REPORT Archives - Voice of Liberty NG

‘Nigeria records 2.2m kidnappings, ₦2.2tr ransom payments in 1yr’ – Report

May 26, 2026May 26, 2026 Aminu Imam

…As ₦65.9tr debt surge raise fresh concerns Nigeria is facing mounting concerns over worsening insecurity and rising public debt, with fresh figures suggesting a deepening strain on both the nation’s economy and social stability. A security expert, Prof. Aremu Oyesoji revealed that the country recorded about 2.2 million kidnapping incidents within a year, with ransom payments estimated at ₦2.2 trillion, describing the development as evidence of an expanding “ransom economy” fuelled by banditry, kidnapping syndicates and insurgent networks. Speaking during a public lecture organised by the Social Sciences Students’ Association…

‘Southwest Nigeria hosts Africa’s largest counterfeit economy’ – Report

May 15, 2026May 15, 2026 Aminu Imam

A new report by the DAWN Commission has identified Southwest Nigeria as the epicentre of Africa’s largest and most diversified counterfeit goods economy, warning that the crisis is costing lives, damaging industries, and discouraging investment. The report, titled: “Southwest Nigeria Under Siege: The Counterfeit Shadow Economy”, said fake drugs, adulterated beverages, toxic cosmetics, sub-standard auto parts, and counterfeit electronics are deeply embedded in major commercial markets across the region. It estimated that counterfeit goods account for about 40% of products in Nigeria, while the shadow economy represents 57.4% of GDP,…

‘Cost of cooking jollof rice in Nigeria hit ₦30,435 in Q1 2026’ – Report

May 8, 2026May 8, 2026 Aminu Imam

The average cost of preparing a pot of jollof rice for a family of five in Nigeria rose to ₦30,435 in the first quarter of 2026, marking a 19.4% increase in six months, according to a new report by SBM Intelligence yesterday. The report links the surge to rising fuel prices, transport disruptions, and global energy shocks triggered by conflict in the Middle-East, which pushed Brent crude above $110 per barrel and drove up domestic fuel costs. According to the report, petrol prices in major cities climbed above ₦1,300 per…

‘Tinubu adding ₦82bn to Nigeria’s debt every single day’ – Report

April 25, 2026April 25, 2026 Aminu Imam

Nigeria’s public debt profile has come under fresh scrutiny, following data suggesting that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is accumulating an average of about ₦82 billion in new debt daily, driven largely by a combination of external borrowings and financing arrangements secured within the first 114 days of 2026. The figures, compiled by Statisense from multiple datasets, including Policy and Advocacy Centre (PLAC), GOV.UK, the World Bank, and the African Development Bank (AfDB), indicate that Nigeria secured approximately ₦9.39 trillion in new foreign financing between January and April…

‘Nigeria ranks last globally in ‘Quality of Life 2026’ – Report

March 27, 2026March 27, 2026 Aminu Imam

…As income crisis deepens Nigeria has ranked last among 89 countries in the 2026 Quality of Life Index, as a separate report reveals that nearly 60 percent of citizens earn below ₦100,000 monthly, or have no income – highlighting worsening living conditions and deepening economic strain across the country. The ranking, published by Numbeo, placed Nigeria at the bottom of its global quality of life assessment, with an overall score of zero. The index evaluates living standards using metrics such as cost of living, purchasing power, safety, healthcare, pollution, and…

Nigeria ranks 4th in ‘Global Terrorism Index’ – Report

March 20, 2026March 20, 2026 Aminu Imam

…Borno attacks among deadliest Nigeria has emerged as one of the countries with the sharpest rise in terrorism-related fatalities worldwide, even as global figures show a significant decline in overall terror deaths. This troubling development is contained in the 2026 edition of the Global Terrorism Index (GTI), which paints a sobering picture of the security landscape in parts of Africa, particularly Nigeria. According to the report, Nigeria recorded the largest increase in terrorism fatalities in 2025, with deaths rising by 46 percent to a total of 750. The document attributes…

‘Petrol subsidy removal pushes 63% of Nigerians below poverty line’ — Report

March 14, 2026March 14, 2026 Aminu Imam

About 63 percent of Nigerians fell below the poverty line following the removal of petrol subsidy, according to a new study presented at a stakeholders’ dialogue organised by the Agora Policy in Abuja. The research, presented by a University of Abuja economist, found that the national poverty rate rose from about 49.8% to roughly 63% after the subsidy removal announced by President Bola Tinubu in May 2023. With the introduction of social protection measures such as cash transfers, the rate later moderated to about 56.2%. The study attributed the surge…

‘Farmer-herder bloodshed claim 3,000 lives, displace 300,000 in 5yrs’ – Report

March 5, 2026March 5, 2026 Aminu Imam

Farmer-herder clashes have claimed nearly 3,000 lives and displaced over 300,000 Nigerians between 2018 and 2023, according to data from the Nigerian Security Tracker (2024). Speaking in Abuja, Farouk Bala of the ‘Youth Against Disaster Initiative’ (YADI) referenced the 2024 Nigeria Watch Report, which recorded an additional 567 deaths linked to such violence across 20 states and the Federal Capital Territory within a single year. YADI is now urging the Federal Government to accelerate the adoption of structured ranching, describing it as both a national security solution and an economic…

‘Tinubu’s govt ‘paid ₦2bn to Boko Haram’ for release of Niger Catholic school students’ – Report

February 25, 2026February 25, 2026 Aminu Imam

Fresh controversy has trailed the December 2025 release of pupils and staff of St Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State, Nigeria, following a report alleging that the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu paid N2 billion to secure their freedom from Boko Haram insurgents. According to AFP, which cited multiple intelligence sources, the terrorists initially demanded $7 million, said to be N40 million per captive, in exchange for the release of about 230 pupils and staff abducted from the school in November 2025. While the exact figure allegedly paid…

‘4,654 killed, 3,141 kidnapped in Nigeria in one year’ – Report

February 13, 2026February 13, 2026 Aminu Imam

…Warns insecurity may worsen ahead of 2027 elections Violent conflicts across Nigeria claimed 4,654 lives in 2025, while 3,141 persons were kidnapped in 1,274 incidents nationwide, according to the Nigeria Violent Conflicts Database (NVCD) 2025 released by Nextier Advisory Ltd., which warned that insecurity may worsen without urgent reforms in intelligence, governance, and conflict prevention. The findings were unveiled in Abuja during the launch of the 2026 Nigeria Security and Conflict Outlook, themed: ‘When Capability Meets Resolve’, alongside a new predictive security platform designed to strengthen data-driven conflict response and…