U.S. Lawmaker Urges President Tinubu To Remove Matawalle Over Rising Attacks On Christians in Nigeria, Cites Relationship With Bandits

Relationship with bandits. She urged the U.S. to apply more diplomatic pressure to hold those accused of aiding terrorism accountable.

Kimberly Daniels, a Florida state representative and chairwoman of the United World Congress of Diplomats (UN-WCD), has charged President Bola Tinubu to sack or redeploy the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, over rising attacks in the country.

Ms Daniels posted a statement containing her recommendations on tackling insecurity in Nigeria on her Facebook page on Wednesday.

“To The Government of Nigeria: The Results of the Assessment urge President Tinubu to ‘look inward’ and remove elements that compromise national security,” Ms Daniels said.

Ms Daniels’ recommendations specifically included: “Immediate Leadership Review: The removal or redeployment of Minister Bello Matawalle to restore the integrity of the defense ministry.”

She added: “Conducting a transparent investigation into allegations of high-level complicity with banditry to regain the trust of the Nigerian people and implementing more robust security measures for vulnerable communities in the North-Central and Northwestern belts of the country.”

Matawalle

To the U.S. government, Ms Daniels recommended increased “diplomatic pressure to ensure that those accused of aiding terrorism are held accountable.”

“Based on the referenced report, the attacks against believers in Northern Nigeria are allegedly protected by leadership from the inside,” she said.

She added, “The greatest form of terrorism a person can experience is terror that comes from ‘homegrown familiar enemies.’ When the people you trust to protect you work undercover with others who want to harm you, it must be devastating! My brothers and sisters in Nigeria are martyred because they gather to worship Jesus, while most Americans do not understand how precious our religious liberty is and the protections that come with it.”

Bayo Onanuga and Daniel Bwala, spokespersons for Mr Tinubu, have not responded to requests for comment.

Nigeria, UAE Set To Advance Energy Cooperation: NNPC Ltd

Nigeria and UAE set to advance energy cooperation. Earlier today in Abuja, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, paid a visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ambassador to Nigeria, H.E. Salem Saeed Al Shamsi, at the UAE Embassy.

The meeting highlighted the existing strong bilateral energy ties between Nigeria and the UAE, with discussions spanning upstream oil and gas investment opportunities, gas development and monetisation, crude oil trading, and infrastructure financing.

Both parties reaffirmed the sustained relations between the two nations, rooted in mutual respect and a shared commitment to long-term energy cooperation.

In his remarks, Engr. Ojulari said as a commercially driven entity, NNPC Ltd. offers a strong portfolio of bankable projects across the entire energy value chain, adding that the company remains open to value-based partnerships with UAE institutions, such as Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), and National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC).

UAE Set To Advance Energy Cooperation

The visit builds on earlier cooperation commitments made by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and President Mohammed Bin Zayed, as both countries work to translate that intent into concrete, mutually beneficial project outcomes.

Why CSOs Call On World Bank To Stop Financing Factory Farming

The worldwide planned actions aim to spotlight the continued use of public funds to support large-scale industrial livestock production.

More than 30 civil society organisations have called on the World Bank Group to stop financing industrial livestock production and redirect funds to sustainable, small-scale food systems that protect people, animals, and the planet.

This call comes as part of a coordinated global mobilisation across 25 countries during the World Bank and International Finance Corporation Spring Meeting, according to a statement by World Animal Protection on Wednesday.

The worldwide planned actions aim to spotlight the continued use of public funds to support large-scale industrial livestock production, an approach widely linked to climate change, biodiversity loss, public health risks, and growing food insecurity.

Globally, the World Bank Group invested approximately $1.4 billion in industrial livestock production between 2023 and 2024 alone. Its private sector arm, the International Finance Corporation, approved 38 industrial livestock investments worth nearly $2 billion between 2020 and 2025.

“Sub-Saharan Africa is a significant recipient. A 2023 white paper by the Stop Financing Factory Farming Campaign (S3F) revealed that the region received 22 animal agriculture projects of 62 projects across developing regions, valued at approximately $1.395 billion, accounting for 41.9% of the $3.3 billion in total direct support from development finance institutions, including the World Bank Group.

“These figures highlight the region’s share of global financing flows into industrial animal agriculture and raise concerns about the long-term impacts on rural livelihoods, ecosystems, and climate resilience across Africa.

“Despite growing concerns over the environmental and social costs of factory farming, the World Bank Group announced plans to expand its agribusiness portfolio to $9 billion annually by 2030. At the same time, the IFC is undertaking a once-in-a-decade review of its environmental and social Performance Standards, creating a pivotal opportunity to align public finance with climate commitments, biodiversity protection, and sustainable development goals,” the organisation stated.

WAP warned that continued investment in factory farming could undermine traditional African food systems, which are largely based on smallholder farmers who produce the majority of the continent’s food. Instead of strengthening food security, large-scale industrial livestock systems often concentrate wealth in a few individuals, increase environmental degradation, and expose communities to pollution and disease risks.

World Bank

Sally Kahiu, external affairs lead at WAP, said, “Africa’s food future depends on investments that strengthen smallholder farmers, protect ecosystems, and ensure long-term food security. Public funds should not be used to expand factory farming systems that threaten communities, animals, and the environment. We call on the World Bank Group to champion sustainable, locally driven food systems that truly support Africa’s development and resilience.”

Meanwhile, the Stop Financing Factory Farming Campaign continues to urge international financial institutions to adopt transparent policies that phase out funding for industrial livestock operations.

“Public finance should be a force for equitable development, not a driver of environmental harm and social exclusion,” said Opeyemi Elujulo, the executive director of Youth in Agroecology and Restoration Network and S3F Youth, Policy, and campaign lead.