Eighty of the 177 worshippers abducted from three churches in Kurmin Wali village, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, have escaped from captivity and reunited with their families. The Village Head of Kurmin Wali, Ishaku Dan'azumi, disclosed this on Sunday, noting that 11 of the victims had escaped shortly after the abduction on January 18, while the remaining 80 fled more recently. According to him, the escapees initially sought refuge in neighbouring communities before returning to the village. He added that 86 worshippers are still being held by bandits in a forest.

As part of attempts to bolster national security and stimulate economic activity in conflict-affected areas, the Federal Government of Nigeria has announced plans to deploy military veterans to help secure the country's ungoverned areas. This came after the Minister of Defense, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), appointed an 18-person team to reposition the Nigerian Legion Corps of Commissionaires and Veterans to recapture ungoverned areas for economic viability.

With a total revenue collection of ₦7.281 trillion in 2025, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) exceeded its yearly objective of ₦6.584 trillion by ₦697 billion, a rise of more than 10% above forecast. With a rise of almost ₦1.18 trillion, or 19%, from ₦6.1 trillion in 2024 to ₦7.28 trillion in 2025, the statistic also shows a significant year-over-year performance, highlighting what the Service refers to as the practical results of persistent reforms. Speaking on Monday at the 2026 International Customs Day celebration and the official launch of the Nigeria Time Release Study (TRS) at Ladi Kwali Hall, Abuja Continental Hotel, Comptroller-General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi stated that the accomplishment was evidence that reforms based on cooperation, technology, and compliance are working.

A two-week extension for the ongoing recruitment of 50,000 police constables has been announced by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Police Service Commission (PSC). As a result, the application portal's December 15, 2025, opening date has been extended to February 8, 2026. According to a statement from PSC spokesperson Torty Njoku Kalu, the commission decided to grant the extension after receiving more than 400,000 applications and a study that revealed notable differences in state participation.

Africom's deputy commander told AFP that as part of a larger American effort to collaborate with African militaries to pursue extremists connected to the Islamic State, the US military is stepping up material delivery and intelligence sharing with Nigeria. According to Lieutenant General John Brennan, the Pentagon has also maintained open channels of communication with the armed forces in the junta-run Sahel nations of Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali.

Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested two suspected members of a sea piracy syndicate in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, following intelligence reports of an imminent maritime attack in the Gulf of Guinea. The suspects were apprehended on Saturday at a hotel located on Tenacious Street in the Edepie area of the city, where security operatives said they were concluding plans for a major operation.