REPORT Archives - Voice of Liberty NG

‘279 kidnapped across Nigeria in May’ – Report

June 22, 2026June 22, 2026 Aminu Imam

No fewer than 279 persons were kidnapped across Nigeria in May 2026, even as the country recorded 156 violent incidents that resulted in 842 deaths. The figure, contained in new data from Nextier’s Nigeria Violent Conflicts Database, according to a statement yesterday, indicate a rise in insecurity, with violent incidents “by 51.5%, casualties increasing by 90.1 percent, and kidnap victims climbing by 19.7% compared to May 2025”. The data comes amid growing concerns that Nigeria’s peacebuilding efforts are not yielding measurable results despite significant investments by governments and development partners.…

‘B’Haram, banditry, clashes driving poverty across the North’ – Report

June 20, 2026June 20, 2026 Aminu Imam

A new report has revealed that violent conflict across the northern part of the country is deepening poverty and weakening the ability of households to recover from economic shocks. The report, titled: ‘Insecurity, Livelihoods and Welfare in Northern Nigeria’, identified three major forms of insecurity affecting the region: Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgency in the North-East, farmer-herder conflicts in the North-Central, and banditry and kidnapping in the North-West. The findings were unveiled on Thursday in Abuja, during a high-level webinar convened by the ‘Chronic Poverty Advisory Network of the Institute of Development…

North-West IDP population jumps 22%, as insecurity forces 143,000 core from homes

June 4, 2026June 4, 2026 Aminu Imam

The number of internally-displaced persons (IDPs) in Nigeria’s North-West region rose sharply by 143,189 within six months, highlighting the worsening humanitarian impact of insecurity across the zone. Latest figures from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) indicate that the region’s displaced population increased from 650,345 in December 2025 to 793,534 in May 2026, representing a 22% rise. The data, contained in the UNHCR Nigeria Forcibly Displaced Populations Dashboard published in late May 2026, attributes the surge largely to escalating violence and displacement in Sokoto and Zamfara states. Compiled…

‘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…