The Osun State Police Command, in a bid to reinforce security across the state, has launched an enforcement exercise across the state against vehicles and motorcycles operating with covered, obscured, defaced, concealed, unauthorised, or unregistered number plates.

The operation, the Command said was in response to a directive given by the Inspector-General of Police to enhance public safety and to prevent criminals from exploiting anonymity to carry out unlawful activities.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, in a statement on Tuesday in Osogbo, said the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Ibrahim Gotan, had ordered that all Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers and officers on the field, should impound offending vehicles and carry out detailed investigations in accordance with extant laws.

“The exercise is targeted at enhancing security, improving public safety and denying criminal elements the anonymity that is often exploited in the commission of crimes,” the statement read.

Police said the enforcement would also target vehicles with fake, improperly issued, altered or other unauthorized registration number plates warning that such violations would not be tolerated.

“The command has therefore directed the motorist, transport operators, fleet owners and members of the public to ensure that all their vehicles are duly registered with valid registration number plates that are clearly visible at all times,” the statement added.

The statement added that the operation was not aimed at inconveniencing law-abiding citizens, but to enhance the capability of law enforcement agencies in identifying vehicles, investigating crimes and tracking down criminal suspects across the state.

“This exercise is not designed to harass law abiding residents but to improve the capability of law enforcement agencies to identify vehicles, investigate crimes, track criminal suspects and boost the overall security architecture of Osun State,” the police said.

The Command re-affirmed its commitment to the protection of lives and property and urged residents to adhere to the directive, providing credible and timely information to security agencies.

It said the officers deployed for the enforcement exercise had been directed to conduct themselves professionally, courteously and strictly within the ambit of the law.

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The Zamfara State Police Command has stepped up its fight against public disturbance and reckless riding of motorcycles with the arrest of 21 suspects and recovery of 20 motorcycles in a joint operation in Gusau Local Government Area.

The operation was launched following persistent complaints by residents of Birnin Ruwa, Tullukawa and Yar Gada communities on the activities of youths popularly known as “Arlet Boys” who were accused of carrying out dangerous motorcycle stunts and other disruptive acts that threatened public peace and safety.

The Command said the raids were carried out on June 7, 2026 about 7.30p.m on identified criminal hideouts and black spots in the affected communities. Police operatives arrested 21 suspects and also recovered 20 motorcycles believed to have been used in the alleged disturbances.

Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Yazid Abubakar, confirmed the development and told journalists during a press briefing that the suspects were undergoing screening and investigation.

“The operation will continue to rid the affected communities of criminal elements and ensure safety of lives and property,” he said.

Abubakar further said that anyone found culpable after the investigation would be prosecuted according to the law.

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The Deputy Commissioner of Operations, Delta State, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, has cautioned Nigerians against mounting pressure on the police and other security agencies to pardon or release suspected criminals.

Such interventions were shameful and could undermine the fight against crime in the country, said Adejobi, a former Nigeria Police Force spokesperson.

He said this in a post on his official 𝕏 handle on Monday adding that whoever asks for a criminal to escape justice should also be considered criminal.

Adejobi said he would not entertain appeals from persons seeking the release or pardon of persons accused of crime.

He said his stand on crime and criminality was firm and that any attempt to influence security agencies in favour of suspected criminals would not work.

“I always maintain my principles and position on fighting crime and criminality. Don’t waste your time writing to me begging for a criminal. “It’s a disgrace and it’s not going to end well,” he wrote.

The senior police officer also warned that those who pressure law enforcement agencies to turn a blind eye to criminal acts were part of the problem.

Also, anyone begging and putting pressure on the police and security agencies to release or pardon a criminal or to overlook a crime is also a criminal,” he added.

He also urged the country’s security architecture and the citizenry to remain resolute in the fight against crimes and social vices.

He says criminality can be combatted with firmness from law enforcement agencies and members of the public.

“No ifs, ands, or buts. We need to stand firm, be resolute to curbing crimes and vices in our society, collectively,” he said.

Adejobi insisted that no one should be above the law, and alleged criminals should be left to face the law without interference.

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The Oyo State Police Command has accused a personal assistant to a member of the family of former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, of conspiracy with the abductors of the sister of the ex-minister and her twin sons.

This was contained in a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Ayanlade, during an interview with Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday.

The victims, Mrs Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul and her 12-year-old twin sons, Peter and Paul, were seized on June 3 along Elewura, Ring Road, Ibadan, while she was taking them to school.

In a coordinated police operation, they were later rescued and two suspected kidnappers were killed while some accomplices were arrested.

Ayanlade said the rescue operation was carried out on the directive of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun and was coordinated by the Oyo State Commissioner of Police in collaboration with operatives of the Force Intelligence Department’s Intelligence Response Team.

He said one of the suspects popularly known as Ololu, had been on the command’s watch list before his arrest.

One of the perpetrators popularly known as Ololu by name has been on the command watch list. Operatives continued to follow him until he was arrested Thursday.

He said another suspect, identified as Dare, popularly called Solution, was arrested in Ibadan following Ololu’s arrest and interrogation.

‘Personal Assistant’s Insider Knowledge’
In May, one of the suspects allegedly approached a personal assistant associated with the family for information about the plot to kidnap them, the police spokesman said.

He mentioned the aide, Shehu.

“One of those picked was the one that was with the family who happened to be a personal assistant by name Shehu,” Ayanlade said.

“Daddy approached him first to give them inside information of how the family lives, their lifestyle, their routine and all of that.

The suspects had profiled the victims’ movements and had originally planned to abduct the mother of the family, he said.

The kidnappers later changed their plan after they found out that a driver usually took the children to school, Ayanlade said.

Eventually the gang hit on the day Mrs John-Paul drove the children herself, he said.

“Our first plan was to abduct the mother,” Ayanlade told the BBC. But they realized it was the driver who normally takes them to school and changed their mind to go for the kids.

Too bad for them. That day it was the mother who took them to school, and they got to work.

The police spokesman said the victims were traced to a hideout at Ayegbule, Ibadan on June 6 around 7.30pm.

“One of the gang members, who was identified as Kelechi, allegedly travelled from Lagos to participate in the operation and opened fire on police operatives.”

“The operatives returned fire and neutralised him and another suspect who was providing cover fire,’’ Ayanlade said.

“They opened fire on the operatives. Then the operatives professionally and with tactical precision neutralised him and the second who was also there to give a covering fire for him,” he said.

“They recovered weapons and rescued the victims unscathed,” he said.

Asked whether the kidnapping was politically motivated or for ransom, Ayanlade said: “The investigation is still on-going.

Police would not prejudge the outcome of the investigation, he said.

“I don’t want to get ahead of the investigation,” he said. The investigation is ongoing. The suspects have been taken into custody by police. They are under investigation.

“We still tracking the rest of them that got away. “We knew that four of them were in the vehicle on the day this incident happened. “But these were six in number who did this.”

The police spokesman said the command would get to the root of the matter and arrest all those involved in the abduction

“Whoever is sponsoring them, whoever is responsible, whatever connections they have, whoever is involved in this, they all will be arrested and they will face the full wrath of the law,” he said.

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Many parts of Nigeria still suffer insecurity, bandit attacks and kidnappings. The Senate has said it will fast-track work on the constitutional amendments needed to create state police.

The disclosure came from the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Yemi Adaramodu, speaking on the plans of the National Assembly to make the country’s security system stronger.

“The Senate is ready to initiate the constitutional processes for the establishment of the state police and will give the process urgent attention,” he said.

He said lawmakers are resolute to complete the legal framework needed for state policing as soon as possible to enhance security and tackle criminal activities across the country.

The development comes as many Nigerians are sounding the alarm over the rising cases of kidnapping, banditry and violent attacks in different states.

There are also rising calls for the decentralization of policing powers, with greater roles for state governments in tackling security challenges across their territories.

“The lawmakers are ready to fast-track legislative action on the matter as part of their efforts to support the Federal Government in tackling the country’s security challenges,” Adaramodu said.

“The Senate stands ready to immediately begin the constitutional processes for the establishment of state police.

“We will ensure that the necessary legislative action is taken to establish state police to keep Nigerians safe and secure and drive out bandits and other criminals. “The legislature is ready to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Nigerians to confront the country’s security challenges.”

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The Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, has condemned an alleged armed attack on its personnel by a motorist identified as an operative of the Department of State Services, DSS, during a routine traffic enforcement operation in Abuja.

The agency, in a statement, said the incident occurred on Thursday, May 21, 2026 at about 3:20 p.m around the RS7.118 Idu Unit Command in Abuja when a Toyota Carina driver was allegedly flagged down by an FRSC patrol team over a suspected traffic offence.

“The driver was said to have refused to obey lawful directives to stop but continued driving recklessly until he was eventually trapped in traffic near the command,” the Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Shehu Mohammed, said.

The situation degenerated when the officers allegedly approached the driver to conduct routine checks on the vehicle and driver’s documents, FRSC officials said.

The agency said the suspect became hostile, verbal abusive and resisted the enforcement process.

The Corps said that the suspect allegedly advanced toward officers before pulling out a pistol and firing two gunshots in the vicinity of the command, despite efforts by personnel to de-escalate the situation professionally.

“In the face of imminent danger to lives and property, the FRSC personnel demonstrated remarkable restraint, professionalism and tactical discipline to quickly disarm the assailant without loss of life. “One Marshal received minor bruises in the process,” the statement said.

The suspect was promptly arrested and handed over to officers at the Nigeria Police Force station in Life Camp with the firearm, ammunition components and the vehicle used in the incident.

“The preliminary findings later revealed that the suspect was a personnel of the DSS and the matter was transferred to the appropriate state command for further investigation,” the FRSC said.

Reacting to the development, the Corps Marshal commended the conduct of FRSC personnel during the incident, noting that they showed restraint and professionalism despite provocation and tension at the scene.

He said no one is above the law, regardless of their position or security agency.

“No one, regardless of their title, standing or affiliation to an agency, is above the law. Security personnel are expected to lead by example by adhering to the laid down traffic rules and respecting constituted authority,” the statement added.

The FRSC boss also warned against the abuse of firearms and official influence on law enforcement officers carrying out legitimate duties.

“Neither firearms nor official status should be used to intimidate law enforcement officers performing legitimate duties,” he said.

The Corps also called for more cooperation and mutual respect between security agencies in the interest of public safety and national security.

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President Bola Tinubu has congratulated the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on the bust of a Nigerian-Mexican drug syndicate and dismantling of a multi-million-dollar drug network.

Tinubu described the operation as a major milestone in Nigeria’s fight against organised crime, narcotics trafficking and trans-border criminal networks.

The President’s position was contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga.

It was gathered that the Chairman of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (retd.), made the disclosure on Wednesday after weeks of intelligence gathering and coordinated operations.

The operation was carried out by NDLEA operatives and international security partners.

The agency said the operation resulted in the arrest of some foreign nationals, local kingpins and several collaborators.

During the exercise, more than $360m worth of chemicals and illicit drugs were also seized.

Tinubu said the successful operation was a demonstration of the professionalism, courage and commitment of NDLEA officers engaged in the mission.

The President lauded the operatives for their resilience, but warned them not to relax in the fight against drug trafficking.

“I commend the bravery, resilience and dedication shown by NDLEA operatives throughout this mission.

“I tell them not to be complacent in the face of the menace of drug trafficking,” the President said.

Tinubu said the operation had sent a strong message that Nigeria would not allow drug barons and organized criminal groups to operate freely within its territory.

The President also sounded the alarm that West Africa has been increasingly becoming a major transit route for illicit drugs.

He said drug barons were using the region to export cocaine, synthetic narcotics and unregulated pharmaceutical products to Europe and North America.

He said: “West Africa has emerged as a major concern in the global fight against narcotics, with drug barons using our region as a transit point for cocaine, synthetic drugs and unregulated pharmaceuticals.

The development had “serious implications for the security of the nation and the region,” Tinubu said.

Drug trafficking networks, he said, often fuel organised crime, corruption and violence across borders.

‘Drugs Threaten Youths Future’
Tinubu also warned that illegal drugs posed serious threats to young people across the region.

He said many youths had been victims of addiction and criminal exploitation as a result of the activities of drug trafficking networks.

“Drugs are not only a serious security threat for our region, but they are also a serious threat to the future of our youth, some of whom have become victims of the trade,” said the President.

The fight against narcotics must therefore be seen not only as a security operation but also as a national duty to protect the future generation, he added.

He urged Nigerians to support security agencies by being vigilant and reporting suspicious activities in their communities.

He said the fight against illicit drugs should not be left for the NDLEA alone.

“I urge all Nigerians to view the war against illicit drugs as not the NDLEA’s alone.

“Everyone has a part to play. “We should be vigilant and report any suspicious activities immediately,” he said.

“Timely information from citizens can help expose criminal operations and illegal trafficking networks across the country,” said the President.

Tinubu said the NDLEA’s latest success showed that Nigeria’s security agencies were determined to confront organised crime and enforce the law.

Those involved in crime that threats public safety would be put to justice, he said.

“This landmark success sends a strong message that our security agencies will not tolerate organised crime and criminality anywhere in the country and those who threaten public safety will face the law,” Tinubu said.

The President pledged that his administration would continue to support the NDLEA and other security agencies in their efforts to curb drug trafficking, safeguard communities and enhance national security.

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Activist Omoyele Sowore has charged the Nigeria Police Force to stop acting as a private army to wealthy and famous citizens.

This was as Sowore called on the judiciary to stop making outrageous rulings on internet speech.

He made this post on X, in reaction to singer Adekunle Gold’s attack on former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2012.

The singer had penned: “Dear God, if you give us Dagrin back, we will give you Jonathan back. Lol.” ”

Sowore questioned how a singer who benefited from freedom of expression would turn around to use the police, court and the cybercrime framework against ordinary Nigerians.

He wrote “This was @AdekunleGold in 2012 criticizing then President @GoodluckJonathan openly. At the time it was rightly called free speech, and if he had been arrested for those tweets, we would have been on the streets demanding his immediate release.

Then how does a person who has benefited from freedom of expression turn around years later to use the police, courts and the brutal cybercrime framework against ordinary Nigerians over online banter and social media exchanges?

“You can’t enjoy free speech when you’re powerless and criminalize it the moment you become influential.

“Freedom of expression must be for all, whether it is celebrities, politicians, activists, or poor young Nigerians on social media.

“The Nigeria Police Force @PoliceNG need to stop acting as a private army for the rich and famous and the judiciary need to stop giving outrageous punishment over internet speech that should never be criminal matters in the first place.

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Suspected bandits attacked a Police Mobile Force camp in the early hours of the day at Tenebo community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, killing three officers and injuring two others.

According to the report, the incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday, May 2, 2026, when the attackers stormed the camp around 3 a.m. The armed men came unexpectedly and took the officers on duty unawares and opened fire on them, reports said. The attack spread panic in the community as residents woke up to the sound of gunshots and many fled their homes for safety.

The attackers appeared to be organised and completed the operation quickly before fleeing the scene. The injured officers were left behind and the bodies of the dead officers were recovered after the attack.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Ejide Tohun said: “The command is aware of the attack and is working to gather full details which will be shared later.

This incident is one in a string of violent incidents in parts of Kwara State recently. Earlier in the week, two farmers were killed and two women abducted when armed men attacked a farming community in Ifelodun Local Government Area. The victims were said to have been farming when the attackers struck.

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Because an arms shipment was stopped last week, a market is open somewhere in Nigeria today. A bandit kingpin is in court, so the village is quieter. This Monday morning, a child in the Southeast went to school for the first time in years without being afraid. These things didn’t just happen; they were planned, information was gathered, and actions were taken by an agency that most Nigerians don’t think about very often, unless they have a reason to.

The Department of State Services doesn’t hold press conferences to talk about its successes. When a terror cell is broken up or a truck carrying 164,000 rounds of live ammunition is stopped before it gets to its destination, it doesn’t get a lot of attention on social media. Its agents don’t take bows when a fugitive is finally caught after 13 long years. Or when a financier who paid for massacres from the comfort of a UAE business has his accounts frozen. That’s how the job is. The best security is when you can’t see it, like a wall that you only notice when it has a crack.

But being invisible has a price. When Nigerians don’t see the results, they can’t judge it fairly. And when the only stories that come out are the ones that cause trouble, like the arrests, the political cases, and the headlines that make people suspicious, the whole picture is lost. This piece is an attempt to bring that picture back. The DSS has been following a plan for the last 18 months that is quietly, methodically, and eventually making Nigeria safer. Anyone who wants to can see the proof.

The DSS’s plan is based on a simple idea: if you take out the commanders, the chain of command falls apart. This has been shown most clearly in the North, where a number of high-profile arrests have taken out some of Nigeria’s most dangerous terrorist groups.

In August 2025, operatives caught Mahmud Muhammad Usman, the self-proclaimed Emir of Ansaru and one of Nigeria’s most wanted terrorists. His Chief of Staff, Mahmud al-Nigeri, was also caught.

Around the same time, DSS agents arrested Abubakar Abba, the leader of the Mahmuda group. This Boko Haram faction terrorized communities in Kwara and Kogi states and forced thousands of people to leave their homes. The US Embassy said that these operations were a big step forward in the fight against terrorism. Usman has been given a 15-year prison sentence for one of his many crimes, and the prosecution is still going on for other crimes. Three months later, Abdulazeez Obadaki, the Ansaru commander, was caught again after a 13-year search. He was accused of planning the 2012 massacre of worshippers at the Deeper Life Bible Church in Kogi State, near Okene.

The secret police have also shown that they can be creative and smart in their work. In May 2025, two kidnapping bosses who had been behind violent attacks along the Sokoto-Zamfara axis were found and arrested at Abuja and Sokoto Hajj camps while pilgrims were being screened before leaving. In Kaduna State, joint operations by the DSS and the Army in a single quarter led to 34 successes, the arrest of 54 suspects, the recovery of weapons ranging from RPGs to heavy machine guns, and the rescue of 79 kidnapped victims. In the FCT, a joint operation in September 2025 took out bandit leader Abdullahi Umar, also known as “Duna.” His gang had kidnapped a high-ranking civil servant and asked for ₦150 million in ransom. In Osun State, a 90-day undercover surveillance operation broke up an ISWAP cell that was in the middle of training to make explosives.

The Yelwata killings in Benue State and the Angwa Rukuba killings in Plateau State were two of the worst massacres in Nigeria’s recent history. They put the government’s promise to bring mass violence offenders to justice to the test. In both cases, the DSS helped the government pass the test.
On June 13, 2025, gunmen attacked the Yelwata community in Guma LGA of Benue State, killing at least 150 people and injuring 107 others. The attacks were condemned around the world. President Bola Tinubu went to Benue State to personally offer his condolences and tell security agencies to find the people responsible. The DSS acted quickly, as they needed to. The Inspector-General of Police said that 26 people had been arrested in 11 days. By August 2025, the DSS had brought six different terrorism cases against nine suspects to the Federal High Court in Abuja. Two other people were charged with attacks that were thought to be revenge. The prosecution is still going on, with the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation in charge. Courts are currently hearing evidence, and eight government witnesses are ready to testify.

The Angwa Rukuba case was similar in that the President made a promise and the DSS followed through. Gunmen killed more than 30 people, including children, in Jos North LGA of Plateau State on Palm Sunday, March 29, 2026. This made people all over the world angry. President Tinubu went to Jos and told the people there in person that those responsible for the killings would be punished. Following the President’s order, the suspects were taken into custody between April 3 and April 10, 2026. The Plateau State Government then charged five people who had been arrested by the DSS with criminal conspiracy to commit terrorism, culpable homicide, illegal possession of firearms, and illegal dealing in arms and ammunition. As the case got underway, courts had already ordered that they be held in DSS custody.

The two cases mentioned above are important for more than just the individual prosecutions. They show that the DSS listens and acts when the President speaks. It means that the people who attacked these communities will now have to face the law. These communities have lost so much that words alone can’t comfort them. This is a huge step forward for the criminal justice system in a country that has long been able to get away with mass killings.

Gunmen attacked St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, on June 5, 2022. More than 50 people were killed and many more were hurt. As I write this, the DSS is taking Idris Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar to the Federal High Court in Abuja because they are thought to be connected to the attack.
For almost four years, the sixth suspect, Sani Yusuf, was able to avoid arrest. He became one of Nigeria’s most wanted criminals. The DSS did, however, arrest him in the Iguosa community along Powerline in Ovia North LGA of Edo State in February.

The DSS is also working hard to convict Khalid Al Barnawi and four other people who are thought to have bombed the United Nations building in Abuja on August 26, 2011. This case is also in front of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

More than 20 people from different countries died in the attack, and more than 70 were hurt. People think that Al-Barnawi helped start Jama’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid Da’wah Wa’l-Jihad, the Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram. Along with Al-Barnawi, Mohammed Bashir Saleh, Umar Mohammed Bello (also known as Datti), Mohammed Salisu, and Yakubu Nuhu (also known as Bello Maishayi) are also charged.

To show how serious the Service was about the terrorism trial, the DSS, through its lawyer Alex Iziyon, SAN, asked for an accelerated trial because the Service was ready for it to end quickly.

It’s true that armed groups don’t just rely on ideology; they also need weapons, ammo, and supply networks. The DSS has been systematically going after those pipelines, and recent arrests show how advanced those networks are.

In January 2026, Zamfara police stopped Abubakar Umar, a well-known arms smuggler, with a large stash of weapons from Niger Republic. In May 2026, a joint operation on the Asaba-Onitsha expressway stopped a truck that was supposedly carrying more than 164,000 live cartridges to IPOB/ESN networks. These hauls, which go through motor parks, border routes, and highways, show that the DSS is getting into every part of the supply chain.

Operatives caught 25-year-old Nafisa Usman in April 2026 at a motor park in Kano. She was allegedly moving 200 rounds of ammunition from Lafia in Nasarawa State to Kankara in Katsina, which is known as a bandit corridor. Security sources said that she had helped with deals worth more than ₦5 million, using the Unguwa Uku motor park as a stopover for shipments going to Kankara forest. They stopped her before the package could get to its destination. Halima Haliru Umar also went to court for a similar case and pleaded guilty to illegally having 302 rounds of live ammunition that she had sent to a bandit leader. The DSS then arrested three more arms traffickers, who were sentenced to 10 years in prison by a Chief Magistrate Court in Taraba. They could not pay a fine.

The prosecution of Nnamdi Kanu, the head of the banned Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), has caused a lot of controversy in Nigeria in recent years. In November 2025, the Federal High Court in Abuja found him guilty of terrorism and sentenced him to life in prison. Several well-known Igbo leaders have been trying to get a political solution through the courts.

It’s important to point out that security has gotten a lot better in the Southeast states since Kanu was found guilty. The Monday sit-at-home orders, which violently closed schools, markets, banks, and gas stations every Monday since 2021, came to an end for good in February 2026. Kanu himself gave the order from inside his prison in Sokoto.

SBM Intelligence, Nigeria’s top geopolitical research firm, found that the weekly closures between 2021 and early 2025 cost the country more than ₦7.6 trillion. This money was taken away from one of Nigeria’s most commercially active areas for no reason. Every day of the week, markets in Onitsha, Aba, Nnewi, and other big commercial towns in the Southeast are open. Monday is now a school day. The Nigerian Army has officially said that the arrests of Kanu and Simon Ekpa, a Finnish citizen who was convicted of being an IPOB member, have made security better. They say that the criminal activities and operational abilities of groups linked to the ESN have dropped a lot.
A region that lost more than ₦7 trillion in business due to forced shutdowns is now slowly but surely getting back on its feet.

To break up terror networks, you need to do more than just arrest the foot soldiers. It means cutting off the money that keeps them alive. In April 2026, the Nigeria Sanctions Committee, which is led by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, released an updated list of 48 people and 12 businesses that are known to support terrorism. He then told everyone to freeze all accounts and assets that were connected to the case right away.
The list includes people from ISWAP, Boko Haram, Ansaru, and IPOB, as well as other groups that are a threat to Nigeria’s security. The ways of financing that were found are shocking: cryptocurrency and online fraud, handling ransom from the 2022 Abuja-Kaduna train attack, buying property in several states, and sending money through businesses in the UAE. One suspect recorded ₦61.4 billion in account deposits before sending tens of millions to terrorists who had already been found guilty. By designating and freezing these networks, we can stop the problem at its source by cutting off the money before it ever gets to the field.

Over the past few months, the picture of Nigeria’s security situation is slowly coming together. It shows that the country is starting to seriously punish everyone who chooses violence. Terrorist leaders who were once thought to be untouchable are now in court. People who used to be able to get away with stealing guns are now being stopped. People who paid for massacres from the shadows are having their bank accounts frozen. People in communities that saw their loved ones buried without justice are now watching suspects go to court.
If this strategic momentum keeps going and gets stronger, and the DSS keeps building up its intelligence capabilities, speeding up prosecutions, and improving coordination with the military, other security agencies, the judiciary, and international partners, then the path will lead to something that Nigerians have wanted for a long time but haven’t gotten.

For decades, Nigeria dealt with insecurity. But the DSS’s current plan shows that it is possible to end insecurity. That there is a future that is worth building on. The results of the last few months under Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi show that we can all work together to make Nigeria safe again!

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