Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna, says he expects to be arrested “any moment now” by federal authorities.

Speaking in a recent interview with BBC Hausa, el-Rufai said four individuals who worked closely with him during his tenure as governor have already been arrested, adding that he believes he may be the next.

He alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is aggressively pressuring politicians, either to defect to the party or to remain inside it, the battle for 2027 begins to take shape.

“Four people who worked with me in Kaduna have been arrested. So, for me, it’s only a matter of time—they will come for me too,” he said.

The former governor, who governed Kaduna for eight years on the platform of the APC before defecting to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has in recent months sharply increased his criticism of President Bola Tinubu and the ruling party.

His warning comes against the backdrop of intensified political horse-trading and defections across the country as various camps position themselves for the 2027 presidential election.

Five US lawmakers have introduced a bill to the US Congress, seeking to impose sanctions on former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore for alleged violations of religious freedom.

The bill, “Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026,” was introduced by Chris Smith, Riley Moore, Brian Mast, Mario Diaz-Balart, and Bill Huizenga.

Details of the bill, which was posted on the US Congress website, claimed that Kwankwaso was one of the individuals contributing to systemic religious “persecution of Christians that has persisted” in Nigeria.

If the proposed legislation, introduced to Congress on Tuesday, becomes law, the Departments of State and Treasury are expected to impose sanctions, including a visa ban and asset freeze, on “individuals or entities responsible for severe religious freedom violations” in Nigeria.

“The Department of State and the Department of the Treasury should impose targeted sanctions, including visa bans and asset freezes under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, on individuals or entities responsible for severe religious freedom violations, or report to Congress the reasons such sanctions have not been imposed, including— Fulani-ethnic nomad militias in Nigeria; Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, former Kano State Governor; Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN); and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore,” part of the bill reads.

Others targeted included those the bill described as “Fulani-ethnic nomad militias in Nigeria”.

Some of the provisions of the proposed legislation mandate the Secretary of State to determine whether certain Fulani-ethnic militias in Nigeria qualify as a foreign terrorist organisation.

As of the time of this report, neither Kwankwaso nor the groups have commented on the allegations contained in the proposed legislation.

The move came months after US President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over what he described as the persecution of Christians in the West African nation, a development the sponsors of the bill said was justified.

But the Nigerian authorities have denied claims of persecution, saying they respect all religions.

Trump had, late last year, threatened military action in Nigeria if the Federal Government did not address the situation.

On Christmas Day, the US launched strikes in Nigeria targeted at terrorists.

The Nigerian government and Trump later disclosed that the military action was a joint effort between both nations.

“On Christmas Day, in close coordination with the government of Nigeria, we worked with them, but they’ve got to get tougher,” Trump said last week while addressing guests at the National Breakfast in Washington.

“I ordered powerful air strikes to decimate the ISIS terrorists who have been slaughtering Christians in that country by the thousands. It’s not even believable,” he said.

“We hit them so hard they still don’t know what the hell happened. And we were going to do it on a different day. I said no, do it on Christmas. So they understand it.”

Following the US president’s threat, Nigeria intensified diplomatic efforts with US authorities, sending a high-powered delegation to the North American powerhouse.

Some US lawmakers also visited Nigeria for a first-hand assessment of the situation. (Channels)

A Nigerian woman, Deborah Boms, has opened up about her challenging journey of trying to secure a visa-sponsored job in the United Kingdom, UK after completing her studies.

Deborah revealed that she applied for thousands of positions and attended numerous interviews, yet none led to employment that would allow her to remain in the UK legally.

Her story has struck a chord with many online, particularly international students facing similar visa and job-search difficulties abroad.

In a video shared on her social media, Deborah documented her transition from an enthusiastic international student to a graduate compelled to return home due to visa and employment barriers.

The TikTok video begins with an emotional phone call to her parents in Nigeria as she prepared to leave.

The UK. Her father reassured her, saying, “We’re waiting for you. We cannot reject our own.”

Throughout the video, Deborah detailed the behind-the-scenes struggles that were unseen by her followers. She revealed that the pressure of trying to stay in the UK without a sponsored job nearly derailed all her efforts.

“At some point, I stopped counting,” she said. “I made approximately 3,000 job applications and attended 24 interviews searching for a sponsored position. None of them worked out—it just never clicked.”

Deborah also highlighted that while many observed her adapting to life in the UK, attending school, and eventually graduating, few witnessed the emotional and financial toll of her extensive job search.

“What you didn’t see was how close I was to losing everything I was trying to build,” she added, visibly moved. (Vanguard)