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The Nigerian Army has warned that terrorist and criminal groups were increasingly exploiting cyberspace to recruit members, raise funds, coordinate attacks and spread propaganda, describing the trend as a growing threat to Nigeria’s national security.

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, raised the alarm on Tuesday at the 2026 Nigerian Army Cyber Warfare School Seminar in Abuja.

Represented by the Deputy Chief of Special Services and Programmes, Maj.-Gen. Jeremiah Manjang, the Army Chief said cyberspace has evolved into a strategic battlefield where both state and non-state actors operate with unprecedented speed, making security threats more complex and difficult to counter.

He noted that hostile actors no longer require physical presence to disrupt critical infrastructure, compromise sensitive information, manipulate public opinion or undermine national security through anonymous cyber attacks.

According to him, terrorism, insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, separatist agitations, organised crime, misinformation and disinformation are increasingly being enabled, coordinated and amplified through digital platforms and cyber networks.

“The reality is that terrorist and criminal groups now exploit cyberspace for recruitment, propaganda, fundraising, intelligence gathering, attack coordination and concealment of illicit financial transactions. This demands a proactive and coordinated national response,” he said.

Shaibu said the changing nature of security threats had compelled the Nigerian Army to strengthen its cyber capabilities to effectively address complex, asymmetric and technology-driven challenges.

He called for stronger cyber intelligence capabilities driven by artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and advanced data analytics to improve early warning systems, threat detection and predictive security analysis.

The COAS also advocated deeper collaboration among government institutions, the military, law enforcement agencies, academia and the private sector, stressing that cybersecurity can no longer be handled by a single institution.

He emphasised the need for sustained investment in indigenous cyber capabilities, research, technological innovation and human capacity development to protect Nigeria’s digital sovereignty and enhance national resilience against emerging threats.

Shaibu further stated that integrating cyber capabilities into conventional military operations would strengthen surveillance, intelligence gathering, geospatial analysis, command-and-control systems, situational awareness and overall operational effectiveness.

Earlier, the Commandant of the Nigerian Army Cyber Warfare School, Brig.-Gen. Jacob Bawa, said the seminar was organised to deepen cybersecurity awareness, strengthen cyber resilience and promote collaboration among security stakeholders.

Bawa noted that Nigeria’s increasing reliance on digital technologies has exposed critical infrastructure, including telecommunications, power systems, financial institutions and government databases, to cybercriminals, terrorists and hostile state actors.

He said the Cyber Warfare School was established as a centre of excellence for cyber warfare training, education and research.

According to him, participants at the seminar would examine cyber resilience, threat intelligence, incident response, cyber warfare and emerging technologies with a view to developing practical recommendations for strengthening Nigeria’s cybersecurity architecture.

Also speaking, cybersecurity expert Abdulhakeem Ajijola warned that national security now depends significantly on the protection of digital systems, noting that artificial intelligence is transforming military operations, command structures and the protection of critical infrastructure.

Ajijola urged Nigeria to develop sovereign cyber capabilities, warning that excessive dependence on foreign-controlled software, platforms and artificial intelligence systems could undermine national resilience, operational continuity and independent decision-making during periods of crisis.

He stressed that while technology should be deployed to strengthen national sovereignty, responsibility for operational decisions must remain with human commanders.

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Kano and Lagos states have continued to lead the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration exercise ahead of the 2028 general election, with 118,207 and 78,360 registered voters, respectively.

However, the seven states in the North West and their counterparts in the North Central are leading the zonal distribution of registered voters, with 414,208 and 262,252 registered voters, respectively.

These figures are contained in data released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the end of week seven in the last phase of the registration exercise, which began in August 2026.

The CVR exercise, which is expected to conclude on the 20th of July 2026, is suspended in Ekiti and Osun states due to the off-cycle governorship elections in both states.

Kano and Lagos are closely followed by Taraba with 64,293, Sokoto with 64,019, Jigawa with 57,304, Kaduna with 53,998, Benue with 52,861, Bauchi with 52,603, Ogun with 48,684, and Niger with 48,267 registered voters.

Ondo State has the fewest registered voters, with 8,578; Akwa Ibom, 14,253; Plateau, 16,878; the Federal Capital Territory, 21,826; and Enugu and Borno, 24,225.

Meanwhile, the Commission has charged media practitioners in the country to treat vote buying as a frontline investigative priority ahead of the August 15, 2026 Governorship Election and asked journalists to help document incidents with the specificity needed to trigger prosecution.

National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mohammed Kudu Haruna, made the call at a One-Day Media Stakeholders’ Forum in Osogbo, Osun State.

Haruna described vote buying as the most alarming development to emerge from the June 20, 2026, Ekiti State Governorship Election, saying political actors and their agents were widely reported to have offered cash to voters at polling units, in some cases through numbered vouchers redeemable outside polling locations to evade detection.

Haruna cited Section 22 of the Electoral Act 2026, which prescribes a fine of not less than five million naira, imprisonment of up to two years, or both, and a ten-year disqualification from contesting public office for persons convicted of vote trading.

He called on editors to allocate dedicated resources to the issue before, during and after Election Day, and on reporters to capture names, locations, amounts and the structure of coordination in their investigations, adding that such reporting would feed directly into an enforcement framework involving the Commission, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Nigeria Police Force and the State Security Service.

He said the Commission had concluded major pre-election preparations for Osun State, including clearing candidates from fourteen political parties, enrolling 381,817 new voters during the Continuous Voter Registration exercise, and arranging the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) across all 30 local government areas.

He cited the performance of these technologies in Ekiti, where BVAS recorded a 96 per cent functionality rate and IReV achieved a 98 per cent result-upload completion rate, as a benchmark for the Osun exercise.

The National Commissioner also highlighted declining voter turnout nationally, noting that accreditation in the Ekiti election covered fewer than four in every ten registered voters. He urged media organisations to extend their reach to voter mobilisation, alongside continued public enlightenment on the dangers of vote buying and the importance of result verification through IReV.

Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, described the media as an indispensable partner of the Commission in promoting democratic values through objective reporting and public enlightenment, and called for continued collaboration to deliver a peaceful and credible election.

INEC Director, Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs Victoria Eta-Messi, said the forum was designed to strengthen INEC’s working relationship with media professionals, provide updates on election preparations, and clarify the Commission’s processes under the Electoral Act 2026.

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Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has approved the removal of the suspended paramount ruler of Swali Community, His Highness, Chief Wilcox Job Seiyefa, from his Ebeniken chieftaincy throne.

Governor Diri, who made the announcement through his deputy, Dr Peter Akpe, during a meeting with stakeholders of Swali Community in Government House, Yenagoa, on Tuesday, said the removal of the paramount ruler was based on recommendations from a fact-finding committee.

A statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Deputy Governor, Mr Doubara Atasi, recalled that the dethroned Ebeniken, alongside his Council of Chiefs, was suspended by the state government on the 21st of May, 2025 following allegations bordering on aiding and abetting insecurity in Swali Community.

Announcing the withdrawal of recognition of the Ebeniken, the Deputy Governor said the action was in line with Section Six of the state’s Chieftaincy Law, especially in the area of maintaining peace, order and good governance in the state.

According to him, the governor had directed that the process of electing a new paramount ruler, which he described as a major and important community, must commence immediately and be completed within three months.

His words: “The fact-finding committee engaged various stakeholders in Swali Community, and also got advice from security agencies on the way forward.

“From the recommendations of the committee, following their findings, it is clear that, as at the time those actions (causing violence and insecurity) were taken, the leadership was weak and not firm to take decisions to manage the situation.

“So, following the recommendations and the provisions of the state Chieftaincy Law, His Excellency, the Governor, has approved the withdrawal of the Staff of Office of His Highness, Chief Wilcox Job Seiyefa, the suspended paramount ruler of Swali Community, in the interest of peace.

“The government will facilitate the election of a new paramount ruler in Swali Community by setting up an electoral committee, and the election must be conducted within three months starting from 30th of June, 2026.”

The Deputy Governor, however, clarified that all members of the existing caretaker committee would continue to function until a new leadership emerges, except any member who may have interest to contest for any of the elective offices.

Citing relevant provisions of the Chieftaincy Law, he also directed the dethroned paramount ruler to submit the Certificate of Recognition and Staff of Office in his possession to the Secretary of the Yenagoa Local Government Area, who will in turn transmit them to the Governor, not later than one month from the 30th June, 2026.

Dr Akpe, who thanked the people of Epie and Atisai kingdoms as well as security agencies for supporting the government’s peace and security efforts, called on all traditional rulers to keep themselves abreast with the provisions of the Chieftaincy Law to avoid unpleasant consequences.

Meanwhile, following the directive of Governor Douye Diri, a five-member electoral committee has been constituted to midwife the process of electing a new Ebeniken of Swali.

The committee, which is headed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Chieftaincy Affairs, High Chief Bertola Perekeme, has Barr. Yinkore Terimoh, Gesiye Obireke, Barr. Richard Perekeme as members, while Mrs Domo-Spiff Boma is to serve as Secretary.

In a related development, the state government on Tuesday also set up a seven-man caretaker committee to pilot the affairs of Ogboinbiri Community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state.

Mr Monday Edugo is chairman of the committee while Dr Moses Areprekumor is secretary with Barr. Francis Eseduo, Mr Allen Okorodo, Mr Peter Akpasi, Mr Christian Brown and Mr Akpu Arthur to serve as members.

Inaugurating the Committee, the Deputy Governor urged people of the oil and gas-rich Ogboinbiri to sink their differences and work cooperatively with the committee to achieve lasting peace in the community.

In his acceptance speech, the Caretaker Committee Chairman, Mr Monday Edugo, expressed gratitude to the state government for finding him and other members of the committee worthy to carry out the assignment.

While assuring the government of the committee’s commitment towards restoring enduring peace and stability in Ogboinbiri, Mr Edugo, however, pleaded with Governor Diri to lift the prevailing dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed on the community.