Enjoyed

1. Boko Haram is Tracking and Assassinating Defectors in Nigeria’s North East. Here’s How by Usman Abba Zanna

“I chose this story because it is a vital piece of investigative journalism that brings an urgent human face to a complex security failure. While much of the reporting focuses on the high numbers of Boko Haram fighters surrendering, this article exposes the under-reported risk faced by defectors.

The story, centred on the account of ‘Kakana,’ is a powerful narrative of trauma and betrayal. It highlights how Boko Haram’s successful network of spies tracks and assassinates former high-ranking members, effectively undermining the government’s Operation Safe Corridor and reintegration efforts.

This piece is exceptional because it moves beyond official statistics to show the devastating consequences, constant surveillance, assassination attempts, and social rejection which ultimately lead to the alarming rates of recidivism mentioned in the report. 

It forces the reader to confront the reality that defecting is often not the end of the war for these individuals, but the beginning of a desperate, invisible fight for survival.”

–Usman Abba Zanna, Senior Multimedia Reporter.

2. Post-Injection Paralysis: How ‘Medical Errors’ Left Nigerians Paralysed for Life by Isah Ismaila.

“My favourite story for this year is one I wrote on how a medical error has left people with scars for life.

When patients are improperly injected in the buttocks, it affects the sciatic nerve, leading to paralysis of the leg. 

I love the story because it sheds light on a hidden and unspoken crisis that has long robbed people of their dreams and ambition. 

It is not an award-winning report, but receiving a lot of feedback from people thanking me for spotlighting the issue made me extremely excited.”

–Isah Ismaila, Investigations Reporter. 

3.The Making and Unmaking of Abubakar Shekau by Ahmad Salkida

“I chose this story because, beyond the extremism, gruesome murders and deadly lifestyle which I didn’t find shocking, I got to have a glimpse into his intimate life and for a moment, it felt like I was watching a documentary.”

–Saduwo Banyawa,  Adamawa/Taraba Correspondent.

4. The Everyday Misogyny Faced by Women Healthcare Workers in Nigeria 

“I chose this story because I enjoy stories that examine things that happen so often, we forget that they aren’t supposed to. I also have a heart for anything that centres women and their plight, which is exactly what the story does. 

Writing-wise, I love that the story highlights how misogyny can never just be casual and following Rahimat’s journey, passions, and misfortunes was a hard but enjoyable read.”

–Azara Mabel Tswanya, NYSC Reporter.

5. The Making and Unmaking of Abubakar Shekau. 

“This story is my absolute favourite because of how it comprehensively captured the life of the late Boko Haram terror leader, Shekau, tracing his life before extremism, the evolution of his extremism, his ideology, the violence he orchestrated, and the circumstances, particularly grievances due to state failures, leading to it. It has been a long time since I read a piece this detailed and analytically rich.

The exposé is especially important as it adds depth to the ongoing discourse because it dismantles the false narrative of a “Christian genocide” in Nigeria. It laid bare the extremist ideology and how everyone, irrespective of religion and tribe, is an infidel and a target if you don’t conform to their practice of Islam. 

The author, Salkida, is one of the few journalists who have a comprehensive understanding of the uprising. And this report, as indeed several other of his articles, significantly enriches the body of knowledge on terrorism and extremism studies in the Sahel. An absolute and essential reading for anyone studying these subjects.”

–Al-amin Umar, Specialised Reporter. 

“Reading this story felt like reading a novel, before reality hits you and you remember that this really happened. The way the story describes how the echoes of his ideology literally birthed the existence of the violence we now know as Boko Haram is quite scary, because we don’t know how many other youths are out there striving to become Maitasine or Abubakar Shekau.

Also, the fact that Maitasine and his followers committed their atrocities without modern-day armed weapons but with sticks and stones, yet created such mass slaughter, just goes to show how terribly violent humans can get with the wrong set of thinking and somewhat right set of leadership. 

I also particularly liked this story because I love history.”

–Hajara Hamzat Ibrahim,  NYSC Audience Engagement/Multimedia Intern.

6. What Resettlement Looks Like When the Gunshot haven’t Stopped by Sabiqah Bello.by Sabiqah Bello.

“This story is my favourite because it shows resettlement as more than a government initiative or a practical act of moving; it reveals what that movement does to familial relationships and highlights the tender bond between a mother and her son. It was an especially heartfelt story for me to document and write.”

–Sabiqah Bello, Senior Multimedia Reporter. 

7. The Making and Unmaking of Abubakar Shekau by Ahmad Salkida

“I remember my annual leave had been approved by HR when the boss added me to the Google Docs draft. The story was so interesting that I began to feel conflicted about whether I truly wanted to take a break from work, feeling a strong case of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). So I found myself in limbo, consuming my approved leave days so that I wouldn’t discourage editors from reaching out to me to contribute anything further to the report if the need arises. I have read the report for my pleasure many times before it was published.”

–Mansir Muhammed,  Senior Specialist, GIS, OSINT & Emerging Tech.

Her Missing Son Returns In Her Dreams 

“I enjoyed editing several stories this year, but this one stayed with me because of how Sabiqah narrated it with an intimate voice that draws you directly into the woman’s inner world: the dreams, the dread, the relentless memory of her child. 

The writing does more than tell a personal story; it brings the national crisis of missing persons in Nigeria into sharp, human focus. The storytelling lets the reader feel the ache without forcing it, turning one woman’s sorrow into something universally recognisable and impossible to look away from.”

– Johnstone Kpilaakaa, Sub-editor and head of standards.

Widowed by Boko Haram, Swept by Floods, but She Refused to Sink

“It was written by Abdulkareem Haruna; therefore, there was almost no serious work from my side. It’s best for me because it tells a story of resilience. The story of a woman who could have abandoned everything and buried herself in despair, but she refused to be drowned in the abyss of two big tragedies: the Boko Haram war and a natural disaster.”

– Aliyu Dahiru, Head of the Extremism and Radicalism desk

From Elephants to Warthogs: The Shadow Wildlife Trade Financing Boko Haram in Nigeria

“One thing I love about this story is the adrenaline of promptness and emergency it gave while editing it. We were working on a tight deadline, and it needed to be delivered excellently. The reporter, Al-amin Umar, made this a lot easier because he understood his role and did it to the best of his ability. He followed guidelines religiously and ensured the story came out well. The subject matter was also crazy to probe within limited time and resources. But we pulled it through regardless. It’s a story worth celebrating.” 

– Ibrahim Adeyemi, Investigations Editor

Displaced People with Disabilities Face Severe Struggles in Borno Camps 

“Disabled people’s stories are usually underreported, especially those in IDP camps. This story, by Abubakar Mukhtar Abba, is very in-depth and takes us on a journey into what it means to be displaced and disabled in an unaccommodating environment. It pointed out their struggles with accessibility and how that impacts their health and the community generally, highlighting why accessibility is a fundamental right and benefits society in general. It also shows how a lack of inclusion pushes disabled people away from camps, causing social, environmental and health problems due to how they are excluded from society. 

This story brings those at the fringes of society into the spotlight while maintaining their full humanity and dignity.”

– Hauwa Abubakar Saleh, Assistant Editor, Features Desk

The Intersection Between Healthcare and Loyalty to Terror Groups 

“We are still finding out the ways lives have been affected following the USAID suspension. I find this story particularly enlightening because it shows us how everything affects everything, you do not readily think loyalty to a terror group intersects with healthcare.”

— Shade Mary-Ann Olaoye, Audience Growth and Engagement Editor