Participating artists want to pass the message that art ought to be accessible to everyone, not confined to indoor gallery spaces.
Thursday, December 11, 2025
Video - Lagos Street art festival transforms city into open-air gallery
Participating artists want to pass the message that art ought to be accessible to everyone, not confined to indoor gallery spaces.
U.S. revokes 85,000 visas held by Nigerians and other foreign nationals
The U.S. State Department has revoked a record 85,000 visas belonging to foreign nationals, including some Nigerians, as the Trump administration intensifies scrutiny of visitors entering the United States.
According to officials, more than 8,000 of the revoked visas were student visas, a figure that is more than double the number recorded in 2024.
Officials say the visa revocations were driven by a range of security and criminal concerns, including DUIs, assault and theft, offences that together accounted for nearly half of all cancellations over the past year.
“These are people who pose a direct threat to our communities’ safety, and we do not want to have them in our country,” a U.S. official said.
The update comes as Trump, upon assuming office, vowed to lead the largest deportation drive and crackdown on illegal immigrants in the United States.
According to officials, more than 8,000 of the revoked visas were student visas, a figure that is more than double the number recorded in 2024.
Officials say the visa revocations were driven by a range of security and criminal concerns, including DUIs, assault and theft, offences that together accounted for nearly half of all cancellations over the past year.
“These are people who pose a direct threat to our communities’ safety, and we do not want to have them in our country,” a U.S. official said.
The update comes as Trump, upon assuming office, vowed to lead the largest deportation drive and crackdown on illegal immigrants in the United States.
Criminal and security concerns
U.S. consular officers have been instructed to take a tougher approach to H-1B applications and deny visas to anyone found to have engaged in “censorship or attempted censorship” of protected speech in the United States.
In November, the Department of State cited assault, theft, and driving under the influence among the major reasons for the visa revocations.
Other reasons include terrorism, supporting terrorism, public safety threats, and overstaying visas.
The administration also moved to pause immigration from 19 countries already subject to partial or full travel restrictions.
Last week, the State Department announced a new visa-restriction policy targeting individuals accused of orchestrating anti-Christian violence in Nigeria and other parts of the world. The measure follows a series of deadly attacks in the West African nation.
U.S. consular officers have been instructed to take a tougher approach to H-1B applications and deny visas to anyone found to have engaged in “censorship or attempted censorship” of protected speech in the United States.
In November, the Department of State cited assault, theft, and driving under the influence among the major reasons for the visa revocations.
Other reasons include terrorism, supporting terrorism, public safety threats, and overstaying visas.
The administration also moved to pause immigration from 19 countries already subject to partial or full travel restrictions.
Last week, the State Department announced a new visa-restriction policy targeting individuals accused of orchestrating anti-Christian violence in Nigeria and other parts of the world. The measure follows a series of deadly attacks in the West African nation.
By Adekunle Agbetiloye, Business Insider Africa
Wednesday, December 10, 2025
Dangote announces $700m education fund for Nigerians
Aliko Dangote, chairman of the Dangote Group, says his foundation will invest $700 million in the education of Nigerians over the next ten years.
Speaking on Sunday at the 2025 Doha Forum in Doha, Qatar, the business magnate committed to supporting over 155,000 Nigerians who will be drawn across secondary schools and universities in the country.
Dangote, during a panel session that featured Bill Dates and Sheikha Al Mayassa, discussed how innovation, philanthropy, and cultural investment are reshaping opportunity across Africa and beyond.
He said the investment is poised to reduce the number of children who are out of school in Nigeria and provide more man-power with the technical capacity to advance the economy of Nigeria.
“In Africa, we have a population of about 1.4 billion people, so partnership is important,” he said.
“Partnership also matters, that is why we partnered with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to eradicate polio in Nigeria.
“We have a lot of children that are out of school so what we are going to launch next week is a $700 million fund to fund education.
“We will run it for ten years then we review.
“We are doing that because we have a lot of challenges in Africa, one of which is training.”
Dangote noted that the Dangote Petrochemical has trained more than 50,000 Nigerians to ensure the smooth operation of the 160,000-barrel-per-day refinery.
He said the skilled workforce will be redeployed as part of the refinery’s ongoing expansion, while his investment in education will increase talents for industries in Nigeria.
By Daniel Nnamani, The Cable
Speaking on Sunday at the 2025 Doha Forum in Doha, Qatar, the business magnate committed to supporting over 155,000 Nigerians who will be drawn across secondary schools and universities in the country.
Dangote, during a panel session that featured Bill Dates and Sheikha Al Mayassa, discussed how innovation, philanthropy, and cultural investment are reshaping opportunity across Africa and beyond.
He said the investment is poised to reduce the number of children who are out of school in Nigeria and provide more man-power with the technical capacity to advance the economy of Nigeria.
“In Africa, we have a population of about 1.4 billion people, so partnership is important,” he said.
“Partnership also matters, that is why we partnered with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to eradicate polio in Nigeria.
“We have a lot of children that are out of school so what we are going to launch next week is a $700 million fund to fund education.
“We will run it for ten years then we review.
“We are doing that because we have a lot of challenges in Africa, one of which is training.”
Dangote noted that the Dangote Petrochemical has trained more than 50,000 Nigerians to ensure the smooth operation of the 160,000-barrel-per-day refinery.
He said the skilled workforce will be redeployed as part of the refinery’s ongoing expansion, while his investment in education will increase talents for industries in Nigeria.
Nine women shot dead during protest in Nigeria
Nigerian Army soldiers opened fire and killed nine women protesting the army's handling of communal clashes in the northeastern Adamawa state, witnesses and Amnesty International told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
The women were protesting on Monday along a major road in Adamawa's local government, Lamurde, when the soldiers shot at them after being blocked from passing, witnesses and victims' relatives told the AP in detail, first reported on Tuesday. Ten others were injured in the shooting, witnesses said.
The Nigerian Army, in a statement, denied killing anyone and blamed the deaths on a local militia it said opened fire in the area.
Amnesty International's Nigeria office said the agency confirmed soldiers killed the nine protesters, citing accounts from witnesses and families of victims.
“It shows that the Nigerian military has not changed much because of its past record of human rights violations and disregard for the rule of law,” according to Isa Sanusi, director of Amnesty International in Nigeria.
The Associated Press could not independently verify what happened.
Such killings are common across Nigeria, where soldiers often deployed in response to protests and clashes are usually accused of excessive use of force. Protests against police brutality in Nigeria’s economic hub of Lagos in 2020 ended up in what a government-commissioned inquiry described as a massacre after soldiers opened fire at the protest venue.
The latest incident happened amid a curfew that authorities imposed in Lamurde following frequent clashes between Adamawa's Bachama and Chobo ethnic groups over a prolonged land dispute.
The protesters were aggrieved that security forces, including the soldiers, were not enforcing the curfew in affected areas, thereby allowing the clashes to continue, according to Lawson Ignatius, the councillor representing Lamurde in the local government parliament.
Gyele Kennedy, who said his daughter was among the protesters shot dead, lamented in anguish that “we don’t know what came over them.”
“These soldiers were leaving where the conflict happened, and they came to pass through this place. They came and met the women protesting when one of the soldiers shot his gun in the air. After that, they opened fire on the women,” said Kennedy.
The Nigerian Army, however, denied the claims, saying its soldiers only engaged a local militia in a different part of the town.
“Without equivocation, the casualties were caused by the unprofessional handling of automatic weapons by the local militias who are not proficiently trained to handle such automatic weapons,” an army spokesman said.
The reported killings come as the Nigerian military is under scrutiny from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has alleged that Christians are being targeted in Nigeria's security crises and that the security forces are not doing enough to prevent the killings. Residents have told the AP that both Christians and Muslims are affected in the widespread violence plaguing Nigerian villages.
Amnesty International's Nigeria office called for the reported killings to be investigated and the perpetrators held accountable.
The women were protesting on Monday along a major road in Adamawa's local government, Lamurde, when the soldiers shot at them after being blocked from passing, witnesses and victims' relatives told the AP in detail, first reported on Tuesday. Ten others were injured in the shooting, witnesses said.
The Nigerian Army, in a statement, denied killing anyone and blamed the deaths on a local militia it said opened fire in the area.
Amnesty International's Nigeria office said the agency confirmed soldiers killed the nine protesters, citing accounts from witnesses and families of victims.
“It shows that the Nigerian military has not changed much because of its past record of human rights violations and disregard for the rule of law,” according to Isa Sanusi, director of Amnesty International in Nigeria.
The Associated Press could not independently verify what happened.
Such killings are common across Nigeria, where soldiers often deployed in response to protests and clashes are usually accused of excessive use of force. Protests against police brutality in Nigeria’s economic hub of Lagos in 2020 ended up in what a government-commissioned inquiry described as a massacre after soldiers opened fire at the protest venue.
The latest incident happened amid a curfew that authorities imposed in Lamurde following frequent clashes between Adamawa's Bachama and Chobo ethnic groups over a prolonged land dispute.
The protesters were aggrieved that security forces, including the soldiers, were not enforcing the curfew in affected areas, thereby allowing the clashes to continue, according to Lawson Ignatius, the councillor representing Lamurde in the local government parliament.
Gyele Kennedy, who said his daughter was among the protesters shot dead, lamented in anguish that “we don’t know what came over them.”
“These soldiers were leaving where the conflict happened, and they came to pass through this place. They came and met the women protesting when one of the soldiers shot his gun in the air. After that, they opened fire on the women,” said Kennedy.
The Nigerian Army, however, denied the claims, saying its soldiers only engaged a local militia in a different part of the town.
“Without equivocation, the casualties were caused by the unprofessional handling of automatic weapons by the local militias who are not proficiently trained to handle such automatic weapons,” an army spokesman said.
The reported killings come as the Nigerian military is under scrutiny from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has alleged that Christians are being targeted in Nigeria's security crises and that the security forces are not doing enough to prevent the killings. Residents have told the AP that both Christians and Muslims are affected in the widespread violence plaguing Nigerian villages.
Amnesty International's Nigeria office called for the reported killings to be investigated and the perpetrators held accountable.
Armed kidnappings are keeping thousands of Nigerian children out of school
Sending children to school has become too dangerous for many families in Nigeria.
Over the last decade, it has become almost routine for Nigerian schoolchildren to be abducted en masse from their classrooms and held hostage by armed gunmen.
The government has repeatedly vowed to improve security at schools to prevent these kidnappings. But after more than 300 children were taken from a Catholic school in Niger state last month, Amnesty International says parents have lost all faith that things will get better.
"They are telling us that they are scared, they are afraid, and they are not comfortable with having their children at schools," Isa Sanusi, the human rights group’s Nigeria director, told As It Happens host Nil Köksal.
"Many parents would rather keep their children at home, keep them away from school because they believe that will keep them safer and away from the cold hands of kidnappers."
Since last month’s kidnapping, Amnesty says 20,468 schools across seven states in Nigeria have closed their doors indefinitely.
The organization doesn’t have a tally of how many children have been pulled out of school this past month. But given that some rural schools pack as many as 100 students into a single classroom, Sanusi says the number is likely "staggering."
Even before this latest attack, the United Nations estimated Nigeria has one of the highest numbers of unschooled children in the world at 20 million, partly because parents fear kidnappings.
Over the last decade, it has become almost routine for Nigerian schoolchildren to be abducted en masse from their classrooms and held hostage by armed gunmen.
The government has repeatedly vowed to improve security at schools to prevent these kidnappings. But after more than 300 children were taken from a Catholic school in Niger state last month, Amnesty International says parents have lost all faith that things will get better.
"They are telling us that they are scared, they are afraid, and they are not comfortable with having their children at schools," Isa Sanusi, the human rights group’s Nigeria director, told As It Happens host Nil Köksal.
"Many parents would rather keep their children at home, keep them away from school because they believe that will keep them safer and away from the cold hands of kidnappers."
Since last month’s kidnapping, Amnesty says 20,468 schools across seven states in Nigeria have closed their doors indefinitely.
The organization doesn’t have a tally of how many children have been pulled out of school this past month. But given that some rural schools pack as many as 100 students into a single classroom, Sanusi says the number is likely "staggering."
Even before this latest attack, the United Nations estimated Nigeria has one of the highest numbers of unschooled children in the world at 20 million, partly because parents fear kidnappings.
100 kids reunited with their families this week
On Monday, the government of Nigeria secured the release of 100 students who were abducted from St. Mary's Catholic School in Papiri village on Nov. 21.
The kids arrived in armored trucks at the government house in Niger state's capital Minna before being reunited with their families.
The Christian Association of Nigeria says more than 300 students and 12 staff members were taken from St. Mary’s, and 50 managed to escape their captors.
More than 100 victims are unaccounted for, although the exact number remains unclear.
"My directive to our security forces remains that all the students and other abducted Nigerians across the country must be rescued and brought back home safely," President Bola Tinubu said. "We must account for all the victims."
The St. Mary’s attack was far from an isolated incident. School kidnappings surged over the last decade since Boko Haram militants abducted 276 girls from the eastern town Chibok in 2014.
Earlier in November, gunmen attacked a government-run girls' boarding school in Kebbi state, killing the vice-principal and taking 25 students. All but one of the girls are still missing.
Activists from the Bring Back Our Girls movement, which emerged after the Chibok kidnappings, estimate that 1,800 Nigerian children have been abducted in the intervening years.
The movement's co-founder, Bukky Shonibare, says these kidnappings are part of a systemic failure spanning more than 11 years.
"Abduction of schoolchildren is not yet a national priority in Nigeria," Shonibare told As It Happens last month. "Until it is a national priority, it will not be backed by real investments, real actions, you know, and real accountability."
Nigeria’s government has not disclosed how it got the 100 St. Mary’s children back, but over the years, it has repeatedly denied paying ransom to criminal groups.
Sanusi, however, says Nigerians don’t believe it. He says gangs and militant groups target schools because it’s a profitable venture.
"They will not stop, because they are getting what they want," he said.
On Monday, the government of Nigeria secured the release of 100 students who were abducted from St. Mary's Catholic School in Papiri village on Nov. 21.
The kids arrived in armored trucks at the government house in Niger state's capital Minna before being reunited with their families.
The Christian Association of Nigeria says more than 300 students and 12 staff members were taken from St. Mary’s, and 50 managed to escape their captors.
More than 100 victims are unaccounted for, although the exact number remains unclear.
"My directive to our security forces remains that all the students and other abducted Nigerians across the country must be rescued and brought back home safely," President Bola Tinubu said. "We must account for all the victims."
The St. Mary’s attack was far from an isolated incident. School kidnappings surged over the last decade since Boko Haram militants abducted 276 girls from the eastern town Chibok in 2014.
Earlier in November, gunmen attacked a government-run girls' boarding school in Kebbi state, killing the vice-principal and taking 25 students. All but one of the girls are still missing.
Activists from the Bring Back Our Girls movement, which emerged after the Chibok kidnappings, estimate that 1,800 Nigerian children have been abducted in the intervening years.
The movement's co-founder, Bukky Shonibare, says these kidnappings are part of a systemic failure spanning more than 11 years.
"Abduction of schoolchildren is not yet a national priority in Nigeria," Shonibare told As It Happens last month. "Until it is a national priority, it will not be backed by real investments, real actions, you know, and real accountability."
Nigeria’s government has not disclosed how it got the 100 St. Mary’s children back, but over the years, it has repeatedly denied paying ransom to criminal groups.
Sanusi, however, says Nigerians don’t believe it. He says gangs and militant groups target schools because it’s a profitable venture.
"They will not stop, because they are getting what they want," he said.
Boys go to work, girls get married
Sanusi says Amnesty has interviewed children who survived these abductions. They live in fear, he says, and show no interest in continuing their studies.
"It makes them feel that there is danger associated with seeking education, there is danger associated with going to school," he said.
Thirteen-year-old Stephen Samuel, one of the St. Mary’s children who escaped, told Reuters that even if all the hostages were released, he was not sure life could ever go back to normal.
"Will we be able to go to school again? Which school will we go to?" he asked. "I am thinking maybe school has ended."
Instead, Sanusi says kids are forced to take on adult roles.
"For boys, they are mostly sent to go and do hard labour to support the family," he said. "For the girls, they are mostly married underage and sent to live with their new husbands in urban areas and cities where it is safer and away from the hands of kidnappers."
The attacks, he says, have largely targeted Nigeria’s rural areas, where people are already struggling to make ends meet.
The United Nations World Food Programme estimates that 35 million people could go hungry in Nigeria in 2026, with rural farming communities facing the brunt of the economic crisis.
"So for some parents who are struggling to survive, [pulling their kids from school] comes as a relief for them economically," Sanusi said.
But he says it’s a nasty cycle that perpetuates poverty.
"A whole generation of children may end up missing out entirely on education," he said. "That this is a very serious matter for the future of the children, and the country itself."
Sanusi says Amnesty has interviewed children who survived these abductions. They live in fear, he says, and show no interest in continuing their studies.
"It makes them feel that there is danger associated with seeking education, there is danger associated with going to school," he said.
Thirteen-year-old Stephen Samuel, one of the St. Mary’s children who escaped, told Reuters that even if all the hostages were released, he was not sure life could ever go back to normal.
"Will we be able to go to school again? Which school will we go to?" he asked. "I am thinking maybe school has ended."
Instead, Sanusi says kids are forced to take on adult roles.
"For boys, they are mostly sent to go and do hard labour to support the family," he said. "For the girls, they are mostly married underage and sent to live with their new husbands in urban areas and cities where it is safer and away from the hands of kidnappers."
The attacks, he says, have largely targeted Nigeria’s rural areas, where people are already struggling to make ends meet.
The United Nations World Food Programme estimates that 35 million people could go hungry in Nigeria in 2026, with rural farming communities facing the brunt of the economic crisis.
"So for some parents who are struggling to survive, [pulling their kids from school] comes as a relief for them economically," Sanusi said.
But he says it’s a nasty cycle that perpetuates poverty.
"A whole generation of children may end up missing out entirely on education," he said. "That this is a very serious matter for the future of the children, and the country itself."
Tuesday, December 9, 2025
Video - Nigeria tightens cash withdrawal limits
Nigeria's central bank capped weekly access for individuals at $345 and $3,450 for businesses. The move is designed to combat money laundering, boost financial security, and support the shift to a cashless economy.
Hundreds of mutilated bodies found in suspected Nigerian organ-harvesting ring
An extensive organ-harvesting ring has been uncovered in Nigeria after weeks of covert surveillance, local officials have said.
In a statement shared on X, the Imo State Police Command said their investigation was launched after reports of a worrying spate of kidnappings near a hotel and mortuary in Ngor Okpala.
According to police, intelligence-led investigations went on to identify a man called High Chief Stanley Oparaugo, also known as "Morocco," as the suspected leader of the criminal network and who is now on the run and wanted, per reports.
Oparaugo is alleged to own Jessy Best Hotel in Ihitte Okwe and the nearby mortuary known as Ugwudi.
Police said victims were said to have been lured into the hotel before being robbed and abducted, with families also forced to pay ransom.
Authorities said some people who paid never saw their loved ones again.
The Command said abducted victims were then taken from the hotel to the mortuary, where they were allegedly killed and their organs harvested for sale.
When officers raided the Jessy Best Hotel, it was abandoned, but at the mortuary they found decomposed and mutilated corpses.
Police spokesperson Henry Okoye said more than 100 bodies had been found.
"A hotel and a private mortuary owned by the suspect, allegedly used by kidnappers and violent criminals, were inspected," he said in a statement.
"At the mortuary, decomposed and mutilated corpses were discovered in unhygienic conditions, raising suspicions of illegal organ-harvesting activities."
He added that the suspect’s residence was also searched and "crucial exhibits" were recovered, with forensic teams documenting evidence for the ongoing investigation.
"Maximum security has been deployed along the Owerri–Aba Expressway. The Command assures travelers during the holidays of its commitment to their safety," he added.
Nigeria has seen a rising amount of crime with kidnappings and abductions.
By Emma Bussey, Fox News
In a statement shared on X, the Imo State Police Command said their investigation was launched after reports of a worrying spate of kidnappings near a hotel and mortuary in Ngor Okpala.
According to police, intelligence-led investigations went on to identify a man called High Chief Stanley Oparaugo, also known as "Morocco," as the suspected leader of the criminal network and who is now on the run and wanted, per reports.
Oparaugo is alleged to own Jessy Best Hotel in Ihitte Okwe and the nearby mortuary known as Ugwudi.
Police said victims were said to have been lured into the hotel before being robbed and abducted, with families also forced to pay ransom.
Authorities said some people who paid never saw their loved ones again.
The Command said abducted victims were then taken from the hotel to the mortuary, where they were allegedly killed and their organs harvested for sale.
When officers raided the Jessy Best Hotel, it was abandoned, but at the mortuary they found decomposed and mutilated corpses.
Police spokesperson Henry Okoye said more than 100 bodies had been found.
"A hotel and a private mortuary owned by the suspect, allegedly used by kidnappers and violent criminals, were inspected," he said in a statement.
"At the mortuary, decomposed and mutilated corpses were discovered in unhygienic conditions, raising suspicions of illegal organ-harvesting activities."
He added that the suspect’s residence was also searched and "crucial exhibits" were recovered, with forensic teams documenting evidence for the ongoing investigation.
"Maximum security has been deployed along the Owerri–Aba Expressway. The Command assures travelers during the holidays of its commitment to their safety," he added.
Nigeria has seen a rising amount of crime with kidnappings and abductions.
Nigerian troops held in Burkina Faso after ‘unfriendly’ emergency landing
Eleven Nigerian military personnel are being held in Burkina Faso after a Nigerian plane reportedly entered Burkinabé airspace without authorisation on Monday, the latest twist in a region enmeshed in multiple political and security crises.
In a statement on Monday evening, the breakaway Alliance of Sahel States (AES), of which Burkina Faso is a member alongside Mali and Niger, said the C-130 transport aircraft had made an emergency landing in Bobo Dioulasso.
In the statement, Assimi Goita, the Malian junta president and leader of the AES, called the landing an “unfriendly act carried out in defiance of international law”. He directed the authorities in the member countries to act “to neutralise any aircraft that would violate the confederal space” in future.
On Monday, Nigerian authorities said the aircraft had been en route to Portugal for a ferry mission before “a technical concern which necessitated a precautionary landing”.
“[The] crew is safe and have received cordial treatment from the host authorities,” said Ehimen Ejodame, the Nigerian air force spokesperson who signed the statement. “Plans are ongoing to resume the mission as scheduled.”
The incident unfolded less than 24 hours after Nigeria took part in an intervention in Benin, Burkina Faso’s south-eastern neighbour, after a group of soldiers seized control of the national television station in Cotonou and announced the ousting of the president, Patrice Talon.
Authorities in Benin later said they had foiled the coup attempt and restored order, preventing what would have been the eighth successful coup in west Africa in five years.
A statement from the Nigerian government said its airstrikes –targeting a military base in Cotonou where some of the coup planners were reportedly holed up – happened at the behest of Talon and were in compliance with the protocols of the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas). Ivorian aircraft were also seen hovering over Beninese airspace during the crisis, pointing to a coordinated response by countries aligned with the regional bloc.
The states that make up the AES broke away from Ecowas, headquartered in Nigeria, after Ecowas threatened military intervention in Niger in 2023 to reinstate the democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, after he was ousted in a coup. The AES states accuse Ecowas of breaching territorial integrity and being a puppet of the west and have also drawn closer to Russia.
By Eromo Egbejule, The Guardian
In a statement on Monday evening, the breakaway Alliance of Sahel States (AES), of which Burkina Faso is a member alongside Mali and Niger, said the C-130 transport aircraft had made an emergency landing in Bobo Dioulasso.
In the statement, Assimi Goita, the Malian junta president and leader of the AES, called the landing an “unfriendly act carried out in defiance of international law”. He directed the authorities in the member countries to act “to neutralise any aircraft that would violate the confederal space” in future.
On Monday, Nigerian authorities said the aircraft had been en route to Portugal for a ferry mission before “a technical concern which necessitated a precautionary landing”.
“[The] crew is safe and have received cordial treatment from the host authorities,” said Ehimen Ejodame, the Nigerian air force spokesperson who signed the statement. “Plans are ongoing to resume the mission as scheduled.”
The incident unfolded less than 24 hours after Nigeria took part in an intervention in Benin, Burkina Faso’s south-eastern neighbour, after a group of soldiers seized control of the national television station in Cotonou and announced the ousting of the president, Patrice Talon.
Authorities in Benin later said they had foiled the coup attempt and restored order, preventing what would have been the eighth successful coup in west Africa in five years.
A statement from the Nigerian government said its airstrikes –targeting a military base in Cotonou where some of the coup planners were reportedly holed up – happened at the behest of Talon and were in compliance with the protocols of the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas). Ivorian aircraft were also seen hovering over Beninese airspace during the crisis, pointing to a coordinated response by countries aligned with the regional bloc.
The states that make up the AES broke away from Ecowas, headquartered in Nigeria, after Ecowas threatened military intervention in Niger in 2023 to reinstate the democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, after he was ousted in a coup. The AES states accuse Ecowas of breaching territorial integrity and being a puppet of the west and have also drawn closer to Russia.
Monday, December 8, 2025
Video - Nigeria's first airshow aims for regional aviation leadership
Nigeria’s inaugural international airshow showcased the country’s ambitions to lead in regional aviation. Organizers aim to establish Lagos and Abuja as major aviation hubs for West and Central Africa.
Video - Nigeria rescues 100 abducted schoolchildren in Niger state
Nigerian authorities freed 100 schoolchildren kidnapped last month in Niger state. The release was confirmed by the Christian Association of Nigeria.
Nigeria says it deployed jets, troops to Benin to ‘dislodge coup plotters’
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has confirmed deploying fighter jets and ground troops to neighbouring Benin to help foil a coup attempt by a group of Beninese soldiers.
In a statement on Sunday, Tinubu’s office said Nigeria’s military intervened in Benin after President Patrice Talon’s government issued two requests for help, including for “immediate Nigerian air support”.
Tinubu first ordered Nigerian fighter jets to enter Benin and “take over the airspace to help dislodge the coup plotters from the National TV and a military camp where they had regrouped”, the statement said.
Nigeria’s military sent in ground troops later, after Benin’s government asked for their support in “the protection of constitutional institutions and the containment of armed groups”, it said.
Tinubu praised his troops and said they had helped “stabilise a neighbouring country”.
The Nigerian statement came shortly after Talon, the president of Benin, appeared on national television and said his security forces had successfully blocked the attempt to overthrow his government.
By David D. Lee, Al Jazeera
In a statement on Sunday, Tinubu’s office said Nigeria’s military intervened in Benin after President Patrice Talon’s government issued two requests for help, including for “immediate Nigerian air support”.
Tinubu first ordered Nigerian fighter jets to enter Benin and “take over the airspace to help dislodge the coup plotters from the National TV and a military camp where they had regrouped”, the statement said.
Nigeria’s military sent in ground troops later, after Benin’s government asked for their support in “the protection of constitutional institutions and the containment of armed groups”, it said.
Tinubu praised his troops and said they had helped “stabilise a neighbouring country”.
The Nigerian statement came shortly after Talon, the president of Benin, appeared on national television and said his security forces had successfully blocked the attempt to overthrow his government.
Talon promises punishment
Talon said forces loyal to him “stood firm, recaptured our positions, and cleared the last pockets of resistance held by the mutineers”.
“This commitment and mobilisation enabled us to defeat these adventurers and to prevent the worst for our country,” he said. “This treachery will not go unpunished.”
The Benin president added that his thoughts were with the victims of the coup attempt as well as with a number of people who have been held by the fleeing mutineers.
He did not give details.
The unrest was the latest threat to democratic governance in the region, where militaries have in recent years seized power in Benin’s neighbours Niger and Burkina Faso, as well as in Mali, Guinea and, only last month, Guinea-Bissau. But it was an unexpected development in Benin, where the last successful coup took place in 1972.
A government spokesperson, Wilfried Leandre Houngbedji, said that 14 people had been arrested in connection with the coup attempt as of Sunday afternoon, without providing details.
One security source told the AFP news agency that all the detainees were soldiers in active service, except one who was ex-military. It was not clear if Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri, the coup leader, had been apprehended.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Olushegun Adjadi Bakari told the Reuters news agency that the soldiers had only managed to briefly take control of the state TV network.
While gunfire had been heard in some locations of the country’s commercial hub, Cotonou, during the coup attempt, the city has been relatively calm since early afternoon, according to residents.
Talon said forces loyal to him “stood firm, recaptured our positions, and cleared the last pockets of resistance held by the mutineers”.
“This commitment and mobilisation enabled us to defeat these adventurers and to prevent the worst for our country,” he said. “This treachery will not go unpunished.”
The Benin president added that his thoughts were with the victims of the coup attempt as well as with a number of people who have been held by the fleeing mutineers.
He did not give details.
The unrest was the latest threat to democratic governance in the region, where militaries have in recent years seized power in Benin’s neighbours Niger and Burkina Faso, as well as in Mali, Guinea and, only last month, Guinea-Bissau. But it was an unexpected development in Benin, where the last successful coup took place in 1972.
A government spokesperson, Wilfried Leandre Houngbedji, said that 14 people had been arrested in connection with the coup attempt as of Sunday afternoon, without providing details.
One security source told the AFP news agency that all the detainees were soldiers in active service, except one who was ex-military. It was not clear if Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri, the coup leader, had been apprehended.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Olushegun Adjadi Bakari told the Reuters news agency that the soldiers had only managed to briefly take control of the state TV network.
While gunfire had been heard in some locations of the country’s commercial hub, Cotonou, during the coup attempt, the city has been relatively calm since early afternoon, according to residents.
ECOWAS to send troops
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) regional bloc and the African Union also condemned the coup attempt.
In a statement later on Sunday, ECOWAS said it had ordered the immediate deployment of elements of its standby force to Benin, including troops from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, the Ivory Coast and Ghana.
It said the troops would help the Beninese government and army “preserve constitutional order and the territorial integrity of the Republic of Benin”.
The coup attempt came as Benin prepares for a presidential election in April, which is expected to mark the end of Talon’s tenure.
Last month, Benin adopted a new constitution, creating a Senate and extending the presidential mandate from five to seven years. Critics have described the reforms as a power grab by the governing coalition, which has chosen Minister of Economy and Finance Romuald Wadagni as its candidate.
The opposition Democrats party, founded by Talon’s predecessor, Thomas Boni Yayi, has meanwhile seen its proposed candidate rejected because of what a court ruled was insufficient backing from lawmakers.
Ibrahim Yahaya Ibrahim, deputy director of the Sahel Project at the International Crisis Group, told Al Jazeera that the coup bids in Benin and other African countries have been partly driven by governments rejecting their democratic responsibilities.
“In recent days and recent months, we have all been holding our breath about what could happen in many countries that are either facing security situations that are bad, or are coming to an election, where there is no clarity on whether the rulers will be respecting the rules of the democratic game,” Yahaya said.
“That is a good part of the story [in Benin]. President Talon has accepted to step down in a context where many other leaders are trying to add new terms. We saw it in Cote d’Ivoire, we saw it in Cameroon recently, and many other cases. But the less positive part of the story is that the leader of the opposition’s candidacy has been invalidated in Benin,” he added.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) regional bloc and the African Union also condemned the coup attempt.
In a statement later on Sunday, ECOWAS said it had ordered the immediate deployment of elements of its standby force to Benin, including troops from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, the Ivory Coast and Ghana.
It said the troops would help the Beninese government and army “preserve constitutional order and the territorial integrity of the Republic of Benin”.
The coup attempt came as Benin prepares for a presidential election in April, which is expected to mark the end of Talon’s tenure.
Last month, Benin adopted a new constitution, creating a Senate and extending the presidential mandate from five to seven years. Critics have described the reforms as a power grab by the governing coalition, which has chosen Minister of Economy and Finance Romuald Wadagni as its candidate.
The opposition Democrats party, founded by Talon’s predecessor, Thomas Boni Yayi, has meanwhile seen its proposed candidate rejected because of what a court ruled was insufficient backing from lawmakers.
Ibrahim Yahaya Ibrahim, deputy director of the Sahel Project at the International Crisis Group, told Al Jazeera that the coup bids in Benin and other African countries have been partly driven by governments rejecting their democratic responsibilities.
“In recent days and recent months, we have all been holding our breath about what could happen in many countries that are either facing security situations that are bad, or are coming to an election, where there is no clarity on whether the rulers will be respecting the rules of the democratic game,” Yahaya said.
“That is a good part of the story [in Benin]. President Talon has accepted to step down in a context where many other leaders are trying to add new terms. We saw it in Cote d’Ivoire, we saw it in Cameroon recently, and many other cases. But the less positive part of the story is that the leader of the opposition’s candidacy has been invalidated in Benin,” he added.
One hundred abducted schoolchildren released in Nigeria
About 100 children who were abducted from a Catholic school in central Nigeria last month have been freed, authorities say.
Niger state's police chief, Adamu Abdullahi Elleman, and Bishop Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, who is in charge of the school as the local leader of the Catholic community, both told the BBC that they had received confirmation of the students' release.
They said the news had been confirmed by the president's national security advisor, but Bishop Yohanna said it was not clear when the children would be reunited with their parents.
More than 250 students and 12 staff were kidnapped from St Mary's Catholic school in Papiri, the latest in a wave of mass abductions.
Bishop Yohanna said he presumed the authorities may need time to process the pupils and provide necessary support before announcing a formal handover. He added that he did not know the students' current whereabouts.
Details about their release remain unclear, including whether it was secured through negotiation or by force, and whether any ransoms were paid.
The governor of neighbouring Nasarawa state, Abdullahi Sule, told local media that the federal government had played a key role in securing their release, adding that the behind-the-scenes efforts could not be disclosed for security reasons.
Last week, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu visited Papiri and met a delegation led by Bishop Yohanna, assuring them the children would soon be rescued and reunited with their families.
Schools and places of worship have increasingly been targeted in the latest wave of attacks in north and central Nigeria.
The attack on St Mary's, on 21 November, was preceded by mass kidnappings just days earlier: on 18 November, two people were killed and 38 abducted in an attack on the Christ Apostolic Church in Kwara state, and a day before that, two were killed and 25 Muslim students abducted from Government Girls' Secondary School in Kebbi state.
All those taken in the Kwara and Kebbi attacks have since been freed.
Last week gunmen abducted at least 20 people in two separate attacks - at a newly established church in central Kogi state, where a pastor, his wife and some worshipers were taken, and in the mostly Muslim northern Sokoto state, where a bride and her bridesmaids were among those kidnapped.
It is not clear who is behind these kidnappings - most analysts believe they are carried out by criminal gangs seeking ransom payments. However, a presidential spokesman earlier told the BBC that the government believes they are the work of jihadist groups.
The paying of ransoms has been made illegal in Nigeria in an attempt to cut the supply of funds to the kidnap gangs but it is widely believed that in many cases money is still handed over.
Nigeria's security crisis attracted the international spotlight last month after US President Donald Trump threatened to send over troops if the government "continues to allow the killing of Christians".
Nigerian officials and analysts say that members of all faiths are victims of the violence and kidnappings and say it is not true that Christians are being targeted.
By Madina Maishanu and Basillioh Rukanga, BBC
Niger state's police chief, Adamu Abdullahi Elleman, and Bishop Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, who is in charge of the school as the local leader of the Catholic community, both told the BBC that they had received confirmation of the students' release.
They said the news had been confirmed by the president's national security advisor, but Bishop Yohanna said it was not clear when the children would be reunited with their parents.
More than 250 students and 12 staff were kidnapped from St Mary's Catholic school in Papiri, the latest in a wave of mass abductions.
Bishop Yohanna said he presumed the authorities may need time to process the pupils and provide necessary support before announcing a formal handover. He added that he did not know the students' current whereabouts.
Details about their release remain unclear, including whether it was secured through negotiation or by force, and whether any ransoms were paid.
The governor of neighbouring Nasarawa state, Abdullahi Sule, told local media that the federal government had played a key role in securing their release, adding that the behind-the-scenes efforts could not be disclosed for security reasons.
Last week, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu visited Papiri and met a delegation led by Bishop Yohanna, assuring them the children would soon be rescued and reunited with their families.
Schools and places of worship have increasingly been targeted in the latest wave of attacks in north and central Nigeria.
The attack on St Mary's, on 21 November, was preceded by mass kidnappings just days earlier: on 18 November, two people were killed and 38 abducted in an attack on the Christ Apostolic Church in Kwara state, and a day before that, two were killed and 25 Muslim students abducted from Government Girls' Secondary School in Kebbi state.
All those taken in the Kwara and Kebbi attacks have since been freed.
Last week gunmen abducted at least 20 people in two separate attacks - at a newly established church in central Kogi state, where a pastor, his wife and some worshipers were taken, and in the mostly Muslim northern Sokoto state, where a bride and her bridesmaids were among those kidnapped.
It is not clear who is behind these kidnappings - most analysts believe they are carried out by criminal gangs seeking ransom payments. However, a presidential spokesman earlier told the BBC that the government believes they are the work of jihadist groups.
The paying of ransoms has been made illegal in Nigeria in an attempt to cut the supply of funds to the kidnap gangs but it is widely believed that in many cases money is still handed over.
Nigeria's security crisis attracted the international spotlight last month after US President Donald Trump threatened to send over troops if the government "continues to allow the killing of Christians".
Nigerian officials and analysts say that members of all faiths are victims of the violence and kidnappings and say it is not true that Christians are being targeted.
Friday, December 5, 2025
Video - Nigeria school closures leave families in uncertainty
Following the mass abduction at St Mary’s school in Niger State, thousands of schools across northern Nigeria remain shut. Parents fear for their children’s safety and academic future as closures persist and concerns grow about students being drawn into online crime. With no clear reopening date, families are struggling to keep learning on track at home.
Video - President Tinubu approves delegation for US security talks
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu approved a delegation in late November to meet with the United States on security cooperation and intelligence sharing. The talks follow US criticisms over alleged attacks on Christians in Nigeria, which the government has denied.
William Troost-Ekong: Nigeria captain explains international retirement ahead of AFCON
The weight of expectation and subsequent pressure to deliver is one that's now synonymous with international football.
Fans of all countries rest their dreams on a team of 11, a squad of 23 in total, and a manager tying it all together to achieve national pride.
When that doesn't happen, chaos ensues. Superstars who were once national heroes for their successes across the globe are quickly labelled villains and become the focal point of what can be an inescapable abuse.
Sometimes, the scriptwriters leave the fate of a nation to the finest of margins. A penalty shoot-out, a late goal, a refereeing decision. Or sometimes the issues tell a tale of wider infrastructural oversights.
For William Troost-Ekong, the now former captain of Nigeria after he decided to call time on a decade-long career as a Super Eagle, that "pressure was a privilege."
The centre-back will not be at the Africa Cup of Nations. His international retirement will come as a shock to many Nigerians.
Most, who looked forward to righting the wrongs of the 2023 final defeat against Ivory Coast and their most recent failure to reach the World Cup for the second consecutive time, have been left bewildered by the timing. However, it's a decision that Troost-Ekong has battled with for some time.
"I just felt like the right time for me," Troost-Ekong told Sky Sports.
"It feels like a chapter is closing. But I also feel happy, I feel proud. I've had such a great run with the Super Eagles to be part of the team for over 10 years.
"It's been such a big part of my identity, something I've been so proud of. Just to be part of the team is one of the biggest honours that I've had in my life so far.
"For me to grow into becoming a captain of the team is something that I couldn't have even imagined at the start of it.
"It's bittersweet, but it just felt like the right time for me."
Troost-Ekong retires as Nigeria's ninth-most capped player, with 83 appearances to his name.
His time with the national team was a rollercoaster. There were highs interlinked with the lows, along with doubts and disagreements. Troost-Ekong was part of a Nigeria team that earned a bronze medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics before achieving third place at the 2021 AFCON.
In 2023, he led Nigeria to the AFCON final as captain, becoming the competition's highest-scoring defender ever while also being named Player of the Tournament. A career highlight, scoring in the final to open the scoring, became a low, shipping two goals to hosts Ivory Coast, and losing as favourites for the competition.
"It feels surreal," Troost-Ekong says as he describes the feeling of dragging his nation to an AFCON final.
"I think maybe because I already had the first thoughts about stopping at that time. I was probably more emotional.
"I wasn't in the best relationship with the coach that we had at the time, even though we made up afterwards and I went to the tournament.
"So to be there, I was just trying to enjoy it as much as I could because I kind of said to myself, 'this would be my last tournament'.
"It wasn't until we finished the tournament, and I thought, wow, that was something really special to be a part of. And I think I managed to show my best version and lead the team as well as I could."
Troost-Ekong was in tears after the final whistle blew in Abidjan. But as his sorrow turned to pride, anger from fans who felt their team should have won turned to abuse, platformed by a harsh Nigerian media.
Fulham duo Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi felt the full brunt of the abuse as their Premier League status came with expectation that they failed to deliver upon.
An unforgiving media alongside a passionate fanbase is a recipe for disaster when things don't go your way.
"Was the media scrutiny too much? Maybe at times. When I got older, I kind of had to learn how to deal with that.
"And I think the best way is through experiencing it. I think you have to share that. I don't think you've got to take that upon yourself because it's not just me playing in the team.
"But as a team, my role was definitely growing in that and change because you have to try and absorb that and try to keep everyone level-headed.
"It's difficult to do because there are so many moving parts, whether it's the manager, whether it's within the federation, or of course, the fans who want the best for the team and are so passionate, which is also the beauty of Nigerian football.
"It can be a lot sometimes. So, I think you just try to create a circle around the team and you treat that as a family."
Troost-Ekong has stepped away from the "family" in a playing capacity but believes the foundations have been laid to achieve success. However, Nigeria haven't won the tournament since 2013. Every year spent without the trophy since has spelt failure for a nation consistently among the favourites and among the competition's most valuable squads.
Having said that, players such as Iwobi and Bassey have grown more mature.
Victor Osimhen's performances at the height of the European game have sustained, while the likes of Ademola Lookman and Wilfried Ndidi will hope to play a key role this AFCON.
"I feel like there's been a gradual passing of the baton from where I am as one of the leaders and captain of the team," Troost-Ekong said.
"It's time to step away and let the next generation and the boys I've been playing with for the last years give them a chance to write their own story.
"The team are very well placed to achieve something at this AFCON.
"The last AFCON taught us so much. Of course, losing that, you learn a lot. You understand how to play that occasion better when it comes.
"I think the team will be unfazed now until that moment and they'll definitely want to put those wrongs right.
"I'll be there to support them as much as I can because I think if we have a chance to win the AFCON now in Morocco, I would still feel like I've been a part of that generation, the set of players, even though I wouldn't be there at that moment.
"It would be a beautiful way to kind of crown the generation of players that we've had now and also give them the respect that they, over the years, probably deserved. But you need to earn it. There's been a golden set before 2013 that won it."
Morocco awaits Nigeria. But within all that, the opportunity to stand on the shoulders of Nigerian giants. Their problem? Whether the steps needed to climb the distance are achievable amid the dense pressure.
Fans of all countries rest their dreams on a team of 11, a squad of 23 in total, and a manager tying it all together to achieve national pride.
When that doesn't happen, chaos ensues. Superstars who were once national heroes for their successes across the globe are quickly labelled villains and become the focal point of what can be an inescapable abuse.
Sometimes, the scriptwriters leave the fate of a nation to the finest of margins. A penalty shoot-out, a late goal, a refereeing decision. Or sometimes the issues tell a tale of wider infrastructural oversights.
For William Troost-Ekong, the now former captain of Nigeria after he decided to call time on a decade-long career as a Super Eagle, that "pressure was a privilege."
The centre-back will not be at the Africa Cup of Nations. His international retirement will come as a shock to many Nigerians.
Most, who looked forward to righting the wrongs of the 2023 final defeat against Ivory Coast and their most recent failure to reach the World Cup for the second consecutive time, have been left bewildered by the timing. However, it's a decision that Troost-Ekong has battled with for some time.
"I just felt like the right time for me," Troost-Ekong told Sky Sports.
"It feels like a chapter is closing. But I also feel happy, I feel proud. I've had such a great run with the Super Eagles to be part of the team for over 10 years.
"It's been such a big part of my identity, something I've been so proud of. Just to be part of the team is one of the biggest honours that I've had in my life so far.
"For me to grow into becoming a captain of the team is something that I couldn't have even imagined at the start of it.
"It's bittersweet, but it just felt like the right time for me."
Troost-Ekong retires as Nigeria's ninth-most capped player, with 83 appearances to his name.
His time with the national team was a rollercoaster. There were highs interlinked with the lows, along with doubts and disagreements. Troost-Ekong was part of a Nigeria team that earned a bronze medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics before achieving third place at the 2021 AFCON.
In 2023, he led Nigeria to the AFCON final as captain, becoming the competition's highest-scoring defender ever while also being named Player of the Tournament. A career highlight, scoring in the final to open the scoring, became a low, shipping two goals to hosts Ivory Coast, and losing as favourites for the competition.
"It feels surreal," Troost-Ekong says as he describes the feeling of dragging his nation to an AFCON final.
"I think maybe because I already had the first thoughts about stopping at that time. I was probably more emotional.
"I wasn't in the best relationship with the coach that we had at the time, even though we made up afterwards and I went to the tournament.
"So to be there, I was just trying to enjoy it as much as I could because I kind of said to myself, 'this would be my last tournament'.
"It wasn't until we finished the tournament, and I thought, wow, that was something really special to be a part of. And I think I managed to show my best version and lead the team as well as I could."
Troost-Ekong was in tears after the final whistle blew in Abidjan. But as his sorrow turned to pride, anger from fans who felt their team should have won turned to abuse, platformed by a harsh Nigerian media.
Fulham duo Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi felt the full brunt of the abuse as their Premier League status came with expectation that they failed to deliver upon.
An unforgiving media alongside a passionate fanbase is a recipe for disaster when things don't go your way.
"Was the media scrutiny too much? Maybe at times. When I got older, I kind of had to learn how to deal with that.
"And I think the best way is through experiencing it. I think you have to share that. I don't think you've got to take that upon yourself because it's not just me playing in the team.
"But as a team, my role was definitely growing in that and change because you have to try and absorb that and try to keep everyone level-headed.
"It's difficult to do because there are so many moving parts, whether it's the manager, whether it's within the federation, or of course, the fans who want the best for the team and are so passionate, which is also the beauty of Nigerian football.
"It can be a lot sometimes. So, I think you just try to create a circle around the team and you treat that as a family."
Troost-Ekong has stepped away from the "family" in a playing capacity but believes the foundations have been laid to achieve success. However, Nigeria haven't won the tournament since 2013. Every year spent without the trophy since has spelt failure for a nation consistently among the favourites and among the competition's most valuable squads.
Having said that, players such as Iwobi and Bassey have grown more mature.
Victor Osimhen's performances at the height of the European game have sustained, while the likes of Ademola Lookman and Wilfried Ndidi will hope to play a key role this AFCON.
"I feel like there's been a gradual passing of the baton from where I am as one of the leaders and captain of the team," Troost-Ekong said.
"It's time to step away and let the next generation and the boys I've been playing with for the last years give them a chance to write their own story.
"The team are very well placed to achieve something at this AFCON.
"The last AFCON taught us so much. Of course, losing that, you learn a lot. You understand how to play that occasion better when it comes.
"I think the team will be unfazed now until that moment and they'll definitely want to put those wrongs right.
"I'll be there to support them as much as I can because I think if we have a chance to win the AFCON now in Morocco, I would still feel like I've been a part of that generation, the set of players, even though I wouldn't be there at that moment.
"It would be a beautiful way to kind of crown the generation of players that we've had now and also give them the respect that they, over the years, probably deserved. But you need to earn it. There's been a golden set before 2013 that won it."
Morocco awaits Nigeria. But within all that, the opportunity to stand on the shoulders of Nigerian giants. Their problem? Whether the steps needed to climb the distance are achievable amid the dense pressure.
By William Bitibiri, Sky Sports
Thursday, December 4, 2025
Video - Nigeria’s northern governors and leaders discuss worsening insecurity
US to restrict visas of Nigerians responsible for violence against Christians
The United States will restrict visas for Nigerians and their family members responsible for mass killings and violence against Christians, the U.S. State Department said Wednesday.
“The United States is taking decisive action in response to the mass killings and violence against Christians by radical Islamic terrorists, Fulani ethnic militias, and other violent actors in Nigeria and beyond,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement posted on social platform X.
The secretary added that the policy would apply to other governments or individuals engaged in violations of religious freedom.
The restrictions are in line with a new policy under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, he said.
Attacks in Nigeria have varying motives. There are religiously motivated ones targeting both Christians and Muslims, clashes between farmers and herders over dwindling resources, communal rivalries, secessionist groups, and ethnic clashes.
Nigeria’s population of about 220 million people is split almost equally between Christians and Muslims.
The West African country has long faced insecurity from various fronts including the Boko Haram extremist group, which seeks to establish its radical interpretation of Islamic law and has also targeted Muslims it deems not Muslim enough.
Also, there has been an uptick in the activities of armed gangs in the central part of the country who kidnap locals for ransom.
Last month, President Donald Trump said he has ordered the Pentagon to begin planning for potential military action in Nigeria following the claims of Christian persecution in Nigeria.
“The United States is taking decisive action in response to the mass killings and violence against Christians by radical Islamic terrorists, Fulani ethnic militias, and other violent actors in Nigeria and beyond,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement posted on social platform X.
The secretary added that the policy would apply to other governments or individuals engaged in violations of religious freedom.
The restrictions are in line with a new policy under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, he said.
Attacks in Nigeria have varying motives. There are religiously motivated ones targeting both Christians and Muslims, clashes between farmers and herders over dwindling resources, communal rivalries, secessionist groups, and ethnic clashes.
Nigeria’s population of about 220 million people is split almost equally between Christians and Muslims.
The West African country has long faced insecurity from various fronts including the Boko Haram extremist group, which seeks to establish its radical interpretation of Islamic law and has also targeted Muslims it deems not Muslim enough.
Also, there has been an uptick in the activities of armed gangs in the central part of the country who kidnap locals for ransom.
Last month, President Donald Trump said he has ordered the Pentagon to begin planning for potential military action in Nigeria following the claims of Christian persecution in Nigeria.
By Dyepkazah Shibayan, AP
Nigeria to expand digital reach with 4,000 telecom towers
The Nigerian government has approved the construction of around 4,000 telecom towers nationwide to improve digital access in underserved communities across Africa's most populous country, News.Az reports, citing Xinhua.
The Federal Executive Council, led by President Bola Tinubu, gave the green light as part of efforts to enhance basic digital connectivity and promote economic inclusion, Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris said on Wednesday.
“About 23 million Nigerians are currently underserved,” Idris noted, referencing a presentation by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy during the cabinet meeting.
Limited digital access has hindered economic participation and basic communication in remote areas, Idris added.
The new initiative is also expected to boost national security and stimulate commercial activity in rural communities.
The Federal Executive Council, led by President Bola Tinubu, gave the green light as part of efforts to enhance basic digital connectivity and promote economic inclusion, Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris said on Wednesday.
“About 23 million Nigerians are currently underserved,” Idris noted, referencing a presentation by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy during the cabinet meeting.
Limited digital access has hindered economic participation and basic communication in remote areas, Idris added.
The new initiative is also expected to boost national security and stimulate commercial activity in rural communities.
Monday, December 1, 2025
Video - Nigerian parents register missing children after mass school abduction
Following the mass abduction of students in Nigeria’s Niger State, parents have gathered to register their missing children with local authorities. The attack, which occurred a week ago, is part of a broader surge in abductions by armed groups, prompting widespread school closures across northern Nigeria.
Video - Nigeria ramps up security recruitment as attacks surge
President Bola Tinubu ordered major recruitment across the military, police and intelligence services, including 20,000 new police officers. The move comes as Nigeria faces a spike in deadly attacks in the north. Some residents welcome the boost to security and jobs, while others fear outdated equipment and possible infiltration by armed groups.
Pastor and new bride abducted in latest Nigeria attacks
Gunmen have abducted at least 20 people, including a pastor and a new bride, in two separate attacks in the latest Nigerian kidnappings.
Attackers stormed the newly established Cherubim and Seraphim Church on Sunday in the central Kogi state, firing shots and forcing congregants to flee in panic. They seized the pastor, his wife and several worshippers.
In another raid the night before in the northern Sokoto state, a bride and her bridesmaids were among those kidnapped. A baby, the baby's mother and another woman were also taken, the AFP news agency reports.
Schools and places of worship have increasingly been targeted in the latest wave of attacks in north and central Nigeria.
It is not clear who is behind the kidnappings - most analysts believe they are carried out by criminal gangs seeking ransom payments, however a presidential spokesman has told the BBC they believe they are the work of jihadist groups.
Kogi state government spokesman Kingsley Fanwo confirmed the attack in Ejiba to the BBC but was unable to confirm the numbers.
He said authorities were working to track down the attackers.
"The security network, comprising the conventional security agencies and the local security architecture are currently doing what they should do," he told the BBC.
In the attack in the mostly Muslim Sokoto state, local media reported that the bride had been preparing for a wedding ceremony the following morning and she was seized alongside her friends and other guests who had gone to support her.
Some 250 schoolchildren and 12 teachers are still believed to be missing following the biggest such attack in recent weeks, while those seized in other raids have reportedly been released.
The spate of abductions has renewed concerns about the vulnerability of rural communities. It adds to pressure on the authorities to bolster protection for those at risk - schools, churches and isolated communities.
Paying ransoms has been outlawed in a bid to stop the lucrative kidnapping industry, however it is widely believed that such payments are still being made.
Nigeria's security crisis attracted the international spotlight last month after US President Donald Trump threatened to send over troops if the government "continues to allow the killing of Christians".
Nigerian officials and analysts say that members of all faiths are victims of the violence and kidnappings and say it is not true that Christians are being targeted.
By Chris Ewokor and Basillioh Rukanga, BBC
Attackers stormed the newly established Cherubim and Seraphim Church on Sunday in the central Kogi state, firing shots and forcing congregants to flee in panic. They seized the pastor, his wife and several worshippers.
In another raid the night before in the northern Sokoto state, a bride and her bridesmaids were among those kidnapped. A baby, the baby's mother and another woman were also taken, the AFP news agency reports.
Schools and places of worship have increasingly been targeted in the latest wave of attacks in north and central Nigeria.
It is not clear who is behind the kidnappings - most analysts believe they are carried out by criminal gangs seeking ransom payments, however a presidential spokesman has told the BBC they believe they are the work of jihadist groups.
Kogi state government spokesman Kingsley Fanwo confirmed the attack in Ejiba to the BBC but was unable to confirm the numbers.
He said authorities were working to track down the attackers.
"The security network, comprising the conventional security agencies and the local security architecture are currently doing what they should do," he told the BBC.
In the attack in the mostly Muslim Sokoto state, local media reported that the bride had been preparing for a wedding ceremony the following morning and she was seized alongside her friends and other guests who had gone to support her.
Some 250 schoolchildren and 12 teachers are still believed to be missing following the biggest such attack in recent weeks, while those seized in other raids have reportedly been released.
The spate of abductions has renewed concerns about the vulnerability of rural communities. It adds to pressure on the authorities to bolster protection for those at risk - schools, churches and isolated communities.
Paying ransoms has been outlawed in a bid to stop the lucrative kidnapping industry, however it is widely believed that such payments are still being made.
Nigeria's security crisis attracted the international spotlight last month after US President Donald Trump threatened to send over troops if the government "continues to allow the killing of Christians".
Nigerian officials and analysts say that members of all faiths are victims of the violence and kidnappings and say it is not true that Christians are being targeted.
Friday, November 28, 2025
The kidnap gangs, jihadists and separatists wreaking havoc in Nigeria
Nigeria is currently grappling with a spate of mass abductions. But the vast country - bigger than France and Germany combined - also faces many other security challenges.
Recent attempts by US President Donald Trump and his supporters to frame the insecurity purely as the persecution of Christians overlooks the complexity of Africa's most-populous nation.
There are more than 250 ethnic groups in Nigeria, which is roughly divided into a mainly Muslim north, a largely Christian south, with intermingling in the middle - and the government says people of all faiths have been victims of attacks.
There are criminal gangs in the north-west, an Islamist insurgency in the north-east, clashes over land in central regions and separatist unrest in the south-east - leaving the 400,000-strong army and the police force of 370,000 officers overstretched.
Here's a breakdown of the main armed groups and flashpoints:
Recent attempts by US President Donald Trump and his supporters to frame the insecurity purely as the persecution of Christians overlooks the complexity of Africa's most-populous nation.
There are more than 250 ethnic groups in Nigeria, which is roughly divided into a mainly Muslim north, a largely Christian south, with intermingling in the middle - and the government says people of all faiths have been victims of attacks.
There are criminal gangs in the north-west, an Islamist insurgency in the north-east, clashes over land in central regions and separatist unrest in the south-east - leaving the 400,000-strong army and the police force of 370,000 officers overstretched.
Here's a breakdown of the main armed groups and flashpoints:
'Bandits' - kidnap gangs
These criminal gangs, known locally as "bandits", are largely composed of people from the Fulani ethnic group, who traditionally make their living by raising animals. They have traded their pastoral tools for assault rifles, which have flooded Nigeria - and other states in the region - since Libya descended into anarchy following the overthrow in 2011 of long-time strongman Muammar Gadaffi by Nato-backed forces.
The gangs are not known to be motivated by any religious or political ideology, but see kidnapping people for ransom as a quick and easy way to make money rather than walking for miles with their livestock in search of water and grazing land.
They typically move in large numbers on motorcycles, which makes them highly mobile and allows them to strike quickly and escape before the security forces can respond - a tactic used during two recent school abductions.
There is no centrally organised leadership - each gang, often drawn from one family or a specific community, tends to be loyal to its own leader. The police have placed bounties on some of the notable leaders, including Ado Aleru and Bello Turji, and in 2022 the government designated the bandits as "terrorists" in a bid to stem their violence.
Aleru is from Yankuzo town - an area in the north-western state of Zamfara which has been a hub for bandit activity over the last three years.
The gangs, which sometimes fight one another, also travel to neighbouring states and central regions to carry out kidnappings. They also prey on their local communities and are indiscriminate in their ransom demands. In some areas, they tax residents.
Younger bandits, some in their teens, are increasingly taking to TikTok to show off their ransom money, guns and motorcycles - and have garnered thousands of followers.
These criminal gangs, known locally as "bandits", are largely composed of people from the Fulani ethnic group, who traditionally make their living by raising animals. They have traded their pastoral tools for assault rifles, which have flooded Nigeria - and other states in the region - since Libya descended into anarchy following the overthrow in 2011 of long-time strongman Muammar Gadaffi by Nato-backed forces.
The gangs are not known to be motivated by any religious or political ideology, but see kidnapping people for ransom as a quick and easy way to make money rather than walking for miles with their livestock in search of water and grazing land.
They typically move in large numbers on motorcycles, which makes them highly mobile and allows them to strike quickly and escape before the security forces can respond - a tactic used during two recent school abductions.
There is no centrally organised leadership - each gang, often drawn from one family or a specific community, tends to be loyal to its own leader. The police have placed bounties on some of the notable leaders, including Ado Aleru and Bello Turji, and in 2022 the government designated the bandits as "terrorists" in a bid to stem their violence.
Aleru is from Yankuzo town - an area in the north-western state of Zamfara which has been a hub for bandit activity over the last three years.
The gangs, which sometimes fight one another, also travel to neighbouring states and central regions to carry out kidnappings. They also prey on their local communities and are indiscriminate in their ransom demands. In some areas, they tax residents.
Younger bandits, some in their teens, are increasingly taking to TikTok to show off their ransom money, guns and motorcycles - and have garnered thousands of followers.
Boko Haram - jihadist group
This Islamist militant group became infamous around the world in 2014 for kidnapping more than 200 schoolgirls from the village of Chibok - around 90 of whom remain missing.
It evolved from a local Islamist sect founded in 2002 by Mohammed Yusuf in the north-eastern city of Maiduguri with the official name of Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad and a political goal of creating an Islamic state. Local residents dubbed it Boko Haram - a name which in the Hausa language loosely translates as "Western education is forbidden" because of their opposition to Western-style schools.
Its full-blown insurgency was triggered in 2009 by the killing of Yusuf who had been taken into police custody after Boko Haram clashed with the security forces.
At one point under its new leader, Abubakar Shekau, Boko Haram controlled large swathes of territory in Nigeria's north-east - and appointed "emirs" to administer some areas.
The Chibok girls were only a small fraction of the many thousands of women and children taken into captivity and forced into sexual slavery, domestic servitude or used as suicide bombers by the militants.
Boko Haram then split into rival factions. After the death of Shekau four years ago, its strength has diminished, however it still conducts regular attacks on both civilians and security forces.
Boko Haram has spawned a range of groups that use kidnapping to raise funds, focusing on soft targets such as schools, churches, mosques and remote villages where paved roads and bridges are either inadequate or absent.
This splinter group has moved away from the north-east, where Boko Haram and Iswap dominate, to carry out its operations.
It is believed to have participated in the 2022 attack on a high-speed train travelling between the capital, Abuja - in the centre of the country - and the city of Kaduna, about 200km (124 miles) north, in which at least seven people were killed and more than 100 commuters were abducted for ransom.
Its leader, Khalid al-Barnawi, was arrested in 2016 and is facing trial over several attacks, including the 2011 bombing of the UN building in Abuja. His trial is scheduled to resume in December 2025.
Mahmuda - suspected Boko Haram splinter group
Believed to be a breakaway faction of Boko Haram, it has set up in rural areas around Kainji Lake National Park in the west of the country since around 2020.
It is linked to the Islamic State group and has emphasised more moderate messaging in comparison to Boko Haram and proselytises in Hausa and other local languages to attract recruits.
The group has carried out targeted killings, often riding in on motorcycles and attacking markets, vigilante groups set up to protect villagers from bandits and local communities in the western state of Kwara. In April, its fighters killed several vigilantes and attacked a market there, killing Fulani men and others.
Their recent focus has shifted slightly north of Kwara - to Niger and Kebbi states - areas long plagued by bandit violence, where the two recent school abductions occurred.
By Chiagozie Nwonwu, BBC
This Islamist militant group became infamous around the world in 2014 for kidnapping more than 200 schoolgirls from the village of Chibok - around 90 of whom remain missing.
It evolved from a local Islamist sect founded in 2002 by Mohammed Yusuf in the north-eastern city of Maiduguri with the official name of Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad and a political goal of creating an Islamic state. Local residents dubbed it Boko Haram - a name which in the Hausa language loosely translates as "Western education is forbidden" because of their opposition to Western-style schools.
Its full-blown insurgency was triggered in 2009 by the killing of Yusuf who had been taken into police custody after Boko Haram clashed with the security forces.
At one point under its new leader, Abubakar Shekau, Boko Haram controlled large swathes of territory in Nigeria's north-east - and appointed "emirs" to administer some areas.
The Chibok girls were only a small fraction of the many thousands of women and children taken into captivity and forced into sexual slavery, domestic servitude or used as suicide bombers by the militants.
Boko Haram then split into rival factions. After the death of Shekau four years ago, its strength has diminished, however it still conducts regular attacks on both civilians and security forces.
Boko Haram has spawned a range of groups that use kidnapping to raise funds, focusing on soft targets such as schools, churches, mosques and remote villages where paved roads and bridges are either inadequate or absent.
Iswap - Boko Haram splinter group
Several Boko Haram commanders - including Abu Musab al-Barnawi, believed to be the son of Boko Haram founder Mohammed Yusuf - formed what became known as the Islamic State in West Africa Province (Iswap) in around 2016 as they felt Abubakar Shekau was violating Islamic doctrine by killing Muslims.
Boko Haram routinely targeted markets and mosques, often with suicide bombers. Iswap generally avoids attacking Muslim civilians and focuses on military and government targets.
Iswap is still locked in a violent turf war with Boko Haram, with reports of deadly clashes between the two groups around Lake Chad earlier this month. In fact, Shekau is said to have killed himself during a battle with Iswap, exploding a suicide vest.
It remains active and last week killed a Nigerian general, Brig Gen Musa Uba, after an ambush in Borno state.
Iswap commander Hussaini Ismaila was recently sentenced to 20 years in jail for multiple attacks in the northern city of Kano in 2012.
The north-eastern jihadist group was initially blamed for an attack on a Catholic church in the south-west of the country in June 2022 that killed at least 50 worshippers.
But prosecutors now believe it was a single cell linked to Somalia's al-Shabab jihadist group that was responsible. Five men are currently on trial for the attack and it is alleged they went to Somalia for training.
No group has said it was behind the two recent school kidnappings in the north-west of Nigeria in Kebbi and Niger states, but the government believes that Boko Haram and Iswap are behind them, presidential spokesman Sunday Dare told the BBC.
But it is a claim disputed by some experts.
"I don't think that's accurate. There is no Iswap or Boko Haram cell resident in the north-west. The recent kidnappings, including the mass abductions, were carried out by bandits," conflict analyst Bulama Bukarti told the BBC.
Several Boko Haram commanders - including Abu Musab al-Barnawi, believed to be the son of Boko Haram founder Mohammed Yusuf - formed what became known as the Islamic State in West Africa Province (Iswap) in around 2016 as they felt Abubakar Shekau was violating Islamic doctrine by killing Muslims.
Boko Haram routinely targeted markets and mosques, often with suicide bombers. Iswap generally avoids attacking Muslim civilians and focuses on military and government targets.
Iswap is still locked in a violent turf war with Boko Haram, with reports of deadly clashes between the two groups around Lake Chad earlier this month. In fact, Shekau is said to have killed himself during a battle with Iswap, exploding a suicide vest.
It remains active and last week killed a Nigerian general, Brig Gen Musa Uba, after an ambush in Borno state.
Iswap commander Hussaini Ismaila was recently sentenced to 20 years in jail for multiple attacks in the northern city of Kano in 2012.
The north-eastern jihadist group was initially blamed for an attack on a Catholic church in the south-west of the country in June 2022 that killed at least 50 worshippers.
But prosecutors now believe it was a single cell linked to Somalia's al-Shabab jihadist group that was responsible. Five men are currently on trial for the attack and it is alleged they went to Somalia for training.
No group has said it was behind the two recent school kidnappings in the north-west of Nigeria in Kebbi and Niger states, but the government believes that Boko Haram and Iswap are behind them, presidential spokesman Sunday Dare told the BBC.
But it is a claim disputed by some experts.
"I don't think that's accurate. There is no Iswap or Boko Haram cell resident in the north-west. The recent kidnappings, including the mass abductions, were carried out by bandits," conflict analyst Bulama Bukarti told the BBC.
Ansaru - Boko Haram splinter group
This splinter group has moved away from the north-east, where Boko Haram and Iswap dominate, to carry out its operations.
It is believed to have participated in the 2022 attack on a high-speed train travelling between the capital, Abuja - in the centre of the country - and the city of Kaduna, about 200km (124 miles) north, in which at least seven people were killed and more than 100 commuters were abducted for ransom.
Its leader, Khalid al-Barnawi, was arrested in 2016 and is facing trial over several attacks, including the 2011 bombing of the UN building in Abuja. His trial is scheduled to resume in December 2025.
Mahmuda - suspected Boko Haram splinter group
Believed to be a breakaway faction of Boko Haram, it has set up in rural areas around Kainji Lake National Park in the west of the country since around 2020.
It is linked to the Islamic State group and has emphasised more moderate messaging in comparison to Boko Haram and proselytises in Hausa and other local languages to attract recruits.
The group has carried out targeted killings, often riding in on motorcycles and attacking markets, vigilante groups set up to protect villagers from bandits and local communities in the western state of Kwara. In April, its fighters killed several vigilantes and attacked a market there, killing Fulani men and others.
Their recent focus has shifted slightly north of Kwara - to Niger and Kebbi states - areas long plagued by bandit violence, where the two recent school abductions occurred.
Lakurawa - jihadist group
A relatively new Islamist militant group, Lakurawa has been attacking communities in Sokoto and Kebbi states in the north-west and in Niger, the country which borders Nigeria to the north.
The authorities say it maintains ties with jihadist networks in Mali and Niger, and members have settled among border communities, marrying locally and recruiting young people.
Initially presenting itself as a protector against the bandits that roam the north-west, the group has gradually imposed harsh controls - such as checking villagers' phones for music, which is banned as it is considered un-Islamic, and flogging offenders.
It was declared a terrorist organisation in 2025 and accused of cattle rustling, kidnapping for ransom, hostage-taking and attacking top government officials.
A relatively new Islamist militant group, Lakurawa has been attacking communities in Sokoto and Kebbi states in the north-west and in Niger, the country which borders Nigeria to the north.
The authorities say it maintains ties with jihadist networks in Mali and Niger, and members have settled among border communities, marrying locally and recruiting young people.
Initially presenting itself as a protector against the bandits that roam the north-west, the group has gradually imposed harsh controls - such as checking villagers' phones for music, which is banned as it is considered un-Islamic, and flogging offenders.
It was declared a terrorist organisation in 2025 and accused of cattle rustling, kidnapping for ransom, hostage-taking and attacking top government officials.
JNIM - Sahel jihadist group
Active mainly in Mali and Burkina Faso, where it controls large areas, Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), may be making inroads into Nigeria.
A confirmed JNIM attack in northern Benin early in 2025 occurred close to the Nigerian border. In October 2025, the group claimed what would be its first attack inside Nigeria, in Kwara - the same state where more than 30 worshippers were abducted from a church last week and which has also seen increasing incursions by bandits.
If JNIM activities are confirmed, it would complicate an already dire situation in parts of the country where Ansaru, Lakurawa, Mahmuda and the bandits are all active.
Herders v farmers - battles over resources
This long-running conflict in central Nigeria - also known as the Middle Belt - has devastated communities, fuelling displacement and the spread of small arms as both herders and farmers arm themselves for what has become a deadly cycle of reprisal attacks.
It has been framed by some as a religious fight, but the central grievance is over grazing rights - access to land and water.
The herders are mainly Fulani Muslims, while the farmers are largely Christians from various ethnic communities, although some are Muslim. Fulani families traditionally walk for hundreds of kilometres from the extreme north to central Nigeria and beyond at least twice a year to find land for their prized cattle.
But urbanisation has seen encroachment onto these age-old grazing routes and locals accuse the Fulani of letting their cattle trample their crops and forcing them out of their homes and fields.
Notable clashes have taken place in Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarawa, Benue and Taraba states. In order to try and curb the violence, some state governments have imposed anti-open grazing laws and set up ranches for the herders - but have faced resistance from all sides.
One fallout from the conflict is the establishment of ethnic militias that, in some cases, have turned to criminality, plundering the people they ostensibly claim to be protecting. Ethnic Tiv militias in Benue have been accused carrying out mass killings and some of their leaders have been killed or arrested by the security forces.
Ipob - separatist group
The separatist violence in the south-east has its roots in calls for Biafran independence that date back nearly 60 years to the brutal civil war that led to the deaths of up to a million people.
That rebellion was crushed but demands for an independent state for the Igbo people of the region continued as some Igbos continue to feel that they are marginalised by the Nigerian state.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob), led by Nnamdi Kanu, is one of the groups promoting that call for secession. In 2009 Kanu launched Radio Biafra that broadcast separatist messages to Nigeria from London. Ipob was designated as terrorist organisation in 2017 - and three years later Kanu created an armed wing.
The Eastern Security Network (ESN), as it was called, and other splinter groups have since been implicated in arson, kidnappings and killings of civilians and security personnel in five states across the south-east. ESN has been in control of several towns in Imo and Anambra states where thousands were forced from their homes.
For years, the separatists, who have killed many prominent people in the south-east, have imposed a stay-at-home order on Mondays, causing much economic hardship.
Earlier this year, Simon Ekpa, leader of a breakaway faction of Ipob called Biafra Republic Government In Exile, was convicted in Finland of terrorism and other activities in Nigeria's south-east.
Last week, Kanu was convicted in Nigeria on terrorism-related charges and given a life sentence.
Ahead of the judgement, he had written to Trump urging the US to investigate "killings of Christians and Igbo people" and his group and others have been promoting the "Christian genocide" narrative in America, a BBC investigation into documents filed with the US justice department shows.
Active mainly in Mali and Burkina Faso, where it controls large areas, Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), may be making inroads into Nigeria.
A confirmed JNIM attack in northern Benin early in 2025 occurred close to the Nigerian border. In October 2025, the group claimed what would be its first attack inside Nigeria, in Kwara - the same state where more than 30 worshippers were abducted from a church last week and which has also seen increasing incursions by bandits.
If JNIM activities are confirmed, it would complicate an already dire situation in parts of the country where Ansaru, Lakurawa, Mahmuda and the bandits are all active.
Herders v farmers - battles over resources
This long-running conflict in central Nigeria - also known as the Middle Belt - has devastated communities, fuelling displacement and the spread of small arms as both herders and farmers arm themselves for what has become a deadly cycle of reprisal attacks.
It has been framed by some as a religious fight, but the central grievance is over grazing rights - access to land and water.
The herders are mainly Fulani Muslims, while the farmers are largely Christians from various ethnic communities, although some are Muslim. Fulani families traditionally walk for hundreds of kilometres from the extreme north to central Nigeria and beyond at least twice a year to find land for their prized cattle.
But urbanisation has seen encroachment onto these age-old grazing routes and locals accuse the Fulani of letting their cattle trample their crops and forcing them out of their homes and fields.
Notable clashes have taken place in Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarawa, Benue and Taraba states. In order to try and curb the violence, some state governments have imposed anti-open grazing laws and set up ranches for the herders - but have faced resistance from all sides.
One fallout from the conflict is the establishment of ethnic militias that, in some cases, have turned to criminality, plundering the people they ostensibly claim to be protecting. Ethnic Tiv militias in Benue have been accused carrying out mass killings and some of their leaders have been killed or arrested by the security forces.
Ipob - separatist group
The separatist violence in the south-east has its roots in calls for Biafran independence that date back nearly 60 years to the brutal civil war that led to the deaths of up to a million people.
That rebellion was crushed but demands for an independent state for the Igbo people of the region continued as some Igbos continue to feel that they are marginalised by the Nigerian state.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob), led by Nnamdi Kanu, is one of the groups promoting that call for secession. In 2009 Kanu launched Radio Biafra that broadcast separatist messages to Nigeria from London. Ipob was designated as terrorist organisation in 2017 - and three years later Kanu created an armed wing.
The Eastern Security Network (ESN), as it was called, and other splinter groups have since been implicated in arson, kidnappings and killings of civilians and security personnel in five states across the south-east. ESN has been in control of several towns in Imo and Anambra states where thousands were forced from their homes.
For years, the separatists, who have killed many prominent people in the south-east, have imposed a stay-at-home order on Mondays, causing much economic hardship.
Earlier this year, Simon Ekpa, leader of a breakaway faction of Ipob called Biafra Republic Government In Exile, was convicted in Finland of terrorism and other activities in Nigeria's south-east.
Last week, Kanu was convicted in Nigeria on terrorism-related charges and given a life sentence.
Ahead of the judgement, he had written to Trump urging the US to investigate "killings of Christians and Igbo people" and his group and others have been promoting the "Christian genocide" narrative in America, a BBC investigation into documents filed with the US justice department shows.
Thursday, November 27, 2025
Video - Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery announces output boost
The Dangote Refinery says it reached a deal with Honeywell to increase daily oil production capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day within the next three years. Officials say the move will ease fuel shortages, reduce foreign exchange losses and strengthen Nigeria's energy security.
Nigeria declares security emergency after wave of mass kidnappings
Tinubu said the police would hire 20,000 more officers, raising their strength to 50,000, and authorised the use of National Youth Service Corps camps as training centres. He also told the police to withdraw officers from VIP guard duties for redeployment to conflict zones after crash retraining.
He gave the Department of State Services approval to deploy trained forest guards and recruit more staff to flush out armed groups hiding in forests.
“This is a national emergency, and we are responding by deploying more boots on the ground, especially in security-challenged areas,” Tinubu said in a statement Wednesday, adding there would be “no more hiding places for agents of evil.”
The announcement follows recent attacks in Kebbi, Borno, Zamfara, Niger, Yobe and Kwara states, where dozens of civilians have been killed and kidnapped.
Over the last week, assailants kidnapped two dozen Muslim schoolgirls in Kebbi, 38 worshippers, 315 schoolchildren and teachers from a Catholic school in Niger state, 13 young women and girls walking near a farm, and another 10 women and children.
Tinubu commended security forces for rescuing 24 schoolgirls in Kebbi and 38 worshippers in Kwara. He vowed to free the 265 children and their teachers abducted from the St Mary's Catholic boarding school in Niger state last Friday after just 50 of them managed to escape.
He gave the Department of State Services approval to deploy trained forest guards and recruit more staff to flush out armed groups hiding in forests.
“This is a national emergency, and we are responding by deploying more boots on the ground, especially in security-challenged areas,” Tinubu said in a statement Wednesday, adding there would be “no more hiding places for agents of evil.”
The announcement follows recent attacks in Kebbi, Borno, Zamfara, Niger, Yobe and Kwara states, where dozens of civilians have been killed and kidnapped.
Over the last week, assailants kidnapped two dozen Muslim schoolgirls in Kebbi, 38 worshippers, 315 schoolchildren and teachers from a Catholic school in Niger state, 13 young women and girls walking near a farm, and another 10 women and children.
Tinubu commended security forces for rescuing 24 schoolgirls in Kebbi and 38 worshippers in Kwara. He vowed to free the 265 children and their teachers abducted from the St Mary's Catholic boarding school in Niger state last Friday after just 50 of them managed to escape.
Parents lack information
Several parents of the 303 kidnapped schoolchildren told the Associated Press that the government had given them no information about rescue efforts and said one parent had died of a heart attack from the stress.
“Nobody from the government has briefed us about the abduction,” said Emmanuel Ejeh, whose 12-year-old son was taken from the Catholic school in the remote region of Papiri.
A spokesperson for the presidency, Bayo Onanuga, did not directly address parents’ claims of being left without updates. Onanuga told the AP on Wednesday that the military is mounting pressure on the gunmen to release the children.
No armed group has claimed responsibility for the abduction.
For years, heavily armed criminal gangs have been intensifying attacks in rural areas of northwest and central Nigeria, where there is little state presence, killing thousands and conducting kidnappings for ransom.
The gangs have camps in a vast forest straddling several states including Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kebbi and Niger from where they launch attacks.
US President Donald Trump has claimed the abductions reflect “Christian persecution” in the West African country, but both Christians and Muslims are targeted.
The UN's children's agency, Unicef, last year said just 37 percent of schools across 10 states in Nigeria's volatile north have early-warning systems to detect threats.
Several parents of the 303 kidnapped schoolchildren told the Associated Press that the government had given them no information about rescue efforts and said one parent had died of a heart attack from the stress.
“Nobody from the government has briefed us about the abduction,” said Emmanuel Ejeh, whose 12-year-old son was taken from the Catholic school in the remote region of Papiri.
A spokesperson for the presidency, Bayo Onanuga, did not directly address parents’ claims of being left without updates. Onanuga told the AP on Wednesday that the military is mounting pressure on the gunmen to release the children.
No armed group has claimed responsibility for the abduction.
For years, heavily armed criminal gangs have been intensifying attacks in rural areas of northwest and central Nigeria, where there is little state presence, killing thousands and conducting kidnappings for ransom.
The gangs have camps in a vast forest straddling several states including Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kebbi and Niger from where they launch attacks.
US President Donald Trump has claimed the abductions reflect “Christian persecution” in the West African country, but both Christians and Muslims are targeted.
The UN's children's agency, Unicef, last year said just 37 percent of schools across 10 states in Nigeria's volatile north have early-warning systems to detect threats.
Monday, November 24, 2025
Video - Nigeria reverts to English-only instruction after scrapping mother-tongue policy
Nigeria reversed its education policy and reinstated English as the sole language of instruction. Officials say teaching in local languages weakened students’ understanding of core subjects and contributed to poor exam performance. Critics warn the shift could disadvantage rural learners who are currently taught in their mother tongues.
More young people suffer from diabetes in Nigeria
Nigerian health experts warn rapid urbanization, sedentary lifestyles, fried foods, and sugary diets are driving a diabetessurge. Particularly sharp is the rise in Type 1 cases, while low awareness and limited screening means many young Nigerians remain undiagnosed.
"We are seeing diabetes in younger people now," said Mary Nkem Babalola, a public-health worker with the Funmilayo Florence Babalola Foundation (FFB), which combats the illness in underserved Nigerian communities.
"We need early screening, public education, and access to affordable test kits and insulin."
Watrahyel Mshelia, 21, from Abuja told DW she never understood the long-term risks.
"So, at 16, when I was diagnosed, I didn't really understand what was going on," she said.
"The doctors and nurses explained, but they didn't explain so much. They just told me to take my medications and I should not get injured."
When Watrahyel left home for university, she stopped taking her medication because she felt fine. A car accident four years later changed that.
"I broke my leg, and it has not healed for a year because of diabetes. I realized it is a very serious condition," she said.
By Privilege Musvanhiri, DW
"We are seeing diabetes in younger people now," said Mary Nkem Babalola, a public-health worker with the Funmilayo Florence Babalola Foundation (FFB), which combats the illness in underserved Nigerian communities.
"We need early screening, public education, and access to affordable test kits and insulin."
Watrahyel Mshelia, 21, from Abuja told DW she never understood the long-term risks.
"So, at 16, when I was diagnosed, I didn't really understand what was going on," she said.
"The doctors and nurses explained, but they didn't explain so much. They just told me to take my medications and I should not get injured."
When Watrahyel left home for university, she stopped taking her medication because she felt fine. A car accident four years later changed that.
"I broke my leg, and it has not healed for a year because of diabetes. I realized it is a very serious condition," she said.
'Epidemic levels'
Nigeria's health authorities warn the surge is fast becoming one of the country's most urgent public-health threats.
Nigeria now has 11.4 million people living with diabetes, according to the Nigeria Diabetes Association, one of the highest figures in Sub-Saharan Africa.
That figure of diagnosed cases alone exceeds the combined population of Namibia, Botswana and Lesotho, though it remains a fraction of Nigeria's around 220 million citizens.
The association urges the government to declare a state of emergency on diabetes care.
"It's now more than a crisis, it's an epidemic, it is catastrophic," Ejiofor Ugwu of the Nigeria Diabetes Association told DW.
"11.4 million people represents only patients who have been diagnosed and that is less than half of the people who are living with diabetes in Nigeria," he said, adding: "Diabetes is killing about 30,000 to 40,000 Nigerians every year. That is not a joke."
Global bodies have raised similar alarms. The World Health Organization (WHO) projects diabetes will become the seventh leading cause of death by 2030, while the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) estimates over 24 million Africans currently live with the condition.
Diabetes has flown under the radar while infectious diseases dominate Africa's health agenda. But experts warn of deep impacts on households, health systems, and economies.
Nigeria's health authorities warn the surge is fast becoming one of the country's most urgent public-health threats.
Nigeria now has 11.4 million people living with diabetes, according to the Nigeria Diabetes Association, one of the highest figures in Sub-Saharan Africa.
That figure of diagnosed cases alone exceeds the combined population of Namibia, Botswana and Lesotho, though it remains a fraction of Nigeria's around 220 million citizens.
The association urges the government to declare a state of emergency on diabetes care.
"It's now more than a crisis, it's an epidemic, it is catastrophic," Ejiofor Ugwu of the Nigeria Diabetes Association told DW.
"11.4 million people represents only patients who have been diagnosed and that is less than half of the people who are living with diabetes in Nigeria," he said, adding: "Diabetes is killing about 30,000 to 40,000 Nigerians every year. That is not a joke."
Global bodies have raised similar alarms. The World Health Organization (WHO) projects diabetes will become the seventh leading cause of death by 2030, while the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) estimates over 24 million Africans currently live with the condition.
Diabetes has flown under the radar while infectious diseases dominate Africa's health agenda. But experts warn of deep impacts on households, health systems, and economies.
What would an emergency declaration achieve?
The diabetes association says emergency status would compel the federal government to develop a national response plan and introduce targeted policies.
"We are advocating for the federal government to subsidize essential diabetes medications," Ugwu said.
"A tax waiver on imported diabetes drugs would reduce landing costs and make them more affordable," he adds.
Currently, Nigeria's National Health Insurance does not cover most diabetes drugs or basic consumables such as glucose meters and test strips, leaving many patients unable to manage the disease.
The diabetes association says emergency status would compel the federal government to develop a national response plan and introduce targeted policies.
"We are advocating for the federal government to subsidize essential diabetes medications," Ugwu said.
"A tax waiver on imported diabetes drugs would reduce landing costs and make them more affordable," he adds.
Currently, Nigeria's National Health Insurance does not cover most diabetes drugs or basic consumables such as glucose meters and test strips, leaving many patients unable to manage the disease.
Awareness and affordability
Cost remains one of the biggest barriers to diagnosis and treatment.
"Access to screenings, affordability of drugs, these make people ignore diabetes until it becomes a crisis," DW's Nigeria correspondent, Olisa Chukwuma, says.
A pack of glucose-testing strips costs 15,000–17,000 naira (around €10). Even a single test now costs 1,000 naira (€0.60), up from 100 naira a few years ago.
The IDF recommends annual blood-glucose screening for adults over 40, and from 18 in families with a history of diabetes or obesity. But this remains out of reach for many Nigerians.
Cost remains one of the biggest barriers to diagnosis and treatment.
"Access to screenings, affordability of drugs, these make people ignore diabetes until it becomes a crisis," DW's Nigeria correspondent, Olisa Chukwuma, says.
A pack of glucose-testing strips costs 15,000–17,000 naira (around €10). Even a single test now costs 1,000 naira (€0.60), up from 100 naira a few years ago.
The IDF recommends annual blood-glucose screening for adults over 40, and from 18 in families with a history of diabetes or obesity. But this remains out of reach for many Nigerians.
Why are cases rising?
Experts link the surge to rapid urbanization and lifestyle shifts, including heavy consumption of processed foods and falling levels of physical activity.
"We have embraced westernized diets. Most of our meals are unhealthy. Physical inactivity is a major risk factor," Ugwu said.
Left unmanaged, diabetes can damage the heart, eyes, kidneys and nerves. The WHO says diabetes is affecting people at all phases of life, from childhood to old age.
Experts link the surge to rapid urbanization and lifestyle shifts, including heavy consumption of processed foods and falling levels of physical activity.
"We have embraced westernized diets. Most of our meals are unhealthy. Physical inactivity is a major risk factor," Ugwu said.
Left unmanaged, diabetes can damage the heart, eyes, kidneys and nerves. The WHO says diabetes is affecting people at all phases of life, from childhood to old age.
Fifty children escape after mass school abduction in Nigeria
Fifty of the 315 children kidnapped by gunmen from a Catholic school in Nigeria's Niger State on Friday have escaped.
The Christian Association of Nigeria says they have been reunited with their families. A major military-led search and rescue operation is under way for the remaining 265 children and 12 teachers who were taken with them.
Authorities in several Nigerian states ordered schools to shut following the mass abduction in Niger and another smaller hostage-taking in Kebbi state on Monday when 25 pupils were kidnapped from a boarding school.
In response to the spate of abductions, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has ordered the recruitment of an additional 30,000 police officers.
In another development, 38 people abducted from a church service in Kwara state last week were freed on Sunday, the state governor said.
Two people were killed in the attack on Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku.
Orders were given for many schools to close in the states of Kebbi, Niger, Katsina, Yobe and Kwara.
News of the children's escape brought welcome relief for families and for a country that has been agonising over the fate of hundreds of abducted schoolchildren.
However, there is still a lot of confusion and uncertainty in Papiri, the village in Niger state where the children were taken from.
Parents whose children are still missing told the BBC they feel abandoned. While they expected security officers to be deployed in the village in the wake of the attack on St Mary's School, this has not yet happened.
President Tinubu's office said on Sunday that all police in Very Important Persons (VIP) protection services had been redeployed to focus on core duties, especially in remote areas prone to attacks.
A report published earlier this month by the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) said more than a quarter of Nigeria's estimated 371,000-strong police force - 100,000 - were "assigned to the protection of politicians and VIPs, rather than to tasks serving the general population".
VIPs in need of protection will now be able to request armed personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
According to a Christian group involved in the case, the pupils managed to escape between Friday and Saturday in what is being described as a brave and risky attempt to flee their captors.
The kidnapping of more than 300 schoolchildren surpasses the 276 abducted during the infamous Chibok mass abduction of 2014.
Local police say armed men stormed St Mary's at around 02:00 (01:00 GMT) on Friday.
Niger state governor Mohammed Umaru Bongo announced on Saturday that all schools in the area would close, warning that was "not a time for blame game".
Calling for the release of the abductees, Pope Leo XIV expressed "immense sadness" and urged the authorities to act swiftly.
Dominic Adamu, whose daughters attend the school but were not taken, told the BBC: "Everybody is weak... It took everybody by surprise."
One distressed woman tearfully told the BBC that her nieces, aged six and 13, had been kidnapped, adding: "I just want them to come home."
The military, police and local vigilantes are conducting a search for the children, combing nearby forests and remote routes believed to have been used by the gunmen.
Authorities in Niger state said St Mary's School had disregarded an order to close all boarding facilities following intelligence warnings of a heightened risk of attacks. The school has not commented on that allegation.
The kidnapping of people for ransom by criminal gangs, known locally as bandits, has become a major problem in many parts of Nigeria.
The payment of ransoms has been outlawed in an attempt to cut the supply of money to the criminal gangs, but it has had little effect.
On Monday, more than 20 schoolgirls, who the BBC has been told are Muslim, were kidnapped from a boarding school in Kebbi state.
And on Saturday, 14 young farmers in the mainly Muslim Borno state were abducted. One of the women has been rescued by the police.
The Nigerian president postponed foreign trips - including to last weekend's G20 summit in South Africa - in order to address the security concerns.
Last week's attacks follows claims by right-wing figures in the US, including President Donald Trump, that Christians are being persecuted in Nigeria.
For months, campaigners and politicians in Washington have been alleging that Islamist militants are systematically targeting Christians. The Nigerian government has dismissed this claim.
Earlier this month, Trump said he would send troops into Nigeria "guns a-blazing" if the African nation's government "continues to allow the killing of Christians".
The Nigerian government has called claims that Christians are being persecuted "a gross misrepresentation of reality".
An official said that "terrorists attack all who reject their murderous ideology - Muslims, Christians and those of no faith alike".
In the north-east, jihadist groups have been battling the state for more than a decade.
Organisations monitoring violence say most of the victims of these groups are Muslim because most attacks happen in the majority-Muslim north of the country.
In the centre of Nigeria, there are also frequently deadly attacks between herders - who are mostly Muslim - on farmers, who are largely Christian.
However, analysts say these are often motivated by competition for resources, such as water or land, rather than religion.
The militant Islamist group Boko Haram took 276 girls from their school in the town of Chibok in 2014.
The incident drew international attention and sparked a global campaign seeking their return, which included an intervention from then-US First Lady Michelle Obama.
Many have since either escaped or been freed, but as many as 100 remain missing.
By Richard Kagoe and Wedaeli Chibelushi, BBC
The Christian Association of Nigeria says they have been reunited with their families. A major military-led search and rescue operation is under way for the remaining 265 children and 12 teachers who were taken with them.
Authorities in several Nigerian states ordered schools to shut following the mass abduction in Niger and another smaller hostage-taking in Kebbi state on Monday when 25 pupils were kidnapped from a boarding school.
In response to the spate of abductions, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has ordered the recruitment of an additional 30,000 police officers.
In another development, 38 people abducted from a church service in Kwara state last week were freed on Sunday, the state governor said.
Two people were killed in the attack on Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku.
Orders were given for many schools to close in the states of Kebbi, Niger, Katsina, Yobe and Kwara.
News of the children's escape brought welcome relief for families and for a country that has been agonising over the fate of hundreds of abducted schoolchildren.
However, there is still a lot of confusion and uncertainty in Papiri, the village in Niger state where the children were taken from.
Parents whose children are still missing told the BBC they feel abandoned. While they expected security officers to be deployed in the village in the wake of the attack on St Mary's School, this has not yet happened.
President Tinubu's office said on Sunday that all police in Very Important Persons (VIP) protection services had been redeployed to focus on core duties, especially in remote areas prone to attacks.
A report published earlier this month by the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) said more than a quarter of Nigeria's estimated 371,000-strong police force - 100,000 - were "assigned to the protection of politicians and VIPs, rather than to tasks serving the general population".
VIPs in need of protection will now be able to request armed personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
According to a Christian group involved in the case, the pupils managed to escape between Friday and Saturday in what is being described as a brave and risky attempt to flee their captors.
The kidnapping of more than 300 schoolchildren surpasses the 276 abducted during the infamous Chibok mass abduction of 2014.
Local police say armed men stormed St Mary's at around 02:00 (01:00 GMT) on Friday.
Niger state governor Mohammed Umaru Bongo announced on Saturday that all schools in the area would close, warning that was "not a time for blame game".
Calling for the release of the abductees, Pope Leo XIV expressed "immense sadness" and urged the authorities to act swiftly.
Dominic Adamu, whose daughters attend the school but were not taken, told the BBC: "Everybody is weak... It took everybody by surprise."
One distressed woman tearfully told the BBC that her nieces, aged six and 13, had been kidnapped, adding: "I just want them to come home."
The military, police and local vigilantes are conducting a search for the children, combing nearby forests and remote routes believed to have been used by the gunmen.
Authorities in Niger state said St Mary's School had disregarded an order to close all boarding facilities following intelligence warnings of a heightened risk of attacks. The school has not commented on that allegation.
The kidnapping of people for ransom by criminal gangs, known locally as bandits, has become a major problem in many parts of Nigeria.
The payment of ransoms has been outlawed in an attempt to cut the supply of money to the criminal gangs, but it has had little effect.
On Monday, more than 20 schoolgirls, who the BBC has been told are Muslim, were kidnapped from a boarding school in Kebbi state.
And on Saturday, 14 young farmers in the mainly Muslim Borno state were abducted. One of the women has been rescued by the police.
The Nigerian president postponed foreign trips - including to last weekend's G20 summit in South Africa - in order to address the security concerns.
Last week's attacks follows claims by right-wing figures in the US, including President Donald Trump, that Christians are being persecuted in Nigeria.
For months, campaigners and politicians in Washington have been alleging that Islamist militants are systematically targeting Christians. The Nigerian government has dismissed this claim.
Earlier this month, Trump said he would send troops into Nigeria "guns a-blazing" if the African nation's government "continues to allow the killing of Christians".
The Nigerian government has called claims that Christians are being persecuted "a gross misrepresentation of reality".
An official said that "terrorists attack all who reject their murderous ideology - Muslims, Christians and those of no faith alike".
In the north-east, jihadist groups have been battling the state for more than a decade.
Organisations monitoring violence say most of the victims of these groups are Muslim because most attacks happen in the majority-Muslim north of the country.
In the centre of Nigeria, there are also frequently deadly attacks between herders - who are mostly Muslim - on farmers, who are largely Christian.
However, analysts say these are often motivated by competition for resources, such as water or land, rather than religion.
The militant Islamist group Boko Haram took 276 girls from their school in the town of Chibok in 2014.
The incident drew international attention and sparked a global campaign seeking their return, which included an intervention from then-US First Lady Michelle Obama.
Many have since either escaped or been freed, but as many as 100 remain missing.
Friday, November 21, 2025
Nigeria jails separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu for life on ‘terrorism’ charges
A Nigerian court has sentenced separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu to life in prison after convicting him on seven charges related to “terrorism” in a years-long trial.
In his ruling on Thursday, Nigerian Judge James Omotosho said prosecutors proved that Kanu’s broadcasts and orders to his now-banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) group incited deadly attacks on security forces and citizens in the southeast.
The violence was part of his push for an independent Biafra state for the ethnic Igbo-dominated region.
Omotosho told the court that the “right to self-determination is a political right”, but he added that: “Any self-determination not done according to the constitution of Nigeria is illegal.”
Prosecutors had sought the death penalty against Kanu, but Omotosho said he chose to show mercy.
“The death penalty is now being frowned upon by the international community. Consequently, in the interests of justice, I hereby sentence the convict to life imprisonment … instead of [the] death sentence,” Omotosho ruled.
Kanu has 90 days to appeal.
Kanu, who has been in custody since his controversial re-arrest in Kenya in 2021, shouted angrily in objection to the proceedings and was ejected from court ahead of the ruling. He had argued that his unlawful extradition from Kenya undermined any chance of a fair trial.
Kanu pleaded not guilty in 2021 to seven charges that included “terrorism”, treason and perpetuating falsehoods against Nigeria’s former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Kanu was first arrested in 2015, but fled the country while on bail. His social media posts during his absence and his Radio Biafra broadcasts outraged the government, which said they encouraged attacks on security forces.
Ultimately, security agents brought Kanu to court in Abuja in June 2021 after detaining him in Kenya, where his lawyer alleged he was mistreated. Kenya has denied involvement.
In October 2021, Kanu’s lawyers argued that his statements on Radio Biafra shouldn’t be admissible in a Nigerian court since they were made in London.
“I can’t see how someone would make a statement in London and it becomes a triable offence in this country,” Kanu’s lawyer Ifeanyi Ejiofor told reporters at the time.
Kanu, a dual Nigerian-British citizen, started Radio Biafra – an obscure, London-based radio station – in 2009 after he left Nigeria to study economics and politics at the London Metropolitan University.
In one broadcast, Kanu said: “We have one thing in common, all of us that believe in Biafra, one thing we have in common, a pathological hatred for Nigeria. I cannot begin to put into words how much I hate Nigeria.”
IPOB wants a swathe of the southeast, the homeland of the Igbo ethnic group, to split from Nigeria. An attempt to secede in 1967 as the Republic of Biafra triggered a three-year civil war that killed more than one million people.
By Abby Rogers, Al Jazeera
In his ruling on Thursday, Nigerian Judge James Omotosho said prosecutors proved that Kanu’s broadcasts and orders to his now-banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) group incited deadly attacks on security forces and citizens in the southeast.
The violence was part of his push for an independent Biafra state for the ethnic Igbo-dominated region.
Omotosho told the court that the “right to self-determination is a political right”, but he added that: “Any self-determination not done according to the constitution of Nigeria is illegal.”
Prosecutors had sought the death penalty against Kanu, but Omotosho said he chose to show mercy.
“The death penalty is now being frowned upon by the international community. Consequently, in the interests of justice, I hereby sentence the convict to life imprisonment … instead of [the] death sentence,” Omotosho ruled.
Kanu has 90 days to appeal.
Kanu, who has been in custody since his controversial re-arrest in Kenya in 2021, shouted angrily in objection to the proceedings and was ejected from court ahead of the ruling. He had argued that his unlawful extradition from Kenya undermined any chance of a fair trial.
Kanu pleaded not guilty in 2021 to seven charges that included “terrorism”, treason and perpetuating falsehoods against Nigeria’s former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Kanu was first arrested in 2015, but fled the country while on bail. His social media posts during his absence and his Radio Biafra broadcasts outraged the government, which said they encouraged attacks on security forces.
Ultimately, security agents brought Kanu to court in Abuja in June 2021 after detaining him in Kenya, where his lawyer alleged he was mistreated. Kenya has denied involvement.
In October 2021, Kanu’s lawyers argued that his statements on Radio Biafra shouldn’t be admissible in a Nigerian court since they were made in London.
“I can’t see how someone would make a statement in London and it becomes a triable offence in this country,” Kanu’s lawyer Ifeanyi Ejiofor told reporters at the time.
Kanu, a dual Nigerian-British citizen, started Radio Biafra – an obscure, London-based radio station – in 2009 after he left Nigeria to study economics and politics at the London Metropolitan University.
In one broadcast, Kanu said: “We have one thing in common, all of us that believe in Biafra, one thing we have in common, a pathological hatred for Nigeria. I cannot begin to put into words how much I hate Nigeria.”
IPOB wants a swathe of the southeast, the homeland of the Igbo ethnic group, to split from Nigeria. An attempt to secede in 1967 as the Republic of Biafra triggered a three-year civil war that killed more than one million people.
Pupils abducted from Catholic school in fresh Nigeria attack
An unknown number of pupils have been abducted by armed men from a Catholic school in central Nigeria, the second mass school kidnapping this week.
The latest attack targeted St Mary's School in Papiri, Niger state, where authorities had already ordered the temporary closure of all boarding schools due to rising security threats.
Details remain unclear but residents fear that close to 100 students and staff may have been taken away during the early-morning raid.
Nigeria has faced a renewed wave of attacks by armed groups in recent days, including the kidnapping on Monday of more than 20 schoolgirls, who the BBC has been told are Muslim, from a boarding school in nearby Kebbi state.
Police said armed men - locally known as bandits - stormed St Mary's School on Friday at about 02:00 local time (01:00 GMT) and abducted an unconfirmed number of students from their hostel.
Fear and uncertainty have gripped the area as families wait for news.
The authorities in Niger state said the school had disregarded an order to close all boarding facilities following intelligence warnings of a heightened risk of attacks.
"Regrettably, St Mary's School proceeded to reopen and resume academic activities without notifying or seeking clearance from the state government, thereby exposing pupils and the staff to avoidable risk," they said in a statement.
The school has not commented.
The police said that security agencies were "combing the forests with a view to rescue the abducted students".
The attack follows claims by US President Donald Trump that Christians are being persecuted in Nigeria, an allegation dismissed by the Nigerian government.
Earlier this month, Trump said he would send troops into Nigeria "guns a-blazing" if its government "continues to allow the killing of Christians".
The Nigerian government has pushed back on these claims, describing them as "a gross misrepresentation of reality".
An official said that "terrorists attack all who reject their murderous ideology - Muslims, Christians and those of no faith alike".
Nigeria is currently grappling multiple overlapping security crises.
The country's 220 million people are roughly evenly split between followers of the two religions, with Muslims in the majority in the north.
The kidnapping of people for ransom by criminal gangs, known locally as bandits, has become a major problem in many parts of the country.
In the north-east, jihadist groups have been battling the state for more than a decade. Organisations monitoring violence say most of the victims of these groups are Muslim because most attacks happen in the north.
In the centre of the country, there are also frequently deadly attacks between herders, who are mostly Muslim, on farmers, who are largely Christian. However, analysts say these are often motivated by competition for resources such as water or land, rather than religion.
On Tuesday, gunmen opened fire on a church in south-western Kwara state, killing two people and abducting 38 others as the service was being broadcast online.
Local media report that the kidnappers have demanded a ransom.
Two of the schoolgirls abducted on Monday in Kebbi state have managed to escape, while 23 are still missing. Two people were killed in that attack. They were both Muslim.
President Bola Tinubu this week postponed his foreign trips to address the rising wave of attacks across Africa's most populous country.
By Chris Ewokor and Wycliffe Muia, BBC
The latest attack targeted St Mary's School in Papiri, Niger state, where authorities had already ordered the temporary closure of all boarding schools due to rising security threats.
Details remain unclear but residents fear that close to 100 students and staff may have been taken away during the early-morning raid.
Nigeria has faced a renewed wave of attacks by armed groups in recent days, including the kidnapping on Monday of more than 20 schoolgirls, who the BBC has been told are Muslim, from a boarding school in nearby Kebbi state.
Police said armed men - locally known as bandits - stormed St Mary's School on Friday at about 02:00 local time (01:00 GMT) and abducted an unconfirmed number of students from their hostel.
Fear and uncertainty have gripped the area as families wait for news.
The authorities in Niger state said the school had disregarded an order to close all boarding facilities following intelligence warnings of a heightened risk of attacks.
"Regrettably, St Mary's School proceeded to reopen and resume academic activities without notifying or seeking clearance from the state government, thereby exposing pupils and the staff to avoidable risk," they said in a statement.
The school has not commented.
The police said that security agencies were "combing the forests with a view to rescue the abducted students".
The attack follows claims by US President Donald Trump that Christians are being persecuted in Nigeria, an allegation dismissed by the Nigerian government.
Earlier this month, Trump said he would send troops into Nigeria "guns a-blazing" if its government "continues to allow the killing of Christians".
The Nigerian government has pushed back on these claims, describing them as "a gross misrepresentation of reality".
An official said that "terrorists attack all who reject their murderous ideology - Muslims, Christians and those of no faith alike".
Nigeria is currently grappling multiple overlapping security crises.
The country's 220 million people are roughly evenly split between followers of the two religions, with Muslims in the majority in the north.
The kidnapping of people for ransom by criminal gangs, known locally as bandits, has become a major problem in many parts of the country.
In the north-east, jihadist groups have been battling the state for more than a decade. Organisations monitoring violence say most of the victims of these groups are Muslim because most attacks happen in the north.
In the centre of the country, there are also frequently deadly attacks between herders, who are mostly Muslim, on farmers, who are largely Christian. However, analysts say these are often motivated by competition for resources such as water or land, rather than religion.
On Tuesday, gunmen opened fire on a church in south-western Kwara state, killing two people and abducting 38 others as the service was being broadcast online.
Local media report that the kidnappers have demanded a ransom.
Two of the schoolgirls abducted on Monday in Kebbi state have managed to escape, while 23 are still missing. Two people were killed in that attack. They were both Muslim.
President Bola Tinubu this week postponed his foreign trips to address the rising wave of attacks across Africa's most populous country.
Thursday, November 20, 2025
Video - 25 girls abducted by armed gunmen in Nigeria
In Kebbi State, Nigeria, gunmen attacked a girls’ boarding school, killed the vice principal, and kidnapped 25 students. Security forces and local vigilantes are conducting an intensive search, highlighting persistent insecurity and repeated school kidnappings in northwest Nigeria.
Gunmen attack church in Nigeria, killing two and kidnapping others
Gunmen have attacked a church in Nigeria, killing at least two people and kidnapping the pastor and some worshippers, police and witnesses said on Wednesday, days after 25 girls were abducted from a boarding school.
The attack on Tuesday evening in Eruku, a town in central Nigeria's Kwara state, puts more pressure on the government, which is under scrutiny from U.S. President Donald Trump who has threatened military action over what he says is persecution of Christians.
President Bola Tinubu postponed a planned trip to South Africa and Angola for G20 and AU-EU summits to receive security briefings on the two attacks, and ordered more security to hunt down the assailants in Kwara, his office said.
The president also directed the security agencies "to do everything possible" to rescue the schoolgirls, "abducted by the bandits and bring the girls back home safe", his spokesperson Bayo Onanuga said.
Rapper Nicki Minaj appealed on Tuesday for global action to defend religious freedom. Speaking at the U.S. mission to the United Nations, the Trinidad-born artist, who lives in New York, said that in Nigeria "Christians are being targeted, driven from their homes and killed".
Nigeria is grappling with an Islamist insurgency in the northeast, abductions and killings by armed gangs mainly in the northwest and deadly clashes between mainly Muslim herdsmen and mostly Christian farmers in its central belt.
The government says the U.S. designation of Nigeria as "a country of particular concern" misrepresents its complex security challenges and does not take into account its efforts to safeguard freedom of religion for all.
In the latest attack, police responded to gunfire at around 6 p.m. on Tuesday and discovered one person fatally shot inside the church and another in a nearby bush, said Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, police spokesperson for Kwara state. Witnesses said they counted at least three dead church members.
GUNFIRE ERUPTS DURING CHURCH SERVICE, VIDEO SHOWS
A video posted by a local news outlet and verified by Reuters showed the Christ Apostolic Church service being interrupted by gunfire, forcing parishioners to take cover. Armed men are seen entering and taking people's belongings as gunshots continue.
The governor of Kwara asked for the immediate deployment of more security operatives following the church attack, his spokesperson said.
Authorities have not yet located the girls abducted by armed men who stormed the predominantly Muslim Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in northwestern Kebbi state on Monday. Vice President Kashim Shettima was expected to travel to the state to meet officials and parents on Wednesday.
By Ahmed Kingimi, Reuters
The attack on Tuesday evening in Eruku, a town in central Nigeria's Kwara state, puts more pressure on the government, which is under scrutiny from U.S. President Donald Trump who has threatened military action over what he says is persecution of Christians.
President Bola Tinubu postponed a planned trip to South Africa and Angola for G20 and AU-EU summits to receive security briefings on the two attacks, and ordered more security to hunt down the assailants in Kwara, his office said.
The president also directed the security agencies "to do everything possible" to rescue the schoolgirls, "abducted by the bandits and bring the girls back home safe", his spokesperson Bayo Onanuga said.
GRAPPLING WITH ISLAMIST INSURGENCY
Rapper Nicki Minaj appealed on Tuesday for global action to defend religious freedom. Speaking at the U.S. mission to the United Nations, the Trinidad-born artist, who lives in New York, said that in Nigeria "Christians are being targeted, driven from their homes and killed".
Nigeria is grappling with an Islamist insurgency in the northeast, abductions and killings by armed gangs mainly in the northwest and deadly clashes between mainly Muslim herdsmen and mostly Christian farmers in its central belt.
The government says the U.S. designation of Nigeria as "a country of particular concern" misrepresents its complex security challenges and does not take into account its efforts to safeguard freedom of religion for all.
In the latest attack, police responded to gunfire at around 6 p.m. on Tuesday and discovered one person fatally shot inside the church and another in a nearby bush, said Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, police spokesperson for Kwara state. Witnesses said they counted at least three dead church members.
"They later rounded up some worshippers, including the pastor, and took them into the bush," parishioner Joseph Bitrus told Reuters by phone, without saying how many were taken.
GUNFIRE ERUPTS DURING CHURCH SERVICE, VIDEO SHOWS
A video posted by a local news outlet and verified by Reuters showed the Christ Apostolic Church service being interrupted by gunfire, forcing parishioners to take cover. Armed men are seen entering and taking people's belongings as gunshots continue.
The governor of Kwara asked for the immediate deployment of more security operatives following the church attack, his spokesperson said.
Authorities have not yet located the girls abducted by armed men who stormed the predominantly Muslim Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in northwestern Kebbi state on Monday. Vice President Kashim Shettima was expected to travel to the state to meet officials and parents on Wednesday.
Nigeria shuts some schools in Kwara state after church attack
Nigerian authorities have shut schools in five districts in central Kwara state, fearing they could be targets of armed gangs after a deadly attack on a church in the state earlier in the week.
Nigeria has witnessed a spate of attacks by gunmen, including the kidnapping on Monday of 25 schoolgirls from a boarding school in northwestern Kebbi state, putting a spotlight on insecurity and forcing President Bola Tinubu to postpone foreign trips.
"The (Kwara state) government is determined to curtail the activities of kidnappers who may want to use schoolchildren as human shields," Lawal Olohungbebe, the Kwara state education commissioner, said in a statement on Thursday.
He said the school closures would remain in place until security agencies give clearance for normal activities to resume.
On Tuesday evening, gunmen attacked a church in Kwara state, which borders Benin in the west of Nigeria, killing at least two people and kidnapping the pastor and some worshippers.
Nigeria is under scrutiny from U.S. President Donald Trump who in early November threatened military action over the treatment of Christians in the country.
Nigeria says claims that Christians face persecution misrepresent a complex security situation and do not take into account efforts to safeguard religious freedom.
Tinubu has dispatched a delegation led by the country's national security advisor to meet U.S. lawmakers and government officials.
Nigeria has witnessed a spate of attacks by gunmen, including the kidnapping on Monday of 25 schoolgirls from a boarding school in northwestern Kebbi state, putting a spotlight on insecurity and forcing President Bola Tinubu to postpone foreign trips.
"The (Kwara state) government is determined to curtail the activities of kidnappers who may want to use schoolchildren as human shields," Lawal Olohungbebe, the Kwara state education commissioner, said in a statement on Thursday.
He said the school closures would remain in place until security agencies give clearance for normal activities to resume.
On Tuesday evening, gunmen attacked a church in Kwara state, which borders Benin in the west of Nigeria, killing at least two people and kidnapping the pastor and some worshippers.
Nigeria is under scrutiny from U.S. President Donald Trump who in early November threatened military action over the treatment of Christians in the country.
Nigeria says claims that Christians face persecution misrepresent a complex security situation and do not take into account efforts to safeguard religious freedom.
Tinubu has dispatched a delegation led by the country's national security advisor to meet U.S. lawmakers and government officials.
President Tinubu delays G20 trip amid search for 24 abducted schoolgirls
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has postponed his trip to South Africa for the Group of 20 summit, promising to intensify efforts to rescue 24 schoolgirls abducted by armed men earlier this week.
The president’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, said in a statement on Wednesday that Tinubu suspended his departure in light of the girls’ abduction and a separate church attack in which gunmen killed two people.
Tinubu had been set to leave on Wednesday, days before the two-day summit of the world’s leading rich and developing nations was due to begin on Saturday.
“Disturbed by the security breaches in Kebbi State and Tuesday’s attack by bandits against worshippers at Christ Apostolic Church, Eruku, President Tinubu decided to suspend his departure” to the G20 summit, Onanuga said.
It was not clear immediately if or when Tinubu would leave for the weekend summit in Johannesburg.
Search for abducted girls ongoing
The schoolgirls were abducted by unidentified armed men from a secondary school in the northwestern town of Maga in Kebbi State late on Sunday night.
The attackers exchanged gunfire with police before scaling the perimeter fence and abducting the students.
One of the girls managed to escape, authorities said, but the school’s vice principal was killed. No group immediately claimed responsibility for abducting the girls, and their motivation was unclear.
Authorities say the gunmen are mostly former herders who have taken up arms against farming communities after clashes between them over strained resources.
In a separate attack on a church in western Nigeria on Tuesday, armed men killed two people during a service that was recorded and broadcast online.
Supporters of United States President Donald Trump have seized on the violence to embolden their claim that Christians are under attack in Nigeria.
Trump has threatened to invade Nigeria “guns-a-blazing” over what right-wing lawmakers in the US allege is a “Christian genocide“.
Nigeria has rejected the US president’s statements, saying more Muslims have been killed in the country’s various security crises.
The president’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, said in a statement on Wednesday that Tinubu suspended his departure in light of the girls’ abduction and a separate church attack in which gunmen killed two people.
Tinubu had been set to leave on Wednesday, days before the two-day summit of the world’s leading rich and developing nations was due to begin on Saturday.
“Disturbed by the security breaches in Kebbi State and Tuesday’s attack by bandits against worshippers at Christ Apostolic Church, Eruku, President Tinubu decided to suspend his departure” to the G20 summit, Onanuga said.
It was not clear immediately if or when Tinubu would leave for the weekend summit in Johannesburg.
Search for abducted girls ongoing
The schoolgirls were abducted by unidentified armed men from a secondary school in the northwestern town of Maga in Kebbi State late on Sunday night.
The attackers exchanged gunfire with police before scaling the perimeter fence and abducting the students.
One of the girls managed to escape, authorities said, but the school’s vice principal was killed. No group immediately claimed responsibility for abducting the girls, and their motivation was unclear.
Authorities say the gunmen are mostly former herders who have taken up arms against farming communities after clashes between them over strained resources.
In a separate attack on a church in western Nigeria on Tuesday, armed men killed two people during a service that was recorded and broadcast online.
Supporters of United States President Donald Trump have seized on the violence to embolden their claim that Christians are under attack in Nigeria.
Trump has threatened to invade Nigeria “guns-a-blazing” over what right-wing lawmakers in the US allege is a “Christian genocide“.
Nigeria has rejected the US president’s statements, saying more Muslims have been killed in the country’s various security crises.
Tuesday, November 18, 2025
Teacher killed and 25 girls abducted in gunbattle at Nigerian school
Armed men have killed a teacher and abducted at least 25 students in an attack on a girls' secondary school in north-western Nigeria, police say.
The gang invaded the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, at around 04:00 local time (0300 GMT) on Monday, they said.
The attackers "engaged police personnel on duty in a gun duel" before scaling the perimeter fence and seizing the students from their hostel, a statement said.
One member of staff was killed while trying to protect the students. A second sustained gunshot wounds and is now receiving treatment.
Eyewitnesses described a large group of attackers, known locally as bandits, who arrived firing sporadically to cause panic.
Residents told the BBC that the gunmen subsequently marched a number of girls into nearby bushland.
The police said they had deployed "additional police tactical units, alongside military personnel and vigilante groups" to the area.
A coordinated search and rescue operation is underway in surrounding forests and suspected escape routes.
Over the past decade, schools in northern Nigeria have become frequent targets for armed groups, who often carry out abductions to seek ransom payments or leverage deals with the government.
As well as trying to crack down on the kidnappers, Nigeria has also banned the payment of ransoms in an attempt to make it less lucrative.
This is the first major school abduction since March 2024, when more than 200 pupils were seized from a school in Kuriga, Kaduna state.
The attack in Kebbi State highlights the persistent security crisis plaguing the region, leaving families in Maga in a state of fearful exhaustion as they wait and hope for their daughters' safe return.
Chris Ewokor and Mansur Abubakar, BBC
The gang invaded the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, at around 04:00 local time (0300 GMT) on Monday, they said.
The attackers "engaged police personnel on duty in a gun duel" before scaling the perimeter fence and seizing the students from their hostel, a statement said.
One member of staff was killed while trying to protect the students. A second sustained gunshot wounds and is now receiving treatment.
Eyewitnesses described a large group of attackers, known locally as bandits, who arrived firing sporadically to cause panic.
Residents told the BBC that the gunmen subsequently marched a number of girls into nearby bushland.
The police said they had deployed "additional police tactical units, alongside military personnel and vigilante groups" to the area.
A coordinated search and rescue operation is underway in surrounding forests and suspected escape routes.
Over the past decade, schools in northern Nigeria have become frequent targets for armed groups, who often carry out abductions to seek ransom payments or leverage deals with the government.
As well as trying to crack down on the kidnappers, Nigeria has also banned the payment of ransoms in an attempt to make it less lucrative.
This is the first major school abduction since March 2024, when more than 200 pupils were seized from a school in Kuriga, Kaduna state.
The attack in Kebbi State highlights the persistent security crisis plaguing the region, leaving families in Maga in a state of fearful exhaustion as they wait and hope for their daughters' safe return.
Friday, November 14, 2025
Video - Nigeria’s push for electric motorcycles faces major hurdles
Electric motorcycles are slowly taking off in Nigeria, but high battery costs hold back buyers. Experts say government incentives, tax breaks, and better charging infrastructure are essential for the shift to succeed. Without reliable power and affordable batteries, Nigeria’s EV transition risks stalling.
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