Crime
Bandits launch over 50 attacks in one week As FG Spends N57.78bn on Security
The Federal Government spent N57.78bn on security-related projects and operations in the first four months of 2026, despite worsening insecurity across the country, with no fewer than 98 criminal incidents including 51 attacks and abductions recorded nationwide in just one week.
Data obtained from the Open Treasury Portal showed that the spending, which covered defence equipment procurement, security infrastructure, military barracks, police facilities and other security-related projects, represented a 127.97 per cent increase from the N25.35bn spent during the corresponding period of 2025.
The expenditure comes amid persistent attacks by terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and armed criminals across several states, raising concerns among security experts over the effectiveness of government efforts to tackle the crisis.
Analysis of the Treasury Portal data showed that N57.78bn had been spent as of April 2026 from a total security allocation of N4.66tn, indicating that only 1.24 per cent of the approved budget had been utilised within the first four months of the year.
The largest share of the expenditure, N21.39bn, was spent on defence equipment procurement, accounting for about 37 per cent of total security spending during the period.
Another N14.16bn was spent on security equipment, while N5.84bn went to the construction and provision of military barracks. The government also spent N5.17bn on police stations and barracks, N3.26bn on rehabilitation of defence equipment, N2.39bn on defence facilities and N2.16bn on repairs of military barracks.
For routine operations, N3bn was spent on security services, while N320.94m was disbursed as security votes.
However, no expenditure was recorded under the military operations budget line tagged “Operation Lafiya Dole and Other Operations of the Armed Forces,” despite a N500m provision in the 2026 budget.
Similarly, no funds had been released for the kitting of Armed Forces personnel, although N2.53bn was earmarked for the programme.
A year-on-year comparison showed that spending on defence equipment rose from N9.48bn in the first four months of 2025 to N21.39bn in 2026, while military barracks construction increased from zero to N5.84bn.
Despite the increase in spending, budget implementation remained low across most security projects, with many critical programmes recording execution rates below three per cent.
The spending figures emerged as a police security report obtained by The PUNCH revealed that at least 98 criminal incidents were recorded across Nigeria within the last seven days.
The report showed that the incidents comprised 37 homicide cases, 27 banditry attacks, 24 kidnappings, eight armed robbery incidents and two terrorism-related attacks.
The incidents were reported across Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Kebbi and several other states, involving mass abductions, attacks on rural communities and kidnappings along major highways.
Among the most disturbing incidents was the abduction of 39 residents in Zamfara State after they reportedly travelled into the Fadama Forest to negotiate peace with a notorious bandit leader, Jimo Smally.
In Katsina State, bandits blocked the Katsina-Kankara highway and intercepted a commercial vehicle carrying 11 passengers. Police later rescued nine victims, while the driver and another passenger remained missing.
Reacting to the development, security analyst, Lekan Jackson-Ojo, described the situation as the worst insecurity crisis in Nigeria’s history.
“This is the highest level of insecurity in the military and political history of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.
“It is an indirect pronouncement that Nigeria is an unsafe territory now. We are having a battered economy, and there is no economy anywhere in the world that thrives under insecurity.”
Jackson-Ojo said the country had suffered unprecedented security losses in recent months.
“During the civil war, I did not remember if a general died. In the war between Ukraine and Russia, a general has not lost his life. In the war between Iran, America and Israel, a general has not lost his life. But within the past three months, we have lost almost four generals — and there is no reprisal attack,” he stated.
The analyst also criticised the reintegration of repentant terrorists into society.
“I’ve never heard it anywhere in the world that terrorists who have terrorised, damaged and killed will be integrated back into society. To me, I think the government is totally helpless — total incapability, lack of political will. Something, or many things are wrong now,” he added.
He further lamented what he described as the political elite’s preoccupation with electoral activities rather than security challenges.
“What preoccupies our political class is campaign, campaign, campaign and campaign. This is a sad situation,” he stressed.
Another security analyst, Chidi Omeje, argued that the military remained overstretched despite increased government spending.
“The military, on their own, are completely overstretched. You can count almost over 30 terrorist operations in this country where military guys are deployed,” he said.
“One MRAP alone is almost N100 billion. If you put an aircraft in the sky to do an operation, do you know how much it costs for just one hour? By the time you put that N56 billion in dollars, it amounts to nothing.”
According to him, military operations alone would not solve Nigeria’s security challenges.
“Unless we are able to deal with the root causes, we will keep going in circles. Most of the issues are born out of bad governance, wrong prioritisation, corruption and pervasive poverty, which has made people see crime and criminality as an option for survival,” Omeje said.
He also blamed porous borders and instability across the Sahel region for worsening insecurity in Nigeria.
“From Mali to Burkina Faso to Nigeria — those places are the epicentre of terrorism. Nigeria is an attractive destination because we have porous borders and poor border management,” he stated.
Omeje urged the government to take decisive action.
“The government seems almost clueless about how to go about this matter. They are paid to find solutions — so they must find solutions,” he said.
The latest figures suggest that while the Federal Government has significantly increased security spending compared to last year, insecurity remains widespread, with violent attacks continuing across the country and a large portion of budgeted security funds yet to be utilised.
PUNCH
Two police officers have been killed after suspected armed herders ambushed the convoy of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Ayilamo, Logo Local Government Area of Benue State.
The latest attack occurred on Monday evening, barely four days after another deadly incident in the community reportedly left four policemen and seven residents dead.
Community sources said the DPO had travelled to Makurdi on official duty and was returning to Ayilamo when his entourage came under attack.
One of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the victims were among newly deployed Mobile Police officers stationed in the area.
He said the officers were attacked at about 6pm while travelling from Ayilamo to escort the DPO back to the community from Makurdi.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, DSP Peter Aondongu, said two officers attached to the DPO’s entourage were killed in the attack.
“The DPO came to Makurdi to collect some things, and while returning to Ayilamo, he was attacked and lost two of his men in the attack,” Aondongu said.
The latest incident has raised fresh concerns over the security situation in Ayilamo, where repeated attacks have resulted in casualties among security personnel and residents.
The Nigeria Police Force has placed its formations nationwide on red alert following intelligence reports of planned terrorist attacks on worship centres, schools, NYSC orientation camps and other public places.
The alert followed fresh intelligence indicating increased mobilisation of terrorist elements for possible coordinated attacks on vulnerable targets across the country.
Police authorities also reportedly received intelligence on the movement of armed elements from Katsina through Kaduna towards Plateau State.
The operational order was contained in a police wireless message dated September 13, 2026, with reference number CB: 0900/FDPS/DOPS/FHQ/ABJ/VOL38/68, issued by the Department of Operations at Force Headquarters, Abuja.
Marked “Security General” and tagged “Treat as Very Important,” the message was circulated to Assistant Inspectors-General of Police overseeing Zones 1–17, Mobile Police formations, counter-terrorism and other specialised units, as well as Commissioners of Police in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The police directed formations to intensify vigilance and take proactive measures to prevent criminal and terrorist elements from carrying out attacks.
The warning specifically highlighted places of worship, educational institutions, NYSC orientation camps and other vulnerable public locations as potential targets.
A 16-year-old boy, Favour Ayogu, who was allegedly abducted in Igboeze South Local Government Area of Enugu State, has been rescued in Onitsha, Anambra State, after his abductors reportedly abandoned him near a security checkpoint.
Ayogu was rescued on the evening of September 13, 2026, by a joint security patrol team operating along Oguta Road, Onitsha.
According to the Anambra State Police Command, the teenager was found at Ekene Junction after unidentified persons reportedly pushed him out of a black Toyota Highlander SUV close to a security checkpoint.
The patrol team immediately intervened and rescued the victim, thereby preventing what the police described as further danger to his life.
Following the rescue, the Command said it had intensified surveillance and intelligence-led operations to identify and apprehend members of the suspected criminal gang responsible for the abduction.
The police also appealed to residents of Igboeze South and Ibagwa-Aka in Enugu State who may have useful information about Ayogu or his family to contact the nearest police station or the Anambra State Police Command in Awka.
The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, commended the security personnel involved in the rescue and directed officers to sustain strategic checkpoints, intelligence-led patrols and coordinated security operations across the state.
The Command assured residents and visitors that it would continue to intensify efforts to prevent criminal elements from using Anambra as a safe haven.
At least nine passengers have been killed after gunmen opened fire on a commercial bus at Dungus Junction in Kuru community, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The attack reportedly occurred around 9:40 p.m. when the bus, which was travelling towards Jos, stopped at the junction to drop off some passengers.
Several other passengers were reportedly injured in the attack and rushed to hospitals for treatment.
Lawan Suleiman, a neighbour and teacher of one of the victims, identified the driver as Ibrahim and said three of the victims were from his community in Bukuru.
“The driver is Ibrahim and he was my student. Three of them are from our community here in Bukuru. Their bodies have been deposited at the hospital. But relatives are preparing to collect them for burial,” Suleiman said.
The bus was reportedly riddled with bullets, with bloodstains visible inside the vehicle after the attack.
Rwang Tengwong, spokesman for the Berom Youth Moulders (BYM), also confirmed the incident, saying the victims were passengers travelling to Jos when the attackers opened fire on the vehicle.
Tengwong said one of those killed was a member of Operation Rainbow.
“The incident happened around 9.40 p.m. The victims were all passengers travelling to Jos when the terrorists opened fire on the vehicle. Among those killed was a member of Operation Rainbow. It is a very sad development and we lament the loss of lives,” he said.
He added that some passengers sustained gunshot injuries and were taken to hospitals, while some of the injured reportedly later died.
The attack has raised fresh concerns over the safety of commuters travelling along the route at night amid continuing security challenges in parts of Plateau State.
As of the time of filing this report, the Plateau State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
The Enugu State Police Command has ordered an investigation into two separate incidents of alleged disruption of political gatherings in Nkanu West Local Government Area of the state.
The incidents reportedly occurred on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at Ndiuno-Obuoffia community and St. Joseph Primary School, Agbani.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Command’s spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, said the Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to thoroughly investigate the incidents and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
According to the statement, armed hoodlums allegedly disrupted a National Democratic Congress (NDC) ward meeting at Ndiuno-Obuoffia with sporadic gunshots, leaving two attendees injured.
In a separate incident at St. Joseph Primary School, Agbani, hoodlums allegedly destroyed canopies and chairs arranged for a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rally.
The police said operatives were promptly deployed to both locations after receiving reports of the incidents to prevent further breaches of peace and track down the fleeing suspects.
The Command, however, noted that neither of the political gatherings had been formally brought to the attention of the police for security coverage.
CP Giwa reiterated his warning that all political activities in the state must be conducted peacefully and in accordance with the law.
He stressed that electoral offences are punishable under the law and warned political parties, candidates, supporters and other stakeholders against violence, intimidation, destruction of property and other acts capable of disrupting public peace or the electoral process.
The Commissioner urged political parties and other stakeholders to notify the police ahead of campaigns, meetings, rallies and other political gatherings to enable the Command to make adequate security arrangements.
He assured residents that the police would continue to maintain a peaceful and secure environment for lawful political activities while dealing decisively with anyone found violating the law.
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