Daily Digest Online

New details have emerged about the final hours of Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, revealing he detonated a suicide vest in May 2021 after fighters from the rival Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) surrounded his camp in Nigeria's vast Sambisa Forest. In the closing days of May 2021, ISWAP fighters advanced into the forest in coordinated columns, broadcasting messages that they sought only Shekau and promising safety to fighters who surrendered. Witnesses described a scene of confusion and panic as the cordon tightened, with many of Shekau's fighters abandoning their posts. The Final Confrontation As ISWAP completed the encirclement, negotiators once more urged Shekau to surrender. He refused. ISWAP later stated Shekau died between May 18 and 19, 2021, by triggering an explosive vest when capture became inevitable. His death was confirmed days later, ending years of conflicting reports about his fate. The Legacy of a Notorious Leader ...

In a solemn visit, Nigeria's Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (Rtd), OFR, has paid his respects to the family of the late Brigadier General M. Uba, honoring the fallen officer's service and sacrifice for the nation. During the condolence visit on Thursday, December 11, 2025, the Minister delivered a tribute praising Brigadier General Uba's "exceptional bravery, uncommon dedication, and selfless service." He described the late officer as a "consummate professional" whose sacrifice embodied the highest ideals of the Nigerian Armed Forces. Reaffirmation of Security Commitment General Musa used the occasion to reaffirm the government's unwavering resolve in its security operations.  He emphasized his steadfast commitment to strengthening the fight against terrorism and confronting all threats to national stability. The Minister assured that the Federal Government remains resolute in honoring th...

A retired Nigerian Army general has reignited one of the nation's most shocking and mysterious tragedies, calling on President Bola Tinubu to reopen the investigation into the 2021 plane crash that killed Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru and ten others, and alleging a possible link to terrorist sponsors. In a bombshell interview, retired Major General Danjuma Ali-Keffi, who was the senior officer on the ground to receive General Attahiru in Kaduna, laid out a series of alarming inconsistencies surrounding the fatal flight, suggesting it was more than a simple weather-related accident. He described a chain of suspicious events, from last-minute schedule changes to alleged aircraft sabotage, that he believes point toward a deliberate plot to eliminate the military's top leader. The Fateful Flight: A Timeline of Suspicion The tragedy unfolded on May 21, 2021. General Attahiru, along with senior aides and crew, was en route from Abuja to Kaduna ...

International human rights lawyer Emmanuel Ogebe has made a startling historical claim during a recent interview, alleging that Nigeria's late President Umaru Yar'Adua once personally appealed to Boko Haram founder Mohammed Yusuf to end his violent campaign against Christians. While discussing the root causes of Nigeria's persistent insecurity, Ogebe recounted a purported sermon by Yusuf himself. According to Ogebe, Yusuf preached, "Yar'Adua flew him on the presidential jet and begged him to stop killing the infidels, but I won't do it." This account, if true, provides a rare glimpse into a private, high-level interaction between the Nigerian state and the nascent terrorist group in the late 2000s. The Claim in Historical Context The alleged incident is said to have occurred during President Yar'Adua's administration (2007-2010), a period when Boko Haram was transitioning from a radical Islamist sect to a violent insurgency....

A joint security operation by police and local vigilantes in Edo State led to the arrest of an unspecified number of suspected bandits and kidnappers at a hotel on Saturday, though accounts of the recovery of high-powered weapons have been disputed by the hotel's management. The arrests took place at Donchi Donchi Hotel on Odighie Road in the Agbede community of Etsako West Local Government Area. According to reports from local sources, the operation was triggered by community vigilance and a timely tip-off about the arrival of two Hilux vehicles carrying individuals described as "strange persons." Lawyers and community leaders, including Barr. Abdul Hakeem Enatto, shared details on social media, stating that a combined team of the Agbede Police Division, led by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) CSP Donald, and local vigilante members surrounded the hotel. They reportedly waited until the second Hilux vehicle entered the premises before moving in to apprehen...

The family of a young Tanzanian student murdered during the October 7th Hamas attacks has filed a lawsuit against the Israeli government, alleging authorities inflicted additional trauma by publicly releasing graphic video footage of his killing without their consent. The legal claim, filed on behalf of the family of Joshua Loitu Mollel, seeks significant damages. It argues that the Israeli Foreign Ministry caused severe distress by reposting the footage from an attacker's body camera on its official social media account. The clip, which showed Mollel being shot, was shared before the family had been formally notified or had a chance to view the material privately. A Young Farmer's Dream Ends in Terror Joshua Loitu Mollel, 21, was an agricultural student who had traveled to Israel just weeks before the attacks, filled with ambition for his future. "My son wants to make his fortune in agribusiness and become one of Tanzania's most successful farm...

ABUJA, Nigeria — A high-level United States Congressional delegation concluded meetings in Abuja this weekend, marking a significant step in a deepening security partnership aimed at tackling Nigeria's escalating insurgency and banditry. The talks, which centered on counter-terrorism cooperation and regional stability, come amid reports of expanded technical and intelligence support from the U.S. and its allies. The delegation, including Representatives Mario Díaz-Balart, Norma Torres, Scott Franklin, Juan Ciscomani, and Riley Moore, met with Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, at the NSA's office. U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills, also attended the session, underscoring the strategic importance Washington places on the relationship. Following the meeting, NSA Ribadu stated that discussions focused on "counter-terrorism cooperation, regional stability, and efforts to strengthen the Nigeria–U.S. strategic security partnership."...

A palpable wave of apprehension is sweeping through communities across southern Nigeria, transforming the once-familiar landscape of local forests and farmlands into a source of deep unease. The catalyst is a southward expansion of bandit activity from the northern regions, pushing criminal elements toward new frontiers and compelling state governments to adopt unprecedented local security measures. Residents like Bamidele, a cassava farmer in Olorunsogo, Oyo State, articulate the daily fear. "We cannot sleep with both eyes closed anymore," he confesses. "We see strange faces in the bush that we don't recognize. These are not regular hunters or herders. Something is clearly changing." This sentiment echoes from the dense Oke-Ogun forests to the riverine areas of the Niger Delta, as bandit groups test the boundaries of southern states. Mapping the Southern Frontier of a Northern Crisis Investigations indicate that the movement ...

A quiet storage facility in Vienna. A rural property in Orbaek, Denmark. A roadside plot outside Plovdiv, Bulgaria. For years, these unassuming locations across Europe held a deadly secret: buried caches of Kalashnikov rifles, pistols, silencers, and ammunition. These were not the weapons of local criminals but part of a long-term, strategic contingency plan laid by Hamas, designed to give the group the capacity to strike far beyond the borders of Gaza and the West Bank. For decades, Hamas's military operations were geographically confined, focusing on Israel and the Palestinian territories. However, a series of high-profile arrests, disrupted plots, and intelligence disclosures over the past two years reveal a decisive and dangerous shift.  European and Israeli security officials now assess that Hamas, with its capabilities in Gaza severely degraded by war, has taken a strategic decision to "go global," actively plotting attacks on European soil. ...

LAGOS, Nigeria — Godwin Emefiele, the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has issued a forceful denial of allegations linking him to terrorism financing, labeling the claims as entirely fabricated and malicious. In a statement released on Saturday, December 6, 2025, Emefiele responded to media reports that purportedly named him among individuals accused of financing terrorist activities within Nigeria. He categorically rejected the accusation, stating it was a deliberate attempt to damage his reputation and mislead the public. "The allegation was categorically and unequivocally fabricated, baseless, and a deliberate attempt to malign my name, mislead the public, and sow confusion for motives best known only to the publishers and their sponsors," Emefiele asserted. The former bank chief emphasized the gravity of the fight against terrorism, arguing it should not be undermined by irresponsible journalism. "The fight against terror...

The statistics read like a wartime bulletin, yet they describe daily life in Nigeria. In the third quarter of 2025 alone, 465 violent incidents claimed 1,201 lives and saw 791 people kidnapped. Behind this relentless tide of terror, banditry, and communal violence lies a singular, enabling force: the uncontrolled flood of illicit firearms into the hands of non-state actors. Nigeria is now the epicenter of West Africa's arms crisis, accounting for a staggering 70% of the region's estimated 11 million illegal small arms and light weapons (SALW).  A 2021 survey by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) revealed over six million illegal weapons in circulation within the country, with about 70% of them in the hands of criminals and terrorists. This proliferation has created a "quiet but deadly emergency" that threatens the very fabric of the state. How did Africa's most populous nation become so saturated w...

The Nigerian Presidency has clarified why security agencies struggle to trace armed bandits who openly boast about their crimes on platforms like TikTok, attributing the challenge to the criminals' use of unregistered satellite and foreign cellular networks. The explanation was offered by Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, during a recent interview with Nigeria Info radio. He was questioned on why authorities can swiftly track citizens for critical social media posts but seem unable to locate bandits flaunting ransom money online. Bwala outlined a clear technological divide. He stated that within Nigeria, a regulatory framework exists where internet service providers (ISPs) operate under local jurisdiction, allowing security agencies to trace users through their IP addresses. However, this system fails when criminals use services outside this sphere. “If you are using Starlink, we cannot trace it becau...