By Grace Edet

President Bola Tinubu has dispatched Vice President Kashim Shettima to Kebbi State today to console families of the kidnapped schoolgirls from the Government Secondary School, Maga, and to reassure the state that the Federal Government is moving urgently to secure their release.
The President also mourned Brigadier-General Musa Uba and several soldiers killed during an anti-insurgency operation in Borno State, describing their deaths as a painful reminder of the sacrifices made to protect the nation.
Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga in a statement, said Tinubu, who has been “fully briefed” on both incidents, expressed deep sadness over the abduction, especially after intelligence agencies had reportedly warned of a possible bandit attack.
The President commended Kebbi State Governor Mohammed Nasir Idris for his attempts to prevent the kidnapping but lamented that the bandits still succeeded.
Tinubu urged communities facing security challenges to strengthen cooperation with the military, police and Department of State Services (DSS), stressing that security forces require intelligence from local residents to operate effectively.
“As the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, I am depressed with the tragic death of our soldiers and officers on active duty. May God comfort the families of Brigadier-General Musa Uba and other fallen heroes,” Tinubu said.
He also condemned the attack on the school, declaring: “I am also depressed that heartless terrorists have disrupted the education of innocent schoolgirls. I have directed the security agencies to act swiftly and bring the girls back to Kebbi State.”
The President emphasised that community collaboration remains essential to defeating insecurity.
“Our security forces cannot succeed in protecting us if the people don’t cooperate and share information that will help them keep our communities safe,” he said.
Vice President Shettima is expected to meet with Governor Idris, traditional leaders and affected families as security agencies intensify search-and-rescue operations to secure the safe return of the abducted girls.
The President offered prayers for the fallen soldiers and renewed his commitment to restoring safety across troubled regions.

By Grace Edet

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 42-year-old wanted drug baron, Frank Chijioke Ibemesi, and seized over 14,440 kilograms of illicit drugs in coordinated operations spanning seven states.
The arrest followed weeks of intelligence gathering and surveillance, culminating in a Saturday morning raid on his Lagos hotel.
Ibemesi, popularly known as “Chisco Bee”, was picked up by operatives of the NDLEA Special Operations Unit at Daisy Garden Hotel, 66–68 Agbeke Street, Ago Palace Way, Isolo. He is listed as the MD/CEO of Franc CJ Ibemesi Nig. Ltd, a business used as cover for large-scale drug trafficking.
Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the arrest in a statement on Sunday, saying operatives recovered a major drug stockpile shortly afterward.
“He was taken to his warehouse at 7 Pius Ezeobi Street, Isolo, where 42 jumbo bags and four cartons of Loud weighing 1,762.8 kilograms were recovered,” Babafemi said.
He added that foreign currency found on the suspect included $11,600, 2,000 Pounds, 2,200 Euros, and 50 Canadian dollars, all seized as exhibits.

11,135kg skunk intercepted in Osun forest
In Osun State, NDLEA operatives thwarted a drug syndicate loading processed skunk weighing 11,135kg at the Orita-Apeje, Araromi-Okeodo forest reserve in Ife South LGA. After days of surveillance, two trucks — a Volvo (WWR 29 XA) and a Mercedes (AWK 713 YZ) — were intercepted and seven suspects arrested.
Those arrested include Lucky Abiodun, Julius Amos, Victor Ngbikili, Sunday Oduegwu, Ibrahim Akanni, Eze Godstime, and Fred Ifeanyichukwu.
Edo raids yield 1,902kg, multiple arrests
In Edo State, 1,902.1kg of skunk was recovered from multiple locations, including:
184.1kg along Oza/Igbanke road, Orhionmwon LGA; 672kg from Utese forest, Ovia North-East LGA; 494kg from a Mercedes-Benz (DE311BEN) where Felix Edah (45) was arrested; and 552kg from another Mercedes-Benz (JJJ 56 JW) driven by Lucky Abagha (51).

More seizures across Taraba, Ogun, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Kwara
In Ogun State, four suspects — Michael Okoh, Offor Agada, Raphael Nkemjika and Nwabueze Franklin, were arrested along the Ijebu-Ode expressway after operatives found 68kg of skunk and 3.15kg of methamphetamine in their possession.
In Taraba State, NDLEA operatives seized 172kg of skunk from 50-year-old Danjuma Tukura in Ardo Kola Local Government Area, while an additional 84kg was recovered from 24-year-old Wisdom Titus in Takum.
At the Aliyu Mustapha International Airport in Yola, Adamawa State, officers intercepted 396,000 capsules of Tramadol from a suspect identified as Ahmed Isyaku Nda, aged 50.
In Nasarawa State, a warehouse belonging to a drug dealer currently at large was raided in Asob Maraba Karu, leading to the evacuation of 785kg of skunk.
Lagos operations also yielded major seizures. In Surulere, 65.15kg of Canadian Loud was recovered from two suspects, Jamiu Kunle Kardoso and Oriyomi Waliu. At Oyingbo, operatives intercepted 141kg of Ghana Loud from a suspect, Taofeek Moraina.
In Kwara State, 78.565kg of skunk and 155 cartons of rubber solution were seized from a truck marked T-T-T-T-T-0262KT along the Ilorin–Jebba expressway, with the driver, Umar Yakubu, taken into custody. In a separate operation, officers intercepted a commercial bus with skunk concealed inside a 50-litre jerry can, leading to the arrest of its driver, Ibrahim Bello.

NDLEA intensifies WADA Campaign in schools, communities
The NDLEA also expanded its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign across multiple schools and communities in Zamfara, Ebonyi, Jigawa, Enugu, Lagos, and Ogun states during the week.

Marwa commends operatives, orders sustained pressure
Chairman/CEO of NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), praised the operatives for their nationwide interceptions.
“I commend the officers and men of the SOU, Osun, Lagos, Edo, Ogun, Taraba, Adamawa, Nasarawa, and Kwara Commands for the arrests and seizures.
“I urge them to continue with the Agency’s balanced approach to drug control efforts,” Marwa said.
The NDLEA says investigations into Ibemesi’s network and other cartel links are ongoing.

• Nigeria ranks among Top 4

By Grace Edet
Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have emerged as Africa’s three most terrorised nations in 2024, underscoring the deepening insecurity in the Sahel region, according to the 2025 Global Terrorism Index (GTI) by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP).
The report, shared on Statisense official X handle, highlights how sustained militant activity continues to erode economic stability and investor confidence across the continent.
Burkina Faso led the ranking with a terrorism score of 8.58, followed by Mali (7.91) and Niger (7.78).
Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, ranked fourth with a score of 7.66, reflecting the persistent threat of insurgent attacks despite years of counter-terrorism operations in the country’s northern and central regions.
The report notes that Somalia (7.61), Cameroon (6.94), and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (6.77) also remain high-risk zones for terrorism. Other countries on the list include Mozambique (6.25), Kenya (5.37), and Chad (5.03), rounding off the continent’s top 10.
According to the IEP, the Global Terrorism Index measures the impact of terrorism by combining data on the number of incidents, fatalities, injuries, and property damage. A higher score indicates greater exposure to terrorism and institutional instability.
Analysts say the concentration of high GTI scores in the Sahel corridor reflects the spillover of extremist violence linked to groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and ISIS, which has disrupted trade routes, displaced millions, and strained regional economies dependent on agriculture and mining.
For Nigeria, the report reinforces concerns that security instability remains a drag on economic performance. Persistent attacks in the country’s northern belt have disrupted farming activities and transportation networks, contributing to inflationary pressures and food insecurity.
Security experts have repeatedly called for enhanced regional collaboration and stronger intelligence-sharing frameworks among West African nations to contain the threat, warning that prolonged instability could deter foreign investment in key sectors such as energy, logistics, and extractive industries.
The report concludes that rebuilding governance structures, addressing youth unemployment, and improving border surveillance remain critical to reversing the tide of extremism across the continent.