Latest news with #northeastNigeria
News24
4 days ago
- General
- News24
Nigeria detains troops, police for alleged sale of weapons to armed groups
The Nigerian military has detained more than 30 soldiers and police officers for allegedly stealing weapons from its stockpiles and selling them to armed groups, including jihadists in the country. The country is battling a more than 15-year jihadist insurgency in the northeast, as well as a farmer-herder conflict in the north-central region, violent secessionist agitation in the southeast and rampant kidnap-for-ransom in the northwest. A spokesperson, Ademola Owolana, said the army launched an operation in August 2024 as a 'response to incessant cases of arms and ammunition theft'. 'So far, a total of 18 soldiers, 15 mobile policemen and eight civilians, including a traditional ruler, have been arrested,' Owolana said at a Wednesday briefing whose recording was accessed by AFP on Friday. He added: A few soldiers motivated by greed had been involved in ammunition racketeering, deliberately diverting arms from military stockpiles and supplies chains to terrorists. The country has seen a resurgence in deadly jihadist attacks in the northeast in recent weeks, with Boko Haram and the IS-affiliated Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) staging raids targeting military bases in particular. Raids on military bases have provided jihadists in the Sahel countries with at least 20% of their weapons, according to the UK-based Conflict Armament Research, which has studied jihadist weapons sources for a decade.
Washington Post
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Boko Haram's resurgence: Why Nigeria's military is struggling to hold the line
ABUJA, Nigeria — A resurgence of Boko Haram attacks is shaking Nigeria's northeast, as Islamic extremists have repeatedly overrun military outposts, mined roads with bombs, and raided civilian communities since the start of the year, raising fears of a possible return to peak Boko Haram-era insecurity despite the military's claims of successes.
Times of Oman
25-05-2025
- Times of Oman
Nigeria: Armed gangs kill dozens in northeast
Abuja: Armed gangs in northeast Nigeria have killed dozens of people in two suspected attacks, a local governor and villagers said Saturday. In a statement, the governor of Taraba state, Agbu Kefas, said "scores of people reportedly lost their lives and properties" in the attacks in the villages of Munga and Magani, in Karim Lamido district, early on Saturday. Kefas did not provide an exact death toll, but Nigerian outlet the Daily Post said more than 30 people had been killed by armed gangs, known in the West African country as "bandits." "It was midnight, I heard gunshots, I woke up my brother and other people in our area," Magani resident Moses Kefas told AFP news agency. He added that he and his neighbours returned after the gunmen had left. "I saw 16 bodies scattered around the village," he said. Andrew John, from Munga, said he had seen about 13 dead bodies in his village. Northern Nigeria gripped by deadly violence Dozens of people have reportedly been displaced by the wave of violence. The governor condemned the violence "in the strongest terms," calling it "horrendous and unacceptable." "Our citizens' safety is my top priority," Kefas said, according to the Daily Post. "We have activated all necessary security measures to prevent further violence and bring those responsible to book." Northeastern Nigeria has been plagued by violence in recent weeks, as armed gangs and Islamist groups, including Boko Haram, have increased their attacks. The region has been ravaged by a 16-year insurgency. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and two million have been displaced, while the local economy has been badly damaged.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jihadists in Nigeria using TikTok to spread ideology and recruit fighters
Jihadist groups including Boko Haram are increasing in numbers and strength in northeastern Nigeria, and using social media to publicise their campaigns and find new recruits. Jihadists in Nigeria and their supporters are increasingly turning to social media platform TikTok, posting videos of themselves posing with rifles, grenades and stacks of cash, according to reports by French news agency AFP. AFP reviewed videos on the social network, easily accessible to everyone, they said. At least 100 people were killed in the new wave of jihadist attacks in April, as the governor of Borno, the epicentre of the violence which has raged since 2009, said the state is losing ground to armed groups. The news agency has identified several accounts on the Chinese-owned platform on which men and women, some of them very young, display weapons and wads of cash. Algerian TikTok influencer convicted in France for inciting terrorism Some of them broadcast live, preaching anti-Western ideologies in a style reminiscent of the videos released by deceased Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau in the early days of the 15-year-old insurgency. Criminal gangs that carry out raids on villages and kidnappings for ransom in the northwest of the country have used TikTok in the past, as Nigerians have testified. (with AFP) Read more on RFI EnglishRead also:Young Nigerian entrepreneurs seek to reshape relationship with FranceChina courts African allies as tensions with Europe, US deepenCombatting 'fake' news in Africa
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Nigeria: Armed gangs kill dozens in northeast
Armed gangs in northeast Nigeria have killed dozens of people in two suspected attacks, a local governor and villagers said Saturday. In a statement, the governor of Taraba state, Agbu Kefas, said "scores of people reportedly lost their lives and properties" in the attacks in the villages of Munga and Magani, in Karim Lamido district, early on Saturday. Kefas did not provide an exact death toll, but Nigerian outlet the Daily Post said more than 30 people had been killed by armed gangs, known in the West African country as "bandits." "It was midnight, I heard gunshots, I woke up my brother and other people in our area," Magani resident Moses Kefas told AFP news agency. He added that he and his neighbors returned after the gunmen had left. "I saw 16 bodies scattered around the village," he said. Andrew John, from Munga, said he had seen about 13 dead bodies in his village. Dozens of people have reportedly been displaced by the wave of violence. The governor condemned the violence "in the strongest terms," calling it "horrendous and unacceptable." "Our citizens' safety is my top priority," Kefas said, according to the Daily Post. "We have activated all necessary security measures to prevent further violence and bring those responsible to book." Northeastern Nigeria has been plagued by violence in recent weeks, as armed gangs and Islamist groups, including Boko Haram, have increased their attacks. The region has been ravaged by a 16-year insurgency. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and two million have been displaced, while the local economy has been badly damaged. Edited by: Alex Berry
