Welcome to today’s roundup of Nigerian newspaper headlines, accompanied by our advocacy-focused calls for government action on pressing issues that impact citizens.

1. The Guardian: Reps Raise Alarm over Terrorist Threat to Bomb National Assembly

The Guardian reports that the House of Representatives yesterday raised concern over growing security threats to the National Assembly, including a terrorist threat to bomb the legislative complex.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Internal Security, Garba Ibrahim Muhammad, disclosed this yesterday during a public hearing on a bill to establish the Legislative Security Directorate, held at the National Assembly complex, Abuja.

Our Take: Lawmakers must act fast to secure the National Assembly before terrorists turn it into a “demo site.” Beyond talk and metal detectors, swift action on the Legislative Security Directorate is needed to protect both the chambers and the democracy they represent.

The Nigerian authorities must stop waiting for terrorists to ‘book an appointment’ before acting. Security at the National Assembly needs more than metal detectors and good luck charms. Lawmakers should fast-track the establishment of the Legislative Security Directorate, ensure proper screening of visitors, and strengthen intelligence coordination before terrorists turn the National Assembly into a ‘demo site’.

2. Daily Trust: Port Harcourt Refinery Shutdown: How Nigeria Lost N366.2 Billion in Two Months

Daily Trust reports that the shutting down of the Port Harcourt Refinery, the biggest refinery in the country has cost the Nigerian government over $249.7 million equivalent of N366.210 billion, in the period of five months, from 24 May 2025 to 31 October, which is the period of 156 days.

Our Take: The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, and NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer, Bashir Bayo Ojulari, must quit treating the Port Harcourt Refinery like a ceremonial ribbon-cutting project and get it working for real. After spending trillions on ‘revival’, Nigerians deserve steady output, not another round of excuses. It is time to prove that the refinery is a production plant, not a photo-op site with industrial fumes.

3. Punch: Senate Set to Grill New Service Chiefs Today

Punch reports that the Senate is set to screen and possibly confirm the newly appointed service chiefs nominated by President Bola Tinubu, as part of ongoing efforts to revamp the nation’s security architecture.

Our Take: As the Senate grills the new service chiefs, lawmakers must ask the real questions. Nigerians need assurance that these fresh faces won’t serve old failures in new ranks. If this ‘revamp’ of the security architecture is to mean anything, the chiefs must bring strategy, not ceremony, and prove that ‘change of offices’ won’t remain our national security policy.