Daily Digest Online

In a horrific act of violence, a 15-year-old girl named Endurance Sabon has had her hand cut off after her family refused a forced marriage proposal from suspected Fulani herdsmen in Kaduna State. The attack has sent shockwaves through the Goska community in Kafanchan and highlights the severe threats facing rural families. The ordeal began on Friday, December 12, while Endurance, her mother, and other relatives were working on their farm. According to a family member who spoke to SaharaReporters, a group of herdsmen approached them around 10 a.m., praising the teenager's beauty and demanding she be given to one of them in marriage. Thinking the men were joking, the family continued their work. The situation turned deadly serious hours later. As the family waited for a motorcycle taxi to take them home around 6:30 p.m., the men, who had been lying in ambush, rushed them from the bush. In the chaos, the attackers used a torchlight to identify Endurance, seize...

The Nigerian Presidency has categorically dismissed a warning from a foreign group predicting mass terror attacks in northern states on Christmas Day, labeling the report as a potential attempt to incite panic and internal crisis within the country. The alert was issued by a U.S.-based organization called "Equipping The Persecuted," which claimed terrorists were regrouping to launch attacks in Plateau, Nasarawa, Kaduna, and Benue states on December 25. In a strong rebuke, President Bola Tinubu's Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, questioned the motives behind the alarm. "We should be very careful how we digest and process some of these doubtful reports by external organisations who are setting a stage for internal crisis in our country," Ajayi told Saturday Punch. "We should not be providing oxygen for reports that heighten a sense of insecurity." Questioning Motives and Timing Ajayi exp...

A contingent of eleven Nigerian military personnel remains in detention in Burkina Faso as a tense diplomatic incident unfolds, with conflicting narratives emerging from the two nations over an unscheduled military aircraft landing. Eleven Nigerian officers, including two pilots, are still being held in Burkina Faso days after their Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft made an emergency landing in the city of Bobo-Dioulasso on Monday, December 8. The situation has sparked a diplomatic dispute, with Nigeria attributing the landing to a technical fault and Burkina Faso, backed by its regional allies, decrying it as a violation of its airspace. Conflicting Stories Behind the Landing Officials from Nigeria and Burkina Faso have presented starkly different accounts of the event: *   Nigeria's Position: The Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Air Force maintain the aircraft was on a routine ferry mission to Portugal when it developed a technical issue. The...

A political bombshell has detonated within Nigeria's security establishment, with a former state official making on-camera allegations that the country's Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, personally financed and supplied notorious terrorist commanders with cash and vehicles while he was Governor of Zamfara State. Musa Muhammad Kamara, who served as a Senior Special Assistant (SSA) under Matawalle, confirmed long-standing media reports in a viral video interview. He stated that he personally handled transactions that directly benefited high-value terror targets like Bello Turji, Kachalla Halilu, and Ado Aleru. Allegations of Direct Support to Terrorists In a detailed Hausa-language confession, Kamara outlined the alleged scheme: *   Provision of Vehicles: "Vehicles were given to Kachalla Halilu, Turji, Ado Aleru; those motorcycles were truly bought and given out." *   Cash Settlements : Kamara confessed to being a bene...

Nigerian soldiers who were on board a military aircraft that made a forced landing in Burkina Faso last week remain in the West African country, according to Nigeria's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar. The incident occurred on Monday, December 8, when the Confederation of Sahel States (AES)—a bloc comprising Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Republic—accused a Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft of violating its airspace. The AES, which has broken away from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), authorized its members to "neutralize" any aircraft violating its territory. Conflicting Narratives and Regional Tensions The aircraft was carrying 11 Nigerian soldiers at the time. The Nigerian Air Force stated the plane was on a "ferry mission to Portugal" and suggested the landing was forced due to a technical issue. However, authorities from the AES, particularly Mali's junta leader Assimi Goita, described t...

In a major blow to banditry in Nigeria's troubled northwest, troops have killed a top associate of notorious warlord Bello Turji, causing disarray within his ranks and marking a significant advance in the military's campaign. The operation is part of a sustained offensive that analysts say is tightening the noose around one of the region's most feared criminals. Nigerian Army forces, in collaboration with local vigilantes, eliminated Kachalla Kallamu (real name Musa) during a raid in the early hours of Monday, December 8, around Kurawa village in Sokoto State's Sabon Birni Local Government Area. Kallamu was a senior commander and close ally within Bello Turji's network, also acting as a key logistics supplier. Profile of the Slain Commander and Operation Impact Kallamu was a formidable figure in his own right. A Tuareg leader whose family migrated from Niger, he commanded about 100 fighters and specialized in kidnappings and attacks across So...

A United States congressional delegation has raised serious concerns after visiting camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Nigeria's Benue State, describing a dire humanitarian crisis and framing the violence as a "genocidal campaign." The delegation, led by Congressman Riley Moore and directed by President Donald Trump, conducted the on-the-ground mission to inform U.S. policy on global religious persecution and atrocity response. Key Findings from the Visit Congressman Moore reported encountering "harrowing" conditions in the camps and estimated that over 600,000 Christians have been displaced by ongoing violence in the region. He shared devastating personal testimonies from survivors, including one woman who witnessed the killing of her husband and five children, and another whose family was murdered before her eyes. During the visit, Moore met with local Tiv and Catholic leaders and held discussions with Nigeria’...

Nigerian military forces are tightening the noose around notorious bandit commander Bello Turji, following a major operation that eliminated one of his key allies and logistics suppliers in Sokoto State. The successful strike has caused significant disruption within Turji's network, marking a potential turning point in the long-running campaign against banditry in Nigeria's northwest. In the early hours of Monday, December 9, troops from the 8 Division of the Nigerian Army, collaborating with local vigilante groups, launched an offensive in the Sabon Birni Local Government Area. The operation resulted in the death of the notorious bandit commander **Kachalla Kallamu** around Kurawa village. The Target: Who Was Kachalla Kallamu? Kallamu was a major terror figure in eastern Sokoto, responsible for years of killings, kidnappings, and extortion. Security expert Prof. Murtala Ahmed Rufa'i, author of "I am a bandit," provided a detailed profile o...

The alleged mastermind behind last week's failed coup in Benin Republic is reportedly hiding in the capital of neighboring Togo, according to Beninese officials, setting the stage for a potential diplomatic standoff. Pascal Tigri, identified as the ringleader of the attempted overthrow, was located in the Lome 2 district of Togo's capital—an area that also houses the residence of Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe. The Hunt for the Fugitive Leader The coup attempt was thwarted by Beninese soldiers with support from Nigerian and Ivorian forces. While Nigeria conducted airstrikes against fleeing plotters, Tigri evaded capture. His trail led to Togo after intelligence revealed he had been contacted using a Togolese phone number on the day of the coup. Benin's national intelligence service has formally requested Togo's assistance in apprehending and extraditing Tigri and his accomplices. A government source stated that any failure by Togo to comply ...

A suspected cultist has confessed to killing his sister's baby in Edo State while under the influence of alcohol and hard drugs, citing intoxication as the cause of the fatal attack. The suspect, identified as Osemudiamen, made the confession on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, during an interrogation by security operatives. A video of his statement was posted online by the anti-cultism advocacy platform Naija Confra. Detailed Confession of the Crime During the interrogation, Osemudiamen stated: "I am here because I killed my sister’s baby. I got high with drinks and colos. It was Fredrick who gave me the colos. I met him on the way and saw him smoking." The term "colos" is commonly understood as slang for a hard narcotic substance. Cult Affiliation and Failed Renunciation Attempt The suspect further revealed that he is a member of the Aye confraternity, a known cult group. He claimed he had been in the process of renouncing his membership—a...

ABUJA, Nigeria — In a significant escalation of anti-corruption and security investigations, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has detained and is interrogating former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), on allegations including terrorism financing and the misappropriation of recovered state funds. Malami, who served as Nigeria's top legal officer from 2015 to 2023, was taken into custody on Tuesday, December 9, 2025. He remained in detention as of 10:00 p.m. that evening, having reportedly failed to meet stringent bail conditions set by the anti-graft agency. The Core Allegations Under Scrutiny According to EFCC sources familiar with the case, the commission is investigating multiple serious accusations against the former minister. The probe focuses on several key areas: 1.  Terrorism Financing: The primary and most severe allegation is that Malami was involved in financing terrorist activitie...

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...