Monday, March 26, 2018
Video - Borno state, Nigeria suspends boarding schools amid abduction threats
Borno state, Nigeria's north east state hardest hit by the 9 year old Boko Haram insurgency has ordered indefinite suspension of boarding schools. The call comes in the wake of increasing threats more abduction threats.The directive by the state government only allows boarding school within the state capital to remain open.
Freed schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram return home
More than 100 Nigerian schoolgirls, most of those recently kidnapped by Boko Haram, have gone home to their families, four days after being freed.
The jihadist group abducted the girls from the town of Dapchi in February.
After their release from captivity and a brief emotional meeting with their parents, the schoolgirls were flown to the capital to meet the president.
The girls - warned by Boko Haram not to return to school - were escorted back to Dapchi by Nigerian soldiers.
As well as meeting President Muhammadu Buhari, the newly-released girls underwent medical and security screenings.
The schoolgirls, who were kidnapped from their boarding school on 19 February, were reportedly released by the side of a road almost five weeks later.
A total of 110 girls were originally kidnapped, but five did not survive the ordeal and one other - a Christian who refused to convert to Islam - is still being held.
"The Buhari administration will not relent in efforts to bring [her] safely back home to her parents," a statement said.
Two other people - a boy and another girl from Dapchi - were freed at the same time, officials also said.
The government denies claims that Boko Haram was paid a ransom for the girls' freedom, or that there was a prisoner swap.
Information Minister Lai Mohammad told the BBC's Focus on Africa that the girls' return was part of ongoing talks about an amnesty in return for a ceasefire.
The jihadist group abducted the girls from the town of Dapchi in February.
After their release from captivity and a brief emotional meeting with their parents, the schoolgirls were flown to the capital to meet the president.
The girls - warned by Boko Haram not to return to school - were escorted back to Dapchi by Nigerian soldiers.
As well as meeting President Muhammadu Buhari, the newly-released girls underwent medical and security screenings.
The schoolgirls, who were kidnapped from their boarding school on 19 February, were reportedly released by the side of a road almost five weeks later.
A total of 110 girls were originally kidnapped, but five did not survive the ordeal and one other - a Christian who refused to convert to Islam - is still being held.
"The Buhari administration will not relent in efforts to bring [her] safely back home to her parents," a statement said.
Two other people - a boy and another girl from Dapchi - were freed at the same time, officials also said.
The government denies claims that Boko Haram was paid a ransom for the girls' freedom, or that there was a prisoner swap.
Information Minister Lai Mohammad told the BBC's Focus on Africa that the girls' return was part of ongoing talks about an amnesty in return for a ceasefire.
Friday, March 23, 2018
Thursday, March 22, 2018
Video - 101 released schoolgirls to meet Nigerian President Buhari
After being reunited with their families, the schoolgirls from Dapchi village, have now arrived in the capital, Abuja. The girls are due to meet President Muhammadu Buhari. 110 girls were kidnapped over a month ago, during a raid by militants in northeast Nigeria. The girls, though, say five of them died in captivity. In an extraordinary turn of events, fighters of Boko Haram surrendered the girls to the community on Wednesday. Nigeria's Minister of Information has denied suggestions that a ransom was paid to secure the girls' freedom.
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
Video - Lack of funds to repair old refineries in Nigeria pushes deadline
In Nigeria the petroleum ministry is walking back on a 2019 deadline it set to end costly importation of refined fuel. The ministry has long complained of a lack of funds to repair domestic refineries. Nigeria is Africa's biggest exporter of crude oil but lacks the capacity to refine its own fuel and its economy often suffers from crippling fuel shortages.
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