The federal government said Monday that it is actively engaging Washington through diplomatic channels to de-escalate tensions following threats of U.S military action over the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, told Sky News’ The World with Yalda Hakim that communication lines with U.S authorities had been opened and were helping American officials understand Nigeria’s complex social and religious landscape.

“We are talking to them, and they are beginning to see the situation more clearly,” Idris said, adding that much of the circulating information could not withstand proper scrutiny.

The warning from former U.S. President Donald Trump, posted on 31 October on Truth Social, accused Nigerian authorities of allowing Islamist extremists and Fulani herdsmen to kill thousands of Christians annually.

Trump reinstated Nigeria on the U.S list of Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) for alleged religious freedom violations, instructed the Pentagon to consider military options, and froze aid pending review.

The U.S. State Department confirmed the CPC designation on 1 November, citing mass persecution in northern and central Nigeria.

Abuja, however, rejected the genocide narrative, insisting that recent violence is driven by resource conflicts and criminality rather than religion.

Idris emphasized that Nigeria remains a constitutionally secular and multi-faith state.

“Nigeria guarantees freedom of religion under its constitution. Conflicts in the Middle Belt are not religious wars,” Idris said.

He also claimed that some U.S. concerns were influenced by lobbying linked to separatist groups, particularly the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), which Nigeria classifies as a terrorist organization.

The federal government’s conciliatory stance follows weeks of escalating rhetoric between Abuja and Washington.

On 4 November, presidential adviser Bayo Onanuga accused U.S Senator Ted Cruz of sponsoring misinformation after he co-sponsored a resolution urging investigations into the killings of Christians in Nigeria.

President Bola Tinubu has called for continued dialogue with the United States.

“The description of Nigeria as intolerant is inaccurate. We will continue to work with the United States to resolve these concerns through diplomatic and political means,” he said.

The dispute has drawn international attention. China urged Washington to avoid interference in Nigeria’s internal affairs, while Russia warned against neo-colonial adventurism.

Chad temporarily closed its northern border with Nigeria, citing fears of regional instability.

Religious and communal violence remains a serious concern.

According to the National Human Rights Commission, at least 2,000 people were killed in communal clashes and insurgent attacks between January and September 2025.

The Nigerian Air Force continues operations against Islamist groups in the northeast, while local vigilante groups have struggled to contain reprisals between farmers and herders.

Despite the tensions, Nigeria remains a key counter-terrorism partner for the U.S in West Africa, receiving approximately $500 million annually in military and humanitarian assistance, and is considered vital for regional stability in the Sahel.

Former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and ex-Governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, has accused unnamed political rivals of orchestrating a “relentless theatre of persecution” after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) declared him wanted.

According to a statement issued by his spokesperson, Julius Bokoru, Sylva described the EFCC’s action as politically motivated and procedurally flawed, claiming he was not notified before the public declaration.

“His recent challenges resemble the trials of Job, each allegation emerging with precise timing, only to be discredited and replaced by another,” Bokoru said.

“These are not coincidences but deliberate attempts to undermine Sylva’s political relevance and integrity. No formal communication was sent to him; no proper protocol was followed—only a sudden digital announcement aimed at inflaming public sentiment.”

Sylva maintains he has not misappropriated public funds and insists that the Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, the project under investigation, is legitimate and transparent.

“Chief Timipre Sylva has clean hands. He has not diverted any funds nor betrayed public trust,” the statement said.

“The refinery project is verifiable, transparent, and subject to due process. Those orchestrating this campaign of defamation will not succeed.”

The EFCC alleges that Sylva conspired to dishonestly convert $14,859,257, reportedly part of funds invested by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) into the Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited.

A warrant for his arrest was issued on November 6, 2025, by Justice D.I. Dipeolu of the Federal High Court, Lagos.

The Commission urged the public to provide any information regarding Sylva’s whereabouts to its zonal offices, the police, or other security agencies.

Meanwhile, at the Federal High Court in Abuja, the EFCC’s fourth prosecution witness in a separate N80.2 billion fraud case involving former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello confirmed that withdrawals made by the state government did not violate banking regulations.

Under cross-examination, Zenith Bank compliance officer Mshelia Arhyel Bata stated that Sylva was not a beneficiary in any of the accounts presented as evidence.

Defence counsel Joseph Daudu (SAN) highlighted omissions in the prosecution’s focus on certain withdrawals, noting that some transactions by Umar Comfort Olufunke were not included in the case.

The witness also confirmed withdrawals by Alhassan Omakoji between November 2021 and December 2022 were within CBN transaction limits.

The court removed irrelevant documents from the record, and Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned proceedings to November 11 for the continuation of the trial.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Prof. Simon Ortuanya, along with other university officials, has challenged a suit filed by former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, alleging certificate forgery.

In a preliminary objection filed before Justice Hauwa Yilwa of the Federal High Court in Abuja, UNN and the other defendants asked the court to strike out the suit, arguing it is statute-barred.

They also contended that the plaintiff’s motion for prerogative writs was incompetently filed.

Other defendants in the case include the Minister of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), the UNN Registrar, former Acting Vice-Chancellor Prof. Oguenjiofor Ujam, and the UNN Senate.

The suit, marked ABJ/CS/1909/2025, was filed by Nnaji before leaving office, following allegations of certificate forgery against him.

At Monday’s court mention, Nnaji’s lawyer, Wole Olanipekun (SAN), said he received the preliminary objection notice only minutes before proceedings began.

He requested a definite hearing date, noting that the defendants intended to file a counter-affidavit the following day.

Justice Yilwa adjourned the matter to January 13, 2026, directing that hearing notices be issued to all parties not present in court. The Education Minister and NUC were absent.

In their objection, the third to seventh defendants argued that:

• The suit was improperly filed because the motion ex-parte for leave was not filed within three months of the alleged incident, as required by Order 34 Rule 4(1) of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2019 and Section 2(a) of the Public Officers Protection Act 2004.
• The motion for prerogative orders should have been filed as an originating motion, not by motion on notice, per Order 34 Rule 5(1).
• The Federal High Court lacks jurisdiction over student academic records, examinations, results, and transcripts under Section 251(1) of the 1999 Constitution.
• Internal university remedies have not been exhausted, and no fundamental rights of the plaintiff were violated.
• No reasonable cause of action exists against the defendants, particularly Prof. Ortuanya, who acted in his official capacity as UNN Vice-Chancellor.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Prof. Simon Ortuanya, along with other university officials, has challenged a suit filed by former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, alleging certificate forgery.

In a preliminary objection filed before Justice Hauwa Yilwa of the Federal High Court in Abuja, UNN and the other defendants asked the court to strike out the suit, arguing it is statute-barred.

They also contended that the plaintiff’s motion for prerogative writs was incompetently filed.

Other defendants in the case include the Minister of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), the UNN Registrar, former Acting Vice-Chancellor Prof. Oguenjiofor Ujam, and the UNN Senate.

The suit, marked ABJ/CS/1909/2025, was filed by Nnaji before leaving office, following allegations of certificate forgery against him.

At Monday’s court mention, Nnaji’s lawyer, Wole Olanipekun (SAN), said he received the preliminary objection notice only minutes before proceedings began.

He requested a definite hearing date, noting that the defendants intended to file a counter-affidavit the following day.

Justice Yilwa adjourned the matter to January 13, 2026, directing that hearing notices be issued to all parties not present in court. The Education Minister and NUC were absent.

In their objection, the third to seventh defendants argued that:

• The suit was improperly filed because the motion ex-parte for leave was not filed within three months of the alleged incident, as required by Order 34 Rule 4(1) of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2019 and Section 2(a) of the Public Officers Protection Act 2004.
• The motion for prerogative orders should have been filed as an originating motion, not by motion on notice, per Order 34 Rule 5(1).
• The Federal High Court lacks jurisdiction over student academic records, examinations, results, and transcripts under Section 251(1) of the 1999 Constitution.
• Internal university remedies have not been exhausted, and no fundamental rights of the plaintiff were violated.
• No reasonable cause of action exists against the defendants, particularly Prof. Ortuanya, who acted in his official capacity as UNN Vice-Chancellor.

Governor Muhammadu Yahaya of Gombe State has approved the construction of a new deputy governor’s office at a cost of N1.337 billion, the State Commissioner for Works, Housing, and Transportation, Usman Maijama’a Kallamu, announced during a press briefing on Wednesday following the state executive council meeting.

Kallamu explained that the decision was made because the current deputy governor’s office is located far from the Government House.

The new office will be built at the site of the old Gombe Jewel Hotel, adjacent to Government House, alongside offices for the state’s emirs and chiefs, which are also under construction.

The state government is currently undertaking several major projects, including the reconstruction of the Government House and the construction of a new State House of Assembly, a State High Court complex, and the state secretariat in the three-arm zone.

In addition, the executive council approved the construction of a “befitting state fire service station” at N1.275 billion, as firefighters currently share space with the local government veterinary office.

Other projects include the completion of five mega colleges at N3.5 billion, an increase from the previous contract to upgrade the buildings to two-storey structures to accommodate rising student numbers.

The commissioner assured that these colleges would be completed by January 2026.

The council also approved the construction of a Police Divisional Office at Shehu Abubakar district in Gombe capital at a cost of N461 million.

President Bola Tinubu has called on Nigerian journalists to freely critique government policies, but emphasized that such criticism should be grounded in knowledge, fairness, and national responsibility.

The President made the remarks on Wednesday at the All Nigerian Editors Conference in Abuja, highlighting the media’s crucial role in shaping public discourse and strengthening democracy.

“Critique government policy, but do so with knowledge and fairness,” Tinubu said.

“Your aim must never be to tear down, but to help build a better society. Report boldly, but truthfully.”

He stressed that criticism should not be used to undermine the nation’s progress, as the media are partners in building a stronger, more united country.

Tinubu also addressed the impact of social media, noting that while it enhances citizen journalism, it accelerates the spread of misinformation.

He urged journalists to uphold editorial principles of verification, balance, and professional judgment in this fast-paced information environment.

“We live in a time when information travels rapidly and widely. Falsehood can take root before the truth has time to speak. In such a context, the editorial function is more important than ever,” he said.

The Nigerian Senate has approved President Bola Tinubu’s request to raise N1.15 trillion from the domestic debt market to fund the unfunded portion of the 2025 budget deficit.

The approval came following the adoption of a report by the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debt during Wednesday’s plenary session.

The committee noted that the 2025 Appropriation Act projects total expenditure of N59.99 trillion, an increase of N5.25 trillion over the N54.74 trillion initially proposed by the Executive.

This revision created a budget deficit of N14.10 trillion, of which N12.95 trillion had already been approved for borrowing, leaving an unfunded gap of approximately N1.15 trillion (N1,147,462,863,321).

In a related move, a motion by Senator Abdul Ningi was adopted, directing the Senate Committee on Appropriations to intensify oversight and ensure that the borrowed funds are strictly used for their intended purposes during the 2025 fiscal year.

President Tinubu had formally requested the fresh N1.15 trillion borrowing on November 4, stating in a letter to the National Assembly that the funds are needed to bridge the funding gap and guarantee full implementation of government programs and projects under the 2025 fiscal plan.