Video - Life in the shadow of Boko Haram

The Nigerian military claims it has weakened Boko Haram militants. The humanitarian crisis as a result of the insurgency is far from over. More than 2 million people are displaced and many lack the very basics for survival.

Video - Possibility of Nigeria falling into a recession

Nigeria became Africa's biggest economy after it surpassed South Africa last year but soon its economy started suffering a downward trend. The worst blow followed the steep decline in the price of crude, from highs of over 100 dollars a barrel to the current under 50 dollars a barrel. Oil revenue accounts for 70% of government revenue.

Jordon Ibe chooses England over Nigeria

 Jordon Ibe will commit his international future to England rather than Nigeria, according to the Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh.

The 19-year-old Liverpool winger has represented England at under-18, under-19, under-20 and under-21 levels but also qualifies to play for Nigeria through his father and has been the subject of an international tug-of-war over his future.

Ibe has yet to play a senior game for either country, but now looks to have his heart set on representing England. The Nigeria coach and former captain had reportedly visited the player at Liverpool’s training ground last month to try to convince him to switch his allegiance to Nigeria.

“Jordon Ibe’s family informed me by a telephone call that he was giving priority to an England call-up. We wish them well,” Oliseh said on Twitter.

England’s manager, Roy Hodgson, has praised Ibe, who he said was brought to his attention by the former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard. England face Estonia and Lithuania in their final Euro 2016 qualifiers in October, having already secured their place at next year’s finals in France.

“He is certainly a player we like very much and certainly a player we have our eyes on. It’s far from impossible that he will get called up in one of the next games,” Hodgson said.

Liverpool bought Ibe from the League Two club Wycombe in 2012. He made his debut for the Merseyside club in 2013 and was sent out on loan to first Birmingham and then Derby to continue his development.

The winger was recalled from his loan spell at Derby in January and has gone on to make 19 appearances for Liverpool, featuring in all five of their games this season.

The Guardian

Six Nigerians dead in Mecca crane crash

Six Nigerian pilgrims are among the 107 people killed in Friday’s crane collapse at Mecca’s holy site Ka’aba, Saudi Arabia.

Kaduna State Task Force on Hajj spokesman Saidu Adamu yesterday confirmed the death of a member of the state’s delegation.

National Hajj Commission (NAHCON) confirmed the death of five other Nigerians.

It named the dead Kaduna pilgrim as Alhaji Adamu Shuaibu Kargi from Kubau Local Government Area.

Federal Government officials had on Saturday said no Nigerian died.

Gombe State Amirul-Hajj, Abdullahi Mai-Kano, said four women pilgrims from the state were missing after the incident.

According to him, the four pilgrims were from Akko, Dukku and Nafada local governments areas of the state.

Mai-Kano said the pilgrim was injured in her head, but had been treated and discharged.

He said the four pilgrims were declared missing after a thorough verification and bed checking in the three houses accommodating the state’s pilgrims.

Authorities in Saudi Arabia had earlier on Saturday confirmed that 107 people died.

The spokesperson for the Saudi presidency on the Affairs of the two holy mosques, Ahmad Al-Mansouri, said at “least 107 people were dead and another 238 were injured.

The Nation

Primary school in Jos collapses - 4 children dead

At least four children have died after a primary school building collapsed near the central Nigerian city of Jos, according to officials.

Twenty-four pupils were injured in the incident at the Abu Naima Islamic school on Sunday, Mohammed Abdulsalam, from the National Emergency Management Agency said.

It is unclear whether more students may be trapped under the rubble, he added.

Building collapses often occur during the rainy season in Nigeria.

The cause of the collapse is not clear, but investigators are trying to determine whether it may have been due to extra floors being added to the one-storey building.

A multi-storey church hostel run by popular Nigerian evangelist TB Joshua collapsed last September in Lagos killing 116 people.

The authorities said it had more floors than its foundation could hold.

BBC