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Without warrants: Illegal surveillance chokes Nigeria’s civic space

Editorial
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Without warrants: Illegal surveillance chokes Nigeria’s civic space

By Chijioke ARINZE

IN this investigation, Arinze Chijioke tells the story of how civic organisations have come under repeated digital attacks, raising concerns about a shrinking civic space and the growing threat these actions pose to transparency, accountability, and democratic engagement in Nigeria. The findings point to a broader reality: Nigeria is becoming an increasingly unsafe environment for civil society organisations seeking to hold the government accountable.

On Tuesday, April 4, 2023, two months after Nigeria’s presidential election, the website of the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety)  was attacked and rendered inaccessible. Founded in 2008, Intersociety is a prominent Nigerian-based non-governmental organisation based in Onitsha, Anambra State. It focuses on promoting human rights, democracy, and the rule of law through research, advocacy, and investigations into security issues, particularly targeting religious violence and state-backed persecution.

Attack-was-traced-to-Source. -FIJ

Before the election, Intersociety was critical of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, questioning its legitimacy and capacity to conduct a free and fair poll. For instance, the NGO released a damning report about how the commission allegedly planned to rig the election, using the voter registration and revalidation exercises. After the election on March 26, 2023, it released another report, detailing the names of 50 top Nigerian university professors who were alleged to have played various “conspiratorial roles in the rigging of the election.

“We received life-threatening and distracting calls from agents of professors, and others alleged to have been involved in the electoral fraud that characterised the 2023 elections,” Executive Director of the NGO, Emeka Umeagbalasi told The ICIR.

What followed was an attack on Intersociety’s website.

After the attack, Umeagbalasi was informed by the domain host that the website’s hosting was suspended following numerous complaints and petitions that had originated from Nigeria and were strongly linked to alleged “subversive agents” within the government of former President Muhammadu Buhari. These actors, according to him, operated across the security and intelligence establishments.

The April attack was not the first. However, it shows a troubling pattern, the sustained targeting of civic organisations through coordinated cyber disruptions that threaten not just their operations, but the broader space for dissent and accountability in Nigeria.

Big on purchase of surveillance tech

In its report on the state of deployment of surveillance technologies in Africa, Paradigm Initiative said that funding for surveillance technologies has increased in Nigeria over the last two decades. According to a report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the government spent at least 127 billion naira on surveillance and security systems between 2014 and 2017, with about N46 billion spent on surveillance capabilities in 2017 alone. In 2020, the government budgeted $9 billion for surveillance-related activities.

Another report by the Institute for Development Studies, “Mapping the supply of surveillance technologies to Africa”, found that Nigeria is Africa’s largest customer for surveillance technologies, spending at least $2.7bn on surveillance technologies in the last decade.

Millions of requests on FIJ’s website. Source FIJ

“The technology has been used to spy on peaceful activists, opposition politicians, and journalists,” the report stated.  “Nigeria spends hundreds of millions of dollars annually; the total of known contracts 2013–22 exceeded $2.7 billion.”

The most common categories of digital surveillance technologies imported by Nigeria, as noted by the report, include internet interception technologies, mobile phone interception technologies, social media surveillance technologies, safe city technologies for surveillance of public space, and biometric ID surveillance technologies.

These surveillance technologies are supplied by companies predominantly from the USA, China, Europe, and Israel. This commercial trade, the report stated, facilitates the violation of citizens’ rights to privacy and anonymity, and freedom of expression and association.

A pattern of attacks

Between 2018 and 2023, with the exception of 2020, Umeagbalasi revealed that the website was taken down at least five times and has also suffered more than 50 Trojan (malicious software disguised as legitimate, non-replicating code that tricks users into installing it to steal data or create backdoors) and other virus attacks, an average of about ten incidents annually.

“We often face attacks each time we release detailed and high-profile reports on insecurity, political participation, religious attacks, violation of the rule of law and good governance, “he said. “The government is never comfortable with our reports, so they go after our website and try to disrupt our work.

These attacks, according to him, have included malware infections, coordinated shutdown attempts, and sustained disruptions that rendered the website inaccessible. “We no longer publish reports on the website whenever they attack. It is all intended to intimidate and silence intersociety and the work that we do.”

Cyber attacks on Intersociety

The attacks are not peculiar to the organisation. Websites belonging to media organisations have also been attacked, further strengthening the argument that surveillance infrastructure is increasingly being used as a pressure point against rights-based advocacy/organisations that expose failures in governance.

After it published an investigation in November 2022, indicting a former Bauchi Police Commissioner, Umar Sanda, who attempted to help a former Information Commissioner evade justice after allegedly killing his friend, WikkiTimes became exposed to numerous cyber attacks, including trolling on social media platforms such as Facebook. Founded in 2018 to cover Northern Nigeria’s underreported regions, WikkiTimes has established itself as a leading digital investigative news outlet, focusing on social justice, human rights, and governance, and consistently exposing corruption and abuse of power.

“Sanda was not happy about our story, which was all over social media,” Haruna Mohammed, WikkiTimes’ publisher, told The ICIR. “He mobilised loyalists who reported our Facebook page for “violation of community standards, it was not hidden. “Facebook also informed us that we were being reported for that story, and the page was taken down.”

24 hours later, Wikkitimes’ website went down for several hours. Haruna said that tech experts outside Nigeria intervened and restored the website. But that did not end the attacks. After the platform exposed how the chairman of Ningi local government area in Bauchi State, Mamuda Tabla, allegedly aided and abetted loggers who engaged in deforestation inside the Lame Burra Game Reserve in the state, its website was attacked again.

“We are constantly being targeted because of our focus on accountability journalism and those we try to expose,” Mohammed said. “Oftentimes, we experience bot attacks that slow our website down.”

In April 2023, hackers reportedly breached the platform’s backend and deleted its story database, including several published articles. Also, in April 2025, its website experienced over 400 coordinated cyberattacks within a 48-hour period. The outlet’s technical support lead, Ibrahim Salisu said at the time, “Pages wouldn’t load, our admin panel was locked out, and we saw traffic from bots we couldn’t trace. It felt like someone was intentionally trying to silence us or wear us down digitally.” “It wasn’t just a random spike; it was calculated, coming at us from different directions,” he said.

Haruna explained that the incessant attacks affected operations. “We could not publish our reports or engage our audience, but it also taught us lessons, “he said.

Provisions under the law

Nigeria has several legal frameworks meant to protect rights-based advocacy/organisations from cyber attacks. For instance, Section 37 of the Nigerian Constitution guarantees privacy, protecting communications, including in the digital space, while Section 39 also guarantees freedom of expression, which encompasses freedom to disseminate information and educate the public about the activities of the government.

Chukwudi Unah, a constitutional lawyer with expertise on data privacy, said that the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023 further strengthens digital privacy by regulating the collection and protection of personal data. He said that the Act further established the Nigeria Data Protection Commission to enforce compliance, adding that the law requires institutions, including public bodies, to safeguard personal data and system integrity.

While the NDPA focuses on the remedies available against the organisation that failed to protect data, the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) 2024 punishes the attacker and criminalises unauthorised access to computer systems, unlawful interception, data interference, hacking, and system disruption.

Unah, however, noted that the Cybercrimes Act also grants security agencies powers to intercept communications and access stored data for criminal or national security purposes, usually with judicial authorisation.

“Under the pretext of ‘national security, ‘ the government often clamps down on mirrors and dissenting voices, which of course, should not be the case. Broad national security exemptions and weak oversight raise concerns that such powers may be misused.”

He maintained that where the attacker is traced to a government agency, then the best remedy will be to sue for breach of data privacy, adding that instituting class actions against public agencies or institutions is the surest way to go against data breaches.

 Attacks never end

On Thursday, August 21, 2025, the website of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) suffered multiple Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. The attack, traced to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) headquarters in Abuja, temporarily rendered FIJ’s website inaccessible to real visitors. A DDoS attack is a malicious attempt to make a server, service, or network resource unavailable by flooding it with excessive traffic from multiple, often compromised, sources (a botnet).

Attack-on-FIJ

FIJ’s editor-in-chief, Fisayo Soyombo, told The ICIR in an interview that the website was attacked shortly after it published investigations exposing websites that were illegally selling Nigerians’ personal data, including National Identification Numbers (NINs) and Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs). The platform had been documenting stories of these websites illegally selling the data of Nigerians at cheap prices since 2024.

The investigations revealed that some platforms were offering access to NIN records for as little as N100 to N150. Some of these black market sites include Xpressverify, NINPrint, NINCard, nimcverify.ng, with the most recent story in the series detailing how IloTech, a virtual top-up platform, was secretly selling Nigerians’ NIN records for as low as N180.

These illegal websites were taken down after FIJ’s stories, but that came at a cost for the platform. Technical analysis cited by FIJ traced a significant volume of the traffic to an IP address linked to the headquarters of the NIMC.

“Someone at NIMC, who was profiting from these private websites, was not happy and thought we were taking business from them and decided to strike,” said Soyombo. “We were grounded, we could not publish, we had staff coming to the office, and they could not write stories because there were no places to publish them.”

He explained that the website got over 50,000 requests within an hour, and within a 72-hour period, the site received more than 2 million malicious requests designed to overwhelm its servers and force it offline.

Soyombo explained that an insider at the NIMC confirmed the attack but claimed that it was a mistake and that the commission was going to release a statement and apologise. However, no apology has been issued to date.

Okike Benjamin, a professor of computer security at the University of Abuja and cybersecurity specialist, said that DDoS attacks work by utilising a botnet—a network of internet-connected machines, otherwise called bots or zombies, which may include computers, IoT devices, smartphones and are usually infected with malware, which is software specifically designed to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorised access to a computer system.

“The attacker sends data requests to a target IP address, thereby exhausting its bandwidth or resources, hence preventing legal users’ access to such resources,” he explained. The infrastructure required to carry out a Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack varies from one attack to another, and these bots are usually controlled remotely by an attacker.”

He said that threat actors, ranging from individual hackers to sophisticated nation-state group hackers, typically have the capacity to launch these attacks, often with the sole aim of disrupting services, extorting money, or causing chaos.

“These attacks have become highly accessible due to the proliferation of botnets, which are networks of compromised internet-connected devices. DDoS is available for hire, thereby making it possible for even inexperienced actors to launch substantial attacks

To attribute an attack to an actor, Benjamin said you look out for Metadata: Timestamps, keyboard layouts, file system paths, and user language settings which may be used to reveal the attacker’s time zone, System Logs & Forensic Memory: Evidence in RAM, such as running processes, unencrypted data, and executed console commands may be used to link an actor to a particular attack and Data Staging: Evidence of how attackers collected and compressed data before illegal access of sensitive data of a victim.

“Investigators trace the origin of malicious traffic through a systematic process known as network forensics. This involves capturing, recording, and analysing network traffic and logs to reconstruct the attack and identify the source of attacks. Sometimes, these attackers deploy Virtual Private Network (VPN) to conceal their identities. With some tools, the real IP addresses of attackers may be revealed,” he explained.

He further explained that while IP-address tracing is generally not highly reliable if considered in isolation, it may be a pointer to the location of an attacker. “In any case, this can assist in identifying ISP and a geographic location, but it hardly gives the attacker’s physical location, “he said.

Crackdown escalates four months after

Four months after the attack on the website of FIJ, on December 22, 2025, a senior investigative reporter with the platform, Sodeeq Atanda, was arrested by men of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in Owutu, Ikorodu area in Lagos State.

Two weeks earlier, on December 6, the police had tried to track him, but they could not get his exact location. So, they resorted to tracking his neighbours, abducting his wife and nine-month-old baby, whom they used as bait to arrest him. Atanda was subsequently taken to the Force Headquarters, Obalende, Lagos.

“I had noticed during a routine digital check that the ‘conditional call forwarding’ had been activated on the two lines inside my phone, the feature that had previously been inactive, “he recalled.  “Similarly, when manually checked, the first line had “forward calls to +234616” when busy and “forward calls to +234616” when unreachable. Meanwhile, the second line had “forward calls to +234611” when unanswered, and “forward calls to +234611” when unreachable,”’.

He explained that the forwarding interferences could not be disabled.

“The system response read “Failed to read data, Unable to deactivate call diverting when phone is unreachable, unsupported by operator when we attempted to cancel it,” he said. “Soon, my phone also became hot without any user activity, a sign of interference.”

The suspected tracking happened three months after Atanda returned from the Ekiti State Police Command, where he was detained for eleven hours following a petition by Abayomi Fasina, the vice chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE).

Atanda had published a series of investigations documenting sexual misconduct involving Fasina and Raphael Segun Larayetan, a lecturer in the same university, who allegedly sexually harassed and raped students in the Department of English and Literary Studies.

While in detention, Atanda said that he kept his phone safely far away from the station to avoid privacy invasion, but the police collected his phone number and other personal details, which they will later use to track him down.

Protection only on paper

There is a general consensus among sources interviewed that legal provisions against cyberattacks only exist on paper. They also believe that government agencies responsible for handling such cases never take it seriously.

After the attacks on WikkiTimes, Haruna said that he asked the platform’s lawyer to petition both the police and the Department of State Security Service, DSS, hoping that an appropriate investigation would be carried out. But they ignored it.

“Nobody reached out to offer help, and we were not surprised because you cannot be a judge in your own case,” he said, “They are the same people we are trying to investigate for failing in their responsibility.”

 

Attacks-against-Wikki Times

Soyombo said that he could not report to the government to take action because it was a government agency that took the website down in the first place. “You don’t expect them to act when they are responsible.”

Umeagbalasi says Intersociety does not bother to complain to security agencies when there is an attack because its investigation has pointed accusing fingers at them.

“We don’t have a responsible government; what we have is one that is committed to destroying the civic space, and so, we cannot even be talking about how attacks can be addressed. Also, the principles of criminal investigation are dead in Nigeria. We just had to find new ways of better protecting our websites from further attacks.”

For Umeagbalasi, attacks on civic organisations and those that strive to promote transparency are worrying because the civic space is increasingly being stifled. Now, he said that organisations that used to be vibrant in protecting human rights and holding powers to account have become weak, without independence.

“What we now have is a transformation into tyranny and dictatorship, with no dissenting voices, despite the salient provisions in the constitution about civil liberties, rule of law and freedom of expression.”

For Haruna, the government and security agencies must not see media organisations as enemies but collaborators in the business of deepening democracy and entrenching accountability. He, however, said that while Wikki times cannot completely be immune to cyberattacks, the platform has now subscribed to services that allow it to be informed early enough about impending attacks and also help to prevent them from occurring. “We also try to use End-to-end encrypted platforms for communication.”

Nigeria actually has laws that allow surveillance of citizens

While Nigeria has several legal provisions that protect rights-based advocacy/ organisations from cyber attacks, there are also specific provisions of the law that permit the state and security agencies to access, track or monitor citizens’ communications. For instance, section 45 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) allows the government to restrict rights, including privacy, when it is reasonably justifiable in a democratic society for purposes like defence, public safety, public order, or protecting the rights of others.

The Nigerian Communications Act (2003) also empowers the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to order telecom operators to intercept private communications and disclose data to authorised officers in the interest of public safety or national security. There is also the Lawful Interception of Communications Regulations (LICR) 2019  issued under the Nigerian Communications Act, which provides that licensed “Authorised Agencies” (e.g., State Security Service, Office of the National Security Adviser, Nigeria Police Force) can intercept communications with a court-issued warrant for National security, preventing or investigating a crime, Public safety or emergencies.

However, the regulations create a narrow exception for urgent circumstances. In cases involving imminent danger to life or credible threats to national security, interception may be carried out without prior judicial approval. Even then, the law imposes a safeguard: the agency must apply for a warrant within 48 hours after the interception. If a warrant is not granted, the interception must stop.

While the Cybercrimes Act of 2015 makes unauthorised interception illegal and punishable with fines and imprisonment if done without proper legal authority, Section 39 enables courts to issue interception orders when there are reasonable grounds that the communications are required for criminal investigation or prosecution.

Furthermore, the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, in Nigeria empowers a court to issue an Interception of Communication Order to combat terrorism, specifically under Section 68 of the Act.

While these laws establish safeguards such as judicial warrants and post-interception approvals, credible evidence across Africa suggests that legal authorisation does not always translate into effective accountability. For instance, a 2021 analysis by the Brookings Institution shows that the growing use of digital espionage tools, including sophisticated spyware, is “risking worsening authoritarian tendencies” and raises fundamental questions about whether security agencies are being adequately held to account.

In practice, the analysis shows that governments have deployed these tools not only for legitimate security purposes but also to monitor journalists, opposition figures, and civil society actors, often under broadly defined national security justifications, and this creates a critical accountability gap.

Although Nigeria’s legal framework, from the Constitution to the Cybercrimes Act and LICR 2019, formally requires judicial oversight, for instance, the same laws contain ambiguous grounds such as public safety and national security, which can be invoked to legitimise intrusive surveillance.

Across Africa, such ambiguities have enabled a rise in “digital repression,” where surveillance tools are used to track dissent and restrict civic space, frequently with limited transparency or independent oversight. In this context, the issue is less about the absence of laws and more about the weakness of enforcement and oversight mechanisms.

No response from government

On Thursday, April 2, 2026, this reporter sent a freedom of information request, FOI to the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre (NCCC), specifically requesting the technical infrastructure, tools, and institutional frameworks available to the NCCC for monitoring, detecting, attributing, and responding to cyber threats affecting digital platforms operating within Nigeria and detail on whether the NCCC has received complaints, petitions, or intelligence reports concerning cyberattacks against organisations engaged in governance accountability, human rights advocacy, or investigative journalism, and the outcomes or current status of such cases.

FOI-Request

Also, this reporter requested details on whether the NCCC has identified any patterns, trends, or actors (state or non-state) linked to cyberattacks targeting Nigerian civic organisations or media platforms and clarification of the legal framework guiding the NCCC’s cybersecurity monitoring and intervention activities, including applicable laws and internal safeguards designed to prevent misuse or overreach, particularly in relation to journalists, media organisations, and civil society actors.

Furthermore, this reporter requested details of internal and external oversight structures governing the deployment of cybersecurity tools and operations, including audit processes, reporting obligations, and any independent review mechanisms to ensure accountability and protection of civil liberties and clarification on whether the NCCC collaborates with other security or intelligence agencies in monitoring or responding to cyber activities involving civil society or media organisations, and the legal basis for such collaboration.

Despite the expiration of the seven-day response window on Tuesday, April 14, as required by the FOI Act, the centre had yet to respond as of the time of publication.

Abuja tops as CPJ documents 91 journalists targeted under Tinubu administration

Mustapha USMAN
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Abuja tops as CPJ documents 91 journalists targeted under Tinubu administration

AS President Bola Tinubu marks his third year in office on Friday, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has released data showing that at least 91 journalists were arrested, physically attacked or harassed across Nigeria since he assumed office on May 29, 2023. 

The data, published in an interactive map by the international press freedom organisation on Friday, May 29, tracked incidents across 12 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, over the past three years.

The report comes despite repeated claims by top government officials that journalists in the country are not facing harassment under the administration.

A breakdown of the data shows that Abuja recorded the highest number of incidents, with 30 journalists targeted. Of these, six were arrested, 22 physically attacked and three harassed.

Among those arrested in the FCT were Fejiro Oliver, Azuka Ogujiuba, Sodeeq Atanda, Jide Oyekunle, Kayode Jaiyeola and Madu Onuorah, while those physically attacked include three ICIR journalists-Mustapha Usman, Nurudeen Akewushola and Johnson Fatunmbi.

The ICIR reported how the journalists, including several others from ldifferent media platforms, escaped death during the EndBadGovernance protest in Abuja after security operatives opened fire on journalists covering the protest.

Meanwhile, Lagos State followed with 11 journalists targeted, including five arrests, four physical attacks and four cases of harassment. CPJ also identified journalist Bernard Akede and News Central TV camera operator Karina Adobaba-Harry among those repeatedly targeted in Lagos.

In Borno, nine journalists were arrested, making it the state with the highest number of arrests outside Abuja. Those listed include Abubakar Gajibo, Ali Musa, Amina Falmata Mohammed and six others.

Kano State recorded 13 journalists physically attacked, the highest number of physical assaults documented in any state outside the FCT.

In Kwara State, seven journalists were targeted, including five arrests and two harassment cases. Bauchi recorded three incidents involving one arrest, one physical attack and one harassment case.

Other states captured in the CPJ data include Bayelsa, Delta, Kaduna, Katsina, Ogun and Rivers states.

According to the organisation, some journalists were targeted more than once during the period under review. Karina Adobaba-Harry, Nurudeen Akewushola, Adefemola Akintade and Precious Chukwunonso were each attacked, arrested or harassed at least twice, while Bernard Akede faced three separate incidents.

CPJ said the findings contradicted recent remarks by Vice President Kashim Shettima, who in February suggested that no journalists had been harassed since Tinubu assumed office.

“For the past three years, have you heard of any harassment of journalists?” Shettima asked members of the Nigerian Press Council, while describing Tinubu as “a friend of the media.”

Reacting to the claims, CPJ Africa Director, Angela Quintal, accused the government of attempting to erase documented abuses against journalists.

“The Nigerian government’s suggestion that there has been no harassment of journalists since President Tinubu took office indicates an ambition to erase these abuses from the public consciousness and evade its responsibility for ensuring accountability,” Quintal said.

CPJ also disclosed that it joined five Nigerian press freedom groups in April 2026 to write a public letter to Tinubu, presenting evidence of attacks on journalists and expressing concern over Shettima’s comments.

The organisation said the Presidency did not respond to the letter.

The report adds to growing concerns over press freedom in Nigeria as Tinubu’s administration marks its third anniversary, with local and international organisations increasingly warning about the shrinking civic and media space in the country.

In April 2026, the 2026 World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranked Nigeria 149th out of 180 countries on the security indicator, describing the country as one of the most dangerous and difficult places for journalists in West Africa.

Overall, Nigeria ranked 112th globally and 12th in Africa, with an overall score of 48.11, placing it in RSF’s ‘difficult’ category for press freedom conditions.

The report highlighted repeated arrests, intimidation, attacks and detentions of journalists, particularly investigative reporters covering corruption, insecurity and governance issues.

According to RSF, Nigeria’s weakest area was journalist safety, where the country scored 37.84. The organisation said crimes against journalists often went unpunished even when perpetrators were identified, while state protection mechanisms remained weak or almost non-existent.

The report also noted that as of April 2026, six journalists were in detention in Nigeria.

RSF specifically highlighted the use of the Cybercrimes Act as a tool for intimidating and prosecuting journalists, warning that criminal charges and legal proceedings were increasingly being weaponised against the media.

 

Only political parties recognised by INEC can use Abuja hotels, event centres – FCTA

Nanji Nandang VENLEY
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Only political parties recognised by INEC can use Abuja hotels, event centres – FCTA

THE Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has directed owners of hotels, event centres and other public facilities in Abuja to ensure that only political parties recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are allowed to use their premises for political activities.

The warning was contained in a statement issued on Friday by Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike.

“The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has sounded a note of warning to owners of event centres, hotels and other public buildings in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to stop offering their facilities for use by illegal organisations.

“In this political season, owners of event centres and hotels in particular must ensure that they only deal with Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognised leadership of political parties in respect of the use of their facilities, and proper records of transactions must be kept,” a part of the statement read.

According to the FCTA, event centres, hotels and other public buildings in the FCT will now be closely monitored to prevent their use by illegal organisations “capable of disrupting peace and security in the nation’s capital.”

“The FCTA noted that allocations of lands in the FCT are strictly to carry out lawful activities, adding that going forward, title documents of any event center, hotel or public building that is used for the gathering of illegal organizations will be revoked,” the statement added.

The administration warned that property owners must verify the legality of organisations seeking to use their facilities before approving bookings, adding that proper records of all transactions involving such bookings must also be maintained.

“This is aimed at ensuring that they are not used by illegal organizations for gatherings capable of disrupting the peace of the nation’s capital. Owners of these facilities are therefore urged to take cognizance of the legality of organisations seeking to use their facilities and the purpose before letting them out,” it said.

It further warned that any event centre, hotel or public building found to be hosting gatherings of “illegal organisations” risks losing its land title, stressing that land allocations in the FCT are strictly for lawful activities and said the directive forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen security and maintain public order in Abuja

“Failure to comply with this directive will result to revocation of the title documents such properties,” the administration warned.

The ICIR reported that the FCTA revoked and took possession of over 4,794 land titles in high-brow areas of Abuja due to their owners’ failure to pay ground rent, which has been outstanding for periods ranging from 10 to 43 years.

2027: Kwankwaso unveils Gwarzo as NDC governorship candidate

Esther Tomo
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2027: Kwankwaso unveils Gwarzo as NDC governorship candidate

FORMER Kano State Governor and leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has presented Aminu Gwarzo as the governorship candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 election in the state.

Kwankwaso also confirmed Nasiru Gawuna as the party’s choice for the Kano Central Senatorial seat.

The announcement was contained in a statement released on Friday by Kwankwaso on his official X account, following consultations among party stakeholders.

According to him, the selection process reflected the party’s commitment to fairness, competence, loyalty and equal representation.

“I am delighted to announce that His Excellency, Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo has been selected as our Kano NDC Gubernatorial Candidate for the upcoming elections. Similarly, Dr. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna will contest for the Kano Central Senatorial Seat. This decision was made in the spirit of equity, fairness, loyalty, and competence — values that remain central to our party and Kwankwasiyya’s progress and unity,” he wrote.

Kwankwaso further expressed confidence in the party’s preparations ahead of the affirmation exercise holding today and prayed for success in the coming polls.

Gwarzo is regarded as one of Kwankwaso’s longtime political associates. He previously served as Deputy Governor of Kano State under Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf before stepping down from office.

He also worked as Commissioner for State Affairs under Kwankwaso and was formerly the chairman in Gwarzo Local Government Area.

After leaving the deputy governor’s office following Yusuf’s defection to the All Progressives Congress, Gwarzo joined the African Democratic Congress alongside Kwankwaso before both politicians later aligned with the NDC.

Gawuna previously served as deputy governor during the administration of former Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

He was also the Kano State APC governorship candidate in the 2023 election.

The ICIR reports that Kwankwaso, formerly of the New Nigeria Peoples’ Party (ANPP), quit the party and pitched his tent with the ADC, following his political godson’s (the incumbent Kano governor) defection to the APC.

Kwankwanso, who described Yusuf’s movement to the APC as shocking, has expressed his readiness to be the running mate to former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, who is seeking to secure the NDC presidential ticket in the 2027 election.

Five ways Nigeria has stabilised under my watch – Tinubu

Nanji Nandang VENLEY
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Five ways Nigeria has stabilised under my watch – Tinubu

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu on Tuesday stated that various sectors of Nigeria’s economy and governance have recorded progress under his administration since he assumed office on May 29, 2023.

He attributed the progress to the policies initiated by his government, including subsidy removal, unification of exchange rates, and other fiscal reforms.

In a statement commemorating his three years in power, Tinubu highlighted key sectors where he said his administration achieved significant achievements, namely the economy, infrastructure, agriculture, education, security, and others.

“Today, on the occasion of the third anniversary of our administration, I speak to you not only as your president but also as a fellow citizen who understands the sacrifices many families have made in recent years and shares your hopes for a better Nigeria,” he said.

The ICIR presents five key sectors the president identified as having performed well under his administration.

Economy and public finances

Tinubu said Nigeria economy was more stable and competitive after fuel subsidy removal, consequently avoiding a deeper economic crisis and reforming the foreign exchange market. He noted that Nigeria spent over N4 trillion on petrol subsidies in 2022.

The president also claimed the stock market grew from N30 trillion market capitalisation in 2023 to N160 trillion in 2026.

“At the height of the subsidy regime, Nigeria was spending as much as ₦18.4 billion daily to sustain petrol subsidies – over ₦4 trillion in 2022 alone -resources that could have been invested in roads, healthcare, education, housing, and critical infrastructure. Multiple exchange rate windows and forex arbitrage created massive distortions, with Nigeria losing more than ₦8 trillion over three years to rent-seeking and speculative practices,” he said.

Infrastructure and energy projects

The president listed major roads, rail projects, and energy investments as signs of recovery, citing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road, East-West Road and Nigeria LNG Limited Train 7 project.

He explained that local refining capacity had improved, and the country continued to reduce fuel import dependence

“In the oil and gas sector, the reforms we instituted have attracted billions of dollars in fresh investment from the international oil companies that had shunned our country. The $5 billion NLNG Train 7 project is nearing completion to boost LNG production capacity, exports, and dividends,” he stated.

Agriculture and food security

Tinubu said his administration supported millions of farmers through fertiliser and seedlings. He also listed irrigation, mechanisation, agricultural financing as part of his government’s efforts to make the sector more productive.

“Agricultural interventions have supported millions of farmers by improving seedlings, fertilisers, mechanisation, and irrigation and by expanding access to finance and markets. We are opening new agricultural corridors to create jobs, strengthen supply chains, and reduce pressure on household incomes,” he said.

Education, housing and social programmes

Tinubu said the Nigerian Education Loan Fund supported over 1.5 million students. According to him, over N282 billion has been disbursed in student loans, and more than 10,000 housing units were under construction across 14 states and the FCT.

“Our Renewed Hope Housing Programme, along with that of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), is delivering over 10,000 housing units across 14 states and the FCT, creating over 300,000 jobs and expanding access to affordable housing. Major Renewed Hope Cities in Abuja, Lagos, and Kano are progressing steadily. Our consumer credit initiative, CREDICORP, is opening up new economic opportunities for workers and families,” he added.

Security and national stability

The president said security remained central to his administration and claimed progress was being made against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, oil theft, and other criminal networks. He noted that more communities and highways were becoming safer, and security agencies were receiving improved technology and logistics, including improvement in inter-agency coordination.

“Our Armed Forces and security agencies have intensified operations against terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, oil thieves, and criminal networks. While challenges remain, many communities and highways are becoming safer and more economically active. We continue investing in intelligence, surveillance, logistics, technology, and inter-agency coordination,” he said.

Hardship, insecurity, other challenges remain despite president’s claims

Meanwhile, many Nigerians are yet to feel the impact of the administration’s acclaimed reforms, as many households continue to languish in poverty. Many farmers have fled their farms due to insecurity, while thousands of citizens remain in kidnappers’ dens.

Power supply remains epileptic or non-existent in many communities, and basic amenities, including good roads, potable water, schools, and healthcare facilities, are either unavailable or in a dilapidated state across several parts of the country.

Food prices have remained sky-high, leaving many citizens unable to afford decent housing. Building costs and rent have soared since the president assumed office, alongside the prices of other basic necessities. The ICIR further reports that unemployment remains high, while corruption and insecurity continue to persist under the president’s watch.

 

 

Tinubu defends economic reforms amid continued hardship, persistent insecurity

Mustapha USMAN
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Tinubu defends economic reforms amid continued hardship, persistent insecurity

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has again defended the sweeping economic reforms introduced since he assumed office in 2023, insisting Nigeria would have drifted into “fiscal breakdown” if his administration had failed to remove fuel subsidy and unify the foreign exchange market.

In a statement marking the third anniversary of his administration on Thursday, May 29, Tinubu acknowledged the severe hardship triggered by the policies but maintained that Nigeria had now “stabilised and is moving forward again.”

The president’s remarks came amid persistent inflation, rising living costs, worsening poverty and lingering insecurity across several parts of the country, despite repeated government assurances that reforms are yielding results.

“The easy choices would have been politically convenient. But leadership demands courage, especially when the right decisions are difficult,” Tinubu said.

“Had we refused to act, our nation would have drifted toward fiscal breakdown, worsening poverty, and severe economic uncertainty,” he added.

Tinubu defended the controversial removal of petrol subsidies shortly after assuming office, saying Nigeria had previously spent as much as ₦18.4 billion daily sustaining the regime, amounting to over ₦4 trillion in 2022.

He also blamed multiple exchange-rate windows for massive distortions in the economy.

He claimed Nigeria lost more than ₦8 trillion over three years to forex arbitrage and speculative activities.

While admitting that the reforms triggered painful sacrifices for Nigerians, Tinubu insisted the decisions had laid the foundation for recovery.

“I remain deeply conscious of those sacrifices, and I assure you: your sacrifice has not been in vain,” he said.

The president pointed to what he described as signs of economic recovery, including rising investor confidence, improvements in public finances and growth in the capital market.

According to him, the Nigerian stock market capitalisation rose from ₦30 trillion in 2023 to ₦160 trillion in 2026, while the All Share Index climbed from 53,000 to 250,000.

Tinubu also highlighted infrastructure projects being executed nationwide, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway, Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road and the East-West Road.

The president further claimed that reforms in the oil and gas sector had attracted billions of dollars in fresh investments and improved local refining capacity, reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imported petroleum products.

He stressed that the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) had provided loans worth over ₦282 billion to more than 1.5 million students, while the Renewed Hope Housing Programme was delivering over 10,000 housing units across 14 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Tinubu acknowledges persistent insecurity 

On insecurity, Tinubu acknowledged that security challenges persisted but said military and security operations against terrorists, kidnappers, bandits and oil thieves were yielding results.

The ICIR reports that Nigeria has continued to battle multiple security threats, including Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgency in the North-East, banditry and mass kidnappings in the North-West, North-Central, and now the South-West

Within Tinubu’s first eight months in office, civil society groups and security trackers reported worsening violence across several parts of the country.

Data by Community of Practice against Mass Atrocities estimated that at least 4,416 people were killed and 2,653 abducted during Tinubu’s first year in 2023.

One of the defining security crises under Tinubu has been the resurgence of mass abductions, particularly kidnappings in schools in northern Nigeria.

In March 2024, armed men abducted at least 137 pupils and students from Kuriga in Kaduna State in one of the largest school kidnappings recorded in recent years.

Before that year ended, no fewer than 5,300 people were killed and more than 5100 abducted across the country.

Although the Federal Government repeatedly announced military successes against insurgents and bandits, attacks persisted through 2025 and 2026.

Banditry expanded across Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto and Niger states, while attacks increasingly affected parts of the North-Central and South-West.

In February 2026, suspected jihadists reportedly attacked villages in Kwara State, killing more than 160 people in one of the deadliest assaults recorded in the region in recent years.

The period also witnessed controversies over military airstrikes.

The president nevertheless urged Nigerians not to lose faith in the country, insisting that the nation was gradually overcoming its challenges.

“While we continue to confront the challenges head-on, progress is being made. I want to assure you that this government will not relent until every Nigerian can live, work, travel, and dream in safety,” he said.

Ekiti court remands ADC House of Assembly candidate over alleged rape

Nanji Nandang VENLEY
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Ekiti court remands ADC House of Assembly candidate over alleged rape

A magistrate court in Ado Ekiti has remanded the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate for Ado Constituency I in the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Ayodele Babatola, over an alleged rape case.

According to the Cable, Babatola was recently arrested and detained by operatives of the Ekiti State Police Command.

In a statement, the command’s spokesperson, Abutu Sunday, said a 30-year-old woman, reported that Babatola “forcefully had carnal knowledge of her at KIIBAT Hotel, along Petim Estate, Adebayo Area, Ado-Ekiti, on the night of May 24, 2026”.

“Upon the receipt of the complaint, the suspect was invited, his statement was taken and after a preliminary investigation, the case was transferred to the State CID for a thorough investigation,” Sunday said.

The spokesperson said the complainant informed police operatives that she was assaulted and sustained injuries during the incident, claiming he became angry after the woman allegedly demanded payment before sex. He said the injuries sustained by the woman were visible to officers on duty at the time.

“During investigation, the suspect stated that he was provoked when the victim asked him for payment before having sexual intercourse with her. He claimed that he did not actually penetrate the victim before he got provoked by her request for financial compensation, but accepted that he left her in the room and deactivated all her means of reaching him.

Sunday further stated that the victim was taken to hospital for medical examination, which allegedly confirmed penetration, adding that the suspect was subsequently charged to court after investigations were concluded and has since been remanded at the Correctional Service Centre in Ado-Ekiti.

Meanwhile, some ADC members on Wednesday staged a protest in Ekiti over Babatola’s detention, describing his arrest as politically motivated.

Speaking during a press conference organised by ADC stakeholders in the state, Gboyega Aribisogan, a party chieftain, alleged that Babatola’s arrest and detention were linked to his criticism of the Ekiti State Government.

Aribisogan also accused officers of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in Ekiti of targeting critics and opposition members through arrests and detention, alleging that the officers were using “Form K”, a remand warrant request, to imprison innocent residents in the state.

Presidency goofs, falsely accuses VDM over doctored ‘Tinubu audio’

Nurudeen AKEWUSHOLA
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Presidency goofs, falsely accuses VDM over doctored ‘Tinubu audio’

FINDINGS have shown that the Presidency goofed after threatening social media commentator Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), over a manipulated audio clip falsely attributed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The controversial doctored audio the Presidency was referring to was not part of original video posted by VDM.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, had on Wednesday called for the activist’s prosecution, accusing him of disseminating fake audio linked to the president.

“This VDM needs to face the weight of the law for being the conveyor and disseminator of a fake audio of President Tinubu. This is a clear case of an egregious abuse of the social media platform,” Onanuga wrote on his verified X account.

The presidential aide was reacting to a viral clip circulating online in which AI-generated voice notes resembling Tinubu’s voice made controversial remarks about insecurity in the South-East, opposition parties, borrowing from the World Bank, and the 2027 general election.

The video was shared by an X user, @Pious_minister, who alleged that the doctored audio of the President was used in one of VDM’s videos.

“How do you really convince someone who has already decided and believes in their mind that this is actually Asiwaju’s voice? What kind of cheap propaganda is this?

“VDM knows that Ibos are highly emotional people, and that’s why he enjoys riding on their emotions,” the user wrote.

However, checks by The FactCheckHub show that the viral clip did not originate from VDM’s original upload.

FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the video in circulation is a manipulated version of Instagram video posted by VDM on Tuesday, May 26.

In the original footage, the activist was reacting to comments made by content creator and philanthropist Mitchell “King Mitchy” Mukoro, who had alleged that his necklace was a charm and claimed he visited a shrine.

Screenshot of the original post made by VDM

Responding, VDM played an old campaign clip of Tinubu speaking about electricity and governance ahead of the 2023 presidential election.

In the original campaign footage aired by TVC News, Tinubu had said Nigerians should not vote for him for a second term if he failed to improve electricity supply.

“Whichever way, by all means necessary, you must have electricity, and you won’t pay for estimated bills anymore. A promise made will be a promise kept. If I don’t keep my promise and I run for a second term, don’t vote for me. That’s the truth,” Tinubu said in the original clip.

However, findings show that an unidentified individual later extracted portions of VDM’s original video and inserted a doctored voice note resembling the president’s voice.

The edited clip retained the opening section of VDM’s original video before switching to the fabricated audio, creating the false impression that the activist shared or endorsed the recordings himself.

The manipulated version subsequently circulated widely on social media and appeared to have prompted Onanuga’s call for VDM’s prosecution.

VDM blasts Presidency

Reacting in a video posted on his social media page, VDM lampooned Onanuga, insisting that he would not defend the controversial AI-generated clip.

The activist criticised the Presidency for reacting swiftly to the manipulated audio while allegedly remaining silent over recent insecurity incidents, including the abduction of teachers and pupils in Oyo State.

“Bandits went into a school in Oyo State, they carried three teachers, one man, two women, they carried students. One of the teachers was backing an infant child. Few days later, there was a report that one of the teachers was beheaded. Bayo Onanuga, where is your comment on that?”

“As I speak to you today, it is Children’s Day. Those children are still in an unknown location. I want to see wetin una wan do. It’s only stupid people that will believe that video,” he wrote.

VDM’s lawyers faults Presidency’s verification process

Reacting to the accusation, VDM’s lawyers, Deji Adeyanju & Partners, accused the Presidency of failing to verify the authenticity and origin of the manipulated clip before publicly attacking their client.

“A simple verification of our client’s verified social media platforms would have confirmed that he neither made nor shared the said audio,” the lawyers stated.

They further described the Presidency’s comments as premature and unsupported by evidence.

“It is therefore surprising that, despite the resources available to the Presidency, adverse comments were made concerning our client without proper verification of the facts,” the team added.

The lawyers called on security agencies to investigate the actual source of the doctored audio and identify those responsible for creating and circulating it.

This report is co-published with FactCheckHub

Slain ISIS second-in-command responsible for killing of Christians in Nigeria – US

Nanji Nandang VENLEY
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Slain ISIS second-in-command responsible for killing of Christians in Nigeria – US

United State Secretary of Defence, Pete Hegseth, has said that the late second-in-command of ISIS, Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, was largely responsible for attacks on Christians in Nigeria.

Hegseth stated this during a press conference at the White House on Wednesday. He said the US President Donald Trump directed the Pentagon to prioritise the protection of Christians in Nigeria targeted by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria-linked groups.

“Maybe a year ago, he heard the call of Nigerian Christians who were being targeted and killed by ISIS in Nigeria, and he said, ‘Pete, I want the War Department to focus on ensuring that we do everything we can to protect those Christians,’” Hegseth said.

The ICIR reported that US troops began targeting Islamist terrorists late last year following allegations of a Christian genocide in Nigeria, and Al-Minuki was killed on May 15 during a joint US-Nigerian operation targeting his compound in the Lake Chad Basin.

Trump and Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, who confirmed Al-Minuki’s death, said several of the ISIS commander’s lieutenants were also killed during the operation.

Hegseth in his latest remarks, said the operation involved extensive covert coordination and the deployment of military assets, adding that intelligence obtained during the mission contributed to the killing of Al-Minuki, ISIS’s second-in-command, in a joint operation by US and Nigerian forces in the Lake Chad Basin.

“And we got the assets there, and over the last month, and there hasn’t been much coverage of this, we killed ISIS number two in Nigeria, who’s most responsible for killing Christians and trying to target the U.S. homeland,” he stated.

He said high-grade intelligence gathered since the launch of US operations against ISIS in Nigeria had resulted in the elimination of hundreds of additional ISIS fighters allegedly linked to attacks on Christians in the country.

“So, there are a lot of things we do that the media pays attention to, and a lot of things that the president empowers the Department to do on behalf of the American people that he deserves great credit for,” Hegseth stated.

The US defence chief described the operation as part of the Trump administration’s broader commitment to counterterrorism efforts and the protection of vulnerable communities.

Atiku secures ADC presidential ticket in disputed primary

Mustapha USMAN
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Atiku secures ADC presidential ticket in disputed primary

FORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar has emerged as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) after winning the party’s controversial presidential primary.

The party on Wednesday, May 27, announced that Abubakar polled 1,846,370 votes to defeat his closest challenger, former Rivers State governor and ex-Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, who secured 504,117 votes.

Businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen came third with 177,120 votes.

Abubakar’s 1.8 million votes in the primary immediately sparked comparisons with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate and incumbent President Bola Tinubu’s controversial 10.9 million-vote haul during the party’s presidential primary last weekend.

The ICIR reports that the figure drew widespread public skepticism and criticism from opposition parties, with many claiming it was a manufactured number.

Protest by Amaechi, Hayatu-Deen

Abubakar’s victory, however, came amid protests by Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen, who had rejected the exercise over alleged rigging and widespread voter disenfranchisement.

Amaechi, in a statement posted on his X handle on Tuesday, May 26, described the process as neither free nor transparent and rejected what he called “concocted results.”

“Following reports of widespread voter disenfranchisement in most parts of the country during the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primaries yesterday, I unequivocally reject the concocted results being announced,” he said.

The former minister alleged that nearly 80 per cent of party members were prevented from voting during the exercise.

“There’s no way that about eighty per cent of members of the party were not allowed to vote, and you expect me to accept such results,” he added.

Amaechi further argued that the ADC could not accuse the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of electoral malpractice while allegedly engaging in similar conduct.

Hayatu-Deen also distanced himself from the process, saying he would not attend the official announcement of the results due to concerns over alleged irregularities.

I will not be attending the announcement of the ADC presidential election results today. I am concerned by reports from across the country of widespread vote rigging, some of which I myself observed, and will therefore be taking advice on my next steps,” he said.

Abubakar’s victory

Announcing the final results on Wednesday, the National Chairman of the ADC, David Mark, said the party allowed a free contest and gave members the opportunity to choose their preferred candidate.

According to him, although the exercise was not perfect, there was room for improvement.

Mark noted that all the aspirants were qualified to lead the country, but only one person could emerge as the party’s presidential flagbearer.

In a post on X shortly after his victory was announced, Abubakar thanked party members for entrusting him with the ADC ticket and described the coalition behind the party as a movement formed to ‘rescue’ Nigeria’s democracy.

He accused the APC-led Federal Government of undermining opposition parties through intimidation, coercion and the use of state institutions.

The former vice president also alleged that opposition politicians were being harassed and cited the detention of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai despite court orders granting him bail.

Abubakar further warned against what he described as attempts by the Presidency, INEC and the judiciary to interfere in the affairs of the ADC.

He congratulated Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen for participating in the exercise and called for unity within the party ahead of the 2027 polls.

“This is not the time to celebrate. No one was defeated because we are one party and we all need to recognise the fierce urgency of the moment,” he said.

Also, in an interview with journalists after the exercise, the former vicee president said he would personally reach out to his opponents.

“I will personally visit my own competitors, Rotimi Amaechi and Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, and appeal to them to come onboard,” he said.

The ICIR reports that the dispute adds to the internal challenges that have trailed the opposition coalition built around the ADC ahead of the 2027 elections.

The coalition had attracted several opposition figures, including former Anambra State governor Peter Obi and former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, before both politicians later exited the platform for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) amid internal disagreements and legal disputes.

As it stands, Abubakar, who seeks Nigeria’s most exalted political seat for the seventh time, will be competing with Tinubu and others in the election slated for January 16, 2027.

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