Top 5 Stories Of The Day | Tinubu Withdraws Police From VIPs, Orders Redeployment to Communities

• Tinubu withdraws police from VIPs and orders redeployment to communities
• ISWAP abducts 13 teen farmers in Borno as nationwide kidnappings surge
• Bauchi shuts all schools due to the rise in kidnappings across the country
• Auditor-General flags ₦61bn irregularities in NNPCL accounts
• 50 kidnapped Niger pupils escape and reunite with their families

Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, these are the top five Nigerian news stories you shouldn’t miss.

Tinubu withdraws police from VIPs and orders redeployment to communities

President Bola Tinubu has directed the immediate withdrawal of police officers assigned to VIPs nationwide, ordering their redeployment to regular policing duties. The decision was taken during a security meeting at the State House, attended by top military and security chiefs.

According to presidential aide Bayo Onanuga, VIPs who still require protection must now request armed personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. The presidency said the move aims to increase police presence in underserved and remote communities.

Tinubu also approved the recruitment of 30,000 new police officers and the upgrading of training facilities, as part of efforts to strengthen national security.

ISWAP abducts 13 teen farmers in Borno as nationwide kidnappings surge

Thirteen teenage girls were seized by ISWAP fighters on their farmland in the Mussa area of Askira-Uba LGA, Borno State, according to the state’s Deputy Speaker, Abdullahi Askira. The victims, aged 15 to 20, were harvesting crops when they were taken.

The incident comes days after mass abductions in Kebbi and Niger States, as well as an attack on a Kwara church, deepening concern over rising insecurity. Nigerian authorities continue to dismiss claims of religious-targeted attacks, insisting the situation is more complex.

Askira noted that residents of nearby Huyim had earlier been relocated to Mussa over lingering security threats.

Bauchi shuts all schools due to the rise in kidnappings across the country

Bauchi State has ordered the immediate shutdown of all schools following a series of violent attacks and student kidnappings across the country. The closure affects every primary, secondary and tertiary institution, including federal and private schools.

In a statement issued on Sunday night, the Ministry of Education said the decision was difficult but necessary due to rising security threats. The government explained that the move aims to protect students, teachers and entire school communities from potential harm.

Authorities assured the public that safety remains the state’s top priority, stressing that children deserve to learn without fear.

Auditor-General flags ₦61bn irregularities in NNPCL accounts

New findings from the Auditor-General’s 2022 report have exposed 28 serious financial breaches involving the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited. The red flags cover questionable payments and undocumented spending amounting to about ₦61.1bn when foreign currency transactions are converted to naira.

The irregularities span the 2021 financial year and include weak controls, tax violations, abandoned projects and unauthorised fund transfers across NNPCL and its subsidiaries. The report has already been submitted to the National Assembly for action.

According to the Auditor-General’s office, missing documents and unapproved expenditures point to systemic flaws that continue to put public funds at risk, urging urgent recovery efforts and sanctions.

50 kidnapped Niger pupils escape and reunite with their families

The Christian Association of Nigeria in Niger State has confirmed that fifty children kidnapped from St Mary’s Private Catholic Schools in Papiri, Agwara LGA, have escaped from captivity. CAN chairman Bulus Dauwa Yohanna said the pupils slipped away between Friday and Saturday and quietly returned home.

School officials later traced the children after contacting their parents. CAN noted that 141 pupils were not taken during the raid, while 236 children, including staff members’ children and 12 employees, remain in captivity. The Catholic bishop urged continued prayers and support for the families still awaiting their loved ones.

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