General
We’ll Prevent Recurrence of School Abductions—FG
**Blasts #BringBackOurBoys Campaigners
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The federal government has promised to put measures in place to prevent any other abduction of students, especially in the northern part of the country by terrorists.
Last Friday, some bandits with links with Boko Haram sect kidnapped over 400 students of the Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Kastina State.
The attack occurred a few hours after President Muhammadu Buhari arrived Daura, some kilometres away from the scene, for a weeklong private visit to his hometown.
On Thursday night, after negotiations with the abductors, the schoolboys numbering over 300, were released from captivity in Zamfara State and returned to Kastina on Friday.
This afternoon, the Minister of Information and Culture, Mr Lai Mohammed, while addressing newsmen, said the government was not happy with the incident because it was the second happening under Mr Buhari as President.
The first happened in 2018 when gunmen stormed Dapchi, Yobe State and went away with 110 schoolgirls, though they were later released with one, Leah Sharibu, left behind because she allegedly refused to denounce her Christian faith.
But Mr Mohammed said the government will put measures in place to encourage parents to release their children to attend schools, saying “Our children should not have to go to school in trepidation.”
He further said efforts are being made to “secure all our schools, and indeed all Nigerians,” emphasising that the government “will not relent until all Nigerians can go to bed at night with their two eyes closed.”
While thanking the security and intelligence agencies, the governments of Katsina and Zamfara states and indeed Nigerians for the release of the boys, the Minister stressed that the present administration “will do everything possible to prevent a recurrence of these school abductions.”
He described the abduction as “totally unacceptable” and condemned “those who are quick to politicise the issue” by creating the #BringBackOurBoys, calling it “shameful.”
According to him, “When disasters and tragedies strike, people come together. We hope the naysayers have learnt their lessons,” adding that, “Irrespective of the security challenges that we, as a nation, may be facing at this time, they are not insurmountable.”
Concluding, Mr Mohammed congratulated “the parents and guardians of the 344 boys from Kankara, who will soon reunite with their children and wards.”
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The United States government gave some terrorists in Nigeria a Christmas gift that sent many of them to the great beyond.
On Thursday, December 25, 2025, the United States President, Mr Donald Trump, directed his country’s military to launch air strikes on camps of members of the dreaded Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Sokoto State.
According to Mr Trump, the military action, which he threatened to carry out a few weeks ago if the Nigerian government does not stop the killing of Christians in the country, occurred on Thursday night.
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!
“I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was.
“The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing.
“Under my leadership, our country will not allow radical islamic terrorism to prosper. May God bless our military, and Merry Christmas to all, including the dead terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues,” Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
In a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Department of War of the United States posted the below video of the air strikes;
https://twitter.com/DeptofWar/status/2004351717131903272
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The presidency has reacted to speculations that Mr Femi Gbajabiamila has been removed as the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu.
It was alleged that Mr Gbajabiamila has been replaced with the President’s Principal Private Secretary, Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola.
Mr Muri-Okunola went to Abuja to take up this role after leaving as the Head of Service of the Lagos State Civil Service.
Reacting to the reports on social media on the purported removal of Mr Gbajabiamila, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, the presidency said no such change has been made.
In a statement signed on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, members of the public were advised to disregard the report as “there is absolutely no truth to this story.”
“The Chief of Staff remains in his position. The Principal Private Secretary likewise remains in his role. Hakeem Muri-Okunola has not replaced Femi Gbajabiamila as Chief of Staff.
“The viral claim is a fabrication by mischievous purveyors of fake news whose sole aim is to create disharmony within the government.
“We reiterate that news media should always verify their information before publishing or sharing on social media,” the statement said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The new chief executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, has assumed office with a clear message to advance the country’s upstream oil and gas sector in line with the mandate of the commission as enshrined in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
According to a statement signed by Mr Eniola Akinkuotu, the Head of Media & Strategic Communications at the upstream regulator, the NUPRC boss made this assertation during her first town hall meeting with management and staff on Tuesday December 23, 2025.
She further disclosed plans to make the commission a business enabler and re-ignite investments in the upstream sector.
Recall that President Tinubu nominated Mrs Eyesan to take over the NUPRC after the abrupt resignation of her predecessor, Mr Gbenga Komolafe as well as his counterpart in the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr Farouk Ahmed.
In her new capacity, Mrs Eyesan also set a firm production ambition of growing Nigeria’s output and increasing gas production.
“The goal is that we must enable the industry, we are regulators. We must enable the industry from our interactions with the stakeholders, from our interactions with everybody.
“My main objective is to ensure that we make a difference. I believe the NUPRC is at the Center of the industry,” she said.
The commission boss who has served for over three decades in the oil and gas sector, promised to entrench digitisation, transparency and efficiency in operations.
The NUPRC head said with the support of staff and management, the NUPRC will become the gold-standard regulator in Africa. She also promised capacity development, stronger technical depth and sustained engagement with stakeholders, unions and professional teams.
On leadership style, Mrs Eyesan promised an open-door policy and frequent staff engagement, while also soliciting for support and cooperation as the industry embarks on the next phase of transformation.
“If we work together we can unleash opportunities, I don’t see impediments only opportunities,” she added.
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