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Insecurity: North Under Siege …Says People Now Buy Anti-Bullet -Sen Sani Charms For Protection …Buhari Has Failed To Secure Nigerians -Soyinka …As NAF Kills 10 Bandits In Zamfara
The Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Senator Shehu Sani, has blamed Northern political leaders for the worsening situation and calamity befalling the region.
He lamented that as a result of their lukewarm attitude towards addressing the issues bedevilling the area; social vices have become the order of day.
He spoke when some groups presented to him a letter of complaint on the insecurity challenges facing them in their various communities for onward submission to the National Assembly.
Sani said the entire Northern region was currently under siege and being faced with various security challenges. Sani said, “Today, the entire Northern Nigeria is under siege. In the North Wes,t it is the armed bandits, the North Central is experiencing herdsmen attacks and the North East is ravaged by insurgents.
“In Kajuru, it is Muslims and Christians against one another, in Birnin Gwari, it is banditry and kidnapping and along Kaduna-Abuja Highway, it is kidnapping and raping.
“I have been visiting you regularly and this time, you are in my residence. I have listened to your lamentation, tears, cries and appeals. “ I believe any conscious Nigerian is aware of what you are facing in Birnin Gwari.
“I must say the issue of Birnin Gwari reflects the fears and dangers we are facing in North West today. “Kidnapping is what we used to hear of in Niger Delta.
Today, Birnin Gwari, Chikun, Niger and Zamfara States are under siege,” Sani lamented. Sani, however, blamed the challenges of the region on the lukewarm attitude of the Northern political leaders. According to the senator, one of the problems of northern leaders is sycophancy which is now making the region bleed with overwhelming killings.
“The situation in Birnin Gwari is one that reflects the tragedy and danger that we are facing in the northern part of the country today. Birnin Gwari, Chikun, Kajuru, Southern Kaduna, Zamfara, Katsina, Niger and some parts of Sokoto State are under siege.”
While speaking in empathy, Senator Sani said the situation in the North has forced many people to resorting into buying of anti-bullet charms for protection.
He said the insecurity in Kaduna is as a result of the governor and government not admitting the real security challenges the state is facing.
He urged residents of the affected areas to rise to face the situation by challenging those in the position of authority to do the needful and tackle the situation. “The most ideal thing is to face the situation and question those that we have elected into positions of authority,” he said.
Leader of the Coalition of Birnin Gwari Association, Nasir Khalid, in the protest letter, said several communities had been under attack of bandits since the eve of the general elections to date.
He said no fewer than 40 drivers had been killed in the last three months, while several communities in Kaduna, Zamfara and Katsina States were ransacked. Khalid lamented that the various governments had continued to pay lip service towards addressing the situation.
He appealed to the senator to deliver the letter to the Senate in particular for immediate intervention.
Meanwhile, Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has slammed President Muhammadu Buhari for his “slow response” in dealing with the terror caused by Fulani herdsmen across many parts of Nigeria.
He said Buhari has failed on the security threat posed by herdsmen, adding that he was repeating the mistakes of his predecessor, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, in not dealing with the Boko Haram menace in a timely and adequate fashion.
“The man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny”, he said.
Soyinka appeared on the BBC’s Hardtalk programme on Monday and anchored by Zeinab Badawi.
Reacting to Badawi’s question that he backed Buhari in 2015, describing the ex-army general as a “reformed democrat”, Soyinka said Buhari, “won by default” in 2015 because it was difficult to back Jonathan, and which meant supporting a continuation of the corruption associated with that regime. Nigerians were caught “between the devil and the deep blue sea”.
Soyinka criticized Jonathan’s ineffective response to Boko Haram, but placing the blame for failing to nip the problem in the bud at the feet of Olusegun Obasanjo, who was president from 1999 to 2007.
He said; “Obasanjo contributed to the emergence of Boko Haram by not preventing the first governor in one of the northern states from establishing a “theocratic state”.
Soyinka said that the president failed to act because he was “compromised” by his ambitions to continue in office beyond the second term limit.
He was, however, silent about why Buhari’s response to the killings of the herdsmen was so inadequate and said little about how the problem could be tackled effectively.
In a related development, the Nigerian Air Force, yesterday, said more than 10 armed bandits have been killed in Sububu forest in Zamfara state.
It said the bandits who have been terrorizing the various communities within the area were killed during air operations.
The spokesman of the NAF, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, explained in a statement that the Air Task Force of operation Diran Mikiya working together with ground troops carried out the operations.
Daramola said: “The Air Task Force (ATF) for Operation Diran Mikiya has neutralized no fewer than 10 armed bandits at Sububu Forest area in Zamfara State.
“This was achieved Tuesday, April 23, 2019, while the ATF was responding to a request for close air support by ground troops of Sector 7 Area of Responsibility of Operation Sharan Daji, who had come into contact with armed bandits in Shinkafi Local Government Area (LGA).
“Accordingly, the ATF dispatched 2 Alpha Jets and an attack helicopter to provide the needed support and also conduct armed reconnaissance over identified locations in Shinkafi LGA as well as Sububu and Dumburum Forests and environs.
“At Sububu Forest, one of the Alpha Jets spotted a group of armed bandits, who fired at the aircraft with their rifles, whilst running for cover. The Alpha Jet engaged the bandits, neutralizing no fewer than 10 of them while others escaped with injuries.
“The NAF, working in consonance with surface forces and other security agencies, will sustain its operations to flush the bandits out of the North-West of the country”.
Similarly, the Nigerian Army said, yesterday, that troops of 72 Special Forces (SF) Battalion in Makurdi killed suspected mercenaries and averted a clash between two Tiv clans – the Shitile and the Ikyora.
The Army spokesman, Col. Sagir Musa explained in a statement that the troops laid the ambush, last Monday, after receiving information on a planned attack on Katsina-Ala town by suspected Shitile militia.
According to him, following the ambush, troops were able to recover one General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), two AK-47 rifles, 198 7.62 mm rounds of NATO ammunition, 16 7.63 mm rounds of Special ammunition, two vehicles and seven motorcycles.
Musa commended those who provided the information that led to the prevention of the clash and urged Nigerians to always be their “brother’s keeper’’.
He also called on the public to always give useful information to security agencies for decisive action.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it has now received a total of 129 applications from associations seeking registration as political parties.
The update was provided during the commission’s regular weekly meeting held in Abuja, yesterday.
According to a statement signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, seven new applications were submitted within the past week, adding to the previous number.
“At its regular weekly meeting held today, Thursday 10th July 2025, the commission received a further update on additional requests from associations seeking registration as political parties.
“Since last week, seven more applications have been received, bringing the total number so far to 129. All the requests are being processed,” the commission stated.
The commission revealed the introduction of a new digital platform for political party registration. The platform is part of the Party Financial Reporting and Auditing System and aims to streamline the registration process.
Olumekun disclosed that final testing of the portal would be completed within the next week.
“INEC also plans to release comprehensive guidelines to help associations file their applications using the new system.
“Unlike the manual method used in previous registration, the Commission is introducing a political party registration portal, which is a module in our Party Financial Reporting and Auditing System.
“This will make the process faster and seamless. In the next week, the commission will conclude the final testing of the portal before deployment.
“Thereafter, the next step for associations that meet the requirements to proceed to the application stage will be announced. The commission will also issue guidelines to facilitate the filing of applications using the PFRAS,” the statement added.
In the meantime, the list of new associations that have submitted applications has been made available to the public on INEC’s website and other official platforms.
President Bola Tinubu yesterday signed into law four tax reform bills aimed at transforming Nigeria’s fiscal and revenue framework.
The four bills include: the Nigeria Tax Bill, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill.
They were passed by the National Assembly after months of consultations with various interest groups and stakeholders.
The ceremony took place at the Presidential Villa, yesterday.
The ceremony was witnessed by the leadership of the National Assembly and some legislators, governors, ministers, and aides of the President.
The presidency had earlier stated that the laws would transform tax administration in the country, increase revenue generation, improve the business environment, and give a boost to domestic and foreign investments.
“When the new tax laws become operational, they are expected to significantly transform tax administration in the country, leading to increased revenue generation, improved business environment, and a boost in domestic and foreign investments,” Special Adviser to the President on Media, Bayo Onanuga said on Wednesday.
Before the signing of the four bills, President Tinubu had earlier yesterday, said the tax reform bills will reset Nigeria’s economic trajectory and simplify its complex fiscal landscape.
Announcing the development via his official X handle, yesterday, the President declared, “In a few hours, I will sign four landmark tax reform bills into law, ushering in a bold new era of economic governance in our country.”
Tinubu made a call to investors and citizens alike, saying, “Let the world know that Nigeria is open for business, and this time, everyone has a fair shot.”
He described the bills as not just technical adjustments but a direct intervention to ease burdens on struggling Nigerians.
“These reforms go beyond streamlining tax codes. They deliver the first major, pro-people tax cuts in a generation, targeted relief for low-income earners, small businesses, and families working hard to make ends meet,” Tinubu wrote.
According to the President, “They will unify our fragmented tax system, eliminate wasteful duplications, cut red tape, restore investor confidence, and entrench transparency and coordination at every level.”
He added that the long-standing burden of Nigeria’s tax structure had unfairly weighed down the vulnerable while enabling inefficiency.
The tax reforms, first introduced in October 2024, were part of Tinubu’s post-subsidy-removal recovery plan, aimed at expanding revenue without stifling productivity.
However, the bills faced turbulence at the National Assembly and amongst some state governors who rejected its passing in 2024.
At the NASS, the bills sparked heated debate, particularly around the revenue-sharing structure, which governors from the North opposed.
They warned that a shift toward derivation-based allocations, especially with VAT, could tilt fiscal balance in favour of southern states with stronger consumption bases.
After prolonged dialogue, the VAT rate remained at 7.5 per cent, and a new exemption was introduced to shield minimum wage earners from personal income tax.
By May 2025, the National Assembly passed the harmonised versions with broad support, driven in part by pressure from economic stakeholders and international observers who welcomed the clarity and efficiency the reforms promised.
In his tweet, Tinubu stressed that this is just the beginning of Nigeria’s tax evolution.
“We are laying the foundation for a tax regime that is fair, transparent, and fit for a modern, ambitious Nigeria.
“A tax regime that rewards enterprise, protects the vulnerable, and mobilises revenue without punishing productivity,” he stated.
He further acknowledged the contributions of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform Committee, the National Assembly, and Nigeria’s subnational governments.
The President added, “We are not just signing tax bills but rewriting the social contract.
“We are not there yet, but we are firmly on the road.”
The Senate has issued a 10-day ultimatum to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) over its failure to appear before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts probing alleged financial discrepancies amounting to over ?210 trillion in its audited reports from 2017 to 2023.
Despite being summoned, no officials or external auditors from NNPCL showed up yesterday.
However, representatives from the representatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and Department of State Services were present.
Angered by the NNPCL’s absence, the committee, yesterday, issued a 10-day ultimatum, demanding the company’s top executives to appear before the panel by July 10 or face constitutional sanctions.
A letter from NNPCL’s Chief Financial Officer, Dapo Segun, dated June 25, was read at the session.
It cited an ongoing management retreat and requested a two-month extension to prepare necessary documents and responses.
The letter partly read, “Having carefully reviewed your request, we hereby request your kind consideration to reschedule the engagement for a period of two months from now to enable us to collate the requested information and documentation.
“Furthermore, members of the Board and the senior management team of NNPC Limited are currently out of the office for a retreat, which makes it difficult to attend the rescheduled session on Thursday, 26th June, 2025.
“While appreciating the opportunity provided and the importance of this engagement, we reassure you of our commitment to the success of this exercise. Please accept the assurances of our highest regards.”
But lawmakers rejected the request.
The Committee Chairman, Senator Aliyu Wadada, said NNPCL was not expected to submit documents, but rather provide verbal responses to 11 key questions previously sent.
“For an institution like NNPCL to ask for two months to respond to questions from its own audited records is unacceptable,” Wadada stated.
“If they fail to show up by July 10, we will invoke our constitutional powers. The Nigerian people deserve answers,” he warned.
Other lawmakers echoed similar frustrations.
Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) insisted that NNPCL’s Group CEO, Bayo Ojulari, must personally lead the delegation at the next hearing.
The Tide reports that Ojulari took over from Mele Kyari on April 2, 2025.
Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi (Ebonyi North) said the two-month request suggested the company had no answers, but the committee would still grant a fair hearing by reconvening on July 10.
Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) warned the NNPCL against undermining the Senate, saying, “If they fail to appear again, Nigerians will know the Senate is not a toothless bulldog.”
Last week, the Senate panel grilled Segun and other top executives over what they described as “mind-boggling” irregularities in NNPCL’s financial statements.
The Senate flagged ?103 trillion in accrued expenses, including ?600 billion in retention fees, legal, and auditing costs—without supporting documentation.
Also questioned was another ?103 trillion listed under receivables. Just before the hearing, NNPCL submitted a revised report contradicting the previously published figures, raising more concerns.
The committee has demanded detailed answers to 11 specific queries and warned that failure to comply could trigger legislative consequences.