The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), has revealed that the vast size of the Sambisa Forest is one of the major factors making it difficult for security forces to quickly rescue Nigerians kidnapped by terrorists.

Musa disclosed this during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he discussed the Federal Government’s efforts to tackle terrorism and kidnapping in the country.

According to the minister, security agencies have continued to rescue abducted Nigerians, but terrorists often escape into large forest areas before troops can locate them.

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“Few ones now, efforts have been made. If you notice, on a daily basis now, we are really getting, rescuing a lot of them,” Musa said.

He explained that the enormous size and difficult terrain of the Sambisa Forest give terrorists an advantage after carrying out attacks.

“So this government is overwhelmed. Sambisa Forest is as big as Belgium, as a country. So when people talk about this, they make it look as if it is one small football field and we are refusing to do anything,” he said.

Musa said kidnappers can disappear into the bush before security agencies receive information about an abduction, making it difficult for troops to determine their exact location.

“These places are massive areas. The forest within Kwara comes in from Burkina Faso to Benin Republic into Nigeria and flows through all these things,” he said.

“So what they do is that once these abductions are done, before the information gets to anybody, these guys are already into the forest.”

The Defence Minister explained that troops sometimes have to cut off terrorists from their usual routes and sources of supplies before they can rescue their victims.

He cited a recent operation in Kwara State, where security forces rescued victims after restricting the movement of their abductors.

“And then the last one that was done in Kwara State, we had to quarantine where they were going, deny them oxygen, and that’s where we were able to get them,” Musa said.

He added that terrorists sometimes abandon their captives when security forces increase pressure on them, providing troops with an opportunity to rescue the victims.

Musa also disclosed that authorities were monitoring financial transactions linked to criminal activities, noting that ransom payments could provide useful information for tracking kidnappers.

He said the Central Bank of Nigeria was also involved in efforts to monitor suspicious funds connected to criminal activities.

The minister further advised state governors to exercise caution when distributing motorcycles as palliatives, warning that some of the vehicles could eventually fall into the hands of terrorists and improve their mobility.

Musa maintained that despite the challenges posed by Nigeria’s vast forests and difficult terrain, security forces were making progress in the fight against terrorism and kidnapping.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has revealed a series of complaints it received from passengers about their experiences with e-hailing and car-hire drivers at Nigerian airports.

FAAN Managing Director, Olubunmi Kuku, disclosed this on Friday while speaking with journalists at the airport amid controversies surrounding the reported exit of Uber from Nigeria.

Kuku said the complaints were particularly numerous during the December 2025 holiday period, when passengers reported having unpleasant experiences with some e-hailing and car-hire services.

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“We received a lot of complaints, especially around the December holiday period, from passengers who used some of the e-hailing services, as well as car-hire services, and had very unpleasant experiences.”

According to the FAAN boss, the complaints reportedly included intimidation, excessive fares and cases where passengers were allegedly dropped off at unintended locations.

She further alleged that some e-hailing drivers were exploiting the airport transportation system by operating alongside car-hire operators and charging passengers higher fares.

“We also had situations where some Uber and Bolt drivers would get out of their cars under the guise of coming into the airport as e-hailing drivers, and then join the car-hire operators to charge higher fares.”

Her comments come weeks after FAAN temporarily stopped e-hailing drivers from conducting commercial passenger pick-ups at airports under its control, pending the finalisation and execution of licensing agreements.

The move generated criticism, with some observers alleging that the restriction was intended to create room for FAAN’s newly introduced Airport Car Hire and Ride Management System (ACHRAMS).

However, Kuku said FAAN’s decision to regulate airport car-hire services was aimed at protecting passengers and improving their overall experience at Nigerian airports.

She explained that the authority had introduced an application designed to provide passengers with visibility on registered car-hire companies and the identities of drivers taking them from the airport to their destinations.

Kuku also clarified that FAAN does not collect fares on behalf of drivers, noting that the rates displayed on the platform are only indicative.

She added that passengers remain free to choose between pre-booked car-hire services and e-hailing platforms, while FAAN’s responsibility is to ensure visibility, safety and accountability within the airport environment.

On Uber’s reported exit from Nigeria, Kuku said the decision was a business and regulatory matter for the company.

“I work for the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, and my first responsibility is to ensure that our passengers are safe, protected, and have a seamless passenger experience.

“Regarding Uber, I can’t speak to their exit from Nigeria. I’m sure they have their own economic and regulatory considerations as to why they chose to exit.”

President of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has revealed that the much-awaited initial public offering of the Dangote Refinery will open within the next 10 to 12 days.

Dangote disclosed this on Friday while speaking with investors and analysts in Botswana, according to Reuters.

The $20bn Lagos-based refinery is expected to raise about $5bn through the IPO, which could become the largest public offering on the African continent.

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Dangote said the planned listing would support the group’s ambition to further expand the refinery’s capacity.

He said, “Our dream is that we want to make sure we double the capacity of the refinery… which will take us to 1.4 million barrels per day. The IPO will open in the next 10 to 12 days.”

The refinery, currently Africa’s largest, reached its full designed capacity of 650,000 barrels per day in February. It has since pushed production beyond that level, reaching 700,000 barrels per day during testing.

The IPO is part of a broader expansion strategy by the Dangote Group.

Dangote also disclosed that Dangote Cement is expected to secure a secondary listing on the London Stock Exchange, potentially in October, in a move aimed at giving the company access to a wider pool of international investors.

The businessman further confirmed plans to establish a new refinery on Kenya’s coast in partnership with East African governments.

The proposed refinery is expected to supply refined petroleum products to Kenya and neighbouring countries while helping reduce the region’s dependence on fuel imports.

Construction of the Kenyan facility is expected to take up to three years and would represent the Dangote Group’s biggest refining investment outside Nigeria.

The planned refinery IPO and expansion projects underline Dangote Industries’ growing ambitions to strengthen its position in Africa’s energy and industrial sectors.