SR SahelReporters

By Aviashima Toom, Abuja  The Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) says its troops recorded significant successes in the fight against terrorism, kidnapping and other security threats across the country between September 4 and 10, 2026. The military disclosed that 17 terrorist fighters, alongside their family members, surrendered to troops in Borno State during sustained operations in the North-East. According to the Director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, the terrorists surrendered between September 4 and 7 in Monguno town and along the Gwoza-Limankara Road in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State. Onoja said the terrorists cited harsh living conditions, hunger and lack of basic provisions in their enclaves on the Mandara Mountains as reasons for abandoning the groups. He added that troops on September 8 intercepted a female abductee and her one-year-old child near Gava in Gwoza LGA. The victim, an indigene of Chinene, reportedly told troops that...

Across Benue, Kogi, Taraba and Adamawa, expanding gullies are consuming farmland, threatening homes and cutting off roads. As governments announce interventions and billions of naira are committed to erosion control, residents are asking: why does the water keep winning? By Aviashima Toom, Abuja The earth is opening up beneath communities. What begins as a narrow channel after heavy rainfall can, over time, become a deep and expanding gully. Water follows the path, cutting deeper into the soil with every storm. Farmland disappears. Roads crack and collapse. Houses that once stood safely away from the danger begin to edge closer to the precipice. For residents of erosion-prone communities in Benue, Kogi, Taraba and Adamawa States, this is no longer a distant environmental threat. It is happening in their backyards. Across the four states, erosion is eating into farmland, threatening homes and public infrastructure, disrupting movement and putting livelihoods at risk. But ben...

By Aviashima Toom, Abuja  The Nigerian Army has renewed its drive to strengthen strategic leadership and professional capacity among its senior officers as participants of the Leadership and Strategic Studies Course (LSSC) 4/2025 graduated in Abuja on Friday. According to a statement issued by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, the graduation ceremony was held at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC), Abuja, after 11 months of intensive academic and professional training. Speaking as the Special Guest of Honour, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Chairman of the NARC Board of Trustees, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, congratulated the graduands and urged them to see their qualification as more than an academic achievement. He charged the officers to embrace greater responsibility, provide purposeful leadership and use the knowledge acquired during the course to improve professional performance. The COAS said Nigeria's changing secur...

By Aviashima Toom, Abuja  The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has officially flagged off the final stage of its 2025 recruitment exercise, with shortlisted candidates undergoing rigorous documentation, physical fitness assessments, and medical screenings at the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), Gwagwalada, Abuja. The two-week exercise, which commenced on Monday, 7 September 2026, will run through 19 September 2026 and covers shortlisted applicants across the Assistant Superintendent of Customs II (ASCII), Inspectorate, and Customs Assistant cadres. To prevent congestion and maintain order, candidates are being screened in batches categorised alphabetically by their states of origin. Addressing the candidates, the Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Human Resource Development, Frank Onyeka, emphasised that the Service is evaluating character and professional conduct alongside physical fitness. “On behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs, I cong...

By Aviashima Toom, Abuja  The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Cameroon Customs Administration have launched a joint assessment of the Ekok-Mfum One-Stop Border Post (OSBP) to eliminate cross-border trade friction, strengthen border security, and drive regional economic integration. The high-level exercise, held on Tuesday, 8 September 2026, was themed “Leveraging the Nigeria Customs Service Trade Modernisation Project to Advance Seamless Cross-Border Trade and Shared Prosperity.” It brought together customs chiefs, technical experts, security agencies, development partners, and local community leaders from both nations. Speaking at the event, the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, highlighted the enduring partnership between both administrations. He noted that despite their close geographical proximity, movement across the border remains unnecessarily challenging. “We are not building from nothing. We are taking something that works between the...

By Aviashima Toom, Abuja  The newly elected Executive Committee of the Environmental Correspondents Association of Nigeria (EMCAN), led by its Chairman, Joycelyn Ellakeche Adah, has met with the immediate past Chairman of the association, Mr. Amechi Chukwuekwu Oyema, as part of efforts to strengthen unity and promote the growth of the organisation. The meeting, held on September 8, provided an opportunity for the new leadership to appreciate Oyema for his sportsmanship and contributions to the development of EMCAN, particularly his support for a smooth transition of leadership. In a statement jointly signed by the EMCAN Chairman, Joycelyn Ellakeche Adah, and the Secretary, Samuel Adeyinka, the association said the meeting also focused on strategies to strengthen EMCAN and reposition it for greater impact. The statement said both sides exchanged ideas on ways to promote professionalism among environmental journalists, create more opportunities for members and enhance the...