Welcome to Tuesday’s roundup of Nigerian newspaper headlines, accompanied by our advocacy-focused calls on issues that impact citizens.

1. The Guardian: Military Decries Complexity of Threats as SouthWest Govs Call for Police

Declaring that ‘the time is now’ for state police, the southwest governors – Sanwo-Olu, Makinde, Oyebanji, Abiodun, Aiyedatiwa, and Adewusi have unveiled a suite of regional security measures, including a dedicated fund and real-time intelligence network, aiming to tackle rising crime while nudging the federal government toward decentralised policing.

Our Take: The southwest governors have clearly stopped pretending insecurity will fix itself.  With the region setting up a security fund and intelligence network, Abuja now has no excuse. It is time for the Presidency and the National Assembly to give legal backing to state police so citizens can finally rest without doubling as their own night watchmen.

2. Daily Trust:  NNPCL Hints at Refineries’ Rehabilitation as Profits Hits N5.4 trillion

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has once again promised to breathe life into the country’s long-troubled refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna, facilities that have swallowed trillions in ‘maintenance’ without reliably producing a drop of fuel.

Our Take: With NNPCL’s new promise to revive the refineries, GCEO Bashir Ojulari, alongside the National Assembly and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, must move from big speeches to real results. Nigerians are tired of failed promises of refinery rehabilitation. This is the time for clear timelines, honest reporting, and actual fuel production so these facilities stop being the nation’s priciest landmarks.

3. Punch: NSA launches 2025-2030 counter-terror plan

Nigeria’s fight against insecurity got a fresh script on Monday as the National Counter Terrorism Centre, under the Office of the National Security Advisor, launched the 2025–2030 Counter Terrorism Strategic Plan in Abuja, with Senate President Godswill Akpabio declaring it a renewed pledge to keep Nigerians safe.

Our Take: Now that the new plan has been unveiled, the Office of the NSA and all security agencies must now answer the burning question: how exactly will this make citizens safer? Nigerians have seen enough grand launches to last a lifetime, complete with speeches, banners, and photo ops, yet the streets still look like open auditions for bandits. What people want now is proof and real action.