A painstakingly detailed Reuters report on abortion at the hands of the Nigerian military, forced on women and girls held by Boko Haram members in the country’s northeast since former president Goodluck Jonathan was still in office, has shocked the international community—but not Nigerian defense officials who denied the abortions…
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday toured the Kuje prison in Abuja, following a terrorist attack on the facility that led to the escape of roughly 800 people, more than half still unaccounted for. Buhari visited alongside interior minister Shuaib Mohammad Lamido Belgore and Haliru Nababa, the head of the…
The Nigerian government says it is working toward the safe release of passengers taken captive on the railway line between Abuja, the nation’s capital, and the northern city of Kaduna. The hostages have been held since a March 28 attack on a train running on the line, which is operated…
The United States has imposed new sanctions on six people linked to Boko Haram who were working to establish a cell of the Nigerian extremist group in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The six – Abdurrahman Ado Musa, Salihu Yusuf Adamu, Bashir Ali Yusuf, Muhammed Ibrahim Isa, Ibrahim Ali Alhassan,…
All eyes have been on Afghanistan as the Taliban takes control, but the United Nations Security Council was focused Thursday on the threat of Islamic extremism on the African continent. UN counterterrorism chief Vladimir Voronkov, presenting his report on Islamic State and related groups to the council, called for a…
Mahamat Idriss Déby, the head of Chad’s Transitional Military Council (CMT), scored another political endorsement last week, with a visit to Abuja earning him the support of Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari. Nigeria follows in the footsteps of France and the USA, who have also given their backing to Déby’s running…
Boarding schools in Nigeria’s Zamfara and Kano states were closed indefinitely on Friday, in order to protect vulnerable sites following the abduction of 317 girls from the Government Girls Secondary School in Jangebe. “As you know, the state government always takes proactive measures on issues related to security,” said the…
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari confirmed late Thursday that students abducted by Boko Haram last week have been released, calling it a huge relief for the country and the international community. The students were taken from the Government Science Secondary School in the northern town of Kankara in Katsina State. Aminu…
A new report on women who are Boko Haram returnees offers muted praise for how Nigeria has improved their reintegration into communities, but criticized continued abuses and the lack of funding to support successful programs. “Returning from the Land of Jihad” is a 35-page report released Tuesday by the International…
The Anglophone crisis in Cameroon must remain a priority for the European Union, particularly the need for humanitarian support for those displaced, said EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini in an address to the European Parliament. “Regrettably, unlawful killings and atrocities continue to be reported regularly, allegedly involving both the…
The Nigerian army has asked citizens to tune in Tuesday morning to an interview with its public relations spokesman, one day after the country’s military again accused an international NGO of collaborating with Islamic extremists and destabilizing the nation. Brig. Gen. Sani Kukasheka Usman’s media message followed his statement on…
The Nigerian military says it has lifted a suspension against UNICEF, the United Nations children’s relief agency, imposed earlier because of allegations that the agency was collaborating with Boko Haram terrorists and training spies in the country’s northeast. In a statement issued late Friday, military spokesman Onyema Nwachukwu said that…
Nigerian officials confirmed the death of an aid worker held by Boko Haram on Monday, a day after the extremists aligned with Islamic State threatened to kill her within 24 hours. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, condemned the death of Hauwa Mohammed Liman, above, and extended Nigeria’s…
A desperate appeal came Sunday from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), after they were notified that two health workers abducted by Islamic State-affiliated Boko Haram in Nigeria faced a 24-hour deadline on their execution. Hauwa Mohammed Liman, above, and Alice Loksha were taken on March 1 from the…
French President Emmanuel Macron met with Nigerian entrepreneurs and business leaders on Wednesday, as he completes an African tour that included a stop in Mauritania to see African Union summit participants before heading on to Abuja and Lagos. Macron, who has made frequent visits to North and West Africa since…