[In The News] 10 Things You Need To Know This Tuesday Morning

‎1. The Federal Government on Monday declared all armed groups operating in the country as terrorists’ groups. It said henceforth, any armed group that kidnaps, attacks or terrorizes communities is officially classified and will be dealt with as a terrorist organisation. The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris made the declaration in Abuja at a press conference.

2. The remaining 130 abducted children and teachers of St Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools, Papiri, have been handed over to the Niger State Government, bringing relief to families and the wider community ahead of the Christmas season. Speaking to journalists after the handover, Governor Umaru Mohammed, said discrepancies surrounding the initial figures reported would be clarified by the school authorities and the Catholic Church.

3. Edo State House of Assembly ad-hoc committees set up to investigate funding and ownership of the Museum of West African Art, MOWAA and the Radisson Blu Hotel have recommended that Governor Monday Okpebholo should take possession of both investments. This was contained in the report the Committee submitted.

4. The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has fixed February 21, 2026, for the conduct of by-elections into Ahoada II and Khana II state constituencies of Rivers. The commission disclosed this in a statement by Malam Mohammed Haruna, Chairman, Information, Voter Education and Publicity Committee, in Abuja on Monday.

5. The US embassy in Nigeria has announced the suspension of visa issuance for Nigerians with effect from January 1, 2026. This followed the recent US Department of State’s announcement that effective January 1, 2026, at 12:01 a.m. EST, it will partially suspend the issuance of visas for nationals of 19 countries, including Nigeria, Angola, Cuba, Venezuela, and several others.

6. Gunmen have abducted 28 travellers in Zak community, Bashar district, Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State. A youth leader in Wase, Sapi’i Sambo, confirmed the development, in a telephone interview, saying that the victims included men, women and children.

7. The supply of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, also known as petrol, increased to 71.5 million litres per day in November 2025 from 46million litres per day in October, indicating an increase of 55 per cent. The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA said the volume supplied came from both the domestic and the international market.

Also Read: In The News: 10 Things You Need To Know This Friday Morning

8. The Naira on Monday appreciated to N1,476 per dollar in the parallel market from N1,487 per dollar last week. However, the Naira depreciated to N1,466.5 per dollar in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market, NFEM.

9. The Federal Government on Monday declared Thursday, December 25, 2025, Friday, December 26, 2025, and Thursday, January 1, 2026, as public holidays to mark Christmas, Boxing Day, and New Year celebrations. The declaration was made by the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on behalf of the government.

10. At least nine people were killed, and five others injured when a speeding trailer crashed into their bus on the Kaltungo–Cham Road in Kaluwa community, Kaltungo Local Government Area of Gombe State. It was learnt that the accident occurred at about 8:33 am on Monday. The Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps in Gombe State, Samson Kaura, confirmed the incident in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday.