Daily Digest Online

In a story of loss, memory, and remarkable recovery, a Borno State woman has reclaimed a family fortune in gold—N23.6 million worth—that she buried in the sand fifteen years ago while fleeing a Boko Haram attack, a poignant symbol of hope returning to a scarred region. For fifteen years, it was a secret held by the earth and a memory held by a heart in exile. A young woman, her name shielded for safety, carried the image of a frantic, desperate act from 2010: burying a small jar in the sand as Boko Haram fighters advanced on her hometown of Mallamfatori in Borno State. Inside that jar, wrapped in cloth, was not just gold. It was her last tangible connection to her late mother—a small pouch of gold coins and jewelry, an inheritance and a hope for the future. With insurgents closing in, she chose to trust the land with her treasure rather than let it fall into the hands of violence. Then, she fled. This week, that act of faith was finally rewarded. The Borno State...

As the Trump administration deepens security cooperation with Nigeria, the US Congress is preparing to scrutinize the West African nation's record on religious freedom, convening a high-level briefing today focused on the alleged targeted persecution of Christians. This session, which will inform a report mandated by President Biden, highlights a growing tension in US foreign policy: how to support a crucial strategic ally while confronting persistent internal crises that threaten its stability and citizens. In a move that signals escalating concern in Washington, the powerful House Appropriations Committee will today lead a joint congressional briefing examining the wave of violence against religious communities in Nigeria. Chaired by National Security Subcommittee Chairman Mario Díaz-Balart, the session will include members from the Foreign Affairs and Financial Services committees, as well as experts from the US Commission on International Religious Freed...

Nigeria’s most formidable enemy in its protracted security war has never been solely in the forests of Sambisa or the creeks of the Niger Delta. It resides within the institutions tasked with protection—a network of saboteurs whose leaks, compromises, and covert alliances have systematically undermined national defense. The current, quiet purge of these fifth columnists isn't merely an administrative action; it is the essential, non-negotiable first victory in any meaningful security revolution. The Historical Imperative: Wars Lost from Within Military history offers a grim, consistent lesson: armies are often defeated not by external force, but by internal fracture. The term “fifth columnist” originated in 1936, when Nationalist General Emilio Mola besieged Madrid with four army columns, boasting of a fifth column of sympathizers inside the city ready to betray it.  This paradigm has shaped modern conflict. The fall of France in WWII was hastened by Vichy c...

In a coordinated military offensive, Nigerian Army troops have successfully rescued six individuals who were abducted by bandits in Kogi State, marking a significant victory in the ongoing fight against kidnapping in the region. Security forces in Kogi State have secured a critical win, rescuing six kidnapped victims from bandit enclaves in the Ejiba and Saminaka forests. The operation, conducted by the 12 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, involved a coordinated air and ground assault supported by a Nigeria Police helicopter. According to a statement from Brigade spokesperson Lt. Hassan Abdullahi, the sustained military pressure forced the bandits to abandon their captives. The victims were intercepted during the aggressive push into the forest hideouts. "Five of the rescued individuals have been reunited with their families in Egbe and Ejiba communities, while the sixth is receiving necessary medical attention," Abdullahi confirmed. This rescue comes just...

Nigeria's Defence Minister, Badaru Abubakar, has resigned citing health reasons, prompting President Bola Tinubu to begin the search for a new head of the military at a critical moment for the nation's security. President Bola Tinubu has accepted the immediate resignation of his Minister of Defence, Badaru Abubakar, with plans to name a replacement this week. The former two-term Governor of Jigawa State submitted his resignation on health grounds in a letter dated December 1st. The sudden departure was announced Monday evening by the President's Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. "President Tinubu has accepted the resignation and thanked Abubakar for his services to the nation," the statement read, adding that the Senate would likely be informed of a successor later this week. Abubakar's exit comes at a highly sensitive time for the administration, which recently declared a nationwide security emergen...

In a dramatic response to escalating violence, Nigeria's northern governors and traditional rulers have jointly called for a six-month suspension of all mining activities and renewed their push for the establishment of state police forces. Citing a direct link between illegal mining and rampant insecurity, the leaders made the bold proposals during an emergency security summit in Kaduna on Monday. The meeting, which brought together all 19 northern governors and the region’s highest traditional rulers, aimed to formulate a unified response to a wave of killings and abductions. The communiqué issued after the meeting pointed to recent attacks in Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Sokoto, Jigawa, and Kano states, alongside renewed Boko Haram activity in Borno and Yobe, as "unacceptable tragedies" requiring urgent action. The leaders specifically recommended that President Bola Tinubu order the Minister of Solid Minerals to suspend mining exploration for half...

Imagine a landmark known not for its beauty, but for its burden. For decades, the Olusosun dumpsite in Lagos has been just that—a towering symbol of the city’s waste woes. But now, the state government is turning a page, announcing a bold, 18-month plan to finally close the chapter on Olusosun and other aging dumpsites, promising a cleaner, more sustainable future for Africa’s most populous city. The clock is ticking for one of Lagos’s most notorious landmarks. The Lagos State Government has set an 18-month deadline to begin decommissioning the vast Olusosun dumpsite and other legacy landfills that have long strained the city’s environment and infrastructure. The announcement came from the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, during a routine inspection of the sites. He framed the move not merely as a cleanup, but as a fundamental shift in philosophy. "We are moving from a linear waste management system to environmentally friendl...

In a sudden move at a critical moment for Nigeria's security, Defence Minister Mohammed Badaru Abubakar has tendered his resignation, citing health reasons, and has been swiftly replaced by President Bola Tinubu. Nigeria's Minister of Defence, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has resigned from his post with immediate effect. The resignation was confirmed in an official statement on Monday by Presidential Adviser Bayo Onanuga. According to the statement, Abubakar submitted his resignation letter dated December 1, 2025, to President Bola Tinubu, attributing his decision to step down to health grounds. President Tinubu has accepted the resignation and thanked the former minister for his service to the nation. The 63-year-old former two-term Governor of Jigawa State was appointed to the defence portfolio in August 2023. His departure comes as President Tinubu declares a national security emergency, with details on the scope of the government's new strategy expected ...