Latest news with #Borno
Bloomberg
3 days ago
- General
- Bloomberg
Nigeria Attacks Surge as Islamic-State Affiliate Hits Army Bases
Islamist militants have ramped up an insurgency in northeastern Nigeria and attacked dozens of fortified army bases since the start of the year, setting back President Bola Tinubu's efforts to restore security in Africa's most-populous nation. There were 45 verified incidents in May, the most since the same month in 2020, data collated by risk-analysis company Seerist shows. Most were linked to a group known as Islamic State West Africa Province, or Iswap, an Islamic State affiliate that emerged in 2016. The most recent incursion was staged in the northeastern Borno state on May 26.
Reuters
4 days ago
- General
- Reuters
Bomb blast kills nine at Nigeria bus park in Borno
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, June 2 (Reuters) - At least nine people were killed in a blast at a bus park in northeastern Nigeria, blamed on a bomb planted by suspected militants who have stepped up attacks in Borno state, a local lawmaker and residents said. Borno has been the heartland of an Islamist insurgency for the past 16 years, which has killed thousands of Nigerians and driven tens of thousands from their homes. Villagers from Mairari village in Borno's Guzamala district were waiting for transport when a bomb detonated on Saturday, killing at least nine people, said Abdulkarim Lawan, the lawmaker for the area. Lawan, who is also speaker of Borno state assembly, said Mairari village was now largely deserted due to frequent attacks by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province, who are also increasingly using improvised explosives. "Terrorists who have been monitoring their movements planted IEDs at the local bus stop, which exploded while they were waiting to board commercial vehicles back to their destinations," he said. Borno state police spokesperson Nahum Kenneth Daso confirmed the incident but said he had no details. Bunu Bukar, a petty trader at the bus rank said on Monday the IED was tripped when passengers were boarding a mini bus, killing the nine instantly and injuring several others. Nigeria has witnessed a rise in insurgent attacks since January, with militants targeting civilians and military bases.
Arab News
4 days ago
- General
- Arab News
Bomb blast kills nine at Nigeria bus park in Borno
MAIDUGURI: At least nine people were killed in a blast at a bus park in northeastern Nigeria, blamed on a bomb planted by suspected militants who have stepped up attacks in Borno state, a local lawmaker and residents has been the heartland of an Islamist insurgency for the past 16 years, which has killed thousands of Nigerians and driven tens of thousands from their from Mairari village in Borno's Guzamala district were waiting for transport when a bomb detonated on Saturday, killing at least nine people, said Abdulkarim Lawan, the lawmaker for the who is also speaker of Borno state assembly, said Mairari village was now largely deserted due to frequent attacks by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province, who are also increasingly using improvised explosives.'Terrorists who have been monitoring their movements planted IEDs at the local bus stop, which exploded while they were waiting to board commercial vehicles back to their destinations,' he state police spokesperson Nahum Kenneth Daso confirmed the incident but said he had no Bukar, a petty trader at the bus rank said on Monday the IED was tripped when passengers were boarding a mini bus, killing the nine instantly and injuring several has witnessed a rise in insurgent attacks since January, with militants targeting civilians and military bases.
Free Malaysia Today
6 days ago
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
Amnesty says over 10,000 killed in 2 years in north, central Nigeria
Borno state – the epicentre of jihadist violence which has raged in northeast Nigeria since 2009 – was not included in Amnesty's investigations. (EPA Image pic) LAGOS : The number of people killed in violence committed by jihadist groups and criminal gangs topped over 10,000 in two years in central and northern Nigeria, Amnesty International said today. In a report, the global rights group blamed the government of President Bola Tinubu for failure to protect people in swathes of the country hit by raids by jihadists, and criminal gangs known as 'bandits' who attack villages, killing and kidnapping residents. However, Tinubu today insisted that troops deployed in the flashpoints have succeeded in restoring order and tackling threats posed by the militant groups. Massacres also occur in central Nigeria's so-called Middle Belt where herders and farmers often clash over land access, with the attacks often taking on a religious or ethnic dimension. Amnesty's investigation showed that 'in the two years since the current government has been in power, at least 10,217 people have been killed in attacks by gunmen'. Benue state, which lies in the central region, suffered the heaviest death toll of 6,896, followed by Plateau state, where 2,630 people were killed, Amnesty said in a report released to coincide with Tinubu's first two years in office. Of the seven states Amnesty investigated, Borno – the epicentre of jihadist violence which has raged in northeast Nigeria since 2009 – was not included. When Tinubu came to power two years ago, he vowed that dealing with insecurity was one of the main challenges for his government. 'Instead, things have only gotten worse, as the authorities continue to fail to protect the rights to life, physical integrity, liberty and the security of tens of thousands of people across the country,' said Isa Sanusi, director of Amnesty International Nigeria. Northern states that jihadists and other criminal groups have targeted for several years have seen an upsurge in attacks in recent months. Sanusi said the 'recent escalation of attacks by Boko Haram and other armed groups shows that the security measures implemented by President Tinubu's government are simply not working'. In his second year anniversary speech, Tinubu said Nigerian troops have 'restored order, reducing and eliminating threats to lives and livelihoods' in violence-wracked regions'. 'With the successes achieved, farmers are back tilling the land to feed us. Highways hitherto dangerous for travellers have become safer,' he added. His government is also facing simmering separatist tensions in the southeast.
Reuters
7 days ago
- General
- Reuters
Nigeria detains soldiers, police over weapons sales to armed groups
ABUJA, May 30 (Reuters) - The Nigerian military has detained over two dozen soldiers and members of the police force over sales of weapons from military stockpiles to armed groups, including Islamist insurgents, a spokesperson said. Africa's most populous country and biggest energy producer, Nigeria is battling insecurity on many fronts, including a long-running insurgency in the northeast and armed kidnapping gangs in the northwest. Captain Reuben Kovangiya, spokesperson for the military's anti-insurgency operation, said the arrests were part of a crackdown on racketeering involving ammunition. Local media reported that 18 soldiers, 15 policemen and eight civilians were taken into custody. "It is part of the counter-arms and ammunition racketeering operation conducted in every theatre of operations," Kovangiya told Reuters. "If any personnel engage in any act that is inimical to the system, they are arrested and tried." Kovangiya did not elaborate on the types and numbers of weapons sold but said the suspects would be prosecuted. Nigeria has this year experienced a surge in attacks by militants from Boko Haram and its offshoot, Islamic State West Africa Province, who have overrun some military bases in the northeastern state of Borno. In the course of most of the raids, militants have seized weapons from army bases.
