Terrorists Seize 64 Plateau Villages in ‘Sponsored Genocide’…Nigeria’s 2024 External Finances Hit Surplus After Years of Deficits…Nigeria’s Brain Drain Crisis Deepens as 16,000 Doctors Exit in 7 Years…NSA Claims Sharp Decline in Violent Deaths Amid Rising Killings in Nigeria’s Christian Heartland
● Nigeria’s Plateau State Loses 64 Communities to Sponsored Jihadist Takeover
Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang says Islamic jihadists have taken over 64 communities in the state, displacing villagers across Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, and Riyom counties.
Speaking Tuesday in a televised interview, Mutfwang described the recent killings in Bokkos as sponsored and genocidal, blaming unnamed radical Islamic groups for the violence. TruthNigeria reported over 50 deaths from attacks that began April 2 which has left the Nigerian military overwhelmed.
“I can tell you in all honesty that I cannot find any explanation other than genocide sponsored by terrorists,” Mutfwang said. “This is being sponsored from somewhere.”
The Governor said the seized communities have been renamed, with assailants now occupying the land. He urged federal authorities to act, warning that the violence has persisted for nearly a decade.
“If these attacks have been going on for close to 10 years, it tells you that there is a deliberate, conscious attempt to clean out populations and to reopen,” he added.
● Nigeria Posts $6.83 Billion Surplus, Signals Economic Turnaround
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has posted a $6.83 billion Balance of Payments surplus for 2024, marking a sharp rebound from deficits in 2023 and 2022. The CBN credits the turnaround to macroeconomic reforms, stronger trade, and renewed investor confidence.
“The positive turnaround in our external finances is evidence of effective policy implementation and our unwavering commitment to macroeconomic stability,” said the CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso.
Petroleum imports dropped 23.2 percent, while non-oil exports rose 24.6 percent. Remittances climbed 8.9 percent to $20.93 billion, and portfolio investment inflows more than doubled.
The country’s external reserves grew by $6 billion to $40.19 billion. Net errors and omissions shrank by nearly 80 percent, showing what the CBN called “a major advance in data accuracy, transparency, and overall reporting integrity.”
“This surplus marks an important step forward for Nigeria’s economy, benefiting investors, businesses, and everyday Nigerians alike,” Cardoso noted.
● Nigeria Faces Doctor Shortage as 16,000 Leave in 7 Years
Nigeria has lost over 16,000 doctors in the past five to seven years, causing major financial and health system setbacks, Health Minister Muhammad Pate said Tuesday.
Pate estimated it costs more than $21,000 to train one doctor, describing the migration as a “fiscal loss” and a blow to rural healthcare. The country’s doctor-to-population ratio has dropped to 3.9 per 10,000—well below the World Health Organization’s recommended level.
Pate blamed the trend on better opportunities abroad, including higher pay, improved working conditions, and access to advanced training. He introduced a new national policy aimed at managing the migration, retaining professionals, and forming ethical recruitment agreements with other nations.
Pate called for African countries to unite in addressing health worker mobility through shared training and negotiations with countries hiring African medical staff, saying the issue must be handled with “dignity for health workers and for the country.”
● “Violent Deaths Down 90 percent,” says NSA Even as Christian Communities Burn in Central Nigeria
Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, said violent deaths in the country have dropped by 90 percent in the past year, despite conflicting data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) reporting 9,355 conflict-related fatalities between December 2023 and November 2024.
Ribadu made the claim in Plateau State following a mass killing in Bokkos, where Fulani Ethnic Militia (FEM) have killed over 50 residents and displaced thousands. “In the last one-year-ten-months, violent deaths have been reduced probably by over 90 percent in our country,” Ribadu stated.
ACLED, however, ranks Nigeria among the most violent countries in Africa, citing ongoing insurgencies and banditry. Continued attacks in Benue and Plateau States in central Nigeria—states with significant Christian populations—have seen entire communities massacred, homes burned, and thousands displaced.
Yet, Ribadu defended the government’s record, claiming nearly 2,000 terrorists have been prosecuted. “This Government has prosecuted close to 2,000 terrorists and we have got many convictions. We will not relent,” he said.
—Ezinwanne Onwuka reports for TruthNigeria from Abuja.
