A NIGERIAN man, Chiowa Obeigbe, living in the United Kingdom (UK), has reportedly been found dead in his Gloucester apartment.
This was revealed on Monday by a fellow UK-based Nigerian, Benjamin Kuti, known as Oluomo of Derby. He explained that Obeigbe was not discovered for five days.
“This young man, Chiowa Obeigbe, sadly passed away in his home in Gloucester, UK, and was not discovered for five days.
“At the moment, no one knows his relatives or has been able to reach his family. He is said to be from Imo State, Nigeria,” Kuti wrote.
Kuti, whose X bio describes him as the “founder of the Nigerian community in the United Kingdom on Twitter,” posted a photo of Obeigbe’s driving licence and called on well-meaning Nigerians to help contact the deceased family.
“If anyone recognises him or has any information about his family, please help us get in touch with them, or please send me a DM so arrangements can be made to return his body home.”
This incident comes less than 48 hours after a similar case involving a Nigerian truck driver in the United States, Bode Ologan, who was reportedly found dead inside his truck in Arlington, Texas.
Ologan’s case was reported on Sunday via a post on the Lagos Reporters Facebook page. The report also included the deceased driver’s licence and appealed to the public for help to locate his family.
“Kindly help find out if anybody knows this guy’s family or his family. They found him dead inside the truck in Texas,” the post read.
The latest incident adds to the list of Nigerians that have died in diaspora this year.
The ICIRreported in May that a nurse residing in Leeds, United Kingdom, Nnena Miriam, was found dead in her apartment.
The news was confirmed in a statement released by Fellow Nurses Africa, an organisation committed to promoting the nursing profession in Africa.
It revealed that police discovered Miriam’s body following a missing person report.
A week later, Nigeria recorded another tragic death of one of its citizens abroad, as 23-year-old student nurse, Elizabeth Tamilore Odunsi, was stabbed to death in Texas, United States, just two days before her graduation.
The ICIRreported in August that the Metropolitan Police arrested and charged two suspects to court in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 26-year-old Nigerian, Ayowale Aladejana, in New Cross, southeast London.
A 23-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder shortly after the incident, with a 23-year-old woman taken into custody.
NIGERIA has expressed concern over the United States’ decision to exclude it from participating in US rapper Nicki Minaj’s United Nations event over alleged Christians’ killings in the African largest nation.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted Chargé d’Affaires of Nigeria’s Permanent Mission to the UN, Syndoph Endoni, as saying holding the discussion at the UN headquarters in New York without Nigeria’s involvement amounted to “shaving our head in our absence.”
“It is important to ensure the country concerned in the ongoing allegations of genocide against Christians is present, aware and has a voice in the matter.
“This is because you should not make important decisions or take action on something that involves a country without their presence or consent,” Endoni said.
The Minaj event, held at the UN headquarters in New York, in collaboration with the US Permanent Mission to the UN, took place against the backdrop of ongoing US allegations of Christian persecution in Nigeria.
The Nigerian envoy voiced disappointment that only a few countries were permitted to take part in the event, questioning the reason behind Nigeria’s exclusion.
The ICIRreported that US President Donald Trump had recently designated Nigeria as “a Country of Particular Concern” over alleged Christian genocide in the country.
Trump said the American military could deploy ground troops or launch air strikes in Nigeria to halt what he described as the widespread killing of Christians in the country.
The threat came days after he warned he would consider military action against Nigeria if the country failed to curb alleged killings of Christians.
The Nigerian authorities have repeatedly rejected.
Endoni said that by refusing Nigeria’s participation, the US authorities deprived the country of its right and opportunity to present its own side of the story.
“We asked the US authorities if it was okay to continue to shave someone’s hair in his absence.
“We further highlighted that the Nigerian government is not standing idly by to watch the atrocities perpetrated by the criminals,” he added.
The Nigerian envoy further emphasised that the two countries could address Nigeria’s security challenges effectively through cooperation.
Endoni called on the US to promote inclusive dialogue to prevent unnecessary tensions arising from allegations of Christian persecution in Nigeria.
The NAN reports that the US Senior Advisor for African Affairs, Patricia Mahoney, visited the Nigerian House in New York on Monday to brief Syndoph about the Minaj event.
During the meeting, Mahoney informed the Nigerian delegation that three UN member countries, as well as other participants, including a Nigerian pastor, were invited.
However, she noted that no officials from the Nigerian government, including those from Nigeria’s Permanent Mission to the UN, was invited.
Endoni stated that the US envoy told him the event was private and voiced concerns that the US’ practice of naming and shaming could create apprehension in Nigeria.
The NAN said Nigeria was denied participation primarily to respect the participant’s specific request to exclude Nigerian officials, citing concerns about potential retribution against them and their families.
The envoy stated that Nigerian authorities would continue engaging their US counterparts on extremist killings and work together to safeguard lives and property in Nigeria.
The ICIR reported that the US House of Representatives Subcommittee on Africa scheduled Thursday, November 20, 2025, to open its inquiry into President Donald Trump’s recent decision to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over alleged surge in Christian killings.
The invitation sent to members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs shows that the hearing will be chaired by Representative Chris Smith at 11:00 a.m. in Room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building, with a live webcast available.
The hearing will include two panels of witnesses, featuring senior US State Department officials as well as Nigerian religious leaders.
AT least two people were confirmed dead and unspecified number of residents abducted after terrorists attacked Eruku town in the Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State on Tuesday, November 18.
The Kwara State Police Command in a statement on Tuesday, November 18, said the attack, which occurred around 6 p.m., left two men fatally shot and several others missing.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, a superintendent of police, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Eruku and his team, working alongside local vigilantes, swiftly mobilised after hearing gunshots from the outskirts of the town.
”Upon thorough search of the area, one male victim; Mr Aderemi was discovered fatally shot inside the Christ Apostolic Church, Oke Isegun; while one Mr Tunde Asaba Ajayi another victim of fatal gunshot was found in the bush, a vigilante, Segun Alaja sustained gunshot injuries and was immediately rushed to ECWA Hospital, Eruku, for medical treatment,” she wrote.
Sahara Reporters had earlier reported how the gunmen killed several worshippers instantly before abducting an unknown number of people, including the pastor.
“The gunmen came in suddenly and started shooting. Three people were killed instantly,” a source was quoted to have said.
The attackers reportedly escaped through bush paths linking Eruku to neighbouring communities, leaving residents in fear and uncertainty as security operatives continue combing the area.
A viral video of the attack, captured during a live stream of the Christian gathering and seen by The ICIR, shows worshippers conducting a service when sporadic gunshots erupted around the church premises.
The congregation, led by a young man, scrambled for safety as the shots intensified. Moments later, more than five armed bandits stormed the church, ransacked the sanctuary and whisked away several women and children.
They also carted away belongings of worshippers before vanishing into the bush..
Although the state Police Command said its rapid response forced the assailants to flee into the bush, several videos have shown that many residents and travelers are stranded in the area.
In two viral videos seen by The ICIR (here and here), passengers raised alarm over the attack in the Eruku community, calling on the police, state and federal government to come to their aid.
This incident, The ICIR reports, adds to a troubling rise in violent incidents across Kwara State in recent months. In September, gunmen killed no fewer than 10 people, including a pregnant woman, in Matogu village, Patigi Local Fovernment Area of Kwara State.
In another LG in the same month, the terrorists killed over 15 vigilantes and hunters after invading Oke-Ode community in Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state.
The armed men abducted an unspecified number of residents during the attack.
These attacks have led to several communities in Ekiti, Asa, Moro, and Kaiama LGAs raising repeated concerns over increasing bandit movement through forest corridors linking Kwara to Kogi, Ekiti, and Niger states.
THE just-concluded governorship election in Anambra State was outwardly peaceful, but findings exposed worrying trends of vote-buying, systemic voter inducement and extremely low participation rates. Voter inducements cut across the major party lines of the All Progressive Congress (APC), All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and Labour Party.
On Sunday, November 9, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced Charles Chukwuma Soludo, candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), as the winner of the 2025 Anambra governorship election.
Soludo secured 422,664 votes, defeating his closest rival, Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who polled 99,445 votes.
Paul Chukwuma of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) came third with 37,753 votes, while John Nwosu of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) scored 8,208 votes.
The Returning Officer, Edobar Omorogie, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), declared Soludo duly elected after confirming that he met the constitutional requirements of securing a majority of votes and geographical spread across the state’s 21 local government areas.
Despite the peaceful collation and declaration, opposition parties have rejected the results, alleging widespread voter inducement and irregularities that, according to them, undermined the integrity of the process.
Although the law allows cancellation of results where votes cast exceed accredited voters, it remains legally ambiguous whether detected vote‑buying automatically triggers cancellation. This creates a grey area that undermines effective enforcement.
Governor Soludo criticised for announcing cash rewards for voters at a campaign rally
The ICIR reports that during the campaign period, Charles Chukwuma Soludo, the incumbent governor and candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), came under fire after he pledged material rewards tied to ward-level performance.
Governor Charles Soludo cheers the crowd after voting at PU 002, Ofiyi ward 13 Isuofia in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State.
At one of his rallies, in Umunze, Orumba South Local Government Area, Soludo said, “When we were campaigning for the Senate, we knew we were going to win every ward in the South Senatorial Zone, but we still had some incentives. Any ward that APGA won received N1m, and we won all the wards in Orumba South.
“We promised each of these wards N1m and next week, we will redeem it. The ward that comes first will get N5m, the second N3m and the third N2m. That was the deal. For November 8, any ward that wins again will receive N1m, while the first three performing wards will get N5m, N2m and N1m respectively.”
Although much damage control was done, many, including opposition parties and civil society groups, regarded this as overt voter inducement.
The Young Progressives Party (YPP) called it a “public confession of vote-buying” and pointed to sections 121 and 127 of the Electoral Act 2022.
Soludo’s side insisted the rewards targeted party canvassers rather than voters and were aimed at combating long-running voter apathy.
Vote buying confirmed by The ICIR
The ICIR, during the field observation across polling units, documented numerous instances of cash and material inducements offered to voters.
From Idemili North and South, Onitsha North and South, Dunukofia, Njikoka, and several other local government areas of the state, vote-buying was visible as the governor made the controversial remarks.
110-year-old Peter Onwujiobi is waiting to cast his vote at PU 002, ward 13, Ofiyi Square, Isuofia in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State.
In several cases, party agents, including those representing candidates who had publicly condemned vote-buying, were seen distributing cash and compiling names of beneficiaries.
The vote buying, unlike in previous elections, is done systematically, but still blatant for observers to witness.
Payments ranging from ₦2,000 to ₦5,000 were recorded across parties, including APGA, APC, PDP, and the Labour Party (LP).
For instance, in Nnewi North, where our reporters were stationed, nearly all polling units observed witnessed vote-buying.
At Umuchu in the Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State, The ICIR observed various party agents compiling names of voters and rewarding them with as little as N1,000 per vote.
At the polling unit of Labour Party’s governorship aspirant, George Moghalu, chaos broke out after he cast his vote at about 11:39 a.m., as voters jostled for their share of the money promised by his campaign agents.
Earlier that morning, a man had approached this reporter at the Moghalu’s home, seeking to know how he could collect cash for canvassing votes for Moghalu. Similar gatherings were observed at the candidate’s office, where supporters assembled as early as 7 a.m. to receive money.
Ironically, Moghalu had previously condemned Soludo’s comments on vote-buying and denied involvement in such acts when questioned by The ICIR.
However, there were even more daring vote-buying in other polling units involving other political parties, where party agents had explained they couldn’t compete with other parties.
At the three polling units (011, 012, and 013) in Corporative centres, Uruagu, Nnewi North, the Labour Party agent told this reporter that “they haven’t gotten many votes because they didn’t have money to offer,” alleging that other parties are giving out money.
Independent observations also revealed that some voters were discreetly moved into a nearby building resembling a bar, where payments were made after they cast their ballots.
Three women were also seen opposite the polling units at Corporative Centres, discreetly disbursing cash to voters.
In one case at Polling Unit 012, an elderly woman frustrated by BVAS failure was later manually accredited with the help of an APC agent, who subsequently collected her voter card and handed her ₦3,000.
While there are arrests by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of suspected vote buyers in some polling units, many others continued their operations unchecked throughout the day.
Low turnout: a state-wide malaise
Despite a slight improvement from the 2021 poll that first brought Soludo to office, voter turnout in Saturday’s election remained alarmingly low.
While the 2021 election saw about 10 per cent participation, this year’s figure only rose to 21.40 per cent statewide.
A 74-year-old Peter Nwafor visually-impaired man being assisted by his daughter, Ifeoma Nwafor, to vote at the just concluded Anambra election.
The ICIR reports that voters’ turnout has fallen significantly over time in Anambra’s governorship elections, reflecting a deepening sense of voter apathy and mistrust in the political system.
The state had seen voter participation decline from about 16 per cent in 2010 to just 10 per cent in 2021. The 2021 election, which brought Soludo to power, highlighted this troubling pattern.
Out of the 2,466,638 registered voters in Anambra in 2021, only 253,388 were accredited to vote. Ultimately, the total votes cast stood at 253,388, with 8,108 of them declared invalid. This indicated that barely 10 per cent of registered voters in the state participated in the election.
Analysis of voting trends shows that only 1.02 million voted in 1999 out of the 2.2 million registered voters, representing 46.4 per cent.
There was a slight increase in the voter turnout in the 2003 election, with having registered 47.22 per cent turnout.
In the 2010 election, out of 1.84 million registered voters in Anambra, only 302,000 turned out to vote, representing roughly 16 per cent participation.
By 2013, voter turnout slightly improved, with 465,891 out of 1,770,127 registered voters casting their ballots, about 25 per cent of the electorate.
Analysis of the recent election showed turnout rates of 17.61 per cent in Nnewi North and 27.14 per cent in Nnewi South, where the LP, APC, and ADC candidates performed strongly.
In Aguata Local Government Area, where Soludo voted, turnout stood at 28.24 per cent.
In Soludo’s polling unit, PU 002, Ward 13, Ofiyi Square, Isuofia, Aguata LGA, out of 933 registered voters, only 430 persons voted.
Though security threats from the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) were largely absent this time, voter distrust and scepticism about the integrity of the process remained high.
In some areas, minimal enforcement of movement restrictions also contributed to the low turnout, as many residents opened their shops and went about business as usual.
Priority access for the elderly and PWDs
Amid the widely reported misconduct and apathy, the prioritisation of elderly persons and persons with disabilities (PWDs) stood out positively in polling units monitored.
At multiple polling units, officials provided plastic chairs for older voters, ensured shorter queues, and assisted visually or physically impaired voters, concretely implementing the inclusion mandate of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
A 74-year-old visually impaired man, Peter Nwafor, for example, cast his vote at Ward 13, Polling Unit 002 in Isuofia, Aguata, with assistance from his daughter, Ifeoma Nwafor.
He said he hoped that the next government would “remember the health and welfare of the elderly who may not be under pension”.
Peaceful execution
From a logistical and security standpoint, the election proceeded without major flare-ups. On Friday, The ICIR saw the transfer of sensitive materials from the INEC office in Ekwulobia headquarters of Aguata Local Government Area, to various wards and towns of Umuchu, Oraeri, Akpo, Uga, Isuofia and others.
INEC ad-hoc Officials are moving sensitive material to different towns from the Ekwulobia headquarters of the Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The earlier movement of sensitive materials led to the commencement of accreditation exercises in most parts of the states,The ICIR reports.
BVAS devices also functioned in most units, and police maintained order at centres across the state, The ICIR findings showed.
It was a full-blown showdown at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Secretariat on Tuesday, November 18, as Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde faced off against embattled Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike and Samuel Anyawu in a dramatic struggle for control of the opposition party’s headquarters in Abuja.
In the buildup to the event, Tanimu Turaki, the new National chairman of the PDP elected by the Bala-Makinde faction of the party, on Monday, November 17, requested security protection from the Commissioner of Police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dantawaye Miller, ahead of the party’s inaugural National Working Committee (NWC) meeting scheduled for Tuesday at the party’s National Secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Abuja.
Similarly, the rival Wike-Anyawu faction simultaneously issued a notice of NEC and Board of Trustees (BoT), fixing their own gathering for the same date, same time (10 a.m.), and the same venue. Turaki would later describe this move as “a deliberate attempt to cause confusion and breach the peace.”
Dozens of police officers at the PDP secreatriat front gate
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, dozens of people gathered close to the party National Secretariat as of 8:am with heavy security presence encircling the surroundings of the Wadata Plaza. The ICIR observed hundreds of heavily armed police officers mounted at different locations across party’s national secretariat and nearby buildings, including the Sky Memorial Plaza.
In several corners around the same location, The ICIR saw individuals suspected to be hired thugs lurking as if waiting for order to storm the PDP building. Some of them were seen with daggers, while others smoked Indian hemp.
A small group of supporters, fewer than 50, marched opposite the Wadata Plaza with placards reading “Turaki Must Go.” They accused the newly elected factional national chairman of emerging through a process they claimed fair. In other fliers sighted by The ICIR, the supporters believed to be loyalists of Wike waved a big banner in solidarity with the FCT minister.
The peaceful gathering of rival supporters soon spiraled into pandemonium, prompting police officers to fire tear gas, which further escalated the crisis.
The chaos soon led to both groups accusing of police bias and further exposed the PDP’s deepening internal fractures.
‘No convention in Ibadan, just a Christmas carol’
Addressing journalists around 10:00 am, former National Secretary Anyanwu, who was already in the building, said his suspension was ‘laughable’, insisting he remained the PDP National Secretary until December 8.
Anyanwu addrssing the media at PDP secretariat
Recall that the party had in a convention held in Ibadan on November 15 expelled several prominent figures, including Anyanwu, Wike, former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose over alleged gross anti-party activities.
Consequently, Turaki was elected the new chairman.
Reacting to this on Tuesday, Anyanwu dismissed the Ibadan meeting that dissolved the National Working Committee, stating that no legitimate convention occurred and that due process was completely ignored.
“As the national secretary of the party in our constitution, it was very clear that for every convention, the national secretary will state the affairs of the party in the convention. Two, every communication from the convention on the committee is communicated to the members of the party by my office. Three, there should be a one day communication… that I am going to hold a convention,” he said.
Anyanwu maintained that the individuals that announced his suspension had no such power, adding that the moves by the party’s acting chairman, Umar Damagum, were null and void.
According to him, Damagum had already been suspended and therefore had no moral or legal standing to act.
Crisis erupts
Following his address around 10:55am, the atmosphere changed when Bala Mohammed and Seyi Makinde arrived with their supporters, attempting to take control of the building where a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting was expected to hold.
Bala Mohammed, Seyi Makinde, others forcing their way into the meeting hall
Although the police had allowed them to enter the building, some persons, later found out to be bouncers dressed in black attempted to block their entry.
The ICIR heard the bouncers saying ‘they will only allow them in with order from the above.’ But they were soon overpowered by the governors’ security details and aides.
This triggered confrontations that set off the teargassing by police and some individuals identified as the Wike-faction.
Tear gas, clashes…
During the chaos, The ICIR observed how the Wike-factional members were beaten, manhandled, and chased out of the NWC meeting hall.
Police fired multiple rounds of tear gas, and at times hitting journalists and party members as they struggled to control the surging crowds.
While the police claimed they were targeting “suspected thugs,” the faction led by the newly elected chairman, Kabiru Turaki, accused the officers of ‘molesting’ its members and aiding Wike’s entry into the building.
Police teargassing supporters at the PDP national secretariat Abuja
The ICIR reports that although Makinde and Bala temporarily succeeded in pushing out Wike’s loyalists from the NEC hall area, the group became strong again when Wike arrived around 11:20 a.m.
The two governors, alongside Turaki and their elected National Secretary, physically blocked the minister from entering until police fired more tear gas to disperse the crowd, clearing a path for the minister’s convoy to gain entrance into the building.
Turaki accuses police of sabotaging peace, seeks Trump’s intervention
Amid the tension, the newly elected PDP chairman condemned the police response and accused security agents of shooting and tear-gassing members of his faction.
Turalki adressing the media for the second time on Tuesday
He said, while addressing the press for the second time, that he and his members including the two governors present were molested and harassed by the police in an attempt to allow Wike’s entrance into the building.
“Our serving and former governors are here. Our members of the National Assembly are here. Our members of the Board of Trustees are here. And you have seen how they are now granted access to the minister of the FCT, a person that has been declared a personal non-grata in the PDP, a person that has been expelled, to come in.
“They have tear-gassed us and tear-gassed even our governors, who are under the constitution… Some of our boys, some of our members who have come here to attend meetings have been shot by the police,” he said.
He further called on the United States President Donald Trump to “save democracy in Nigeria,” alleging threats to lives and political freedom.
Turaki declared that he and his colleagues were “ready to lay down their lives” to defend their mandate and prevent the party from being ‘hijacked.’
Bala Mohammed accused police of molesting him, Makinde
On his part, Bala Mohammed claimed the Oyo State governor and himself were physically harassed, despite their constitutional protection.
“Some imposters who have been expelled by the convention, which is the highest decision organ of the party, came to cause commotion. And you can see the minister of the FCT coming himself, in person, being backed by the police. We are surprised because, at the point when the police allowed us in, our chairman praised them for impartiality. But here we are. We are here to sit in, to see what will happen.
“We have been teargassed and molested in spite of our immunity and whatever we have as leaders in our own right with our chairman. It is for the nation to gaze at the kind of democracy we have, the kind of leadership we have.
A clash that lasted nearly six hours
By 2pm, The ICIR reported that the PDP secretariat experienced repeated waves of tear gas, with police officers chasing journalists and party members away from the building and its surroundings.
Although Wike stayed in his car for over two hours at the PDP secretariat, his presence caused a standstill as leaders of the other faction refused to leave until the FCT minister exited the premises.
Bala, while addressing the police, asked the officers to intervene in removing the minister from the building, but that proved unsuccessful.
Wike departing from the PDP National Secretariat
Wike eventually left at 2:06 p.m., allowing Bala, Makinde, and Turaki to re-enter the main building briefly before also departing around 2:39 p.m.
THE ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) went ahead to hold a rally on Monday, November 17, in Kogi State, few hours after the tragic abduction of Schoolgirls from their hostel in Kebbi in the early hours of Monday.
The 25 girls were abducted by gunmen who also killed a security guard and a vice principal of the school. This is not the first time such an abduction has taken place, for which timeline has also revealed that in the last decade, 1,000 schoolchildren were kidnapped in 10 years, as The ICIRreported.
The rally reported by some media outlets and posted on the official state website saw the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, welcoming several defectors from the opposition party.
He said, “I am going back to Abuja to deliver the message to Mr President, the message from the Confluence state today is that President Ahmed Bola Tinubu victory in 2027 is total.”
In 2014, the then president, Jonathan came under criticism for attending and dancing at a politically rally while Nigerians mourned victims of a bomb blast in Abuja.
The Kogi rally has also come under criticism.
A social media user, @ApexHodde, expressed concern about Nigerian leaders’ inability to set priorities right.
“Nigerian leaders travelled for a very important political event in Kogi. That event is far more important than ordinary Nigerian loves,” he tweeted.
On the heel of the the criticism, the Kogi state government released a statement from the event which has the former governor Yahya Bello saying:
“Today, we are endorsing President Tinubu and Alhaji Ahmed Ododo for a second term.
“They have done well, and will continue to do more for the state and the nation as far as the people of Kogi State are concerned.
“We are telling President Bola Tinubu that he does not need to come and campaign for his reelection in Kogi in 2027, because Kogi people are solidly behind him.”
Image at Kogi State rally and receiving of defectors on Monday, November 17.
In addition, in a different post the state governor, Ahmed Ododo described the defection of a former governor Idris Wada to the ruling APC as a boost to the APC’s Kogi fortune.
He said, “The list of the decampees is endless. In Kogi State, opposition has been grounded; Kogi is APC, and APC is Kogi State. My Special appreciation to Mr President, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his Vice, His Excellency Alhaji Kashim Shettima. We are here to let people know that our responsibility is to serve our people well,” the governor said.
Meanwhile, a former minister and social activist, Oby Ezekwesili, on her official social media handle has called on the government to mount a search and rescue mission.
She said, “the lessons of the failure of @NigeriaGov@NIGPresidemt to swiftly mount effective search and Rescue Operations for ChibokGirls2014 and DapchGirls (2018) through the security establishments are evident to guide this administration.
“Those school girls have no reason to spend one day in the enclave of terrorists,” Ezekwesil tweeted.
Within the past three administrations, the abduction of school children has generated millions in ransom for kidnappers, as fresh attacks prove no end in sight for the menace.
From former President Goodluck Jonathan to Muhammad Buhari and now Bola Tinubu, more than 1,000 students have been kidnapped between 2014 and March 2024.
For over a decade, bandits and terrorist groups have continued to disrupt the Nigerian education system, kidnapping over 1,000 students, The ICIR findings have shown.
The abduction of school childrenhas generated millions in ransom for kidnappers, as fresh attack, Monday, on a school in Kebbi State that led to the abduction of over 20 students prove no end yet in sight to the menace.
From former President Goodluck Jonathan to Muhammadu Buhari and, now, President Bola Tinubu, more than 1,000 students have been kidnapped between 2014 and November 2025. The ICIR had reported how Buhari’s administration recorded 300 per cent more schoolchildren abductions than Jonathan’s.
Several media reports gathered by The ICIR have shown that not less than 16 attacks have been carried out in 10 states, located around the northern region of Nigeria.
Timeline of abduction
2025: On November 17, police confirmed the abduction of 25 students and the killing of the vice principal of Government Girl’s Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State after armed men attacked the school.
2024: At the beginning of the year, January 30, gunmen abducted six pupils and three teachers of a private school in Emure, headquarters of Emure Local Government Area of Ekiti State.
Also, on March 8, gunmen abducted about 287 children in Kaduna state from the Local Education Authority (LEA) Primary and Junior Secondary School, Kuriga, in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Visualisation showing mass school kidnappings in Nigeria
2023: In January 2023, six people were abducted at the Local Government Education Authority Primary School, Alwaza, in the Doma, Nasarawa state. In September, 24 students were reportedly kidnapped from their hostel in Sabon Gida, Zamfara state.
2021: Gunmen raided the Government Science College Kagara, Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, on February 17, capturing 27 students and teachers in the school.
Some days later, on February 26, about 317 schoolgirls from the Government Girls Science Secondary School, Jangebe in Jangebe, Zamfara state.
The following month, on March 11, 39 students were kidnapped by gunmen in the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Igabi LGA, Kaduna state.
Another attack took palace On May 30 at an Islamic school in Niger state with armed men abducting about 100 students.
The next month, on June 17, over 96 students and eight teachers were abducted by bandits at Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri, Kebbi State.
Finally, in July, bandits kidnapped over 153 students of Bethel Baptist High School in Damishi town of Chikun local government area in Kaduna.
2020: On December 11, 2020, more than 303 students of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina were kidnapped by gunmen.
Also, on December 19, another 80 Islamic school students in Dandume, Kastina were kidnapped. These children were later rescued by the security operatives.
2018: The second attack was reported four years after in Yobe state on February 19, 2018. About 110 students were kidnapped after Boko Haram invaded the Government Girls Science Technical College (GGSTC) in Dapchi. While being held hostage, some of the girls died, and others were later rescued, leaving Leah Sharibu, a Christian child who had not been rescued.
2014: In April 2014, over 276 female students, between the 16 to 18, were kidnapped by Boko Haram from the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok in Borno State. Some of the school girls reportedly escaped in the process of being transported while others, on several occasions, were reduced by the military. Meanwhile, over 100 of these children are still missing to this date.
(This report only focuses on schoolchildren kidnapped since 2014 that made it to mainstream mediums. It also focuses on kidnappings of schoolchildren that happened within or around a school environment and uses the term schoolchildren synonymously with students).
Editors note: this report was first published in 2024, before it was updated and republished. Read the first version HERE
CLOUDFLARE, a major company providing a wide range of services aimed at enhancing the security, performance, and reliability of websites and online services across the world is currently experiencing a hitch.
Its collapse on Tuesday, November 18, sparked a global outage, flooding websites and social media apps with error messages and disrupting users worldwide.
Cloudflare, a US company that provides critical services like defending websites against malicious attacks, experienced an unidentified problem that prevented users from accessing its customers’ sites.
A spokesperson for Cloudflare said: “We saw a spike in unusual traffic to one of Cloudflare’s services beginning at 11.20 am. That caused some traffic passing through Cloudflare’s network to experience errors. While most traffic for most services continued to flow as normal, there were elevated errors across multiple Cloudflare services.
“We do not yet know the cause of the spike in unusual traffic. We are all hands on deck to make sure all traffic is served without errors. After that, we will turn our attention to investigating the cause of the unusual spike in traffic.”
The outage occurred on a day when Cloudflare engineers were scheduled to carry out maintenance on data centres in several cities, including Tahiti, Los Angeles, and Santiago.
However, the company has not confirmed if these planned activities were related to the unexpected traffic spike that caused the global disruption.
THE management of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU) in Awka, Anambra State, has appointed Ugochukwu Anyaehie, a professor, as the new substantive vice-chancellor, following a year marked by three controversial appointments amid administrative and legal disputes.
The appointment came shortly after the University of Abuja got its fourth vice chancellor within a year earlier this month.
Louis Njelita, the spokesperson for NAU, also known as UNIZIK, announced Anyaehie’s nomination in a statement on Sunday, noting that the appointment would take effect from November 18, 2025.
“The Governing Council of the University has approved Professor Anyaehie’s appointment for a single tenure of five years. He was appointed by the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, on November 16th, 2025.
“I am pleased to announce Professor Bond Anyaehie as the substantive Vice Chancellor of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University after a thorough and transparent process,” Njelita wrote.
He emphasised that the appointment process adhered to UNIZIK’s Miscellaneous Act and the university’s Statutes, adding that the pro-chancellor urged candidates who were disqualified during the selection process to accept the outcome in good faith.
Anyaehie will succeed Carol Arinze-Umobi, who has been serving as the acting vice-chancellor following a series of controversial appointments at the university between 2024 and 2025.
Arinze-Umobi assumed the role of acting vice-chancellor after President Bola Tinubu dismissed Bernard Odoh from the position.
Odoh, whose professorship is now disputed, emerged as the seventh substantive vice-chancellor of the university on 29 October, and was removed just three weeks after his appointment in November 2024, amid controversies surrounding his recruitment process and academic credentials.
The tenure of Charles Okechukwu Esimone, a professor, ended in mid-2024.
Following the end of his tenure, Joseph Ifeanyichukwu Ikechebelu, another professor, took over as the Acting Vice-Chancellor in June 2024 and was later reinstated as the Acting VC in November 2024 after his appointment was reversed.
In his acceptance speech, Anyaehie pledged to uphold and build on the legacies established by the university’s founding fathers.
“I guarantee you that in the next six months, UNIZIK will be well placed, its ranking will go to one of the best in Nigeria,” he assured.
According to the statement, Anyaehie is a distinguished professor of physiology and clinical measurements.
He has more than two decades of teaching experience at the College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, where he began lecturing in 2007.
He rose to the rank of professor of physiology and clinical measurements in 2013.
The new vice-chancellor earned his first degree in Medicine and Surgery from Abia State University, Uturu, in 1998.
He obtained a Master’s degree in 2004 and completed his PhD in 2009.
Anyaehie started his teaching career at the College of Medicine, Imo State University, in 2002, joining as a part-time lecturer before transitioning to full-time.
He served as deputy provost of the College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, from 2018 to 2022.
He was also acting provost of the College of Medicine at Imo State University and a visiting professor from 2020 to 2022, a role he undertook on a pro bono basis.
CRISIS erupted at the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) national secretariat on Tuesday, November 18, after the Nyesom Wike-Samuel Anyanwu faction mobilised around the secretariat and clashed with members loyal to the newly elected national chairman of the party, Kabiru Turaki.
The clash followed the Wike and Turaki-led groups planned 103rd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting at the secretariat.
Heavy security presence was seen within and outside the premises by The ICIR reporter who covered the developments.
Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with his team, and the Turaki-led faction are currently at the secretariat and attempting to take over the premises amid teargas by the Police.
![[BREAKING] Crisis erupts at PDP National Secretariat](https://www.icirnigeria.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Some-of-the-protesters-at-the-PDP-headquaters-on-Tuesday-November-18-768x432.jpg "[BREAKING] Crisis erupts at PDP National Secretariat")