Tomato farmers in Nigeria seek improved storage methods to reduce losses

Tomato farmers in Nigeria are seeking improved methods to reduce post-harvest losses as authorities look to increasing cold storage facilities. Nigeria is the largest producer of tomatoes in sub-Saharan Africa but has been losing over 40 percent of its yield due to poor storage.

Dozens of children kidnapped by Gunmen in Nigeria

Gunmen in Nigeria have killed dozens of people and kidnapped a number of children in separate attacks in two northern states, police and residents said on Sunday, the latest incidents in a region dogged by armed violence.

Armed gangs on motorbikes frequently take advantage of thinly stretched security forces in the region to kidnap villagers, motorists and students for ransom.

Residents said armed men had attacked Janbako and Sakkida villages in northwestern Zamfara state on Saturday, killing 24 people. The gunmen also abducted several children who were collecting firewood in a forest in neighbouring Gora village.

Hussaini Ahmadu and Abubakar Maradun, local residents in Janbako and Sakkida, told Reuters by phone that the gangs had earlier in the week demanded villagers pay a fee to enable them to farm their fields, but villagers did not do so.

Zamfara police spokesman Yazid Abubakar confirmed the attacks but said only 13 people had been reported killed and nine young boys and girls kidnapped.

In north central Benue state, gunmen killed 25 people and set their houses on fire during an attack on Saturday on the Imande Mbakange community, two residents said. The motive of the attack was not known.

Police did not immediately respond to requests for comment. 

By Ardo Hazzad, Reuters

Related story: Gunmen kidnap dozens in Nigeria, at least 11 killed

 

Video - New national carrier, Nigeria Air launched

The Nigerian government has unveiled the long-awaited national carrier, Nigeria Air, in a major step for the country's aviation sector. Authorities said the Nigerian flag carrier will re-position Africa's most populous nation as a prominent player in the global aviation market.

CGTN

The aftermath of fuel subsidy removal announcement in Nigeria

The scrapping of oil subsidies in Nigeria by President Bola Tinubu has ushered in critical changes that will shake the country's economy. The declaration has seen pump prices go up in just under 48 hours with analysts saying that it will trigger a nearly 200 percent rise in petrol prices.

CGTN

Video - Motorists stockpile petroleum products amid possible subsidy removal in Nigeria

Nigerian cities have been hit by long queues of motorists stocking up on petroleum products, President Bola Tinubu announced that fuel subsidies would be abolished.

CGTN

Nigeria Football Federation admits not paying coaches for several months

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) says delays in paying several of its national team coaches are "nothing to be proud of".

Some of the missing salary payments date back over a year and those affected include Jose Peseiro, head coach of the men's senior side, and Ladan Bosso who is currently leading the male Under-20 team at the World Cup in Argentina where they have reached the second round. It is understood Bosso has only received three months' salary in the past 15 months.

Meanwhile, with the Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand less than two months away, Super Falcons coach Randy Waldrum is owed more than $100,000, including bonuses from last year's Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon).

Why do African teams threaten strike action?

"The NFF has been facing huge financial challenges and there is an ongoing effort to resolve all the issues relating to unpaid wages," Ademola Olajire, the NFF's director of communications, told BBC Sport Africa.

"It is unfortunately not something to be proud of and the new board of the federation is working hard to resolve the problems."

Ibrahim Gusau, who replaced former NFF president Amaju Pinnick in September, inherited some of the debts from his predecessor and has been appealing to players and officials for patience, meaning the coaches are yet to make an official complaint.

Gusau has made contact with sponsors in a bid to encourage them to settle long-standing debts but the federation, which receives part of its income from the government, also owes outstanding bonuses to players including members of both the senior men's and women's sides.

The most recent missing payments to Super Eagles players date back to 2021 while the Super Falcons squad boycotted training before their 2022 Wafcon third-place play-off against Zambia over the non-payment of both bonuses and allowances.

Likewise, members of the U20 squad, who face hosts Argentina in their last-16 tie on Wednesday, are also owed qualifying bonuses and tournament allowances.

One senior Super Eagle, who did not want to be named, said: "We understand the financial situation affecting the NFF.

"The new president recently spoke to the captain (Ahmed Musa) and other senior players about our outstanding bonuses.

"He has been speaking to some of the sponsors and sports ministry but we just hope that it will be sorted out as promised.

It is not the first time Nigeria coaches have seen their wages go unpaid.

The list of those impacted is lengthy and includes Augustine Eguavoen, Samson Siasia, Sunday Oliseh, Gernot Rohr, Florence Omagbemi and the late Stephen Keshi.

The NFF says it is working to settle the current arrears.

By Oluwashina Okeleji, BBC

President Tinubu fuel subsidy remarks causes chaos in Nigeria

 

 

 

 

 

 

An off-the-cuff remark by Nigeria's new president during his inaugural speech caused chaos with snaking queues across the country at petrol stations.

After he had been sworn in on Monday, Bola Tinubu took his eyes off the teleprompter during his address to say: "The fuel subsidy is gone."

He was referring to a decades-long subsidy that has kept down the price of petroleum products.

The 71-year-old politician gave no timeframe or any more details about what is a major policy move. When a president last tried to remove the subsidy 11 years ago, protests erupted.

Within hours of Mr Tinubu's first address, hundreds of people had poured on to the streets, either in their cars or on foot with yellow jerrycans, to grab what they believed to be the last drops of fuel to be sold at a government-fixed price.

But only a few were lucky - many filling stations stopped selling altogether, while others unilaterally increased prices by more than 200%, triggering chaos and an artificial scarcity.

By the time the president's team clarified that the scrapping of the subsidy would not come into effect until the end of June - in line with the outgoing administration's budget - it was too late to stop the panic.

By Wednesday, even the state-owned oil company had said it would be raising the price of petrol.

Transport fares have already shot up, commuters are stranded at bus stops and the powerful labour union is now readying itself for a confrontation with the new government.

"By his insensitive decision, President Tinubu on his inauguration day brought tears and sorrow to millions of Nigerians instead of hope," Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) leader Joe Ajaero said in a statement.

Despite its oil riches, Nigeria is unable to refine crude locally to meet demands.

The four state-owned refineries are moribund, forcing the country to import refined petroleum products which are then sold at a price fixed by the government.

So while people in the UK and Ghana, for example, were forking out £1.44 ($1.80) or 14 cedis ($1.24) respectively for a litre of petrol in May, Nigerians paid 185 naira ($0.40) - despite all three countries buying it from the same international market.

This has been the practice in Nigeria since the 1970s and most residents have grown up insulated from paying the actual price of petrol.

But Mr Tinubu says Nigeria can no longer do this because of dwindling revenue: the government has already set aside $7bn to subsidise fuel for the first six months of this year.

This amounts to 15% of the budget, more than the combined allocations for education (8.2%) and health (5.3%).

Subsidies are not necessarily bad. Many countries offer them in sectors ranging from agriculture to electricity in order to keep costs down for citizens.

But of major concern to Nigerians is corruption. Government agencies give conflicting figures for the amount of fuel imported, while dubious sellers have been known to divert the fuel to nearby countries to get higher rates.

Ironically, President Tinubu was at the head of the resistance in 2012 when a government last tried to end the subsidy.

He wrote then that the government had "tossed the people into the depths of the midnight sea", in a blistering attack on the policy, which was subsequently reversed.

Yet there is more of an acceptance now that the subsidy should be scrapped to free up money for essential public services like transport, health and education.

Analysts expect fuel to sell from anywhere between 250 naira and 350 naira after the current upheavals.

The increase may not seem huge, but it is likely to have far-reaching repercussions in a country where one in three people are unemployed, inflation is at a record 22% and 96 million live below the poverty line of $1.90 per day.

The situation is made worse by the fact that economy is run on thousands of fuel-sucking generators that power businesses, from barbershops to corporate skyscrapers, because of a lack of electricity.

Nigerians are already spending more than 60% of their income on food and transport. With the minimum wage stuck at $64 a month, many are fearing that they will be further impoverished.

"It is not sustainable," muttered one man at a petrol station in the capital, Abuja, after filling the tank of his SUV.

Mr Tinubu's announcement was not preceded by the usual talks with the unions to find common-ground.

In late 2021 when the last government toyed with the idea, it proposed a monthly cash advance of 5,000 naira to poor Nigerians to cover transport fares.

Many struggling Nigerians, used to seeing politicians mismanage the country's oil wealth, fear they may already be victims of a profiteering racket.

They are questioning why the pump price has already increased at both private and state-owned filling stations for what is likely to be older and cheaper stock.

They also wonder what will happen to the money the government has set aside to subsidise fuel for the month of June. Will it disappear or will it be used for their benefit?

There is a feeling that politicians want the people to make sacrifices without making any of their own.

"Had the president also reeled out cost-cutting measures by the government, such as selling a jet from the presidential fleet or reducing Aso Rock's [a reference to the presidential office] budget on refreshments, the message might have been better received," said another man at the Abuja petrol station.

It was also not the sort of first-day pronouncement many were expecting from a president who does not have a large dose of goodwill - he was elected by less than 10% of registered voters.

It is unlikely that Mr Tinubu will reverse the policy. Unlike his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, who leaned towards welfarism, he favours free market-driven forces.

Many Nigerians wanted Mr Tinubu to hit the ground running, but many wish he had stuck to the script at his inaugural address, which should have mentioned the "phasing out" of the petrol subsidy.

By Nduka Orjinmo, BBC

Related story: Video - Clip from President-elect Bola Tinubu's acceptance speech

Video - Petroleum subsidies to be phased out in Nigeria

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu declared an end to the country’s petroleum subsidy during his inauguration speech on Monday. Tinubu, however, did not elaborate on how the government will deal with the ripple effects of the end of the subsidy and cushion citizens grappling with a high cost of living.

CGTN

Related story: Video - Dangote Refinery in bid to end fuel imports in Nigeria

 

Video - New President of Nigeria Bola Tinubu vows reset for ailing economy

Bola Tinubu has been sworn in as Nigeria’s new president. The 71-year-old is the former governor of Lagos. He takes office as Africa's most populous country faces insecurity and slowing economic growth. Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris reports from Abuja, Nigeria.

Al Jazeera

Outgoing President Buhari defends economic record

Muhammadu Buhari says he's leaving the country in good hands. The 80-year-old took office in 2015 after promising to reboot the economy and end corruption and insecurity.

CGTN

Ex-Oil Minister of Nigeria Seeks $215 Million in Defamation Lawsuit

 

 

 

 

 

 

A former Nigerian oil minister filed a defamation lawsuit against the country’s anti-corruption agency, demanding $215 million in damages.

Diezani Alison-Madueke sued the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on May 26, which was President Muhammadu Buhari’s last working day in office. His administration initiated multiple legal cases against the former minister since coming to power in 2015, in which it accused her of graft during five years at the helm of the West African nation’s key economic sector.

In publications on its website and elsewhere, the EFCC “falsely and maliciously” described Alison-Madueke as a “common criminal who looted public funds” by alleging it had traced hundreds of millions of dollars in cash and property to the onetime official, according to court filings seen by Bloomberg.

Alison-Madueke, who moved to London one week before Buhari took office eight years ago as her tenure came to an end, denies the allegations.

She is challenging several forfeiture orders issued by Nigerian courts and has accused the anti-graft body of blocking her efforts to defend herself in criminal proceedings. After serving as President Goodluck Jonathan’s petroleum resources minister from 2010, Alison-Madueke says she went to the UK to receive treatment for cancer.

The EFCC and Attorney General Abubakar Malami should pay Alison-Madueke 100 billion naira ($215 million) as compensation for their “defamatory” claims, according to her lawsuit registered last week at a court in the capital, Abuja. Bola Tinubu, the former governor of Lagos state, succeeded Buhari as president on Monday following elections held in February.

Spokesmen for the EFCC, Malami and the court didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

The US government said in a 2017 forfeiture lawsuit filed in Texas that a pair of Nigerian businessmen bribed Alison-Madueke by funding her “lavish” lifestyle in return for support securing lucrative oil-trading contracts.

Bloomberg

Related stories: $21 million seized from Nigeria's former oil minister Alison Madueke

Nigeria former oil minister Alison-Madueke arrested

Tinubu sworn in as the new president of Nigeria

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bola Tinubu, the former Lagos governor who is credited with helping the city-state increase its revenue base, has been sworn in as Nigeria’s new president.

He took the oath of office from Chief Justice Olukayode Ariwoola in a colourful ceremony on Monday in Abuja, the capital.

Tinubu, 71, succeeds Muhammadu Buhari, who was ineligible to run again after two four-year terms that began in 2015.

The new president, the fifth since the return of democracy in 1999, will have to tackle a struggling economy and widespread insecurity in Africa’s most populous country.

Al Jazeera

President Buhari issues $1.18 bln notes to settle judgment debts

Nigeria has issued debt securities worth $1.18 billion to settle various judgment debts, outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari said in a public letter requesting parliament's approval.

Buhari, who is due on Monday to hand over power to President-elect Bola Tinubu, said his cabinet approved on March 29 the settlement of judgment and general debts owed by government by issuing promissory notes.

Courts generally issue judgment debt to award creditors or debt collectors who are seeking to settle debt disputes.

The judgment debts in the sum of $566.75 million, 98.52 million pounds sterling($124.35 million) and 226.28 billion naira ($491.92 million) were incurred by federal ministries, department and agencies, Buhari said without further details.

Nigeria has been borrowing to fund its budgets under the outgoing administration. The government will issue promissory notes to the debtors which it will pay out from its annual budget spending over time, Buhari said.

The promissory notes "will then be redeemed over time through provisions in the budgets of the Federal Government of Nigeria," Buhari wrote in a letter to Senate President Ahmad Lawan requesting approval. The letter was read in the Senate on Wednesday.

The Senate is expected to approve the measure.

Nigeria's total public debt rose to 46.25 trillion naira ($103.1 billion) in 2022, from 39.56 trillion naira a year earlier, as the government ramped up borrowing to fund its budget deficit amid high global inflation.

($1 = 460.00 naira)

($1 = 0.79 pounds)

By Camillus Eboh, Reuters

Video - Travelers upset over rising cost of flying in Nigeria

Travelers in Nigeria are dealing with the increasing cost of international airfares after the operators raised the rate of exchange three times between the months of March and May 2023. This trend has been linked to the piled-up unrepatriated funds belonging to foreign airlines operating in Nigeria.

CGTN

Seun Kuti released on bail

 

 

 

 

A Nigerian Afrobeat star facing trial on charges of assaulting a police officer will embark on a delayed concert tour after being released on bail, his manager said Wednesday.

Seun Kuti, who was in court on Wednesday, has concerts scheduled in more than a dozen countries but his departure had been on hold because of the trial, his manager Ayo Moses told The Associated Press.

The son of Nigerian musical icon and political agitator Fela Kuti, who himself was serially detained by Nigerian military regimes, Seun Kuti had been held for more than a week after he was caught allegedly assaulting a police officer in Nigeria's economic hub of Lagos.

At Wednesday's court hearing, the presiding judge ruled that it was the public prosecutor – not the police – that had the power to prosecute the musician. The judge then adjourned the case until a further hearing on July 3.

"He is on bail and as a responsible citizen, he will continue to enjoy his rights because he is presumed innocent," Femi Falana, his lawyer, said after the hearing.

Viral videos appeared to show an agitated Kuti shouting and pushing the officer along a major road in Lagos last week. It is still not clear what caused the confrontation, though Kuti alleged the officer in question "tried to kill me and my family."

While he was in detention, the police searched Kuti's house, causing an uproar among some Nigerians and his lawyers. But Benjamin Hundeyin, a spokesperson for the Lagos police, defended the search as necessary and approved by the court.

"In the course of our investigation, we stumbled on certain suspicious things that needed to be proven/disproved beyond reasonable doubt," Hundeyin said without providing further details.

AP

UK special forces operated covertly in Nigeria for 12 years

The British Special Air Service and the European country’s other special forces have operated clandestinely in Nigeria and 18 other nations over the past 12 years, according to a report by a research organisation, known as Action On Gun Violence, AOAV, accentuated by UK Guardian.

It will be recalled that in 2012, a group of SBS commandos attempted and failed to rescue a Briton and an Italian held by an Islamist group in Nigeria.

The British SAS also operated secretly in Algeria, Estonia, France, Oman, Iraq, Kenya, Libya, Mali, Cyprus, Pakistan, Somalia, the Philippines, Russia, Syria, Ukraine, Yemen and most recently Sudan.

It gives the impression that the prime minister and defence secretary frequently send personnel of the SAS, Special Boat Service, and Special Reconnaissance Regiment on dangerous operations, usually when Britain is not at war, the Guardian UK reported.

Reacting to this yesterday, a security expert , Major Bone Efoziem, retd, described the action as a breach of Nigeria’s sovereignty as a nation and an indication that the security architecture of the country was near zero. .

He said: “It is an indictment, particularly to the government of the day as at the time the opinion was carried out, for two basic reasons. One, the personnel of an international security agency , came into Nigeria unrecognized; two they carried out these operations bearing arms and ammunitions that were basically prohibited; thirdly they operated within a terrain that is within the confines of a territorial integrity of a nation called Nigeria without being identified.”

Also reacting yesterday, former spokesperson of Nigeria Police Force, CP Emmanuel Ojukwu, retd, said: “Under international law and diplomacy, every country is a sovereign and if the services – military, paramilitary or even the Police of a country want to carry out an operation in another country, there must be prior approval, certification and cooperation with the country they want to carry out such operation.”

If they do not have that permission, it may amount to evasion and the declaration of war against that country , which they can not fight.”

Retired Colonel Gbolwole Majekodunmi of the NDA Regular Course13 , said in his reaction: “Normally, they can’t come in without authorisation of either of the services. If they came in like that and the government was not aware, the implication is grievous.

”Besides, they would have communication gadgets and their internal agents among NGOs working in the north east. It has a grievous implication in the sense that they will know where our military arsenals are located and may use it against us, especially the Francophone countries surrounding us. They may leak it to their colonial masters.” 

Vanguard

Video - Dangote Refinery in bid to end fuel imports in Nigeria

Africa's largest oil refinery has opened in Nigeria. The $19bn facility will not just meet the country’s petroleum needs but also export surplus to the rest of the continent and beyond. But environmentalists are worried about the effect it is going to have. Al Jazeera's Ahmed Idris reports from Ibeju Lekki, Nigeria.

Al Jazeera

Related stories: Video - Aliko Dangote building world's largest oil refinery in Nigeria

Video - Aljazeera speaks with Africa's richest man Aliko Dangote

 

 

Africa's biggest oil refiner launched in Nigeria

Africa's biggest oil refinery has been opened in Nigeria, where it is hoped it will alleviate chronic fuel shortages.

Nigeria is a major oil producer but most of this is sent abroad while it has to import the refined fuel used in vehicles and elsewhere.

As a result the country often faces chronic fuel shortages.

This is the problem that the $19bn (£15.2bn) refinery, owned by Africa's richest man, Aliko Dangote, is intended to tackle.

"This is a game-changer for the Nigerian people," said President Muhammadu Buhari.

The plant, which is not yet operational, has the capacity to produce about 650,000 barrels of petroleum products a day - more than enough to supply the country's needs. It also includes a power station, deep seaport and fertiliser plant.

Nigeria's existing refineries have been completely shut down for over three years owing to oil theft, pipeline vandalism and structural neglect.

If it works as planned, the plant could make a real change to the lives of Nigerians: "Every time there is fuel scarcity, I don't open my shop because there's no light [electricity] to work and I can't buy fuel for my generator," a young hairdresser from Lagos told the BBC.

At Monday's launch, Mr Dangote outlined his hopes for the refinery: "Our first goal is to ramp up production of the various products to ensure that within this year, we are able to fully satisfy the nation's demand for quality products."

However, it is not clear what impact the plant will have on the price of fuel in a country where retail prices are subsidised. The government says these subsidies will soon be removed - last year they took up at least a quarter of the national budget.

Mr Dangote's plant in Lagos, which took nearly seven years to build, is said to be the world's largest single-train refinery, meaning the plant has one integrated distillery system which can produce a variety of products and petrochemicals, instead of having different units for each type of product.

It is one of the last major projects to be inaugurated by President Buhari, who steps down next week after serving two terms in office.

President Buhari will hand power to Bola Tinubu, who won disputed presidential elections in February.

Oil and gas expert Henry Adigun told the BBC that Monday's launch was "more political than technical".

Nkechi Ogbonna & Cecilia Macaulay, BBC

Related stories: Africa's richest man Aliko Dangote is building the world's largest refinery in Nigeria

Dangote refinery set to be commissioned by the president of Nigeria in 2 weeks

Video - Dangote Refinery in Nigeria nears completion

Video - Rising sea waters in Nigeria threaten coastal communities

One such community dealing with the impact of rising sea levels is Ayetoro in the southwest Ordo state. A substantial part of the land has now been washed away. Scientists say climate change is primarily responsible.

CGTN

Video - $12 billion needed by Nigeria to clean up decades-old oil spills

Nigeria says it needs 12 billion dollars to clean up decades-old oil spills in southern Bayelsa state over a 12-year period. The Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission says in a report that it started an investigation in 2019 on the impact of spills and looked at evidence from forensic scientists, blood samples from people in affected areas and company data. 

CGTN

Video - Gymnastics seeks to grow in Nigeria

Gymnastics is admittedly not a popular sport in Nigeria and not many people take part in it. The country only made its Olympics debut at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Games with just one U.S.-based male athlete. Now, the Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria is taking steps to get more people involved in the discipline.

CGTN

Video - Oil output slumps in Nigeria

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.

CGTN

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?

 

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.

CGTN

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