Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Video - Mysterious disease in Nigeria kills 15



We're staying in Nigeria, where an unknown disease has killed 15 people in the northern part of the country. Medical experts say the disease does not appear to be Ebola, Lassa fever or corona-virus. With more details here's Ifiok Ettang reporting from Jos.

Video - Canoe-making enterprise continues to thrive in Nigeria



Canoes are among the oldest means of transportation in Nigeria, particularly in riverine areas of the country. Today, the use of ferries and ships are a common feature on Nigerian waterways, but the Canoe continues to hold its own. At the very heart of Lagos, the nation's commercial capital, there is a canoe-making enterprise which has been in business for over three decades. And, it's still thriving. CGTN's Deji Badmus has that report.

Video - Small scale rice farmers struggle to cope with market demands in Nigeria



The Nigerian government has put drastic measures in place to spur rice production, closing the country's land borders since August. That was to curb smuggling and give a boost to local farmers. But many of them say they are struggling to meet increasing demand, and that the price of rice has increased. Ifiok Ettang reports from Jos, North Central Nigeria.

Nigeria militants burn to death motorists as they sleep in their cars

Suspected militant Islamists have killed at least 30 people and abducted women and children in a raid in north-eastern Nigeria, officials say.

Most of the victims were travellers who were burnt to death while sleeping in their vehicles during an overnight stop, officials added

The attack took place in Auno town on a major highway in Borno State.

Militant Islamist group Boko Haram and its offshoots have waged a brutal insurgency in Nigeria since 2009.

About 35,000 people have been killed, more than two million have been left homeless and hundreds have been abducted in the conflict.

Nigeria's government has repeatedly said that the militants have been defeated, but attacks continue.

Borno State governor Babagana Zulum looked visibly shaken when he saw the charred bodies during a visit to Auno following Sunday night's attack, Nigeria's privately owned This Day news site reports.

The militants came in trucks mounted with heavy weapons, before killing, burning, and looting, state government spokesman Ahmad Abdurrahman Bundi was quoted by AFP news agency as saying.

The assailants "killed not less than 30 people who are mostly motorists and destroyed 18 vehicles," the governor's office said in a statement.

It also confirmed the abduction of women and children, but did not give a number.

Residents said most of the victims were travelling to the state capital, Maiduguri, but were forced to sleep in Auno, about 25km (16 miles) away, because the military had shut the road leading into the city.

The military has not yet commented.

Maiduguri was once the headquarters of Boko Haram, but government forces eventually drove the group out of the city.

It is unclear whether the assault was carried out by Boko Haram or a breakaway faction linked to the Islamic State (IS) group.

Calls for military shake-up

By Ishaq Khalid, BBC News, Abuja


The attack in Auno is a reminder of the threat posed by militants, and the vulnerability of communities.

When President Muhammadu Buhari came to power in 2015, he pledged to defeat the insurgents.

Although his troops have made significant progress in weakening the militants, the recent spate of attacks on both military and civilian targets threatens the initial gains.

Many Nigerians have therefore been calling for an overhaul of the security forces and the replacement of military chiefs.

They hope that new generals at the helm of the security forces will reinvigorate the fight against the militants and make sure that the decade-long insurgency does not get any worse.

BBC

Monday, February 10, 2020

Video - Ighalo shock Manchester United signing excites Nigeria



The biggest football news in Nigeria this past week is the signing of former Super Eagles international striker, Odion Ighalo by Manchester United. It came as a big shock to many in the country especially in Ajegunle, a poor community in Lagos, where Ighalo grew up and started playing football. CGTN's Deji Badmus brings us the story.