December 8, 2025 – Nigeria Headlines

Story gist: Olawepo-Hashim urged northern elites to take responsibility for security failures. Nigeria’s new Defence Minister stated Nigerians must see results.

Bias summary: Left-leaning outlets absent, omitting critical focus on elite accountability. Center Punch neutrally highlights new Defence Minister’s results pledge to Nigerians. Right-leaning The Nation positively frames appointment as ‘steady hands’ in unrest, emphasizing stability and reassurance over failures.

Story gist: Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shettima departed Abuja for Abidjan, Ivory Coast, to represent President Bola Tinubu at President Alassane Ouattara’s inauguration.

Bias summary: Left- and right-leaning outlets provided no coverage, omitting this Nigerian diplomatic routine and potentially downplaying government international engagements. Center outlet Vanguard News framed it neutrally, focusing on Shettima’s departure for Ouattara’s inauguration with straightforward factual language, no emphasis on political implications or praise/criticism.

Story gist: Nigeria’s federal government secured the release of 100 pupils abducted from a school in Niger State. The pupils were among 265 kidnapped in the attack.

Bias summary: Left-leaning outlets like The Guardian emphasize partial success by specifying ‘100 out of 265 kidnapped schoolchildren,’ highlighting many remain captive with emotive language. Center outlets like Punch report factually on the release of 100 pupils without totals or drama. Right-leaning outlets provide no coverage, omitting potential emphasis on government achievement.

Story gist: Nyesom Wike rejected expulsion from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He criticized PDP governors Bala Mohammed and Seyi Makinde.

Bias summary: Left- and right-leaning outlets omitted coverage entirely, leaving no perspective from those lanes. Center outlet Channels Television reported the story using the provided headline, emphasizing Wike’s direct quote rejecting expulsion and his criticism of Bala Mohammed and Seyi Makinde in a neutral tone focused on PDP internal tensions.

Story gist: Troops and warplanes were deployed in Benin after a failed coup attempt. President announced the coup was thwarted by loyalist troops.

Bias summary: Left-leaning Guardian frames with troop/warplane deployment after ‘failed coup attempt,’ quotes suggesting possible skepticism toward government claim. Center BBC stresses coup thwarted by loyalist troops via president’s address, affirmative tone. Right-leaning coverage absent, missing potential emphasis on decisive military action or support for anti-coup stability.