through the ballot box in 2015. He was re-elected for a second term four years later.

Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima and government officials were in London on Monday to organise the repatriation of the former president’s remains.

Katsina state governor Dikko Umaru Radda said after consultation with Buhari’s family, it was agreed the body would arrive in Nigeria on Tuesday for burial the same day in his home town of Daura.

Among those who paid tribute to Buhari was Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who posted on the X platform that “his wisdom, warmth and unwavering commitment to India–Nigeria friendship stood out.”

Buhari earned a devoted following for his brand of anti-corruption conviction politics, especially in Nigeria’s largely Muslim north.

He referred to himself as a “converted democrat” and swapped his military uniform for kaftans and prayer caps.

Ibrahim Babangida, another former military ruler who toppled Buhari in a coup in 1985, said he knew Buhari as a deeply spiritual and humble man.

“We may not have agreed on everything, as brothers often don’t, but I never once doubted his sincerity or his patriotism,” Babangida said in a statement.

After leaving office in 2023, Buhari spent most of his time in Daura, away from the public eye.

His successor, Bola Tinubu, inherited a country grappling with double-digit inflation, foreign exchange shortages, economic hardship, low oil production and insecurity that had spread to most parts of Nigeria.

Buhari’s supporters, however, viewed him as Nigeria’s conscience because he had a reputation for shunning corruption and ostentatious lifestyles often associated with the country’s political elites.

To his critics, Buhari was “an absentee landlord — a leader who governed by delegation, who disappeared for long stretches (often to London for medical treatment), and whose aloofness felt like abandonment,” the local BusinessDay newspaper said.

Source: Reuters

The court ruled that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

The tragic incident occurred on 28 October 2023 at the lecturer’s residence in Gbaiko. Joy, who had been employed as a housemaid earlier that month, was introduced to the victim’s household by Pastor Ojo Peters of the Voice of Mercy Church, which both the victim and Joy’s mother attended.

During her brief stay, Joy reportedly began stealing valuables, including foreign currency. Upon discovery, Dr. Adefolalu dismissed her.

Following the dismissal, Joy allegedly conspired with two accomplices—identified as DJ Wallex and DJ Smart, who are currently at large—to attack the lecturer.

In her confession to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Joy detailed how her friends stabbed the lecturer multiple times before bludgeoning her with a wooden stool.

The attackers stole the victim’s phones, a laptop, and more foreign currency before fleeing the scene.

In delivering the judgment, the judge noted that the evidence—including Joy’s confession and in-court testimony—clearly established her role in the crime.

Although Joy was only 14 years old at the time of the offence, she was sentenced to life imprisonment, as Nigerian law prohibits the death penalty for minors.

Her two accomplices remain at large as investigations continue.

According to the figures, at least 2,266 people were killed in the first half of 2025, compared to 1,083 in the first half of 2024 and 2,194 for the full year last year.

Nigeria’s military has been stretched thin, fighting a multi-front war against Boko Haram and other insurgencies in the northeast, banditry and kidnappings in the northwest, herder attacks in the central states and secessionists in the southeast.

The situation has worsened lately, with 606 people killed last month alone, including in attacks by gunmen on the Yelewata and Dauda communities in central Benue state, where around 200 people were killed.

Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission Tony Ojukwu, disclosing the figures during a presentation in the capital, Abuja, called for urgent and decisive action from the government.

“These were not mere figures on a report; they were fathers, mothers, children, and breadwinners; families torn apart, livelihoods destroyed, and futures extinguished in moments of senseless brutality,” Ojukwu said.

The agency reported 857 people abducted in the first half of 2025, though this was a decline from 1,461 in the same period last year.

The report also noted a trend of attacks against law enforcement and local security forces, with more than 17 soldiers killed in Kaduna and Niger States and over 40 members of the Civilian Joint Task Force killed in the northwestern Zamfara state.

Source: Reuters

Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi have chosen the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as their new political home after breaking away from their respective parties – the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP).

This is one of the biggest shake-ups in Nigerian politics since the end of military rule in 1999.

Some political heavyweights from Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress (APC) party have also thrown their weight behind the formation.

Why have they joined forces?

The announcement is the culmination of a series of talks between the leaders to put up a united front in the 2027 election, rather than splitting their vote.

Tinubu won the 2023 election with just 37% of the vote after opposition supporters were divided between Abubakar who got 29%, and Obi with 25%.

Obi had broken away from the PDP after the party chose Abubakar as its presidential candidate.

At their unveiling with the ADC, interim chairman David Mark said it was an attempt to save the country’s democracy and to stop Nigeria from becoming a one-party state.

Both the PDP and LP are also battling internal crises which some believe were instigated by external forces.

Analyst Shehu Iliyasu said Abubakar and Obi are learning the lessons of the last election.

“Both Atiku [Abubakar] and Obi felt they came so close in 2023 and would have maybe won on a joint ticket so they want to amend their mistake by working together this time around,” he told the BBC.

Who else is in the ADC?

Tinubu’s biggest challengers in the last elections, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi are the face of the coalition.

Although there’s a long way to go before candidates are officially announced, political commentators are predicting that 78-year-old Abubakar will have another shot at the presidency – it would be his fifth attempt – with former Anambra governor Obi, 63, as his vice-presidential pick.

Other political heavyweights in the coalition include former Senate President David Mark, who like Atiku is leaving the PDP, along with its former chairman Uche Secondus, and former Tinubu ally turned foe Nasir El-Rufai and powerful minister in the last dispensation Rotimi Amaechi.

Is the ADC a new party?

No. The politicians are joining an already existing party which has an acronym closer to the All Democratic Alliance (ADA) they wanted to register.

The party was originally named Alliance for Democratic Change when it was formed in 2005, but it was renamed the African Democratic Congress by the time the party was registered with the Nigerian Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec).

The ADC’s Jamilu Danladi said they were sceptical of getting ADA ready in time and that is why they instead went for the ADC.

Registering a new political party is a difficult process. The Inec chairman recently announced that it had received over 100 applications from associations and groups that have submitted letters of intent to become political parties.

Many of those won’t make it, as apart from other conditions, the group must have a presence in at least 24 out of Nigeria’s 36 states and have a headquarters in Abuja.

The ADC’s Dumebi Kachikwu came fifth in the last presidential election and it currently has two members of parliament in the lower chamber.

Despite not being one of the big parties in Nigeria, the ADC has a good national spread and an active political machinery in each state, which will no doubt be boosted with the money and support of the political heavyweights who have joined it.

Its first presidential candidate in 2007 Professor Pat Utomi was instrumental in it getting national acceptance as he’s a renowned economist.

Can Obi and Abubakar work together again?

This is the question on the lips of many, as Obi’s large support base do not want to see him play second fiddle to anyone else – and this is why he quit the PDP to join the Labour Party in the last election.

Obi himself has dismissed speculation that he would be the vice-presidential candidate, while Abubakar would go for the top job.

“I’m going to contest for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and I believe I am qualified for it,” he said in an interview with Channels TV.

While Abubakar’s supporters feel with him being the only former vice-president seeking the presidency, every other politician naturally comes second.

When both politicians worked together in 2019 with Obi serving as Abubakar’s running mate, they lost to the APC’s Muhammadu Buhari.

When Obi left the PDP for LP in 2022, it was a peaceful separation without rancour.

The former governor said at the time that he was moving to LP because it aligned with his aspirations.

As if both knew fate would bring them back together, neither spoke ill of the other either before or during the 2023 campaign.

Inec provisions says the procedure for the nomination of candidates by political parties for various elective positions in the country should be through primaries or consensus.

It remains to be seen whether the ADC will be able to find a consensus or if it will have to hold a potentially divisive primary election to choose its presidential candidate.

What are their chances in 2027?

Analyst Ben Kenneth say he believes the coalition has a better chance of defeating Tinubu than last time.

“If you look at what Atiku and Obi got in the last election, it’s clear to see that they would’ve won assuming they worked together, so it’s a good thing they have realised they need each other,” he told the BBC.

However, another analyst Sani Hamisu feels 73-year-old Tinubu has a better chance now than in 2023.

“In Nigeria and Africa, when a leader is in office seeking a second term, he hardly loses, it is very rare and that’s why I feel Tinubu has a better chance now than when he wasn’t in office in 2023,” he said.

Is Tinubu going to run again?

The ruling APC has already endorsed the current president, whose tenure expires on 29 May 2027, to seek a second term.

However, questions over his health will linger as he’ll be 75 by the next election and 79 if he were to be elected and finish his second term.

Some media reports say his recent trips abroad were for medical reasons but the presidency has denied that, saying the president is healthy and in good shape.

The APC says it is not bothered by his rivals joining the ADC which it does not see as a real threat.

Acting chairman Ali Bukar Dalori told BBC Hausa the coalition would have no impact on the APC.

“Nobody is talking about a coalition except in Abuja. Even in Abuja, they are in a hotel, and when they are defeated in elections, they will leave the country,” he said.

What does this mean for the PDP and Labour Party?

The country’s biggest opposition party, the PDP had ruled out joining the ADC, preferring to face the APC on its own.

The Labour Party also called on its supporters to remain focused and resolute behind the party, denying any plans to join a coalition.

For the LP, losing Peter Obi who single-handedly raised its profile to new heights will be a huge blow, and some say it’s unlikely to recover in the near future.

The other biggest loser to the coalition is the PDP which has lost several big names.

Analyst Iliyasu Hadi believes the PDP is set to lose its status as the country’s biggest opposition party to the ADC.

“When you look at the calibre of politicians in the ADC and those remaining in the PDP, it’s clear to see that the ADC will soon become Nigeria’s main opposition party, [it’s] just a matter of time,” he said.

For the moment, neither party seems to have any other candidate of the calibre of either Abubakar or Obi.

However, they do control 11 states, which gives them a strong base, as long as those governors don’t defect to either the APC or the ADC.

Source: BBC

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Borno state police spokesperson Nahum Kenneth Daso said in a statement that a woman with an improvised explosive device strapped to her body, infiltrated a crowd at the fish market before detonating it among civilians.

Daso said those injured were taken to hospital.

Local residents said at least 30 people were injured.

Borno state is the heartland of an insurgency – primarily driven by the Islamist armed group Boko Haram – that has been raging for the past 16 years, killing thousands and displacing at least 2 million people, according to aid agencies.

Additionally, 10 others were said to have sustained injuries from the explosion.

Confirming the incident, the Kano State Commissioner of Police, Adamu Ibrahim, said the suspected explosion involved an Explosive Ordnance Disposal, EOD, personnel in a military-grade mortar vehicle.

According to him, “I received a call about the incident that had happened. When I arrived, I found that it was a suspected explosion – possibly an EOD on a military mortar bomb vehicle that exploded.

“Fifteen people were affected and rushed to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital. I rushed to the place and found out that five died and 10 are receiving treatment.

“The case is under investigation, but from the information I got, the vehicle came from Yobe state.

“Preliminary findings suggest the explosive material was being transported by a trailer, but it remains unclear whether the vehicle was carrying military personnel or contractors,” Ibrahim said.

Meanwhile, at the time of filing the report, the authorities have yet to confirm the exact cause of the explosion.

The development has caused panic among residents in the state.

In the footage, female staff at Olabisi Onabanjo University in south-western Ogun State are seen touching some students’ chests as they queue to enter an examination hall.

The university has not yet commented on the video, but a student leader defended the bra policy as being part of the institution’s dress code aimed at maintaining “a distraction-free environment”.

However, he acknowledged that other ways were needed to enforce the policy that has been condemned by critics as archaic, sexist and likened to sexual assault.

A senior official at campaign group Human Rights Network told the BBC that students could sue the university for violating their rights.

“Unwarranted touches on another person’s body is a violation and could lead to legal action. The university is wrong to adopt this method to curb indecent dressing,” Haruna Ayagi said.

A student who did not want to be named told the BBC that the university enforced a strict moral code despite not being a religious institution.

She said their clothes were always being checked.

In response to the outcry, the president of the university’s students’ union, Muizz Olatunji, said on X that the university promoted “a dress-code policy aimed at maintaining a respectful and distraction-free environment, encouraging students to dress modestly and in line with the institution’s values”.

He added that the policy was not new, and the union had “engaged with the institution to explore alternative approaches to addressing indecent dressing, focusing on respectful and dignified interactions between students and staff”.

He also published the dress code, which included a ban on any clothes “capable of making the same or opposite sex to lust after the student in an indecent manner”.

The university was founded in 1982 as Ogun State University when Olabisi Onabanjo was state governor. It was renamed after him in 2001.

An internal memo from the head of the ministry’s HR department urges staff to attend a solemn prayer session and fast for the next three Mondays.

Some Nigerians have responded by questioning the government’s commitment to the task of bringing down the high cost of food.

A press release from the agriculture ministry on Saturday downplayed the issue, saying the call for prayers was not an official policy to tackle food insecurity but was intended to boost staff wellbeing.

“Just as the already existing monthly aerobic exercise and establishment of the gymnasium in the ministry are for physical fitness”, it continued, “as the regular medical check-ups of staff are for their health”.

At least 4.4 million people in Nigeria do not have enough food, according to UN estimates, with the country experiencing its worst economic crisis in a generation following policy changes brought in by the new government since 2023.

The ever-increasing price of basic food staples was one of the triggers for nationwide cost-of-living protests last year. Yams, for example, quadrupled in price from one year to the next.

Critics see the appeal for divine intervention as proof that the government is shirking its responsibility to citizens and taking a fatalistic attitude.

But officials say they have taken numerous steps to tackle the crisis, including giving farmers more than 1,000 tractors and over two million bags of fertiliser.

Exasperated reaction to the call to prayer online has ranged from people saying the ministry’s leadership should be replaced with pastors and imams, to simply saying “Nigeria is a joke”.