SR SahelReporters

By Aviashima Toom, Abuja The Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) have rescued more than 70 abducted persons, arrested a wanted terrorist kingpin and recovered ₦10 million suspected to be ransom payment in a series of operations across the country between October 15 and 22, 2026. The operations also led to the arrest of five suspected members of a criminal syndicate involved in the kidnapping of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in Imo State, as well as the recovery of several weapons and ammunition. The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, disclosed this in a statement on the military's operational activities during the period. According to him, troops rescued 27 villagers, comprising 15 men and 12 women, abducted by terrorists in Gamji community, Sabuwa Local Government Area of Katsina State. The rescue followed a distress call on October 16, prompting troops to engage the kidnappers with superior firepower and force the...

By Aviashima Toom, Abuja  The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Dr. Ajibola Basiru, has called on former presiding officers of State Houses of Assembly across Nigeria to leverage their political experience and grassroots influence to mobilise massive support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in 2027. Basiru made the call at a programme organised by the Kaduna State Chapter of the Former Presiding Officers of State Houses of Assembly in Nigeria, themed “Kaduna 2026: United Voices of Experience, All Together for Tinubu 2027.” He described the participants as experienced political actors whose electoral victories and years of public service had equipped them with the knowledge and strategic capacity required to contribute meaningfully to the President’s re-election campaign. According to him, their experience places them in a strategic position to educate Nigerians on the rationale behind the Tinubu administration’s economic ref...

By Aviashima Toom, Abuja  The Nigerian Navy has uncovered an estimated 132,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil concealed in 10 dugout pits in Allison community, Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State. The discovery was made on October 22, 2026, by personnel of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bonny under Operation Delta Sentinel, following actionable intelligence. The operation disrupted a suspected storage point within the illicit petroleum supply chain, in a move aimed at curbing crude oil theft and the unauthorised movement of petroleum products in the Niger Delta. In a press statement issued on Friday, the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, said the operation highlighted the importance of intelligence-led efforts in identifying concealed petroleum stockpiles and dismantling infrastructure supporting oil theft. He said the Nigerian Navy would sustain operations to locate and dismantle illegal refining facilities and disrupt netw...

By Aviashima Toom, Abuja  A high-powered delegation of experts from the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and Trade Modernisation Project Limited (TMPL) recently completed a Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) for the newly acquired Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) equipment and Electronic Cargo Tracking System (ECTS) in China. The two-week exercise, led by the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs (DCG) in charge of the Information Communication and Technology/Modernisation Department, Oluyomi Adebakin, took place from 9 to 20 October 2026 at Nuctech Company Limited's facility in China, the manufacturer of the advanced systems. The delegation conducted comprehensive technical verification of the high-tech scanners and the Electronic Cargo Tracking System, designed to work in synergy to enhance cargo examination and real-time monitoring from port to destination. During the test, DCG Adebakin reaffirmed Comptroller-General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi's commitment to using technol...

COAS, KAGAME STRENGTHEN NIGERIA-RWANDA DEFENCE COOPERATION By Aviashima Toom, Abuja  Nigeria and Rwanda have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral defence cooperation and tackling emerging security threats across Africa. The commitment was renewed when the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, paid a courtesy visit to Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Kigali on Thursday. During the meeting, Shaibu conveyed the goodwill of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Nigerian Army, while appreciating Kagame for receiving the delegation. The Army Chief commended Rwanda's transformation since the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, noting that the country's experience offered important lessons in national reconstruction, institutional resilience and social cohesion. He also paid tribute to the courage and sacrifices of approximately 600 personnel of the 3rd Battalion during Rwanda's liberation struggle, stressing the importance of leadership, di...

Court Warns Defence Lawyers Against Delaying Trial of Four Suspects in DSS Operative’s Killing Adjourns case to October 28 By Aviashima Toom, Abuja The Federal High Court in Abuja has warned lawyers representing four suspects accused of kidnapping and killing an operative of the Department of State Services (DSS), Ekpeyong Asuquo Owoh, against taking steps capable of delaying the trial. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik issued the warning on Wednesday after defence lawyers, Kelvin Ekwe and Geoffrey Uwadiegwu, requested an adjournment, citing their unpreparedness to proceed with the trial. The judge, however, described the case as crucial and said it must be determined expeditiously in the interest of justice. The prosecution counsel, Munirat Oladunjoye, told the court that the matter was scheduled for trial following the defendants’ plea of not guilty to the charges against them. She also sought the court’s permission to conceal the identities of prosecution witnesses under Section ...