Gunmen Kidnap Journalist, Her Daughter in Ogun State, South-West, Nigeria

The Nation newspaper reports that armed men have Kidnapped the Director of Information in Odogbolu Local Government Council of Ogun state, one Mrs Nofisat Oshin, and her daughter, Miss Afolabi Oshin.

Latest Militant Group – Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force Declares Support For Niger Delta Avengers, Issues Ultimatum

Daily Post reports that a fresh militant group, the newest kid on the block has emerged in Niger Delta. The new group goes by the moniker - the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force, JNDLF, and is threatening to begin launching six missiles in the region on June 7 in an operation it said would surprise Nigerians and the entire world.

Is The Proliferation of State Vigilantes, Security Task Forces in Nigeria Not Tantamount To State Police Through The Backdoor?

Introduction: The unprecedented security challenges in Nigeria – Boko Haram insurgency (albeit retiring), marauding herdsmen attacks, militancy, wanton incidents of kidnap for ransom and extortion, amongst others, has birthed a blossoming vigilantism industry or state security task forces as some states call them to fill the void created by overwhelmed and ineffective central government-controlled conventional security agencies. There’s a perennial debate in Nigeria whether or not to permit state control of police or ‘State Police’. For the sake of clarity, regional or State police is hereby defined as a kind of decentralized police service under the direct control of a regional or State government rather than under the direct control of the federal government as dictated by Section 214 of the Nigerian 1999 constitution. This essay argues that the trend in State Vigilante outfits portend we already have a semblance of ‘State Police’.

Scores Feared Dead as Niger Delta Militants Ambush Soldiers in Delta State

There are reports that two soldiers and six civilians have reportedly been killed on Wednesday’s night attack on soldiers’ houseboat around a creek close to Omadino/Idjere junction in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, Punch newspapers reports.

Rise In Militancy Continue As A New Group - New Delta Suicide Squad NDSS Emerges, Issues 7 Day Ultimatum To Oil Firms

Even as the Nigerian Government deploys troops to contain the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), it appears militancy in the region has become a trend as a new group: The New Delta Suicide Squad (NDSS) has reportedly bared its fangs.

Experts Worry Crashed EgyptAir MS804 Probably 'Downed By Laptop Bomb' Similar To One Deployed By Al-shabab Militants on Daallo Airlines Plane

There are heightened fears that EgyptAir Flight 804 was downed by a 'laptop bomb' device similar to one which blew a man out the side of a passenger jet - Daallo Airlines Flight 159 which Somali militant group - Al-shabab claimed responsibility for.

Gunmen Kidnap Another Lecturer in Cross River State, Demand N5 Million Ransom

Armed kidnappers, at the weekend, abducted a lecturer, one Dr. Walter Ibe of the Department of Computer Sciences, Federal College of Education, Obudu, Cross River State, South-South Nigeria, from his residence and whisked him to an unknown destination. Dr. Walter’s abduction comes three weeks after gunmen abducted a lecturer in the University of Calabar and collected ransom from his family before his release.

UPDATE: Democracy Day Bombing: Soldier, Four Others Killed As Powerful Explosion Hit Military Checkpoint in Biu, NE Nigeria

It has now been confiremed that the explosion from an improvied explosive device (IED) planted by near a military checkpoint at  Biu-Damboa road, outskirt of Borno State, killed a soldier and four civilians. A woman and her baby and two other male adults were amongst the dead. Preliminary investigation revealed that the IED was buried there a long time ago but remained undetected until a tricycle mistakenly stepped on it.

Military Declares War On Niger Delta Militants While Petroleum Minister Negotiates With Them. Mixed Signals?

Incensed by the increasing threat that militants in the Niger Delta poses to the Nigerian economy, the Nigerian Military declared war on them yesterday. But it appears the Nigerian government is sending mixed signals to this effect given earlier reports which credited to the Petroleum Minister and his Niger Delta counterpart saying the government will negotiate with the militants.

Herdsmen Killed 984 People in Benue State, Nigeria

New Telegraph Newspaper reports that in the last two years, between 2014 and 2016, the series of attacks carried out by suspected Fulani herdsmen on various communities in Benue State have claimed over 984 people. Also, 29,974 people have been displaced across the state, with properties worth over N40 billion lost to the attacks.

Countering Violent Extremism: Microsoft Joins the Fight Against Terrorism, Radicalization

Technology giant, Microsoft has finally joined the ranks of technology companies committed to tackling terrorism, violent extremism and radicalization online. 

Microsoft acknowledged that "terrorist content" has been posted to its consumer services, which include Xbox Live and Outlook webmail. 

"Terrorism is one of the truly urgent issues of our time," said Microsoft. "We are committed to doing our part to help address the use of technology to promote it or to recruit to its causes."

It's not exactly clear what Microsoft's anti terrorism strategy involves, but the company stressed that it would not censor results on its search engine Bing. 

Nigerian Government To Negotiate With Niger Delta Militants - Says Petroleum Minister

Daily Post newspaper reports that Nigeria's Minister of State for Petroluem, Dr Ibe Kachikwu is of the opinion that the Federal Government may resort to dialogue with the Niger Delta Militants in a bid to end the activities of militancy in the region.

27 Security, Safety Tips To Prevent, Survive A Kidnapping Incident

No doubt kidnapping for ransom and extortion (KRE) is a global problem. The gist is that this heinous crime has assumed dangerous dimensions in Nigeria. Kidnapping in Nigeria is vastly underreported. More often than not, it is the high profile victims of kidnapping - politicians, journalists amongst others in Nigeria that receive media attention and that of security agents. Nonagenarians, Statesmen, monarchs, clergies, even children are not spared by kidnappers in Nigeria. That two Catholic Reverend Sisters were recently kidnapped in Ondo State, South-West Nigeria and a ransom of N20 million was placed on them tells the abysmal level of moral decadence, desperation and growing level of insecurity in Nigeria. Just recently, it was in the news that Nigeria Police officers uncovered a kidnappers den in River State. At the risk of sounding alarmist, kidnappings in Nigeria will not subside anytime soon if the remote and immediate causes are not sorted.

Kidnappers on Rampage in Nigeria As Gunmen Kidnap Two Kogi Judiciary Workers And Two Ranking Kwara Politicians

Two staff of the Kogi State judiciary were on Thursday May 19, abducted by gunmen Suspected to be kidnappers and taken to an unknown destination.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that Mr Timothy Salihu of Upper Area Court, Lokoja and Mr Aliyu Okeme, a retired Inspector of Area Court were abducted at gun-point.

New Militant Group "Red Egbesu Water Lions" (REWL) Emerges in the Niger Delta, Make Demands, Threaten Showdown

Signaling a relapse to militancy in the Niger Delta, report indicates that in addition to the Niger Delta Avengers, a fresh militant group which goes by the moniker - "Red Egbesu Water Lions" - has emerged in the region. Recall that on Tuesday night, May 17, suspected militants, blew up the Sagbama-Tuomo gas line, belonging to Nigerian Agip Oil Company, NAOC, at Egbembiri, Southern Ijaw local government area of Bayelsa State .