Attacks by armed groups, high food prices and natural disasters are pushing Nigeria's most vulnerable to the brink of starvation. The World Food Programme says cases of severe acute malnutrition in children have quadrupled in less than a year. Al Jazeera's Ahmed Idris reports from Maiduguri in northeastern Nigeria.
Tuesday, May 16, 2023
Video - Aid groups warn of children in danger of malnutrition in Nigeria
Two soldiers from Nigeria killed by Islamist insurgents
Three soldiers from Nigeria and Niger were killed and at least 12 others were injured on Sunday after attacks by Islamist fighters in northeastern Nigeria, two military sources said on Monday.
The troops were part of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) made up of forces from Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria that are seeking to end an Islamist insurgency that has killed thousands and displaced millions more.
A Nigerian military source said that two Nigerian soldiers of the MNJTF were killed when their vehicle set off an improvised explosive device while they were pursuing insurgents in the Arege area in northeastern Borno state, the heartland of the insurgency.
Ten troops, including the commanding officer, were injured and another two civilians working with the troops were also wounded, the source added.
A Nigerien soldier was killed when the vehicle he was travelling in detonated another explosive device in a separate part of Arege, while the number of wounded was not immediately known, a source with the Nigerien army said.
An MNJTF situation report seen by Reuters confirmed the attacks.
MNJTF spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Kamarudeen Adegoke was not reachable for comment.
By MacDonald Dzirutwe, Reuters
Afrobeats star Seun Kuti Arrested in Nigeria Over Alleged Police Assault
Nigerian Afrobeats star Seun Kuti was arrested Monday (May 15) after being accused of assaulting a police officer in the commercial hub of Lagos.
Kuti was detained at the Lagos State police headquarters after turning himself in, according to police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin, who tweeted photos of the celebrity in handcuffs.
The son of Nigerian musical icon and political agitator Fela Kuti, who himself was serially detained by Nigerian military regimes, Seun Kuti was “captured on video assaulting a police officer in uniform,” the police said.
Videos posted online appeared to show an agitated Kuti pushing a police officer as the officer stood beside a police vehicle along a major road in Lagos on Saturday.
It was unclear what led to the confrontation, though Kuti tweeted that the officer in question “tried to kill me and my family.” He suggested the officer tried to ram their car.
Inspector General of Police Usman Alkali Baba ordered an investigation into the incident. The inspector general “assures Nigerians that acts of contempt/disdain for symbols of authority will not be tolerated while offenders of such hideous crimes will be surely brought to book,” the police said.
“I welcome the investigation and will give my full cooperation!” Kuti responded on Twitter.
Related story: 'The system is rigged': Seun Kuti on reviving Fela's political party
Election-related visa restrictions imposed on citizens of Nigeria
The United States has imposed entry restrictions on more Nigerians for undermining the democratic process during the African nation's 2023 election cycle, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday.
"These individuals have been involved in intimidation of voters through threats and physical violence, the manipulation of vote results, and other activity that undermines Nigeria’s democratic process," Blinken said in a statement.
Additional details were not provided.
The action is the latest in a series of visa restrictions imposed on Nigerian individuals in recent years.
Nigeria's election tribunal this month was to begin hearing opposition petitions challenging president-elect Bola Tinubu's victory in the disputed February presidential vote, court records showed.
Tinubu, from the ruling All Progressives Congress party, defeated his closest rivals Atiku Abubakar of the People's Democratic Party and the Labour Party's Peter Obi, who have alleged fraud and have launched a court challenge.
Atiku and Obi want the tribunal to invalidate Tinubu's victory, arguing that the vote was fraught with irregularities, among other criticisms. Tinubu, who is set to be sworn in on May 29, says he won fairly and wants the petitions dismissed.
There have been numerous legal challenges to the outcome of previous Nigerian presidential elections but none has succeeded.
By Doina Chiacu, Reuters
Monday, May 15, 2023
Video - Government of Nigeria says cow skin or "ponmo" should be worn, not eaten
The Nigerian government is trying to ban the consumption of cow skin in the country. Ponmo, as it's popularly known, is widely enjoyed across the West African nation, especially by those who might otherwise struggle to afford meat. But the government says it has no nutritional value, and the skins would be much better used in the leather industry.
Related story: Video - Nigeria’s ponmo cuisine under threat as the leather sector seeks growth
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)