humangle impact

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.

In 2025, HumAngle’s journalism did more than document suffering caused by conflicts in Nigeria, Congo, and Sudan, and other African countries, or analyse climate-driven disasters and evolving extremists in Nigeria and the Sahel; we also shaped destinies, shifted policies, and reopened pathways to justice and dignity for people long abandoned by the system. 

Across Nigeria’s most vulnerable communities, our stories became catalysts for action, prompting governments, institutions, and ordinary citizens to intervene. This year, lives were rebuilt, promises were revived, and ignored crises finally received the attention they deserved. 

We also won or were shortlisted for many awards this year. Our investigation into how IPOB uses online fundraising marathons to sustain its activities won the Illicit Financial Flow Category at the West Africa Media Excellence Conference and Awards. It also earned the journalist, Kunle Adebajo, the 2025 West Africa Journalist of the Year title, a title HumAngle has now clinched two years in a row. The same story earned second place in the online category at the 20th Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting, while our report on the lack of aid for IDPs in North Central Nigeria received a commendation at the awards.

At the CJID Excellence in Journalism Awards, we won two awards: first place in the health reporting category and first runner-up in the sexual and gender-based violence reporting category.

On the global stage, our report on how social media narratives fuel ethno-religious crises in Plateau State was shortlisted for the highly prestigious Fetisov Award, under the outstanding contribution to peace category.

The full scope of our impact is still unfolding, but the list below represents some of the significant results documented by our reporters:

1. Punished Without Guilt, Released Without Support

In September, HumAngle published the story of a young man who spent ten years in detention under the custody of Nigerian security forces following accusations of having links with a Boko Haram terrorist. After enduring immense hardship, he was found innocent and released through the terrorist deradicalisation programme also known as Operation Safe Corridor due to the time he spent with Boko Haram members in jail. But he struggled to rebuild his life after regaining freedom. The Kano State government also failed to fulfil its promise to support him and others.

However, after we published his story, a German-based Nigerian offered him financial support to start or strengthen his trade. The victim also said that after the story, the Kano State government, through the Hisbah Board, promised to fulfil its promise. As it stands, HumAngle’s report has become a catalyst in helping him rebuild his life after a decade in detention.

2. What Life Could Have Been For Leah Sharibu

HumAngle’s deeply human and creatively crafted feature to mark the 22nd birthday of Leah Sharibu, who was kidnapped by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) three months shy of her 15th birthday and has since remained in captivity. The story has travelled far beyond the newsroom, now being used as a teaching material at the University of Jos. Taye Obateru, a professor of journalism, media, and cultural studies, selected it as a model text for a final-year undergraduate class on advanced feature writing. Through this story, HumAngle is not only shaping public understanding of conflict and human suffering but also shaping the next generation of Nigerian journalists — inspiring them to pursue writing that is both empathetic and rigorous. 

For the students, the lesson was transformative. Treasure Ajifa, a final-year mass communication student, told HumAngle: “During our Advanced Feature Writing class, we stumbled upon a challenging concept regarding the application of creativity in storytelling. As we wrestled with understanding it, our professor cited HumAngle’s story on what should have been Leah Sharibu’s 22nd birthday celebration as a quintessential example. It was a moment of revelation for the 200 students who sat listening to him. It left us aspiring to become better storytellers who could blend creative excellence with impactful reporting.”

3. The Unknown Flesh-Eating Disease in Nigeria’s Adamawa 

After HumAngle’s feature on the mysterious flesh-eating disease affecting residents of Malabu in Adamawa State, North East Nigeria, authorities moved swiftly in response. A month after the report highlighted the rising number of cases and the community’s plea for urgent intervention, the government deployed vehicles to Malabu to evacuate all affected persons for proper medical care. Health officials also confirmed that a dedicated ward had been created at the Adamawa State Specialist Hospital, where victims are now receiving free treatment. According to Stella Samuel, a staff member at the hospital, this intervention was directly influenced by the attention the report generated, ensuring that dozens of vulnerable residents finally gained access to the care they desperately needed.

4. Malnutrition Is Affecting Displaced Mothers’ Ability to Breastfeed Newborns in North East Nigeria

HumAngle’s reporting on malnutrition and the deepening humanitarian crisis in Dalori settlement, Borno State, did far more than highlight the struggles of nursing mothers. It exposed a worsening mobility crisis that had quietly crippled the community since its relocation. For months, displaced families trekked long distances between Dalori and Maiduguri because transportation was scarce, expensive, and often completely unavailable. Menial workers could no longer reach the city for jobs, children missed school, and nursing mothers walked kilometres under the sun to fetch water or seek healthcare. The story laid bare how this mobility barrier was deepening hunger, unemployment, and vulnerability among people who were already uprooted from their homes.

Within days of the story’s publication, the Borno State government responded. Two buses were deployed to serve the Dalori–Maiduguri route, dedicated solely to helping displaced residents move safely and affordably between the settlement and the city. For a community that had been cut off both economically and physically, the impact was immediate. Movement to hospitals, markets, job centres, and schools suddenly became possible again.

The chairman of the settlement, Mohammed Bintube, acknowledged the development with relief and gratitude. “We are very happy that the government has responded to our transportation problems,” he said. “Our people used to trek from the village into the town before because transportation was scarce, and even when it was available, many could not afford it. We are happy we now have two dedicated buses that transport our people from Dalori Village to Maiduguri.”

5. The Deadly Consequences Of Blasphemy Allegations In Nigeria’s North

In Northern Nigeria, allegations of blasphemy can be extremely dangerous. Many people have lost their lives due to such accusations, often through what is commonly known as ‘jungle justice.’ In 2024, HumAngle published the stories of individuals accused of blasphemy, some of whom were detained without any attempt to ensure fairness or justice. But after the publication, two of them, Mallam Abba Gezawa and Mubarak Bala, regained their freedom. Mubarak Bala himself confirmed that HumAngle’s decision to spotlight his case played a key role in reviving his trial, which eventually gave him the right to reunite with his family. Other people detained for the same allegation, such as Sheikh Abduljabbar Kabara, have also received significant attention, with rights activists and lawyers promising to support their cases. 

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

This investigation has created a notable impact across policy, public discourse, and security analysis in 2025. As we uncovered how the disappearance of elephants in Sambisa Forest has shifted trafficking networks toward warthog tusks and created a new micro-economy exploited by Boko Haram, the story broadened national understanding of terror financing beyond ransom payments, cattle rustling, and informal taxation. It sparked widespread online conversation among journalists, conservationists, academics, and counterterrorism experts, who shared the report as a reference point for discussions on the environmental dimensions of insecurity in the Sahel. Civil society groups and wildlife-protection advocates cited the story to highlight enforcement gaps and the need for coordinated conservation efforts between Nigeria and Cameroon, while the revelation of unregulated forest corridors around Molai and Konduga renewed debate on patrol capacity and resource allocation. 

7. Secrets, Silence, Survival: Inside a Nigerian Military Prison

This exposé broke through years of silence surrounding Wawa Barracks in Niger State, exposing a hidden world of arbitrary arrests, incommunicado detention, and severe human rights abuses. Using rare eyewitness accounts, OSINT, and satellite imagery, the investigation revealed how civilians, minors, protesters, Boko Haram suspects, and mentally ill detainees were held together in degrading, overcrowded cells where torture, starvation, and deaths were common. The story ignited nationwide debate, spreading quickly across social media and prompting activists, lawyers, and affected families to demand answers. 

When Omoyele Sowore, a rights activist in Nigeria, used images from the story to demand the release of everyone held in the prison on Nov. 8, it fueled even wider public outrage and revived conversations about military secrecy and abuses in Nigeria’s counterinsurgency operations. For many families across the South East, Middle Belt, and North East, the investigation confirmed the fate of loved ones who had disappeared for years. Within security and human rights circles, the report may now be seen as one of the consequential exposés of the year. 

8. Nigerian Graduates Struggle as JAMB Withholds Admission Validation

This story sparked outrage, especially among the affected graduates, by exposing how a bureaucratic breakdown at JAMB trapped thousands of graduates, unable to proceed to the mandatory national service (NYSC) or begin their careers. The feature story exposed a system where students were punished for institutional failures beyond their control. After the story circulated, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS),  previously stalled, faced renewed public scrutiny and was compelled to push. Their efforts, driven in part by the visibility HumAngle created, directly contributed to the reopening of the affected JAMB portal, finally giving stranded graduates a pathway to resolve their cases.

“Hi, JAMB has opened my portal,” excited Loveth Adam told HumAngle in July. 

9. What Does War Do to a Boy?

Ten years ago, Amir’s parents were arrested at the peak of the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria’s northeastern region. He was three. Now, he is 13, out of the orphanage, and living with his grandmother. What has been the consequence of war for him? We reported his story in 2024. We also wrote to the army with the details and circumstances of his mother’s detention, asking for updates on the case. Though they did not respond, they went ahead to release her this year. We published her story here. 

The year started slowly. Then it moved fast. 

Many reporters at HumAngle wondered what 2025 would bring. But as the year ran fast, the foot soldiers ran even faster, creating a monumental investigative reporting archive across multiple platforms. In this newsroom, everyone is an investigative journalist — from editors, interns, reporters and the Editor-in-Chief/Chief Executive Officer.

We told raw stories and terror tales, and conducted human-centred investigations that uncovered what would otherwise have been covered up. Most of our 2025 investigations tackled insecurity, exposed social injustices, unravelled the vulnerability of communities to terrorists, and set the record straight amid disinformation wildfires. 

In 2025, we redefined our journalism models, focusing on impact-driven investigations and stories that really matter. Here are our best investigations for the year.

1. The Making and Unmaking of Abubakar Shekau

When the notorious terrorist Abubakar Shekau died in 2021, tons of stories and narratives were pushed around the circumstances leading to his death. One question many failed to ask: How did Shekau emerge from nowhere to command an army of villains, inflicting lifelong pain and anguish on many? Only a few terrorism experts could answer that question with details and rigour. One such person is Ahmad Salkida, the CEO and Editor-in-Chief at HumAngle.

Four years after Shekau’s death, his investigative piece appeared on the internet’s fringes: The Making and Unmaking of Abubakar Shekau. Ahmad Salkida has studied Boko Haram for over a decade, from its inception to the point of vile insurgency and massive attacks against unarmed civilians.

HumAngle probed and profiled how Shekau rose from humble beginnings in Yobe State to become one of Africa’s most notorious insurgent leaders, transforming Boko Haram into a movement defined by mass abductions, suicide bombings, and indiscriminate killings. Initially a perfume seller and Qur’anic student, his life changed after meeting radical cleric Muhammad Yusuf, whose death in 2009 propelled Shekau into leadership. 

2. What Happened to Gallari’s 42 Men After 12 Years in Military Detention?

That story on Shekau’s legacy of terror went viral. But before then, we had investigated the illegal incarceration of 42 village men of Gallari, a community in Borno, northeastern Nigeria, by men of the Nigerian military. They were arrested in 2011 during military raids targeting Boko Haram suspects, with little or no evidence against them. 

HumAngle’s investigation exposed how the villagers were held in Giwa Barracks and other facilities under harsh conditions, enduring torture, starvation, and disease. Their families faced stigma, poverty, and displacement, with wives forced into single parenthood and children growing up without fathers. Upon release, some of the men returned to find their homes destroyed, loved ones lost, and communities fractured. The story highlights the broader consequences of Nigeria’s counterinsurgency strategy, where mass arrests and indefinite detentions have left deep scars on civilian populations. 

For many months, Usman Zanna, a HumAngle reporter, documented this story after speaking with victims locked in military confinement for over 12  years. One of them came out blind from detention, another had lost one of his ears, and another had torture scars all over his body. During an advocacy meeting facilitated by HumAngle and Amnesty International in Borno State, however, civic leaders and media practitioners took a step to spotlight the investigation that opened a can of worms on the military’s gross violation of human rights in the arrest of the 42 Gallari men.

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

As Boko Haram entrenched and spread across Borno’s forested areas,  terrorists invested heavily in the ivory trade to sustain their operations. They poached elephants for years until the dynamics of the ivory trade shifted dramatically. Armed groups occupied critical elephant habitats like Sambisa, transforming them into fortified strongholds. The conflict, coupled with indiscriminate hunting, led to a drastic reduction in elephant sightings.

When elephants vanished from the region’s forests, however, Boko Haram terrorists turned to warthogs, an overlooked species with tusks just as valuable. With little regulation and growing global demand, warthog ivory is now fuelling a new black market. At the heart of it lies a deadly trade financing terror and deepening regional instability.

HumAngle exposed how local and international black markets helped patronise the terrorists’ ivory exploits, especially warthog trading, to fund their operations. We used OSINT and human intelligence.

4. Surrendered Terrorists Evade Official Rehabilitation Programme, Reinfiltrate Nigerian Communities

One interesting investigation we published in 2025 was an in-depth report on the complex lives of individuals who were once affiliated with Boko Haram. The story sheds light on their recruitment processes, experiences within the group, and efforts to reintegrate into society. It reveals personal stories, such as those of Abubakar Adam and Rawa Ali, who voluntarily distanced themselves from the insurgency but faced significant obstacles upon returning, often lacking sufficient government support.

Other accounts, including those of Falmata Abba and Aisha Mohammed, reveal a spectrum of emotions from regret to relief about leaving the militant group, while Rukayya’s story focuses on her health struggles. The piece also discusses the varied reactions from communities toward these returnees and critiques the shortcomings of Nigeria’s efforts in deradicalisation and rehabilitation.

The investigation raises concerns about trust and security in communities where former insurgents reappear without completing official reintegration programs, underscoring the need for comprehensive, transparent approaches to facilitate effective societal reintegration and maintain stability.

5. The Boys Lured into Boko Haram’s Enclave with Food Rations

Amid the escalation of insurgency in North Central Nigeria, terrorists devised a new way of recruiting children into their ranks. Boko Haram fighters lure children with food rations, handing guns to them after feeding them. Ibrahim Adeyemi, HumAngle’s investigations editor, followed the story in Niger state, speaking to survivors and parents of children caught in terrorists’ enclaves.

The insurgents exploit hunger as a recruitment tool, deliberately destroying farms and food supplies to create scarcity, then luring vulnerable children into their camps with food rations. Once inside, boys are trained as fighters or spies. At the same time, girls are forced into marriages and servitude, all under the command of leaders like Mallam Sadiqu, who manipulate desperation to sustain the group’s ranks. 

HumAngle’s investigation, which took several months, focused on identifying underage boys and girls who were deceived into entering the terrorists’ territory. 

1. The Making and Unmaking of Abubakar Shekau – Ahmad Salkida (43,043)

To understand the present and make corrections for the future, we must revisit the past. This investigative exposé details the making and unmaking of Abubakar Shekau; how a boy who was good at playing football became a perfume seller and then a terrorist warlord who orchestrated abductions, killings, and terror across Nigeria.

2. What Resettlement Looks Like When The Gunshots Haven’t Stopped by Sabiqah Bello (35,710)

In this delicate story about Fati Bukar and her son, we look at how lives are affected by insecurity, displacement, and resettlement. This story shows us that the human fallout of the insurgency doesn’t manifest only in the fear of lives and properties; it also takes form in the fear of saying goodbye to a loved one, not to death, but to distance. The story is a reminder that government solutions must involve the people they were created to serve and consider the nuances of their lives.

3. Lost Homes, No Aid: The Forgotten IDPs Uprooted by Terrorists in North Central Nigeria by Isah Ismaila (35,387)

Due to terrorist activities, residents have moved to a Shiroro displacement camp in Niger State, North Central Nigeria. But for these people, life is stalled. Business owners have abandoned their shops, children can no longer go to school, and healthcare doesn’t exist. In this story, we highlight how institutional neglect traps citizens in a cycle of poverty and despair.

4. Boko Haram is Tracking and Assassinating Defectors in Nigeria’s North East. Here is how. By Usman Abba Zanna (29,904)

We reported how former Boko Haram members trying to reintegrate into society have a target on their backs by the group. Here, we showed that renouncing allegiance to the terror groups doesn’t end the war; it simply makes you a different kind of target.

5. Boko Haram/ISWAP Resurgence in Lake Chad Region Sparks Alarm by Usman Abba Zanna (29,553)

Through sophisticated operations, incessant small-scale abductions, and major funds generation from high-profile abductions, we document the resurgence of Boko Haram and ISWAP attacks in the Lake Chad region. These early warning signs show communities witnessing fresh assaults from terrorists, and through open-source monitoring, we reveal how terrorists are amplifying their online presence by leveraging TikTok.

6. Borno’s Resettled Families Are Quietly Fleeing Again by Usman Abba Zanna (24,416)

In 2019, the Borno State government commenced the resettlement of displaced families to Kawuri, their hometown in northeastern Nigeria. The returnees believed that life would return to what they were used to, but their current state is deplorable. In this report, we found that they have no healthcare, no basic essential supplies, and the persistent presence and growing threat of Boko Haram insurgents is forcing them to flee once again.

7. Can Digital Technology Fix Efficiency and Accountability in Nigeria’s Government Agencies? by Ibrahim Adeyemi (21,054)

Nigeria has a long history of a lack of accountability and transparency in public spaces. To reduce this and boost efficiency in Government parastatals, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) established the DocFlow and the MDA Naira Payment Solution. 

The DocFlow system was created to digitalise the daily operations of government workers, replacing paper-heavy processes. The MDA Naira Payment Solution is focused on automating payment processes for Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), with a system promising to make transactions faster and more accurate while also preventing fraud and reducing errors. We looked at the efficiency of these systems.

8. The Implications of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger’s Exit from ECOWAS by Usman Abba Zanna (19,297)

In January, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger exited ECOWAS and formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). While this exit was celebrated by mass rallies across the three countries, it sent shockwaves through the region. Here, we looked at the economic ramifications and implications of this break.

9. Massacres in Border Communities Ignite New Terror Wave in Benue State by Johnstone Kpilaakaa  (18,923)

Benue communities in North-Central Nigeria have been at war with recurring violence between farming communities and nomadic herders over land and resources. This crisis has forced people, young and old, into displacement. In this report, we show that for the old, home no longer exists as they knew it; for the young, home is a place born out of violence and death.

10. The Evasive Funding Channels Sustaining Boko Haram/ISWAP in Nigeria by Aliyu Dahiru (15,036)

People often wonder and ask how terror groups can fund their operations and provide for themselves far away from society. To answer the age-old question of terror financing, this analysis showed us that beneath the violence, beyond the battlefield,  terrorists have taken control and now govern civilian spaces, collecting taxes, enforcing laws, and offering basic welfare, particularly within their strongholds in the Lake Chad region. Other illicit financial flows come from crypto donations, smuggling, and black market operations.

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 

1. The Making and Unmaking of Abubakar Shekau

Abubakar Shekau, a founding leader of the Boko Haram terror group, killed himself with a suicide vest four years ago at his base in Sambisa, during an attack by ISWAP, an offshoot of his group. Through archived materials and interviews with over ten individuals, including former associates, friends, bodyguards, and captives of Shekau, HumAngle’s Editor-in-Chief, Ahmad Salkida, penned what is arguably the most in-depth exposé into the life of the terror leader. 

Following its publication in November, our website suffered a cyber attack that took us offline for a while, but it didn’t hinder a widespread reception of the story, which sparked a national discourse on the history of the insurgency that has gripped Nigeria for over a decade, and how the terror that Shekau ignited has outlived him. 

2. Maitatsine: The Preacher of Fire (1927 – 1980) 

Maitatsine is a Cameroonian and Kano-based Islamic preacher whose teachings and activities turned violent, birthing several cult-like movements in Nigeria’s North that radicalised and also influenced young people. In December 1980, his ideology culminated in one of the deadliest urban uprisings in Nigerian history. This ideology, the rejection of modernity, would later influence terror leaders like Muhammad Yusuf and Abubakar Shekau. 

The exposé carefully examined the unhealed wound that Maitatsine created. It is yet another archival documentation that seeks to contribute to the understanding of Nigeria’s contemporary security challenges and how they emerged from unassuming places. 

3. The Boys Lured into Boko Haram’s Enclave with Food Rations

When terror groups are referred to in the media, the description is often ‘armed men’, but that’s not always the case, as we’ve reported on women terrorists and this time, young boys. For this investigation, we spent time with Hassan Audu, a 16-year-old who, alongside his brother, was captured by Boko Haram terrorists, who in turn used food to keep him within their ranks. 

The story offers insight into the terror group’s recruitment strategy for child soldiers and what the governance structure is like in their enclaves in North Central Nigeria, including in the group’s logistics department, where Audu worked.

4. A Robbery Incident Killed His Wife and Unravelled His Whole Life 

We spent eight months tracking the effects of one tragedy on the life of one man and then represented the story in an interactive story that blends photos, videos, illustrations, and animations. Modu Bakura, a 30-year-old resident of Bama, northeastern Nigeria, was robbed three years ago. He lost his wife in the attack and also suffered several injuries that took months to recover from. 

We penned a tender narrative of this incident, and the years that have followed, and how he continues to survive amidst debt and emotional hurt. 

5. What Life Could Have Been for Leah Sharibu at 22  

In May, Leah Sharibu turned 22. It was also her seventh year in captivity after Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) abducted her alongside 104 other schoolgirls from their dormitory in Dapchi, northeastern Nigeria. She’s the only one among the girls who remains in captivity, and has since become a global face of schoolchildren abducted in Nigeria during the reign of the insurgency in the country. 

To commemorate her birthday, we sat with her only sibling to understand who she was before captivity and what she imagined her life would be like in seven years. That conversation gave birth to a speculative non-fiction narrative where we constructed what would have been, while also reflecting on her current reality, and how his family has continued to grieve her absence. 

6. The Disappearing ₦aira

Two years ago, we interviewed everyday Nigerians to highlight the cost-of-living crisis that is faced in the country and how it has impacted their lives. This time around, we looked at the root of the crisis, not just the fruits. Through a data-driven interactive storytelling approach, we showed how the smaller denominations of the Nigerian Naira are disappearing

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

Terrorism financing is one issue that comes up every time there’s a discussion about insurgency in Nigeria, and even across the world. 

In this investigation, we uncovered how terror groups like Boko Haram are using wildlife to fund their activities in the country. Not only is this causing harm to communities, but animals like Elephants have also vanished in conflict-affected areas in the North East, prompting poachers and terrorists to turn to Warthogs, an overlooked species with tusks just as valuable.

8. Boko Haram is Tracking and Assassinating Defectors in Nigeria’s North East. Here’s How 

Since the Nigerian government started the deradicalisation of terrorist deserters, we have extensively covered the struggle of reintegration that they face. But this report is different, it explores a challenge that is not often spoken about: the assassination of terrorists deserters by the groups they were once loyal to. Boko Haram, for instance, has created a spy network that tracks its defectors and assassinates them or forces them to return to their enclaves. 

Through interviews with some deserters, we revealed how this approach has increased issues of recidivism and its impact on the Operation Safe Corridor programme. 

9. The Intersection Between Healthcare and Loyalty to Terror Groups in Nigeria  

In last year’s Atypical List, we featured the story of Mariam, who we used to represent women as willing participants in terror. We spoke to her again recently, and she is on the brink of recidivism. The recent USAID funding cut is making it difficult for her to access the anti-retroviral medications that were the very reason why she defected.

10. To Those We Miss

When we report on missing persons, we often tell you how they went missing and how their families are faring. So, we thought, how about we give the families of these missing persons the mic and allow them to bare their minds unfiltered? This gave birth to this heartwarming video, where families sent words to their loved ones who have gone missing, some for decades. 

HumAngle, the newsroom known for its in-depth coverage of conflict, displacement, and insecurity across West Africa, has announced a major overhaul of how our journalists work and rest.

From January 2026, an Anti-Burnout Work Policy that restructures the work year into nine active months and three mandatory rest months will be introduced, while maintaining a full 12-month salary for our journalists.

The move, an attempt at reimagining what sustainable journalism looks like, is designed to protect mental health, reduce burnout, and sustain the quality of reporting from some of the region’s most difficult environments.

Under the new system, editorial staff will work in three cycles each year:

• Work: January–March 
• Rest: April
• Work: May–July 
• Rest: August
• Work: September–November 
• Rest: December

Traditional annual leave will be embedded into these rest periods, which are intended to serve as structured breaks for recovery, reflection, and creative renewal. The in-house workweek for journalists will also be shortened to three days — Monday to Wednesday.

Support teams and staff of the advocacy arm, HumAngle Foundation, will have a different, flexible structure: they will be required to work two in-office days per week, with the remaining days remote, and will receive 28 days of paid annual leave. Accountability and performance expectations will remain in place, but alongside a clearer recognition of human limits.

Why rest is now part of the job

HumAngle’s reporters routinely work in and around conflict zones, camps for displaced people, and communities living with violence and trauma. This kind of journalism demands not just technical skill but emotional stamina and deep empathy, and the costs are often borne silently. We have a dedicated clinical psychologist who supports staff well-being and manages secondary trauma that results from our regular interaction with violence and victims of violence.

HumAngle sees burnout not simply as personal exhaustion, but as a direct threat to credible journalism, storytelling, creativity, and accuracy. Building rest into the structure of work itself is a step towards treating mental health as a core requirement for excellence, not an afterthought. Well-rested journalists are better able to think clearly, write powerfully, and engage more sensitively with vulnerable sources and communities.

The policy aims to ensure continuity in coverage while allowing staff to step back regularly, process the emotional weight of their work, and return with renewed focus.

A cultural shift in African newsroom practice

Care, structure, and humanity, especially in newsrooms that routinely deal with violence, loss, and injustice, are critical for the sustainability of newsrooms. By aligning productivity with well-being, HumAngle hopes to model an alternative to the long-standing culture of overwork that exists in many media spaces.

The policy is a commitment to our people and our mission: to demonstrate that rest and excellence can reinforce each other, and that protecting journalists’ minds is part of preserving the integrity of the stories they tell.