Nigeria's military has killed dozens of leaders of armed militia groups and hundreds of fighters across the country following a renewed offensive in the third quarter of the year, a spokesperson said on Thursday.
Nigeria faces widespread insecurity including a 15-year Islamist insurgency in its northeast, separatist violence in the southeast, rampant oil theft in the Niger River delta and kidnapping for ransom by criminal gangs, known locally as bandits, in the northwest.
Military spokesperson Major-General Edward Buba said "troops offensive actions culminated in the neutralization of 65 notable terrorist leaders, commanders and combatants across all theaters of operations."
"Overall, in the third quarter of this year, troops neutralized 1,937 terrorists, arrested 2,782 suspected terrorists and other criminal elements as well as rescued 1,854 hostages," Buba said in a statement.
The fatalities include members of Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province, and different amorphous bandit groups. Among those killed was Halilu Sububu, who was declared wanted by the military in 2022 with a bounty of five million naira, Buba said.
Earlier in September, Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu ordered the minister of defense and top military chiefs to relocate to the northwestern Sokoto, one of the worst-hit states, to combat insecurity.
Since then, the military has stepped up actions against armed groups intensifying air bombardment and land operations.
By Ope Adetayo, Reuters
Friday, September 27, 2024
Nigeria prison officials suspended over celebrity jail row
It follows claims by social media influencer Martins Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan, that some anti-corruption officials were bribed to drop money laundering charges against Bobrisky. She has dismissed the bribery claim.
Bobrisky, whose real name is Idris Okuneye, was released from prison last month after serving a six-month sentence for abusing naira, the local currency. But a court dismissed money laundering charges.
Nigeria was last year ranked 145 out of 180 countries in the Transparency International's perceptions of corruption index, with bribery named more prevalent in government offices.
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have ordered investigations into a viral video, which Bobrisky has called "false", allegedly linking her to the bribery allegation.
In the leaked video, someone who is purported to be Bobrisky is heard alleging that she paid $9,000 (£7,000) to EFCC officials to have the money laundering charges dropped.
It was also alleged that she paid some millions of naira to secure a private apartment near the prison where she allegedly served her jail term.
Bobrisky, who has nearly five million followers on Instagram, denied the allegations in an Instagram post.
"I didn’t pay any EFCC money, which is a very big lie. I served my term in full, and I came out. Discard any false information.”
In a statement on Thursday, the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire, and Immigration Services Board, said it suspended two prison officers linked to the bribery allegations, which have sparked widespread condemnation in the country.
Two other senior prison officials were also suspended over separate accusations.
“The suspension of these officers is to allow for further investigation on the various allegations while assuring that the outcome would be made public when concluded,” the statement added.
By Wycliffe Muia, BBC
Thursday, September 26, 2024
Nigeria urges permanent UN security council seat, debt cancellation
Nigeria on Tuesday demanded a permanent seat for African countries on the United Nations Security Council and called for the cancellation of its debt owed to international lenders.
Currently, the Security Council has five permanent members: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia and China. All hold a veto on any Security Council resolution.
Addressing the UN's 79th general assembly in New York, Kashim Shettima, vice president of Africa's most populous nation, insisted that the "Security Council should be expanded".
"Our continent deserves a place in the permanent members' category of the Security Council, " said Shettima, representing head of state Bola Tinubu.
That should come "with the same rights and responsibilities as other permanent members", he added -- notably the power of veto.
Speaking to American broadcaster MSNBC, Nigeria's Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar said "Nigeria needs to be in that security council as a permanent member".
Nigeria's continental rival South Africa is also eyeing a seat at the top table.
Earlier in the month, the United States ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said Washington would support the creation of two additional permanent seats for African countries on the Security Council.
However, she said the new entrants would not have the right to veto.
The Nigerian vice president also called for a "reform of the international financial system", urging the cancellation of the debt Nigeria owed to multilateral institutions.
Shettima argued "nationalism" and self-interest were undermining the fight against various global issues, including terrorism, armed conflict, inequality, poverty, racism, debt, hunger and climate change.
He urged UN member states to recommit to multilateralism to "sustain the global body's relevance and resilience".
Shettima also denounced unconstitutional changes of governments in some African countries in recent years -- a reference to coups that have plagued fellow West African countries.
The juntas in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso came to power in a series of coups over recent years and have pulled out of the regional bloc ECOWAS.
Shettima warned democracy was "fragile" if not supported by peace, security, and economic development.
Exxon plans $10 billion oil investment in Nigeria
Exxon Mobil Corp has proposed a $10 billion investment in offshore oil operations in a new investment push in Nigeria, a presidential spokesperson said on Thursday, citing company executives.
The investment was announced during talks between Nigeria's Vice President Kashim Shettima and the CEO of Exxon's Nigeria operations Shane Harris on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, presidential spokesperson Stanley Nkwocha said in a statement.
Exxon plans to focus on developing its Owo project, a sizable deep-water project estimated to cost $10 billion.
The producer also plans to spend $2.5 billion annually to boost oil output by 50,000 barrels per day (bpd) over the next few years and maintain its Nigerian operations, despite agreeing to sell its onshore assets to Seplat Energy for $1.3 billion.
Exxon is working closely with the office of Nigeria's president "to secure favourable fiscal arrangements that will make this significant investment possible," Harris was quoted as saying.
An Exxon spokesperson didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Production of oil, which accounts for the bulk of Nigerian government revenue and foreign exchange, increased by 10.15% in the second quarter, averaging 1.41 million bpd, up from 1.22 million bpd a year earlier.
But Africa's largest oil producer is still grappling with challenges in its oil industry, including large-scale theft and sabotage, despite passing a law three years ago to ease regulatory uncertainties and attract investments.
"This potential investment by ExxonMobil aligns perfectly with President Bola Tinubu administration's vision for a more investment-friendly Nigeria," Shettima said. "We are committed to creating an enabling environment for such transformative projects."
By Felix Onuah, Reuters
Wednesday, September 25, 2024
Nigerian officials seize cocaine worth almost $3 million at Lagos airport
Nigerian officials seized 19.4 kg (42.77 pounds) of cocaine worth 4.66 billion naira ($2.93 million) from a passenger who arrived at Lagos airport on a flight from Ethiopia, its anti-drug agency said on Tuesday.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said it arrested a 48-year Nigerian businessman, who had been convicted of trafficking last year but paid a fine to avoid jail time, on Sept. 18. He was allegedly carrying 817 wraps of cocaine.
Nigeria, Africa's most populous country with over 200 million people, has in recent years gone from being a transit point for gangs moving drugs between South America and Europe to a full-blown consumer and distributor.
"The agency will continue to work to disrupt the activities of drug cartels operating in the country," NDLEA chief Mohammed Buba Marwa said in a statement.
By Camillus Eboh, Reuters
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