Friday, January 23, 2026

'Blood was all over' - victim of Nigeria church abduction describes escape

There was a huge plaster on Sarah Peter's head to staunch the bleeding caused by the blow of a gunman's weapon.

Sarah, not her real name, was in church in a village in northern Nigeria on Sunday morning when attackers raided the compound to abduct the worshippers and take them away on foot.

The 60-year-old was whacked on the skull with a rifle to encourage her to move.

"Blood was all over," she said, her fingers brushing the area where the wound was.

"I suffered," she added, clearly still traumatised by what happened three days earlier.

"They kept dragging me even when I told them I couldn't walk. Then I hid somewhere until I couldn't see them any more. I was so weak I had to crawl back to the village."

Dozens of others were taken away from her branch of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church and two other churches in Kurmin Wali, a village 135km (84 miles) north of the capital, Abuja.

Although 11 people managed to escape, including Sarah, more than 160 people are still unaccounted for, according to the local branch of the Christian Association of Nigeria.

The remaining villagers have been left devastated and fear more attacks.

Authorities have not released any figures for those missing.

Kurmin Wali is near Kaduna state's Rijana forest, a hideout for armed gangs, known here as "bandits", who have been carrying out raids and abductions in the region.

No group has said it was behind Sunday's raid, but the attack is part of a wider security crisis in Nigeria, with kidnapping for ransom becoming more common.

Paying kidnappers is illegal in Nigeria but it is often suspected that money has been handed over to free those who have been abducted. In this case, no ransom demand has been reported.

There has been an increasing international focus on the issue after US President Donald Trump alleged last year that Christians were being targeted and killed in record numbers. Last month, the US military carried out air strikes on camps of suspected Islamist militants in Nigeria's north-west.

Nigerian officials have denied that Christians were being singled out because of their faith, and have said Muslims, Christians and those with no religion have all been affected by the insecurity.

There is an air of tension and anger in Kurmin Wali.

The village head said people had been living in fear for a while. Local residents have been urging authorities to improve security and have accused them of trying to suppress information in the wake of Sunday's raid.

Forty-eight hours of confusion followed the attack as officials initially denied anything had happened, despite eyewitness reports, only to finally confirm events on Tuesday evening.

"They told us not to give out any information, they want to intimidate us but we must tell our story. They have also been stopping some journalists from coming to the town," said a young man in his 20s, who wished to remain anonymous.

It is not clear why the authorities may have been reluctant for news to get out, but Kaduna state governor Uba Sani told the BBC that officials wanted to confirm details first before making any statements.

However, that does not explain why the local police chief and a state official initially denied there had been any attack, describing the reports as a "mere falsehood which is being peddled by conflict entrepreneurs who want to cause chaos".

The BBC also faced difficulties reaching Kurmin Wali, after a politician and security personnel attempted to block access to the village.

But we managed to get through and once inside, we found a scene of chaos in the building of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church. Colourful plastic chairs were on their sides, prayer books scattered on the floor and musical instruments broken, as if the moment after the attack had been frozen in time.

Nearby, Christopher Yohanna was looking forlornly at his two-year-old daughter. He said he managed to escape from the attackers with his child.

"We were in the church when we heard shouting. When we came out and tried to run, we saw that gunmen had already surrounded the village."

He was lucky not to be caught, but he is devastated because his two wives and other children were not so lucky.

"If my family is not with me then my life is worthless and free of any joy," he said.

Governor Sani was in Kurmin Wali three days after the attack, pledging to establish a military base, a hospital and a road in the area. He also announced relief measures for affected residents, including medical support.

"We cannot relocate them because they have to farm… but to ensure that we protect them going forward, we need to have a military base around that area between that village and Rijana forest," he told the BBC.

He also said efforts were under way to work with security agencies to rescue those still in captivity.

"When we met [the villagers] I affirmed that we are with them and… we will not let any of them down."

As the residents of Kurmin Wali wait anxiously for the return of their family members, they are hoping the governor keeps to his word.

By Madina Maishanu, BBC


Shell Signals $20 Billion Bet on Nigeria’s Deepwater Revival

Shell plans to invest $20 billion in the Bonga South West deepwater project offshore Nigeria, the special adviser to Nigeria’s president said after the government approved investment-linked incentives for the project.

Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the adoption of targeted, investment-linked incentives to support the proposed Bonga South West deepwater offshore oil project by Shell and its partners, the office of the president said after Tinubu met with the supermajor’s chief executive, Wael Sawan.

Shell has doubled down on the Bonga oilfield after announcing at the end of 2024 the final investment decision for the development of the Bonga North deep-water project—a subsea tie-back to the Shell-operated Bonga Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) facility. Bonga North currently has an estimated recoverable resource volume of more than 300 million barrels of oil equivalent and will reach a peak production of 110,000 bpd, with first oil anticipated by the end of the decade.

However, the Bonga South West project has been stalled, which Nigeria now aims to kickstart with incentives and energy sector reforms to make investments more attractive for foreign firms.

The incentives for Bonga South West “are ring-fenced and investment-linked, focused on new capital and incremental production, strong local content delivery, and in-country value addition,” Tinubu said.

“My expectation is clear: Bonga South West must reach a Final Investment Decision within the first term of this administration.”

Since the current administration took office in 2023, Shell has invested $7 billion in Nigeria, particularly in the Bonga North and HI projects, Olu Arowolo Verheijen, the president’s special energy adviser, said.

Last year, Shell and its partner Sunlink Energies and Resources Limited took a final investment decision on the HI gas project offshore Nigeria, which will supply additional gas volumes to Nigeria LNG.

“During the Meeting Shell informed Mr President of plans to invest an additional $20 billion on the upcoming Bonga South West project,” Verheijen said on X.

Shell has not confirmed the investment amounts.

By Tsvetana Paraskova, Oilprice.com

Thursday, January 22, 2026

Nigeria kidnapping: Residents fear for their safety



Members of a community in northwestern Nigeria say they fear for their safety, days after their village was attacked. Gunmen abducted more than 170 people while they were attending church on Sunday. Officials say they are working to rescue those held captive. Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris reports from Kurmin Wali in Kaduna state.

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Google report: Nigeria leading in global AI adoption for learning, entrepreneurship

A new report by Google and Ipsos has revealed that Nigeria is leading in global adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly in learning, work and entrepreneurship.

This is contained in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday by Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Google’s Communications and Public Affairs Manager for West Africa.

Kola-Ogunlade said the report titled: ”Our Life with AI: Helpfulness in the Hands of More People”, showed that Nigerians are embracing AI tools at an exceptional rate and are highly optimistic about the technology’s future.

According to the report, 88 per cent of Nigerian adults have used an AI chatbot, representing an 18 point increase from 2024 and significantly higher than the global average of 62 per cent.

“It is inspiring to see how Nigerians are creatively and purposefully using AI to unlock opportunities for learning, growth and economic empowerment.

“This report goes beyond high adoption rates; it tells the story of a nation actively shaping its future with technology,” he said.

Kola-Ogunlade added that the report findings showed that AI had become a major tool for learning and professional development in Nigeria.

He said that 93 per cent of users rely on it to understand complex topics, compared to 74 per cent globally, and 91 per cent of Nigerians used AI to assist with their work.

Kola-Ogunlade said that the report also indicated that 80 per cent of Nigerians applied it to explore new business ideas or career changes almost double the global average of 42 per cent.

“The report highlighted strong optimism about AI’s role in education, with 91 per cent of Nigerians believing it has a positive impact on learning and access to information, compared to 65 per cent globally.”

According to Kola-Ogunlade, the report shows that 95 per cent of respondents believe university students and educators will benefit from AI tools.

He said Nigerians are significantly more optimistic about AI than their global counterparts, with 80 per cent expressing excitement about its possibilities, against 20 per cent who are concerned.

“This excitement rises to 90 per cent among Nigerians who use AI frequently in their daily lives,” he said.

Trump recalls US envoys as Ambassador Richard Mills exits Nigeria

 

Richard Mills has formally ended his tenure as United States ambassador to Nigeria following a sweeping recall of American envoys ordered by President Donald Trump, a move that has affected more than two dozen countries worldwide, with Africa bearing the brunt.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the US Mission in Nigeria confirmed that Mills’ final day in office was Friday, marking an abrupt end to an assignment that began less than a year ago.

Mills was confirmed by the US Senate in May 2024, a timeline that fell well short of the typical three to four years most ambassadors spend at their posts.

The recall forms part of a broader diplomatic shake-up announced in December, as the Trump administration moved to reorganise several foreign missions.

State Department officials said affected ambassadors would retain their foreign service status and could be reassigned to roles in Washington if they chose to continue serving.

Mills’ departure comes at a delicate moment in US-Nigeria relations, which have faced strain in recent months over visa disputes and persistent security concerns.

This has unfolded even as both governments have publicly expressed interest in strengthening cooperation across trade, security, and governance initiatives.

Until a new ambassador is appointed, the US Mission said Keith Heffern, the current deputy chief of mission, will serve as chargĂ© d’affaires in Abuja.

For Africa’s largest economy and most populous nation, the transition underscores the uncertainty facing diplomatic ties during a period of policy recalibration in Washington, with observers watching closely to see how the interim leadership shapes the next phase of US-Nigeria engagement.

By Segun Adeyemi, Business Insider Africa