Echotitbits – Nigeria News

Category: Security

  • Former AGF Malami Arraigned as EFCC Intensifies High-Profile Probes

    Former AGF Malami Arraigned as EFCC Intensifies High-Profile Probes

    2025-12-30 16:00:00

    In a report by Vanguard, the EFCC arraigned former Attorney‑General Abubakar Malami on money‑laundering allegations tied to claims of asset acquisitions and concealment of funds.

    The report said prosecutors outlined an alleged scheme involving co‑defendants and corporate structures used to disguise the origin of money and acquire properties indirectly.

    The case is part of a broader anti‑corruption drive targeting former senior officials and testing the strength of Nigeria’s asset‑tracing and prosecution process.

    Premium Times reported that the EFCC alleges Malami and others conspired to “disguise the origin of funds” and acquire properties indirectly. TVC News highlighted a specific allegation that the defendants used a company “to conceal the unlawful source of over N1.014 billion.”

    Echotitbits take: High‑profile cases rise or fall on evidence discipline and process integrity. Watch the court’s posture on compliance, the asset‑tracing trail, and whether prosecutors keep the case tight enough to survive procedural challenges.

    Source: Vanguard — December 30, 2025 (https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/12/efcc-arraigns-malami-today-for-money-laundering/)

    Vanguard 2025-12-30

    Photo Credit: Vanguard

  • Fresh Bandit Attacks Kill Residents, Spark New Abductions Across the North

    Fresh Bandit Attacks Kill Residents, Spark New Abductions Across the North

    2025-12-30 18:00:00

    According to Punch, fresh bandit attacks left multiple casualties in Kebbi and triggered abductions in Zamfara, underscoring the expanding footprint of violent groups across northern corridors.

    The report said eight people were killed in attacks on communities in Kebbi, while gunmen abducted women in Zamfara in a separate incident, intensifying pressure on rural communities.

    Security analysts say the speed and spread of attacks suggest persistent operational freedom for armed groups and weak inter‑state coordination.

    Channels Television reported on the Kebbi assault, saying gunmen struck villages and left “eight persons” dead. Premium Times also reported a related kidnapping case in Kwara, noting abductors demanded “N500 million ransom” for five road construction workers.

    Echotitbits take: These attacks show armed groups still exploit porous boundaries and local intelligence gaps. Watch for coordinated inter‑state operations, stronger rural intelligence networks, and tougher disruption of ransom logistics and cash‑out channels.

    Source: The Punch — December 30, 2025 (https://punchng.com/banditry-eight-killed-in-kebbi-attack-16-abducted-in-zamfara/)

    The Punch 2025-12-30

    Photo Credit: The Punch

  • NDLEA intercepts UK-bound cocaine concealed in factory-sealed starch sachets

    NDLEA intercepts UK-bound cocaine concealed in factory-sealed starch sachets

    2025-12-29 09:00:00
    According to Punch, NDLEA operatives uncovered 1.5kg of cocaine concealed inside factory-sealed cold-water starch sachets at the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, and arrested an ex-convict alongside cargo agents linked to the attempted shipment to the UK.

    The concealment method underscores how traffickers exploit everyday export items to reduce suspicion, while enforcement agencies tighten checks on logistics chains and facilitation networks around airports.

    Beyond seizures, successful prosecution and disruption of supply networks remain the deterrence test for interdiction efforts.

    Channels TV reports “the seizure of 75 parcels of cocaine, weighing a total of 1.50 kilograms,” while The Guardian also states the drugs were “concealed in factory-sealed sachets of cold-water starch and destined for the United Kingdom.”

    Echotitbits take: Traffickers innovate faster than paperwork. The winning move is sustained profiling, tighter cargo-agent oversight, and faster court timelines that turn arrests into convictions.

    Source: The Punch — December 29, 2025 (https://punchng.com/ndlea-uncovers-uk-bound-cocaine-hidden-in-starch-at-lagos-airport/)
    The Punch 2025-12-29

    Photo Credit: The Punch

  • Trump and Zelensky hold talks as Ukraine war endgame takes shape

    Trump and Zelensky hold talks as Ukraine war endgame takes shape

    2025-12-29 09:00:00
    Punch says Donald Trump and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky met as diplomacy intensifies around ending the war, with competing frameworks and red lines shaping what a deal could look like.

    Reuters coverage captures urgency from Kyiv’s side about timing and leverage as the New Year approaches, suggesting decisions could accelerate as war fatigue influences negotiation dynamics.

    Unresolved fundamentals—security guarantees, territory, enforcement mechanisms and sequencing—remain the toughest obstacles to any lasting settlement.

    Reuters quotes Zelensky saying, “I think a lot can be decided before the New Year,” while Investing.com reports Zelensky said after the meeting they were “a lot closer” to ending the war.

    Echotitbits take: The risk now is a rushed deal that freezes conflict without credible guarantees. Watch for concrete enforcement language and whether Europe is formally inside the guarantee structure—or merely supporting from the sidelines.

    Source: The Punch — December 29, 2025 (https://punchng.com/trump-zelensky-meet-in-push-to-end-ukraine-war/)
    The Punch 2025-12-29

    Photo Credit: The punch

  • Gombe attack leaves two dead, four abducted as governor condemns violence

    Gombe attack leaves two dead, four abducted as governor condemns violence

    2025-12-29 09:00:00
    Punch reports that gunmen attacked homes in Pindiga, Akko LGA of Gombe State, killing two residents and abducting four others, prompting condemnation and pledges of action from the state government.

    Other reports add police timing and incident details, describing the raid as an early-hours attack on residential homes along the Pindiga–Kashere axis.

    The incident reinforces the persistence of night raids and abductions in parts of northern Nigeria, raising pressure on security response and community intelligence systems.

    The Guardian quotes police saying the incident occurred at “about 3:30 am,” while TVC News reports the attack happened “in the early hours of Sunday.”

    Echotitbits take: The metric is not statements—it’s prevention and rescue. Watch for swift pursuit operations, credible intelligence loops, and whether arrests/prosecutions follow (often the missing link).

    Source: The Punch — December 29, 2025 (https://punchng.com/gombe-gov-fumes-as-gunmen-kill-two-abduct-four/)
    The Punch 2025-12-29

    Photo Credit: The Punch

  • Balogun high‑rise inferno: China‑returnee confirmed among victims as rescue winds down

    Balogun high‑rise inferno: China‑returnee confirmed among victims as rescue winds down

    Photo Credit: The Punch
    2025-12-28 09:00:00

    From PUNCH reports, emergency responders confirmed that three bodies—including a China-based trader—were recovered from the rubble of the fire-ravaged Great Nigeria Insurance House near Balogun Market, Lagos Island.

    Officials said the blaze, which started on upper floors of the high-rise commercial building, escalated into a complex rescue-and-recovery operation involving multiple agencies working amid structural risks.

    Authorities urged traders and nearby occupants to keep off the immediate area as assessments continued, while families waited for updates on missing persons.

    Premium Times reported LASEMA warning that “The fire continues to spread vertically,” while Peoples Gazette quoted officials saying teams were working “under challenging conditions because of the building’s height.”

    Echotitbits take: Lagos’ dense, older commercial corridors need stricter fire-code enforcement, warehouse-use regulation, and rapid-access equipment—especially for high-rise markets. Watch next for demolition decisions, compensation claims, and the fire-cause investigation.

    Source: The Punch — December 28, 2025 (https://punchng.com/lagos-fire-trapped-china-returnee-two-others-recovered-dead/)

    The Punch December 28, 2025
    https://punchng.com/lagos-fire-trapped-china-returnee-two-others-recovered-dead/

  • Bandit raid after Christmas: Adanla community in Kwara hit, residents report multiple abductions

    Bandit raid after Christmas: Adanla community in Kwara hit, residents report multiple abductions

    Photo Credit: The Punch
    2025-12-28 09:00:00

    Reporting by PUNCH indicates suspected bandits invaded Adanla community in Ifelodun LGA of Kwara State and abducted several residents after Christmas celebrations, leaving the area gripped by fear.

    Local leaders said the attackers moved house-to-house, firing shots and forcing residents into submission before fleeing with victims.

    Security responders were alerted, though residents demanded faster protection for rural communities facing expanding bandit routes.

    SaharaReporters quoted a community source saying, “Our peaceful community is in deep sorrow, grief and agony,” while PUNCH quoted a local security coordinator: “At about 7:30pm… bandits had entered the community.”

    Echotitbits take: Kwara sits near multiple transit corridors—security coordination must be regional, not state-siloed. Watch for whether forest-guard programs and community watch networks get better intelligence support.

    Source: The Punch — December 27, 2025 (https://punchng.com/seven-feared-kidnapped-by-bandits-in-kwara-community/)

    The Punch December 27, 2025
    https://punchng.com/seven-feared-kidnapped-by-bandits-in-kwara-community/

  • IED blasts on Zamfara highway leave travellers feared dead

    IED blasts on Zamfara highway leave travellers feared dead

    Photo Credit: The Punch
    2025-12-28 09:00:00

    Punch reports that two suspected improvised explosive devices detonated along a highway in Zamfara State, with early accounts indicating fatalities and injuries among travellers.

    Authorities were said to be assessing the scene and casualty figures, while residents raised renewed alarms about insecurity on key routes linking rural communities.

    TheCable’s newspaper review noted that “at least nine persons were killed… after two suspected improvised explosive devices (IEDs) detonated along the Magami–Dansadau road in Maru LGA of Zamfara,” echoing the incident details as they filtered into national coverage.

    Echotitbits take: Road insecurity is becoming a strategic economic risk—movement of food, goods and labour is disrupted long before official casualty counts settle. Watch for a coordinated response: patrols, intelligence-led sweeps, and safer transport corridors.

    Source: The Punch — December 28, 2025 (https://punchng.com/many-feared-dead-as-explosion-rocks-zamfara-highway/)

    The Punch 2025-12-28

  • FG prepares deployment of 7,000 forest guards across northern states

    FG prepares deployment of 7,000 forest guards across northern states

    Photo Credit: The Punch
    2025-12-28 09:00:00

    In a report published by Punch, the federal government said thousands of newly recruited forest guard operatives have completed training ahead of deployment across northern states.

    The initiative is presented as part of a wider push to curb banditry and improve security in forested corridors often linked to armed groups.

    TheCable’s newspaper roundup said “7,000 newly recruited forest guards… have completed a three-month intensive training programme,” reflecting how multiple dailies framed the move as a new layer in the security architecture.

    Echotitbits take: The headline number is less important than command-and-control, rules of engagement, funding, and coordination with police, DSS and the military. Watch whether the programme becomes community-embedded intelligence—or just another uniformed layer with unclear accountability.

    Source: The Punch — December 27, 2025 (https://punchng.com/fg-to-deploy-7000-forest-guards-in-north/)

    The Punch 2025-12-27

  • Tinubu backs US precision strike on Sokoto terror camps as debris sparks questions

    Tinubu backs US precision strike on Sokoto terror camps as debris sparks questions

    Photo Credit: The Nation
    2025-12-28 09:00:00

    According to The Nation, President Bola Tinubu approved a US precision air strike targeting terrorist camps in Sokoto State, in coordination with Nigerian authorities.

    The report situates the operation within a broader push to degrade armed groups operating in remote border and forest areas.

    TheCable’s newspaper review said US congressman Riley Moore claimed the strikes “prevented planned Christmas attacks,” and also noted government statements that debris from precision‑guided munitions fell in parts of Sokoto and Kwara.

    Echotitbits take: Joint operations raise legitimate questions: oversight, civilian harm monitoring, and whether follow‑on operations actually degrade networks or merely displace them. Watch for casualty transparency, follow‑up arrests, and community reassurance measures.

    Source: The Nation — December 28, 2025 (https://thenationonlineng.net/tinubu-okays-us-air-strike-on-terrorists-in-sokoto/)

    The Nation 2025-12-28