Nigeria's oil output slumped in April, which made it lose its status as Africa's largest oil producer to Angola. Data from the organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries indicates the country's oil output declined the most last month among its peers in the Organization, as it dipped below 1 million barrels per day.
Thursday, May 18, 2023
Video - Oil output slumps in Nigeria
Four killed in attack on US convoy in Nigeria
Gunmen in south-eastern Nigeria have attacked a US convoy, killing four people, local police say.
They say two of the victims of Tuesday's attack in the Anambra state were US consulate employees, while the other two were police officers.
The attackers kidnapped three other people, and set their vehicle on fire.
Washington says no US citizens were in the convoy, which was travelling in the state plagued by violence and a separatist insurgency.
Nigerian police say the attack happened on the Atani-Osamale road in Ogbaru region.
Police spokesperson DSP Ikenga Tochukwu says security forces were currently carrying out a rescue and recovery operation.
In a statement to the BBC, the US confirmed that "there was an incident on 16 May in Anambra state", adding that Washington was working with Nigerian security services to investigate the attack.
"The security of our personnel is always paramount, and we take extensive precautions when organising trips to the field," the US state department said.
The Nigerian authorities often blame violent attacks in the region on the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) movement, which is fighting for a breakaway state in the south-east of the country.
Anambra and other parts of the south-east have seen a sharp rise in attacks on security forces since Ipob launched an armed wing in December 2020.
The group has so far made no public comments on the issue.
By Chris Ewokor, BBC
Related stories: 1,603 killed, 1,774 abducted in violent attacks across Nigeria in three months
Video - Is Nigeria's security crisis out of control?
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
Video - Nigeria to boost wheat production to 6 million tonnes by 2032
The West African nation has for years relied on imports to get over 90 percent of its wheat supply, however, the conflict in Ukraine has caused disruptions, leading to a price surge as it affected the wheat supply chain negatively.
29 villagers killed by gunmen in Nigeria
Gunmen attacked villages in troubled north-central Nigeria, killing 29 people and razing houses, survivors and authorities said Tuesday.
Many villagers remained unaccounted for Tuesday evening after the attack in Plateau state, residents said. It was the latest incident in a spiral of violence mainly targeting remote communities in the West African nation.
The gunmen targeted three villages in Plateau state’s Mangu local government area late Monday night and killed several people either with gunfire or after setting their houses ablaze, resident Philip Pamshak said.
“As I am talking to you, they are still attacking people. The tension is still high and there are places the bandits still control, so people are not able to go and check if there are others killed,” Pamshak said.
Plateau Gov. Simon Lalong said he was disturbed by the attack and directed security forces to search for the suspects and prosecute them, according to a statement issued by his spokesman.
“He (the governor) describes this as yet another attempt by crises merchants and criminals to return the state to the dark days of pain and agony,” said Makut Macham, Lalong's spokesman.
Such attacks have become rampant in many parts of Nigeria’s northern region, where several armed groups target villages with inadequate security, either killing or abducting residents and travelers for ransom.
Arrests are rare in such attacks, for which no group typically takes responsibility. However, authorities have in the past identified many of the attackers as former pastoralists who took up arms after decades of conflict with farmers over limited access to land and water.
The security crisis has led to thousands of deaths and defied several government and security measures in the last year.
After the latest killings in Plateau, Lalong directed the emergency response agency to visit the affected communities “to bring succor” to victims and their families, many of whom have either fled the area or have lost their homes, adding to Nigeria’s worsening humanitarian crisis.
By Chinedu Asadu, AP
Tuesday, May 16, 2023
Video - Aid groups warn of children in danger of malnutrition in Nigeria
Attacks by armed groups, high food prices and natural disasters are pushing Nigeria's most vulnerable to the brink of starvation. The World Food Programme says cases of severe acute malnutrition in children have quadrupled in less than a year. Al Jazeera's Ahmed Idris reports from Maiduguri in northeastern Nigeria.
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