Regional News

Hours after assuring civilian safety in operations, air force bombs many inBorno Airstrikes by the Nigerian Air Force targeting terrorists’ positions in Borno State have killed an unspecified number of civilians on Sunday, 14 December. A security source disclosed this to PREMIUM TIMES, saying the airstrikes were launched between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. in the Mararaba area in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State.

Again, terrorists abduct worshippers in Kogi church attack | Premium Times Nigeria Terrorists on Sunday abducted more than 15 worshippers after attacking the First Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in Ayetoro Kiri, Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State. Sahara Reporters first reported the incident, noting that the assailants stormed the church during a worship service, firing sporadically to cause panic among congregants.

Suicide bomber strikes, kills five soldiers in Borno – Yerwa Express News At least five Nigerian Army soldiers lost their lives as a result of a suicide attack in Pulka, a town under Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno. A security source who confirmed the incident to our reporter, said it happened on Sunday at about 10:30 AM. According to the source, the suicide bomber who is suspected to be

Police Defuse Bomb Under Network Mast in Borno Operatives of the Borno state police command on Monday defused an Unexploded Ordnance planted under a network mast at Chuskon, Federal Low Cost Area of Maiduguri. A statement by the Police Public Relations Officer of the command, ASP Nahum Daso, indicated that the EOD-CBRN base 13 team made the recovery following a report received by

Yobe govt confirms sexual exploitation syndicate at correctional centre The Yobe State Government has confirmed the existence of a notorious sexual abuse and exploitation syndicate at the Potiskum Correctional Centre in the state. Abdulsalam Abubakar, the adviser on security matters to the governor, disclosed this at a briefing shortly after the state’s Security Council Meeting in Damaturu on Tuesday.

At least 12 killed in Nigeria mining site attack, group says | Reuters ABUJA, Dec 17 (Reuters) – At least 12 people were killed and three others abducted when gunmen attacked a mining site in Atoso village in Nigeria’s restive Plateau state, a local group leader said on Wednesday. Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, who heads the Berom Youth Moulders-Association (BYM) said the attackers, who locals

Vice chair, two councillors, others abducted by gunmen in Borno – Vanguard News The newly elected vice chairman in the last Saturday local government polls, Alhaji Saidu, and two councillors representing Zarawuyaku and Miringa wards of Biu local government area in Borno state were reportedly abducted by suspected terrorists between Kamuya village and Buni Yadi road.

Fire outbreak: We lost over N600m goods – Gombe timber sellers – Yerwa Express News Timber Sellers Association, Gombe State chapter, said some of their members lost goods worth over N600 million to Monday’s fire outbreak that destroyed several shops at Kasuwa Katako Market, Gombe. Mohammed Ahmadu, the Chairman of the association, said this during the visit of the state’s Deputy Governor,

Nigeria bans wood export, pledges enforcement | Premium Times Nigeria President Bola Tinubu has signed an executive order prohibiting the export of wood and allied products from Nigeria. This was announced by the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, at the 18th meeting of the National Council on Environment held in Katsina State on Wednesday. Mr Lawal said the directive, titled “Presidential Executive Order on the Prohibition of Exportation of Wood and Allied Products, 2025,” was necessitated by the

Yobe: Youths Advocate Informed Participation Ahead 2027 Polls – Daily Trust Youth groups across Yobe State have intensified efforts to shape the 2027 governorship race following a one-day Youth Organisations’ Summit aimed at identifying credible leadership qualities. The summit, organised by the Coalition of Yobe-East Progressive Youths, was held under the theme: “Youth Voices for a Progressive Yobe: Identifying

Gombe: 54 die of snake bites in 2025 – Official – SolaceBase Dr Nuhu Bile, the State Epidemiologist, Gombe State Ministry of Health, on Tuesday said no fewer than 54 snake bite-related deaths have been recorded in the state in 2025. Bile stated this in Gombe during the State Public Health Emergency Management Committee (S-PHEMC) meeting in the state. The meeting which was supported by UNICEF, was chaired by Mr Manassah Jatau, the State Deputy Governor, who is the Chairman of the PHEMC in the state.

At least 12 killed in Nigeria mining site attack, group says | Reuters ABUJA, Dec 17 (Reuters) – At least 12 people were killed and three others abducted when gunmen attacked a mining site in Atoso village in Nigeria’s restive Plateau state, a local group leader said on Wednesday. Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, who heads the Berom Youth Moulders-Association (BYM) said the attackers, who locals

Nigeria allege DR Congo fielded ineligible players in World Cup playoff | Reuters Dec 18 (Reuters) – Nigeria have submitted a petition to FIFA alleging the Democratic Republic of Congo fielded ineligible players in their African qualification play-off for next year’s World Cup, a federation (NFF) spokesperson said. DR Congo beat Nigeria on penalties last month to keep alive their hopes of appearing at the

Inflation Drops To 14.45% In November – Daily Trust Nigeria’s Headline inflation has dropped to 14.45% in the month of November, according to a report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The report said the figure reduced from the October 2025 headline inflation rate of 16.05%.

Troops Repel ISWAP Attack, Neutralise VBIEDs, Recover Weapons, Logistics In Borno • Channels Television Troops of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) have successfully repelled a coordinated attack by ISWAP terrorists targeting soldiers conducting stabilisation operations in Mairari, Guzamala Local Government Area of Borno State, delivering a decisive blow to the group’s offensive capability in the area during the late hours of Friday.

Cameroon post-election unrest: Protesters jailed, others freed | Africanews A political crisis continues to engulf Cameroon just a few weeks after the West African country held its presidential election. Around 30 protesters were detained overnight from Friday, December 12th, to Saturday, December 13th, at the Yaoundé-Nkondengui Central Prison. At the same time, the military court prosecutor’s office released about twenty others. Fifty people, including a minor, arrested during the post-election protests, were brought before the

Malian refugees turn to firefighting to give back to their communities in Mauritania | Africanews Refugee firefighters sway in line and beat the ground with spindly tree branches as the sun sets over the barren Mauritanian desert. Over more than a decade fighting bushfires, they have perfected the technique of cracking wood against the dry grasslands. In this region of West Africa, bushfires are deadly. They can break out in the blink of an eye and last for days. The impoverished, vast territory is shared by local Mauritanians and over 250,000

Insecurity: NLC Stages Protest In Cross River, Zamfara, Plateau, Others   – Daily Trust The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has declared that workers in Nigeria are no longer safe, even within their workplaces as union members staged protests in Cross River, Zamfara, Plateau, Bauchi states and other parts of the country. The State Chairman of the NLC in Cross River, Comrade Greg Olayi, made this assertion in Calabar while leading a peaceful protest against the worsening state of insecurity across the country.

Peace and Security

Nigerian Air Force silent 48 hours after bombing many civilians in Borno The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has remained silent two days after its airstrikes reportedly killed civilians in an island in Borno State. PREMIUM TIMES reported that NAF, in the operations believed to be supported by the United States, mistakenly struck twice at mostly fishermen and commercial drivers around Mararaba in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State.

UPDATED: US imposes partial travel ban on Nigerians, suspends entry for several visa categories The Donald Trump administration has imposed travel restrictions on Nigerians hoping to travel to the US, citing security concerns and difficulties in vetting nationals. The new restriction bars entry for Nigerians seeking to enter the US as green card holders, or on B‑1, B‑2, B‑1/B‑2, F, M, and J visas.

ECOWAS Leaders Move To Clamp Down On Coups – Daily Trust Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have agreed to forge a united front to halt the spread of military coups, terrorism and other forms of insecurity across the sub-region. The decision was taken on Sunday in Abuja at the 68th Ordinary Session of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, against the backdrop of a series of military takeovers in the Sahel.

Civil society groups urge corporate accountability as environmental degradation hits Borno farmers – The Humanitarian Times A coalition of civil society groups and youth advocates in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno State warned this week that escalating environmental shocks—ranging from erratic rainfall to unmanaged urban waste—are outpacing current government interventions, threatening to destabilize the region’s fragile agrarian economy. 

Burkina Faso frees detained Nigerian soldiers | Premium Times Nigeria The 11 Nigerian military officials on board the C-130 aircraft that made an emergency landing in Burkina Faso have been released. The soldiers were held last week by Burkinabe authorities over what they described as violations of their airspace. The 11 Nigerian military officials on board the C-130 aircraft that made an emergency landing in Burkina Faso have been released. The soldiers were held last week by Burkinabe authorities over what they described as violations of their airspace.

Senate Seeks Fertiliser, Agric Input Subsidies For Farmers – Daily Trust The Senate on Tuesday urged the federal, state and local governments to urgently roll out fertiliser and agricultural input subsidies and rehabilitate silos nationwide to stabilise food prices, protect farmers and curb worsening food insecurity. The call followed a motion sponsored by Senator Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central), a former governor of Gombe State, who decried the widening gap between falling farm-gate prices and persistently high input costs.

Rising terror, cyber threats expose gaps in Nigeria’s Military — CDS – Yerwa Express News Nigeria’s military has acknowledged critical gaps in its ability to counter evolving security threats, as terrorism, cyber warfare and other non-conventional dangers continue to outpace existing defence capabilities. The Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, said the changing character of warfare and

Northern Elders Visit JNI, CAN; Call For Reconciliation – Daily Trust Leaders from the North, including a former spokesperson of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Dr Hakeem Baba Ahmed; and a former Executive Secretary of the National Health  Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Professor Yusuf Usman; have visited the headquarters of 19 Northern Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) on a reconciliation mission between Muslims and Christians in Northern Nigeria.

Humanitarian

Flood: NADF distributes agricultural inputs for 2,000 vulnerable onion farmers in Borno, Yobe, other states — National Accord Newspaper % National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) has began the distribution of essential and emergency agricultural inputs to 2,000 onion farmers in Borno, Yobe, Sokoto and Kebbi states. The gesture which took place simultaneously was inline with the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu aims to cushion the burden of the flood disasters that wrecked vulnerable farmers in the affected communities.

https://lakechadtimes.ng/web/2025/12/cold-winds-empty-stomachs-almajiri-kids-battle-hunger-in-maiduguri The sun was setting over Maiduguri when a thin teenage boy sat rocking his body back and forth, trying to comfort himself as his stomach rumbled loudly. He clutched a wooden slate on his lap, whispering verses with his eyes closed, lost in concentration despite the hunger gnawing at him. When footsteps stopped behind him, he opened his tired eyes and looked back, revealing yellowish, exhausted pupils that spoke of long suffering.

Insurgency: Boko Haram, CRSV Survivors Rehabilitated In Yobe – Daily Trust No fewer than 197 survivors of Boko Haram attacks and Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV) have been rehabilitated and supported across Damaturu, Bade and Potiskum local government areas of Yobe State. The Project Coordinator of the Global Survivors Fund (GSF), Mr Michael Ezinkwo, disclosed this during the inauguration of Interim Reparative Measures (IRM) in Damaturu.

Human Rights: Amnesty International demands safety for journalists, free press The Amnesty International Nigeria has called for safety of journalists and free press amidst intimidation, harassment, frivolous litigations against the media practitioners in the country. Speaking during a two-day training session in Yola organised for practicing journalists in the North East, Dr. Aminu Mahmud, a legal practitioner, condemned the undue arrest and prosecution of journalists who hold power to account.

Mobilization and economic development

Fuel Prices Fail To Drop Below N800 In Lagos, Others – Daily Trust Prices of premium motor spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petroleum have started dropping across the country following the reduction in ex-depot price by the Dangote Refinery, checks by Daily Trust have shown. However, the prices are yet to drop below N800 as major marketers now dispense between N820 and N890 in Lagos as against N910 and N920 prior to the latest reduction

West African oil struggles to find buyers as global surplus builds | Reuters LONDON, Dec 18 – West African crude oil sellers are struggling to find buyers for up to 26 December- and January-loading cargoes due to stiff competition from plentiful and cheaper alternative supplies, traders and analysts told Reuters. The amount of unsold Nigerian and Angolan crude, analysts say, is a symptom of

Nigeria’s Tinubu seeks $30 billion budget reset to end overlapping fiscal years | Reuters ABUJA, Dec 17 (Reuters) – Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked parliament to approve a 43.56 trillion naira ($29.96 billion) spending plan that repeals and re-enacts the 2024 budget to run through December 2025, aiming to end overlapping fiscal cycles from recent years and tighten controls on public finances. The move follows months of criticism by lawmakers over the government’s reliance on rolling over capital budgets, which led to the 2024 capital spending being extended first to June and then to December 2025.

Nigeria issues permits for gas-flaring project, targets $2 billion investment and 3 GW power potential | Reuters ABUJA, Dec 12 (Reuters) – Nigeria has issued permits to 28 companies under a programme that aims to end routine gas flaring to cut carbon emissions and use some of the gas to generate power. The Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme (NGFCP) marks a major step toward ending flaring and monetising wasted gas, NGFCP officials said on Friday.