General
Attack on #EndSARS Protesters an “Absolute Horror”—Aisha Yesufu Tells CNN
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Nigerian activist, Aisha Yesufu, has described the last Tuesday’s attack on #EndSARS protesters in Lagos as an “absolute horror” which has left her “numb.”
In a chat with CNN’s Becky Anderson after the unfortunate shooting allegedly carried out by men of the Nigerian Army, she said the demonstrators were only asking the government to give them police they can trust and be proud of like their colleagues in civilised nations.
According to her, there is a “culture of impunity” among the Nigerian police and the youths were just asking the government to reform the police, nothing more.
However, she expressed disdain that this humble request was met with a violent suppression from the government, which is yet to take responsibility for the shooting.
A day after the shooting of live bullets at the peaceful protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate, Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, claimed he was not aware of the use of the military to disperse the youths after he declared a curfew in the state, insinuating that this may have been done by some “forces beyond our direct control.”
On Thursday night, President Muhammadu Buhari addressed the nation on the unrest that engulfed the nation after the shooting but he did not specifically mention the Lekki incident but described the youths as “so called protesters.”
The next day, on Politics Today programme aired on Channels TV and monitored by Business Post, one of the President’s media aides, Mr Femi Adesina, claimed that Mr Buhari did not speak on the incident because it was still being investigated by the state government.
“I can’t believe that our military men turned roulettes on our citizens, and the government decided to hurt young adults – our youth who came out and in peace just to say that they want a right to live. And by coming out they have been killed, and it’s just horror that I am feeling right now,” Yesufu, who helped organize the ‘Bring Back Our Girls’ movement, told CNN.
“The police will waste you, they will kill you and nothing will happen to them. They will even tell you the President will not be able to do anything. And indeed we have seen this with the youth who are constantly being profiled, who are being killed and who are being maimed, who are being escorted from coming out to make demands of the president and to say to him, stop this killing,” she added.
Yesufu called on the Nigerian government to “stop killing its people” and for the international community to not look away from “this horror being inflicted on the Nigerian people.”
“The Nigerian government needs to stop killing its people and listen to the demands of the youth. They are asking for compensation for victims of police brutality. They want an end to police brutality. They are asking for protesters who have been arrested to be released. They are asking for reform – they are not asking for too much.
“We are asking them to stop killing the Nigerian people. It’s a crime against humanity. Genocide is happening right now and the world must not look away,” Yesufu, who is one of the iconic faces of the #EndSARS protest, said.
Additional information from CNN
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
President Bola Tinubu on Saturday confirmed the killing of a senior ISIS leader, Mr Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, in an overnight operation carried out by the United States and Nigeria.
President Donald Trump had earlier announced the elimination of the notorious terrorist via a post on his Truth Social.
Later, in a statement today, Mr Tinubu praised the action, describing it as “a significant example of effective collaboration in the fight against terrorism.”
“Our determined Nigerian Armed Forces, working closely with the Armed Forces of the United States, conducted a daring joint operation that dealt a heavy blow to the ranks of the Islamic State,” he said in the statement.
According to him, early assessments confirm the elimination of the wanted IS senior leader, Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, also known as Abu-Mainok, along with several of his lieutenants, during a strike on his compound in the Lake Chad Basin.
He commended the partnership between Nigeria and America in waging war against terrorists, thanking his US counterpart “for his leadership and unwavering support in this effort.”
“I commend the personnel involved on both sides for their professionalism and courage, and I look forward to more decisive strikes against all terrorist enclaves across the nation,” the Nigerian leader added.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria is set to strengthen its defence architecture by deploying artificial intelligence-powered surveillance systems and advanced anti-drone technology as part of efforts to modernise the country’s military capabilities, according to the Minister of Defence, Mr Christopher Musa.
He disclosed this during a high-level visit to Monaco, where he led a Nigerian delegation to conclude discussions on the multi-domain Hybrid Intelligence Shield (HIS) project.
According to Mr Musa, the initiative is designed to enhance border security, protect urban centres and improve the country’s response to emerging security threats.
The project is expected to introduce AI-driven surveillance systems capable of identifying threats rapidly through smart algorithms, while anti-drone technology will be deployed to intercept and neutralise unmanned aerial threats.
The government also plans to establish national and regional command-and-control centres to improve real-time coordination and response to security incidents across the country.
Mr Musa said the initiative would place strong emphasis on technology transfer and local capacity development through the establishment of a military Centre of Excellence in Nigeria.
He added that the federal government would leverage partnerships with international firms, including Marss UK Ltd, while simultaneously building indigenous capabilities to address insurgency, illegal mining, piracy and other security threats.
Nigeria has continued to battle multiple security challenges in recent years, including insurgency in the North-East, banditry and kidnappings in the North-West, farmer-herder clashes in the North-Central region, crude oil theft in the Niger Delta and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.
Nigeria is stepping up its defence as the border region of Nigeria, Benin and Niger on the southern edge of the Sahel region is becoming a new stronghold for jihadists, as militants turn forests and pastoral networks in West Africa into bases for recruitment and international attacks.
Attacks in Nigeria have also risen, with data from the website of the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED), a conflict-monitoring group, affirming that the number of suicide bombings in Nigeria by March already matched the annual average over the past six years.
The Nigerian military has also been dealt a blow to its military bases and senior figures targeted. In April, Brigadier-General Oseni Omoh Braimah was killed when Islamist fighters attacked a base in Borno State.
To also meet the defence goal, Nigeria is stepping up efforts to build domestic arms-manufacturing capacity.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria and Morocco are set to sign a major intergovernmental agreement later this year to push forward the long-delayed Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline project, a multi-billion-dollar energy corridor expected to reshape gas trade across West Africa and Europe.
The agreement, expected to be signed in the fourth quarter of 2026 by President Bola Tinubu and King Mohammed VI of Morocco, follows the completion of preliminary technical studies for the ambitious project, according to officials from both countries.
The pipeline, also known as the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline, is projected to stretch about 6,900 kilometres along offshore and onshore routes across West Africa, making it one of the largest gas infrastructure projects on the continent.
With an estimated cost of $25 billion, the pipeline is designed to transport up to 30 billion cubic metres of gas annually once completed.
Discussions on the project gained fresh momentum during a telephone conversation between Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and her Moroccan counterpart, Mr Nasser Bourita.
The project would not only strengthen energy cooperation between the two countries but also improve regional economic integration and expand Africa’s access to European energy markets.
According to Morocco’s hydrocarbons and mining agency, ONHYM, part of the gas supply will support Morocco’s domestic energy demand, while large export volumes will be directed to Europe.
The project, first proposed about a decade ago, is seen as a strategic alternative gas supply route amid rising global energy security concerns and Europe’s search for more diversified energy sources.
Beyond the pipeline, Nigeria and Morocco are also exploring broader economic partnerships, particularly in fertiliser production and distribution to support food security across Africa.
Both countries also agreed on the need to revive the Nigeria-Morocco Business Council to strengthen trade and investment relations under the African Continental Free Trade Area framework.
Analysts noted that the project could significantly boost gas monetisation opportunities for Nigeria, expand regional infrastructure development, and deepen economic ties between West African nations and Europe if successfully executed.
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