Nigeria rolls out locally made armoured carriers as army ramps up defence capabilities

 

The Nigerian Army has taken delivery of a new batch of armoured personnel carriers, combining locally manufactured platforms with foreign-supplied vehicles, in a move that underscores the country’s growing ambitions in defence production and its continued reliance on international partnerships.

More than half a dozen Vanquisher light armoured personnel carriers, produced by the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria in collaboration with Vanquish Industries Limited, were delivered alongside dozens of Dagger APCs from French defence firm Arquus.

According to Defence Web, a total of 15 Vanquisher vehicles were formally handed over on March 4, marking what military officials described as a key milestone in Nigeria’s drive toward self-reliance in military hardware.

Built on a modified Toyota Land Cruiser platform and equipped with mounted weapon systems, the vehicles are tailored for Nigeria’s operational terrain, particularly in counter-insurgency missions.

Speaking at the handover, Major General Bamidele Alabi, Chief of Policy and Plans (Army), emphasized that indigenous defence innovation remains critical to achieving combat readiness and operational superiority.

He noted that locally developed platforms such as the Vanquisher are designed to address Nigeria’s unique security challenges while strengthening rapid response capabilities.

Nigeria’s investment in domestic defence manufacturing comes at a time when the country is battling persistent security threats, including insurgency in the northeast and banditry in other regions.

By expanding local production capacity, authorities aim to reduce reliance on imports, cut costs, and retain capital within the economy.

At the same time, the acquisition of Dagger APCs from France highlights Abuja’s pragmatic approach, combining homegrown innovation with international support to quickly scale its military capabilities.

The 4×4 Dagger weighs 5.5 tonnes and is designed for mobility in urban and complex environments. Powered by a 170 hp diesel engine, it can reach speeds of up to 110 km/h with a range of 800 km.

It carries two crew members and six troops, and can be fitted with either a pintle-mounted or remotely operated 7.62 mm machine gun. Over 1,200 units have been produced for countries including France, Chile, Romania, and Togo

Director-General of DICON, Major General BI Alaya, credited President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for supporting the expansion of Nigeria’s military-industrial base, describing the development as central to national sovereignty and long-term security.

Analysts say Nigeria’s dual-track strategy which involves building local manufacturing while maintaining foreign defence ties, positions it as an emerging player in Africa’s defence industry.

If sustained, this approach could not only strengthen national security but also open opportunities for Nigeria to supply military hardware to other African nations facing similar threats.

By Solomon Ekanem, Business Insider Africa

US drones deployed to Nigeria alongside troops for intelligence, training

The U.S. military has multiple MQ-9 drones operating in Nigeria alongside 200 troops to provide training and intelligence support to the military, which is fighting Islamist militants across the north, U.S. and Nigerian officials told Reuters.

The troops are not integrated within Nigerian units on the frontline and the drones are collecting intelligence and not carrying out airstrikes, officials from the two countries said.

However, the U.S. deployment, which follows U.S. airstrikes targeting militants in northwest Nigeria in late 2025, shows the U.S. getting back involved in tackling Islamic State and al Qaeda-linked insurgencies that are spreading across West Africa.

The U.S. military previously had a $100 million drone base in neighbouring Niger with about 1,000 troops monitoring militants across the Sahel region, but that was closed in 2024 after the Niger junta requested their departure, part of a broader rejection of western military support by countries in the Sahel region.

An assault by suicide bombers on a northeastern Nigerian garrison town this week showed how a 17-year insurgency there can still strike urban centres.

Meanwhile, militants have stepped up their attacks in the northwest, near the border with Benin and Niger, where a long-running banditry crisis risks mutating into another operating zone for Islamists.

A U.S. defence official said the drones had been deployed alongside troops at the request of the Nigerians to collect intelligence. “We see this as a shared security threat,” the official said.

Major General Samaila Uba, director of defence information at Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters, confirmed that the U.S. was operating assets from Bauchi airfield in the northeast.

“This support builds on the newly established U.S.-Nigeria intelligence fusion cell, which continues to deliver actionable intelligence to our field commanders,” he told Reuters. “Our U.S. partners remain in a strictly non-combat role, enabling operations led by Nigerian authorities.”


‘IDENTIFY, TRACK AND RESPOND’

Uba said the timeline for the U.S. deployment in Nigeria would be determined in agreement by both sides.

MQ-9 drones, which are sometimes known as Reaper drones and can loiter at high altitude for more than 27 hours, can be used for both intelligence gathering and airstrikes.

Neither Uba nor the U.S. official would comment on specific cases where U.S. intelligence had led to the Nigerians targeting militants, but Uba said that U.S. forces were helping Nigeria “identify, track and respond to terrorist threats”.

Late last year, Reuters reported that aircraft based in Ghana had been conducting intelligence gathering flights for the U.S. military over Nigeria.

MILITANTS REMAIN A PERSISTENT THREAT

The United States – which has had a long partnership with Nigeria’s military, providing training and selling weapons – said it carried out airstrikes in the northwest on Christmas Day to stop the targeting of Christians in the region.

Nigeria’s government and experts on the conflict have rejected claims of a concerted anti-Christian campaign, saying it oversimplifies a complex crisis.

It was not immediately clear who carried out the March 16 attack on the garrison town.

Uba said it was still being investigated, adding that both Boko Haram militants and ISWAP, an Islamic State-allied faction, remain a persistent threat, adapting their tactics over time.

“We continue to assess that these organisations will seek opportunistic targets and may attempt to demonstrate relevance through high-visibility attacks,” he said.

By David Lewis, Reuters

Nigerian army says 80 militants killed

Nigerian soldiers killed at least 80 suspected militants near a military base in the northeastern Borno state, the country's army said on Wednesday.

Backed by air support, the Nigerian military said it repelled a coordinated overnight assault by insurgents of an unclear affiliation near the Niger border.
Attack comes on heels of suicide bombings

Wednesday's attack follows escalating jihadi violence in the conflict-battered state by Boko Haram and its rival offshoot Islamic State West Africa Province. Earlier this week, three suspected suicide bombings killed at least 23 people and wounded more than 100 others in Borno's capital, Maiduguri.

While no group claimed responsibility for the bombings in the city of around 1.2 million people, officials' suspicion fell on Boko Haram. The jihadi group launched an insurgency 17 years ago in northeastern Nigeria with a radical interpretation of Sharia law.

On Wednesday, Nigerian army spokesman Sani Uba described the military's attack as an "offensive-defensive" ​response.

Authorities added that "no fewer than 80 terrorists" were killed, including "high-profile" commanders.

International media have not been able to independently verify these claims.

Since its insurgency in 2009, Boko Haram has killed more than 40,000 and displaced around 2 million people, according to figures by the United Nations.

By Sean Sinico, DW

Nigeria strengthens security after Maiduguri bombings

Nigeria is on high alert after suicide bombings in Maiduguri killed at least 23 people and injured more than 100 on Monday evening. Authorities have deployed additional troops, with Boko Haram insurgents suspected to have carried out the attack, though no group has claimed responsibility.

CGTN Africa

Related story: Nigeria suicide attacks kill 23, wound more than 100

Nigerian Muslims look to Ramadan for peace after US strikes target militants in Sokoto

As Ramadan begins in Nigeria's northern Sokoto State, residents in this largely peaceful area express hope that the holy month will bring calm and reconciliation following recent US airstrikes targeting suspected Islamist militant hideouts. Authorities said the strikes precisely targeted enclave threats, but locals emphasize community stability and pray for de-escalation amid broader regional security concerns.

CGTN Africa

US deploys 100 soldiers to Nigeria as attacks by armed groups surge

The United States has sent 100 military personnel to northern Nigeria to train and advise local forces, as deadly threats rise from armed groups such as Boko Haram and ISIL (ISIS)-linked factions.

Samaila Uba, Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters spokesman, confirmed the US troops’ arrival in the northeastern area of Bauchi on Monday.

He said they will provide “technical support” and “intelligence sharing” to help target and defeat “terrorist organisations”. The US also sent “associated equipment” to support the mission.

Uba stressed that the US soldiers will not play a direct combat role, but will share technical expertise under the full command authority of Nigerian forces.

“The armed forces of Nigeria remain fully committed to degrading and defeating terrorist organisations that threaten the country’s sovereignty, national security, and the safety of its citizens,” said the military spokesman in comments carried by Nigeria’s Premium Times newspaper.

Last weekend, gunmen on motorcycles rampaged through three villages in northern Nigeria, killing at least 46 people and abducting many others. The bloodiest attack happened in the village of Konkoso, in Niger State, where at least 38 people were shot dead or had their throats slit.
Protracted fight

The US deployment follows an easing of tensions that flared between Washington and Nigeria late last year, when US President Donald Trump accused the country of failing to stop killings against Christians and threatened to intervene militarily.

The Nigerian government has rejected Trump’s accusation, and analysts say people across all faiths, not just Christians, are victims of armed groups’ violence

In December, US forces launched air strikes on ISIL-affiliated fighters in the country’s northwest. Last month, following discussions with Nigerian authorities in Abuja, the head of US Africa Command confirmed that a small team of US military officers were in Nigeria, focused on intelligence support.

Nigeria is facing a protracted fight with dozens of local armed groups increasingly battling for turf, including the homegrown Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, the ISIL affiliate in West Africa Province (ISWAP).

There is also the ISIL-linked Lakurawa, as well as other “bandit” groups that specialise in kidnapping for ransom and illegal mining.

Recently, the crisis worsened to include other fighters from the neighbouring Sahel region, including the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, which claimed its first attack on Nigerian soil last year.

Several thousand people in Nigeria have been killed, according to data from the United Nations.

While Christians have been among those targeted, analysts and residents say the majority of victims of the armed groups are Muslims in the Muslim-dominated north, where most attacks occur.

Nigeria’s 240 million people are evenly split between Christians, mainly in the south, ‌and Muslims, mostly in the north.

Al Jazeera

Related story: US announces military team sent to Nigeria after recent attacks

Trump Says There Could Be More US Strikes In Nigeria

US announces military team sent to Nigeria after recent attacks

The U.S. has dispatched a small team of military officers to Nigeria, the general in charge of U.S. Africa Command told reporters in a briefing on Tuesday.

General Dagvin R.M. Anderson said the move followed his meeting with Nigeria’s president, Bola Tinubu, in Rome late last year.

“That has led to increased collaboration between our nations, to include a small U.S. team that brings some unique capabilities from the United States in order to augment what Nigeria has been doing for several years,” Anderson said.

It is unclear when the team arrived in Nigeria.

The military officers are the latest step since the U.S launched airstrikes against a group affiliated with the Islamic State last year on Dec. 25.

Nigeria has been in the diplomatic crosshairs of the U.S. following threats by U.S. President Donald Trump to attack the country, alleging the West African nation is not doing enough to protect its Christian citizens. Following the allegations, the West African country was designated as a Country of Particular Concern, a congressional designation in the U.S. for countries responsible for religious oppression.

The Nigerian government firmly rejected the claim of Christian genocide, saying the armed groups target people regardless of their faith.

The diplomatic dispute has led to increased military cooperation between the two countries. The terms of the cooperation have been unclear. The U.S has supplied Nigeria with military equipment and carried out reconnaissance missions across Nigeria.

Nigeria has been battling several armed groups across the country. The groups include Islamist sects like Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province.

Last month, an armed group launched simultaneous attacks on three churches in northwestern Kaduna state abducting 168 people.

AP

Related story: US to step up coordination with Nigeria to pursue Islamic State group militants

US to step up coordination with Nigeria to pursue Islamic State group militants

The US military is increasing materiel deliveries and intelligence sharing with Nigeria, Africom's deputy commander said, as part of a broader American push to work with African militaries to go after Islamic State group-linked militants.

The Pentagon has also kept open lines of communication with militaries in the junta-led Sahel countries of Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali, Lieutenant General John Brennan said.

The increased cooperation with Abuja follows Washington's diplomatic pressure on Nigeria over jihadist violence in the country, but also as the US military is becoming "more aggressive" in pursuing IS group-linked targets on the continent.

Under the Trump administration, "we've gotten a lot more aggressive and (are) working with partners to target, kinetically, the threats, mainly ISIS," Brennan said in an interview on the sidelines of a US-Nigeria security meeting in the Nigerian capital last week.

"From Somalia to Nigeria, the problem set is connected. So we're trying to take it apart and then provide partners with the information they need," he added.

"It's been about more enabling partners and then providing them equipment and capabilities with less restrictions so that they can be more successful."

Last week's inaugural US-Nigeria Joint Working Group meeting came roughly a month after the US announced surprise Christmas Day strikes on IS group-linked targets in northwest Nigeria.

Diplomatic clash

Though both militaries seem keen on increased cooperation after the joint strikes, hanging over it all is diplomatic pressure by Washington over what Trump claims is the mass killing of Christians in Nigeria.

Abuja and independent analysts reject that framing of Nigeria's myriad, overlapping conflicts, which has long been used by the US religious right.

Charged politics were on display at the Joint Working Group meeting in Abuja, where Allison Hooker, the number three at the State Department, pushed the Nigerian government "to protect Christians" in a speech that did not mention Muslim victims of armed groups.

Africa's most populous country is roughly evenly split between a mostly Muslim north and mostly Christian south. Though millions live peacefully side by side, religious and ethnic identity remains a sensitive topic in a country that has seen sectarian violence throughout its history.

Brennan said that US intelligence would not be limited to protecting Christians.

He also said that following the US strikes in northwestern Sokoto state, American support going forward would focus on intelligence sharing to aid Nigerian air strikes there, as well as the northeast, where a jihadist insurgency by Boko Haram and rival breakaway ISWAP has raged since 2009.

Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) is "our most concerning group", he said.

Analysts have been tracking US intelligence flights over the country in recent months, though some have questioned whether air support alone can push back armed groups that thrive amid widespread poverty and state collapse in rural areas.

'Still collaborate' with AES militaries

US-Nigerian cooperation going forward will involve "the whole gamut of intel sharing, sharing... tactics, techniques, and procedures, as well as enabling them to procure more equipment," Brennan said.

The initial strikes targeted militants linked to the Islamic State Sahel Province group, typically active in neighbouring Niger, Brennan said.

Analysts have voiced concerns about ISSP's spread from the Sahel into coastal west African countries like Nigeria.

The impact of those strikes so far has been unclear, however, with local and international journalists unable to confirm militant casualties.

Asked about their effectiveness, Nigerian information minister Mohammed Idris said last week it was "still a work in progress".

In the Sahel more widely, Brennan said "we still collaborate" with the junta-led governments in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, which have broken away from their west African neighbours and largely shunned the West.

Security cooperation has been curtailed since coups toppled civilian governments across the three countries from 2020 to 2023.

"We have actually shared information with some of them to attack key terrorist targets," he said. "We still talk to our military partners across the Sahelian states, even though it's not official."

Brennan also said the US is not seeking to replace its bases in Niger after its troops were pushed out by the ruling junta.

"We're not in the market to create a drone base anywhere," he said, referencing the shuttered US drone operations in Agadez.

"We are much more focused on getting capability to the right place at the right time and then leaving. We don't seek long-term basing in any of the western African countries."

France 24

Nigerian troops free 62 hostages, kill two militants in northwest operations

MADUGURI, Nigeria, Jan 21 - Nigerian troops have rescued 62 hostages and killed two militants in separate operations across Kebbi and Zamfara states as part of an ongoing offensive against armed groups in the northwest, the army said on Wednesday.

The northwest has been hit by a surge in mass kidnappings carried out by armed gangs operating from forest hideouts. These groups have attacked villages, schools and places of worship, including the January 18 abduction of more than 160 worshippers from two churches in Kaduna.

Army spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Olaniyi Osoba said troops stormed a known bandit hideout in Zamfara after receiving reports that captives were being held there.

The army said all 62 hostages were rescued and are in safe custody, with efforts underway to reunite them with their families.

In a separate operation, troops ambushed Lakurawa militants near the border between Kebbi’s Augie district and neighbouring Sokoto after receiving intelligence on the group’s movements, Osoba said.

Nigeria has come under scrutiny from U.S. President Donald Trump, who accused the country of failing to protect Christians from Islamist militants operating in the northwest.

U.S. forces launched strikes against Islamic State targets in northwest Nigeria on Christmas Day. The Nigerian government denies any systematic persecution of Christians, saying it is targeting Islamist fighters and other armed groups that attack both Christian and Muslim civilians.

The army added that the operations form part of broader efforts to dismantle armed networks responsible for widespread kidnappings and insecurity across the region.

By Ahmed Kingimi, Reuters

Nigeria police deny reports of mass church abductions in north

Police in northern Nigeria say reports that worshippers were abducted on Sunday from churches in Kaduna state were false.

In a joint statement with local government officials on Monday, Kaduna state police commissioner Alhaji Muhammad Rabiu described the information as "mere falsehood which is being peddled by conflict entrepreneurs who want to cause chaos".

Earlier, a local official in Kurmin Wali had told the BBC that gunmen had kidnapped dozens of people attending different churches.

There has been a series of mass kidnapping in Nigeria, where both Christians and Muslims have been targeted. Gangs frequently carry out such attacks to get ransom payments.


But referring to Sunday's alleged abductions Kaduna's police commissioner challenged "anyone to list the names of the kidnapped victims and other particulars".

The chairman of Kajuru local government area, Dauda Madaki, said security forces were sent to Kurmin Wali after reports of an attack, but found "no evidence of the attack. I asked the village head, Mai Dan Zaria, and he said that there was no such attack."

Police also quoted the state's commissioner for internal security and home affairs saying religious leaders visited the area.

''They found out that what was pushed out to the public sphere was completely false,'' he reportedly said.

However, a community leader in Kurmin Wali, Ishaku Dan'azumi Sarkin, had earlier told the BBC that armed men attacked the area on Sunday and kidnapped 177 people from three churches.

He said 11 people escaped, several others were injured, and no deaths were reported.


In November, more than 300 students and teachers were seized from a Catholic school. They were later released in two successive groups. It was among a spate of kidnappings that made international headlines.

Nigeria is facing numerous security challenges - including kidnappings for ransom by criminal gangs, an Islamist insurgency in the north-east, separatist violence in the south-east, and a battle between herders and farmers in the centre over access to land and water.

Experts say corruption, poor intelligence sharing and underfunded local policing have hampered efforts to tackle the various crises.

Nigeria's defence minister resigned last month at the height of the kidnapping crisis, officially for health reasons, according to the president's office.

The US has recently become militarily involved in Nigeria - launching airstrikes on Christmas Day on two camps run by an Islamist militant group in north-western Nigeria.

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump warned of more strikes if Christians continued to be killed in the West African nation.

There are more than 250 ethnic groups in Nigeria, which is roughly divided into a mainly Muslim north, a largely Christian south, with intermingling in the middle - and the government says people of all faiths have been victims of attacks.

A Nigerian foreign ministry spokesman responded to Trump's warning by saying that Nigeria would continue to engage constructively with partners such as the US.

''Nigeria remains committed to protecting all citizens, Christians and Muslims alike, without discrimination,'' Alkasim Abdulkadir said.

By Makuochi Okafor, BBC

Nigeria boosts school security amid rising kidnapping threats

As students return for a new term, Nigeria is enhancing security at schools nationwide due to increasing threats of armed attacks and kidnappings for ransom, particularly in the north, where abductions and government-led rescues have become more frequent.

CGTN Africa

US tech billionaire Joe Lonsdale invests $11.8m in Nigerian drone firm to tackle Africa’s insecurity

US tech billionaire and Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale has led a $11.8 million investment round in Nigerian drone manufacturer Terra Industries, signalling growing international interest in Africa’s defence technology sector.

The funding round, announced on Monday, January 12, 2026, was led by Lonsdale’s venture firm 8VC, with Alex Moore, a defence-focused partner at 8VC and Palantir non-executive director, joining Terra’s board last year.

Founded in 2024 by Nathan Nwachuku, 22, and Maxwell Maduka, 24, the Abuja-based startup designs and manufactures long and mid-range drones, autonomous sentry towers, and uncrewed ground vehicles.

Terra provides security solutions for infrastructure assets across Africa valued at approximately $11 billion, including hydropower facilities in Nigeria and gold and lithium mining operations in Ghana.

“Africa is industrialising faster than any other region, with new mines, refineries and power plants emerging every month,” said Nwachuku.

“But none of that progress will matter if we don’t solve the continent’s greatest Achilles’ heel, which is insecurity and terrorism.”

The investment comes amid rising threats from extremist groups such as Islamic State and al-Qaeda, which are increasingly active across West Africa.

The Economic Community of West African States has declared a regional state of emergency in response to escalating insecurity.

Terra said the funds will be used to expand manufacturing capacity and accelerate its cross-border security and counter-terrorism operations.

The round also attracted global investors, including Valor Equity Partners, Lux Capital, SV Angel, Leblon Capital, Silent Ventures LLC, Nova Global, and angel investors such as Meyer Malka, managing partner at Ribbit Capital, known for backing fintech firms like Revolut and Credit Karma.

Terra Industries emphasises homegrown innovation, with the majority of its engineering team based in Africa, designing, building, and producing all systems on the continent.

The move positions the company at the intersection of African technological ingenuity and the urgent security demands facing the region.

By Segun Adeyemi, Business Insider Africa

Nigeria to use intel from US flights to aid strikes on Islamic State, government says

Nigeria, which is battling multiple armed groups, said last month that the US strikes were part of an exchange of intelligence and strategic coordination between the two nations.

The Nigerian air force will reportedly take the lead from the US after Washington's strikes against militants of the so-called Islamic State (IS) group in northwest Nigeria last month.

A Nigerian official told the AFP news agency on Tuesday that the country's fighter jets woulds use intelligence gathered from US reconnaissance flights to aid their own air strikes as part of a new security arrangement with Washington.

However, Nigeria remains open to further US strikes like the ones on Christmas Day, according to the official.

US President Donald Trump announced on 26 December that the US had carried out "powerful and deadly" strikes against IS gunmen in Nigeria's Sokoto state.

Trump said that "terrorist scum" targeted in the strikes were "viciously targeting and killing mostly innocent Christians". The number of casualties is unclear, although Nigerian and US officials said that militants were killed in the strikes.

Nigeria, which is battling multiple armed groups, said last month that the US strikes were part of an exchange of intelligence and strategic coordination between the two nations.

Despite Trump's comments about Christian victims of violence, Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar said the attacks had "nothing to do with a particular religion."

This echoed comments by Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who said that security challenges affect people "irrespective of religions and regions."

Residents and security analysts have said Nigeria's security crisis affects both Christians, who are predominant in the south, and Muslims, who are the majority in the north.

The armed groups operating in Nigeria include at least two organisations linked to IS: the Islamic State of West Africa — an offshoot of Boko Haram that operates mainly in the northeast — and the lesser-known Islamic State's Shahel Province (ISSP) — known locally as Lakurawa — with a strong presence in the northwest.

Jihadist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West Africa have wreaked havoc in northeastern Nigeria for more than a decade, killing thousands of people, yet most of them were Muslims, according to ACLED, a group that analyses political violence.

In November, Trump ordered the Pentagon to begin planning for potential military action in Nigeria to try and curb what he called Christian persecution.

The US president previously designated Nigeria a "country of particular concern" due to the "existential threat" it poses to its Christian population.

This designation allows for US sanctions against countries "engaged in serious violations of religious freedom."

EuroNews

Video - Nigerians react to surprise US strikes on militants

Many Nigerians have welcomed the US-Nigeria strikes on militants as a boost to long-running counterterrorism efforts, even as concerns persist over possible collateral damage.

CGTN Africa

Nigeria boosts security as 130 kidnap victims freed

The governor of Nigeria's Niger state held a ceremony on Monday to welcome back 130 kidnapped children and teachers released after a month in captivity.

Their kidnapping from a Catholic boarding school in Niger state's Papiri community was one of the worst mass abductions in Nigeria’s history. No one has claimed responsibility but local residents blame armed groups looking for ransoms.

School kidnappings have come to define insecurity in Africa’s most populous country. Now authorities say they are stepping security.

"We are implementing immediate short-term protective measures in high-risk areas, while concurrently working with state governments, traditional and religious leaders, to develop lasting community-based security solutions for education," Adamu Laka, a national coordinator with Nigeria's Counter-Terrorism Centre, said on Monday.

"It must not be a casualty to violence. We will continue to pursue policies and operations to restore confidence, reopen schools safely, and ensure that the right of every Nigerian child to learn in safety is upheld."

Officials ducked questions about whether ransoms were paid to secure their release.

"I don't think it's very fair to the system, to the government for you to ask whether money was used or not. Most important thing we have gotten these people back unhurt," Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umar Bago told reporters on Monday. "The other one is for us, not for you. So, I think the most important is that we have recovered missing children, and how we did it, we know it.”

Most of the kidnapped children were aged between 10 and 17, their school said. They’re scheduled to be reunited with their families before Christmas.

AP

Nigeria secures largest-ever military aircraft acquisition in West Africa with 24 M-346FA jets

Nigeria is advancing a major military modernisation initiative with a landmark procurement of 24 Italian-built M‑346FA fighter jets from Italian aerospace and defence firm Leonardo S.p.A., marking the largest single military aircraft acquisition in West African history.

The deal, valued at approximately €1.2 billion, includes long-term maintenance and support provisions through Leonardo and represents a strategic deepening of defence ties between Nigeria and the Italian manufacturer.

Business Inside Africa in an earlier publication, reported that Nigeria's cabinet approved a borrowing plan of $618 million from a consortium of financiers to purchase six Italian-made M-346 attack jets along with ammunition for the country's air force.

The first six jets are currently under production in Italy, with three expected to be delivered by early 2025 and full deliveries continuing through mid-2026.

This acquisition, alongside additional purchases of helicopters and support systems, is central to Nigeria’s effort to modernise and expand the Nigerian Air Force’s operational reach.

The timing of the procurement coincides with Nigeria’s persistent internal security crises. The country continues to grapple with a decade-long jihadist insurgency in the Northeast, widespread banditry in the Northwest, and complex communal violence across the Middle Belt.

These overlapping threats have strained governmental resources, displaced communities, and eroded investor confidence across West Africa.

The enhanced air combat, surveillance, and precision-strike capability offered by the M‑346FA fleet is designed to strengthen Abuja’s response to these entrenched security challenges.

Regional dynamics and Benin incursion

This military build-up is unfolding against a backdrop of increasingly volatile regional politics. Nigerian forces recently intervened in a coup attempt in neighbouring Benin, where mutinying soldiers briefly seized key installations in Cotonou.

Deployed at the request of Benin’s government, Nigerian air and ground units helped neutralise the threat and restore constitutional order, reinforcing the nation’s role as a security guarantor in West Africa.

The intervention, authorised by Nigeria’s Senate, highlights the country’s willingness to project force beyond its borders as coups and democratic backsliding spread across the Sahel and coastal West Africa.

Within this context, Nigeria’s shift towards sourcing military hardware from Italy reflects a broader recalibration of its defence procurement strategy.

Italian defence firms offer modern and reliable aircraft, armoured vehicles, and naval systems that are often more cost-effective than those of traditional suppliers.

The move also signals an effort to diversify away from heavy reliance on U.S., Russian, or Chinese equipment, reduce procurement delays, and deepen ties with European partners that provide technology transfer and long-term maintenance support.

As Nigeria inducts its new air combat platforms, the coming year is likely to be decisive for both its internal security posture and its standing as a leading regional security power.

By Soloman Ekanem, Business Insider Africa

Video - President Tinubu approves delegation for US security talks

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu approved a delegation in late November to meet with the United States on security cooperation and intelligence sharing. The talks follow US criticisms over alleged attacks on Christians in Nigeria, which the government has denied.

CGTN Africa

Security fears grow as bomb threat targets Nigerian lawmakers

The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Internal Security, Garba Muhammad, on Tuesday, disclosed that the group received a bomb threat from a terrorist group.

He noted that the terrorists threatened to bomb the building of NASS, and as a result, called for increased security.

Speaking at an open session on a bill to set up the Legislative Security Directorate, the Chairman of NASS, as seen on Vanguard, claimed that the seat of Nigeria's democracy was increasingly facing serious security challenges, such as car and motorcycle theft, vandalism, fake identity cards, and infiltration by unregistered visitors.

What the National Assembly said

“We have received threats from terrorists to bomb the National Assembly complex and threats from protesters to lock up the National Assembly,” he stated.

“Legislators are exposed to threats from constituents and others who gain easy access into their offices without any formal appointment,” he added.

Continuing on the subject of safeguarding government officials, including senators, House of Representatives members, and other administrative workers, he stated, “It is obvious that with the ongoing security challenges, if proper measures are not taken, it will truncate the legislative activities in the National Assembly.”

He also noted that “If activities are thwarted, there will be no representation, no oversight, no annual budget, no plenary at all, and that will destabilise legislative procedure, democracy, and the stability of the system, and our nation at large.”

The legislator also called on state Houses of Assembly within the nation to follow suit to guarantee complete and extensive security across Nigeria.

“I also want to admonish our State Houses of Assembly to imbibe the same,” Muhammad added, wishing participants a “peaceful and fruitful hearing that will ultimately bring a turnaround in National Assembly security architecture.”

He pointed out that adopting the law would be a significant step in securing Nigeria's democratic institutions and urged everyone to be in support of it.

By Chinedu Okafor, Business Insider Africa

Nigerian army repels drone-backed insurgent attacks

Extremist insurgents launched simultaneous attacks in four districts of Northeastern Nigeria using armed drones and heavy firepower and torched a military barracks before being repelled by troops, a Nigerian army spokesperson said on Thursday.

Extremists carried out the attacks between midnight and 0300 GMT on three troop positions in Borno State and another in neighboring Yobe State.

“Some troops were wounded in action but are in stable condition. Vehicles and buildings were gutted by fire from the terrorists’ armed drones and RPG (rocket propelled grenades) fire, especially in Mafa and Dikwa where the defenses were momentarily breached,” said Sani Uba, spokesperson for the Nigerian military’s counterinsurgency operation.

Nigerian troops killed 50 of the attackers and recovered ammunition, he added.

Nigeria has grappled for over 15 years with the insurgency, which has led to the death of tens of thousands and displaced more than 2 million people, humanitarian aid groups say.

Two security sources said the insurgents had tried to cut off reinforcements to troops but were forced to retreat after the military brought in fighter jets.

Four soldiers were killed and five wounded this month during an insurgent attack in Borno.

Insurgents have launched at least 333 attacks in Northeast Nigeria this year, compared to 375 in 2024, data compiled by conflict monitoring group ACLED showed.

The insurgency is part of widespread insecurity that continues to plague Africa’s most populous country, which is also dealing with attacks by armed gangs in the Northwest and deadly farmer-herder clashes in the central belt.

Alaribya English

Video - Nigeria targets Boko Haram, 17 militants killed and dozens arrested in raids

Nigerian forces killed 17 militants and arrested 85 in anti-terror raids across Borno and Adamawa states. The operations also rescued 10 abductees and targeted Boko Haram informants, suppliers, and collaborators. The ongoing insurgency has killed over 40,000 and displaced 2 million people since the crisis began.

CGTN Africa