Security & Justice (Niger State): Nigeria’s Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced five men linked to the Nov. 21, 2025 Papiri Catholic school attack in Niger State to 25 years each, ordering forfeiture of a vehicle and citing recovered AK-47 rifles and ammunition. Kidnapping Prevention (Southeast): DSS and Nigerian Army troops foiled an ESN plan to abduct WASSCE students, raiding an ESN armoury in Enugu and recovering a weapons cache, including AK-47s and a rocket launcher, with claims attackers planned to disguise as NYSC personnel. Niger School Panic (Niger State): Niger State authorities urged calm after rumours of bandit invasions and school abductions in Minna, saying reports were false. Niger Policy (LGBTQ law): Niger’s military-run government criminalised same-sex relations in a new penal code, with jail terms of 5–10 years and heavier penalties for related acts. Regional Energy (Algeria–Niger–Nigeria): Algeria’s SONATRACH broke ground on its Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline segment, reviving a corridor to move Nigerian gas toward Europe. Economy Watch: The World Bank cut its global growth forecast to 2.5% for 2026, blaming Middle East war impacts and higher inflation risks.