Following the abduction of yet-to-be-determined number of students writing the National Examinations Council examinations at Government Day Secondary School, in Lassa Town, Askira/Uba LGA of Borno state, the state police command has reportedly deployed security operatives to comb the  forest in the area.

The aredevil terrorists stormed the school on Monday morning, killed one teacher and abducted many students.

The state command spokesperson, Nahum Daso, said security operatives confronted the attackers, preventing a larger-scale abduction.

“Around 9 a.m. in the morning, ISWAP attacked Lassa Day Secondary School. They shot sporadically. An unspecified number of students have been abducted.

“Security forces confronted them. For now, we have an unspecified number of students who were abducted. The CP deployed the Area Commander in Askira/Uba. They are currently combing the bush,” Daso said.

Also, President of the Borno South Youth Alliance, Samaila Kaigama, said the attackers wore military and forest guard uniforms.

“Yes. There was an attack on students writing NECO exams. The terrorists came around past nine. They passed the military checkpoint. They wore military and forest guard attire. They shot sporadically,” he said.

Kaigama said one teacher was killed while another sustained gunshot injuries.

“They killed one teacher from Chibok. They shot another, but not dead yet. They also kidnapped some students and women selling on the school premises. The numbers are not yet out,” he said

The African Democratic Congress (ADC), on Saturday, alleged that the Federal High Court ruling nullifying the recognition of the National Democratic Coalition (NDC) as a political party is part of a growing assault on Nigeria’s democracy.

The opposition party warned that the Lokoja court’s decision reflects a broader pattern of legal and administrative actions aimed at weakening opposition parties and shrinking the democratic space ahead of the 2027 general election.

In a statement, its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the cumulative effect of such actions would be to undermine political competition and entrench those already in power.

“The cumulative effect of these attacks is unmistakable: they weaken the opposition, narrow the democratic space and strengthen the hands of those already in power. This is not how a healthy democracy functions,” the statement said.

The party argued that the ruling’s implications extend beyond the NDC, warning that prolonged legal battles involving opposition parties could deny Nigerians meaningful political choices.

It also accused the President Bola Tinubu administration of failing to provide a level playing field for all political parties, insisting that democracy can only flourish where institutions remain impartial and political actors are treated fairly.

“This has not been the case under the Bola Tinubu administration,” the ADC alleged.

The party urged the judiciary to safeguard its independence as the country approaches another election cycle, stressing that public confidence in the courts is critical to the credibility of the democratic process.

“The judiciary remains one of the last lines of defence for our democracy and must never be perceived as an arena where political battles are settled on behalf of those who wield executive power. Justice must not only be done; it must be seen to be done,” Abdullahi said.

The ADC further warned that any perception of judicial bias in politically sensitive cases could erode public trust in constitutional democracy and the electoral process.

It called on opposition parties, civil society organisations, organised labour, the media, legal practitioners and Nigerians to unite in defending democratic institutions and protecting the country’s multi-party system.

According to the party, attempts to intimidate or weaken opposition voices threaten constitutional rights, including freedom of association and political participation.

“Yesterday’s target was the NDC. Tomorrow, it could be anyone who dares to offer Nigerians an alternative. We must not wait until the democratic space has been completely suffocated before we act,” the statement added.

The ADC reaffirmed its commitment to defending Nigeria’s democratic values and preserving a competitive multi-party political system.

Wife of the President, Senator Remi Tinubu, has urged economically disadvantaged Nigerians to consider small businesses such as selling akara, roasted corn and kulikuli as viable sources of income, saying they require little capital to start and can help families cope with the country’s economic challenges.

She gave the advice after hosting the wives of the 36 state governors in Abuja, where she highlighted empowerment programmes and financial support provided through her office to assist vulnerable Nigerians.

According to the First Lady, her interventions are centred on providing grants rather than loans to enable beneficiaries to establish small-scale businesses without the burden of repayment.

“We’re trying to give hope, and to start an akara business doesn’t take a lot of money. To start roasting corn… somebody even said about grants, you see, they’re saying that kulikuli doesn’t take much. We didn’t give them a loan; we gave it to them as a grant,” she said.

Senator Tinubu said her office has continued to support Nigerians through various empowerment initiatives designed to improve livelihoods and promote self-reliance.

“So we’ve encouraged Nigerians as best as we could. What is within our hands, I have given, and I keep giving, and those are the things we’ve done,” she added.

The First Lady also outlined some of the financial interventions she has personally supported, including ₦2 billion for tuberculosis treatment, N1 billion for breast cancer interventions and N500 million to address food malnutrition.

“I remember giving for TB when I heard there’s so much TB cases, I gave two billion (naira). To breast cancer, I gave a billion (naira). To food malnutrition, I gave half a billion (naira),” she said.

She added that her office has also supported programmes in agriculture, education, social investment and digital skills development, including scholarships and ICT training in collaboration with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

According to her, the interventions are intended to complement the Federal Government’s efforts to improve the welfare of citizens and create more economic opportunities.

Senator Tinubu also appealed to Nigerians not to lose hope despite the country’s economic difficulties, arguing that negative narratives have worsened public anxiety.

“The narrative has really changed. The average man is supposed to have hope. So I like the idea that Mr. President said this is the Renewed Hope Agenda.

“We have to renew our hope. They don’t give up. We’re a very proud nation,” she said.