Nigerian army repels drone-backed insurgent attacks

Extremist insurgents launched simultaneous attacks in four districts of Northeastern Nigeria using armed drones and heavy firepower and torched a military barracks before being repelled by troops, a Nigerian army spokesperson said on Thursday.

Extremists carried out the attacks between midnight and 0300 GMT on three troop positions in Borno State and another in neighboring Yobe State.

“Some troops were wounded in action but are in stable condition. Vehicles and buildings were gutted by fire from the terrorists’ armed drones and RPG (rocket propelled grenades) fire, especially in Mafa and Dikwa where the defenses were momentarily breached,” said Sani Uba, spokesperson for the Nigerian military’s counterinsurgency operation.

Nigerian troops killed 50 of the attackers and recovered ammunition, he added.

Nigeria has grappled for over 15 years with the insurgency, which has led to the death of tens of thousands and displaced more than 2 million people, humanitarian aid groups say.

Two security sources said the insurgents had tried to cut off reinforcements to troops but were forced to retreat after the military brought in fighter jets.

Four soldiers were killed and five wounded this month during an insurgent attack in Borno.

Insurgents have launched at least 333 attacks in Northeast Nigeria this year, compared to 375 in 2024, data compiled by conflict monitoring group ACLED showed.

The insurgency is part of widespread insecurity that continues to plague Africa’s most populous country, which is also dealing with attacks by armed gangs in the Northwest and deadly farmer-herder clashes in the central belt.

Alaribya English

Video - Conservationists in Nigeria race to protect sea turtles

More than 70 turtles have been rescued thanks to conservation efforts over the past five years. Advocates say more public awareness is urgently needed to protect marine life and preserve fragile coastal ecosystems.

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Video - Nigeria targets Boko Haram, 17 militants killed and dozens arrested in raids

Nigerian forces killed 17 militants and arrested 85 in anti-terror raids across Borno and Adamawa states. The operations also rescued 10 abductees and targeted Boko Haram informants, suppliers, and collaborators. The ongoing insurgency has killed over 40,000 and displaced 2 million people since the crisis began.

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Dozens killed in Nigeria fuel tanker explosion

At least 39 people have been killed in an oil tanker explosion in Nigeria's central Niger state after the vehicle skidded off the road and crashed, spilling fuel, an aid worker has told the BBC.

Another 60 people with varying degrees of injuries are currently receiving treatment at a hospital, said Abdullahi Baba Ara, head of the Niger state emergency service.

Villagers rushed to collect fuel from the overturned tanker which suddenly exploded, setting off a massive fire that engulfed them.

Tanker explosions are a recurring tragedy in Nigeria, despite repeated warnings about the dangers of collecting spilled fuel.

The intense blaze burned many victims beyond recognition, and the injured were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The accident occurred near the Essan and Badeggi communities along the Bida-Agaie road in the Katcha Local Government Area of Niger state.

Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago sent his condolences to the people, describing the incident as "worrisome, unfortunate and pathetic".

"[It] is disheartening how people have continued to approach a fallen tanker to scoop its contents" despite several awareness campaigns, said a statement by his chief press secretary Bologi Ibrahim.

The tanker, carrying petroleum products from Lagos in southern Nigeria to the north, is said to have crashed due to the bad condition of the road.

Poor road conditions are a major contributor to road accidents in the country.

In October last year, a fuel tanker explosion killed 153 people in Jigawa state, north-west Nigeria.

In January this year, a truck carrying about 60,000 litres of petrol overturned near Suleja, also in Niger state, killing at least 86 people and injuring nearly 70 others.

By Chris Ewokor, BBC

Related story: Video - Experts say Nigeria’s fuel truck ban won’t curb accidents

Nigeria cancel friendlies in USA due to World Cup playoffs

Nigeria will not be going ahead with planned friendlies against Venezuela and Colombia in the USA next month, after the Super Eagles qualified for the World Cup playoffs which take place in Morocco at the same time.

The NFF had announced the two games last month, with the Super Eagles scheduled to play Venezuela on November 14 at the Shell Energy Stadium in Houston and Colombia on November 18 at Citi Field in New York.

Tickets for both games were already on sale, but a top NFF official told ESPN at the time that the games were conditional on the team's World Cup fate, and would only proceed if Nigeria avoided being drawn into the CAF World Cup playoff round, either by qualifying directly for the World Cup, or failing to make it entirely.

Last week, the Super Eagles beat Benin Republic to qualify for the World Cup playoffs, which take place from November 13 to 16, and officials said that the friendlies had now been shelved.

"We had a clause in the contract for the games covering this eventuality, if we qualified for the playoffs," NFF match agent Jairo Pachon of Eurodata Sport told ESPN.

"So we will not be going ahead with the matches any more. However, Colombia still want to play an African team as part of their preparation for the World Cup so we are working on that for now."

An NFF official added: "Our goal is to concentrate on the playoffs now and qualify from Africa and then focus on the intercontinental playoffs."

Also qualified for the CAF playoffs are Cameroon, Congo DR and Gabon.

Nigeria, on 41, are the highest-ranked of the four teams in the Africa playoffs. They will play Gabon, who are the lowest-ranked team at 77. The winner of that encounter plays the winner of the other semifinal between Cameroon (ranked 54) and Congo DR (ranked 60) for Africa's sole ticket to the intercontinental playoffs in Mexico in March.

For Nigeria, the playoffs would also serve as early preparation for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. The Super Eagles, runners-up at the 2023 tournament in Ivory Coast, begin their Group C campaign against Tanzania on December 23 in Fez before facing Tunisia and Uganda.

By Colin Udoh, ESPN