Nigeria witnessed one of its most troubling weeks in recent memory, marked by mass kidnappings, rising insurgent activity, school closures, and widespread panic. This week’s Security Update with Rimamnde Shawulu Kwewum examines the most significant security events across Nigeria, the Sahel, and the global arena.
The week opened with two major school kidnappings:
- 25 schoolchildren abducted in Kebbi State,
- over 300 students taken in Niger State,
followed by reports of additional teenage girls kidnapped in Borno. These incidents triggered fear nationwide and forced several state governments—including Plateau, Niger, and Kebbi—to order school closures. Even parents in Abuja rushed to withdraw children from classrooms amid rumours and uncertainty. Federal authorities later denied ordering Unity Schools to close, but panic remained high.
In Borno, Governor Babagana Zulum called for prayers and fasting as Boko Haram intensified attacks. This came only weeks after the execution of Brigadier General Musa Uba, the first Nigerian general to be captured and killed on camera by insurgents—a development that emboldened the terrorists and unsettled the military.
Amid these crises, over 20 local governments in Katsina, and several in Zamfara, continued signing peace accords with bandit groups (Yan Bindiga). However, past experiences—such as in Southern Kaduna and Taraba—show these agreements often fail. During peace talks, militants have simultaneously raided communities. Allowing armed non-state actors to move freely raises grave concerns about recruitment, territorial expansion, and divided community loyalty.
Across social media, disturbing videos from the Sahel region—many mislabelled as Nigerian footage—have spread fear. Linguistic checks and uniform comparisons show most of these clips are not from Nigeria, though they highlight the broader regional security deterioration.
The episode also addresses the heated debate on genocide in Nigeria. While both Muslims and Christians are victims, the script clarifies that terrorist groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP explicitly target Christians, destroy churches, and operate under ideological goals they publicly declare.
Finally, the program clarifies recent controversy around Donald Trump’s comments on “coming in to take out terrorists in Nigeria.” Trump did not threaten to invade Nigeria or attack communities. The analysis explains historical precedents of U.S. counter-terror operations globally and past Nigerian requests for U.S. support.
This week’s Security Update provides deep context, factual clarity, and sober analysis during a period of national anxiety.
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