Hosts Morocco beat Nigeria 4-2 on penalties to reach the Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON final after their semi-final clash on Wednesday finished 0-0 at the end of extra time.
Morocco will play Senegal in Sunday’s showpiece after they defeated Egypt 1-0 in the other semi-final earlier thanks to a Sadio Mane strike.
President Donald Trump has said the US launched a “powerful and deadly strike” against the Islamic State (IS) group in north-western Nigeria.
The US leader described IS as ” terrorist scum”, accusing the group of “targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians”.
Trump said the US military “executed numerous perfect strikes”, while the US Africa Command (Africom) later reported that Thursday’s attack was carried out in co-ordination with Nigeria in the Sokoto state.
President of the United States, Donald Trump, has announced that the U.S. military carried out airstrikes against terrorist hideouts in Nigeria.
Trump made the announcement on Christmas Day, stating that the operation targeted ISIS-affiliated terrorists operating in Sokoto State, in North-West Nigeria.
He described the strikes as “powerful and deadly” and warned that more attacks would follow.
According to Trump, the operation was launched after repeated concerns over the killing of Christians in Nigeria’s North-West and North-Central regions. In November 2025, he had publicly condemned the attacks and warned that his administration would take action if the violence continued.
Following consultations and deliberations with Nigerian authorities, both countries reportedly reached agreements on counter-terrorism cooperation. The U.S. government later confirmed that the airstrikes were carried out on Thursday night in terrorist hideouts located in forested areas of Sokoto State.
“In my direction as Commander-in-Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS terrorists in North-West Nigeria,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
He added that his administration would not allow radical Islamic terrorism to thrive under his leadership.
Nigeria’s struggle with insecurity is often discussed in terms of guns, surveillance, and military deployments. Yet one powerful tool remains underused: social security. A nation cannot be peaceful when millions of its citizens live without basic protection against poverty, unemployment, illness, and economic shocks.
Social security simply means safety nets cash transfers, pensions, health insurance, and programmes that help people survive and thrive. In Nigeria, these tools are often viewed as welfare perks, but their impact on peace and stability is far greater.
No society can be stable when the majority of its people struggle to meet basic needs. Poverty fuels resentment, protests, and conflict. Strong social protection reduces desperation and gives families breathing room, easing social tension.
Many of Nigeria’s security problems kidnapping, banditry, militancy, and extremist recruitment—are rooted in economic hardship. When young people lack jobs or opportunities, criminal activity becomes more attractive. Social security programmes that provide income support, skills training, and employment reduce this vulnerability and keep young Nigerians on a productive path.
Trust in institutions is essential for national unity. When citizens feel abandoned, they become alienated from the state. Social protection sends the opposite message: that the government cares. This strengthens the social contract, making communities more cooperative and more likely to support peace efforts.
Support for the elderly, persons with disabilities, widows, children, and internally displaced persons contributes to a more humane society. When vulnerable groups are ignored, crime, exploitation, and social resentment grow. Protecting them strengthens our collective security.
Social security helps households withstand crises such as job loss, inflation, or illness. This stability prevents social unrest during tough economic times. When families survive shocks, society becomes more resilient.
If Nigeria hopes to reduce violence and build a peaceful future, social security must be seen as part of national security strategy. Expanding and properly funding these programmes will address the root causes of insecurity far more sustainably than force alone.
A nation that protects its people protects its peace. Nigeria must invest in both.
Alaribe Obinna Esq. is a social justice, social welfare, and human and girls child rights advocate. He lives in Abuja and can be reached via obinnaalaribe@yahoo.com
The Auditor-General for the Federation has uncovered 28 major financial infractions involving the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), with suspicious transactions totaling about N61.1bn when converted to naira.
The red flags, contained in the Auditor-General’s 2022 Annual Report on Non-Compliance (Volume II), cover activities carried out in the 2021 financial year by NNPCL and its subsidiaries. The document, obtained by our correspondent on Sunday, details questionable payments, undocumented expenditures, and serial breaches of financial regulations amounting to N30.1bn, $51.6m, £14.3m and €5.17m.
According to the report, NNPCL was indicted for weak internal controls, unauthorized virements, tax infractions, irregular procurement processes, abandoned projects and unsubstantiated settlements.
“These findings highlight systemic weaknesses that continue to expose public funds to avoidable risk. Where documents were not provided, payments were unjustified. Where approvals were absent, expenditure breached the law. Recovery and sanctions must follow,” the Auditor-General’s office stated.
The latest revelations add to earlier investigative reports by reporters this year, which exposed long-running financial discrepancies at the national oil company. The Auditor-General’s annual reports for 2017 to 2021 had previously indicted NNPC for the diversion of N2.68tn and $19.77m over a four-year period.
Those earlier audits flagged N1.33tn in 2017; N681.02bn in 2019; N151.12bn and $19.77m in 2020; and N514bn in 2021, indicating a persistent pattern of unremitted funds, unsupported transfers and irregular withdrawals that have heightened concerns over governance and accountability in the petroleum sector.
One of the most striking issues in the new report is Issue 2, which covers the expenditure of £14,322,426.59 at NNPC’s London Office without documentation. The auditors said the company failed to provide utilisation details or supporting schedules for the amount.
Citing the 2009 Financial Regulations, the Auditor-General stressed that accounting officers are required to maintain adequate internal controls and proper records for all public expenditures. Paragraph 112 mandates clear rules and procedures to safeguard revenue, while Paragraph 603(1) requires every payment voucher to contain full particulars—such as dates, quantities and rates—and be supported by invoices, purchase orders, letters of authority and other documents sufficient for independent verification.
However, the audit found that these statutory provisions were flouted in the operations of NNPCL’s London Office during the 2021 financial year.
The report stated that the foreign office spent a total of £14,322,426.59 on personnel costs, fixed contracts and other operational needs. A breakdown showed personnel costs of £5,943,124.74; fixed contract and essential expenses of £1,436,177.11; and other operational costs of £6,943,124.74.
Despite the scale of the expenditure, the auditors said they were not provided with supporting documents or granted access to verify how the funds were utilised, making it impossible to determine whether the spending followed due process or complied with the Financial Regulations.
The Auditor-General warned that the absence of documentation points to “weaknesses in the internal control system” at NNPCL, leaving the organisation vulnerable to diversion and misappropriation of public funds.
In its response, NNPC management said the London Office functions as a service unit with an approved annual budget and that the £14.32m allocation for 2021 was implemented in line with operational and financial requirements. It maintained that the office keeps detailed records of all transactions, including personnel and contract-related expenses, and expressed readiness to provide documents upon request.
Management further argued that the audit query did not specify which transactions or line items were in contention, making it difficult to give targeted explanations. It added that the company remains committed to strengthening internal controls and ensuring compliance across its units.
The Auditor-General’s office, however, dismissed the explanation as unsatisfactory. It insisted that the query would remain in force until NNPCL offers full accountability for the funds and implements the recommended corrective measures.
Consequently, the audit report recommended that the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd be summoned by the Public Accounts Committees of the National Assembly to explain the utilisation of the £14,322,426.59 spent by the London Office in 2021.
It also ordered that the entire amount be recovered and remitted to the Treasury. Failing that, the Auditor-General advised that sanctions for irregular payments and failure to account for public funds, as provided under Paragraphs 3106 and 3115 of the Financial Regulations, be applied to the responsible officers.
“Audit observed that the sum of £14,322,426.59 (Fourteen million, three hundred and twenty-two thousand, four hundred and twenty-six pounds and fifty-nine pence) was expended for the London Office during the 2021 financial year.
“Audit was not availed the necessary documents and the opportunity to confirm the utilisation of the funds that were managed by the London Office and to ascertain that the expenditure was made following due process and economy as required by the extant regulations. The above anomalies could be attributed to weaknesses in the internal control system at the NNPC, now NNPC Ltd,” the report stated.
In a related case, the auditors flagged a payment of €5,165,426.26 to a contractor (Issue 12), noting that there was no evidence of engagement or contract documentation to justify the disbursement.
Several dollar-denominated transactions were also queried. These include $22,842,938.28 in unsubstantiated Direct Sales Direct Payment (DSDP) settlements (Issue 4); $12,444,313.22 for delayed generator procurement at the Mosimi depot (Issue 24); and $1,801,500 paid under an irregular contract extension for a bunkering vessel (Issue 7).
Other queries listed $2,006,293.20 in provisional payments made without invoices (Issue 10) and $1,035,132.81 paid to a company without power of attorney (Issue 13). Altogether, the report flagged $51,674,020.15 as irregular.
On the naira side, the Auditor-General accused NNPCL of authorising payments without approvals or documentation, implementing budgets beyond approved limits and failing to remit statutory surpluses to the Treasury, in violation of extant financial laws and regulations.
The United States government has announced the revocation of visas for foreign nationals.
The U.S. Department of State disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.
The visa revocation, it said, was “promises made, promises kept” by the President Donald Trump administration.
The statement noted that Mr Trump “will always put the safety and interests of the American people first”.
Major reasons for these revocations include assault, theft, and driving under the influence. The State Department said 16,000 of those driving under the influence, 12,000 of those involved in assault, and 8,000 of those involved in theft had their visas revoked, respectively, in 2025.
Other reasons for these visa revocations include terrorism, supporting terrorism, public safety threats, and overstaying visas.
The Federal Government is in advanced negotiations with China’s Export-Import Bank for a $2 billion loan to finance the construction of a new electricity super grid aimed at addressing Nigeria’s chronic power supply challenges.
According to Bloomberg, the proposed project is designed to boost power transmission across the country’s eastern and western regions, where most of Nigeria’s industrial consumers are located.
Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, revealed the plan during an economic summit in Abuja on Monday, explaining that the initiative forms part of the government’s broader strategy to decentralise power generation and strengthen the national grid.
“It’s part of plans to decentralise power generation in Nigeria and get the heavy commercial users that left the power grid because of its unreliability to return,” Adelabu said.
Nigeria currently has an electricity generation capacity of about 13 gigawatts, but only a third of that reaches consumers due to transmission inefficiencies and frequent system collapses.
The new super grid project is expected to improve reliability, encourage industrial users to reconnect to the national grid, and support economic growth through more stable energy supply.
The government of St Kitts and Nevis says it has reached an agreement with Nigeria that will allow citizens of both countries to travel without visas.
In a statement on Monday, the government described the accord as “a historic milestone in bilateral relations between the two nations.”
It said the deal was concluded after high-level talks earlier this year between Prime Minister Terrance Drew and Nigerian President Bola Tinubu in Abuja, as well as during meetings with leaders of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
“This is a symbolic and practical step in reconnecting our peoples. St Kitts and Nevis has long extended visa-free access to Nigerian nationals, and we are heartened that Nigeria has reciprocated in the same spirit of unity and mutual respect,” Drew said.
The prime minister added that the agreement reflects the shared vision of both governments to remove barriers and deepen ties across the Atlantic.
He thanked Tinubu for his leadership in advancing the initiative and reaffirmed his country’s commitment to strengthening Africa–Caribbean relations under its Sustainable Island State Agenda.
According to the government, visa-free access is expected to boost cooperation in trade, investment, education, and tourism, further cementing the historic links between Africa and the Caribbean.
Japan has dismissed claims that it plans to introduce a special visa category for Nigerians seeking to relocate to Kisarazu, the city it recently designated as Nigeria’s official “hometown.”Japan trip
At the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in Yokohama last week, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) unveiled the ‘JICA Africa Hometown’ initiative aimed at strengthening ties between African nations and Japanese local government.
Under the scheme, four Japanese cities were paired with four African countries: Kisarazu with Nigeria, Nagai with Tanzania, Sanjo with Ghana, and Imabari with Mozambique.
The Foreign Ministry said Monday that Tokyo has “no plans to take measures to promote the acceptance of immigrants or issue special visas for residents of African countries.”
“There have been reports and statements both domestically and internationally that contain information contrary to the facts,” the ministry said in a statement, stressing that the government-linked aid agency, known as JICA, only plans to promote exchanges through various activities.
More to follow…
The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has officially cut all ties with the Church in Wales following the appointment of Bishop Cherry Vann, an openly lesbian cleric, as the 15th Archbishop of Wales.
The decision was announced by the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, the Most Reverend Henry Ndukuba, who described the development as ‘an abomination’ and a serious departure from biblical truth.
The announcement came during the opening session of the 14th Church of Nigeria Conference of Chancellors, Registrars and Legal Officers, held on Tuesday at the Church’s national secretariat in Abuja.
With the theme ‘Called as a Watchman’, the event brought together legal minds from across the Church to discuss matters of doctrinal integrity, justice, and governance.
Primate Ndukuba delivered the keynote address titled ‘The Decade of the Reign of God: Progress, Challenges, and Prospects.’
Reacting to the Church in Wales’ elevation of a lesbian bishop, the Primate said, “We reject the election of the Right Reverend Cherry Vann as the Archbishop of Wales.”
He compared it to the 2003 consecration of Gene Robinson in the Episcopal Church (USA), which had also led to Nigeria severing ties with that province.
“Just as the Church of Nigeria took steps after the election of Gene Robinson in the United States, we are severing every tie and relationship with the Church of Wales,” he said.
Primate Ndukuba also criticised what he described as the growing influence of revisionist teachings within sections of the Western Church.
“These individuals have not relented from their evil agenda; rather, they have intensified it. What they call their wisdom and culture is an abomination to God,” he declared.
Despite cutting formal ties with the Church in Wales, the Church of Nigeria reaffirmed its support for orthodox Anglicans in the region through platforms such as the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON).
“We pray that the Church of God in Wales will rise up, and that the faithful among them will stand strong. We, the Church of Nigeria, alongside GAFCON, will stand with them,” Ndukuba assured.
Looking ahead, the Primate said the Church of Nigeria plans to expand its global mission, with new registrations underway in countries like Germany, the Netherlands, and Finland.
“We feel that the Lord is calling us back to Europe for mission,” he said.
The Primate also used the opportunity to highlight the Church’s ongoing contributions to the GAFCON movement.
He revealed that the Church of Nigeria had recently contributed $2.5 million to the GAFCON Endowment Fund and was planning a local Nigerian GAFCON Endowment worth $2.3 million to support orthodox Anglican work and mission.
