Here is a roundup of some Nigerian newspaper headlines, accompanied by our advocacy-driven demands for government action in addressing citizens’ concerns.
1. Punch: Customs, EFCC Step up Airport Surveillance against Money Laundering
The Nigeria Customs Service, Murtala Muhammed International Airport Command, has engaged stakeholders, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the National Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), and passengers, among others, to tackle money laundering and terrorism financing.
Our Take: The Nigeria Customs Service must intensify its anti-money laundering efforts by ensuring strict enforcement of currency declaration rules, enhancing inter-agency coordination with the EFCC and NFIU, and deploying advanced surveillance technologies at all international airports. To sustain the progress made, Customs should also increase public awareness campaigns targeted at travellers, financial institutions, and airport workers, while strengthening training for its Anti-Money Laundering Unit to detect and prevent illicit financial flows and terrorism financing more effectively.
2. Daily Trust: Questions over Tinubu’s 2027 Campaign Posters
Campaign posters and billboards promoting President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027 have continued to surface across Abuja, despite the fact that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is yet to release a timetable or lift the ban on political campaigns.
Our Take: We call on INEC to investigate and take decisive action against individuals and groups responsible for the unauthorised display of 2027 campaign materials for President Tinubu. These premature campaign activities, which openly flout Nigeria’s electoral laws, not only undermine the credibility of the democratic process but also set a dangerous precedent for impunity. INEC must enforce the existing ban on early campaigns to uphold electoral discipline and the rule of law.
3. The Nation: Bandits Live among us in Katsina – Governor
Governor Dikko Radda has said that bandits terrorising Katsina State live among residents.
Our Take: We call on the National Assembly to prioritise the establishment of state police to empower governors like Dikko Radda with the legal and operational tools needed to tackle insecurity at the grassroots. Given that many of the bandits terrorising Katsina are known locals, community-based policing structures backed by law, such as state police, can enable swift identification, intelligence gathering, and coordinated response to threats.
