Daily Digest Online

The leader of a recent U.S. congressional delegation to Nigeria has declared that Washington is "close" to finalizing a strategic security framework with the Nigerian government to combat the nation's escalating violence, which he described in harrowing detail. Congressman Riley Moore, who led the fact-finding mission investigating claims of Christian genocide, made the statement in a Saturday interview on Fox News. He revealed "heartbreaking" testimonies from survivors, including a woman who watched all five of her children murdered and another who lost her husband, two daughters, and an unborn child. A Dual-Focus Strategy Moore indicated the proposed U.S.-Nigeria framework would target two major security threats simultaneously. "I believe we are close to a strategic security framework to address both the ISIS and Boko Haram threat in the Northeast, as well as the genocide against Christians by the radical Fulani Muslims in the Midd...

A retired high-ranking Nigerian military officer has revealed a potentially pivotal moment in the nation's fight against banditry, claiming that a directive from the presidency of Muhammadu Buhari in 2021 halted a major military offensive that was on the verge of crippling armed gangs in the country's northwest and north-central regions. Retired Major-General Danjuma Ali-Keffi, who commanded the covert Operation Service Wide (OSW), detailed in a public account how his forces were making significant gains against bandits in states like Niger, Kaduna, Katsina, and Zamfara before being ordered to stand down. He alleges this pause, ostensibly to allow for negotiations with Fulani leadership, provided a crucial reprieve that allowed the bandits to regroup and survive. "The bandits operating in the North Central and North West zones were on the verge of capitulation in July/August 2021," Ali-Keffi stated, "until the administration gave them a re...

In a significant escalation of counter-insurgency efforts, Nigerian Army troops have conducted coordinated operations across multiple theaters, neutralizing 18 terrorists, rescuing 14 kidnapped civilians, and arresting dozens of suspects in a sweeping 48-hour offensive. The operations, which spanned from the restive Northeast to the Northwest and other regions, underscore the military's sustained push to dismantle terrorist networks and reclaim territory from armed groups. Decisive Blow in Borno: 15 ISWAP Fighters Killed, Bomb Vehicles Destroyed The most consequential engagement occurred in Borno State, the epicenter of the long-running conflict with Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'adati wal-Jihad (JAS). On Saturday morning, troops of the 135 Special Forces Battalion, supported by precise air strikes, repelled a major ISWAP/JAS attack around Dutsen Nonu in the Biu Local Government Area. Military sources confi...

While other state leaders and even the FG are being urged to put a stop to negotiating and making deals with terrorists, Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina State points to local peace deals as a path to stability,  Governor Dikko Radda recently pointed to the Danburum forest in Batsari Local Council as proof that local peace initiatives are working. Once a deadly haven for bandits, he stated the area has become peaceful enough for him to drive through, with farming activities resuming. Radda cited concrete metrics to support his claim, noting a drastic reduction in state spending on victims. He reported that a government agency spent under ₦2 million in November 2025 on medical bills, compared to over ₦40 million monthly in the past. He also reported a significant drop in security incident reports, telling communities, "in the last few days, I have not received one single incident... like I had been receiving". The Controversial History of "Peace Deals" ...

Nigeria's war against terrorism and banditry is being waged on two fronts: one against insurgents in the forests, and a more insidious one within the corridors of power, where personal loyalty and political patronage too often supersede competence, accountability, and the national interest. The recent, very public defense of the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, by former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode, is not an isolated incident of political rhetoric. It is a symptom of a chronic national ailment—the prioritization of elite self-preservation over collective survival.  In a country where villages are sacked weekly, kidnappings are a thriving industry, and citizens live in perpetual anxiety, the spectacle of a powerful figure defending a controversial appointee on the sole grounds of a 15-year friendship is more than an insult; it is a diagnosis of a profound governance failure. The Architecture of Distrust At the heart of this ...

Armed bandits who kidnapped 10 residents from a Kwara State community have issued a one-week ultimatum to pay a N300 million ransom, threatening to kill the hostages and launch a deadly new assault if the demand is not met. A Kwara State community is under severe threat after bandits issued a one-week deadline to pay a N300 million ransom for the release of 10 abductees, warning of dire consequences if the payment fails. The victims were kidnapped from Isapa in Ekiti Local Government Area on November 25, 2025. According to the community's head hunter, Mr. Adeyeye, the kidnappers contacted local representatives on Sunday, reducing their initial demand from N500 million to N300 million. Negotiations broke down after the community’s counter-offer of N5 million was rejected. The bandits warned that failure to pay within a week would result in the execution of the hostages and a renewed, more violent attack on the community. “They said they give us one week to me...