A joint security patrol in Anambra State has arrested a man believed to be a member of a proscribed secessionist group, marking a significant breakthrough in the state’s ongoing security operations.

The suspect, identified as Emmanuel Osuigwe, was apprehended on the evening of November 30, 2025, at Amakwa, Ozubulu, by operatives of the Anambra State Police Command attached to the Ozubulu Division, working in collaboration with the Ozubulu Central Vigilante.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Ikenga Tochukwu, Osuigwe was spotted acting suspiciously and attempting to hide upon noticing the joint patrol team. Officers arrested him immediately, and a search reportedly revealed a handcuff on him and a fresh handcuff wound.

Preliminary interrogation indicated that the suspect claimed membership in a proscribed secessionist group and confessed to recently fleeing from a criminal camp in Ukpor after a dispute with other members.

He is currently in police custody as further investigations continue. Police say he has already provided actionable information aiding ongoing security efforts.

The Anambra State Police Command reiterated its commitment to sustaining security surveillance, visibility policing, and intensified day-and-night patrols across the state.

The Federal Government has reassured parents and authorities of St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri Agwarra, Niger State, that the abducted children are safe and will return soon.

National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu conveyed this message of hope during a visit to the Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese and Proprietor of the school, Most Rev. Bulus Yohanna, as well as the parents of the abducted students in Kontagora.

Ribadu affirmed that security efforts are being intensified, stating: “the children are where they are and will come back safely. God is with them and God is with us. Evil will never win. They are going to come back, I assure you.”

While delivering President Bola Tinubu’s message of reassurance, Ribadu urged Nigerians to unite against the forces destabilizing the country. He also disclosed that his visit was ordered directly by the President, who “shares in their pains and sorrows,” adding that President Tinubu postponed a planned trip after receiving news of the abduction.

Ribadu commended Bishop Yohanna for his resilience and commitment despite pressure and frustration from various quarters. He further promised strengthened security in the region, affirming that the school will continue to operate and that the children will return safely because “we will provide security in that axis.”

Bishop Yohanna expressed gratitude to President Tinubu and the NSA for their support and for offering hope in a difficult moment. He also presented a formal report of the incident to Ribadu before they proceeded into a 30-minute closed-door meeting.

The NSA was accompanied by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Bernard Doro; the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Ajayi; and the Northern Nigeria Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Joseph Hayab.

Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, has stepped down from his position with immediate effect. His resignation was formally communicated in a letter addressed to President Bola Tinubu and dated December 1.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the development on Monday. According to him, “Abubakar resigned on health grounds.”

Onanuga added that President Tinubu has accepted the resignation and expressed appreciation for Badaru’s service to the country.

Sources within the presidency indicate that President Tinubu is expected to notify the Senate of Badaru’s replacement later this week.

Badaru, 63, previously served as the governor of Jigawa State for two terms, from 2015 to 2023, before being appointed as Minister of Defence on August 21, 2023.

His exit comes at a sensitive moment, as President Tinubu recently declared a national security emergency. Further details on the scope and implementation of the emergency measures are expected to be announced soon.

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai rescued 12 teenage girls on Saturday after they were abducted by Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists in Mussa District, Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.

A statement posted on the Nigerian Army’s official Facebook page on Sunday confirmed that the victims have been taken to a secure location where they are receiving full medical attention.
The statement said, “The Nigerian Army has successfully rescued 12 teenage girls abducted by Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists in Mussa District of Askira/Uba Local Government Area, Borno State.”

It explained that the girls, aged 15 to 20, were kidnapped on 23 November while harvesting crops on their family farmlands.
According to the statement, “They were freed on Saturday, 29 November, following a swift, intelligence-led operation by troops of Operation HADIN KAI in the southern Borno axis.”

It added that the rescued teenagers have been relocated to a secure military facility where they are undergoing medical care, psychological support, and debriefing.
The statement noted that once these procedures are completed, the girls will be reunited with their families and that their rescue has brought major relief to the community, which had been living in fear since the abduction.

The Army also listed the rescued girls as: Fatima Shaibu (17), Fatima Umaru (15), Hauwa Abubakar (18), Saliha Muhammed (15), Sadiya Umaru (17), Amira Babel (15), Zara Adamu (17), Nana Shaibu (15), Zainab Musa (18), Zainab Muhammed (17), Jamila Saidu (15) and Hauwa Hamidu (17).

It further stated that the military high command praised the troops for their rapid response and acknowledged the vital role of security partners and local informants whose timely intelligence made the rescue possible.
The statement continued, “Troops continue to pursue ISWAP remnants across southern Borno to prevent further attacks and safeguard civilians.”
It concluded by urging communities to keep supporting military operations with credible intelligence, stressing that joint efforts are key to ending terrorism and achieving lasting peace.

It was also reported that the girls were kidnapped by gunmen believed to be Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists while working on a farm.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has confiscated the international passport of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, as part of an expanding investigation into the handling of an alleged $490 million Abacha loot traced through a Mutual Legal Assistance (MLAT) process.

A senior EFCC official confirmed on Sunday that Malami has been restricted from leaving the country for the next month. One of the conditions for his release on Saturday was a directive requiring him to report daily to the agency’s headquarters in Abuja for continued interrogation.
The source added that he may only travel outside Nigeria with EFCC approval or a court order.

According to the investigator, a fact sheet prepared on Malami shows several issues he must address in the coming weeks, including an explanation of the whereabouts of the $490 million in question.
“We didn’t say he stole the money, but he must account for it,” the source said, noting that the seizure of his passport was necessary due to the volume of documents he must review and the detailed interviews ahead.

The EFCC said it would refrain from trading accusations publicly, insisting that its findings will be made known after a thorough investigation.

Reacting in a post on X, Malami dismissed the allegations as fabricated and thanked Allah for what he described as divine intervention. He confirmed he had been released pending further meetings with investigators but did not comment on the passport seizure.

In a separate statement, Malami also rejected claims by the EFCC that he duplicated the recovery process for the $310 million Abacha loot—later rising to $322.5 million with interest. Through his media aide, Mohammed Doka, he described the accusations as illogical and lacking factual basis.

He argued that the EFCC’s narrative was flawed because no recovery was completed before he took office in 2015, noting that no funds had been deposited into the Federation Account as of 2016.
Malami said Swiss lawyer Enrico Monfrini’s application in December 2016 to be re-engaged for the same recovery effort further proved that no earlier recovery had been completed.

According to him, Monfrini had requested a $5 million upfront fee and a success fee initially pegged at 40 percent before being reduced to 20 percent—terms the Buhari administration rejected. Instead, a Nigerian law firm was hired on a 5 percent success-fee basis, which he said saved Nigeria between ₦76.8 billion and ₦179.2 billion.

He also highlighted several distinct tranches of recovered Abacha funds during his tenure, including $322.5 million from Switzerland between 2017 and 2018, used for Conditional Cash Transfers under a World Bank-monitored framework, and about $321 million from Jersey in 2020, which was channelled into major infrastructure projects such as the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, Abuja–Kano Road, and the Second Niger Bridge.

Malami said attempts to conflate the recoveries or portray legitimate processes as duplication were misleading. He insisted all actions were legally grounded and undertaken in the public interest, dismissing insinuations of abuse of office or money laundering as baseless.

He described the EFCC probe as politically motivated and expressed confidence that the ongoing investigation would vindicate him.