Religious leaders and policymakers from across West Africa are in Abuja, Nigeria for a three-day conference on peace and security. The forum, hosted by the Economic Community of West African States and Jam’iyyatu Ansariddeen, a global Islamic organisation, seeks non-military solutions to extremism by promoting education, moral values, and youth inclusion. The conference aims to produce a roadmap for peace that makes faith a force for unity.
Showing posts with label insecurity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label insecurity. Show all posts
Thursday, November 6, 2025
Video - Abuja conference seeks faith-based solutions to insecurity in West Africa
Religious leaders and policymakers from across West Africa are in Abuja, Nigeria for a three-day conference on peace and security. The forum, hosted by the Economic Community of West African States and Jam’iyyatu Ansariddeen, a global Islamic organisation, seeks non-military solutions to extremism by promoting education, moral values, and youth inclusion. The conference aims to produce a roadmap for peace that makes faith a force for unity.
Wednesday, November 5, 2025
China opposes Trump’s threat against Nigeria, declares support for Nigerian Government
China has officially declared its opposition to US threats of sanctions or military actions against Nigeria over allegations of mass slaughter of Christians.
The Chinese government made its position known on Tuesday when Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning addressed a press conference in Beijing.
“As Nigeria’s comprehensive strategic partner, China firmly supports the Nigerian government in leading its people on the development path suited to its national conditions. China firmly opposes any country using religion and human rights as an excuse to interfere in other countries’ internal affairs, and threatening other countries with sanctions and force,” Ms Ning said, according to the transcript of the interview posted on the Chinese government’s website.
PREMIUM TIMES reported the threat by US President Donald Trump to either sanction Nigeria or use military action if the Nigerian government does not stop what US officials claim is a genocide against Nigerian Christians.
Mr Trump also designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) and claimed that Christianity faces an existential threat in Nigeria, as radical Islamic groups were killing thousands of Christians.
This comes after weeks of campaigns and demands by some US lawmakers for the country to sanction Nigeria for allowing the “persecution of Christians.”
The officials had falsely accused the Nigerian government of facilitating an anti-Christian crusade in an attempt to rid the country of Christians.
The Nigerian government has, however, repeatedly denied the claims.
In a statement issued on Saturday, President Bola Tinubu rejected the assertion of an existential threat to the Nigerian Christian faith, noting that the country strictly upholds the constitutional guarantees of religious liberty.
He stated that the portrayals of Nigeria as facilitating Christian genocide “do not reflect our national reality.”
He emphasised that Nigeria “opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it.”
Similarly, the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared that Nigeria is committed to tackling the violent extremism “fueled by special interests who have helped drive such decay and division in countries across the intersecting West African and Sahel regions.”
“Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so,” it said.
By Beloved John, Premium Times
The Chinese government made its position known on Tuesday when Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning addressed a press conference in Beijing.
“As Nigeria’s comprehensive strategic partner, China firmly supports the Nigerian government in leading its people on the development path suited to its national conditions. China firmly opposes any country using religion and human rights as an excuse to interfere in other countries’ internal affairs, and threatening other countries with sanctions and force,” Ms Ning said, according to the transcript of the interview posted on the Chinese government’s website.
PREMIUM TIMES reported the threat by US President Donald Trump to either sanction Nigeria or use military action if the Nigerian government does not stop what US officials claim is a genocide against Nigerian Christians.
Mr Trump also designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) and claimed that Christianity faces an existential threat in Nigeria, as radical Islamic groups were killing thousands of Christians.
This comes after weeks of campaigns and demands by some US lawmakers for the country to sanction Nigeria for allowing the “persecution of Christians.”
The officials had falsely accused the Nigerian government of facilitating an anti-Christian crusade in an attempt to rid the country of Christians.
The Nigerian government has, however, repeatedly denied the claims.
In a statement issued on Saturday, President Bola Tinubu rejected the assertion of an existential threat to the Nigerian Christian faith, noting that the country strictly upholds the constitutional guarantees of religious liberty.
He stated that the portrayals of Nigeria as facilitating Christian genocide “do not reflect our national reality.”
He emphasised that Nigeria “opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it.”
Similarly, the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared that Nigeria is committed to tackling the violent extremism “fueled by special interests who have helped drive such decay and division in countries across the intersecting West African and Sahel regions.”
“Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so,” it said.
By Beloved John, Premium Times
Nigeria pushes back on Trump’s claims over Christian killings
The Nigerian government has dismissed claims made by US President Donald Trump about the persecution of Christians in the West African nation, insisting that religious freedom is fully protected under the country’s constitution.
Responding to a reporter’s question at a news conference in Berlin on Tuesday, Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar held up a document whose cover read “Nigeria’s Constitutional Commitment to Religious Freedom and Rule of Law”.
“All the answers are in there. This is what guides us,” Tuggar said, speaking alongside Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. “It’s impossible for there to be religious persecution that can be supported in any way, shape or form by the government of Nigeria at any level.”
Tuggar’s comments come after Trump wrote on social media on Saturday that if the Nigerian government “continues to allow the killing of Christians”, the US would stop all aid to the country. Trump added that he had instructed the so-called Department of War “to prepare for possible action”.
And on Sunday, Trump doubled down, saying Washington could deploy troops or conduct air strikes. “They are killing a record number of Christians in Nigeria,” he said. “We are not gonna allow that to happen.”
The threats came after the US president had redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern – a label the US government gives to countries seen as responsible for severe violations of religious freedom.
Trump’s assertions echo claims that have gained traction among right-wing and Christian evangelical circles in the past months. US Senator Ted Cruz, a Trump ally, blamed Nigerian officials for what he called “Christian massacres” and introduced in September the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025, which, he said, aims to hold officials who “facilitate Islamic Jihadist violence and the imposition of blasphemy laws” accountable.
While admitting a problem with security issues, Nigerian officials rebuked Trump’s claims, saying that people across all faiths, not just Christians, are victims of armed groups’ violence. “The characterization of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality,” said Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, a Muslim from southern Nigeria who is married to a Christian pastor.
About 238 million people live in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation. Around 46 percent of the population is Muslim, largely residing in the north, and about 46 percent are Christian, mostly located in the south, according to the Association of Religion Data Archives.
For more than a decade, Boko Haram and other armed groups have clashed in the northeast, forcing millions of people from their homes. Since Tinubu took power two years ago, pledging stronger security, more than 10,000 people have been killed there, according to Amnesty International.
In the centre, there are increasing attacks on predominantly Christian farming communities by herders from the rival Fulani pastoral ethnic group, which is predominantly Muslim. The attacks there are mostly over access to water and pasture.
By Virginia Pietromarchi, Al Jazeera
Responding to a reporter’s question at a news conference in Berlin on Tuesday, Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar held up a document whose cover read “Nigeria’s Constitutional Commitment to Religious Freedom and Rule of Law”.
“All the answers are in there. This is what guides us,” Tuggar said, speaking alongside Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. “It’s impossible for there to be religious persecution that can be supported in any way, shape or form by the government of Nigeria at any level.”
Tuggar’s comments come after Trump wrote on social media on Saturday that if the Nigerian government “continues to allow the killing of Christians”, the US would stop all aid to the country. Trump added that he had instructed the so-called Department of War “to prepare for possible action”.
And on Sunday, Trump doubled down, saying Washington could deploy troops or conduct air strikes. “They are killing a record number of Christians in Nigeria,” he said. “We are not gonna allow that to happen.”
The threats came after the US president had redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern – a label the US government gives to countries seen as responsible for severe violations of religious freedom.
Trump’s assertions echo claims that have gained traction among right-wing and Christian evangelical circles in the past months. US Senator Ted Cruz, a Trump ally, blamed Nigerian officials for what he called “Christian massacres” and introduced in September the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025, which, he said, aims to hold officials who “facilitate Islamic Jihadist violence and the imposition of blasphemy laws” accountable.
While admitting a problem with security issues, Nigerian officials rebuked Trump’s claims, saying that people across all faiths, not just Christians, are victims of armed groups’ violence. “The characterization of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality,” said Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, a Muslim from southern Nigeria who is married to a Christian pastor.
About 238 million people live in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation. Around 46 percent of the population is Muslim, largely residing in the north, and about 46 percent are Christian, mostly located in the south, according to the Association of Religion Data Archives.
For more than a decade, Boko Haram and other armed groups have clashed in the northeast, forcing millions of people from their homes. Since Tinubu took power two years ago, pledging stronger security, more than 10,000 people have been killed there, according to Amnesty International.
In the centre, there are increasing attacks on predominantly Christian farming communities by herders from the rival Fulani pastoral ethnic group, which is predominantly Muslim. The attacks there are mostly over access to water and pasture.
Monday, November 3, 2025
Video - Trump threatens to launch attacks in Nigeria over ‘killing of Christians’
US President Donald Trump is threatening to send military forces into Nigeria, unless the government stops what he called the killings of Christians by terrorists. A few hours before Trump’s threat, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu released a statement stressing that his government “continues to address security challenges which affect citizens across faiths and regions”. Bulama Bukarti, a Nigerian humanitarian lawyer and analyst on conflict and development, told Al Jazeera that President Trump's claims are not credible.
Nigeria rejects claims of Christian genocide as Trump mulls military action
Nigeria has said it would welcome assistance from the United States in fighting armed groups, as long as its territorial integrity is respected, as US President Donald Trump continued to threaten military action in the West African country over what he claimed was the persecution of Christians there.
Officials and experts in Nigeria on Sunday denied Trump’s claims of mass killings of Christians, noting that Boko Haram and al-Qaeda-linked groups target people of all faiths in Africa’s most populous country.
But Trump – who has directed his government to prepare for possible “fast” military action in Africa’s most populous country – doubled down on the threat on Sunday, saying he was he was considering a range of military options in Nigeria,
When asked by a reporter if he was considering US troops on the ground in Nigeria or air strikes, Trump replied: “Could be, I mean, a lot of things – I envisage a lot of things.”
“They’re killing the Christians and killing them in very large numbers. We’re not going to allow that to happen,” he added.
Nigeria, a country of more than 200 million people, is divided between the largely Muslim north and mostly Christian south. Armed groups have been engaged in a conflict that has been largely confined to the northeast of the country, which is majority Muslim, and has dragged on for more than 15 years.
Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, a spokesman for Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in an interview with Al Jazeera on Sunday, denied Trump’s claims of mass killings of Christians.
“We are not proud of the security situation that we are passing through, but to go with the narrative” that only Christians are targeted, “no, it is not true. There is no Christian genocide in Nigeria”, he said.
“We’ve continuously made our point clear that we acknowledge the fact that there are killings that have taken place in Nigeria, but those killings were not restricted to Christians alone. Muslims are being killed. Traditional worshippers are being killed… The majority is not the Christian population.”
Imomotimi Ebienfa said Nigeria was ready to work with its partners to “fight this scourge of terrorism, but not any passive action that will undermine the sovereignty of our country”.
He also vehemently denied that the Nigerian government has allowed the killings to take place.
“The killings are not sanctioned by the Nigerian government,” he said. “The killing of any Nigerian in any part of the country is a loss to the country … The perpetrators of these killings are terrorist groups Boko Haram and other al-Qaeda and [ISIL] ISIS-affiliated groups that are perpetuating this crisis.”
An adviser to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu also echoed the sentiment.
Daniel Bwala told the Reuters news agency on Sunday that the country would “welcome US assistance as long as it recognises our territorial integrity”.
Bwala sought to play down tensions between the two states, despite Trump calling Nigeria a “disgraced country”.
“We don’t take it literally, because we know Donald Trump thinks well of Nigeria,” Bwala said.
“I am sure by the time these two leaders meet and sit, there would be better outcomes in our joint resolve to fight terrorism,” he said.
Trump’s threat of military action came a day after his administration added Nigeria back to a “Countries of Particular Concern” list of nations that Washington says have violated religious freedoms. Other nations on the list include China, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia and Pakistan.
Tinubu, a Muslim from southern Nigeria who is married to a Christian pastor, on Saturday pushed back against accusations of religious intolerance and defended his country’s efforts to protect religious freedom.
When making key government and military appointments, Tinubu, like his predecessors, has sought to strike a balance to make sure that Muslims and Christians are represented equally. Last week, Tinubu changed the country’s military leadership and appointed a Christian as the new defence chief.
“Since 2023, our administration has maintained an open and active engagement with Christian and Muslim leaders alike and continues to address security challenges which affect citizens across faiths and regions,” Tinubu said in a statement.
“The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it take into consideration the consistent and sincere efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion and beliefs for all Nigerians.”
‘No Christian genocide’
While human rights groups have urged the government to do more to address unrest in the country, which has experienced deadly attacks by Boko Haram and other armed groups, experts say claims of a “Christian genocide” are false and simplistic.
“All the data reveals is that there is no Christian genocide going on in Nigeria,” Bulama Bukarti, a Nigerian humanitarian lawyer and analyst on conflict and development, told Al Jazeera. This is “a dangerous far-right narrative that has been simmering for a long time that President Trump is amplifying today”.
“It is divisive, and it is only going to further increase instability in Nigeria,” Bukarti added, explaining that armed groups in Nigeria have been targeting both Muslims and Christians.
“They bomb markets. They bomb churches. They bomb mosques, and they attack every civilian location they find. They do not discriminate between Muslims and Christians.”
Data by ACLED, a US crisis-monitoring group, backs Bugatti’s assertion.
ACLED research shows that out of 1,923 attacks on civilians in Nigeria so far this year, the number of those targeting Christians because of their religion stood at 50.
“Insurgent groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa often present their campaigns as anti-Christian, but in practice, their violence is indiscriminate and devastates entire communities,” said Ladd Serwat, a senior Africa analyst at ACLED.
The violence in Nigeria, he told Reuters, “is part of the complex and often overlapping conflict dynamics in the country over political power, land disputes, ethnicity, cult affiliation, and banditry”.
Serwat said the recent claims circulating among some US right-wing circles that as many as 100,000 Christians had been killed in Nigeria since 2009 are not supported by available data.
Ebenezer Obadare, a senior fellow of Africa studies at the Washington, DC-based Council on Foreign Relations, agreed and said the Trump administration should work with Nigerian authorities to address the “common enemy”.
“This is precisely the moment when Nigeria needs assistance, especially military assistance,” Obadare told Al Jazeera. “The wrong thing to do is to invade Nigeria and override the authorities or the authority of the Nigerian government. Doing that will be counterproductive.”
Officials and experts in Nigeria on Sunday denied Trump’s claims of mass killings of Christians, noting that Boko Haram and al-Qaeda-linked groups target people of all faiths in Africa’s most populous country.
But Trump – who has directed his government to prepare for possible “fast” military action in Africa’s most populous country – doubled down on the threat on Sunday, saying he was he was considering a range of military options in Nigeria,
When asked by a reporter if he was considering US troops on the ground in Nigeria or air strikes, Trump replied: “Could be, I mean, a lot of things – I envisage a lot of things.”
“They’re killing the Christians and killing them in very large numbers. We’re not going to allow that to happen,” he added.
Nigeria, a country of more than 200 million people, is divided between the largely Muslim north and mostly Christian south. Armed groups have been engaged in a conflict that has been largely confined to the northeast of the country, which is majority Muslim, and has dragged on for more than 15 years.
Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, a spokesman for Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in an interview with Al Jazeera on Sunday, denied Trump’s claims of mass killings of Christians.
“We are not proud of the security situation that we are passing through, but to go with the narrative” that only Christians are targeted, “no, it is not true. There is no Christian genocide in Nigeria”, he said.
“We’ve continuously made our point clear that we acknowledge the fact that there are killings that have taken place in Nigeria, but those killings were not restricted to Christians alone. Muslims are being killed. Traditional worshippers are being killed… The majority is not the Christian population.”
Imomotimi Ebienfa said Nigeria was ready to work with its partners to “fight this scourge of terrorism, but not any passive action that will undermine the sovereignty of our country”.
He also vehemently denied that the Nigerian government has allowed the killings to take place.
“The killings are not sanctioned by the Nigerian government,” he said. “The killing of any Nigerian in any part of the country is a loss to the country … The perpetrators of these killings are terrorist groups Boko Haram and other al-Qaeda and [ISIL] ISIS-affiliated groups that are perpetuating this crisis.”
An adviser to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu also echoed the sentiment.
Daniel Bwala told the Reuters news agency on Sunday that the country would “welcome US assistance as long as it recognises our territorial integrity”.
Bwala sought to play down tensions between the two states, despite Trump calling Nigeria a “disgraced country”.
“We don’t take it literally, because we know Donald Trump thinks well of Nigeria,” Bwala said.
“I am sure by the time these two leaders meet and sit, there would be better outcomes in our joint resolve to fight terrorism,” he said.
Trump’s threat of military action came a day after his administration added Nigeria back to a “Countries of Particular Concern” list of nations that Washington says have violated religious freedoms. Other nations on the list include China, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia and Pakistan.
Tinubu, a Muslim from southern Nigeria who is married to a Christian pastor, on Saturday pushed back against accusations of religious intolerance and defended his country’s efforts to protect religious freedom.
When making key government and military appointments, Tinubu, like his predecessors, has sought to strike a balance to make sure that Muslims and Christians are represented equally. Last week, Tinubu changed the country’s military leadership and appointed a Christian as the new defence chief.
“Since 2023, our administration has maintained an open and active engagement with Christian and Muslim leaders alike and continues to address security challenges which affect citizens across faiths and regions,” Tinubu said in a statement.
“The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it take into consideration the consistent and sincere efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion and beliefs for all Nigerians.”
‘No Christian genocide’
While human rights groups have urged the government to do more to address unrest in the country, which has experienced deadly attacks by Boko Haram and other armed groups, experts say claims of a “Christian genocide” are false and simplistic.
“All the data reveals is that there is no Christian genocide going on in Nigeria,” Bulama Bukarti, a Nigerian humanitarian lawyer and analyst on conflict and development, told Al Jazeera. This is “a dangerous far-right narrative that has been simmering for a long time that President Trump is amplifying today”.
“It is divisive, and it is only going to further increase instability in Nigeria,” Bukarti added, explaining that armed groups in Nigeria have been targeting both Muslims and Christians.
“They bomb markets. They bomb churches. They bomb mosques, and they attack every civilian location they find. They do not discriminate between Muslims and Christians.”
Data by ACLED, a US crisis-monitoring group, backs Bugatti’s assertion.
ACLED research shows that out of 1,923 attacks on civilians in Nigeria so far this year, the number of those targeting Christians because of their religion stood at 50.
“Insurgent groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa often present their campaigns as anti-Christian, but in practice, their violence is indiscriminate and devastates entire communities,” said Ladd Serwat, a senior Africa analyst at ACLED.
The violence in Nigeria, he told Reuters, “is part of the complex and often overlapping conflict dynamics in the country over political power, land disputes, ethnicity, cult affiliation, and banditry”.
Serwat said the recent claims circulating among some US right-wing circles that as many as 100,000 Christians had been killed in Nigeria since 2009 are not supported by available data.
Ebenezer Obadare, a senior fellow of Africa studies at the Washington, DC-based Council on Foreign Relations, agreed and said the Trump administration should work with Nigerian authorities to address the “common enemy”.
“This is precisely the moment when Nigeria needs assistance, especially military assistance,” Obadare told Al Jazeera. “The wrong thing to do is to invade Nigeria and override the authorities or the authority of the Nigerian government. Doing that will be counterproductive.”
Trump tells military to prepare for 'action' against Islamist militants in Nigeria
US President Donald Trump has ordered the military to prepare for action in Nigeria to tackle Islamist militant groups, accusing the government of failing to protect Christians.
Trump did not say which killings he was referring to, but claims of a genocide against Nigeria's Christians have been circulating in recent weeks and months in some right-wing US circles.
Groups monitoring violence say there is no evidence to suggest that Christians are being killed more than Muslims in Nigeria, which is roughly evenly divided between followers of the two religions.
An advisor to Nigeria's president told the BBC that any military action against the jihadist groups should be carried out together.
Daniel Bwala said Nigeria would welcome US help in tackling the Islamist insurgents but noted that it was a "sovereign" country.
He also said the jihadists were not targeting members of a particular religion and that they had killed people from all faiths, or none.
Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu has insisted there is religious tolerance in the country and said the security challenges were affecting people "across faiths and regions".
Trump wrote in a social media post on Saturday that he had instructed the US Department of War to prepare for "possible action".
And on Sunday, Trump reiterated that his country could deploy troops to Nigeria or carry out airstrikes to stop the alleged killings.
"They're killing record numbers of Christians in Nigeria. They're killing the Christians and killing them in very large numbers. We're not going to allow that to happen," the US president said.
In Saturday’s post he warned that he might send the military into Nigeria "guns-a-blazing" unless the Nigerian government intervened, and said that all aid to what he called "the now disgraced country" would be cut.
Trump had said: "If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians!"
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth then replied to the post by writing: "Yes sir.
"The Department of War is preparing for action. Either the Nigerian Government protects Christians, or we will kill the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities."
Trump's threat triggered alarm across Nigeria. Many on social media urged the government to step up its fight against Islamist groups to avert a situation where foreign troops are sent into the country.
But Mr Bwala, who said he was a Christian pastor, told the BBC's Newshour programme that Trump had a "unique way of communicating" and that Nigeria was not taking his words literally.
"We know the heart and intent of Trump is to help us fight insecurity," he said, adding that he hoped Trump would meet Tinubu in the coming days to discuss the issue.
Trump earlier announced that he had declared Nigeria a "Country of Particular Concern" because of the "existential threat" posed to its Christian population. He said "thousands" had been killed, without providing any evidence.
This is a designation used by the US State Department that provides for sanctions against countries "engaged in severe violations of religious freedom".
Following this announcement, Tinubu said his government was committed to working with the US and the international community to protect communities of all faiths.
"The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality," the Nigerian leader said in a statement.
Jihadist groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province have wrought havoc in north-eastern Nigeria for more than a decade, killing thousands of people - however most of these have been Muslims, according to Acled, a group which analyses political violence around the world.
In central Nigeria, there are also frequent clashes between mostly Muslim herders and farming groups, who are often Christian, over access to water and pasture.
Deadly cycles of tit-for-tat attacks have also seen thousands killed, but atrocities have been committed on both sides and human rights group say there is no evidence that Christians have been disproportionately targeted.
Trump has frequently expressed satisfaction over not having embroiled the US in a war during his tenure, and has cast himself as a peace-making president.
But the Republican leader is facing a growing number of voices domestically, particularly from the political right, who have drawn attention to the situation in Nigeria.
By Joseph Winter, BBC
Trump did not say which killings he was referring to, but claims of a genocide against Nigeria's Christians have been circulating in recent weeks and months in some right-wing US circles.
Groups monitoring violence say there is no evidence to suggest that Christians are being killed more than Muslims in Nigeria, which is roughly evenly divided between followers of the two religions.
An advisor to Nigeria's president told the BBC that any military action against the jihadist groups should be carried out together.
Daniel Bwala said Nigeria would welcome US help in tackling the Islamist insurgents but noted that it was a "sovereign" country.
He also said the jihadists were not targeting members of a particular religion and that they had killed people from all faiths, or none.
Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu has insisted there is religious tolerance in the country and said the security challenges were affecting people "across faiths and regions".
Trump wrote in a social media post on Saturday that he had instructed the US Department of War to prepare for "possible action".
And on Sunday, Trump reiterated that his country could deploy troops to Nigeria or carry out airstrikes to stop the alleged killings.
"They're killing record numbers of Christians in Nigeria. They're killing the Christians and killing them in very large numbers. We're not going to allow that to happen," the US president said.
In Saturday’s post he warned that he might send the military into Nigeria "guns-a-blazing" unless the Nigerian government intervened, and said that all aid to what he called "the now disgraced country" would be cut.
Trump had said: "If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians!"
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth then replied to the post by writing: "Yes sir.
"The Department of War is preparing for action. Either the Nigerian Government protects Christians, or we will kill the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities."
Trump's threat triggered alarm across Nigeria. Many on social media urged the government to step up its fight against Islamist groups to avert a situation where foreign troops are sent into the country.
But Mr Bwala, who said he was a Christian pastor, told the BBC's Newshour programme that Trump had a "unique way of communicating" and that Nigeria was not taking his words literally.
"We know the heart and intent of Trump is to help us fight insecurity," he said, adding that he hoped Trump would meet Tinubu in the coming days to discuss the issue.
Trump earlier announced that he had declared Nigeria a "Country of Particular Concern" because of the "existential threat" posed to its Christian population. He said "thousands" had been killed, without providing any evidence.
This is a designation used by the US State Department that provides for sanctions against countries "engaged in severe violations of religious freedom".
Following this announcement, Tinubu said his government was committed to working with the US and the international community to protect communities of all faiths.
"The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality," the Nigerian leader said in a statement.
Jihadist groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province have wrought havoc in north-eastern Nigeria for more than a decade, killing thousands of people - however most of these have been Muslims, according to Acled, a group which analyses political violence around the world.
In central Nigeria, there are also frequent clashes between mostly Muslim herders and farming groups, who are often Christian, over access to water and pasture.
Deadly cycles of tit-for-tat attacks have also seen thousands killed, but atrocities have been committed on both sides and human rights group say there is no evidence that Christians have been disproportionately targeted.
Trump has frequently expressed satisfaction over not having embroiled the US in a war during his tenure, and has cast himself as a peace-making president.
But the Republican leader is facing a growing number of voices domestically, particularly from the political right, who have drawn attention to the situation in Nigeria.
Wednesday, October 29, 2025
Security fears grow as bomb threat targets Nigerian lawmakers
The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Internal Security, Garba Muhammad, on Tuesday, disclosed that the group received a bomb threat from a terrorist group.
He noted that the terrorists threatened to bomb the building of NASS, and as a result, called for increased security.
Speaking at an open session on a bill to set up the Legislative Security Directorate, the Chairman of NASS, as seen on Vanguard, claimed that the seat of Nigeria's democracy was increasingly facing serious security challenges, such as car and motorcycle theft, vandalism, fake identity cards, and infiltration by unregistered visitors.
He noted that the terrorists threatened to bomb the building of NASS, and as a result, called for increased security.
Speaking at an open session on a bill to set up the Legislative Security Directorate, the Chairman of NASS, as seen on Vanguard, claimed that the seat of Nigeria's democracy was increasingly facing serious security challenges, such as car and motorcycle theft, vandalism, fake identity cards, and infiltration by unregistered visitors.
What the National Assembly said
“We have received threats from terrorists to bomb the National Assembly complex and threats from protesters to lock up the National Assembly,” he stated.
“Legislators are exposed to threats from constituents and others who gain easy access into their offices without any formal appointment,” he added.
Continuing on the subject of safeguarding government officials, including senators, House of Representatives members, and other administrative workers, he stated, “It is obvious that with the ongoing security challenges, if proper measures are not taken, it will truncate the legislative activities in the National Assembly.”
He also noted that “If activities are thwarted, there will be no representation, no oversight, no annual budget, no plenary at all, and that will destabilise legislative procedure, democracy, and the stability of the system, and our nation at large.”
The legislator also called on state Houses of Assembly within the nation to follow suit to guarantee complete and extensive security across Nigeria.
“I also want to admonish our State Houses of Assembly to imbibe the same,” Muhammad added, wishing participants a “peaceful and fruitful hearing that will ultimately bring a turnaround in National Assembly security architecture.”
He pointed out that adopting the law would be a significant step in securing Nigeria's democratic institutions and urged everyone to be in support of it.
“We have received threats from terrorists to bomb the National Assembly complex and threats from protesters to lock up the National Assembly,” he stated.
“Legislators are exposed to threats from constituents and others who gain easy access into their offices without any formal appointment,” he added.
Continuing on the subject of safeguarding government officials, including senators, House of Representatives members, and other administrative workers, he stated, “It is obvious that with the ongoing security challenges, if proper measures are not taken, it will truncate the legislative activities in the National Assembly.”
He also noted that “If activities are thwarted, there will be no representation, no oversight, no annual budget, no plenary at all, and that will destabilise legislative procedure, democracy, and the stability of the system, and our nation at large.”
The legislator also called on state Houses of Assembly within the nation to follow suit to guarantee complete and extensive security across Nigeria.
“I also want to admonish our State Houses of Assembly to imbibe the same,” Muhammad added, wishing participants a “peaceful and fruitful hearing that will ultimately bring a turnaround in National Assembly security architecture.”
He pointed out that adopting the law would be a significant step in securing Nigeria's democratic institutions and urged everyone to be in support of it.
By Chinedu Okafor, Business Insider Africa
Friday, October 17, 2025
Gunmen ambush security patrol in Nigeria’s northwest, killing 8
Gunmen ambushed a security personnel in Nigeria’s northwestern Zamfara state and killed at least eight people, the state’s governor said.
The attack took place Thursday on the Gusau-Funtua road in Zamfara state’s Tsafe area, and killed five police officers and three members of a local paramilitary group that works with the police, Gov. Dauda Lawal said in a statement posted on Facebook.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the killings.
Such attacks are common in Nigeria’s northern region, where local herders and farmers often clash over limited access to land and water. The farmers accuse the herders, mostly of Fulani origin, of grazing their livestock on their farms and destroying their produce.
In recent months, there has been an increase in attacks by armed groups who kidnap residents for ransom in northwest Nigeria, and particularly in Zamfara state.
“We pray to God to bring an end to this security problem in Zamfara state and Nigeria,” Lawal said on Facebook.
Buhari Morki, a resident of Gusau, told The Associated Press that the gunmen waited in the bushes along the road where law enforcement officials usually patrol.
“The bandits were moving to a community in the area when they saw the patrol,” Moriki said.
Nigeria is also battling to contain Boko Haram insurgents in the northeast, where some 35,000 civilians have been killed and more than 2 million displaced, according to the United Nations.
By Dyepkazah Shibayan, AP
The attack took place Thursday on the Gusau-Funtua road in Zamfara state’s Tsafe area, and killed five police officers and three members of a local paramilitary group that works with the police, Gov. Dauda Lawal said in a statement posted on Facebook.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the killings.
Such attacks are common in Nigeria’s northern region, where local herders and farmers often clash over limited access to land and water. The farmers accuse the herders, mostly of Fulani origin, of grazing their livestock on their farms and destroying their produce.
In recent months, there has been an increase in attacks by armed groups who kidnap residents for ransom in northwest Nigeria, and particularly in Zamfara state.
“We pray to God to bring an end to this security problem in Zamfara state and Nigeria,” Lawal said on Facebook.
Buhari Morki, a resident of Gusau, told The Associated Press that the gunmen waited in the bushes along the road where law enforcement officials usually patrol.
“The bandits were moving to a community in the area when they saw the patrol,” Moriki said.
Nigeria is also battling to contain Boko Haram insurgents in the northeast, where some 35,000 civilians have been killed and more than 2 million displaced, according to the United Nations.
Thursday, October 2, 2025
Despite pervasive insecurity, Tinubu says his govt winning war against violent crimes
Despite the regular killing and kidnapping of Nigerians in different parts of the country by armed groups, President Bola Tinubu said security agencies in his administration “are winning the war against terrorism, banditry and other violent crimes.”
The Nigerian leader spoke Wednesday in a nationwide broadcast to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary.
PREMIUM TIMES has reported several cases of killings by armed groups in states like Niger, Kwara, Katsina, Zamfara, Anambra, and Borno. The killings have continued despite the efforts of security agencies.
Mr Tinubu, however, said victories achieved need to be celebrated.
“Peace has returned to hundreds of our liberated communities in North-West and North-East, and thousands of our people have returned safely to their homes,” he said.
By Yakubu Mohammed, Premium Times
The Nigerian leader spoke Wednesday in a nationwide broadcast to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary.
PREMIUM TIMES has reported several cases of killings by armed groups in states like Niger, Kwara, Katsina, Zamfara, Anambra, and Borno. The killings have continued despite the efforts of security agencies.
Mr Tinubu, however, said victories achieved need to be celebrated.
“Peace has returned to hundreds of our liberated communities in North-West and North-East, and thousands of our people have returned safely to their homes,” he said.
Is Security Improving
The president’s words could pass as a political statement that does not reflect what millions of Nigerians are going through.
An analysis of Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), a global data hub that collects real-time conflict-related data, showed that 7,472 people were killed while 12,584 were abducted in President Tinubu’s two years leadership. This data, based on attacks from 29 May 2023 to 19 May 2025, focuses exclusively on deaths and abductions perpetrated by terror groups.
Although the country has recorded some achievements against insecurity including the killings of over 15,000 insurgents in the North-east, the arrests of Ansaru leaders and the killings of bandits kingpins, the continued waves of violence put these feats to test.
The president’s words could pass as a political statement that does not reflect what millions of Nigerians are going through.
An analysis of Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), a global data hub that collects real-time conflict-related data, showed that 7,472 people were killed while 12,584 were abducted in President Tinubu’s two years leadership. This data, based on attacks from 29 May 2023 to 19 May 2025, focuses exclusively on deaths and abductions perpetrated by terror groups.
Although the country has recorded some achievements against insecurity including the killings of over 15,000 insurgents in the North-east, the arrests of Ansaru leaders and the killings of bandits kingpins, the continued waves of violence put these feats to test.
Waves of violence
Terrorists continue to disrupt peace and stability in the three geopolitical zones in the north.
For the past few weeks, they have intensified attacks against civilians and security forces.
In Borno State, where Boko Haram and its splinter group, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have made a strong comeback, there is a resurgence of attacks and redisplacement of recently resettled communities.
Since January, insurgents have killed more than 130 people including in Borno. Some of the attacks as seen here, here, here, and here, targeted civilians and soldiers who were ambushed at their bases.
The North-east insurgency ravaging BAY (Borno, Adamawa and Yobe) states has lingered for 15 years, resulting in more than 40,000 deaths and around two million displacements.
In Niger State where bandits groups often collaborate with core terrorist groups like the Sadiku Boko Haram faction, abductions and killings have resurfaced.
Local residents told PREMIUM TIMES that armed gangs have laid siege to several communities in the northern senatorial district in the state. On Monday, the terrorists kidnapped many people from this area, including a former chairperson of Niger State Universal Basic Education Board.
A worse and similar pattern was witnessed in neighbouring Kwara State. At least 15 vigilantes and hunters were killed by terrorists in Oke-Ode, Ifelodun Local Government Area. Scores of villagers were also abducted during the raid.
In Patigi Local Government Area, where a pregnant woman and nine others were killed, several villages have been devastated by terrorists who specialise in cattle rustling and kidnapping for ransom.
Violence seemed to have simmered in Benue following the infamous Yelwata attack that claimed more than 200 lives, but attacks against security forces continue with the latest killing of nine police officers last month.
In Plateau, gunmen killed six people and abducted two others on 14 September in a village in Bokkos Local Government Area.
In the South-east, Amnesty International said at least 1,844 people were killed between January 2021 and June 2023. PREMIUM TIMES understands that the violence continues in remote areas.
The South-south region is also faced with a peculiar threat including waterway abductions, according to our analysis of the ACLED data. Cultism and other forms of violence remain the major threats in South-west.
Terrorists continue to disrupt peace and stability in the three geopolitical zones in the north.
For the past few weeks, they have intensified attacks against civilians and security forces.
In Borno State, where Boko Haram and its splinter group, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have made a strong comeback, there is a resurgence of attacks and redisplacement of recently resettled communities.
Since January, insurgents have killed more than 130 people including in Borno. Some of the attacks as seen here, here, here, and here, targeted civilians and soldiers who were ambushed at their bases.
The North-east insurgency ravaging BAY (Borno, Adamawa and Yobe) states has lingered for 15 years, resulting in more than 40,000 deaths and around two million displacements.
In Niger State where bandits groups often collaborate with core terrorist groups like the Sadiku Boko Haram faction, abductions and killings have resurfaced.
Local residents told PREMIUM TIMES that armed gangs have laid siege to several communities in the northern senatorial district in the state. On Monday, the terrorists kidnapped many people from this area, including a former chairperson of Niger State Universal Basic Education Board.
A worse and similar pattern was witnessed in neighbouring Kwara State. At least 15 vigilantes and hunters were killed by terrorists in Oke-Ode, Ifelodun Local Government Area. Scores of villagers were also abducted during the raid.
In Patigi Local Government Area, where a pregnant woman and nine others were killed, several villages have been devastated by terrorists who specialise in cattle rustling and kidnapping for ransom.
Violence seemed to have simmered in Benue following the infamous Yelwata attack that claimed more than 200 lives, but attacks against security forces continue with the latest killing of nine police officers last month.
In Plateau, gunmen killed six people and abducted two others on 14 September in a village in Bokkos Local Government Area.
In the South-east, Amnesty International said at least 1,844 people were killed between January 2021 and June 2023. PREMIUM TIMES understands that the violence continues in remote areas.
The South-south region is also faced with a peculiar threat including waterway abductions, according to our analysis of the ACLED data. Cultism and other forms of violence remain the major threats in South-west.
Monday, September 8, 2025
Video - Analyst weighs in on resurgence of militant activities in Nigeria
David Otto-Endeley, Director of the Geneva Centre for Africa Security and Strategic Studies, shares his insights into the escalating wave of terrorism and banditry across Nigeria. The latest attack has seen 60 people killed by Boko Haram militants in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno State.
Video - Nigeria’s rising insecurity puts pressure on authorities
Deadly attacks by insurgents and bandits are forcing families from their homes and devastating rural communities across Nigeria. Despite recent arrests and convictions, critics say weak enforcement and internal security lapses are fueling the violence.
Video - Kidnapping-for-ransom thrives in Nigeria
A new report by SBM Intelligence reveals that kidnappers in Nigeria demanded nearly $1.7 million in ransom between July 2024 and June 2025, highlighting the growth of kidnapping into a lucrative criminal enterprise. Despite government warnings against ransom payments, many families comply, thus encouraging kidnappers to continue the practice.
Related story: More than 2 million kidnapped in Nigeria in one year
Friday, August 22, 2025
Video - Nigerian terror victims rebuild lives amid ongoing conflict
Some victims of Nigeria’s long-running terror conflict are finding ways to rebuild by taking on any work they can. Grace Godwin, for example, runs a salon after losing relatives to violence.
Tuesday, July 29, 2025
Nigeria kidnappers kill 35 hostages even after ransom paid
Kidnappers in Nigeria have killed at least 35 people they abducted from a village in northern Zamfara state despite ransoms being paid for their release, a local official told the BBC.
In recent years, criminal gangs in the region, known in the country as bandits, have taken to kidnapping people as a means to raise money.
In this incident, 56 people were taken from Banga village, Kauran Namoda local government area in March. The gunmen then demanded a ransom of one million naira ($655; £485) per captive, media in Nigeria report.
Local government chairman Manniru Haidara Kaura said that most of those killed were young people who "were slaughtered like rams".
"What happened was that the bandits demanded ransom money, and after some back-and-forth, they were given what they asked for. They then released 18 people, including 17 women and one young boy, on Saturday," Haidara added.
"Only they [the gunmen] know why they killed them. They are senseless and heartless people. They forget that they are killing their own brothers, and we will all meet before Allah."
Residents said three pregnant women who were among the hostages gave birth while in captivity, but all the new-borns died due to lack of care.
Survivors recounted being forced to witness the brutal killing of fellow hostages before being allowed to leave the forest.
Sixteen of those released on Saturday are in hospital receiving treatment, while the bodies of the 38 killed by the bandits are unlikely to be returned as in these cases corpses are rarely released.
In a statement, the Zamfara government condemned the killings calling them "barbaric and cowardly" and declared that such atrocities added to its resolve to wipe out terrorism from the state.
"To the grieving families, we share your sorrow and pray for strength and healing. To the good people of Zamfara, remain united and vigilant. Report suspicious activities, and together, we will defeat evil."
The government has said that the killers would be brought to justice.
In an attempt to curb the spiralling and lucrative kidnapping industry, a law was enacted in 2022 making it a crime to make ransom payments. It carries a jail sentence of at least 15 years, however no-one has ever been arrested on those charges.
It also made abduction punishable by death in cases where victims die.
But families often feel forced to pay to save their loved ones, citing the government's inability to ensure their safety.
By Chris Ewokor & Mansur Abubakar, BBC
In recent years, criminal gangs in the region, known in the country as bandits, have taken to kidnapping people as a means to raise money.
In this incident, 56 people were taken from Banga village, Kauran Namoda local government area in March. The gunmen then demanded a ransom of one million naira ($655; £485) per captive, media in Nigeria report.
Local government chairman Manniru Haidara Kaura said that most of those killed were young people who "were slaughtered like rams".
"What happened was that the bandits demanded ransom money, and after some back-and-forth, they were given what they asked for. They then released 18 people, including 17 women and one young boy, on Saturday," Haidara added.
"Only they [the gunmen] know why they killed them. They are senseless and heartless people. They forget that they are killing their own brothers, and we will all meet before Allah."
Residents said three pregnant women who were among the hostages gave birth while in captivity, but all the new-borns died due to lack of care.
Survivors recounted being forced to witness the brutal killing of fellow hostages before being allowed to leave the forest.
Sixteen of those released on Saturday are in hospital receiving treatment, while the bodies of the 38 killed by the bandits are unlikely to be returned as in these cases corpses are rarely released.
In a statement, the Zamfara government condemned the killings calling them "barbaric and cowardly" and declared that such atrocities added to its resolve to wipe out terrorism from the state.
"To the grieving families, we share your sorrow and pray for strength and healing. To the good people of Zamfara, remain united and vigilant. Report suspicious activities, and together, we will defeat evil."
The government has said that the killers would be brought to justice.
In an attempt to curb the spiralling and lucrative kidnapping industry, a law was enacted in 2022 making it a crime to make ransom payments. It carries a jail sentence of at least 15 years, however no-one has ever been arrested on those charges.
It also made abduction punishable by death in cases where victims die.
But families often feel forced to pay to save their loved ones, citing the government's inability to ensure their safety.
Thursday, July 24, 2025
Video - Northeast Nigeria’s farmers battle insurgency, climate, and economic crises
In Nigeria’s northeast, farmers face a triple threat: Boko Haram’s lingering insurgency, climate shocks, and soaring food prices. Once peaceful farmlands are now battlegrounds for survival, pushing millions toward hunger and economic despair.
US aid cuts see millions go hungry in Nigeria, as jihadists surge
Resurgent jihadist attacks, huge cuts in foreign aid and a spiralling cost of living: hunger is looming in northeastern Nigeria, where more than a million people face starvation.
Before insurgency upended daily life, Damboa was a regional farming hub. Today it stands on the frontline of survival.
Located around 90 kilometres (55 miles) south of Borno state capital Maiduguri, the town lies on the fringes of the Sambisa forest, a game reserve turned jihadist enclave.
While Nigeria‘s 16-year-old insurgency has slowed since violence peaked around 2015, attacks have picked up since the beginning of the year due to a myriad of factors that saw jihadist groups strengthen and security forces stretched thin.
Almata Modu, 25, joined thousands of others fleeing the countryside into town in May, after jihadists overran her village. Rations are already meagre – and set to run out as Western aid dries up.
“We are safe, but the food is not enough,” Modu says, wearing a purple hijab, approaching an aid distribution centre in a police station.
Aminata Adamu, 36, agrees. She fled her home a decade ago and receives monthly rations for four registered family members – even though the family has since grown to 11.
Before insurgency upended daily life, Damboa was a regional farming hub. Today it stands on the frontline of survival.
Located around 90 kilometres (55 miles) south of Borno state capital Maiduguri, the town lies on the fringes of the Sambisa forest, a game reserve turned jihadist enclave.
While Nigeria‘s 16-year-old insurgency has slowed since violence peaked around 2015, attacks have picked up since the beginning of the year due to a myriad of factors that saw jihadist groups strengthen and security forces stretched thin.
Almata Modu, 25, joined thousands of others fleeing the countryside into town in May, after jihadists overran her village. Rations are already meagre – and set to run out as Western aid dries up.
“We are safe, but the food is not enough,” Modu says, wearing a purple hijab, approaching an aid distribution centre in a police station.
Aminata Adamu, 36, agrees. She fled her home a decade ago and receives monthly rations for four registered family members – even though the family has since grown to 11.
‘Lives will be lost’
The limited food will soon run out by the end of July as Western aid cuts – including President Donald Trump‘s dismantling of the US Agency for International Development – send humanitarian programmes into a tailspin.
“This is our last rice from USAID,” says Chi Lael, Nigeria spokeswoman for the World Food Programme, pointing at a stack of white bags at another distribution centre in Mafa, around 150 kilometres from Damboa.
There are five million “severely hungry” people in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states – the three worst affected by the jihadist insurgency waged by Boko Haram and rival Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
WFP has until now only been able to feed 1.3 million who now face starvation as food handouts run out. “There is no food left in the warehouses,” says Lael. “Lives will be lost.”
The timing couldn’t be worse. June to September is known as the “lean season”, the time between planting and harvest when families have little food reserves.
Normally, rural farmers would buy food – but amid mass inflation from an economic crisis, coupled with forced displacement, many “can’t afford much”, says Diana Japaridze, of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Flying into Damboa shows vast swathes of farmland, abandoned because of the violence. The IS-aligned ISWAP has become better organised.
Concurrently, the Niger-Nigeria counter-terrorism collaboration has been strained as the military is stretched thin by a separate banditry crisis and an economic crunch has stiffened rural grievances that such groups feed off, according to analysts.
A farmer was killed in his field just days ago, residents said.
Meanwhile, Damboa has the highest and most severe cases of malnutrition among children under five years in northeast Nigeria, said Kevin Akwawa, a doctor with the International Medical Corps.
The limited food will soon run out by the end of July as Western aid cuts – including President Donald Trump‘s dismantling of the US Agency for International Development – send humanitarian programmes into a tailspin.
“This is our last rice from USAID,” says Chi Lael, Nigeria spokeswoman for the World Food Programme, pointing at a stack of white bags at another distribution centre in Mafa, around 150 kilometres from Damboa.
There are five million “severely hungry” people in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states – the three worst affected by the jihadist insurgency waged by Boko Haram and rival Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
WFP has until now only been able to feed 1.3 million who now face starvation as food handouts run out. “There is no food left in the warehouses,” says Lael. “Lives will be lost.”
The timing couldn’t be worse. June to September is known as the “lean season”, the time between planting and harvest when families have little food reserves.
Normally, rural farmers would buy food – but amid mass inflation from an economic crisis, coupled with forced displacement, many “can’t afford much”, says Diana Japaridze, of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Flying into Damboa shows vast swathes of farmland, abandoned because of the violence. The IS-aligned ISWAP has become better organised.
Concurrently, the Niger-Nigeria counter-terrorism collaboration has been strained as the military is stretched thin by a separate banditry crisis and an economic crunch has stiffened rural grievances that such groups feed off, according to analysts.
A farmer was killed in his field just days ago, residents said.
Meanwhile, Damboa has the highest and most severe cases of malnutrition among children under five years in northeast Nigeria, said Kevin Akwawa, a doctor with the International Medical Corps.
150 nutrition centres shutting down
Fanna Abdulraman, 39, mother of eight, brought her six-month-old, severely malnourished twins to a nutrition centre.
She latched them to her breasts but, malnourished herself, she can’t produce milk.
Of the 500 nutrition centres that the WFP operates in northeast Nigeria, 150 are to be shut at the end of July due to shortage of funding. That leaves the lives of some 300,000 children at risk, according to WFP nutrition officer Dr John Ala.
Two imposing banners bearing the trademark blue-and-red USAID logo still hang on the front gate, where stocks will soon run out.
A sign of the insecurity in the area, everyone entering the centre is frisked with a handheld metal detector. Looming food shortages threaten to make matters worse.
“When you see food insecurity, poverty, the next thing… is more insecurity, because people will resort to very terrible coping mechanisms to survive,” Ala said.
Across the country a record nearly 31 million people face acute hunger, according to David Stevenson, WFP chief in Nigeria.
With WFP operations collapsing in northeast Nigeria, “this is no longer just a humanitarian crisis, it’s a growing threat to regional stability”, said Stevenson.
Fanna Mohammed, a 30-year-old mother of nine, was oblivious food aid and child nutrition treatment will soon end.
“I can’t imagine that we will live,” she said when she found out, an eight-month-old strapped on her back, a two-year-old shyly fidgeting next to her.
In a June-to-September outlook report, the WFP and Food and Agriculture Organization warn “critical levels of acute food insecurity are expected to deteriorate” as the conflict intensifies, economic hardships persist and floods are expected.
Despite the desperate need for more food, only a few farmers dare to venture out.
They tend their fields under the protection of armed militias, stationed a few kilometres apart along the Maiduguri-Mafa highway.
Fanna Abdulraman, 39, mother of eight, brought her six-month-old, severely malnourished twins to a nutrition centre.
She latched them to her breasts but, malnourished herself, she can’t produce milk.
Of the 500 nutrition centres that the WFP operates in northeast Nigeria, 150 are to be shut at the end of July due to shortage of funding. That leaves the lives of some 300,000 children at risk, according to WFP nutrition officer Dr John Ala.
Two imposing banners bearing the trademark blue-and-red USAID logo still hang on the front gate, where stocks will soon run out.
A sign of the insecurity in the area, everyone entering the centre is frisked with a handheld metal detector. Looming food shortages threaten to make matters worse.
“When you see food insecurity, poverty, the next thing… is more insecurity, because people will resort to very terrible coping mechanisms to survive,” Ala said.
Across the country a record nearly 31 million people face acute hunger, according to David Stevenson, WFP chief in Nigeria.
With WFP operations collapsing in northeast Nigeria, “this is no longer just a humanitarian crisis, it’s a growing threat to regional stability”, said Stevenson.
Fanna Mohammed, a 30-year-old mother of nine, was oblivious food aid and child nutrition treatment will soon end.
“I can’t imagine that we will live,” she said when she found out, an eight-month-old strapped on her back, a two-year-old shyly fidgeting next to her.
In a June-to-September outlook report, the WFP and Food and Agriculture Organization warn “critical levels of acute food insecurity are expected to deteriorate” as the conflict intensifies, economic hardships persist and floods are expected.
Despite the desperate need for more food, only a few farmers dare to venture out.
They tend their fields under the protection of armed militias, stationed a few kilometres apart along the Maiduguri-Mafa highway.
Tuesday, July 1, 2025
Video - Nigeria attempts to curb illegal arms trade
Nigeria is facing a growing security threat as arms intended for its military and police are being sold to insurgents and criminal gangs. Experts blame poor welfare, lack of accountability, corruption, and weak enforcement for helping facilitate illegal weapons sales.
Monday, June 30, 2025
Video - Nigerian experts urge better PTSD support
Mental health professionals in Nigeria are calling for more government support, awareness, and accessible treatment for Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 40 million Nigerians suffer from mental illness.
Thursday, June 19, 2025
President Tinubu orders crackdown on gangs after 150 killed in conflict-hit north
President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday directed security agencies to hunt down the perpetrators of a weekend attack that killed at least 150 people in the country's northcentral, as he faces growing pressure over a worsening security crisis.
Tinubu visited Benue state, the site of the recent deadly attacks, seeking to calm tensions and promise justice for the victims. “We will restore peace, rebuild, and bring the perpetrators to justice. You are not alone.” the Nigerian leader said on X.
Assailants stormed Benue state’s Yelewata community from Friday night till Saturday morning, opening fire on villagers who were asleep and setting their homes ablaze, survivors and the local farmers union said. Many of those killed were sheltering in a local market after fleeing violence in other parts of the state.
Authorities in Benue state blamed herdsmen for the attack, a type of violence frequently seen in northern Nigeria's decadeslong pastoral conflict.
Opposition leaders and critics have accused Tinubu of a delayed response to the killings, noting his office issued a statement over 24 hours after the attack. His visit to the state occurred five days later.
The Nigerian leader traveled to Makurdi, Benue State’s capital, where he visited a hospital to see those injured in the attack and met with local leaders to discuss how to end the killings. He did not visit the Yelewata community.
He also appeared to reprimand the police for not making any arrest yet more than four days after the killings.
“How come no arrest has been made? I expect there should be an arrest of those criminals,” Tinubu asked as he addressed senior police officers during a gathering in Benue.
Analysts blame Nigeria's worsening security crisis on a lack of political will to go after criminals and ensure justice for victims.
“In the end, the result is the same: No justice, no accountability, and no closure for the victims and their communities," said Senator Iroegbu, a security analyst based in Nigeria's capital Abuja. “Until this changes, impunity will remain the norm, and such tragedies will continue to occur.”
By Dyepkazah Shibayan, AP
Tinubu visited Benue state, the site of the recent deadly attacks, seeking to calm tensions and promise justice for the victims. “We will restore peace, rebuild, and bring the perpetrators to justice. You are not alone.” the Nigerian leader said on X.
Assailants stormed Benue state’s Yelewata community from Friday night till Saturday morning, opening fire on villagers who were asleep and setting their homes ablaze, survivors and the local farmers union said. Many of those killed were sheltering in a local market after fleeing violence in other parts of the state.
Authorities in Benue state blamed herdsmen for the attack, a type of violence frequently seen in northern Nigeria's decadeslong pastoral conflict.
Opposition leaders and critics have accused Tinubu of a delayed response to the killings, noting his office issued a statement over 24 hours after the attack. His visit to the state occurred five days later.
The Nigerian leader traveled to Makurdi, Benue State’s capital, where he visited a hospital to see those injured in the attack and met with local leaders to discuss how to end the killings. He did not visit the Yelewata community.
He also appeared to reprimand the police for not making any arrest yet more than four days after the killings.
“How come no arrest has been made? I expect there should be an arrest of those criminals,” Tinubu asked as he addressed senior police officers during a gathering in Benue.
Analysts blame Nigeria's worsening security crisis on a lack of political will to go after criminals and ensure justice for victims.
“In the end, the result is the same: No justice, no accountability, and no closure for the victims and their communities," said Senator Iroegbu, a security analyst based in Nigeria's capital Abuja. “Until this changes, impunity will remain the norm, and such tragedies will continue to occur.”
By Dyepkazah Shibayan, AP
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Video - Persistent clashes in Central Nigeria over land and resources
Residents of Yelewata in Benue State, Central Nigeria, are struggling to recover from a devastating overnight attack this weekend. Such attacks are frequent in the region, driven by ongoing conflicts between farmers and nomadic herders over competition for land and resources.
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