SUSPECTED bandits believed to be operating from the Kainji Lake National Park have attacked a village market in Kabe District, Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, killing at least 30 villagers, abducting several others, and setting the market ablaze.
The attack occurred on Saturday at Kasuwan Daji market in Demo village, which the assailants reportedly accessed through Kabe.
During the raid, the gunmen allegedly looted food items and other goods, opened fire on residents, and abducted villagers along routes leading into the vast Kainji Lake National Park forest.
Confirming the incident in a statement on Sunday, the Niger State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun, said a joint security team had visited the area and that efforts were underway to rescue those abducted.
“On January 3, 2026, at about 9 p.m., information received revealed that at about 4:30 p.m. of the same date, suspected bandits from the National Park forest along Kabe District invaded Kasuwan Daji, located at Demo village via Kabe, burnt the market, looted shops, and carted away food items,” Abiodun, a Superintendent of Police, said.
“On 04/01/2026 at about 8 a.m., a report indicated that a joint security team visited the scene, and over 30 victims lost their lives during the attack.
“Some persons were also kidnapped. Efforts are ongoing to rescue the kidnapped victims. Further developments will be communicated.”
The attack comes barely weeks after a similar incident in the state. On November 21, 2025, bandits abducted more than 300 pupils and students from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area.
The gunmen reportedly arrived on motorcycles around 2:00 a.m. and spent about three hours raiding the school dormitories, abducting 315 people, including 303 students and 12 teachers.
Following the incident, security operatives and local hunters were deployed to nearby forests in search of the abductees. About 50 pupils escaped within the first day and were reunited with their families, while the Federal Government later secured the release of 100 others.
On December 21, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, announced that all the remaining abducted pupils of St. Mary’s Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, Niger State, “numbering 230″, had been freed.
IN 2025, the global fact-checking landscape faced mounting pressure as AI-generated and deepfake content became more widespread and increasingly sophisticated, often making manipulation harder to detect than in previous years.
This period also coincided with funding uncertainty for several fact-checking organisations and growing debate over platform accountability. In the United States, some major technology companies began shifting away from third-party fact-checking programmes toward community-driven models, such as Community Notes, raising questions about the effectiveness and consistency of these approaches.
Later in the year, the sector faced additional strain following a U.S. policy shift restricted visas for individuals who had worked in fact-checking and content moderation. Together, these developments highlighted the increasingly hostile and unstable environment in which fact-checkers now operate.
Against this backdrop, several trends are expected to shape the fact-checking landscape in Nigeria in 2026, particularly around elections and information integrity. As the country moves closer to the next general elections, the quality and credibility of information will play a decisive role in shaping public trust, voter behaviour, and democratic participation.
Recent election cycles have shown that misinformation is no longer confined to polling periods; it emerges early, spreads rapidly, and exploits gaps in digital governance, media literacy, and platform accountability.
In 2026, these dynamics are likely to intensify, presenting new challenges for fact-checkers, journalists, and election stakeholders.
1. Early, prolonged election misinformation
Misinformation in 2026 is expected to take the form of prolonged narrative-building, as seen subtly before the 2023 elections. Political actors may spend months casting doubt on electoral institutions, questioning voter registers, or framing outcomes as predetermined or illegitimate. Once established, these narratives are difficult to reverse and often resurface during key moments, reducing the effectiveness of last-minute fact-checks.
2. More local and convincing AI political fakes
The growing accessibility of generative AI tools means manipulated political content will increasingly reflect Nigerian realities. Deepfake videos, cloned voice notes, and AI-generated images may feature recognisable public figures, local accents, and culturally specific messaging, making it harder for audiences to detect falsehoods. This trend will challenge traditional verification approaches that rely heavily on visual cues or known manipulation patterns.
3. Closed platforms shape political narratives
Encrypted messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram are expected to remain central to political mobilisation and misinformation in 2026. Messages circulated in closed groups, often framed as “insider information” or community alerts, will be difficult to monitor and correct. By the time these narratives reach public platforms, they may already have shaped opinions at the grassroots level.
4. Rising distrust for independent media
As election-related verification intensifies, fact-checkers and journalists may face growing hostility from political actors and their supporters. Corrections are increasingly at risk of being dismissed as partisan, while verification organisations may be accused of serving foreign or political interests.
Based on past election cycles, there is also a heightened risk of online harassment, legal intimidation, or regulatory pressure being used to discourage scrutiny of political claims ahead of the 2027 elections.
5. Unchecked narratives in local languages
Misinformation in local languages and dialects is expected to continue outpacing fact-checking efforts, particularly in regions where political communication relies heavily on oral, cultural, or religious messaging. At the same time, major technology platforms may rely heavily on automated moderation systems, with limited local context and delayed responses to flagged election-related content. These gaps could allow harmful narratives to spread largely unchecked during critical moments.
Together, these trends suggest that the challenge for fact-checkers in 2026 is likely to extend beyond debunking individual claims. It will increasingly involve tracking long-term narratives, responding to more sophisticated AI-generated content, and finding effective ways to reach audiences in private and local-language spaces.
Strengthening information integrity ahead of Nigeria’s next elections will require faster verification, greater platform accountability, legal protections for independent media, and sustained investment in media literacy and pre-bunking efforts.
The journey to this bill has been somewhat tortured. The last time there was meaningful legislative action on the regulation of the legal profession in Nigeria, the military were in power and that was over 50 years ago.
The existing framework governing Nigeria’s legal profession has, in fact, evolved very little since the Legal Practitioners Act was first enacted two years after independence in 1962. Long before the onset of this millennium, it was evident that the design and regulation of Nigeria’s legal profession needed to be updated. Substantial disagreements, however, existed as to how to accomplish this.
In December 2016, then President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Abubakar Balarabe (AB) Mahmoud, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), constituted a Legal Practitioners Regulation Review Committee under the leadership of Anthony Idigbe, SAN, with a mandate to undertake consultations and rationalize proposals for the reform and regulation of Nigeria’s legal profession.
As part of its work, the Idigbe Committee took soundings from the official legal profession and from branches of the NBA. The Committee comprised entirely of lawyers and, in its work, appeared to make little effort to reach out to or consult with consumers of legal services. That was a significant flaw in its process.
Upon receiving the committee’s report, the president of the NBA then set out the desired goals and ambitions of the reform he sought: “We need a legal profession” he declared, “that will inspire confidence in the Nigerian legal system such that entrepreneurship will thrive and foreigners will feel confident to invest in our country thereby generating prosperity for our people.” He complained that – afflicted as it was by chronically incapable regulation – “the Nigerian Bar Association as presently structured and managed cannot provide that leadership expected to produce these outcomes.”
For nearly two decades preceding the Idigbe Committee Report and immediately thereafter, the NBA had been led by SANs. In 2020, the membership of the association elected Olumide Akpata to lead it. An exceptional and able lawyer, Olumide made his name at the commercial Bar. It is fair to say that some traditionalists took personal affront at his election to lead the Bar.
Any hopes for a quick dash to translate into legislative reality the lofty dreams inspired by the Idigbe Committee Report were to be quickly frustrated by an internecine contest that ensued of egos and interests too complex to be rehashed here. As this contest unfolded, the original proposals of the Idigbe Committee vegetated; then mutated, before getting annihilated.
It appears that some interests within the Body of Benchers (BoB) decided in this flux to capture the profession. Much of the contest that followed over the future of the regulatory proposals was to occur within the BoB. A statutory body created by the existing Legal Practitioners Act, the BoB is described under law as “a body of legal practitioners of the highest distinction” in Nigeria responsible for admitting new entrants into the legal profession.
While the BoB sought to subordinate to itself the NBA and all other organs for the regulation of the Legal Profession, the NBA sought to argue for its independence as the professional association of lawyers in Nigeria. As this argument raged, some interests instigated a contest over the assertion of associational monopolies by the NBA with the emergence of a Nigerian Law Society (NLS), in effect forcing the NBA to battle on two fronts for its own survival.
These contests were still ongoing when in 2023, Nigeria elected a new President. Leading protagonists in the BoB, who were also counsel to the new president, acquired presidential leverage in the battle to shape the new regulatory environment. With the strategic landscape thus redefined, the NBA was left to seek tactical accommodation in shaping the content of the new Bill, with a focus on preserving its considerable revenue streams. The original ambitions outlined in 2018 for a radical reinvention of Nigeria’s legal profession suffered a tragic stillbirth.
Among its eight objectives, the bill proposes to advance public confidence in legal services; promote the public interest, rule of law and access to justice; and, above all, “ensure the independence, integrity and honour of members of the legal profession.” There is, however, a clear mismatch between the essential proposals of the Bill and these high sounding objectives.
For starters, about half of the Bill is devoted to provisions for a revamped Body of Benchers, which emerges from these proposals as a supreme regulator – if not owner – of Nigeria’s legal profession. If these proposals become law, the provisions of the bill governing the BoB will prove to be the cemetery of Nigeria’s legal profession.
Far from being a guarantor of an independent Bar, the BoB created by this Bill is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the ruling government. It will be funded by the Federal Government through the National Judicial Council. Among its membership, the BoB will include the Chief Justice of Nigeria; Attorney-General of the Federation; all Justices of the Supreme Court; President of the Court of Appeal and Presiding Justices of divisions of the Court of Appeal; Chief Judge of the Federal High Court and of all state High Courts (including the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory); President of the National Industrial Court; all State Attorneys-General; as well as the President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Chairs of Judiciary Committee in both chambers of the National Assembly if they have been lawyers for at least 15 years.
The NBA’s representation in the Body will be 61, comprising its president and 60 other lawyers nominated by its National Executive Committee. It will be a no-contest.
Second, the BoB will be responsible not merely for admission into the legal profession but also for discipline. So, Body will subsume the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC). Members of the Body will become, in typical Nigerian fashion, above discipline.
Third, to underscore the supremacy of the BoB, the Bill now proposes that the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC) can only make, retain or review rules and criteria for conferment of the rank of SAN, including any conditions for withdrawal of the rank “with the approval of the Body of Benchers.”
Fourth, in a specific act of legislative reprisal, the new Bill excludes from the LPPC, the President of the NBA – until now a member of the LPPC which determines the conferment of the rank of SAN – unless he or she is a SAN. This provision is a specific reprisal against the NBA for electing in 2020, a president who was not a SAN. For that reason, this provision may, in time, become known as the “Olumide Akpata Reprisal”.
Fifth, the ambitions of the Bill venture into the impossible. In addition to regulating the practice of law in Nigeria, it also purports to reserve for Nigerian lawyers only legal services in relation to any matter of Nigerian law; or in relation to any dispute or transaction with substantial nexus to Nigeria. Implicitly, the Bill asserts extra-territorial effect. It is hard to see how that can work.
The Bill contains other significant provisions, such as the requirement for mandatory pupillage of up to two years for new lawyers or for licensing of foreign lawyers. Even the provision concerning foreign lawyers tone-deaf. It defines a foreign lawyer as “a person entitled to practice law in a foreign jurisdiction.” By this bill, a Nigerian lawyer qualified in another jurisdiction is foreign.
Admirable though its original goals were, Nigeria’s new Legal Practitioners Bill has suffered predictable derailment. If it gets adopted in its present form, the new law will be a shrine to institutional capture. Its main achievement will be to create in members of the Body of Benches, a new breed of super lawyers. The currency of their trade will be influence peddling, the very anti-thesis of what the effort to reform the Legal Practitioners Act was meant to be.
VENEZUELA’s Supreme Court has directed Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to take over as interim leader following the seizure and removal of President Nicolás Maduro by the United States.
In its ruling, the court ordered Rodríguez to “assume and exercise, in an acting capacity, all the attributes, duties, and powers inherent to the office of President,” citing the need to ensure administrative continuity and the comprehensive defence of the nation.
According to AFP, the court said Rodríguez would temporarily occupy the presidency of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to safeguard the continuity of government and national sovereignty.
It added that it would later deliberate on the appropriate legal framework to address the president’s forced absence and maintain state stability.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump said Washington would oversee Venezuela until a transition of leadership could be arranged.
“We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said at a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. He added that the US did not want to install another leader only to face the same challenges that had persisted for years.
Trump provided few details on how the United States intended to administer Venezuela, despite the continued presence of the country’s vice president, legislature, and military, all of which have publicly opposed the US action. He said the plan would involve US oil companies investing billions of dollars to repair Venezuela’s damaged oil infrastructure, even as he maintained that the embargo on Venezuelan oil remained in force and that US forces would stay on alert.
“We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country,” Trump said.
Reports stated that a plane carrying Maduro landed shortly before 5 p.m. local time at Stewart Airport in New York, from where he was to be transferred to New York City.
Trump said the intervention would be carried out “with a group” largely made up of senior US officials, with a focus on restoring oil infrastructure and ensuring that the needs of the Venezuelan population were addressed.
US President Donald Trump has said American forces carried out what he described as a “large-scale strike” in Venezuela, claiming that President Nicolás Maduro and his wife were captured during the operation.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, Trump said the operation was conducted in coordination with US law enforcement agencies and resulted in Maduro and his wife being “captured and flown out of the country.”
“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country,” Trump wrote.
Venezuela’s government, however, accused Washington of attacking civilian and military targets across several states, characterising the action as an act of “military aggression.”
According to Al Jazeera, Venezuelan authorities said the strikes affected the capital, Caracas, as well as Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira states, prompting the declaration of a national emergency.
The country’s opposition said it had yet to take an official position on the reported US action.
A spokesperson told media outlets there was no formal response at the time, as uncertainty persisted over reports of explosions and alleged military activity, CNN reported.
Maria Machado, a leading opposition figure and outspoken critic of Maduro, has previously supported months of US military build-up and operations that Washington said targeted narco-trafficking networks.
She described Trump’s actions as “decisive” following the US seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker last month.
Machado was barred by the Venezuelan authorities from contesting the presidential election, a move condemned by opposition groups and several international actors. Her current whereabouts remain unclear, according to Al Jazeera.
Maduro has repeatedly accused the United States of seeking regime change in Venezuela, alleging that Washington aims to gain control of the country’s vast oil resources.
Meanwhile, the US embassy in Bogotá said it was aware of reports of explosions in and around Caracas and reiterated its warning for US citizens not to travel to Venezuela.
In a security notice, the embassy urged Americans currently in the country to leave as soon as it is safe to do so, noting that Venezuela remains under a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory.
The embassy advised US citizens to shelter in place if unable to leave immediately and to maintain multiple lines of communication with family and friends abroad. It also recalled that in March 2019, the US Department of State withdrew all diplomatic staff from Caracas and suspended embassy operations.
Authorities said further details would be provided at a news conference scheduled for 11 a.m. on Saturday.
IN Nigeria, artificial intelligence has quietly become part of how ordinary Nigerians work, learn, sell, and communicate.
AI has helped students trying to understand complex topics, small business owners managing customers on WhatsApp, and AI tools are now woven into daily routines.
What makes AI especially important in Nigeria is the pressure to do more with less. Many people juggle multiple jobs, side hustles, or freelance work, often without teams or large budgets. AI fills the gap by acting as a digital assistant — helping one person write faster, design better, respond to customers promptly, and organise work efficiently.
Another factor is global competition. Nigerian freelancers, creatives, and professionals now compete in international markets where speed and quality matter. AI tools help bridge that gap, allowing users to produce work that meets global standards without expensive software or specialised training.
However, not every AI tool is easily adaptable in the Nigerian context. The most useful ones are those that work on mobile phones, have free or affordable plans, use minimal data, and fit naturally into existing habits like WhatsApp, social media, and remote work. Here are tools to use this The tools below stand out in 2026 because they meet those realities.
1. ChatGPT: This has become one of the widely used AI tool in Nigeria because of its flexibility. People use it to draft documents, generate business ideas, explain school subjects, write reports, create social media captions, and even prepare interview answers. For journalists and researchers, it helps structure stories and clarify complex issues, while for small business owners, it acts as a writing and planning assistant available at any hour.
2. ICIR Native AI: Developed by the International Centre for Investigative Reporting and unveiled in September at a webinar, the product is designed to help journalists and content creators transcribe audiovisual files, translate them into Nigeria’s major languages, and make media content more inclusive for diverse and hearing-impaired audiences. It has speech-to-Text Transcription, which enables the conversion of English audio into accurate text in real time, optimised for Nigerian accents and newsroom clarity and instant translation features, which enable translating transcribed speech into Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba—maintaining meaning and accent-sensitive expressions among other features.
3. Leonardo AI: It’s an image and video generation tool that many creators rely on because it offers offers a free tier with daily tokens. This makes it especially attractive in Nigeria, where recurring subscriptions can be a barrier. With Leonardo AI, users can consistently generate high-quality visuals for blogs, social media, marketing materials, and personal projects without worrying about monthly payments.
4. Lexia AI : This is an AI-powered platform that simplifies e-commerce website creation for Nigerian entrepreneurs. The platform uses AI to generate product descriptions and images, and provides a user-friendly builder to create your online store.
5. Microsoft Designer: This is a free AI-powered design tool that helps users quickly create polished visuals without needing design experience. Built on DALL-E 3 technology, it turns simple text descriptions into complete graphic designs, making it a strong option for fast, AI-driven content creation, especially for social media and marketing.
In practice, Microsoft Designer is useful for Nigerians who need ready-to-use designs in minutes. Users can describe exactly what they want, such as an Instagram story announcing a flash sale or a promotional post for an online store, and the tool automatically generates multiple design concepts combining images, text, and layout.
These designs can then be easily adjusted to match brand colours, messaging, and style, making them suitable for small businesses, vendors, and content creators who want speed without sacrificing quality.
Microsoft Designer is accessible for free with a Microsoft account, which makes it easy for many users to adopt. While the platform provides a limited number of “boosts” for faster image generation and keeps core features free, some advanced options are tied to a Microsoft 365 subscription.
6. Canva AI : This has transformed how Nigerians approach design. Instead of hiring a graphic designer for every flyer or social media post, users rely on Canva’s AI features to generate clean, professional visuals in minutes.
It is widely used by small businesses, churches, NGOs, schools, and content creators who need consistent branding but have limited budgets.
7. Awa Doc: This is an AI-powered health assistant that provides instant medical guidance, helping users understand symptoms, get triage recommendations, and connect with care, all from their WhatsApp. It’s fast, private, and available 24/7.
The tool integrates medical and technical expertise by using an AI-powered healthcare assistant designed to break these barriers, delivering instant medical guidance through a simple chat. They use advanced AI to provide response, personalised health advice, and critical medical insights all within seconds, directly on WhatsApp.
8. WhatsApp AI chatbots: This includes tools integrated into WhatsApp Business, which are increasingly common among Nigerian vendors and service providers. These bots automatically respond to customer messages, handle frequently asked questions, confirm orders, and collect basic information. For businesses that receive messages at all hours, this reduces stress and ensures customers are not ignored.
9. Google Gemini: This is particularly useful when Nigerians need current and verifiable information. Unlike traditional search, it can be useful for accessing recent information / web data. Students use it for research, journalists for background checks, and entrepreneurs for market insights, especially when accuracy and recent updates matter.
10. CapCut AI: This has become a favourite among Nigerian content creators because it simplifies video editing. With automatic captions, transitions, and effects, users can turn raw phone videos into polished content suitable for TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. Businesses also use it to promote products without hiring video editors.
11. Notion AI: this AI tool helps users organise their work, ideas, and projects in one place. Freelancers use it to manage clients, students use it to organise notes, and teams rely on it for planning and documentation. Its AI features help summarise notes and generate structured content from rough ideas.
12. Perplexity AI: This stands out for research and fact-checking because it shows sources alongside its answers. This makes it valuable for journalists, students, and analysts who need to verify claims and avoid misinformation. In an era of viral falsehoods, tools like this are becoming essential.
In 2026, the real advantage is not knowing many AI tools, but knowing which ones fit your daily work and lifestyle. Nigerians who use AI deliberately to save time, reduce costs, and improve quality are most likely to remain competitive in business, media, education, and the global digital economy.
CANADA has deported 366 Nigerian citizens between January and October 2025 as immigration authorities stepped up enforcement to levels not recorded in more than ten years.
Records from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) removals programme also indicate that 974 Nigerians are currently classified as “removal in progress,” meaning they are awaiting deportation.
The figures, last updated on November 25, 2025, ranked Nigeria ninth among the 10 countries with the highest number of deportees during the period. Nigeria also placed fifth among countries with the largest number of individuals pending removal.
A review of the CBSA data shows that Nigeria was the only African country to feature among the top 10 nationalities deported in 2025.
Other African countries were grouped under “remaining nationals,” a category that accounted for 6,233 removals in total during the year.
Mexico led the list of deportations with 3,972 cases, followed by India (2,831), Haiti (2,012), Colombia (737), Romania (672), the United States (656), Venezuela (562), China (385), Nigeria (366), and Pakistan (359).
A similar trend is reflected in the removal-in-progress data, where Nigeria again appeared as the only African country in the top 10, with 974 people awaiting deportation.
India topped the list with 6,515 cases, followed by Mexico (4,650), the United States (1,704), China (1,430), Nigeria (974), Colombia (895), Pakistan (863), Haiti (741), Brazil (650), and Chile (621).
Despite the increase in deportations, Canada remains a key destination for Nigerians pursuing better economic and educational prospects.
Data from the 2021 Canadian census showed that over 40,000 Nigerians migrated to Canada between 2016 and 2021, making them the largest African migrant group and the fifth-largest source of recent immigrants overall.
Additional figures from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada reveal that 6,600 Nigerians obtained permanent residency in the first four months of 2024, ranking fourth behind India, the Philippines, and China.
Between 2005 and 2024, a total of 71,459 Nigerians became Canadian citizens, placing Nigeria 10th among countries of origin for new citizens.
A FEDERAL High Court in Abuja has fixed January 7 for a ruling on the bail application filed by a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, a senior advocate, who is standing trial over alleged money laundering.
Malami is currently being remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre alongside his son, Abdulaziz, and one of his wives, Bashir Asabe, following their arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The accused are facing a 16-count charge bordering on money laundering, amounting to ₦8.7 billion.
They pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were arraigned on December 29, 2025.
Following their plea, the trial judge, Emeka Nwite, ordered that the defendants be remanded pending the hearing of their bail application, which commenced on January 2, 2026.
The court, however, adjourned the matter and fixed January 7 for ruling on the bail request.
According to court documents marked FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025, the EFCC alleged that the defendants conspired to conceal, disguise, and retain proceeds of unlawful activities using corporate entities, multiple bank accounts, and high-value real estate transactions.
The prosecution alleged that between July 2022 and June 2025, Malami and his son used a company, Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited, to conceal over ₦1.01 billion, while an additional ₦600 million allegedly passed through a Sterling Bank account linked to the same company between September 2020 and February 2021.
In another count, the EFCC accused Malami, his son, and Asabe, described as an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Limited, of disguising the origin of ₦500 million allegedly used to acquire a luxury duplex located on Amazon Street, Maitama District, Abuja.
The commission further alleged that the defendants conspired to launder ₦1.04 billion through the Union Bank account of Meethaq Hotels Limited between November 2022 and September 2024, while another ₦1.36 billion was allegedly taken under indirect control through the same company’s account.
The EFCC also alleged that Malami, while serving as Attorney-General of the Federation, concealed ₦700 million allegedly used to purchase a property at No. 3 Onitsha Crescent, Area 11, Garki, as well as ₦850 million used to acquire another property in the Jabi District of Abuja.
Other properties listed in the charge include real estate on Amazon Street and Rhine Street in Maitama, properties in Asokoro District, and houses in Gwarimpa, Abuja.
The anti-graft agency further alleged that Malami deployed unlawful proceeds amounting to ₦952 million to acquire multiple properties in Abuja, Kano, and Birnin Kebbi between 2018 and 2023, using proxies and corporate entities to obscure ownership.
The EFCC told the court that it had traced 41 properties valued at about ₦212 billion to Malami and his associates, which form part of the subject of the ongoing prosecution.
According to the commission, the alleged offences contravene provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
NIGERIA’S economy is projected to expand by 4.49 per cent in 2026, reflecting sustained gains from ongoing reforms. However, concerns remain over the 70 per cent budget carryover of capital projects from 2025.
Already, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assured that the economic policies and reforms of his government would positively impact more households in 2026, noting that the government would build on the gains of such reforms within the year.
He cited easing inflation, stronger foreign reserves and renewed investor confidence as evidence that his administration’s reforms were beginning to yield results, adding that Nigeria “is entering a more robust phase of economic growth in the new year.”
Conversely, there are doubts that the economic projections and optimism shared by the Tinubu-led administration would not materialise as it struggles to fund the budget, despite accruing more money from oil sales, fuel subsidy removal, and appreciations in non-oil revenue, economic watchers say.
Funding the capital component of the federal budget impacts roads, rural economy and other critical infrastructure that affects average Nigerian.
In 2025, the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, admitted the government realised just N10 trillion out of the N40 trillion revenue target for the 2025 fiscal year.
The development led to the Senate asking questions about persistent borrowing, overlapping budgets and weak capital project execution by the government.
“States and the Federal Government are getting richer from federation allocation since the removal of fuel subsidy. Has that reflected in the lives of the people?”, a development economist and public sector analyst, Celestine Okeke, queried.
He stressed the importance of funding the capital component of the national budget, which has a direct impact on the lives of an average Nigerian and economic development.
“Look at key critical roads across the country. You could see many people sleeping on the road this festive period because of abandoned and dilapidated road projects. This is the consequence of not cashing back projects in the budget,” Okeke said.
A development economist Celestine Okeke believes rural inflation could worsen
In his submission, the Chief Executive Officer of Economic Associates, Ayo Teriba, said the revenue gaps remained a worry in funding the national budget unless the government finds a way to attract more capital into the economy and reduce borrowings.
“The government must unlock opportunities in private capital and attract more investments. We have over 200 million market size, which can support the bottom of the pyramid and attract more investments into the economy,” he stated.
He advocated the importance of listing the Nigerian National Petroleum Company in the stock market and finding ways of making money from several government assets through securitisation.
Despite the concerns raised by economic watchers, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) expressed cautious optimism on projected 4.49 per cent economic growth, as it hopes on structural changes in the oil sector, tax reforms and the foreign exchange market to sustain growth and disinflation.
What Central Bank 2026 economic outlook say
The CBN touted stronger private sector investment and improved macroeconomic stability as key drivers of the projected 4.49 per cent growth in 2026.
The apex bank disclosed this in its 2026 Macroeconomic Outlook for Nigeria, published on its website on Tuesday, December 30, noting that the projected growth compared with an estimated 3.89 per cent expansion in 2025.
CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso
“Importantly, the outlook is contingent on the implementation of well-sequenced, consistent fiscal and monetary policies. The fiscal policy stance is hinged on the full implementation of the 2025–2027 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), which is expected to stimulate domestic consumption and investments, and drive aggregate demand and employment in the medium term,” the CBN said.
According to the apex bank, growth prospects for 2026 remain positive, supported by continued gains from broad-based structural reforms by the government. These reforms, it said, had helped to improve the business environment, boost capital inflows, raise government revenue, and enhance stability in the foreign exchange market.
The CBN explained that its easing monetary policy stance was expected to further support economic expansion, as anticipated reductions in lending rates lower borrowing costs and improve access to credit for businesses and households.
Increased private sector investment, particularly from large-scale projects such as the Dangote Refinery, is also expected to significantly brighten the growth outlook in 2026.
In addition, higher crude oil production, underpinned by improved security around oil assets, is expected to support output growth. The bank highlighted the role of enhanced surveillance and monitoring, especially following the launch of the Production Monitoring Command Centre (PMCC), as well as the expansion of domestic crude oil refining capacity and relatively stable energy prices.
The outlook also reflects expectations of increased fiscal spending, including pre-election expenditure, which could further stimulate aggregate demand. The CBN said effective coordination between monetary and fiscal policies, aimed at sustaining exchange rate stability, job creation and inflation control, would provide additional impetus to overall output growth.
However, the bank cautioned that several downside risks could weigh on the economic outlook in 2026. It noted that if the projected deceleration in inflation is not achieved, monetary policy easing could be reversed, thereby dampening growth prospects.
While ongoing reforms are expected to raise productivity, stimulate private sector activity, and support a more diversified and competitive economy, the CBN warned that the pace of improvement could be constrained by persistently high costs of doing business, poor infrastructure, and insecurity, all of which could undermine business operations.
Expected risk factors from CBN’s projections
The apex bank also highlighted the risk that cost-cutting measures by firms could increase unemployment, further shrink the formal sector, and ultimately constrain economic growth. In addition, unfavourable climatic conditions could result in crop losses, disruptions to businesses and transportation services, and weaker overall economic activity.
Negative shocks to crude oil production remain another key risk. The CBN said unanticipated security breaches around oil installations or force majeure events could reduce oil output below projections, thereby constraining growth.
The baseline projections are anchored on several key assumptions, including an average crude oil price of $60 per barrel in the fourth quarter of 2025 and $55 per barrel in 2026.
This is consistent with the US Energy Information Administration’s outlook that rising global crude oil inventories and supply glut would moderate oil prices.
The outlook also assumes an average Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM) exchange rate of N1,451.63 per $1 in the fourth quarter of 2025 and N1,400 per $1 in 2026, supported by improved FX market efficiency, higher capital inflows, a current account surplus and broad-based economic recovery.
Petrol pump price will hover around N950 per litre in 2026
Domestic crude oil production is assumed at about 1.50 million barrels per day, excluding condensates, throughout the forecast period. Petrol pump prices are expected to hover around N950 per litre in 2026.
NNPCL filling station retail outlet
Government expenditure is projected to align with the 2025–2027 MTEF and Fiscal Strategy Paper, reflecting an expansionary fiscal stance aimed at supporting the $1 trillion economy initiative. The Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) and Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) are assumed at 27.00 per cent and 45.00 per cent, respectively.
The CBN said the baseline projections were supported by assumptions of improving business confidence and stronger investor sentiment, alongside higher crude oil production, increased investments, enhanced security around oil and gas infrastructure, and rising activity in the midstream segment of the oil industry, particularly domestic refining.
Sectoral performance is also expected to support growth. The mining and quarrying subsector is projected to continue benefiting from reforms aimed at improving efficiency and the business environment. The services sector is expected to remain a key driver of growth, with transport, particularly road and rail, and wholesale and retail trade sustaining momentum.
The information and communication technology subsector is also projected to benefit from increased investments in 5G coverage, improved internet connectivity and accelerated nationwide digital transformation. Similarly, the real estate subsector is expected to support higher economic activity in 2026, driven by sustained government support, growing mortgage financing, and continued demand for housing.
On inflation, the CBN projected a continued downward trend in 2026, supported by stability in the foreign exchange and energy markets, the lagged effects of previous interest rate hikes, and improved policy coordination.
Headline inflation is projected to decelerate to 12.94 per cent in 2026 from an estimated 21.26 per cent in 2025. The anticipated moderation, according to the bank, would be driven mainly by declining food prices and lower petrol prices, with increased competition in the midstream segment of the oil industry expected to ease PMS costs.
Throughout 2025, the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (The ICIR) pursued stories that held power to account and amplified voices often ignored. Our reporting spanned agriculture, health, education, governance, security, the environment, the economy, and human rights, with a strong focus on women, vulnerable communities, and the failures of public institutions.
From investigations into abandoned public projects, illicit mining, oil pollution, and violent conflicts, to data-driven reports, fact-checks, and explanatory journalism, The ICIR remained committed to evidence-based reporting in the public interest.
A hallmark of our 2025 coverage was the ICIR Terror Series, an expansive reporting project documenting the human cost and systemic failures surrounding violent extremism and insecurity across Nigeria. The Terror Series remains a vital resource for understanding the complexities of terrorism and armed conflict in the country.
As we enter 2026, The ICIR is deepening this commitment. We intend to do more investigations, more data journalism, more fact-checks, and more accountability reporting, strengthening transparency, defending press freedom, and ensuring that stories that matter most to Nigerians are told, documented, and acted upon.
