The United States chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has moved to participate in a Congressional hearing examining allegations of Christian genocide in Nigeria. According to Nivo News, the party formally notified the United States House Subcommittee on Africa of its intention to testify as American lawmakers review former President Donald Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern.”....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The Subcommittee is scheduled to evaluate the decision on Thursday, November 20, 2025, prompting APC USA Chairman, Tai Balofin, to confirm that the group had written to Subcommittee Chairman, Chris Smith, seeking permission to join the session. He explained that the party was ready to send a high-profile delegation equipped with what it described as reliable intelligence and verified data on the country’s evolving security challenges.

In a statement issued in Abuja, Balofin stressed that international debate on Nigeria’s crisis often overlooks its intricate dynamics. He insisted that the security situation cannot be reduced to religious tensions, noting that factors such as banditry, resource-driven clashes, climate pressures and cross-border criminal networks all contribute to the violence.

Balofin added that the delegation was prepared to appear before Congress at any time, emphasising the need to present U.S. lawmakers with a balanced and factual assessment. He warned that oversimplified narratives could distort the broader reality facing millions of Nigerians.

He noted that the APC USA’s planned testimony would underscore what it believes are significant security achievements under President Bola Tinubu, including disruptions of terrorist networks, advances in community-driven early-warning systems and projects aimed at strengthening interfaith coexistence. He also referenced recent data showing a decline in attacks in several high-risk regions, citing figures from both Nigerian sources and independent international observers.

The group also intends to propose enhanced U.S.–Nigeria collaboration in areas such as security operations, intelligence exchange and humanitarian relief, arguing that these measures are crucial for safeguarding all religious communities while preserving diplomatic goodwill.

Balofin praised Chairman Chris Smith for his long-standing advocacy for global human rights and religious freedom, urging him to grant APC USA the opportunity to contribute to what he described as a fair and solution-focused discussion.

The latest development follows Nigeria’s criticism of the United States for leaving the country out of a United Nations event hosted by American rapper Nicki Minaj on reported killings targeting Nigerians of a specific faith.

According to Nivo News, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ekiti State, Dr. Wole Oluyede, has endorsed the party’s decision to expel former governor Ayodele Fayose, insisting that the former leader must be held accountable for actions that allegedly weakened the party over the past three years.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Speaking with journalists after a stakeholders’ meeting in Ado-Ekiti, the Australia-based medical practitioner maintained that the PDP would not permit Fayose to derail the political structure its leaders are working to strengthen ahead of the 2026 gubernatorial election. He reaffirmed that the party in Ekiti remains unified and more formidable despite what he described as Fayose’s persistent anti-party behaviour.

Oluyede urged the Tunji Odeyemi-led State Executive Committee to establish a reconciliation panel to engage aspirants who lost the primary election and other dissatisfied members, stressing that internal disagreements are normal in political organisations. He added that his focus is solely on securing the support of Ekiti people, which he believes the party is well positioned to achieve.

He noted that leadership comes with responsibility and cautioned that no leader should undermine the same people who once depended on them. While stating that Fayose would be welcomed back if he chooses to retrace his steps, Oluyede warned that the party would resist any attempts to destabilize its progress. “If he throws dirt at us, we will return it,” he declared, emphasizing that no one builds a house only to destroy it with a bulldozer.

Oluyede concluded that despite recent tensions, the PDP in Ekiti is steadily growing, united, and without factions.

According to Nivo News, the Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Hussaini Ismaila, a senior commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province, to 20 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to terrorism-related charges.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Justice Emeka Nwite delivered the verdict on Tuesday, marking a major turn in the case after Ismaila — also known as Mai Tangaran — reversed his plea from not guilty to guilty on four counts under the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act, 2013. Prosecutors accused him of coordinating a series of violent attacks on police formations in Kano State in 2012.

The assaults targeted multiple security installations, including the Police Headquarters in Bompai, the Mobile Police Base on Kabuga Road, the Pharm Centre Police Station, and the Angwa Uku Police Station, leaving several people injured. Ismaila was eventually arrested on August 31, 2017 in Tsamiyya Babba Village, Gezawa Local Government Area of Kano State.

The case experienced prolonged delays due to interlocutory appeals and a trial-within-trial evaluating the voluntariness of his statements. The Department of State Services presented five witnesses, including operatives and eyewitnesses, after which Ismaila opted to change his plea.

His lawyer, P. B. Onijah of the Legal Aid Council, urged the court to consider his client’s remorse and willingness to admit guilt to prevent further delays. Justice Nwite subsequently convicted him on all four counts, sentencing him to 15 years on the first count and 20 years each on the remaining three, with all sentences to run concurrently. The prison term is to be calculated from the date of his arrest in 2017. The court also ordered that he undergo rehabilitation and deradicalisation after serving his sentence.

Meanwhile, the court has fixed January 15, 2026 for the continuation of the trial of two alleged leaders of the Ansaru terrorist group, Mahmud Usman and Abubakar Abba. They are facing a 32-count charge filed by the DSS for offences spanning terrorism, kidnapping, illegal mining, terrorism financing, and arms procurement between 2015 and 2024.

Usman pleaded guilty to one economic-related count but denied the others. He had previously been handed a 15-year sentence for using illegal mining proceeds to finance terrorism and kidnapping. Abba maintained his not-guilty plea.

The charges claim the duo bombed the Wawa Military Cantonment in Niger State, underwent weapons and explosives training, kidnapped several security operatives—including a Customs officer and an Immigration officer who was later killed—and collected millions in ransom payments used to buy arms and train recruits in Mali and Sudan.

During Wednesday’s hearing, defence counsel B. I. Bakum requested that the accused be transferred to a correctional facility to ease trial preparations, but DSS counsel David Kaswe objected, citing procedural requirements. Justice Nwite ordered the defence to follow due process and adjourned the matter to January 15, 2026.