Massive Drug Bust: Nigeria Smashes Meth Cartel and Captures Kingpin

Nigeria's anti-drug agency said it had dismantled a methamphetamine syndicate in the largest seizure of ​its kind in the country, seizing drugs and chemicals ‌worth about $363 million and arresting 10 suspects, including three Mexicans.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency said late on Wednesday that coordinated raids on ​a farm in Ogun state and linked properties ​in Lagos state, southwest Nigeria, uncovered an industrial-scale clandestine ⁠laboratory and yielded 2.4 tons of methamphetamine and chemical materials.

NDLEA ​chief Mohamed Buba Marwa said the operation, carried out over ​48 hours after months of intelligence work, exposed a network importing foreign "technical expertise" to produce drugs locally.

Seven suspects, including three Mexicans described as ​meth "cooks", were arrested at the farm used as a lab ​in Ogun state's Abidagba forest, while the alleged mastermind, Anochili Innocent, a ‌Nigerian, ⁠was detained at his Lagos residence. Follow-up operations brought total arrests to 10, the agency said.

The agency said the scale of the haul, equivalent to millions of street doses, highlighted ​a shift by ​drug cartels ⁠towards setting up production bases in Nigeria.

The crackdown underscores Nigeria's growing role as both a ​transit and manufacturing hub in the global illegal ​drugs ⁠trade.

Illegal trade has been growing in Nigeria and West Africa, where porous borders allow cartels to expand logistics networks and links ⁠to ​Latin American trafficking groups.

Marwa said the agency ​will step up its crackdown on local and transnational networks across the ​country.

By Camillus Eboh, Reuters

Related story: Billionaire drug baron arrested as NDLEA dismantles global laundering network

Video - Gunmen abduct students in Nigeria’s Oyo State

Fear has gripped Nigeria’s southwestern Oyo State after gunmen killed a school official and abducted students and a vice principal in coordinated attacks on three schools in Oriire. Authorities have ordered temporary school closures as the number of abducted students remains unclear.

CGTN Africa

Related story: Gunmen abduct 39 students, 7 teachers in attacks on Nigeria schools

Nigerian military airstrike kills 100 civilians at a market, rights group claims

Nigeria ‘s military Tuesday denied a rights group’s claim that an airstrike killed 100 civilians in a market over the weekend, as attention turned again to a long-running fight against armed groups in the country’s volatile north.

Amnesty International in a statement Monday said a military airstrike on Sunday hit a market in Tumfa in Zamfara state. A Red Cross official in the state, Ibrahim Bello Garba, confirmed the strike to The Associated Press and said “multiple civilians” were killed.

“In one village alone, 80 people were buried and there is no evidence that any of those people killed is a bandit. They are all civilians. The majority of them are young girls and small boys,” Amnesty International Nigeria director Isa Sanusi told the AP.

Nigeria’s military confirmed an airstrike to the AP but said “no verifiable evidence of civilian casualties as being suggested in the media has been established.”

“Civilians are not the target, and everything is being done to avoid civilian casualties,” said a spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Michael Onoja, who said military operations continued in the area.

The Amnesty allegation is the latest related to an accidental military airstrike hitting civilians in the West African nation that faces threats from militant groups including Boko Haram.

Last month, an accidental strike by Nigeria’s air force killed 100 people.

Analysts blame a lack of coordination between the air force and personnel on the ground for such strikes, which have killed hundreds of civilians. Nigerian officials have maintained that targets are members of armed groups.

Armed groups often mix with locals in areas where they operate, complicating efforts to target them.

By Dyepkazah Shibayan and Tunde Omolehin, AP

Related story: US military carries out more strikes against ISIL fighters in Nigeria

Gunmen abduct 39 students, 7 teachers in attacks on Nigeria schools

Armed men abducted 39 students and seven ⁠teachers in an attack targeting several schools in Nigeria’s southwestern Oyo State last week, officials and a Christian association have said.

The attack took place on Friday in ⁠Ahoro Esinele community in Oriire district, targeting a secondary school and two primary schools, officials said on Monday.

Elisha Olukayode Ogundiya, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Oyo State, said 46 people, mostly children aged between two and 16 years, were taken away following the attacks.

In what police called a “coordinated attack”, armed men simultaneously raided Baptist Nursery and Primary in Yawota, and two other schools in Esiele, seizing pupils and teachers.

President Bola Tinubu condemned the attack as “barbaric”, while promising that the federal government was working with the Oyo State to “rescue all the victims”.

“We expect a breakthrough soon,” he said in a statement released by his office.

Governor Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde said one abducted teacher was killed on Sunday, ‌citing a video. Six suspects have been arrested, including alleged informants and logistics suppliers to the kidnappers, he added.

A joint rescue operation by soldiers, police and local vigilantes was disrupted after they encountered improvised explosive devices planted by the attackers, ⁠leaving several wounded, Makinde added. Those injured ⁠are receiving treatment, he said.

Mass ⁠kidnappings by armed groups have become a serious security challenge in Nigeria in recent years, with criminal gangs exploiting weak security to target travellers, students, and rural communities for cash payments. Schools are often targeted, although such ‌attacks ‌are rare in the southwest of the country.

Al Jazeera

Related stories: Latest militant attacks on schools in Nigeria leave more than 80 children missing, officials say

Latest militant attacks on schools in Nigeria leave more than 80 children missing, officials say

A wave of militant attacks on schools in Nigeria over the last week has resulted in more than 80 children gone missing, local officials and a rights group said Sunday, the latest in school abductions in the West African country where the government is battling an array of jihadi and other armed groups.

The attackers targeted a primary school in the war-torn state of Borno, in Nigeria’s northeastern corner, sometime between Wednesday and Thursday. The militants abducted 42 children there, in the Askira Uba and Chibok areas.

Amnesty International said that attack took place in the village of Mussa near Sambisa Forest, a stronghold of militants from Boko Haram and its splinter group, an Islamic State affiliate known as the Islamic State West Africa Province.

Across the country, two secondary schools in the southwestern Oyo state were attacked hours apart Friday, and at least 40 children were abducted there, according to Amnesty’s Nigeria branch. Such abductions are rare in that area.

The rights group warned Sunday that the threat of abduction is forcing many children out of school, while underage girls are being pulled out of classrooms and forced into marriage by families seeking to protect them from school attacks.

Peter Wabba, a government official from Mussa, said Sunday that he was told that 48 children had been abducted in Oyo.

“The government is assuring us that they are doing their ... best to see that these children are rescued, but up till now, we are still waiting,” he told the Associated Press.

Amnesty also said that the authorities “never fulfill promises to investigate the incidents and bring the perpetrators to justice.”

“Victims and their families continue to be denied access to justice,” it said.

On Saturday, police spokesperson Ayanlade Olayinka told the AP that three gunmen were detained in connection with the Oyo attack, which took place in the Oriire area, about 135 miles from Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city.

The suspects were identified by the community and arrested, Olayinka said. Police did not say whether they were searching for more suspects.

Abductions of schoolchildren are common in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, especially in the country’s north. Last year, two mass abductions from schools rocked the nation, with more than 300 children taken in the northern region.

School kidnappings have come to define the lack of security in Nigeria, and analysts say it’s often because armed gangs see schools as strategic targets they can exploit to draw attention.

By Dyepkazah Shibayan, AP

Related stories: How Viral Empathy is Being Weaponized by Nigerian Kidnappers

Gunmen raid Nigerian orphanage and kidnap children

Nigeria ex-power minister Saleh Mamman jailed 75 years for graft

A Nigerian court on Wednesday sentenced former power minister Saleh Mamman to 75 years in jail for siphoning off millions of dollars from hydro-electricity projects.

Nigeria's anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), said Mamman was found guilty of laundering 33.8 billion naira ($24.6 million).

Nigeria is Africa's fourth-largest economy and the continent's top oil producer, but it suffers from acute electricity shortages due to a crumbling grid and inadequate output.

More than 40 percent of Nigerians have no access to grid electricity, according to the World Bank.

Federal High Court judge Justice James Omotosho Abuja "sentenced Mamman to 75 years imprisonment" for money laundering, the EFCC said in a post on X.

Mamman, who was the energy minister between 2019 and 2021, was sentenced in absentia.

He is the first minister who served under former president Muhammadu Buhari, who was revered for his anti-corruption stance, to be jailed for graft.

Several other top officials from Buhari's government are facing trial for fraud, including a former justice minister, an ex-central bank governor and a former labor minister.

Africa News

How Viral Empathy is Being Weaponized by Nigerian Kidnappers

In the digital age, a "like" or a "share" is usually a sign of support. But for families of kidnapping victims in Nigeria, a viral post can be a double-edged sword—one that saves a life while simultaneously driving up the price of freedom.

A disturbing shift is taking place in Nigeria’s kidnapping crisis. No longer content with merely assessing what a victim’s family can afford, criminal syndicates are now monitoring the internet to see what the public can raise. In this new "Digital Extortion Economy," empathy is being monetized, and visibility has become a dangerous currency.

From "Family Crisis" to "Public Campaign"

Traditionally, kidnapping for ransom was a private, terrifying negotiation between abductors and a victim's immediate relatives. However, as the frequency of abductions has surged across the country, families are increasingly turning to WhatsApp, X (formerly Twitter), and informal blogs to crowdfund the massive sums demanded.

The results are often immediate, but the consequences are becoming grim.

Take the case of Abba Musa Usman, whose ordeal captured national attention after videos of his torture were circulated online by his captors. The public outrage sparked a massive fundraising effort. But as the "Digital Empathy" grew, so did the captors' greed. According to researchers at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), ransom demands often fluctuate in real-time as abductors track how much money is being mobilized by the public. In Usman’s case, after an initial payment was made, the kidnappers pivoted, demanding motorcycles and other assets as they realized the depth of the public’s pockets.

The Algos of Agony

The tragedy of a family in Abuja in 2024 serves as a stark warning. After the failure to pay an initial demand led to the killing of one of the daughters, the subsequent public outcry fueled five separate crowdfunding campaigns on X. In just 18 days, approximately ₦230 million (US$168,000) was raised.

While these funds often secure releases, they also provide "market data" for the kidnappers. They are no longer just criminals; they are acting like predatory market analysts, setting their prices based on the viral potential of a victim’s story.

A Policy of Desperation

The Nigerian government attempted to curb this trend in 2022 by criminalizing ransom payments, but the law has largely failed to stop the practice. When the state fails to provide security, citizens have little choice but to rely on one another.

This has created a chaotic information environment where:

• Kidnappers monitor social media: They track hashtags and fundraising progress to set "premium" ransom rates.

• Verification is impossible: Rumors and unverified appeals flood WhatsApp, making it difficult for genuine families to coordinate and easy for scammers to exploit the chaos.

• Ransoms are "Tiered": Similar to cases seen in Niger, abductors are beginning to set "differentiated" ransoms—charging more for professionals like doctors or those whose stories gain the most traction.

The Bottom Line

Social media has provided a lifeline for those who have nowhere else to turn, but it has also handed a powerful new tool to the kidnappers. In the battle between public solidarity and criminal opportunism, the "digital crowd" is inadvertently setting the market price for human life. As long as visibility equals money, the most heart-wrenching stories will continue to carry the highest price tags.

ISS Today

Related stories: Gunmen raid Nigerian orphanage and kidnap children

Gunmen kidnap students heading to exams in Nigeria

Customs returns stolen luxury vehicles exported to Nigeria to Canada

As part of the ongoing efforts to strengthen international confidence in Nigeria’s anti-smuggling and cargo intelligence system, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has formally handed over intercepted stolen luxury vehicles traced to Canada to the Deputy High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria, Nasser Salihou.

The vehicles included a 2019 Lexus RX350, 2019 Mercedes-Benz G550, 2023 Land Rover Range Rover, 2019 Lamborghini Huracán, 2021 Rolls-Royce Dawn Convertible.

The others are 2018 Lamborghini Aventador and 2026 Toyota Tundra.

They are all all confirmed to have been stolen and illegally exported before ending up in Nigeria,” NCS spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada said in a statement on Sunday.

Maiwada said the vehicles were handed over at the Tin Can Island Port by Frank Onyeka, the Customs Area Controller of the Command.

According to him, the recovery followed months of intelligence sharing and operational collaboration between the NCS and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The spokesperson added that authorities in Canada had traced a number of stolen high-end vehicles believed to have been smuggled into Nigeria through international shipping channels.

“Internal Customs document dated May 5, showed that the intercepted vehicles included a 2019 Lexus RX350, 2019 Mercedes-Benz G550, 2023 Land Rover Range Rover, 2019 Lamborghini Huracán, 2021 Rolls-Royce Dawn Convertible.

“Also, a 2018 Lamborghini Aventador and 2026 Toyota Tundra, all confirmed to have been stolen and illegally exported before ending up in Nigeria,” he said.

Speaking at the handing over, Onyeka said one of the vehicles, a Toyota Tacoma, was initially concealed inside a container carrying other vehicles and had not yet exited Customs control before intelligence from Canadian authorities triggered immediate intervention.

He said once the alert was received and shipping documentation transmitted through official channels, officers of the command moved swiftly to isolate the suspicious consignment.

He said the officers extracted the affected vehicle and placed it under enforcement custody pending diplomatic verification.

“What looked like a routine cargo movement quickly became an international criminal investigation.

“Once intelligence reached us, we placed the consignment under enforcement watch and secured the vehicle pending confirmation from Canadian authorities,” he said.

He explained that the service deliberately delayed the final release until officials of the Canadian government arrived in person to complete identification and recovery procedures.

“We had people who wanted to step in on behalf of others, but this was too sensitive. We insisted the handover must be directly to the Canadian government to preserve the integrity of the process,” he said.

The operation, he said, reinforces the NCS’ commitment to tackling transnational vehicle theft syndicates that exploit global shipping routes to move stolen automobiles across continents.

According to him, the recovery has revealed the ongoing cooperation between Nigeria and Canada in intelligence sharing, cargo profiling, and maritime enforcement.

He said this was particularly in tackling organised cross-border crimes involving stolen assets, illicit trade, and other fraudulent activities.

NAN

Billionaire drug baron arrested as NDLEA dismantles global laundering network

Operatives of a Special Operations Unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), in close coordination with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Lagos Country Office and law enforcement partners from Switzerland, France and Greece, have successfully dismantled a transnational criminal organisation involved in drug money laundering operations worth hundreds of billions of naira across Europe and Nigeria.

The multi-country investigation into the drug money laundering operations culminated in the simultaneous arrest of a billionaire drug baron, Amadi Simon, in Switzerland, and his co-conspirators: 34-year-old Jecinta Amara Ikechi in Anambra State, and 28-year-old Blessing Ngozi Amadi in Agbor, Delta State, on Tuesday, April 28, 2026.

The arrests followed months of intelligence gathering and investigations across multiple jurisdictions linking Amadi to the laundering of hundreds of billions of naira in proceeds from drug trafficking and other financial crimes.

In addition to the arrest of the suspects, the NDLEA, in collaboration with its international law enforcement partners, also traced multi-billion naira assets linked to Amadi’s transnational criminal network in Nigeria and abroad.

His operations in Nigeria involved a complex scheme of front and shell companies, pass-through accounts and proxies, as well as the use of numerous traditional and cryptocurrency accounts to conceal and launder illicit funds.

Properties identified and linked to Amadi Simon as proceeds of illicit drug trafficking include Jovi Hotel, located at 1 Isiayei Street, GRA Phase 1, Asaba, Delta State; Jovi Hotel and Suites, located at 4 Orikeze by Deeper Life Road, Agbor, Delta State; and Jovi Apartment at Jamieson Court, Mabushi, Abuja. Several bank accounts and cryptocurrency addresses allegedly used by the cartel to conceal hundreds of billions of naira in illicit funds have also been identified and blocked.

Speaking on the coordinated efforts of the NDLEA, the United States DEA and other international partners, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Mohammed Buba Marwa, said the success of the multi-country and multi-year operation sends a clear message that the NDLEA maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards crimes that jeopardise the safety of Nigerians, the integrity of the country’s reputation and the stability of the economy.

He expressed gratitude for the support received from the US DEA in dismantling Amadi’s transnational criminal network, adding that the U.S. Mission to Nigeria has continued to partner with the agency in combating narcotics trafficking through training in intelligence, evidence collection, case management and tactical operations, as well as the provision of critical equipment. He assured that the NDLEA would continue to expand its cooperation with the United States and other international partners.

“The NDLEA remains relentless in its pursuit of those involved in narcotics trafficking and associated financial crimes, regardless of where they attempt to hide. Built on a foundation of strategic partnership, unwavering integrity and dedicated professionalism, the NDLEA is committed to ensuring that Nigeria is neither a haven for drug traffickers who profit from illicit substances nor a sanctuary for their criminal proceeds,” Marwa said.

By Bertram Nwannekanma, The Guardian

Related story: Suspected members of Nigeria-linked Black Axe crime gang arrested in Switzerland

Suspected members of Nigeria-linked Black Axe crime gang arrested in Switzerland

Suspected members of the Nigerian-linked Black Axe crime gang have ​been arrested in Switzerland accused of ‌involvement in romance scams and cyberfraud, Europol said on Tuesday.

Black Axe grew out of ​a student fraternity in the late ​1970s called the Neo Black Movement ⁠of Africa, and it has since ​evolved into a structured, violent criminal organisation ​often dealing in financial cybercrime.

"The suspects are accused of numerous crimes. This includes romance scams ​and other cyberfraud offences causing millions ​of Swiss francs in damages, as well as ‌money ⁠laundering," said Europol, which is headquartered in The Hague, in a statement.

The pan-European police body said 10 people - most ​of whom ​are of ⁠Nigerian origin - had been arrested in the operation that ​also involved German police.
The Swiss operation ​against ⁠the Black Axe crime gang follows a similar operation carried out by Spanish ⁠police ​in January, while global ​police body Interpol had also targeted it in ​2023.

Reuters

Gunmen kill at least 29 in northeast Nigeria after targeting young people at football pitch

Gunmen have killed at least 29 people in northeastern Nigeria, a state governor said Monday, with locals saying the attackers targeted young people gathered at a football pitch, the latest bout of deadly unrest in Africa's most populous nation.

The attack on Sunday occurred in Adamawa state, which borders Cameroon and is a hotspot for violence by jihadists and local criminal gangs. Communal violence over land is also rife in the state.

The latest attack comes as Nigeria's security crisis is increasingly under scrutiny – both abroad and at home as general elections are less than a year away.

Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri visited the scene of the Sunday attack and "confirmed that no fewer than 29 people were killed in a deadly attack on Guyaku community in Gombi Local Government Area", his spokesman said in a post on social media.

Locals also gave a similar toll.

Resident Philip Agabus told AFP that the attack occurred when "our people converged at a football pitch in Guyaku community ... [and] were attacked by insurgents who entered with guns and began shooting randomly".

The dead were "youths, including some ladies that were watching football", another local, Joshua Usman, said.

"They also burnt places of worship, houses and motorcycles," added Usman.

The state governor's office wrote that "the attackers operated for several hours, killing dozens of residents, burning places of worship, and destroying property including motorcycles", citing a local community leader, Aggrey Ali.

Local television showed footage of a burned church and several charred motor cycles.

The governor blamed the Boko Haram militants who are active in the northeast of Nigeria.

But a rival group, the Islamic State's West Africa Province (ISWAP) claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it "killed at least 25 ... Christians", and "torched a church and nearly 100 motorcycles", in a statement reported by the SITE monitoring group.

Fintiri condemned the attack, saying "it will not go unpunished" while he vowed "intensifying security operations immediately to restore peace".

Since 2009, the jihadist insurgency in Nigeria, led primarily by Boko Haram and its rival faction, the ISWAP, has left tens of thousands of people dead and millions displaced in the country's northeast, according to the United Nations.

The jihadist conflict has spread to neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

Nigeria is now looking to the United States for technical and training support for its troops fighting the jihadists after a resurgence of violence strained relationships between the two countries.

US President Donald Trump said last October that Christianity was facing an "existential threat" in the West African nation. Security experts say that both Muslim and Christian communities are targeted by armed groups.

A separate attack occurred Sunday in a another district more 100 kilometres away which a local community blamed on communal clashes over farmland disputes in several villages in Lamurde area.

"Lives were lost, properties were also lost," Bulus Daniel, local government council chairman for Lamurde area told AFP.

AFP

Gunmen raid Nigerian orphanage and kidnap children

Eight children are still missing after gunmen raided an unregistered orphanage in Nigeria's north-central Kogi State and kidnapped 23, authorities have said.

Kogi's information commissioner Kingsley Fanwo said 15 children were rescued due to the "prompt and coordinated response" of security agencies.

Sunday's attack also saw the owner of the facility taken, he added.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but security sources say the state has a functional Boko Haram cell, and that there have been several violent attacks in the area.

Nigeria is also grappling with a kidnap crisis in many parts of the country, with criminal gangs abducting people for ransoms. The government has made paying ransoms illegal but this has not prevented the kidnappings.

"The government remains fully committed to ensuring the rescue of all the victims," Fanwo said.

His statement on Monday also highlighted that the orphanage was "operating illegally" in a "bushy environment" without the knowledge of relevant authorities.

Fanwo urged operators of orphanages, schools, and similar institutions to always engage appropriately with the appropriate government agencies "especially in the current security climate".

Mass kidnappings in schools are not uncommon in Nigeria, especially in the country's northern region which is currently plagued by insecurity. This is the first time an orphanage has been targeted.

In November 2025, more than 300 students and their teachers were abducted from one Catholic Secondary School in Niger State, also in the north central region of Nigeria.

They were released in two batches with the last group regaining freedom more than one month after.

The government denied reports that any ransom had been paid, or that two Boko Haram commanders had been freed as part of the deal.

By Chukwunaeme Obiejesi, BBC

NSCDC Uncovers Baby Factory in Lagos, Arrests Suspects

The Lagos State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has uncovered a baby factory operation, leading to the arrest of suspects and the rescue of victims linked to the network. Authorities say the discovery forms part of ongoing efforts to combat human trafficking and other illegal activities in the state. News Central’s Israel Eferobor reports.

Related story: Baby factories continue to thrive in Nigeria

Gunmen abduct 15 passengers on Nigerian waterways

The police have confirmed the abduction of 15 passengers on the Calabar-Oron waterways.

Some gunmen, on Friday, ambushed a ferry travelling from Calabar, Cross River State, to Oron, Akwa Ibom State, and abducted the passengers, the News Agency of Nigeria quoted an unnamed naval officer as saying.

The police spokesperson in Cross River, Sunday Eitokpah, confirmed the abduction in a statement to reporters on Monday.

“The command is working in collaboration with the Akwa Ibom Command and the Navy.

“Coordinated search-and-rescue and tactical operations are currently ongoing to ensure the safe recovery of the victims and the swift apprehension of the perpetrators,” Mr Eitokpah, an assistant superintendent of police, said in the statement.

There have been frequent abductions of passengers on Calabar-Oron waterways lately, especially as Nigerians have resorted to travel by water because the Calabar-Itu Federal Highway is dilapidated.

The latest incident occurred seven months after 17 passengers were abducted in September 2025 on the same waterways.

Also, gunmen, in April 2025, abducted 20 passengers who were travelling in a boat from Oron to Calabar.

Abduction for ransom has become a prevalent crime in many Nigerian cities, with just anyone, including students and clerics, as targets.

Premium Times

Related story: Gunmen kidnap students heading to exams in Nigeria

Nigeria begins mass trial of 500 terrorism suspects

Nigeria has begun the prosecution of more than 500 people accused of involvement in militant attacks in one of the country's largest ever terrorism trials.

The suspects face charges linked to aiding and abetting terrorism, particularly in the north-east where an insurgency by the Boko Haram Islamist group began 17 years ago.

Since then insecurity has spread to many other areas of the West African nation, leaving communities, often those in rural areas, at the mercy of mushrooming militant groups and gangs that kidnap for ransom.

The mass trial opened on Tuesday at a high court in the capital, Abuja, where 227 suspects were arraigned before 10 judges, according to the attorney general.

Hundreds of people have lost their lives in bombings and various attacks across Nigeria this year alone.

Very few people are ever prosecuted over terror attacks - and suspects are often detained and spend years in custody without facing trial.

According to the AFP news agency, gunmen killed at least 20 people on Wednesday in the western state of Niger. Residents say the attackers raided villages in Shiroro district, an area where kidnapping gangs and Islamist militants are known to operate.

Security was tight during the court session on Tuesday, with suspects transported in heavily guarded convoys under military, police and intelligence supervision.

International observers, including human rights groups and the Nigerian Bar Association, were also present in court.

The defendants are alleged to have taken part in attacks mainly in northern Nigeria, while others face charges of supporting militants through funding, supplying arms and logistics.

Five of the accused have already been given varying jail terms - from seven to 20 years - after pleading guilty to charges that included selling livestock, supplying food and information to militant groups.

Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi said the scale of the operation showed the government's resolve to deal with the matter.

"The federal government is committed to ensuring that due process is followed while bringing those involved in terrorism to justice," he said.

Security expert Bashir Galma, a retired army major, told the BBC that the trial, which is expected to continue in phases, was a "positive development" and a "significant milestone" in Nigeria's fight against terrorism.

"For years Nigerians have been complaining about why they keep these suspects [in custody] instead of making them face the law for what they are suspected of doing," he said.

"This will bring some level of peace for people whose loved ones were killed or injured."

The trial would also dispelled rumours that suspects were routinely released after arrest "so that they can go back to their terrorism business", the analyst added.

However, he predicted that some of the accused could be released soon, given that they were arrested many years ago - a factor he said the judges would likely take into consideration.

By Mansur Abubakar and Chris Ewokor, BBC

20 Killed, Multiple Abducted in Northwest Nigeria Village Raids

Armed men in Nigeria killed at least 20 people, including ​security guards, and abducted an unknown number ‌after attacking villages in northwestern Niger state, police and residents said late on Tuesday, the ​latest violence plaguing the north of ​the country.

The attack happened in Niger's Shiroro ⁠district, where kidnapping gangs and Islamist ​militants are known to operate.

Niger state police spokesperson ​Wasiu Abiodun said gunmen invaded Bagna and Erena villages on Tuesday and, when security responded, two ​community guards and a driver were killed ​and others injured.

But residents said at least 20 people ‌were ⁠killed and that the attackers, who also destroyed homes, operated for several hours and overwhelmed security personnel in the area.

Some ​villagers fled to ​the ⁠nearby towns of Gwada Zumba and Galadima Kogo, the residents said.

Insecurity ​is Nigeria's biggest problem and President ​Bola ⁠Tinubu is pushing to allow Nigeria's 36 states to establish their own police to ⁠help ​curb the violence.

Reuters

Related story: Dozens killed in Easter attacks in Nigeria

Dozens killed in Easter attacks in Nigeria

Dozens of people have been killed in multiple attacks in Nigeria over the Easter weekend.

France 24

Locals dispute Nigerian army claim of 31 rescued after Easter attack

Residents of a Nigerian community have disputed the army's assertion that it rescued 31 civilians held hostage following a Sunday morning church attack in the north.

The army had said that it freed the civilians seized by gunmen who had raided a church in Ariko, Kaduna state, during Easter celebrations. The authorities said five civilians had been killed, but a local church official put the number of dead at seven.

But the president of the Ariko community association, Joseph Ariko, told the BBC that the captives were still unaccounted for, and asked the army to name the rescued. "As far as we are concerned, all the abducted victims are still with the bandits."

The army has not yet responded.

It had said that soldiers engaged the attackers in a "fierce firefight", forcing them to flee and leave the hostages and the bodies of the dead victims behind.

Attacks and kidnappings for ransom are common occurrences in northern Nigeria, as the country grapples with security threats from jihadist groups and armed gangs, locally known as bandits.

Although the army said it responded swiftly to Sunday's attack, local media report that residents said the gunmen operated for a long time without facing resistance.

On Monday, Rev John Hayab of the Christian Association of Nigeria questioned the rescue claims after speaking with residents.

"Nobody has been rescued… If they are rescued, where did they take them to?" he told the BBC.

As a result of the firefight, officials had said the "fleeing terrorists" had "significant casualties, as evidenced by blood trails along their escape routes".

Troops had also been deployed to hunt the insurgents and reinforce security.

The army urged residents to share information that can support operations against groups fuelling insecurity across the country.

In a separate incident, Nigeria's military killed 65 bandits following an offensive in Zamfara state, the AFP news agency reported on Sunday, days after a large group of bandits abducted residents from villages ‌in the state.

Police had on Saturday confirmed that there had been a mass abduction in villages in the state earlier in the week and a manhunt had been launched.

Late last year, the administration of US President Donald Trump raised concerns about the treatment of Christians in Nigeria - and urged the government to do more to improve security and strengthen protection for Christian communities.

Trump had previously claimed there was a "Christian genocide" under way in Nigeria - an allegation strongly rejected by Nigeria's government, which said Muslims, Christians and people of no faith were victims of attacks.

In February, US troops were deployed to Nigeria to train its forces and help them with intelligence in their fight against Islamist militants and other armed groups.

By Makuochi Okafor and Paul Njie, BBC

Gunmen kill at least 30 in Nigeria's Plateau state attack

Gunmen attacked a university community in Nigeria's central Plateau state on Sunday night, killing ​at least 30 people, residents and local officials said on Monday, ‌the latest bloodshed in a region scarred by deadly farmer-herder conflicts.

Violence in central Nigeria, known as the Middle Belt, is often painted as ethno-religious between ​mainly Muslim Fulani herders and Christian farmers. But many experts ​and politicians say climate change and expanding agriculture stoke ⁠competition for land, leading to conflicts regardless of faith or ethnicity.

Markus ​Audu Kando, a resident and co-chair of Plateau youth interfaith group ​said by phone: "As I speak with you, the figure is now 30 ... There are injured people at the hospital, but I cannot confirm their number."

Residents said ​the gunmen arrived in the Gari Ya Waye community of ​Angwan Rukuba district and shot at people indiscriminately.

The Plateau state government said the gunmen ‌were ⁠unknown and imposed a 48-hour curfew in the district. The University of Jos suspended examinations due to start on Monday.

“People were here in the evening and unfortunately, wicked terrorists came and attacked our ​people. We have ​counted scores ⁠of people who are now dead and then so many others are also in the hospital receiving ​treatment,” Paul Mancha, a resident and chairperson of the ​youth ⁠council in Plateau, said earlier.

U.S. President Donald Trump last November re-designated Nigeria "a country of particular concern" saying Christians were being targeted and authorities ⁠were failing ​to protect them, which the Nigerian ​government denies.

Reuters

Gunmen kill at least 20 in nighttime attack in Nigeria

A night attack on a community in Nigeria ’s north-central region left at least 20 people dead, residents and authorities said.

The attack occurred on Sunday night in Gari Ya Waye community in the Jos North area of Plateau state, Joyce Lohya Ramnap, the state commissioner for information, said in a statement. She did not give the number of casualties, but said there was “loss of lives” and injured.

The state government imposed a 48-hour curfew to prevent further attacks, Ramnap said.

No group has claimed responsibility but residents told The Associated Press that many gunmen on bikes shot sporadically into the community.

Ibukun Falodun, a resident, said that 20 people were confirmed dead.

Attacks in Plateau State are part of a long-running cycle of violence in north-central Nigeria, where disputes over land and grazing between mostly Muslim Fulani herders and largely Christian farming communities frequently escalate into deadly clashes. Criminal gangs are also active.

AP