Here is a roundup of some Nigerian newspaper headlines with our advocacy calls for Thursday, 27 March, 2025.

1. ‘Lakurawa kills two Customs officers, one other in Kebbi State’ – Daily Trust

The Lakurawa group on Tuesday killed two customs officers and a local at Bachaka border in Argungu Local Government Area of Kebbi State. The latest attack came barely 24 hours after combined security forces neutralised two Lakurawa members in the area.

Our Take: How has this newly emerged group continued to operate despite the presence of security forces? The Nigerian Army must urgently intensify efforts to dismantle this threat before it escalates further, ensuring the safety of citizens and security personnel in the region.

2. ‘Over 26,000 children in prison, says Minister’ – The Guardian

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has raised concerns over the incarceration of over 26,000 children in the nation’s custodial centres, describing the situation as alarming.

Our Take: The incarceration of over 26,000 children in Nigeria’s correctional facilities is a clear violation of child protection laws and a disturbing failure of the justice system. How have so many children ended up behind bars despite legal frameworks meant to protect them? The Ministry of Interior must urgently investigate these breaches, hold accountable the institutions failing to comply, and ensure that justice is truly reformative, not punitive, for minors. Also, the Minister must go beyond rhetoric and take concrete steps to overhaul the correctional system, prioritising alternative measures for children in conflict with the law rather than subjecting them to life behind bars.

3. ‘Natasha recall: INEC notifies Senate as constituents amend petition’ – Punch

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday wrote to the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and the Presiding Officer of the Senate Godswill Akpabio, confirming that the contact details of the petitioners’ representatives in the recall process have now been corrected.

Our Take: We reiterate our calls to INEC to conduct an independent audit, cross-checking the signatures against the official voter register and ensuring that each signatory willingly participated in the process.