Residents of a village in Nigeria’s northern Niger State are grappling with the aftermath of a deadly attack by an armed group over the weekend. At least 30 people were killed, while an unknown number were abducted. Locals have condemned the government’s handling of security, warning that such attacks will continue unless serious action is taken.
Showing posts with label insecurity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label insecurity. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 7, 2026
Video - Northern Nigeria village mourns after deadly weekend attack
Residents of a village in Nigeria’s northern Niger State are grappling with the aftermath of a deadly attack by an armed group over the weekend. At least 30 people were killed, while an unknown number were abducted. Locals have condemned the government’s handling of security, warning that such attacks will continue unless serious action is taken.
Refugees return to ruined Nigerian town despite threats from armed groups
Malam Fatori, Nigeria - It’s been more than 10 years since Isa Aji Mohammed lost four of his children in one night when Boko Haram fighters attacked their home in northeast Nigeria’s Borno State.
Maryam, who was 15 at the time, was killed alongside her brothers Mohammed, 22, and Zubairu, who was only 10. Yadoma, 25 and married with children, who had returned home to her parents’ house for a visit, also died in the attack.
“We ran with nothing,” said 65-year-old Isa, standing on the parched soil of his farm in the Lake Chad village of Malam Fatori, to which he recently returned. “For more than 10 years, we slept in relatives’ homes. I felt like a stranger in my own country.”
Before the deadly attack, Isa, a farmer, produced hundreds of bags of rice, maize and beans annually, enough to feed his family and sell in markets in neighbouring Niger.
After that night, he fled and spent the next decade in displacement camps across the border.
But last year, he joined thousands of other former residents who have relocated back to Malam Fatori and other towns as part of a resettlement programme initiated by the government.
The village sits on the edge of Nigeria’s northeastern frontier, close to the border with Niger, where the vast, flat landscape stretches into open farmland and seasonal wetlands.
A decade ago, homes there were intact and full, their courtyards echoing with children’s voices and the steady rhythm of daily life. Farms extended well beyond the town’s outskirts, producing grains and vegetables that sustained families and supported local trade.
Irrigation canals flowed regularly, and the surrounding area was known for its productivity, especially during the dry season. Markets were active, and movement between Malam Fatori and neighbouring communities was normal, not restricted by fear.
Today, the town carries the visible scars of conflict and neglect, with much of it lying in ruin.
Rows of mud-brick houses stand roofless or partially collapsed, their walls cracked by years of abandonment. Some homes have been hastily repaired with scrap wood and sheets of metal, signs of families slowly returning and rebuilding with whatever materials they can find.
The farms surrounding Malam Fatori are beginning to show faint signs of life again. Small plots of millet and sorghum are being cleared by hand, while irrigation channels – once choked with sand and weeds – are gradually being reopened.
Many fields, however, remain empty, overtaken by thorny bushes and dry grass after years without cultivation. Farmers move cautiously, working close to the town, wary of venturing too far into land that was once fertile but has long been unsafe.
For returnees like Isa, walking through these spaces means navigating both the present reality and memories of what once was. Each broken wall and abandoned field tells a story of loss, while every newly planted seed signals a quiet determination to restore a town that violence nearly erased.
Maryam, who was 15 at the time, was killed alongside her brothers Mohammed, 22, and Zubairu, who was only 10. Yadoma, 25 and married with children, who had returned home to her parents’ house for a visit, also died in the attack.
“We ran with nothing,” said 65-year-old Isa, standing on the parched soil of his farm in the Lake Chad village of Malam Fatori, to which he recently returned. “For more than 10 years, we slept in relatives’ homes. I felt like a stranger in my own country.”
Before the deadly attack, Isa, a farmer, produced hundreds of bags of rice, maize and beans annually, enough to feed his family and sell in markets in neighbouring Niger.
After that night, he fled and spent the next decade in displacement camps across the border.
But last year, he joined thousands of other former residents who have relocated back to Malam Fatori and other towns as part of a resettlement programme initiated by the government.
The village sits on the edge of Nigeria’s northeastern frontier, close to the border with Niger, where the vast, flat landscape stretches into open farmland and seasonal wetlands.
A decade ago, homes there were intact and full, their courtyards echoing with children’s voices and the steady rhythm of daily life. Farms extended well beyond the town’s outskirts, producing grains and vegetables that sustained families and supported local trade.
Irrigation canals flowed regularly, and the surrounding area was known for its productivity, especially during the dry season. Markets were active, and movement between Malam Fatori and neighbouring communities was normal, not restricted by fear.
Today, the town carries the visible scars of conflict and neglect, with much of it lying in ruin.
Rows of mud-brick houses stand roofless or partially collapsed, their walls cracked by years of abandonment. Some homes have been hastily repaired with scrap wood and sheets of metal, signs of families slowly returning and rebuilding with whatever materials they can find.
The farms surrounding Malam Fatori are beginning to show faint signs of life again. Small plots of millet and sorghum are being cleared by hand, while irrigation channels – once choked with sand and weeds – are gradually being reopened.
Many fields, however, remain empty, overtaken by thorny bushes and dry grass after years without cultivation. Farmers move cautiously, working close to the town, wary of venturing too far into land that was once fertile but has long been unsafe.
For returnees like Isa, walking through these spaces means navigating both the present reality and memories of what once was. Each broken wall and abandoned field tells a story of loss, while every newly planted seed signals a quiet determination to restore a town that violence nearly erased.
Between ‘two pressures’: Boko Haram and the army
For the Borno State administration, the returns are a success. “There are 5,000 households of returnees in Malam Fatori, while the town’s total population now exceeds 20,000 people,” Usman Tar, Borno State commissioner for information and internal security, told Al Jazeera last year.
As we toured the town, the security presence was visible. Armed patrols, checkpoints and observation posts were stationed along major routes and near public spaces, reflecting ongoing efforts to deter attacks and reassure residents.
Families interviewed said they were subjected to frequent security checks and strict movement controls, measures they understand as necessary but which also disrupt daily routines and limit access to farms, markets and neighbouring communities.
Residents and local officials say the threat remains close. Fighters from Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), another armed group active in the area, are believed to be operating from swampy areas approximately two kilometres from the town, using the difficult terrain as cover.
Although the town itself is under heavy military protection, surrounding areas continue to experience attacks, kidnappings and harassment, particularly along farming routes and access roads.
These persistent security incidents reinforce a climate of fear and uncertainty among returnees. While many families have chosen to remain and rebuild despite the risks, they say the proximity of armed groups and the ongoing violence in nearby communities make long-term recovery fragile.
“Here in Malam Fatori, we live under two pressures,” said resident Babagana Yarima. “Boko Haram dictates our safety, and the military dictates our movement. Both limit how we live every day.”
Farmers wait up to eight hours at military checkpoints when transporting produce. Curfews prevent evening farm work. Access to agricultural land beyond the town requires military permits or armed escorts.
“Insecurity and military restrictions limit access to farmlands, forcing farmers to cultivate smaller areas than before,” said Bashir Yunus, an agrarian expert at the University of Maiduguri who also farms in the region.
Fishing, previously a major food source and income generator from Lake Chad, has become dangerous and requires permits to leave the town boundaries.
“Movement beyond the town’s boundaries now requires military permits. Militant attacks in isolated areas continue,” said Issoufou.
The United Nations has raised concerns about the government’s resettlement programme, citing potential protection violations. Mohamed Malick, UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria, said during an interview with journalists in Maiduguri that “any returns or relocations must be informed, voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable”.
Malick added that the return of refugees to Malam Fatori and other insecure areas must be carefully evaluated against established safety and humanitarian standards, and must only take place if conditions allow for basic services and sustainable livelihoods.
For the Borno State administration, the returns are a success. “There are 5,000 households of returnees in Malam Fatori, while the town’s total population now exceeds 20,000 people,” Usman Tar, Borno State commissioner for information and internal security, told Al Jazeera last year.
As we toured the town, the security presence was visible. Armed patrols, checkpoints and observation posts were stationed along major routes and near public spaces, reflecting ongoing efforts to deter attacks and reassure residents.
Families interviewed said they were subjected to frequent security checks and strict movement controls, measures they understand as necessary but which also disrupt daily routines and limit access to farms, markets and neighbouring communities.
Residents and local officials say the threat remains close. Fighters from Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), another armed group active in the area, are believed to be operating from swampy areas approximately two kilometres from the town, using the difficult terrain as cover.
Although the town itself is under heavy military protection, surrounding areas continue to experience attacks, kidnappings and harassment, particularly along farming routes and access roads.
These persistent security incidents reinforce a climate of fear and uncertainty among returnees. While many families have chosen to remain and rebuild despite the risks, they say the proximity of armed groups and the ongoing violence in nearby communities make long-term recovery fragile.
“Here in Malam Fatori, we live under two pressures,” said resident Babagana Yarima. “Boko Haram dictates our safety, and the military dictates our movement. Both limit how we live every day.”
Farmers wait up to eight hours at military checkpoints when transporting produce. Curfews prevent evening farm work. Access to agricultural land beyond the town requires military permits or armed escorts.
“Insecurity and military restrictions limit access to farmlands, forcing farmers to cultivate smaller areas than before,” said Bashir Yunus, an agrarian expert at the University of Maiduguri who also farms in the region.
Fishing, previously a major food source and income generator from Lake Chad, has become dangerous and requires permits to leave the town boundaries.
“Movement beyond the town’s boundaries now requires military permits. Militant attacks in isolated areas continue,” said Issoufou.
The United Nations has raised concerns about the government’s resettlement programme, citing potential protection violations. Mohamed Malick, UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria, said during an interview with journalists in Maiduguri that “any returns or relocations must be informed, voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable”.
Malick added that the return of refugees to Malam Fatori and other insecure areas must be carefully evaluated against established safety and humanitarian standards, and must only take place if conditions allow for basic services and sustainable livelihoods.
‘A man without land is a man without life’
Settled back on his land, Isa wakes before dawn each day, leaving his home in the quiet hours before the town stirs.
He walks to the fields that once yielded fertile harvests, now choked with weeds and debris. The land that once fed his family and supported their livelihood now demands relentless effort just to coax a small crop from the exhausted soil.
With each turn of the hoe and careful planting of seeds, he is determined to reclaim a fragment of the life that was disrupted by conflict.
He also participates in community farming initiatives, joining neighbours in collective efforts to restore agricultural production for the returning population and aid the town’s slow recovery.
However, the area he personally cultivates is far smaller than what he once managed, constrained by limited access to tools, seeds and water, as well as by the lingering insecurity in the region.
”A man without land is a man without life,” he said.
Most families in Malam Fatori now eat only twice a day, a sharp contrast to life before the conflict. Their meals typically consist of rice or millet, often eaten with little or no vegetables due to cost and limited availability.
Food prices have risen dramatically, placing further strain on households already struggling to recover. A kilogramme of rice now sells for about 1,200 naira (approximately $0.83), nearly double its previous price, making even basic staples increasingly unaffordable for many families.
Fish, once plentiful and affordable thanks to proximity to Lake Chad, have become scarce and expensive. Insecurity, restricted access to fishing areas, and disrupted supply chains have severely reduced local catches.
At the local market and at aid distribution points, women queue before dawn, hoping to secure small quantities of dried fish, groundnut oil or maize flour when supplies arrive.
Deliveries are irregular and unpredictable, often selling out within hours. Many women say they return home empty-handed after waiting for hours, compounding daily stress and uncertainty about how to feed their families.
Local health workers warn that malnutrition remains a serious concern, particularly among children under the age of five.
Basic services remain inadequate across town. Roads are poor, and schools and health clinics operate with minimal resources.
“Security risks and inaccessible routes through surrounding bushland continue to restrict humanitarian access, preventing aid agencies from reaching several communities. Basic services such as clean water, healthcare and quality education remain inadequate,” Kaka Ali, deputy director of local government primary healthcare, told Al Jazeera.
Settled back on his land, Isa wakes before dawn each day, leaving his home in the quiet hours before the town stirs.
He walks to the fields that once yielded fertile harvests, now choked with weeds and debris. The land that once fed his family and supported their livelihood now demands relentless effort just to coax a small crop from the exhausted soil.
With each turn of the hoe and careful planting of seeds, he is determined to reclaim a fragment of the life that was disrupted by conflict.
He also participates in community farming initiatives, joining neighbours in collective efforts to restore agricultural production for the returning population and aid the town’s slow recovery.
However, the area he personally cultivates is far smaller than what he once managed, constrained by limited access to tools, seeds and water, as well as by the lingering insecurity in the region.
”A man without land is a man without life,” he said.
Most families in Malam Fatori now eat only twice a day, a sharp contrast to life before the conflict. Their meals typically consist of rice or millet, often eaten with little or no vegetables due to cost and limited availability.
Food prices have risen dramatically, placing further strain on households already struggling to recover. A kilogramme of rice now sells for about 1,200 naira (approximately $0.83), nearly double its previous price, making even basic staples increasingly unaffordable for many families.
Fish, once plentiful and affordable thanks to proximity to Lake Chad, have become scarce and expensive. Insecurity, restricted access to fishing areas, and disrupted supply chains have severely reduced local catches.
At the local market and at aid distribution points, women queue before dawn, hoping to secure small quantities of dried fish, groundnut oil or maize flour when supplies arrive.
Deliveries are irregular and unpredictable, often selling out within hours. Many women say they return home empty-handed after waiting for hours, compounding daily stress and uncertainty about how to feed their families.
Local health workers warn that malnutrition remains a serious concern, particularly among children under the age of five.
Basic services remain inadequate across town. Roads are poor, and schools and health clinics operate with minimal resources.
“Security risks and inaccessible routes through surrounding bushland continue to restrict humanitarian access, preventing aid agencies from reaching several communities. Basic services such as clean water, healthcare and quality education remain inadequate,” Kaka Ali, deputy director of local government primary healthcare, told Al Jazeera.
Community rebuilding efforts continue
Despite ongoing challenges, residents of Malam Fatori are steadily working to rebuild their community and restore livelihoods disrupted by years of conflict.
Across the town, women have organised themselves into small cooperatives, producing handmade mats and processing groundnut oil for household use and local sale.
Fishermen, once central to the local economy, now operate cautiously in small groups in line with security regulations. Along riverbanks and storage areas, they repair damaged canoes and carefully mend fishing nets that were abandoned or destroyed during the conflict.
At the same time, teams of bricklayers are reconstructing homes destroyed during the violence, using locally sourced materials and shared labour to rebuild shelters for returning families.
The town’s clinic, staffed by six nurses, is overstretched. Vaccinations, malaria treatment and maternal health services are rationed. Power outages and equipment shortages compound the challenges. But it is a lifeline.
At Malam Fatori Central Primary School, children from the town and surrounding communities are being taught with the few resources available.
There are only 10 functional classrooms for hundreds of pupils, so some learn outdoors, under trees or in open spaces. There is a shortage of teachers, so some educators brave the conditions and travel long distances from the southern parts of Borno State.
In another, more unusual arrangement, soldiers stationed in the town occasionally step in to teach basic civic education and history lessons.
While not a replacement for trained teachers, community leaders say their involvement provides pupils with some continuity in education. The presence of soldiers in classrooms, they say, also reassures parents about security and underscores a shared effort to stabilise the town and rebuild essential services.
Despite ongoing challenges, residents of Malam Fatori are steadily working to rebuild their community and restore livelihoods disrupted by years of conflict.
Across the town, women have organised themselves into small cooperatives, producing handmade mats and processing groundnut oil for household use and local sale.
Fishermen, once central to the local economy, now operate cautiously in small groups in line with security regulations. Along riverbanks and storage areas, they repair damaged canoes and carefully mend fishing nets that were abandoned or destroyed during the conflict.
At the same time, teams of bricklayers are reconstructing homes destroyed during the violence, using locally sourced materials and shared labour to rebuild shelters for returning families.
The town’s clinic, staffed by six nurses, is overstretched. Vaccinations, malaria treatment and maternal health services are rationed. Power outages and equipment shortages compound the challenges. But it is a lifeline.
At Malam Fatori Central Primary School, children from the town and surrounding communities are being taught with the few resources available.
There are only 10 functional classrooms for hundreds of pupils, so some learn outdoors, under trees or in open spaces. There is a shortage of teachers, so some educators brave the conditions and travel long distances from the southern parts of Borno State.
In another, more unusual arrangement, soldiers stationed in the town occasionally step in to teach basic civic education and history lessons.
While not a replacement for trained teachers, community leaders say their involvement provides pupils with some continuity in education. The presence of soldiers in classrooms, they say, also reassures parents about security and underscores a shared effort to stabilise the town and rebuild essential services.
‘This land contains our future’
Amid all of the returning and rebuilding, security remains a dominant feature of daily life in Malam Fatori.
Soldiers remain stationed throughout the town, at markets and other public spaces to deter attacks.
Meanwhile, former Boko Haram members who have enrolled in a government-led deradicalisation and repentance programme also assist in protecting farmers working on the outskirts of the town, helping to rebuild trust between civilians and security structures.
Abu Fatima is a former Boko Haram fighter who joined the repentance programme. “Troop patrols are constant, curfews dictate daily life,” he said about the security arrangements in Malam Fatori.
Although residents welcome the security provided by the soldiers’ presence in the town, “many say they feel trapped – unable to fully rebuild the lives they had before Boko Haram, yet unwilling to abandon a homeland that defines them”, he said, echoing the tension felt by many returnees.
Bulama Shettima has also lived through the personal cost of the fighting that has devastated northeast Nigeria. Two of the 60-year-old’s sons joined ISWAP, a tragedy that left the family with deep emotional scars. After years of uncertainty and fear, one of his sons was later deradicalised through a government rehabilitation programme. This has allowed his family to heal and reconcile. Coming back to Malam Fatori is also part of that.
“Returning wasn’t about safety,” he said. “It was about belonging. This land contains our history. This land contains our grief. This land contains our future.”
Today, Bulama is focused on rebuilding his life and securing a different future for his children.
He works as a farmer, cultivating small plots of land under difficult conditions, while also running a modest business to supplement his income.
Despite his losses, Bulama places strong emphasis on educating his other children, saying that their schooling is a form of resistance against the cycle of violence that once tore his family apart. It will also allow them to grow up with choices, he says.
As many displaced families remain in Niger or live in limbo in Maiduguri, fearing a return to towns where armed men operate not far away, those now in Malam Fatori consider it a move worth making.
For Isa, the decision to return represents a calculated risk.
“We are caught between fear and order,” he said. “But still, we must live. Still, we must plant. Still, we must hope.”
Amid all of the returning and rebuilding, security remains a dominant feature of daily life in Malam Fatori.
Soldiers remain stationed throughout the town, at markets and other public spaces to deter attacks.
Meanwhile, former Boko Haram members who have enrolled in a government-led deradicalisation and repentance programme also assist in protecting farmers working on the outskirts of the town, helping to rebuild trust between civilians and security structures.
Abu Fatima is a former Boko Haram fighter who joined the repentance programme. “Troop patrols are constant, curfews dictate daily life,” he said about the security arrangements in Malam Fatori.
Although residents welcome the security provided by the soldiers’ presence in the town, “many say they feel trapped – unable to fully rebuild the lives they had before Boko Haram, yet unwilling to abandon a homeland that defines them”, he said, echoing the tension felt by many returnees.
Bulama Shettima has also lived through the personal cost of the fighting that has devastated northeast Nigeria. Two of the 60-year-old’s sons joined ISWAP, a tragedy that left the family with deep emotional scars. After years of uncertainty and fear, one of his sons was later deradicalised through a government rehabilitation programme. This has allowed his family to heal and reconcile. Coming back to Malam Fatori is also part of that.
“Returning wasn’t about safety,” he said. “It was about belonging. This land contains our history. This land contains our grief. This land contains our future.”
Today, Bulama is focused on rebuilding his life and securing a different future for his children.
He works as a farmer, cultivating small plots of land under difficult conditions, while also running a modest business to supplement his income.
Despite his losses, Bulama places strong emphasis on educating his other children, saying that their schooling is a form of resistance against the cycle of violence that once tore his family apart. It will also allow them to grow up with choices, he says.
As many displaced families remain in Niger or live in limbo in Maiduguri, fearing a return to towns where armed men operate not far away, those now in Malam Fatori consider it a move worth making.
For Isa, the decision to return represents a calculated risk.
“We are caught between fear and order,” he said. “But still, we must live. Still, we must plant. Still, we must hope.”
By Adamu Aliyu Ngulde, Al Jazeera
Tuesday, January 6, 2026
Nigeria’s escalating insecurity and looming hunger catastrophe
The latest alert by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), warning that 35 million Nigerians could fall into severe hunger during the 2026 lean season, is not a distant forecast. It reflects a brutal reality already unfolding across the country. Events in the past few weeks alone have laid bare the fragility of Nigeria’s food security and validated the concerns long expressed by humanitarian agencies, local communities, and agricultural experts. The warning is both a wake-up call and a damning verdict on the government’s response to the intersecting crises of insecurity, climate change, and economic hardship.
For years, successive administrations have repeatedly emphasised food security as a national priority. Yet, the lived experiences of farmers, traders, and rural communities reveal a stark contradiction. While the government launches yet another initiative, programme, or roadmap, farmers, the bedrock of the nation’s food supply, are being chased from their lands, killed, kidnapped for ransom, or forced to seek refuge in overcrowded camps. In some regions, they are compelled to pay “protection levies” to terrorists just to access their own farmlands. Farming, once a proud and rewarding livelihood, is now synonymous with fear, uncertainty, and death.
A nation where food producers must negotiate access to their fields with armed groups cannot claim to be mindful of food security. No matter the agricultural policies announced in Abuja, the reality in rural Nigeria remains that insecurity has become the single greatest threat to food production. Until the government deploys a coordinated, decisive response to the security crisis, hope to reduce food import dependency or stabilise food prices will remain a mirage.
The WFP Country Director, David Stevenson, underscored the extent of the crisis when he reported that Northern Nigeria is experiencing the worst hunger levels in a decade. According to the latest Cadre Harmonisé analysis, nearly six million people in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe alone will face crisis-level hunger or worse from June to August 2026. Particularly worrying is the projection that at least 15,000 people in Borno could slip into Phase 5 catastrophic, famine-like conditions, if the current trends persist. These are not just numbers; they are human lives, families, children, and communities caught in a web of violence and vulnerability.
Children, as always, bear the heaviest burden. Malnutrition rates are highest across Borno, Yobe, Sokoto, and Zamfara, made worse by the scaling down of WFP nutrition programmes due to funding constraints. With clinics shutting down and humanitarian workers unable to safely access many communities, severe acute malnutrition has escalated from “serious” to “critical” in large parts of the North-East. Each closure of a nutrition centre translates to children losing their last lifeline.
But insecurity is not the only force driving Nigeria toward the brink of famine. Climate change has intensified the threats facing already vulnerable communities. Erratic rainfall, hotter temperatures, prolonged dry spells, and devastating floods have disrupted traditional farming cycles. Rivers, lakes, and streams that once supported farming and herding are disappearing or drying earlier than expected. The shrinking of waters across Northern Nigeria has forced pastoralists to expand their search for grazing lands, worsening the already volatile herder-farmer conflicts and deepening communal tensions.
The Lake Chad Basin, historically a major source of livelihood for millions, continues to recede, leaving behind barren land, displaced people, and lost income streams. In other states, wetlands that supported rice cultivation have become dry or saline. Without water for irrigation or livestock, many farming communities are left with no option but to migrate, abandon their land, or compete violently for remaining resources. Climate change, therefore, is not a distant environmental concern: it is a direct multiplier of hunger, insecurity, and displacement.
The menace of armed herders further complicates this landscape. Farmers across the Middle Belt and southern states continue to face violent incursions into farmlands, with crops destroyed and communities attacked. In many cases, these clashes have escalated into deadly confrontations that displace entire populations and deter farming activities. The lack of a concrete national strategy to modernise livestock production or enforce land-use policies ensures that the cycle of violence continues, threatening food-producing regions far beyond the North.
The convergence of these crises, insecurity, climate change, herder-farmer conflict, and economic distress has created a perfect storm that could plunge Africa’s most populous nation into a widespread hunger emergency. The implications extend far beyond food shortages. As the WFP warns, hunger itself can fuel further instability. Insurgent groups often exploit food scarcity to recruit desperate youths, impose control over communities, and expand their influence across fragile regions.
The consequences of failing to act are dire: increasing displacement, rising food prices, mass poverty, and a growing humanitarian burden that Nigeria’s already strained institutions are ill-equipped to handle.
To avert this looming catastrophe, Nigeria must adopt bold, pragmatic, and urgent measures. What is needed now is strategic action grounded in political will, community engagement, and accountability.
First, secure food-producing regions with specialised military and civilian units. Protection of agricultural hubs should be treated as a national security priority. Nigeria must deploy dedicated agro-ranger units, rapid-response battalions, and community-supported security outfits to reclaim farmlands from insurgents, bandits, and violent herder militias. The goal is to create safe corridors for cultivation, harvesting, and distribution.
Second, dismantle terrorist taxation networks. One of the most disturbing trends is the imposition of “farming levies” by terrorists. Government intelligence agencies must identify the logistics, collaborators, and financial channels that make these extortions possible. Cutting off this revenue pipeline is critical to weakening insurgent operations.
Thirdly, climate-proof Nigeria’s agricultural system. Nigeria needs substantial investment in irrigation systems, watershed restoration, and drought-resistant crop varieties. Rehabilitating degraded lakes and river basins, especially in the North-East, will help rebuild livelihoods. Climate prediction tools, early-warning systems, and farmer training on adaptive practices should be widely deployed.
Fourth, resolve herder-farmer conflicts through policy reform, not force. Nigeria must adopt modern livestock management policies, including ranching and regulated grazing reserves, backed by enforceable land-use legislation. This will reduce the pressure on farmlands, curb clashes, and support peaceful coexistence.
Fifth, strengthen food aid coordination and humanitarian funding. With WFP warning of imminent resource depletion, Nigeria must work with international partners to mobilise financing, expand access to vulnerable areas, and protect humanitarian workers. A revitalised national food reserve system, managed professionally and shielded from political interference, is also essential.
Sixth, empower local governance and early-response systems. Local governments should be given the autonomy and resources to support community security structures, manage relief distribution, and coordinate climate and conflict early-warning mechanisms tailored to their unique realities.
The warning from the UN is not merely a statistical projection; it is a mirror reflecting the nation’s failures, vulnerabilities, and urgent priorities. A country that cannot protect its farmers cannot feed its people.
The window for action is rapidly closing. But with decisive leadership, coordinated policy reforms, and a genuine commitment to securing rural communities, the nation can still avert the worst and restore hope to millions.
For years, successive administrations have repeatedly emphasised food security as a national priority. Yet, the lived experiences of farmers, traders, and rural communities reveal a stark contradiction. While the government launches yet another initiative, programme, or roadmap, farmers, the bedrock of the nation’s food supply, are being chased from their lands, killed, kidnapped for ransom, or forced to seek refuge in overcrowded camps. In some regions, they are compelled to pay “protection levies” to terrorists just to access their own farmlands. Farming, once a proud and rewarding livelihood, is now synonymous with fear, uncertainty, and death.
A nation where food producers must negotiate access to their fields with armed groups cannot claim to be mindful of food security. No matter the agricultural policies announced in Abuja, the reality in rural Nigeria remains that insecurity has become the single greatest threat to food production. Until the government deploys a coordinated, decisive response to the security crisis, hope to reduce food import dependency or stabilise food prices will remain a mirage.
The WFP Country Director, David Stevenson, underscored the extent of the crisis when he reported that Northern Nigeria is experiencing the worst hunger levels in a decade. According to the latest Cadre Harmonisé analysis, nearly six million people in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe alone will face crisis-level hunger or worse from June to August 2026. Particularly worrying is the projection that at least 15,000 people in Borno could slip into Phase 5 catastrophic, famine-like conditions, if the current trends persist. These are not just numbers; they are human lives, families, children, and communities caught in a web of violence and vulnerability.
Children, as always, bear the heaviest burden. Malnutrition rates are highest across Borno, Yobe, Sokoto, and Zamfara, made worse by the scaling down of WFP nutrition programmes due to funding constraints. With clinics shutting down and humanitarian workers unable to safely access many communities, severe acute malnutrition has escalated from “serious” to “critical” in large parts of the North-East. Each closure of a nutrition centre translates to children losing their last lifeline.
But insecurity is not the only force driving Nigeria toward the brink of famine. Climate change has intensified the threats facing already vulnerable communities. Erratic rainfall, hotter temperatures, prolonged dry spells, and devastating floods have disrupted traditional farming cycles. Rivers, lakes, and streams that once supported farming and herding are disappearing or drying earlier than expected. The shrinking of waters across Northern Nigeria has forced pastoralists to expand their search for grazing lands, worsening the already volatile herder-farmer conflicts and deepening communal tensions.
The Lake Chad Basin, historically a major source of livelihood for millions, continues to recede, leaving behind barren land, displaced people, and lost income streams. In other states, wetlands that supported rice cultivation have become dry or saline. Without water for irrigation or livestock, many farming communities are left with no option but to migrate, abandon their land, or compete violently for remaining resources. Climate change, therefore, is not a distant environmental concern: it is a direct multiplier of hunger, insecurity, and displacement.
The menace of armed herders further complicates this landscape. Farmers across the Middle Belt and southern states continue to face violent incursions into farmlands, with crops destroyed and communities attacked. In many cases, these clashes have escalated into deadly confrontations that displace entire populations and deter farming activities. The lack of a concrete national strategy to modernise livestock production or enforce land-use policies ensures that the cycle of violence continues, threatening food-producing regions far beyond the North.
The convergence of these crises, insecurity, climate change, herder-farmer conflict, and economic distress has created a perfect storm that could plunge Africa’s most populous nation into a widespread hunger emergency. The implications extend far beyond food shortages. As the WFP warns, hunger itself can fuel further instability. Insurgent groups often exploit food scarcity to recruit desperate youths, impose control over communities, and expand their influence across fragile regions.
The consequences of failing to act are dire: increasing displacement, rising food prices, mass poverty, and a growing humanitarian burden that Nigeria’s already strained institutions are ill-equipped to handle.
To avert this looming catastrophe, Nigeria must adopt bold, pragmatic, and urgent measures. What is needed now is strategic action grounded in political will, community engagement, and accountability.
First, secure food-producing regions with specialised military and civilian units. Protection of agricultural hubs should be treated as a national security priority. Nigeria must deploy dedicated agro-ranger units, rapid-response battalions, and community-supported security outfits to reclaim farmlands from insurgents, bandits, and violent herder militias. The goal is to create safe corridors for cultivation, harvesting, and distribution.
Second, dismantle terrorist taxation networks. One of the most disturbing trends is the imposition of “farming levies” by terrorists. Government intelligence agencies must identify the logistics, collaborators, and financial channels that make these extortions possible. Cutting off this revenue pipeline is critical to weakening insurgent operations.
Thirdly, climate-proof Nigeria’s agricultural system. Nigeria needs substantial investment in irrigation systems, watershed restoration, and drought-resistant crop varieties. Rehabilitating degraded lakes and river basins, especially in the North-East, will help rebuild livelihoods. Climate prediction tools, early-warning systems, and farmer training on adaptive practices should be widely deployed.
Fourth, resolve herder-farmer conflicts through policy reform, not force. Nigeria must adopt modern livestock management policies, including ranching and regulated grazing reserves, backed by enforceable land-use legislation. This will reduce the pressure on farmlands, curb clashes, and support peaceful coexistence.
Fifth, strengthen food aid coordination and humanitarian funding. With WFP warning of imminent resource depletion, Nigeria must work with international partners to mobilise financing, expand access to vulnerable areas, and protect humanitarian workers. A revitalised national food reserve system, managed professionally and shielded from political interference, is also essential.
Sixth, empower local governance and early-response systems. Local governments should be given the autonomy and resources to support community security structures, manage relief distribution, and coordinate climate and conflict early-warning mechanisms tailored to their unique realities.
The warning from the UN is not merely a statistical projection; it is a mirror reflecting the nation’s failures, vulnerabilities, and urgent priorities. A country that cannot protect its farmers cannot feed its people.
The window for action is rapidly closing. But with decisive leadership, coordinated policy reforms, and a genuine commitment to securing rural communities, the nation can still avert the worst and restore hope to millions.
Monday, January 5, 2026
At least 30 killed in Nigeria market attack
At least 30 people were killed and several others abducted when gunmen attacked a market in Nigeria’s Niger State, police said on Sunday.
Police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun said the gunmen, locally called bandits, stormed Kasuwan Daji market in Demo village at around 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, burning stalls and looting food items.
“Over 30 victims lost their lives during the attack, and some persons were also kidnapped. Efforts are ongoing to rescue the kidnapped victims,” Mr. Abiodun said.
Witnesses said the gunmen arrived on motorcycles and opened fire indiscriminately. They said the violence was part of a series of raids that began on Friday in the nearby villages of Agwarra and Borgu.
“Women and children were not spared,” said Dauda Shakulle, who was wounded while fleeing. “There has been no presence of security forces since the attacks began. We are currently recovering corpses.”
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on Sunday said that he has directed the authorities to hunt down the perpetrators behind the attack.
“I have also directed that all abducted victims be urgently rescued and that security operations around vulnerable communities, especially near forests, be intensified,” Mr. Tinubu said in a statement.
The Nigerian military did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The attack came weeks after gunmen seized more than 300 children and staff of a Catholic school in the state in central Nigeria. Those victims were released after nearly a month in captivity.
Such banditry has escalated across northwestern and central Nigeria, with armed groups carrying out mass killings and kidnappings in rural communities. Security forces have struggled to contain the violence despite continuing operations.
Witness Khalid Pissa said the gunmen attacked communities in Kasuwan Daji and also in nearby Chukama and Shanga. Pissa put the death toll at 40.
Police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun said the gunmen, locally called bandits, stormed Kasuwan Daji market in Demo village at around 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, burning stalls and looting food items.
“Over 30 victims lost their lives during the attack, and some persons were also kidnapped. Efforts are ongoing to rescue the kidnapped victims,” Mr. Abiodun said.
Witnesses said the gunmen arrived on motorcycles and opened fire indiscriminately. They said the violence was part of a series of raids that began on Friday in the nearby villages of Agwarra and Borgu.
“Women and children were not spared,” said Dauda Shakulle, who was wounded while fleeing. “There has been no presence of security forces since the attacks began. We are currently recovering corpses.”
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on Sunday said that he has directed the authorities to hunt down the perpetrators behind the attack.
“I have also directed that all abducted victims be urgently rescued and that security operations around vulnerable communities, especially near forests, be intensified,” Mr. Tinubu said in a statement.
The Nigerian military did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The attack came weeks after gunmen seized more than 300 children and staff of a Catholic school in the state in central Nigeria. Those victims were released after nearly a month in captivity.
Such banditry has escalated across northwestern and central Nigeria, with armed groups carrying out mass killings and kidnappings in rural communities. Security forces have struggled to contain the violence despite continuing operations.
Witness Khalid Pissa said the gunmen attacked communities in Kasuwan Daji and also in nearby Chukama and Shanga. Pissa put the death toll at 40.
By Ahmed Kingimi, Reuters
Thursday, December 25, 2025
United States carry air strike against ISIL in Nigeria
The United States has carried out an air strike against ISIL (ISIS) fighters in northwest Nigeria, US President Donald Trump said.
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform on Thursday evening.
Trump said ISIL fighters had “targeted and viciously” killed “primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!”
“I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was,” Trump said.
The US military’s Africa Command (AFRICOM), which is responsible for operations in Africa, said in a post on X that the air strike was carried out “at the request of Nigerian authorities” and had killed “multiple ISIS terrorists”.
The US military action comes weeks after Trump said he had ordered the Pentagon to begin planning for potential military action in Nigeria following claims of Christian persecution in the country.
Nigeria’s government has said armed groups target both Muslim and Christian communities in the country, and US claims that Christians face persecution do not represent a complex security situation and ignore efforts by Nigerian authorities to safeguard religious freedom.
The US State Department had announced more recently that it would restrict visas for Nigerians and their family members involved in mass killings and violence against Christians in the West African country.
Trump issued his attack statement on Christmas Day while he was at his Palm Beach, Florida, Mar-a-Lago Club, where he has been spending the holiday.
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform on Thursday evening.
Trump said ISIL fighters had “targeted and viciously” killed “primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!”
“I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was,” Trump said.
The US military’s Africa Command (AFRICOM), which is responsible for operations in Africa, said in a post on X that the air strike was carried out “at the request of Nigerian authorities” and had killed “multiple ISIS terrorists”.
The US military action comes weeks after Trump said he had ordered the Pentagon to begin planning for potential military action in Nigeria following claims of Christian persecution in the country.
Nigeria’s government has said armed groups target both Muslim and Christian communities in the country, and US claims that Christians face persecution do not represent a complex security situation and ignore efforts by Nigerian authorities to safeguard religious freedom.
The US State Department had announced more recently that it would restrict visas for Nigerians and their family members involved in mass killings and violence against Christians in the West African country.
Trump issued his attack statement on Christmas Day while he was at his Palm Beach, Florida, Mar-a-Lago Club, where he has been spending the holiday.
Wednesday, December 24, 2025
US ramps up intelligence flights over Nigeria amid Trump’s intervention threat
The United States has stepped up intelligence-gathering flights over large parts of Nigeria since late November, according to flight-tracking data and current and former US officials cited by Reuters, signalling a renewed focus on security cooperation in West Africa.
The surveillance missions come weeks after President Donald Trump threatened possible military intervention in Nigeria, accusing the government of failing to curb violence against Christian communities. While the precise intelligence being collected remains unclear, the timing has heightened scrutiny of Washington’s intentions in Africa’s most populous country.
Flight data reviewed by Reuters shows that contractor-operated aircraft have been taking off from Accra, Ghana, flying over Nigerian territory, and returning to the Ghanaian capital.
The operator is Tenax Aerospace, a Mississippi-based company that provides special-mission aircraft and works closely with the US military. The company did not respond to requests for comment.
Analysts say the flights underscore a strategic recalibration following the US military’s forced withdrawal from Niger last year. Niger ordered American troops to leave a newly built air base and subsequently turned to Russia for security assistance, weakening Washington’s intelligence footprint in the Sahel.
Liam Karr, Africa team lead at the American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats Project, described the flights as an early indication that the US is rebuilding its intelligence and surveillance capacity in the region. He noted that Accra has long served as a key logistics hub for US military operations in Africa.
“In recent weeks, we have seen a resumption of intelligence and surveillance flights in Nigeria,” Karr said, adding that the operational pattern suggested a deliberate effort to re-establish situational awareness after setbacks elsewhere in the Sahel.
A former US official told Reuters that the aircraft was among several assets repositioned to Ghana in November under the Trump administration.
According to the official, the missions include attempts to locate a US pilot kidnapped earlier this year in neighbouring Niger Republic, as well as broader intelligence collection on militant activity in Nigeria.
Nigeria continues to battle multiple armed groups, most notably Boko Haram and its splinter faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province, both of which have carried out deadly attacks in the country’s north east and beyond. Persistent insecurity has strained Nigeria’s security forces and drawn increasing international concern.
For African observers, the renewed US surveillance raises questions about sovereignty and the long-term implications of foreign military involvement.
For global audiences, it highlights how shifting alliances in the Sahel, coupled with domestic political rhetoric in Washington, are reshaping US engagement across West Africa.
The surveillance missions come weeks after President Donald Trump threatened possible military intervention in Nigeria, accusing the government of failing to curb violence against Christian communities. While the precise intelligence being collected remains unclear, the timing has heightened scrutiny of Washington’s intentions in Africa’s most populous country.
Flight data reviewed by Reuters shows that contractor-operated aircraft have been taking off from Accra, Ghana, flying over Nigerian territory, and returning to the Ghanaian capital.
The operator is Tenax Aerospace, a Mississippi-based company that provides special-mission aircraft and works closely with the US military. The company did not respond to requests for comment.
Analysts say the flights underscore a strategic recalibration following the US military’s forced withdrawal from Niger last year. Niger ordered American troops to leave a newly built air base and subsequently turned to Russia for security assistance, weakening Washington’s intelligence footprint in the Sahel.
Liam Karr, Africa team lead at the American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats Project, described the flights as an early indication that the US is rebuilding its intelligence and surveillance capacity in the region. He noted that Accra has long served as a key logistics hub for US military operations in Africa.
“In recent weeks, we have seen a resumption of intelligence and surveillance flights in Nigeria,” Karr said, adding that the operational pattern suggested a deliberate effort to re-establish situational awareness after setbacks elsewhere in the Sahel.
A former US official told Reuters that the aircraft was among several assets repositioned to Ghana in November under the Trump administration.
According to the official, the missions include attempts to locate a US pilot kidnapped earlier this year in neighbouring Niger Republic, as well as broader intelligence collection on militant activity in Nigeria.
Nigeria continues to battle multiple armed groups, most notably Boko Haram and its splinter faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province, both of which have carried out deadly attacks in the country’s north east and beyond. Persistent insecurity has strained Nigeria’s security forces and drawn increasing international concern.
For African observers, the renewed US surveillance raises questions about sovereignty and the long-term implications of foreign military involvement.
For global audiences, it highlights how shifting alliances in the Sahel, coupled with domestic political rhetoric in Washington, are reshaping US engagement across West Africa.
By Segun Adeyemi, Business Insider Africa
Tuesday, December 23, 2025
Nigeria boosts security as 130 kidnap victims freed
The governor of Nigeria's Niger state held a ceremony on Monday to welcome back 130 kidnapped children and teachers released after a month in captivity.
Their kidnapping from a Catholic boarding school in Niger state's Papiri community was one of the worst mass abductions in Nigeria’s history. No one has claimed responsibility but local residents blame armed groups looking for ransoms.
School kidnappings have come to define insecurity in Africa’s most populous country. Now authorities say they are stepping security.
"We are implementing immediate short-term protective measures in high-risk areas, while concurrently working with state governments, traditional and religious leaders, to develop lasting community-based security solutions for education," Adamu Laka, a national coordinator with Nigeria's Counter-Terrorism Centre, said on Monday.
"It must not be a casualty to violence. We will continue to pursue policies and operations to restore confidence, reopen schools safely, and ensure that the right of every Nigerian child to learn in safety is upheld."
Officials ducked questions about whether ransoms were paid to secure their release.
"I don't think it's very fair to the system, to the government for you to ask whether money was used or not. Most important thing we have gotten these people back unhurt," Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umar Bago told reporters on Monday. "The other one is for us, not for you. So, I think the most important is that we have recovered missing children, and how we did it, we know it.”
Most of the kidnapped children were aged between 10 and 17, their school said. They’re scheduled to be reunited with their families before Christmas.
Their kidnapping from a Catholic boarding school in Niger state's Papiri community was one of the worst mass abductions in Nigeria’s history. No one has claimed responsibility but local residents blame armed groups looking for ransoms.
School kidnappings have come to define insecurity in Africa’s most populous country. Now authorities say they are stepping security.
"We are implementing immediate short-term protective measures in high-risk areas, while concurrently working with state governments, traditional and religious leaders, to develop lasting community-based security solutions for education," Adamu Laka, a national coordinator with Nigeria's Counter-Terrorism Centre, said on Monday.
"It must not be a casualty to violence. We will continue to pursue policies and operations to restore confidence, reopen schools safely, and ensure that the right of every Nigerian child to learn in safety is upheld."
Officials ducked questions about whether ransoms were paid to secure their release.
"I don't think it's very fair to the system, to the government for you to ask whether money was used or not. Most important thing we have gotten these people back unhurt," Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umar Bago told reporters on Monday. "The other one is for us, not for you. So, I think the most important is that we have recovered missing children, and how we did it, we know it.”
Most of the kidnapped children were aged between 10 and 17, their school said. They’re scheduled to be reunited with their families before Christmas.
Gunmen abduct 28 Muslim travellers in central Nigeria
Armed men have kidnapped 28 people travelling to an annual Islamic event in Nigeria's central Plateau state, local sources have told the BBC.
The victims, including women and children, were ambushed in their bus on Sunday night as it was driving between villages.
News of the abductions comes just a day after the Nigerian authorities announced the release of the remaining 130 schoolchildren and teachers from a separate mass kidnapping at a Catholic boarding school in Niger state last month.
A journalist based in Plateau state said the families of the latest victims had begun receiving ransom demands.
The perpetrators are not known and the authorities have yet to comment.
Kidnapping for ransom by criminal gangs, known locally as bandits, has become common across parts of northern and central Nigeria.
Although the handing over of cash in order to release those being held is illegal, it is thought that this is how many cases are resolved and seen as a way for these gangs to raise money.
The incident in Plateau state is unrelated to the long-running Islamist insurgency in the country's north-east, where jihadist groups have been battling the state for more than a decade.
The insecurity in Nigeria received renewed international attention in November after US President Donald Trump threatened to send troops to "that now disgraced country, 'guns-a-blazing'". He alleged that Christians were being targeted.
Nigeria's federal government has acknowledged the security problems but has denied that Christians are being singled out.
On Monday, Information Minister Mohammed Idris said that recent tensions with the US over insecurity and alleged persecution of Christians have been "largely resolved", resulting in stronger relations with Washington.
He added that trained and equipped forest guards will be deployed to secure forests and other remote areas used as hideouts by criminal groups to supplement army operations.
By Mansur Abubakar, BBC
The victims, including women and children, were ambushed in their bus on Sunday night as it was driving between villages.
News of the abductions comes just a day after the Nigerian authorities announced the release of the remaining 130 schoolchildren and teachers from a separate mass kidnapping at a Catholic boarding school in Niger state last month.
A journalist based in Plateau state said the families of the latest victims had begun receiving ransom demands.
The perpetrators are not known and the authorities have yet to comment.
Kidnapping for ransom by criminal gangs, known locally as bandits, has become common across parts of northern and central Nigeria.
Although the handing over of cash in order to release those being held is illegal, it is thought that this is how many cases are resolved and seen as a way for these gangs to raise money.
The incident in Plateau state is unrelated to the long-running Islamist insurgency in the country's north-east, where jihadist groups have been battling the state for more than a decade.
The insecurity in Nigeria received renewed international attention in November after US President Donald Trump threatened to send troops to "that now disgraced country, 'guns-a-blazing'". He alleged that Christians were being targeted.
Nigeria's federal government has acknowledged the security problems but has denied that Christians are being singled out.
On Monday, Information Minister Mohammed Idris said that recent tensions with the US over insecurity and alleged persecution of Christians have been "largely resolved", resulting in stronger relations with Washington.
He added that trained and equipped forest guards will be deployed to secure forests and other remote areas used as hideouts by criminal groups to supplement army operations.
Monday, December 22, 2025
Video - Nigeria says all abducted Catholic school pupils released
Nigeria’s presidency says all remaining pupils and staff abducted from a Catholic boarding school in Niger state in November were freed this past weekend. Authorities say 130 people were released near the Benin border and are being transported back to Niger state.
Nigerian government says remaining 130 abducted students have now been released
The remaining 130 Nigerian schoolchildren abducted in November from a Catholic school in Niger state have been released, President Bola Tinubu's spokesperson said on Sunday, following one of the country's biggest mass kidnappings of recent years.
"The remaining 130 schoolchildren abducted by terrorists ... have now been released. They are expected to arrive in Minna on Monday and rejoin their parents for the Christmas celebration," Bayo Onanuga said in a post on social media platform X.
"The freedom of the schoolchildren followed a military-intelligence driven operation."
The students are among more than 300 pupils and 12 staff seized by gunmen from St Mary's Catholic boarding school in the village of Papiri in the early hours of Nov. 21.
Fifty of the children managed to escape at the time, the Christian Association of Nigeria has previously said, while Nigeria's government said on Dec. 8 that it had managed to rescue 100 of those abducted.
Onanuga said the total number of freed students is now 230.
The abduction caused outrage over worsening insecurity in northern Nigeria, where armed gangs frequently target schools for ransom. School kidnappings surged after Boko Haram militants abducted 276 girls from Chibok in 2014.
"The remaining 130 schoolchildren abducted by terrorists ... have now been released. They are expected to arrive in Minna on Monday and rejoin their parents for the Christmas celebration," Bayo Onanuga said in a post on social media platform X.
"The freedom of the schoolchildren followed a military-intelligence driven operation."
The students are among more than 300 pupils and 12 staff seized by gunmen from St Mary's Catholic boarding school in the village of Papiri in the early hours of Nov. 21.
Fifty of the children managed to escape at the time, the Christian Association of Nigeria has previously said, while Nigeria's government said on Dec. 8 that it had managed to rescue 100 of those abducted.
Onanuga said the total number of freed students is now 230.
The abduction caused outrage over worsening insecurity in northern Nigeria, where armed gangs frequently target schools for ransom. School kidnappings surged after Boko Haram militants abducted 276 girls from Chibok in 2014.
Friday, December 19, 2025
Video - Nigeria labour union protests over worsening insecurity
Members of the Nigeria Labour Congress staged walkouts in major cities to draw attention to the challenges facing workers, particularly rising insecurity and financial issues.
Insecurity forces Christians to abandon Christmas travel, worship in Northern Nigeria
Insecurity across northern Nigeria is forcing many Christians to avoid public worship and cancel Christmas travel plans, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the region has said.
The warning comes against a backdrop of escalating violence in December 2025, which has seen religious centres and residents specifically targeted by criminal groups.
The attacks are perpetrated by various armed groups and has led to the death and kidnap of thousands of people in recent years.
By Ogalah Dunamis, Premium Times
The warning comes against a backdrop of escalating violence in December 2025, which has seen religious centres and residents specifically targeted by criminal groups.
The attacks are perpetrated by various armed groups and has led to the death and kidnap of thousands of people in recent years.
The Context: A Bloody December
CAN’s statement is a direct response to a series of harrowing incidents that have rocked the region in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
A few days ago, on 14 December, gunmen attacked the First ECWA Evangelical Church Winning All in Kogi State during a Sunday service. The assailants killed one worshipper and abducted approximately 30 others, turning a sanctuary into a crime scene.
This followed a massive security breach in Niger State in late November, where over 300 students and staff were abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic School. While some have been released, the sheer scale of the attack has left a lingering trauma across the North-central region. Over 100 students and staff are still with the kidnappers.
Similarly, in Plateau State, fresh attacks near Jos have claimed the lives of miners and villagers, with reports indicating that security agencies failed to act on advance warnings of the impending assaults.
The attacks have continued despite the efforts of security agencies. PREMIUM TIMES reports that the Office of the National Security Adviser recently stated that it is arming trained hunters and vigilantes in northern Nigeria to work with conventional security agencies to tackle insecurity in the region.
CAN’s statement is a direct response to a series of harrowing incidents that have rocked the region in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
A few days ago, on 14 December, gunmen attacked the First ECWA Evangelical Church Winning All in Kogi State during a Sunday service. The assailants killed one worshipper and abducted approximately 30 others, turning a sanctuary into a crime scene.
This followed a massive security breach in Niger State in late November, where over 300 students and staff were abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic School. While some have been released, the sheer scale of the attack has left a lingering trauma across the North-central region. Over 100 students and staff are still with the kidnappers.
Similarly, in Plateau State, fresh attacks near Jos have claimed the lives of miners and villagers, with reports indicating that security agencies failed to act on advance warnings of the impending assaults.
The attacks have continued despite the efforts of security agencies. PREMIUM TIMES reports that the Office of the National Security Adviser recently stated that it is arming trained hunters and vigilantes in northern Nigeria to work with conventional security agencies to tackle insecurity in the region.
CAN’s Position
In a Yuletide statement issued on Thursday, CAN stated that these persistent attacks by bandits, terrorists, and other criminal groups have created widespread fear, making highways, rural communities, and even places of worship unsafe during the festive period.
The Chairman of Northern CAN, Yakubu Pam, said information available to the association indicates that a significant number of Christians now prefer to remain in their places of residence rather than travel to hometowns or attend church services—a development he described as deeply troubling.
“Christmas marks the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, and is traditionally a season of family reunions and communal worship,” Mr Pam said. “Sadly, many Christians are reconsidering these traditions out of fear for their safety.”
He noted that the situation represents a serious erosion of basic freedoms in a democratic society, with the rights to movement, worship, and peaceful assembly increasingly constrained by insecurity.
In a Yuletide statement issued on Thursday, CAN stated that these persistent attacks by bandits, terrorists, and other criminal groups have created widespread fear, making highways, rural communities, and even places of worship unsafe during the festive period.
The Chairman of Northern CAN, Yakubu Pam, said information available to the association indicates that a significant number of Christians now prefer to remain in their places of residence rather than travel to hometowns or attend church services—a development he described as deeply troubling.
“Christmas marks the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, and is traditionally a season of family reunions and communal worship,” Mr Pam said. “Sadly, many Christians are reconsidering these traditions out of fear for their safety.”
He noted that the situation represents a serious erosion of basic freedoms in a democratic society, with the rights to movement, worship, and peaceful assembly increasingly constrained by insecurity.
Government Called to Action
According to the association, violent attacks and criminal activities across several northern states have undermined public confidence in the safety of major highways and worship centers.
CAN called on President Bola Tinubu, governors of the 19 northern states, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to take urgent and visible steps to secure lives and property throughout the Yuletide.
The group urged authorities to strengthen intelligence-driven security operations to prevent attacks before they occur, and deploy adequate personnel to vulnerable communities, major highways, churches, and other public gathering points.
“The assurance of safety for all citizens, regardless of faith or ethnicity, is fundamental to national unity and social stability,” the association said.
While calling on the government to act decisively, CAN also appealed to Christians to exercise vigilance and wisdom, while remaining steadfast in faith and prayer.
“Even in moments of great trial, we must continue to embody the message of peace, hope, and resilience which this season signifies,” Mr Pam said, expressing optimism that Nigeria would overcome its security challenges through purposeful leadership and collective responsibility.
The association concluded by insisting that the “darkness of insecurity will not prevail.”
According to the association, violent attacks and criminal activities across several northern states have undermined public confidence in the safety of major highways and worship centers.
CAN called on President Bola Tinubu, governors of the 19 northern states, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to take urgent and visible steps to secure lives and property throughout the Yuletide.
The group urged authorities to strengthen intelligence-driven security operations to prevent attacks before they occur, and deploy adequate personnel to vulnerable communities, major highways, churches, and other public gathering points.
“The assurance of safety for all citizens, regardless of faith or ethnicity, is fundamental to national unity and social stability,” the association said.
While calling on the government to act decisively, CAN also appealed to Christians to exercise vigilance and wisdom, while remaining steadfast in faith and prayer.
“Even in moments of great trial, we must continue to embody the message of peace, hope, and resilience which this season signifies,” Mr Pam said, expressing optimism that Nigeria would overcome its security challenges through purposeful leadership and collective responsibility.
The association concluded by insisting that the “darkness of insecurity will not prevail.”
Tuesday, December 16, 2025
Suicide bomber kills five soldiers in northeast Nigeria
A suicide bomber struck a military position in northeastern Nigeria near the border with Cameroon, killing at least five soldiers, security and local defence sources said.
The attacker targeted a military position in Firgi near Pulka, a remote town in Borno state, on Sunday, sources told AFP on Monday night and Tuesday morning.
“I counted five bodies lying in blood at the back of my house,” said Umar Sa’idu, a member of a community government-sponsored militia group, who helped transport the victims to hospital.
“After some hours, medical personnel at UMTH (University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital) confirmed that all five victims we gave escort to had died,” he told AFP by phone.
Suicide bombings, once one of the defining tactics of Boko Haram during the height of the insurgency more than a decade ago, have become less frequent in recent years as the military has made inroads against the group.
Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, the military’s spokesman in the northeast, confirmed the attack but not the deaths.
“Our gallant soldiers shot the attacker when he attempted to carry out the bombing in their own position,” Uba told AFP.
“Unfortunately, our gallant soldiers sustained varying degrees of injury and are currently receiving medical care.”
Sa’idu said the bomber was a suspected Boko Haram member thought to have come from nearby Mandara Mountains.
According to Bukar Aji, a local hunter, the assailant approached the soldiers and detonated an explosive device strapped to his body.
Pulka lies close to the Mandara Mountains, a rugged and sparsely governed border region that stretches between Nigeria and Cameroon and has long served as a refuge for jihadist militants linked to Boko Haram and its splinter factions.
The attacker targeted a military position in Firgi near Pulka, a remote town in Borno state, on Sunday, sources told AFP on Monday night and Tuesday morning.
“I counted five bodies lying in blood at the back of my house,” said Umar Sa’idu, a member of a community government-sponsored militia group, who helped transport the victims to hospital.
“After some hours, medical personnel at UMTH (University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital) confirmed that all five victims we gave escort to had died,” he told AFP by phone.
Suicide bombings, once one of the defining tactics of Boko Haram during the height of the insurgency more than a decade ago, have become less frequent in recent years as the military has made inroads against the group.
Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, the military’s spokesman in the northeast, confirmed the attack but not the deaths.
“Our gallant soldiers shot the attacker when he attempted to carry out the bombing in their own position,” Uba told AFP.
“Unfortunately, our gallant soldiers sustained varying degrees of injury and are currently receiving medical care.”
Sa’idu said the bomber was a suspected Boko Haram member thought to have come from nearby Mandara Mountains.
According to Bukar Aji, a local hunter, the assailant approached the soldiers and detonated an explosive device strapped to his body.
Pulka lies close to the Mandara Mountains, a rugged and sparsely governed border region that stretches between Nigeria and Cameroon and has long served as a refuge for jihadist militants linked to Boko Haram and its splinter factions.
Wednesday, December 10, 2025
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."
Monday, December 8, 2025
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.
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.
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
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.
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