September 2024

30 September 2024
BusinessDay
Plunder, squander and pillage (Continuation)
“The reason for the abductions varies by region, while Boko Haram splinter groups like ISWAP still operate, their focus has shifted. ISWAP’s territorial control allows for taxation, reducing reliance on mass abductions — the Abubakar Shekau faction, however, resorts to mass abductions for survival,” the report said…

States remain less prepared for health emergencies despite rising budget
States in Nigeria are less prepared for future infectious diseases and other emergencies even as health budgetary allocations are increasing, raising concerns about the country’s readiness for a possible health crisis…

Guardian Nigeria
Self-defence by communities, another pointer to state police
Some bold moves made recently by residents of some communities in some northern states to stop the incessant attacks on their community by terrorists and to rescue the victims are not only commendable, but they reinforce the trenchant call for state police in the efforts to stem the escalating insecurity in the country…

Nigerian Tribune
Kidnapping, rising underground industry in Nigeria
AS President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration completes 15 months of cold, bitter and unforgiving governance in office, it is worthy to note that kidnapping and abduction is gradually becoming a major issue in Nigeria, while the Nigerian public, security experts, and policy-makers are grappling with the continuous surge in kidnapping and abduction cases…

29 September 2024
BusinessDay
Loan apps surge 80% amid ₦7.5tn debt appetite
The number of approved digital lenders in the country has surged by 79.77 percent since April 2023, reflecting the rising credit appetite among Nigerians grappling with rising inflation that has weakened purchasing power and driven up costs…

Nigeria @ 64: Stunted growth belies large economy claim
As Nigeria marks its 64th year of independence from the British colonial rule, the mood across the nation is mixed. For many, it is a time to reflect on what the country has achieved over the decades and what it still struggles to accomplish…

27 Septembr 2024
ICIR Nigeria
If data mattered in Nigeria, Mattawalle would not have been Defence minister
Just three days after the former governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, assumed office in May 2019, eight people were killed and 18 others injured after bandits attacked the Lilo community, on the outskirts of Gusau, the state capital on Saturday, June 1, 2019…

24 September 2024
The Africa Report
Defence minister under fire for alleged sponsoring of bandits in Zamfara
Loyalists of Nigeria’s defence minister Bello Matawalle have fought back allegations by Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara that the minister is behind the wave of banditry ravaging the north-western state. Lawal, who came into office in May 2023, succeeded Matawalle, who served as the governor between 1999 and 2023…

Ripples Nigeria
Defence Minister Matawalle defends dialogue with bandits, slams accusers
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, on Tuesday, vehemently denied allegations of aiding banditry, challenging his accusers to provide evidence…

23 September 2024
Bloomberg
Dangote Says Time for Nigeria to End Fuel Subsidy, Boost Naira
Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote said the “time is right” for the West African nation to end a decades-long subsidy on fuel, as gasoline production at his mega refinery near Lagos helps to ease pressures on the country’s battered currency…

BusinessDay
Plunder, Squander and Pillage
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has blamed the current inflation in the country on the printing of trillions of naira during the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari “without productivity…

22 September 2024
BusinessDay
Lagdo Dam: Nigeria on high alert as flood threat intensifies
As Nigeria grapples with devastating flood disaster in Borno, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has issued a dire warning: approximately eleven states across the country are at risk of severe flooding due to the release of water from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon…

19 September 2024
Blueprint
End banditry in Northwest now
Recent media report that troops of Operation Hadarin Daji have neutralised a wanted bandits leader, Halilu Sububu, is a soothing relief for the people of the bandits ravaged North-west geo-political zone of Nigeria…

BusinessDay
Information revealed that my predecessor was fully involved in banditry – Zamfara governor alleges
Dauda Lawal, the governor of Zamfara, alleged that his predecessor, Bello Matawalle, who is the minister of state for defence, was fully involved in banditry during his tenure as governor of the state…

Modern Ghana
SB Morgen’s 2024 Election Preview for Ghana Lacks Credibility
SB Morgen’s recently released report on Ghana’s 2024 elections cannot be considered credible. The documents reveals significant methodological gaps that cast doubt on the accuracy and reliability of its findings…

18 September 2024
Adom Online
2024 election: Latest survey predicts NDC win in 11 regions, NPP’s dip in Ashanti
A recent survey by SBM Intelligence is projecting that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) will win in 11 regions in the 2024 election…

Joy News
2024 Presidential Elections: NDC to sweep eleven regions
A recent study is projecting the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to lead in 11 regions in the upcoming December 7 polls…

Election 2024: Northern Ghana will be the key battleground – Political Analyst
A political analyst, Dr Kwasi Amakye-Boateng has stated that the five northern regions will be key in determining the winner of the 2024 election…

NDC to win in 11 regions, NPP to suffer dip in Ashanti – SBM Intelligence projects
According to research conducted by SBM Intelligence, the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) share of votes in its stronghold, the Ashanti Region, is expected to decrease slightly…

17 September 2024
Africa Intelligence
Power struggle between governor and defence minister plays out in Zamfara State
Since 2023, attacks and kidnappings have multiplied in Zamfara in northwestern Nigeria. Efforts to rein in criminal gangs have been hampered by the bad blood between the governor and his predecessor…

BusinessDay
Fresh food crisis looms as flood sweeps Nigeria’s food zone
The recent devastating flood disaster that has submerged about 70 per cent of Maiduguri, capital of Borno state, may further pile pressure on Nigeria’s already strained food crisis. This is according to a report by SB Morgen, a Lagos-based data-driven intelligence, market and security firm on Tuesday, noting that like Nigeria, many African countries are grappling with severe flooding crises…

Channels
No Excuses, End Banditry, Killings, TY Danjuma Charges CDS Musa
Former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Gen Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma (retd), has charged military top brass led by the Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), Gen Christopher Musa, to end banditry and killings “as soon as possible”…

CNBC Africa
Dangote begins sale of petrol to NNPCL
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company says it will sell petrol bought from Dangote Refinery from the September uptake at 950 naira in Lagos and as high as 1,019 in Borno and some other states. Meanwhile, the naira-backed purchase is expected to roll out on the 1st of October. Ikemesit Effiong, a Partner at SBM Intelligence, joins CNBC Africa to unpacking these developments…

16 September 2024
New Telegraph
There Should Be No Negotiations With Bandits
The recent directive given by President Bola Tinubu to the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle and the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, ordering the military brass to relocate to the embattled North-West geo-political zone, seriously ravaged by the blood-letting activities of bandits, should be hailed as a decisive decision…

The Cable
Sanwo-Olu: Steadily entrenching a safer Lagos
Safety and security lie at the heart of the prosperity of any nation or state because significant development cannot exist without them. Lagos is Nigeria’s most important state, and like any other megalopolis, it has latent security challenges and threats that are, however, being addressed and mitigated because Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu anticipated and prepared adequately for them…

Thisday
Each Time You Sleep with Two Eyes Closed in Lagos, Thank Gov Babajide Sanwo-Olu
It is not an accident that governments the world over consider the security of life and property their number one responsibility. This is because in an atmosphere of insecurity, no meaningful development – social, political and economic – can take place…

14 September 2024
Vanguard
Edo Guber 2024: Election, Peace or war
Since it was established in 2014, the General Abdulsalami Abubakar-led National Peace Committee, NPC, has never had it as tough as now in getting political parties, candidates and other stakeholders to sign a peace accord before an election…

13 September 2024
Foundation For Investigative Journalism
5 Policemen, 3 Soldiers Ran Out of Ammo in Zamfara. They Were Killed by Bandits
At least eight security personnel, including five police officers and three soldiers, have been killed in Zamfara state after their ammunition ran out during a gun battle with bandits on the Tazame-Yandoto highway in Kotorkoshi District, Bungudu Local Government Area…

Tribune
Kidnapping, rising underground industry in Nigeria
As President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration completes 15 months of cold, bitter and unforgiving governance in office, it is worthy to note that kidnapping and abduction is gradually becoming a major issue in Nigeria, while the Nigerian public, security experts, and policy-makers are grappling with the continuous surge in kidnapping and abduction cases…

12 September 2024
Energy News
Nigeria: What impact will the Dangote refinery have on prices and production?
Dangote’s refinery, due to open in May 2023 at Lekki, near Lagos, aims to transform the Nigerian fuel market. With a production capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, the facility is expected to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on refined fuel imports…

Guardian Nigeria
Policing: Amid lean resources, FG spends ₦131b subsidising VIPs’ protection yearly
Beset by high inflation, insecurity, and a seemingly never-ending crisis in its petroleum sector, Nigeria appears to be biting more than it can chew yearly with the allocation of billions of naira in VIP (Very Important Persons) services…

Punch
Stop bullying Nigerians, Seadogs tells security agencies
The National Association of Seadogs (Pyrates Confraternity) has urged security agencies to cease bullying innocent Nigerians, criticising the infringement on fundamental human rights and the undermining of Nigeria’s democratic values…

The Cable
Cybersecurity expert makes case for multi-factor authentication to curb fraud
Zechariah Akinpelu, chief information security officer (CISO) at Unity Bank, says the adoption of multi-factor authentication is crucial in the fight against cyber fraud…

The Sun Nigeria
Nigeria’s worrisome insecurity
The recent report by the Observatory of Religious Freedom in Africa (ORFA) that no fewer than 55,910 Nigerians were killed, 21,000 abducted by terror groups operating in different parts of the country in the past four years is worrisome…

11 September 2024
AFP
Nigeria’s Dangote refinery caught between promise and reality
When will gasoline from Nigerian tycoon Aliko Dangote’s mega-refinery finally flood the home market? That’s the question Nigerians are asking as Africa’s most populous country battles chronic petrol shortages…

Channels TV
Petrol Price Hike: Nigeria On The Edge
Nigeria has been grappling with fuel scarcity amidst declining living standards for some time now. For decades, Nigerians have observed the fluctuating journey of fuel prices, spanning from a humble 6 kobo in 1973 to a staggering 617 naira per liter in 2023…

The Africa Report
Nigeria: South‑east region sees no progress in fight against insecurity
Analysts say a mutual distrust among the region’s governors is stalling solutions to Nigeria’s crisis in the east of the country…

10 September 2024
BusinessDay
iPhone 16 price equals 18 months of Nigeria’s minimum wage
A Nigerian minimum wage earner would need to save every penny of their salary for 18 months to afford the new iPhone 16. Unveiled on Monday, the iPhone 16 starts at $799 (₦1.26 million at ₦1,580.46/$) for the 128GB model, while the iPhone 16 Plus is priced at $899 (₦1.42 million). The iPhone 16 Pro costs $999 (₦1.58 million), and the iPhone 16 Pro Max is $1,199 (₦1.89 million)…

Sahara Reporters
Kidnapping, A Rising Underground Industry In Nigeria
As President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration spends 15 months of cold, bitter and unforgiving governance in office, it is worthy to note that abduction is gradually becoming a major issue in Nigeria, while the Nigerian public, security experts, and policy-makers are grappling with the continuous surge in kidnapping and abduction cases…

The Sun Nigeria
The looming collapse of S/East economy
It is three years since the commencement of the Monday sit-at-home in the five states of the South-East geopolitical zone. Undoubtedly, it has put intense pressure on the booming economy of the region…

9 September 2024
BusinessDay
Agric growth slows to 1.4% in Q2 on worsening insecurity
Nigeria’s agric growth slowed to 1.4 percent in the second quarter of 2024 on worsening insecurity and rising production costs, according to data from the GDP report…

Fields of fear: How insecurity robs Nigerians of daily bread
Insecurity has become one of Nigeria’s most significant obstacles to achieving food security, with its far-reaching effects on agricultural production, distribution, and the overall food supply chain…

News Central
Fitch Projects Ghana’s Inflation to Drop Significantly by 2024
Fitch Solutions forecasts a significant drop in Ghana’s inflation rate, projecting it will fall to 20.8% by the end of 2024, down from a peak of 54.1% in December 2022…

8 September 2024
Asaase Radio
Surge in Nigeria: 7,500 abducted, 1,056 killed in a year
Over the past year, 7,568 people were abducted in Nigeria, with kidnappers demanding the equivalent of over US$6 million in ransom, according to a new report by SBM Intelligence, a Nigerian consulting firm…

BusinessDay
Over ₦1bn ransom paid to kidnappers in one year as Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina lead in scourge
Kidnappers received the sum of ₦1.048 billion in ransom between July 2023 and June 2024 in Nigeria. They actually demanded a total of ₦10.99 billion in ransom, a new report by SBM Intelligence has claimed…

Kumasi City
Kidnappings Surge in Nigeria Amidst Economic Hardship and Corruption
A new report by SBM Intelligence has revealed a staggering increase in kidnapping incidents in Nigeria over the past year. The consulting firm found that 7,568 people were abducted, with kidnappers demanding ransom payments totaling over US$6 million…

7 September 2024
Arise News
Northern States Rank the Poorest in Nigeria, Which is Why Their Insecurity is Higher
There’s an established link between poverty and insecurity. Given Nigeria’s economic crisis, poorer states record the most insecurity…

News Central
Fuel Price Surge: How Nigeria’s Economy is Affected
In this video, we scrutinise the recent fuel price surge and its far-reaching effects on Nigeria’s economy. With petrol prices in Lagos soaring to ₦1,000 per litre and transportation costs skyrocketing, the daily lives of Nigerians are being significantly impacted…

6 September 2024
AIT
The Economics of Nigeria’s Kidnap Industry
In this eye-opening interview, Ifeyinwa Antoinette Onyekwelu, a Security Analyst at SBM Intelligence, takes us into the disturbing world of Nigeria’s kidnap industry…

More Branches
Suspected Boko Haram Attack Kills Over 100 Villagers in Northeastern Nigeria
Northeastern Nigeria’s ongoing conflict with Boko Haram militants claimed more than 100 lives in a deadly attack on a Yobe state village, residents said Wednesday. The extremists opened fire on a market, worshippers, and homes in the latest round of violence in Africa’s longest insurgency…

Punch
How to beat cyber criminals
In an era where digital banking is becoming the norm, financial institutions and consumers alike face the growing threat of fraud. The Nigerian banking sector, which has seen rapid digital transformation, is also witnessing an alarming rise in fraud-related incidents…

The Radar
Women deliberately targeted for baby-making factories in Nigeria, report on kidnapping says
Recent research from SB Morgen has revealed that between July 2023 and June 2024, no fewer than 7,568 people were abducted in 1,130 incidents of kidnapping across the country, adding that women are more frequently targeted than men…

World News Group
Violent attackers continue to plague Nigeria
Late in August, armed assailants targeted two villages in Nigeria’s north-central Benue state, killing six Christians. In a now familiar pattern, the attackers, suspected to be herdsmen, also set several houses on fire…

5 September 2024
BBC
Le Burkina Faso aura-t-il sa propre centrale nucléaire ?
Les chefs militaires du Burkina Faso ont fait quelques pas en avant dans leur projet de collaboration avec la Russie pour la construction d’une centrale nucléaire afin d’augmenter l’approvisionnement en électricité.

Lagos Talks 91.3
Early Edition: An interview with Confidence MacHarry
In this episode, Oluwakayode and Confidence MacHarry discuss the rising cost of insecurity. Tune in for an insightful conversation on the growing impact of security challenges and their economic consequences…

4 September 2024
AFP
Fuel scarcities, price hike deepen Nigerian frustrations
After sleeping overnight in a line of cars waiting for fuel, Nigerian taxi driver Oluwashina Ilesanmi had to calculate how much a sudden petrol price increase cut into his earnings. For the former Lagos accountant, the hike in gasoline costs of at least 40 percent meant the sums no longer added up: his profits will all but disappear…

AP
Boko Haram militants on motorcycles attacked a Nigerian village, killing over 100, residents say
At least 100 villagers were killed in northeastern Nigeria when suspected Boko Haram Islamic extremists opened fire on a market, on worshippers and in people’s homes, residents said Wednesday, the latest killings in Africa’s longest struggle with militancy…

Development Diaries
Kidnapping: IGP Should Prevent Misuse of Tracking Platform
Recent report of the misuse of the real-time tracking platform, initially designed to combat kidnapping, suggests a critical failure in maintaining the integrity and purpose of intelligence-led policing in Nigeria…

Firstpost
Nigeria’s State-run Oil Firm NNPC Faces Financial Strain Over Costly Fuel Imports
Nigeria, one of the world’s largest oil producers, is running out of fuel. Nigerians in major cities have been queuing up for hours at fuel stations amid the scarcity. In the latest, Nigeria’s state-run oil company the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has acknowledged that a financial strain has been hampering its supplies…

News Central
Tinubu Orders Defence Minister, Chiefs to Relocate to Sokoto as Kidnapping Crisis Worsens
President Bola Tinubu has directed the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, alongside military chiefs, to relocate to Sokoto State in a decisive move to combat the rising terrorism and kidnapping in the North-west region…

The Radar
Recent research shows surge in kidnappings as 1,056 lose lives
In a recent study by SB Morgen, 2024 has seen a rise in the fatal nature of kidnappings, with 1,056 people losing their lives in 1,130 reported cases. This statistic translates to an average of one death per kidnapping attempt…

3 September 2024
AFP
Lagos grapples with failure of Nigeria’s hardship protests
Four years ago, Lagos was the epicentre of the largest anti-government demonstrations in Nigeria’s modern history when youths protested against police brutality…

Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project
Surge in Nigeria: 7,500 Abducted, 1,056 Killed in a Year
Over the past year, 7,568 people were abducted in Nigeria, with kidnappers demanding the equivalent of over US$6 million in ransom, according to a new report by SBM Intelligence, a Nigerian consulting firm…

Premium Times
Transition minerals promise Nigeria big money. But one may be gone already
Formerly a tin miner, 31-year-old Jugu Samuel is now a salesperson in an electronics shop on the outskirts of Barkin Ladi, a town near Jos, the capital of Plateau State in central Nigeria…

The Sun Nigeria
Food insecurity and protection of northern farmers
The recent deployment of troops to protect farmers in the North-West and North-Central regions by the Defence Headquarters is understandably meant to enable farmers have access to their farms and boost harvest and tackle food insecurity…

2 September 2024
Arise News
1,056 Nigerians Killed, ₦10.9bn Ransom Demanded by Suspected Kidnappers in One Year
At least 1,056 Nigerians were killed in kidnap-related cases while their abductors demanded ₦10.9 billion between July 2023 and June 2024, a new report by SB Morgen (SBM) Intelligence has revealed…

BusinessDay
Top 7 states with the highest number of kidnappings in Nigeria
Nigeria’s security environment has become increasingly complicated, as armed groups and unofficial entities take advantage of the state’s diminishing authority…

PM News
The protests, the bruises, and lessons unlearned
The End Bad Governance and Hunger protests by Nigerians seem to have come and gone, at least for now. In disaggregating the protests, what are most prominent are the bad and the ugly…

Punch
ICYMI: 161 Nigerian students fail UK border checks, denied entry
No fewer than 1,425 international students who gained admission to universities in the United Kingdom were denied entry at the country’s airports between 2021 and 2023. A total of 161 Nigerians were affected, as they were removed on arrival at airports across the UK…

ThisDay
1,056 Nigerians Killed, ₦10.9bn Ransom Demanded by Suspected Kidnappers in One Year
At least 1,056 Nigerians were killed in kidnap-related cases while their abductors demanded ₦10.9 billion between July 2023 and June 2024, a new report by SB Morgen (SBM) Intelligence has revealed…

Vanguard
Insecurity: HURIWA blasts Tinubu, military chiefs over lack of strategy
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) on Monday criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the current military leadership for what it described as a complete failure to implement a winning strategy in the fight against terrorism and banditry…

The Whistler
Terrorists Warn Yobe Community Against Giving Security Agencies Information – Police
In what the Police have described as indicating the success of its community policing model, terrorists invaded a village in Yobe State to warn them not to give information to the Police and other security agencies…

1 September 2024
Leadership
Violence Against Traditional Rulers
The recent brutal murder of Alhaji Isa Muhammad Bawa, the Sarkin Gobir of Gatawa in Sokoto State, has heightened the security apprehensions of Nigerians…

Nairametrics
South East leads with ₦419.2 million in kidnap ransom payments from July 2023 to June 2024, highest nationwide
The South East geopolitical zone recorded the highest ransom payments nationwide between July 2023 and June 2024, with a staggering ₦419.2 million paid, representing 65% of the total N645 million demanded…

Premium Times
Insecurity: Tinubu directs defence minister, military chiefs to move to Sokoto – Official
President Bola Tinubu has ordered his minister of state for defence, Bello Matawalle, and the military chiefs to relocate to Sokoto State as part of efforts to rid the state and the entire north-west of rampant terrorism, an official has announced…

Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina lead as over 7,000 Nigerians are abducted in one year
At least 7,568 people were abducted in the last year and ₦1 billion was paid as ransom during the period, according to a report by SBM Intelligence, a market intelligence, security analysis and strategic consulting firm…

Punch
FG treating serial kidnapping with kid gloves — Retired generals
Retired military officers have condemned the rising spate of kidnappings and killings in the country, saying adequate punishments have not been meted out to the rampaging kidnappers…