Nigeria military kills scores of gang members in air and ground raids
The aerial strikes, in coordination with attacks on the ground, led to the deaths of "several notorious bandit kingpins and scores of their foot soldiers," air force spokesperson Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame said.He added that the ground forces intercepted and killed others trying to flee the forest.In parts of Nigeria, kidnapping for ransom has become a lucrative business for some.The bandits, motivated by financial gain, have also increased their cooperation with jihadist groups that have been waging a 16-year armed insurgency in the north-east.In recent years, the military has launched a number of operations against the gangs, including last month when at least 95 gang members were killed - but the violence has persisted.
You may also be interested in:
Aid cuts will push Nigerians into arms of Boko Haram militants, UN warnsNigeria's Chibok girls: Parents of kidnapped children heartbroken - againNigeria's kidnap crisis: Inside story of a ransom negotiatorWhat is behind the wave of killings in central Nigeria?
Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
5 minutes ago
- Telegraph
‘Gay' Nigerian criminal can stay in UK despite using wife to claim asylum
A Nigerian jailed for violence has won a legal battle against deportation after claiming to be gay despite having been married to a woman and fathering a child by another. The man who arrived in Britain in 1983 made a series of initial asylum claims unrelated to his sexuality. Originally he claimed he would face persecution because of his political opinions. But when this was rejected, he sought leave to remain on the basis that he had married a woman living in the UK. After this argument was dismissed by the Home Office, he sought the right to remain after fathering a son. He claimed his removal from the UK would be a breach of his rights to a family life under article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Jailed for violence Soon after he was jailed for four years for violent disorder, leading to the Government issuing an order for him to be deported. Once out of jail, he said he entered into a three-year relationship with a man, after which he submitted a claim to remain in Britain on the basis that he would be persecuted for being gay if returned to his home country. After a final appeal hearing, immigration judges ruled that they were 'satisfied to the lower standard' that he was gay, which would expose him to the 'real risk of persecution' if he was returned to his African homeland. 'Accordingly the appellant has a well-founded fear of persecution and he therefore qualifies for protection under the Refugee Convention,' they ruled. 'We are also satisfied that the appellant's removal would breach his rights under articles 3 and 8 of the ECHR.' Article 3 of the ECHR protects against persecution, torture and ill treatment. The case has been revealed in court documents, obtained by The Telegraph, and is the latest where migrants or foreign criminals have used human rights legislation to avoid deportation. Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, is proposing to restrict judges' powers to grant asylum under the ECHR articles 3 and 8 amid concerns a third of cases are now being approved for 'exceptional' reasons. The man, granted anonymity by immigration judges, claimed he had a gay relationship with a friend while at school in Africa. He came to Britain in 1983 but overstayed and left in 1992 before re-entering the UK in 1996, when he unsuccessfully claimed asylum on the basis of his political opinion. Marriage ends in divorce After unsuccessfully applying to stay on the basis of his marriage to a Portuguese woman in 2000, the couple divorced. According to the man he was 'in denial about his sexual orientation' when he started another relationship with a woman. They had a son in 2001. Two years later, he was convicted of violent disorder, after which he mounted a legal effort to avoid deportation, culminating in an appeal in 2015 based on the fact that he was gay. In evidence, he cited communications from his family in Nigeria over his relationship with a man from 2010 to 2013. He told the court they had told him to end it, saying he was 'bringing the family into ridicule and shame'. They said they would inform the security services of his sexuality. After his case was initially rejected, it was put before an upper tribunal where the judges accepted he had made 'numerous unsuccessful attempts to regularise his stay in the UK' and had 'a clear motivation for maintaining his claim to be gay and to fabricate having had a further relationship with a man'. 'However, we consider that the appellant's account should not be rejected solely because of his immigration history or because he did not rely on his sexual orientation to remain in the UK prior to 2015,' they said. They also found his evidence to be 'plausible and internally consistent,' ultimately ruling that his appeal should be upheld.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
'Dem threaten to shoot me' - female corps member assaulted by Anambra vigilante tok her side of di story
Di female corp member wey some vigilante group bin assault and tear her clothe for Anambra don come out to tell her own side of di story of wetin happun. Operatives of di Agunechemba security for Anambra bin naked di girl and drag her outside afta beating and hitting her wit blow. Di incident happun for Oba, Idemili South Local Govment Area of Anambra State, and e cause serious tok tok for social media. According to di girl, she say di incident bin happun for 23 July 2025, around 5pm wen dem bin dey inside dia lodge for Anambra. She say di men wey come her lodge bin begin use dia legs hit di door to break in, but wen she open to see who dem be, dem just carry gun dey shout but dem no wear any security uniform. Di young lady give her account inside one video interview wey she do wit media personality Aproko King, wia she narrate di incident give am. She say she bin dey inside di lodge wit her oda corpers for di three storey building wey get plenti flats, wen heavy knocks begin dey land for dia door. According to her narration, she say di door for hit her wen she wan go open am to see who dey use aggression hit am, if no be say she dey jeje. "I see masked man wit gun. E no dey wear any form of uniform, notin to take identify dem. At first, I bin fear say na armed robber until I hear am say, "all of you, outside". She tok say she find courage ask di man say why e want make all of dem come outside, as e no introduce imsef or tell dem di reason why e come dia lodge. "All of us na corpers for di room. E no tell us wia e dey come from or introduce imself. My colleague bring im ID and tell odas make dem bring dia own too, but dem ignore us. "Dem force dia way into our rooms, search laptops and phones. Dem become aggressive and say we dey do yahoo." Di female corper say dem try explain to di men say dem no be yahoo, say dem dey serve, but di men no gree. She say na nine of dem di vigilante men bin carry dat day and all of dem na corpers dem be. She say wen di men search dem, dem no find anytin and dem even show di NYSC portal for dem to see sake of say some just come for dia place of primary assignment. "But dem push us downstairs. Dem ask me why I bin dey challenge dem as woman. Wen we reach downstairs, we see dia vehicle and realise say dem be Anambra vigilante group." "Even if we we go go wit dem to dia office, we suppose call our LGI so dem go know, since we no sabi wia dem dey take us go." She narrate say di men of di vigilante group no allow dem call anybody and dem begin beat her say why she go ask dem kwesion. According to di corper, she beg dem make she change her cloth but dem refuse and force her into dia vehicle, afta dem also beat some oda corpers wey chook mouth for di mata. "Dem start dey beat me, say wetin give me di right to kwesion dem. Dem say dem go smash our phones if we call anyone. Dem beat me, tea my clothes. One of my colleagues bin dey beg on my behalf, but dem hit her wit iron rod." From di video wey go viral, we see how di men bin drag her clothe till e tear and still dey push her up and down. For her side of di story, di female corper say di vigilante men bin call her ashawo say dem go shoot her and throway her bodi. "Dem slap me, call me prostitute. Dem threaten to shoot me and throw my corpse for bush." Now, di young lady dey ask say she must get justice make all dose vigilante pipo get punishment. Meanwhile, Anambra State govment don dismiss di eight Agunechemba operatives wey dey involved for di assault on di female member of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) wey bin dey serve for di state. Dem parade di operatives for front of Agunechemba Security Command for Anambra state, wia dem go from dia land for police hand for more investigation. Di incident wey go viral for social media bin vex plenti Nigerians wey demand say dem must get justice for di lady wey dem assault. Also, di National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) condemn di "unacceptable and dehumanising" attack on di corpers. Caroline Embu di Acting tok-tok pesin for statement say dem believe in and support di ongoing investigation by di Nigeria Police Force to find out wetin happen. "Dis we trust go help get justice for di Corps Member in kwesion and any oda aggrieved party,", Embu tok for statement.
Reuters
6 hours ago
- Reuters
Nigeria deports 50 Chinese nationals in cybercrime crackdown
ABUJA, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Nigeria has deported 50 Chinese nationals and one Tunisian convicted of cyber-terrorism and internet fraud as part of a crackdown on foreign-led cybercrime networks, the country's anti-graft agency said on Thursday. Since the clampdown was launched on August 15 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in partnership with the immigration service, 102 people have now been deported, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale said in a statement. The Tunisian and Chinese citizens were among nearly 200 foreign nationals arrested in Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital, during a raid targeting one of the largest cybercrime syndicates in the country, Oyewale said. Late last year, the EFCC arrested almost 800 people in a building in Lagos believed to be a hub for fraudsters who lured victims with offers of romance, then pressed them to hand over cash for phoney cryptocurrency investments.
