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DSS arrests terror suspects, US orders departure of employees
Our correspondent gathered that the two suspects said to be siblings were taken into custody on an allegation of terrorism.
This happened less than 24 hours after the United States and the United Kingdom warned of a possible terror attack in Abuja, especially targeted at government buildings, places of worship and schools, among others.
Following this development, the US government has authorised the departure of its non-essential employees and their families from Nigeria.
The US State Department announced this in its updated Nigeria travel advisory on Tuesday evening.
Residents of Trademore Estate who spoke to The PUNCH on Wednesday claimed the operation was carried out by the DSS and some foreign security operatives.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a resident disclosed that residents of the estate were practically held hostage during the operation.
He stated, “We were in our houses when our estate was locked up. They did not allow us to go out and they didn’t allow people to come in. Those that came for the operation were DSS and some American soldiers. What I heard was that they were looking for some suspected terrorists. When they finished what they were doing, all we saw was that they drove away with some people from the estate.”
Also, a message on the estate’s Whatsapp platform sighted on Wednesday by one of our correspondents urged residents to be vigilant and ensure they know their neighbours.
It partly read, “It’s no longer news that there was a high-powered sting operation in Phase 3 this afternoon, culminating in a complete shutdown of our estate. A combination of the American Army and our DSS team were responsible.
“We are unable to give full details of the reason(s) behind the operation; however, we can confirm that there was an allegation of terrorist activities. It is therefore desperately incumbent on every resident to remain vigilant, know your neighbours and report any suspicious movement, person or activities to the exco, street reps and/or the police.
‘’We will continue to do our utmost best to keep the estate safe for all of us. Everyone is responsible for security and there should be no iota of abdication of this responsibility.”
When contacted, the Chairman of the Estate, Adewale Adenaike, confirmed the security operation but declined further comment.
He said, “I can confirm to you that DSS personnel and foreign soldiers visited our estate. You can contact them to get the details of what happened. Let me, however, use this medium to urge residents to be calm and vigilant. The rumours of a planned attack on the estate are not true.”
Force spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, told one of our correspondents that, “All diplomatic corps in Nigeria are protected by the police, and operatives also protect the embassies. In fact, before now, we have deployed armoured personnel carriers to protect the US Embassy and others. Interestingly, the embassies are strategically located in the Diplomatic Drive and well-fortified.”
Meanwhile, the US in an advisory on Tuesday said, “On October 25, 2022, the Department authorised the departure of non-emergency US government employees and family members due to the heightened risk of terrorist attacks.
“The US Embassy Abuja continues to have limited ability to provide emergency assistance to US citizens in Nigeria. The US Consulate in Lagos is providing all routine and emergency services to US citizens in Nigeria.”
Despite the security concerns, schools in Abuja have not been shut down, the Publicity Secretary of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, Abuja Municipal Area Council, Paul Edoh, has confirmed.
It was learnt that some parents had requested the immediate closure of schools in Abuja until the situation was brought under control.
However, Edoh explained, “Schools have not been closed down, except for schools within areas like Bwari; not all schools, but schools in the hinterland. But the Federal Government has been able to see how to curtail that and the employment of local vigilante groups has also helped in stamping out the situation.
‘’Private schools within that area are always living in fear. Public schools are more prone to attack. The security beef-up around the schools in Abuja is at zero level. I can boldly tell you that you will hardly see security patrol in some local areas.”
‘’Given the current security situation, and the foreign embassies’ declaration, or perhaps order, it has adversely affected private schools within the Abuja environs. Now some staff of these embassies have withdrawn their children from the top big schools in Abuja here,’’ he disclosed.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government on Wednesday said citizens and non-citizens alike are safe in Nigeria.
The United Kingdom rejected at least 1,344,595 Nigerian visa applications between 2005 and the first quarter of 2026, official Home Office data reveals.
The rejection rate places Nigeria second globally in total visa refusals, behind only India and ahead of Pakistan and China, among others, as Nigerians alone accounted for 44.4 per cent of all UK visa rejections across Africa in the period.
Over the 21-year period, the UK also granted 2,723,558 visas to Nigerians, making it the third-highest total issued to any nationality in the world, behind only India and China.
The data showed that Nigeria was the largest single recipient of UK entry clearance visas in Africa, ahead of South Africa (1,638,538) and Egypt (695,606).
The figures are drawn from the UK Home Office’s entry clearance visa outcomes datasets, covering the first quarter of 2005 through the first quarter of 2026, obtained by The PUNCH from the UK government’s immigration system statistics data tables published in 2026.
The dataset covers all decisions across visitor, study, work, family, and other visa routes.
For Nigeria, the cumulative refusal rate over the 21-year period stood at 33.1 per cent, more than double the UK’s global average of 14.8 per cent.
Of the approximately 4.09 million Nigerian applications submitted, 4,068,153 received issued or refused decisions.
Nigeria’s 1.34 million refusals accounted for 15.2 per cent of all 8,829,638 UK visa refusals worldwide.
Over the two decades, approximately one in every seven UK visa rejections went to a Nigerian applicant, even as Nigerians submitted just 6.8 per cent of all global applications.
Visitor visas dominated both the grants and the rejections. Of the 1,344,595 refused applications for Nigerians, 1,127,088, or 83.8 per cent, fell in the visitor category, which carried a 37.1 per cent refusal rate over the full period.
Study visa rejections totalled 130,712 at a 20.5 per cent rate, work visa rejections amounted to 41,410 at 16 per cent, and family refusals were 12,217.
In 2025, visitor visa refusals alone stood at 66,143, against 105,039 issued, at a 38.6 per cent rejection rate.
By the first quarter of 2026, 13,779 visitor visa applications had already been refused at 37.5 per cent.
The period with the sharpest refusal rate was the mid-2000s, where, in 2006, the UK turned down 117,968 Nigerian applications, a rate of 49.6 per cent.
Refusals had also reached 111,058 in 2005 at a 44.4 per cent rate.
The numbers improved over the ensuing decade, with the refusal rate falling to 26.2 per cent in 2011 and eventually reaching its recent low of 21 per cent in 2023, when a post-pandemic surge drove a record 281,658 visa grants to Nigerian applicants.
It was the highest single-year total in the dataset, preceded by 249,332 grants in 2022.
However, the high acceptance rate did not last. In April 2024, the UK raised the minimum salary threshold for Skilled Worker visas from £26,200 to £38,700, a 48 per cent increase, and restricted dependent visa rights for students and care workers, which cut application volumes.
Nigeria’s work visa applications fell by about 68 per cent in 2024 after the salary threshold review rendered many previously qualifying roles ineligible, according to analysis by immigration research firm Intelpoint.
In 2024, 77,706 Nigerians were refused at a rate of 33.5 per cent, and in 2025, 77,571 were refused at 33.1 per cent.
By the first quarter of 2026, 16,692 had been refused at 35.4 per cent, higher than either of the preceding two full years.
In Africa, Nigeria topped the list of nationalities with the most UK visa rejections.
Of the 3,027,198 total UK visa refusals for all African nationalities over the period, Nigeria’s 1,344,595 constituted 44.4 per cent.
Ghana ranked second among African countries with 374,108 refusals at a 40.5 per cent rate, followed by Algeria (191,903 refusals at 41.7 per cent rate), Egypt (134,055 at 16.2 per cent rate), Zimbabwe (102,246 at 26 per cent rate), Morocco (93,722 at 22.2 per cent rate), Kenya (75,973 at 18.8 per cent rate), Uganda (64,759 at 34.9 per cent rate), South Africa (61,521 at 3.6 per cent rate), and Sudan (59,069 at 31 per cent rate).
Across all nationalities, the UK processed 60,063,475 visa applications between 2005 and Q1 2026, issuing 50,873,344 and refusing 8,829,638.
African applicants submitted 11,433,508 of those visa requests, making up nine per cent of the global total, yet received 3,027,198 refusals, representing 34.3 per cent of all UK rejections worldwide.
African nations accounted for nearly double the share of applications, yet generated only about half the volume of refusals.
Nigeria alone submitted 35.7 per cent of all African applications and claimed 32.7 per cent of all UK visas issued to Africans.
The UK entry clearance visa system requires citizens of non-exempt countries, including Nigeria, to obtain formal permission before arrival.
Under the points-based immigration framework introduced in 2008 and expanded after Brexit, applicants must demonstrate financial solvency, genuine intent to visit, and sponsorship for work and study routes.
Visitor visa decisions, which remain the most contested category, depend on entry clearance officers’ assessment of financial evidence and the applicant’s ties to their home country.
These criteria, reports say, have historically led to higher refusal rates among applicants from economies classified as high-emigration risk.
In the year ending September 2025, Nigerians ranked among the top five nationalities submitting asylum claims after entering the UK on a valid visa.
The Home Office said this pattern has led it to tighten controls on its visa and asylum grants to Nigerians.
Speaking to our correspondent, a former Nigerian Ambassador to Singapore, Ogbole Amedu-Ode, said the inclination to leave the country largely stems from Nigeria’s struggling economy, with many citizens taking the Japa route.
He argued that the japa trend may only be reduced by significant economic improvement in the nation.
“The urge to travel out of the country is, in itself, primarily a function of the performance of our national economy. The economic doldrums have pushed compatriots into Japa mode.
“The trend may, unfortunately, increase until there’s a turnaround in the performance of the national economy,” the ex-diplomat noted.
He said while the number of visa rejections is worrisome, the sheer volume of approvals balances it out.
Amedu-Ode added, “Even then, the simultaneous increase in approvals and rejection is a function of the spike in the number of our compatriots applying to travel to that zone of the world.”
According to a statement issued on Saturday by the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, the reshuffle is part of efforts to strengthen national security and improve operational effectiveness across the country.
The statement added that the postings affected field commanders, school commandants and principal staff officers at the Army Headquarters.
It noted that the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, approved the strategic redeployment of senior officers, saying the move was aimed at enhancing the Army’s capacity to address emerging security challenges.
Under the new appointments, Major General WM Dangana has been named the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Division Nigerian Army and Commander of Joint Task Force Operation ENDURING PEACE, replacing Major General EF Oyinlola.
Similarly, Major General EI Okoro has been appointed GOC 6 Division Nigerian Army and Land Component Commander of Joint Task Force South-South Operation DELTA SAFE, succeeding Major General EE Emeka.
The statement also announced the appointment of Major General JR Lar as Commander, Army Headquarters Garrison, while Brigadier General OM Oyekola will serve as Acting Military Secretary (Army). Brigadier General I Waziri retains his position as Chief of Staff in the Office of the Chief of Army Staff.
As part of efforts to strengthen operational leadership and combat readiness, Brigadier General IB Buhari was appointed Commander of Headquarters 63 Brigade, while Brigadier General K Rabiu was named Commander of Headquarters 31 Artillery Brigade.
In a move reflecting the Army’s growing emphasis on technology and emerging security threats, Major General SA Emmanuel was appointed Commander of the Nigerian Army Space Command.
Major General O Adegbe was also appointed Director of Intelligence and Security at Defence Headquarters.
In the area of military education and institutional development, Major General KE Chigbu was appointed Deputy Commandant of the National Defence College, while Major General SD Makolo became Commandant of the Nigerian Army Armour School.
Other appointments include Major General SO Adejimi as Commandant of the Nigerian Army School of Supply and Transport and Major General FS Etim as Chief of Training at the Headquarters Training and Doctrine Command, Nigerian Army (TRADOC).
Brigadier General U Ahmad has also been appointed Commandant of Depot Nigerian Army, Zaria.
The reshuffle further saw Major General KO Ukandu appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Post Housing Development Limited, while Major General AI Allison was named Managing Director of Defence Properties Limited.
The statement added, “The COAS charged the newly appointed senior officers to justify the confidence reposed in them by demonstrating exemplary leadership, professionalism, innovation and unwavering commitment to the Nigerian Army’s constitutional mandate of defending Nigeria’s sovereignty, protecting its territorial integrity and supporting civil authority in maintaining peace and security across the nation.
“The Nigerian Army remains resolute in its transformation drive and commitment to building a highly professional, combat-ready and people-oriented force capable of effectively addressing contemporary and future security challenges in pursuit of Nigeria’s national security objectives.”
The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has come under criticism on social media after encouraging Nigerians to consider small-scale businesses such as selling akara, roasted corn and kuli-kuli, saying they require little capital to start.
Tinubu spoke while addressing State House Correspondents after the Renewed Hope Initiative’s second-quarter meeting with wives of state governors, held at the State House, Abuja, on Wednesday.
She stated this while highlighting the efforts of the Renewed Hope Initiative to support vulnerable Nigerians through grants and other interventions.
According to her, beneficiaries of the initiative were given grants, not loans, to enable them to start businesses.
“We’re trying to give hope, and to start Akara business doesn’t take a lot of money. To start roasting corn, or somebody even said kuli kuli doesn’t take much. We didn’t give them a loan; we gave it to them as a grant.
“So we’ve encouraged Nigerians as best as we could. What is within our hands, I have given, and I keep giving,” she said.
The First Lady said the initiative had also supported interventions in healthcare, agriculture, education and social investment.
She said she donated N2bn to tackle tuberculosis, N1bn for breast cancer interventions and N500m to address malnutrition.
“I remember giving for TB. When I heard there were so many TB cases, I gave N2 billion. To breast cancer, I gave a billion. For food malnutrition, I gave half a billion.
“So those are the things we’ve been doing and making sure we can make sure that whatever this government is trying to do, it will see the light of day,” she stated.
Tinubu added that the initiative had also provided scholarships, ICT training and support for agriculture and social investment programmes.
She urged Nigerians not to lose hope despite the country’s economic challenges.
“The narrative has really changed, has changed to challenge the average man, whereas the average man is supposed to have hope. So I like the idea that Mr President say this is the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“We have to renew our hope, and that’s how we renew our hope, you know, and that’s what I have to tell Nigerians,” she said.
The remarks, however, triggered swift backlash on social media, with many Nigerians accusing the First Lady of trivialising the economic hardship facing ordinary citizens.
A user on X, @ADCVanguard_, said the video showed “exactly how disconnected Nigeria’s ruling class has become from the reality of ordinary citizens.”
Another user, @ireteeh, contrasted the initiative with private-sector efforts, saying, “The First Lady is empowering people with akara, corn, and kuli-kuli, while an ordinary citizen with limited resources is equipping people to build thriving careers in cybersecurity.”
A user identified as Nefertiti (@firstladyship) said, “Nigerians are in big trouble. There is fire on the mountain but the people are tired of running.”
See also Fire guts Anambra timber market
However, some social media users, especially on X, defended the First Lady, insisting there was nothing wrong with encouraging Nigerians towards such businesses.
A user, @Akikanju1568901, said akara is “one of the most lucrative businesses in Nigeria,” with a low startup cost and high profit margin, adding that “akara sellers sent many kids… to universities, built houses, bought cars.”
Another user, @PemiOladapo, said, “There’s dignity in labour… these are our local snacks! People should start it and scale it!”
A user, @TossynBankz_, however, argued that the criticism was not about the businesses themselves but about timing.
“Nobody is mocking akara, roasted corn, or kuli-kuli. Those are honest businesses. The problem is that Nigerians are asking for a better economy, more jobs, and lower prices. Telling people to start selling akara in this situation just feels like the government doesn’t understand what people are going through,” the user wrote.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
Scores of buildings obstructing natural waterways in Onitsha and Ogidi are facing demolition as the Anambra State Government steps up efforts to permanently tackle flooding and erosion in the affected communities.
The affected areas are located in Onitsha North, Onitsha South and Idemili North Local Government Areas, where authorities say illegal developments have worsened recurring flood disasters.
The state government also warned land grabbers and property speculators to desist from activities that contribute to environmental degradation and undermine approved urban development plans.
The warning came during a joint inspection of flood- and erosion-prone communities in Ogidi and Onitsha by the Commissioners for Works and Infrastructure, Physical Planning and Urban Development, and Environment.
The inspection team visited several vulnerable locations, including Ogidi Market, Building Materials Market, Opi Stream, the Marine Area and Trans-Nkisi Layout, to assess the extent of damage and identify areas requiring urgent intervention.
Speaking during the inspection, the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Arc. Okey Ezeobi, said Phases Two and Three of the Ogidi Flood Control Project had been completed, while the design for Phase One was ready. He assured residents that the government was committed to providing a lasting solution to the perennial flooding in the area.
Ezeobi blamed much of the erosion damage on land grabbing, unregulated developments and alterations to approved master plans. He urged property owners to preserve designated drainage corridors and support ongoing government remediation efforts.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Barr. Chijioke Ojukwu, disclosed that investigations revealed that some traders at the Building Materials Market in Ogidi had erected plazas and shops on designated drainage channels, obstructing the natural flow of stormwater and worsening flooding.
He warned that all structures encroaching on waterways would be removed to enable the government reclaim and restore critical drainage networks in line with Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s vision of building clean, orderly and sustainable communities.
Ojukwu also expressed concern over the growing threat of gully erosion in Trans-Nkisi GRA, Onitsha, describing environmental degradation as a major challenge requiring urgent intervention and strict compliance with planning regulations.
The Commissioner for Environment, Barr. Clem Aguiyi, identified illegal construction, indiscriminate waste disposal and the destruction of vegetation that naturally controls erosion as major factors worsening flooding and erosion across the state.
He called on residents to take collective responsibility by planting erosion-control trees, protecting drainage infrastructure and supporting government initiatives aimed at achieving sustainable environmental management.
The International Human Right Protection Service (IHRPS), Anambra State Chapter, has raised concern over the plight of Nigerians allegedly stranded in South Africa amid renewed xenophobic attacks, urging the Federal Government to urgently evacuate affected citizens and provide each returnee with a N5 million resettlement package.
The group claimed that since the first evacuation flight, no further arrangements have been made to bring more Nigerians home, leaving many stranded despite continued attacks and growing fears for their safety.
It also appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, to intensify efforts to protect Nigerian citizens in South Africa and facilitate their safe return.
The organisation, in a statement signed by its Anambra State Chairman, Hon. Dr. Amb. Prince Ekwunife, and Director of Special Duties, Mr. Ikenna-Daniel Okonkwo, said many Nigerians had lost their livelihoods, sold their properties, and were living in fear following recurring xenophobic attacks. It urged the Federal Government to provide a N5 million starter package for each returnee to help them rebuild their lives.
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