By Uzair Adam

The Kano State Hisbah Board has successfully intercepted a suspected human trafficking operation involving three underaged girls and two alleged traffickers.

Deputy Commander-General of Hisbah, Dr. Mujahiddin Aminuddin, confirmed the incident in a statement he personally shared with journalists on Thursday.

one of the victims

According to Dr. Aminuddin, the suspects—Habibu Idris, 45, from Roni Local Government Area of Jigawa State, and Basirat Tijjani, 58, a Christian from Oyo State—were apprehended under the Fagge flyover following a dispute that attracted the attention of residents.

Eyewitnesses alerted Hisbah officers, who quickly moved to arrest the suspects.The rescued victims, all from Kazaure in Jigawa State, are three girls aged between 14 and 17 years: Kubariyya Amadu, 14; Rukayya Umar, 17; and Rashida Usaini, 14.

Dr. Aminuddin explained that Habibu had been transporting children from Kano to Basirat for financial gain, previously charging N10,000 per child but recently increasing the fee to N15,000.

Basirat’s refusal to pay the higher amount reportedly triggered the dispute that exposed the operation.

“Neither the woman nor her agent knew the exact destination of the children. Their only concern was the money,” Dr. Aminuddin said, adding that the children themselves were unaware of where they were being taken.

The Hisbah chief also voiced concern over rising parental negligence, noting that some parents fail to prioritize their children’s education, health, and general wellbeing.

“Parents now see their own children as a burden, which is why some willingly hand them over without questioning their safety or future,” he lamented.

The suspects and victims have since been handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for further investigation.

By Uzair Adam

A prominent Islamic cleric, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi, has died.

A family source confirmed the scholar’s passing to journalists on Thursday morning.

More details to follow.

By Uzair Adam

The Senate has mandated its joint committee on security to investigate the sudden withdrawal of military personnel from Government Girls Secondary School, Maga, Kebbi State, shortly before bandits attacked the school.

The committee is expected to report its findings within two weeks.

The upper chamber also tasked the joint committee to probe the circumstances surrounding the killing of Brig.-Gen. Musa Uba.

In addition, the Senate resolved to dissolve its standing committees on National Security and Intelligence, as well as the Air Force, with a view to reconstituting them.

The Senate leadership is also set to meet with President Bola Tinubu to brief him on the critical resolutions and views of the upper chamber.

These decisions followed a motion by Senate Deputy Leader Lola Ashiru titled, “Urgent Need to Address Escalating Insecurity in Kwara, Kebbi and Niger, Call for Immediate and Comprehensive Federal Intervention,” during Wednesday’s plenary.

Other resolutions included commending President Tinubu and security agencies for their rapid interventions and rescue of some kidnapped victims.

The Senate urged sustained coordinated operations until all abducted persons nationwide are rescued and perpetrators apprehended.

It also advised the federal government to strengthen local vigilance groups for swift responses to similar attacks and recommended a review of Nigeria’s firearm law to reflect current security challenges, similar to more than 175 countries where responsible citizens are permitted to own guns.

The Senate further resolved to pursue diplomatic engagement with the United States and other allied nations’ parliaments to strengthen intelligence sharing and counter-terrorism training to address Nigeria’s security challenges.

Members observed a one-minute silence in memory of the victims of recent attacks.In his contribution, Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau highlighted the rise in insecurity across the country, linking it to international perceptions and the increased activities of terrorists.

“These heinous crimes show that those involved do not love our country. They move in convoys to commit atrocities. We should deploy technology to counter this menace,” he said.

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele noted that many kidnapped persons from Kwara, Kebbi, and Niger have regained their freedom, emphasizing that government did not pay ransom but achieved successful rescues, a positive development amid ongoing security challenges.

By Ummi Umar

I write with a broken heart. A heart so bruised it feels shattered. There is no day I open Instagram, X, or WhatsApp without stumbling on another story that tears at the soul, another reminder that insecurity, banditry, and sheer lawlessness have become a constant shadow over this country. It almost never gets better for us.

For weeks now, it has been one tragedy after another. One kidnapping case replaced by the next. Little girls are taken from their schools. Families plunged into fear. We have reached a point where people whisper painful prayers like “may Nigeria never happen to me”, because we have watched the nation turn against its own.

Only last week, schoolgirls in Kebbi were abducted. And even though news has just broken that they have been freed, the joy of their return cannot erase the trauma of their ordeal or the deeper truth it exposes about our country. In that same week, more than three hundred students were taken from a Catholic school. These were girls who simply wanted to learn, to grow, to dream, to build a life. Their only “fault” was the desire to be educated. And then Nigeria happened to them.

There is no way to describe the agony of sending your child to school and then seeing on the news that she has been taken by ruthless, faceless men. You do not know whether she has eaten, whether she is being harmed, what fears she is battling, or what pain she is enduring. Is it a crime to be a girl child in this country? Why must she carry so much suffering on her small shoulders?

The rate of insecurity in Nigeria today is beyond alarming. And our leaders, what exactly are they doing? Must it be your daughter, your niece, your cousin, your wife before you feel any urgency? Must tragedy knock at your own door before you remember the weight of responsibility?

Those who lead us, those who hold authority, are meant to use every tool within their reach to protect citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Yet what do we see? Are they asleep? Is ordering schools to vacate the answer? When there is even a whisper of protest, government mobilises soldiers with unbelievable speed. But when children are carried away by bandits, the same urgency disappears as though the nation cannot see what is happening.

If you want to understand misplaced priorities, look no further than Nigerian leadership.

Sending students home is not a solution. It strips these girls of their fundamental right to education. And then what happens when they resume? Will the cycle of fear, evacuation and abduction continue? What truly is the way forward?

Our leaders must seek real, practical solutions to these recurring horrors. They must rise to their duties and be held accountable. Our girls are suffering. They are far too young to bear this kind of trauma. No girl, no child, no human being deserves this. No parent deserves the torment of knowing that their daughter is in the hands of men who may do only God knows what to her.

Our love, our prayers and our support remain with these girls and with their families. We thank God for the safe return of the abducted Kebbi schoolgirls, but we refuse to let that relief distract us from the painful truth that no child should ever have been taken in the first place. 

We continue to pray for every child still in captivity, and for the strength of the families waiting for their return. May our leaders finally be held accountable. May our girls be protected, truly and consistently. And may Nigeria never happen to any of us.

Rabi Ummi Umar is an intern at IMPR and can be reached via: rabiumar058@gmail.com.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

President Bola Tinubu has declared a nationwide security emergency and authorised the immediate recruitment of thousands of new personnel into the military and police force.

In a major address from the Statehouse on Tuesday, the President announced that the Nigeria Police Force is to recruit an additional 20,000 officers, a move that will bring the total number of new recruits to 50,000.

To accommodate the surge in trainees, the President has authorised the police to use various National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) camps as temporary training depots. He also directed that officers recently withdrawn from VIP guard duties undergo “crash training” before being redeployed to areas with high security challenges.

The announcement comes amid a wave of attacks and kidnappings across several states.

President Tinubu commended the security agencies for the recent release of abducted schoolgirls in Kebbi and worshippers in Kwara, but pledged to sustain efforts to rescue the remaining students of a Catholic school in Niger State and other hostages.

Outlining a multi-pronged strategy, the President also ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to immediately deploy all trained forest guards to “flush out terrorists and bandits lurking in our forests.”

He declared, “There will be no more hiding places for agents of evil.”

In a significant political move, President Tinubu called on the National Assembly to review the nation’s laws to allow states to establish their own police forces.

He also advised state governments to reconsider the establishment of boarding schools in remote, insecure areas.

Addressing the farmer-herder crisis, the President urged herders to end open grazing, surrender illegal weapons, and embrace ranching, which he described as “the path forward for sustainable livestock farming and national harmony.”

He paid tribute to fallen soldiers, including Brigadier-General Musa Uba, and issued a stern warning to adversaries: “Those who want to test our resolve should never mistake our restraint for weakness.”

The President concluded by urging citizens to remain calm, vigilant, and to cooperate with security agencies, stating, “We are in this fight together, and together we shall win.”

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

President Bola Tinubu has put forward the names of three non-career ambassadorial nominees for crucial postings in the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.

According to an announcement, the nominees are Ambassador Ayodele Oke, Retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are, and Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu. Their specific country assignments will be finalized after they undergo a screening and confirmation process by the Nigerian Senate.

The nominees bring a wealth of experience in diplomacy and security to the roles.Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu is a familiar face in foreign service, having previously served as Nigeria’s Ambassador to South Korea.

He was first appointed to that position in 2016 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Ambassador Ayodele Oke, a graduate of Emory University in Atlanta, is a former Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).

He also has prior diplomatic experience from serving as Nigeria’s ambassador to the Secretariat of the Commonwealth of Nations in London.

Retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are has a distinguished background in security and intelligence. He was the Director General of the State Security Service (SSS) from 1999 to 2007 and later served as the National Security Adviser in 2010.

His career also includes serving as an officer in the Directorate of Military Intelligence.

A highly educated officer, he graduated with First Class Honours in Psychology from the University of Ibadan in 1980.

The Senate is expected to schedule a screening date for the nominees in the coming weeks.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

The Nigeria Customs Service Board (NCSB) has announced the appointment of new top officials and approved special promotions for deserving officers.

The decisions were ratified during the board’s 64th Regular Meeting, held on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, and chaired by the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun.

The board confirmed the appointment of five new Deputy Comptroller-Generals (DCGs) and eight Assistant Comptroller-Generals (ACGs).

The new DCGs are Baba Imam (North-East), Isah Umar (North-West), Tijjani Abe (North-West), Timi Bomodi (South-South), and Oluyomi Adebakin (South-West).

The newly appointed ACGs are C.G. Ogbonna (South-East), I. Abba-Aji (North-East), G.M. Haruna (South-South), E.J. Edelduok (South-South), G. Gaura (North-West), I. Isyaku (North-West), M.S. Shuaibu (North-Central), and M.D. Malah (North-East).

According to the board, the appointments are intended to fill vacancies created by retirements and to strengthen strategic leadership across the service.

In a separate category, ten officers were granted special promotions for demonstrating “exceptional professionalism, leadership and outstanding service performance.”

Among those promoted are A.C. Fanyam and G.M. Shidali to Comptroller of Customs.

The board stated that these moves are part of ongoing efforts to boost morale, ensure leadership succession, and keep the service effective in tackling emerging trade and security challenges.

By Hadiza Abdulkadir

In a landmark decision driven by national outrage over gender-based violence, Italy’s parliament has voted unanimously to establish femicide as a distinct crime punishable by life imprisonment.

The new legislation defines femicide specifically as the murder of a woman because of her gender. The unified move by lawmakers reflects a growing consensus on the urgency of addressing systemic violence against women across the country.

Beyond establishing severe penalties for murder, the legislative package also strengthens existing laws against stalking and “revenge porn,” aiming to broaden protections for victims of abuse.

The vote comes as Italy continues to grapple with high-profile instances of fatal violence against women. The national conversation reached a fever pitch following the brutal 2023 murder of university student Giulia Cecchettin by her ex-boyfriend, a case that sparked widespread protests and intensified demands for legal reform.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has ordered the immediate closure of all public senior secondary schools in the capital, citing pressing security reasons.

In an urgent memo issued on Tuesday by Aishatu Alhassan, the Director of School Services at the FCT Secondary Education Board, principals were instructed to ensure all academic activities cease and students are dismissed in a safe and orderly manner on or before Friday, November 28.

The directive requires schools to immediately notify students, staff, and parents, and to adjust all scheduled academic work.

The administration stated that schools are expected to reopen on the next official school day unless further instructions are provided.

The memo reinstated that the directive must be treated as a matter of importance and urgency.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

The 24 schoolgirls abducted from the Government Girls Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, have been rescued and have regained their freedom.

The students were taken from their school in a recent attack that sparked widespread condemnation and concern.

Authorities have confirmed the successful rescue operation, though specific details regarding the operation or the current condition of the girls have not yet been fully disclosed.

This news brings a wave of relief to the families and the local community, who had been anxiously awaiting their return.

Further details are expected as the situation develops.