Index to Nigerian Newspapers

The House of Representatives urged the Federal Government to establish a permanent and well-equipped military base across several communities in Zamfara State to combat escalating banditry. During Tuesday's plenary, lawmaker Hassan Shinkafi moved the motion, decrying how continuous attacks, killings, and kidnappings in the Shinkafi and Zurmi areas have left over forty villages deserted and restricted access to farmlands, markets, and schools. While acknowledging state-level security measures and commendable efforts by military personnel, Shinkafi criticized the premature withdrawal of troops after a brief two-week deployment, which allowed criminal networks to resurface. Adopting the motion, the House called for increased multi-agency security collaboration, mandated the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction to distribute immediate relief supplies to displaced residents, and noted a separate incident in Katsina State where police confirmed that security operatives are actively working to rescue three remaining university students abducted from their residence.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and several political parties have strongly criticized President Bola Tinubu's administration for failing to practice inclusive governance, pointing to a persistent pattern of uneven political appointments that favor certain regions over others and violate the constitutional principle of federal character. Although the presidency attempted to defend its record by releasing a geographical breakdown of appointments, the list faced immediate backlash for being incomplete and omitting key high ranking officials from the South West region, which critics argue only exposed deep seated regional imbalance and nepotism. Opposition leaders warned that promoting such ethnocentrism and favoritism in a diverse country like Nigeria threatens national unity, peace, and stability, cautioning that the administration's exclusionary approach is pushing the nation toward unnecessary division.

Retired military generals and members of the House of Representatives have expressed deep concern over the resurgence of terrorist attacks by Boko Haram in states like Borno and Yobe, noting that the insurgents appear better equipped than the Nigerian military. Despite significant increases in national defense budgets by President Bola Tinubu, lawmakers and retired officers like Peter Aro and Bashir Adewinbi are demanding an urgent shift toward advanced intelligence gathering, modern combat tools, and drone surveillance. Furthermore, a former air force spokesperson, Sadique Shehu, stressed the need for strict accountability and legislative oversight regarding how these defense funds are spent. During a plenary session, lawmakers Ahmed Satomi, Yusuf Gagdi, Ahmed Jaha, Zainab Gimba, Lawan Shettima, and Babajimi Benson debated the security crisis, highlighting a recent fire at the Giwa Barracks armoury and noting that terrorists are using sophisticated weaponised drones. In response, the parliament resolved to investigate the armoury incident and enhance regional security. Meanwhile, representative Blessing Onuh raised alarms over deadly attacks by armed herdsmen in Otukpo, Benue State, prompting calls for immediate security deployment and humanitarian aid. In the upper legislative chamber, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, with backing from Mohammed Dandutse, Titus Zam, and Abba Moro, secured approval for a two-day national security summit in Abuja to address the nationwide crisis, despite skepticism from lawmakers Enyinnaya Abaribe and Adamu Aliero who doubted the effectiveness of another summit.