News
Security chiefs under fire over mass killings
The security chiefs, according to stakeholders, may have been overwhelmed or treating the problem with kid gloves.
The wave of terrorism has sparked public outrage across the country, especially with continuous killings in Plateau, Benue, Borno, and Katsina states, and the emergence of a new terror group, Mahmuda, aka the Mallam Group, in the North Central.
Mahmuda adds to growing security concerns already worsened by Boko Haram, ISWAP, Lakurawa, and other bandit and militia groups.
The security chiefs include the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa; Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla; and the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
Also in charge of security matters are the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, and the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle.
250 killed in two weeks
Within two weeks, about 250 people were reported killed in separate attacks on Plateau, Benue, Borno, Kebbi, Katsina, Abia, and Kwara states.
Reports indicated that at least 113 people were killed in Plateau State by suspected Fulani militants who invaded Zike, Kimakpa, and areas within Bokkos and Bassa local government areas of the state.
In Benue State, attacks by suspected armed herders on communities in the Ukum and Logo LGs of the state claimed 20 lives on April 17, 2025. The death toll later increased to 55 after more bodies were recovered on Sunday, April 19.
The new terror group, Mahmuda, also killed 15 vigilantes and villagers on Wednesday in an attack on Kemaanji, a community in Kaiama LG of Kwara State.
Reports showed that the group had taken control of areas within Babana and Wawa districts of Borgu LG in Niger State.
This is as some soldiers were seen in different videos accusing the authorities of not arming them with enough weapons to confront the terrorists and bandits.
Bello Turji nightmare
Meanwhile, notorious bandit leader, Bello Turji, has been reportedly unleashing mayhem on residents.
In September 2024, President Tinubu ordered Matawalle, and the military chiefs to relocate to Sokoto State as part of efforts to rid the state and the North-West of terrorism and arrest Turji.
However, seven months after the presidential directive, the military has yet to apprehend Turji.
The bandit leader has been linked to several mass killings, kidnappings, and attacks on villages in Zamfara, Sokoto, and parts of Katsina.
In February, the Chief of Defence Operations, Major General Emeka Onumajuru, said the military was actively tracking the bandit kingpin and he would soon be neutralised.
But Turji has remained elusive, with his fighters carrying out deadly attacks and collecting levies from some communities in the North-West region.
He is also said to be controlling some villages in the region where his men operate with little resistance, despite the deployment of additional troops and intelligence resources.
A civil society organisation in Kebbi State, the Association for Peace and Good Governance, berated the military for not arresting Turgi.
Speaking in Birnin Kebbi, the Secretary General of the group, Usman Anache, stated that the service chiefs in particular had failed the north and President Bola Tinubu.
“The north has been turned into a killing field with no concrete action taken by the service chiefs,” Anache said.
Calls for security review
Responding to the killings in Plateau, a lawmaker representing Bassa/Jos North Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Daniel Asama, who spoke on Channels Television’s programme, ‘The Morning Brief,’ claimed that security agencies were familiar with the whereabouts of the masterminds of the recent killings in the state.
He said, “The security agencies know where these attacks have been coming from. The people in the community can show them the routes of these attackers.”
Reacting to the rising terror attacks, a former Chief of Defence Training and Planning, General Ishola Williams (retd.), accused the service chiefs of benefiting from the insecurity in the country.
He stated that the security agencies were not showing enough commitment to ending insecurity, noting that there was a need to restructure the security apparatus.
“Early this year, we were clamouring for the review of the security architecture. They said there’s no reason for that. It appears that the service chiefs agree with the President that the military and police are doing well and they don’t want to push for a re-organisation; they don’t want any change.
“We keep repeating the same old story. They are killing soldiers for selling weapons to bandits. Apart from that, hunters and vigilantes are accusing the DSS of covering up for the bandits. Remember that the DSS said communities should defend themselves, because the military and the police cannot defend them anymore. And it’s supposed to be the head of intelligence,” he said.
The retired general called on the Federal Government to sack any service chief who didn’t align with its plans on security.
He said, “The Federal Government should reorganise the security architecture, whether the service chiefs like it or not. And anybody who disagrees with him should be sacked. Service chiefs who do not align should be sacked or they should resign. This is a matter of integrity.
“There is a need to run a special programme for the soldiers and policemen to tell them why they need to find a way to stop all these killings. Also, telling them to stop colluding with these bandits, kidnappers, and so on, because of money.
Open borders, absence of intelligence
A security expert and Chief Security Officer of Beacon Consulting, Dr Kabir Adamu, also slammed the security agencies, noting that they were not being properly coordinated.
He said no meaningful impact would be made in the fight against insecurity if the agencies were not working together.
Adamu said, “Each of them is operating in silos. The founding fathers of our constitution, when they created all of these agencies, the intention was that they would work together towards achieving Section 14(2) of the constitution.
“But today, we are waking up to a situation where those who are supposed to coordinate them are more interested in carrying out operations than their coordination functions. The inability to coordinate the security agencies has created gaps that are being exploited by the criminals.”
Adamu added that the inability to manage Nigerian borders effectively also indicated a lack of cooperation among the security agencies.
He said, “Our borders are still porous because our security agencies don’t cooperate. They don’t work together. The customs and immigration that have responsibility for border security don’t have enough power to man the borders. So, they should have cooperated more with the military, as an example. But we’re not seeing enough of that.
“The security agencies are not doing enough because they are operating in silos, with no coordination. As an example, when was the last time the National Security Council met?”
Similarly, the National President of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, Debo Adeniran, said the Federal Government had failed to secure the lives and property of its citizens.
“Why do we have the intelligence arms of the Nigerian police, the army, and the rest of them? What information are they gathering? They are supposed to get prior information about the looming attack from the insurgents. They should know that there are ungoverned spaces in Nigeria, and they should ensure that they are secure,” he stated.
According to Adeniran, the service chiefs needed to be given targets, and dismissed if they didn’t meet them.
“There should be targets, and if they don’t meet up, they should be dismissed because they are incompetent, and they are wasting public funds. They should be punished for it. Once they have been given that mandate that either they conquer or they don’t return, that should be a kind of thing to be done.
“This will not be the first time people have been calling for their removal. Their removal does not stop anything. All of them are walking hand in hand. If you remove them, they are still part of the same entity,” he stated.
In his comment, the Chief Executive Officer of Security Watch Africa, Patrick Agbamu, argued that once the government provided the necessary resources, the security chiefs should be held accountable and dismissed if they failed to perform.
“The security operatives are not angels. Providing them with what they need to work with is when they can be questioned or removed. Then the person being brought in will know they have the tools to do their work,” he said.
‘Govs must step in’
However, Lieutenant Colonel Abdulwahab Ademola (retd) said changing the service chiefs might not be effective, noting that there was a need to organise a national security summit.
He explained that since the security forces had proved incapable, governors should explore ways to strengthen community-based defence and empower local communities to protect themselves.
Ademola said, “The governors should ban group motorcycles and anyone found in the forest. After this, any group of motorcycles seen in the forest should just be neutralised.
“Maybe the Federal Government is afraid of ceding power to the states. There is supposed to be state police, and till now, nobody is saying anything about it anymore. Otherwise, what is wrong with the president facing it squarely?”
Ademola condemned the weapons used by the soldiers, adding that with such equipment, there was no clear end in sight to the insecurity.
He stated, “We have gone through this before during Buratai’s long stay, and people were agitating that the service chiefs should be changed. It has become very clear that these institutions are confronted with a culture of sustaining themselves through what has become their mode of existence.”
Speaking on the matter, the President of the Southern Kaduna Peoples’ Union, Samuel Tabara, urged the government to be proactive on the security challenges.
The Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, did not take his calls or respond to a text message sent to him on the matter as of the time of filing this report.
News
18 LG Chairmen, 22 Exco Members, 28 Aspirants Shun “Kangaroo Grand Entry,” Pledge Loyalty to Anosike
In a fresh show of solidarity within the Anambra State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), sixteen Local Government Chairmen, twenty-two State Executive Committee members, and twenty-eight aspirants across the state have distanced themselves from what they described as a “kangaroo grand entry,” reaffirming their allegiance to the state chairman, Senator Emma Anosike.
The mass show of support comes amid lingering tension in the party following a controversial court process that had sought to challenge Anosike’s leadership , a move the state APC executive had earlier dismissed as a “kangaroo judgment” lacking the backing of genuine party stakeholders.
Sources within the party say the boycotted event, tagged a “Grand Entry,” was organized by a faction opposed to the current leadership, apparently in an attempt to project an alternative structure and challenge the legitimacy of Anosike’s executive. However, the near-total absence of substantive party officials at the event has been read by observers as a clear indication that the rival faction lacks the grassroots backing it claims to have.
In separate statements, the affected chairmen, exco members, and aspirants said their decision to stay away was a deliberate stand against what they called an orchestrated distraction targeted at the “constitutionally recognized” leadership of the party in the state. They restated their commitment to the Anosike-led executive, insisting that the chairman and his team remain the only legitimate authority running the affairs of the APC in Anambra.
Party loyalists argue that the scale of the boycott — spanning local government administration, the state working committee, and aspiring candidates — sends a strong signal about where the balance of support lies within the party’s grassroots structure. They maintain that any parallel structure or gathering outside the recognized leadership amounts to a distraction that will not derail the party’s preparations for the National Assembly, State Assembly, and local government polls.
As of press time, the organizers of the “Grand Entry” have yet to respond publicly to the mass boycott, while the Anosike-led executive is expected to address the development formally in the coming days.
For many Nigerians hoping to relocate abroad, 2026 has presented both new opportunities and tougher challenges.
Several traditional migration destinations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and parts of Europe, have tightened immigration policies through stricter visa rules, tougher residency requirements and increased scrutiny of foreign applicants.
These changes have made relocation more difficult for many prospective students, skilled workers and families.
However, not every country is moving in the same direction.
Driven by labour shortages, ageing populations, economic growth plans and regional integration efforts, a number of countries have introduced visa reforms, new work permit schemes, residency pathways and visa-free travel policies that could make it easier for Nigerians to live, work or travel abroad.
Here are 9 countries that have introduced measures in 2026 that could improve relocation opportunities for Nigerians.
Canada
Canada has introduced new permanent residency pathways specifically for internationally trained medical doctors, including Nigerians.
The initiative expands access to permanent residency through Express Entry and provincial or territorial immigration programmes. Qualified doctors can also begin working while their immigration applications are being processed, helping to address the country’s healthcare workforce shortage.
Russia
Russia launched a new Skilled Worker Visa programme to attract foreign professionals into sectors facing acute labour shortages.
The programme allows eligible applicants to obtain a three-year temporary residence permit or apply directly for permanent residency. It also removes the mandatory Russian language examination and aims to process applications within 30 days.
Ìreland
Ireland expanded its employment permit system by introducing 32 reforms aimed at filling vacancies across critical sectors.
The changes affect industries including healthcare, construction, agriculture, transport, food production and specialist services. More occupations have been added to the Critical Skills Employment Permit list, giving skilled Nigerian workers greater access to employment and long-term residency opportunities.
Lithuania
Lithuania overhauled its work permit system with a fully digital application platform to attract foreign talent.
The country also replaced sector-specific labour quotas with a unified national quota, simplifying recruitment for employers and creating new opportunities in more than 100 occupations experiencing worker shortages.
Greece
Greece revised its Digital Nomad Visa programme to provide a clearer pathway for remote workers.
Applicants must now obtain a 12-month Digital Nomad Visa before travelling, which can later be converted into a two-year residence permit. The reforms provide greater legal certainty for freelancers, entrepreneurs and remote employees seeking long-term residence.
Spain approved a large-scale regularisation programme aimed at granting legal status to hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants already living in the country.
Eligible applicants can obtain renewable work permits and legal residency, allowing them to work across sectors such as hospitality, tourism, agriculture and other service industries.
Ghana
Ghana introduced visa-free entry for all African citizens from May 25, 2026.
Under the new policy, Nigerians can travel to Ghana without obtaining a traditional visa, instead using a free electronic travel authorisation. The initiative is expected to boost tourism, trade, business and regional integration across Africa.
Togo
Togo removed visa requirements for all African passport holders.
Nigerians and other African travellers can now enter the country without a visa for stays of up to 30 days, provided they meet applicable immigration, health and security requirements. The move is expected to encourage tourism, business travel and regional commerce.
Republic of the Congo
The Republic of the Congo has announced plans to introduce visa-free entry for all African nationals from January 2027.
Although the policy has not yet taken effect, it signals the country’s commitment to improving intra-African mobility and regional integration. Once implemented, Nigerians will be able to visit without undergoing traditional visa application procedures.
Growing opportunities despite tougher migration rules.
While many popular destinations continue to tighten immigration policies, several countries are opening new pathways for skilled workers, healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs, remote workers and African travellers.
For Nigerians planning to relocate, these reforms offer alternative destinations with improved access to employment, residency and cross-border mobility, although applicants should always review each country’s official immigration requirements before making relocation plans.
A 27-year-old hairstylist from Oraifite in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State, Loveth Sunday, has narrated how a tragic road accident changed the course of her life, leaving her with an amputated leg and ending her relationship just weeks after her introduction ceremony.
Speaking about her ordeal, Loveth said she was knocked down by a commercial bus that reportedly suffered brake failure on April 12, 2019, in front of the Oraifite Police Station while waiting by the roadside to travel to Onitsha.
According to her, the bus veered off the road and hit three people. Two victims died instantly, while she survived with severe injuries.
She said sympathisers rushed her to several hospitals, but she was allegedly turned away by five medical facilities before she was finally admitted to a sixth hospital, where she remained unconscious for five days.
After regaining consciousness, Loveth said doctors informed her that her left leg had been badly damaged and would have to be amputated to save her life after the tissue had become infected.
She was later transferred to Uzondu Orthopaedic Hospital in Ojoto, where doctors insisted that delaying the procedure could allow the infection to spread to her heart and become fatal.
Although her parents initially opposed the amputation, fearing they would lose their daughter, Loveth said she eventually consented to the procedure after doctors explained the risks.
She disclosed that her family spent about ₦2.5 million on medical treatment after initially being asked to deposit ₦350,000.
Loveth also revealed that the accident occurred barely three weeks after her introduction ceremony with her fiancé, held on March 23, 2019.
She said her fiancé visited her in the hospital shortly after the accident but later stopped communicating with her and eventually informed her that he was no longer interested in continuing the relationship.
“I expected him to encourage me, but instead he ended the relationship while I was still in the hospital,” she said.
Beyond losing her fiancé, Loveth said the experience also exposed those who truly cared about her, noting that while some friends stood by her, others—including her best friend—never visited or contacted her after the accident.
She currently relies on crutches after her prosthetic limb became damaged. According to her, a basic prosthesis costs about ₦850,000, while more advanced versions range from ₦1.5 million to ₦2.5 million.
Loveth appealed for financial assistance to enable her acquire a new prosthetic limb and expand her small perfume business, which she says provides the income she uses for medical check-ups and daily living expenses.
She also expressed disappointment that the driver responsible for the accident allegedly paid only ₦50,000 through his relatives, despite the family’s medical expenses running into millions of naira.
According to Loveth, the driver’s relatives claimed they had exhausted their resources after selling land to bury the two other victims who died in the crash.
Despite the challenges, she said she remains grateful to be alive and continues to draw strength from her faith while hoping for a better future.
A senior consultant physician in Kano State has died after collapsing barely 15 minutes after arriving at a private hospital where he was scheduled to attend to patients.
The tragic incident occurred on Saturday at Arewa Surgery Hospital, Hotoro, Kano, where the doctor, identified simply as Dr. Ibrahim, had reportedly agreed to replace another consultant who was unavailable for an evening clinic, according to Daily Trust.
The account was shared by Suleiman Harbo, an aide to the Jigawa State Governor, who said he witnessed the incident while accompanying his elderly mother to the hospital for a medical appointment.
Harbo said he arrived at the hospital around 5 p.m. with his mother, only to be informed that the consultant originally scheduled to see patients would not be available. Hospital staff then advised the waiting patients to see Dr. Ibrahim instead.
According to him, about six patients, most of them over 80 years old, waited for the physician’s arrival. Concerned about the delay, Harbo contacted the hospital reception, which reached the doctor by telephone.
Dr. Ibrahim reportedly informed the receptionist that he would come after observing the Maghrib prayer.
Shortly after arriving at the hospital, the physician allegedly became dizzy immediately after stepping out of his vehicle and collapsed.
He was rushed to the hospital’s emergency unit, where fellow consultants made frantic efforts to revive him. However, he was pronounced dead about 15 minutes later.
“The painful irony was this: all the patients waiting to see him were above 80 years of age, while about five senior consultant doctors fought to save him, yet all of them broke down in tears,” Harbo wrote.
He said his mother was initially unaware of what had happened and asked whether the doctor had arrived. Before he could respond, another patient informed her that the physician they had all been waiting to see had died.
According to Harbo, his mother responded by offering prayers for the deceased, saying: “Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un. So that was the doctor they rushed inside? May Allah have mercy on him. Let us just go home. I am already healed.”
Harbo also disclosed that those who were with Dr. Ibrahim during his final moments said his last audible words were, “La ilaha illallah,” the Islamic declaration of faith.
The cause of the doctor’s sudden collapse has not yet been disclosed.
The United States has withdrawn most of its military personnel deployed to Nigeria for a joint counterterrorism mission in the Lake Chad Basin, while maintaining intelligence-sharing and other security cooperation with Nigerian authorities.
The Commander of the US Air Forces in Africa, General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, announced the development during a virtual press briefing on the outcome of the African Chiefs of Defence Conference 2026.
Anderson said the partnership between Washington and Abuja remains strong, particularly in intelligence operations targeting the Islamic State (ISIS/Daesh).
According to him, the specific mission that required the deployment of US troops has been successfully completed, leading to the withdrawal of most of the personnel. He, however, stressed that the United States would continue providing intelligence support at the request of the Nigerian government.
“And so that operation in the Lake Chad Basin of Nigeria not only helped the countries in that immediate region; it also helps countries globally as it disrupts the ISIS network,” Anderson said.
“And so we have withdrawn much of our forces that were there specifically for that operation, but we are continuing the partnership that Nigeria has asked for to support intelligence sharing and provide the understanding necessary to prosecute these difficult tasks.”
The US Air Force commander described Nigeria as a key regional partner with a capable military, noting that cooperation between both countries has yielded significant gains in the fight against ISIS.
He credited intelligence collaboration between the two nations with enabling the operation that eliminated Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, the second-highest-ranking leader of ISIS, who was responsible for much of the group’s global operations, media activities and recruitment.
“I think the partnership we’ve shown recently with Nigeria demonstrates what can be achieved. Nigeria is a capable country with a strong economy, a large, educated population and a professional military,” Anderson said.
“There are things we have learned over years of counterterrorism operations that we were able to integrate with Nigeria’s efforts. By combining intelligence sharing with unique US capabilities, we were able to support a cooperative operation that eliminated the number two leader of ISIS.”
According to Anderson, the operation highlights the effectiveness of intelligence collaboration rather than prolonged foreign troop deployments.
“As we move forward, this is the model we want to pursue—bringing unique US capabilities that enable our partners to be more effective in confronting terrorist threats,” he added.
The US commander also called for stronger intelligence cooperation among African countries to combat terrorism, drug trafficking and other transnational crimes.
He cited a recent multinational operation that intercepted a record 31-ton shipment of cocaine originating from South America and transiting through the West African coastline. According to him, intelligence sharing among partner nations made the seizure possible.
“I coordinated through our interagency partners in the United States, through AFRICOM, and informed regional partners. Eventually, it was a Spanish naval vessel that intercepted the ship carrying 31 tons of cocaine—the largest drug seizure at sea on record,” Anderson said.
He stressed that sustained collaboration among African governments, international partners and the private sector would be essential to addressing security challenges, promoting economic growth and attracting investment across the continent.
The United States deployed about 200 military personnel to Nigeria in February 2026 to support intelligence, surveillance and counterterrorism operations in the Lake Chad Basin as both countries expanded cooperation against ISIS and other extremist groups operating in the region.
The deployment followed US President Donald Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern and his pledge to strengthen American support for Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts.
On December 25, 2025, US forces carried out airstrikes on two terrorist camps in the Bauni Forest in Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The security partnership recorded a major breakthrough in May 2026 when a joint US-Nigerian operation killed Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, the second-in-command of ISIS, during a raid on his hideout in Borno State.
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