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

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December 28, 2025

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

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

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B.O.B Echoload

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December 28, 2025

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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

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IED blasts on Zamfara highway leave travellers feared dead

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B.O.B Echoload

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December 28, 2025

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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

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Port Harcourt refinery stays offline, but diesel evacuation continues — regulator

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B.O.B Echoload

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December 28, 2025

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

In an update published by Punch, Nigeria’s downstream regulator said the Port Harcourt refinery remains shut but diesel (automotive gas oil) has continued entering the market via evacuations.

The report attributes the ongoing diesel movement to regulator data, even as the facility remains under maintenance following a shutdown announced earlier in 2025.

A DailyReport.ng write‑up stated “NMDPRA confirms 349,000 litres of AGO supplied daily,” while TheCable previously reported NNPC would shut the Port Harcourt Refining Company “for maintenance,” underscoring the continued stop‑start nature of domestic refining.

Echotitbits take: This is a trust and transparency problem. If product evacuation is from existing stock, the public needs clear reporting on inventory, throughput, and maintenance milestones. Watch for NMDPRA’s daily/weekly supply dashboards and NNPC’s turnaround timelines.

Source: The Punch — December 28, 2025 (https://punchng.com/port-harcourt-refinery-supplies-diesel-while-shut-nmdpra/)

The Punch 2025-12-28

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States and LGs cut bank exposure by ₦547.5bn as FAAC inflows rise

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B.O.B Echoload

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December 28, 2025

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

Figures cited by Saturday PUNCH show states and local government councils reduced outstanding bank borrowings by about ₦547.5bn over one year, amid stronger statutory inflows.

The report links the drop in bank claims to higher Federation Account distributions and the higher cost of borrowing under a tighter interest‑rate environment.

TheStar.ng reported that “States and Local Government councils cut their outstanding bank loans by about N547.5bn in one year,” while TheConclaveNg cited CBN bulletin data that claims fell from “N2.68tn… to N2.13tn” by June 2025.

Echotitbits take: Lower bank debt is good—but what replaces it matters. If states swap bank loans for short‑term contractor arrears or opaque “capital receipts,” the fiscal stress simply moves. Watch state debt transparency, DMO/CBN data and wage/contract arrears.

Source: The Punch — December 27, 2025 (https://punchng.com/states-lgs-repay-n547-5bn-bank-debts/)

The Punch 2025-12-27

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2026 state budgets swell, but FAAC dependence and borrowing remain the backbone

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B.O.B Echoload

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December 28, 2025

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

According to Sunday PUNCH, many state governments are entering 2026 with big spending plans but still lean heavily on federal allocations, loans and other non‑recurring inflows to balance their books.

The report points to weak internally generated revenue (IGR) in several states and warns that capital projects may be squeezed first when revenue assumptions fall short.

Analysts quoted in the report argue that over‑reliance on volatile transfers and debt can discourage local revenue innovation and exposes budgets to national shocks such as oil price swings.

TheCable’s newspaper review also noted that “state governments are banking on federal allocations and loans to fund their 2026 budgets,” reinforcing the recurring pattern across multiple state appropriation proposals.

Echotitbits take: The big question is execution—how much of the capital vote survives mid‑year reality? Watch Q1 and Q2 FAAC inflows, new bond/loan issuances, and whether states publish project‑level dashboards to prove capital delivery.

Source: The Punch — December 28, 2025 (https://punchng.com/govs-bank-on-faac-loans-to-fund-2026-budgets/)

The Punch 2025-12-28

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Tax reform countdown: Manufacturers upbeat as Labour and SMEs warn of backlash

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B.O.B Echoload

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December 28, 2025

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

Reporting by Punch indicates Nigeria’s new tax reform laws are still slated to take effect on January 1, 2026, despite widening pushback from some labour and SME stakeholders.

Industry groups say the package could simplify compliance and reduce distortions, while critics argue implementation timing and transparency concerns around the final gazetted text could trigger new disputes.

Government-linked reform advocates have framed the rollout as a shift toward fairness—targeting relief for most workers and smaller firms—while signalling willingness to fix drafting or referencing issues through the legislature without shifting the start date.

Channels Television quoted committee chairman Taiwo Oyedele saying, “The implication of not implementing the new tax laws by January 1, 2026, is that the bottom 98 per cent of workers remain overtaxed.” AIT Live also reported the government “has affirmed that there will be no reversal in the planned implementation… scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026.”

Echotitbits take: The political test is whether implementation becomes a trust-building exercise (clear gazette, plain-language guidance, phased enforcement) or another elite policy fight. Watch the National Assembly’s re‑gazetting process and how quickly tax authorities publish compliance guides for SMEs.

Source: The Punch — December 28, 2025 (https://punchng.com/four-days-to-tax-reform-manufacturers-excited-labour-smes-threaten-revolt/)

The Punch 2025-12-28

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Five killed in Maiduguri mosque blast as officials warn of revived suicide-attack risk

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B.O.B Echoload

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December 27, 2025

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Photo Credit: Reuters
2025-12-27 07:09:00

In an update published by Reuters, an explosion during prayers at a mosque in Maiduguri killed worshippers and injured others, with authorities treating the incident as a likely suicide bombing as investigations continue.

The blast reinforces a troubling security pattern: even as the frequency of suicide attacks had reduced compared with earlier years, insurgent networks appear capable of reactivating tactics when pressure eases.

Authorities urged calm and vigilance while bomb disposal and investigative units worked the area, and leaders renewed calls for tighter protection around worship centres during festive periods.

The incident adds urgency to hospital readiness, trauma support, and intelligence coordination in Borno—given Maiduguri’s long-standing position as a focal point of the insurgency.

AP reported officials found “fragments of a suicide vest” at the scene, while Nigeria’s State House said the federal government “remains resolute in its duty to protect lives and property” following the bombing.

Echotitbits take:
The immediate story is casualties; the deeper story is capability. Watch for who claims responsibility, whether arrests follow, and whether security upgrades at mosques and markets become visible and sustained beyond a short post-attack surge.

Source: Reuters — December 25, 2025 (https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/five-killed-nigeria-mosque-attack-police-say-2025-12-25/)
Reuters December 25, 2025

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Russia unleashes huge drone-and-missile barrage on Ukraine as diplomacy accelerates

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B.O.B Echoload

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December 27, 2025

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Photo Credit: Reuters
2025-12-27 07:08:00

According to Reuters, Russia launched a large-scale drone and missile assault on Ukraine just before Zelensky’s expected meeting with Trump, striking energy and civilian infrastructure as temperatures dropped.

The report said the attack involved waves of drones and missiles, intensifying pressure on Kyiv and sending a signal about Moscow’s readiness to escalate even as peace discussions gather pace.

Ukrainian officials linked the barrage to negotiation manoeuvres, arguing that infrastructure targeting is used to shape political outcomes by raising humanitarian costs.

With diplomacy and warfare now running in parallel, the risk is that any peace framework becomes hostage to real-time battlefield escalations.

The Washington Post said the assault left “a third of the capital without heating,” while The Guardian reported Zelensky is moving into talks insisting the plan is “90% ready,” but with core territorial issues unresolved.

Echotitbits take:
This is coercive bargaining—strike hard, then negotiate from a position of fear. Watch whether talks produce immediate de-escalation steps (like grid-protection commitments) or whether infrastructure attacks continue to force concessions.

Source: Reuters — December 27, 2025 (https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russian-drones-missiles-pound-ukraine-before-zelenskiy-trump-meeting-2025-12-27/)
Reuters December 27, 2025

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Russia attacks Zelensky’s position ahead of Trump talks as Ukraine plan tightens

By

B.O.B Echoload

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December 27, 2025

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Photo Credit: Vanguard
2025-12-27 07:07:00

Reporting by Vanguard suggests Russia is pushing back hard on Kyiv’s approach to a US-led peace framework, accusing Ukraine of trying to derail negotiations as President Volodymyr Zelensky heads into a high-stakes meeting with Donald Trump.

The emerging proposal is described as a tightened plan meant to freeze fighting around current frontlines while negotiating territory, security guarantees, and sensitive assets tied to the conflict’s endgame.

Russia’s messaging signals it wants the terms closer to what it has discussed with Washington, while Ukraine insists any freeze must come with credible guarantees and enforcement mechanisms.

The politics are moving faster than the battlefield narrative: both sides appear to be positioning for leverage just before a potentially defining diplomatic window.

Reuters quoted Russia’s Sergei Ryabkov saying, “I think that 25 December 2025 will remain in our memory as a turning point,” while The Guardian reported Zelensky described the plan as “90% ready,” but stressed unresolved issues remain.

Echotitbits take:
Deals fail when “freeze the lines” becomes “freeze the injustice.” Watch what Trump signals after meeting Zelensky—endorsement, revisions, or a pivot—and whether Russia offers verifiable ceasefire commitments to keep talks credible.

Source: Vanguard — December 26, 2025 (https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/12/russia-lashes-out-at-zelensky-ahead-of-new-trump-meeting-on-ukraine-plan/)
Vanguard December 26, 2025

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