Boko Haram Ultimatum Expires as 404 Abducted Residents Remain Missing 

The 72-hour ultimatum reportedly issued by Boko Haram-linked insurgents to the Nigerian government over the abduction of 416 residents in Borno State has expired without any official response, heightening fears over the fate of hundreds still in captivity.

The incident is linked to the March attack on Ngoshe community in Gwoza Local Government Area, where armed fighters stormed villages and a nearby military position, abducting civilians and displacing several others in one of the latest mass kidnapping incidents in the North-East.

Security sources and local community representatives confirmed that 12 abducted residents have escaped captivity, with reports indicating that the breakthrough occurred during a military operation in the area. According to accounts from one of the freed victims, Nigerian troops launched an offensive that forced the insurgents to flee, creating confusion that allowed some captives to escape while others were moved deeper into the forest.

404 Abducted Residents

Community groups, including the Borno South Youth Alliance, confirmed that the escapees consist of 10 women and two men, who are now receiving support in a safer location. Despite this development, at least 404 abducted persons remain missing, with growing concern among families over their safety and condition.

READ ALSO:

• “You’re Not Sensible” — Daddy Freeze Fires at Yul Edochie in Viral Row
• US Offers $10M Reward for Iraqi Militia Leader Linked to Attacks
• No Nuclear Strike on Iran, Trump Reaffirms US Military Strategy

Sources say the insurgents had demanded a ₦5 billion ransom, warning that failure to comply would lead to the permanent disappearance of the captives. The group also reportedly threatened to scatter victims across multiple hideouts if any military rescue attempt was launched, complicating ongoing security operations.

While efforts continue to trace the missing persons, insecurity in the region has worsened. At least 18 farmers and firewood collectors were killed in a separate ambush on the outskirts of Gwoza, with attackers targeting civilians working on their farms ahead of the rainy season. Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume confirmed the killings, describing the attack as deeply disturbing and calling for stronger protection of rural communities. Local officials warned that additional victims may still be unaccounted for.

Troops under Operation Hadin Kai have intensified counter-terrorism operations across the North-East, killing 24 insurgents in Kukareta during a separate encounter. Military authorities said the latest operations bring the total number of insurgents killed in recent days to 54, following earlier engagements around the Lake Chad region. Recovered weapons include rifles, machine guns, rocket-propelled launchers, and ammunition, while two soldiers were injured and an armoured vehicle sustained damage.

The worsening security situation has drawn political reactions from lawmakers and public officials. Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi blamed the ongoing insecurity on governance failures, calling for urgent national measures focused solely on restoring peace. He warned that Nigeria risks deeper instability if security is not prioritised above political activities.

In Adamawa State, Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri visited communities affected by a separate attack in Hong Local Government Area, where at least nine people were killed. He pledged continued government support and security reinforcement for affected communities.

At the federal level, the House of Representatives has called for the deployment of additional security personnel to Borno and Kaduna States, warning that continued attacks could escalate into a wider humanitarian crisis in the North-East.

Humanitarian organisations say repeated attacks, mass abductions, and ongoing military operations are worsening displacement and food insecurity across the region. They warn that rural communities remain highly vulnerable as farming activities are disrupted and access to affected areas remains limited due to insecurity.

Boko Haram Ultimatum Expires as 404 Abducted Residents Remain Missing

BREAKING : President Tinubu Seeks Fresh $516m Loan

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally requested Senate approval for a $516,333,007 external loan to finance key sections of the ambitious Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway project, a flagship infrastructure initiative aimed at boosting national connectivity.

The request was conveyed in a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and read during Thursday’s plenary session.

According to the President, the proposed funding will support the execution of Section 1, Phase 1a and 1b, covering about 120 kilometres of the planned 1,000km highway corridor linking Nigeria’s Northwest to the Southwest.

Tinubu explained that the highway will originate from Illela in Sokoto State and pass through Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Oyo, and Ogun states before terminating in Badagry, Lagos State—creating a strategic economic route connecting inland production zones to coastal trade hubs.

The financing arrangement, the President noted, is structured as a syndicated loan from Deutsche Bank, backed by a partial risk guarantee from the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit, an arm of the Islamic Development Bank Group.

He added that the Federal Government will provide counterpart funding of ₦265.54 billion to cover land acquisition, compensation, and other ancillary infrastructure tied to the project.

READ ALSO:

• Lai Mohammed Rejects Christian Genocide Claims, Says Boko Haram Kills More Muslims
• Ted Cruz Accuses Nigerian Officials Over Alleged Attacks on Christians
• NAFDAC Busts Fake Alcohol Factories in Lagos, Seizes ₦350m Counterfeit Drinks

Details of the loan show a nine-year tenor, including a grace period of up to three years, with an interest rate capped at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) SOFR plus 5.3 percent annually.

Tinubu informed lawmakers that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has already approved the financing structure and urged the Senate to incorporate the loan into Nigeria’s rolling borrowing plan.

The President emphasized that the Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway is expected to significantly enhance North-South connectivity, improve road safety, and reduce logistics and transportation costs across the country. He added that the project would strengthen trade, boost food security, and promote national cohesion by linking agricultural production zones to markets and ports.

The design also includes provisions for future development, with the central median reserved for rail integration and utility corridors, positioning the route as a multi-modal transport backbone.

Following the presentation, Akpabio referred the request to the Senate Committee on Foreign and Local Debts for further legislative scrutiny, with a report expected within one week.

Speaking in support of the project, Senator Mohammed Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central) described the highway as a long-awaited development, noting that it had been under consideration for over five decades.

Aliero said he had personally inspected ongoing work and expressed satisfaction with the progress, revealing that sections of the road are being constructed using both concrete and asphalt, alongside modern features such as solar-powered streetlights.

He projected that upon completion, travel time between Sokoto and Lagos could be reduced by more than 70 percent, cutting a typical 13-hour journey to about six hours.

The proposed loan forms part of the Tinubu administration’s broader strategy to leverage external financing for large-scale infrastructure projects considered critical to Nigeria’s economic growth and regional integration.

BREAKING : President Tinubu Seeks Fresh $516m Loan

Lai Mohammed Rejects Christian Genocide Claims, Says Boko Haram Kills More Muslims

Former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has dismissed allegations of a Christian genocide in Nigeria, insisting that insurgent groups such as Boko Haram have killed more Muslims than Christians in their attacks across the country.

Mohammed made the remarks in the United Kingdom during a question-and-answer session with students of Abbey College, Cambridge, where he spoke on governance, insecurity, and youth participation in Nigeria’s political development.

Responding to questions on religious violence, Mohammed said suggestions that Christians are being systematically targeted in Nigeria were “false” and misleading. He argued that Nigeria’s security challenges are complex and should not be reduced to a single religious narrative. “There should be more understanding on the part of the developed world. People say there is religious persecution in Nigeria and genocide against Christians. It’s not true. It is fake news,” he said.

READ ALSO:

• Ted Cruz Accuses Nigerian Officials Over Alleged Attacks on Christians
• NAFDAC Busts Fake Alcohol Factories in Lagos, Seizes ₦350m Counterfeit Drinks
• Senator Barau Empowers APC Leaders in Kano with 47 Cars, 282 Motorcycles

The former minister explained that the terrorist group Boko Haram initially emerged as a radical movement opposing Western education, noting that its early victims were largely Muslims. He said the group originally targeted those it considered opposed to its ideology, adding that “at the beginning, the victims of Boko Haram were largely Muslims, not Christians.” According to him, the group’s name reflects its ideology, loosely meaning opposition to Western education.

Mohammed also addressed insecurity linked to banditry, describing it as a criminal enterprise rather than a religious conflict. He said many of the attackers and victims belong to the same ethnic and religious groups, particularly in northern Nigeria. “The bandits are Muslims, they are Hausa-Fulanis. Their victims are Muslims. So how can you say it is about religion? It has nothing to do with religion,” he said.

He further argued that Nigeria has a strong tradition of religious tolerance, stating that ordinary citizens are more concerned about economic survival than religious differences. “In Nigeria, the average Muslim and Christian only disagree over money, not theology,” he said, adding that interfaith marriages are common across the country.

Mohammed urged stronger communication efforts to challenge what he described as misleading international narratives about religious conflict in Nigeria.

Nigeria continues to battle insecurity involving Boko Haram, ISWAP insurgents, armed banditry, and communal clashes across several regions. While religious identity is sometimes present in these conflicts, analysts often describe the violence as multi-dimensional, driven by terrorism, poverty, and criminal networks.

The federal government has consistently denied claims of state-sponsored religious persecution, insisting that security forces are engaged in combating terrorism and protecting all citizens regardless of faith.

Lai Mohammed Rejects Christian Genocide Claims, Says Boko Haram Kills More Muslims