Terrorism in nine northern states
A Sunday Vanguard investigation has revealed that Sokoto, Kwara, Kebbi, Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kogi, and Niger are now major strongholds of armed groups blending local banditry with foreign jihadist combat styles. The report shows that foreign fighters fleeing instability in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have joined Nigerian bandit cells, strengthening their operational sophistication. Unlike Boko Haram or ISWAP, these networks have no rigid structure, instead operating through kingpins, forest-based camps, and tribal affiliations. Groups like Lakurawa and Mahmuda are prominent, but hundreds of micro-cells shift leadership frequently to avoid detection. This fluidity has enabled seamless cross-state attacks with no consistent patterns, worsening insecurity across the northwest and north-central regions.
Kogi church abductions
A newly established Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Ejiba, Yagba West (Kogi State) was attacked during Sunday service, triggering panic as worshippers fled under gunfire. The pastor, known locally as Orlando, was kidnapped alongside his wife and several congregants. Residents described the ordeal to Vanguard as “terrifying” and said the bandits stormed the community without warning. The number of abducted worshippers remains unconfirmed, and the police have yet to issue an official statement.
Drug bust
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled a Lagos-based drug distribution network that packaged Canadian Loud (a potent cannabis strain) in designer cookie packs, snack wrappers, and teddy bears for sale via WhatsApp. Two masterminds, Deji Adesanya and Olubiyi Majekodunmi, were arrested during a raid in Lekki, where officers recovered 5 kg of Loud ("Loud" is a slang term commonly used for high-quality, potent cannabis ) and large quantities of fake packaging, the Punch reports. In a separate operation, NDLEA arrested a major dealer, Philip Ucheka, in Mushin while he was receiving 110 pouches (55.6 kg) of Loud. Three delivery vehicles were also seized.
$12.4 million National Assembly complex funds
Rights group SERAP has filed a lawsuit against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, and the National Assembly Service Commission over alleged failure to explain the whereabouts of ₦18.6 billion allocated for the NASC office complex. The 2022 Auditor-General’s report flagged concerns about potential misappropriation, including payments to an unknown or fictitious contractor. The Guardian reports that SERAP is seeking a court order compelling full disclosure of procurement records, contractor identities, and tender documents. The organisation said, “Nigerians have the right to know the whereabouts of the ₦18.6 billion.”
Osun politician Adeoti dumps Aregbesola, quits ADC
Former Osun SSG Moshood Adeoti has severed ties with Rauf Aregbesola and withdrawn from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) after reports that the party plans to hand its 2026 governorship ticket to former Speaker Najeem Salam. Adeoti, once Aregbesola’s ally but later suspended from APC for “anti-party activities,” said leaving the ADC and Omoluabi Progressives was “difficult but necessary.” The ADC leadership reportedly favours zoning the governorship ticket to Osun West, where both Adeoti and Salam come from. Still, Salam was chosen as the consensus candidate, triggering the fallout, The Nation reports.
