Nigeria

Attack by gunmen leaves at least 40 people dead in Nigeria, president says

Nigeria's president said on Monday that at least 40 people were killed when Muslim gunmen, believed to be herders, attacked a Christian farming community in the north-central part of the country, the latest in an increasing wave of violence in the West African country. President Bola Tinubu also said he has ordered an investigation over the late Sunday night attack on the Zike community, extending his condolences to the victims and their families. I have instructed security agencies to thoroughly investigate this crisis and identify those responsible for orchestrating these violent acts, Tinubu said in a statement late Monday. Amnesty International said the victims, who included children and the elderly, were taken by surprise and could not flee from the gunmen. Such attacks have become common in this part of Africa's most populous country, where gunmen typically herders from Fulani, a Muslim tribe exploit security lapses to launch deadly raids on farmers in a fight over land ...

Meningitis sparks alarm: 5 cases reported in Kerala, 26 dead in Nigeria

Over the course of several weeks, Nigerians confirmed the deaths of at least 26 due to outbreak of meningitis. In Kerala, India, around 5 people have shown signs of the illness

Nigerian soldiers killed 79 militants, kidnappers in the past week: Army

Nigerian soldiers killed 79 militants and suspected kidnappers over the past week, the army said Friday, in an operation targeting a decades-long insurgency by Islamic militants in the northeast and attacks by various armed groups in the northwest. The West African country has been ramping up efforts to secure the country as some 35,000 civilians have been killed and more than 2 million displaced in the northeastern region, according to the U.N. The nationwide operation by Nigeria's military led to the arrest of 252 individuals and the liberation of 67 hostages held by the militants, a Nigerian military spokesperson, Edward Buba, said in a statement. Kidnappings have become a common occurrence in Nigeria's northwest, where dozens of armed groups exploit the region's limited security presence to carry out attacks on villages and along major roads. Many victims are only released after the payment of ransoms that sometimes run into the thousands of dollars. The 2014 kidnapping of 276

US to return $52.8 mn in seized assets of Nigeria's former oil minister

The United States announced Friday that it would be returning USD 52.88 million in seized assets to Nigeria as part of a yearslong corruption probe against former oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke and associates, according to a joint statement by Nigeria's minister of justice and the United States government. It marks the first repatriation of assets linked to Alison-Madueke, who served as Nigeria's oil minister from 2010 to 2015. She rose to prominence as a powerful figure under former President Goodluck Jonathan, and became the first female president of the oil alliance OPEC. The seized assets, including a superyacht and prime real estate in New York and California, were confiscated in 2023 by US authorities during Alison-Madueke's trial. Of the repatriated funds, USD 50 million will be allocated to rural electrification programmes in Nigeria, while the remaining USD 2.88 million will be disbursed as a grant by the African country to the International Institute for Justice to ..

Airstrike on insurgents mistakenly killed 10 civilians: Nigerian military

An airstrike targeting an armed group in northwestern Nigeria mistakenly killed at least 10 civilians, the West African nation's military said Friday. The villagers were killed on Christmas Day when the air force targeted a logistics base of the Lakurawa insurgent group in the Silame area of Sokoto state, Edward Buba, Nigerian defense spokesperson, told journalists at a press conference. On Thursday, the Sokoto state government said the air force mistakenly shelled the villagers in the early hours of Wednesday in an attempt to dislodge the insurgents from the area. However, on Friday, Buba said only that the Lakurawa insurgents were directly hit by munitions and that the civilians died from secondary explosions. The Lakurawa insurgent group began infiltrating Africa's most populous country following a wave of coups that disrupted Nigeria's relations with neighbouring Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, hurting their ability to cooperate on transnational threats. Initially gaining local

Stampedes at Christmas charity events in Nigeria leave at least 32 dead

The death toll from stampedes during two Christmas charity events in Nigeria has increased from 13 to 32, police said Sunday. The victims, including at least four children, collapsed during crowd surges as people grew desperate for food items while the country grapples with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation. The dead included 22 people in southeastern Anambra state's Okija town, where a philanthropist on Saturday organised a food distribution, local police spokesman Tochukwu Ikenga said. Ten others died in the capital, Abuja, during a church-organised similar charity event. Police said they were investigating the two incidents, only days after another stampede in which several children were killed. Africa's most populous country is seeing a growing trend by local organisations, churches and individuals to organise charity events ahead of Christmas to ease economic hardship caused by a cost-of-living crisis. Witnesses of the Abuja stampede told The Associated Press the

PM Modi gifts Kolhapur's traditional metal work to Nigerian President

Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted Nigerian president Bola Ahmed Tinubu a 'Silofar Panchamrit Kalash', officials said on Monday, describing the pot as a stunning example of traditional craftsmanship from Kolhapur in Maharashtra. This 'kalash', they added, is made from high-quality silver, shaped with skill and precision. It features elegant engravings typical of Kolhapur's renowned metal work, with motifs that often include floral patterns, deities and traditional designs. The handle of the 'kalash' and the lid are crafted to provide ease of use during religious ceremonies, where 'panchamrit' -- a sacred mixture of milk, curd, ghee, honey and sugar -- is served, they said. Modi had arrived in Nigerian capital Abuja early Sunday on the first trip to the country by an Indian prime minister after a gap of 17 years. He is currently on a five-day tour of three countries and reached Brazil earlier on Monday to attend the G20 summit.

PM concludes Nigeria visit, boosts ties with Africa's largest democracy

PM Modi's visit to Nigeria is part of his three-nation tour, which will also take him to Brazil and Guyana from November 17 to 21

India accords high priority to strategic partnership with Nigeria: PM Modi

India accords high priority to its strategic partnership with Nigeria, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday as he held extensive talks with Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that focused on shoring up bilateral ties in key sectors such as defence, trade, energy and agriculture. In their meeting, the two leaders reaffirmed commitment to jointly fight terrorism, piracy and radicalisation and vowed to work towards meeting the aspirations of the Global South. The prime minister arrived in Abuja early Sunday on the first trip to the country by an Indian prime minister after a gap of 17 years. PM Modi offered India's experience in agriculture, transportation, affordable medicine, renewable energy, and digital transformation to Nigeria, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on the talks. On his part, Tinubu appreciated the development cooperation partnership offered by India and its meaningful impact in creating local capacities, skills, and professional expertise. In the

PM Narendra Modi conferred with Nigeria's second-highest national award

Nigeria on Sunday conferred its second-highest national award, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, making him the second foreign dignitary to receive the distinction. "Honoured to be conferred with the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger' Award by Nigeria. I accept it with great humility and dedicate it to the people of India," Modi said in his remarks after receiving the award. This was the 17th international award conferred on Modi by a country. Queen Elizabeth is the only foreign dignitary who was awarded GCON in 1969. Modi is in Nigeria on the first leg of his three-nation visit at the invitation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This visit is the first by an Indian prime minister to Nigeria in 17 years. On his arrival in Nigeria on Sunday, Prime Minister Modi was warmly welcomed by Minister for Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, who presented him with the 'Key to the City' of Abuja. "The key symbolises the trust and

India accords high-priority to strategic partnership with Nigeria: PM Modi

India accords high priority to its strategic partnership with Nigeria and it will work towards boosting ties in a range of areas, including defence, energy and trade, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during his talks with Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Sunday. In his televised opening remarks at the meeting, Modi identified terrorism, separatism, piracy and drug trafficking as major challenges and said the two countries will continue to work together to deal with them. Modi arrived in Abuja early Sunday on the first trip to the country by an Indian prime minister after a gap of 17 years. "We give high priority to our strategic partnership with Nigeria...I am confident that a new chapter in our ties will begin following our talks," the prime minister said. Modi also described the around 60,000-strong Indian expatriate community as a key pillar of India-Nigeria relations and thanked Tinubu for ensuring their welfare. The prime minister also announced that India is sending

PM Modi arrives in Nigeria on first leg of his three-nation visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday arrived in Nigeria on the first leg of his three-nation visit at the invitation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This visit is the first by an Indian prime minister to Nigeria in 17 years. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Abuja, Nigeria. Warmly welcomed by Minister for Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, who presented the prime minister with the 'Key to the City' of Abuja. The key symbolises the trust and honour bestowed on the prime minister by the people of Nigeria," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a late-night post on X. The MEA also shared pictures of the prime minister being welcomed to the country. This is Modi's first-ever visit to the West African Region. He is on a five-day visit to Nigeria, Brazil and Guyana. From Nigeria, he will travel to Brazil. In his departure statement, Modi said, "I am also eagerly looking forward to meeting the Indian community and friends from Nigeria who have sent me warm ..

29 Nigerian children may be sentenced to death for protest against crisis

Twenty-nine children could be facing the death penalty in Nigeria after they were arraigned Friday for participating in a protest against the country's record cost-of-living crisis. Four of them collapsed in court due to exhaustion before they could enter a plea. A total of 76 protesters were charged with 10 felony counts, including treason, destruction of property, public disturbance and mutiny, according to the charge sheet seen by The Associated Press. According to the charge sheet, the minors ranged in age from 14 to 17 years old. Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has led to several mass protests in recent months. In August, at least 20 people were shot dead and hundreds more were arrested at a protest demanding better opportunities and jobs for young people. The death sentence was introduced in the 1970s in Nigeria, but there have been no executions in the country since 2016. Akintayo Balogun, a private lawyer based in Abuja, said the Child Rights Act does not allow

Over 140 killed, dozens injured after gasoline tanker explodes in Nigeria

More than 140 people, including children, were killed and dozens were injured in Nigeria after an overturned gasoline tanker truck exploded in flames while they were trying to scoop up fuel pouring from the vehicle, emergency services said Wednesday. The accident occurred at midnight in Jigawa state's Majiya town when the tanker driver lost control of the vehicle while travelling on a highway, police spokesperson Lawan Adam said. Residents rushed to the scene and were scooping up fuel, sparking a massive inferno, he said. "Close to 140 people were put in a mass grave apart from people buried in other places," Nura Abdullahi, head of the National Emergency Management Agency in the region, told The Associated Press. Residents of Majiya were in mourning on Wednesday as they held a mass burial for the victims. Most of the bodies were unrecognizable, emergency services said. Deadly tanker accidents are common in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, where traffic regulations are not

At least 40 people missing after boat capsizes in Nigeria, authorities say

At least 40 people have drowned in a boat accident on a river in northwest Nigeria, said President Bola Tinubu on Sunday. The accident happened in Zamfara state, as farmers were trying to get to their land, said Tinubu in a statement. The president promised support for the victims and directed emergency agencies to assess the incident. Yazid Abubakar, a police spokesperson in Zamfara, told The Associated Press the accident happened on Saturday and that five people were rescued, but 40 are still missing. It was not immediately clear how many people were on the boat when it went down.

Boko Haram militants attack Nigerian village, kill over 100, say residents

At least 100 villagers were killed in northeastern Nigeria when suspected Boko Haram Islamic extremists opened fire on a market, on worshippers and in people's homes, residents said Wednesday, the latest killings in Africa's longest struggle with militancy. More than 50 extremists on motorcycles rode into the Tarmuwa council area of Yobe state on Sunday evening and began firing before setting buildings ablaze, according to Yobe police spokesperson Dungus Abdulkarim. The police blamed the attack on Boko Haram, which since 2009 has launched an insurgency to establish its radical interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia, in the region. Boko Haram has since splintered into different factions, together accounting for the direct deaths of at least 35,000 people and the displacement of more than 2 million, as well as a humanitarian crisis with millions of people in dire need of foreign aid. At least 1,500 people have so far been killed in the region this year in attacks by armed groups, ..

Indian companies should develop new products tailored for Nigeria: LFZ CEO

Lagos Free Zone (LFZ) CEO Adesuwa Ladoja on Monday said there is an opportunity for Indian companies to develop new products tailored for the Nigerian as well as the broader African markets. LFZ is a port-based industrial zone (850 hectares) in Lagos, Nigeria, with over USD 2.75 billion committed FDI projects to date. "We are owned and promoted by Tolaram Group and located in Lekki, the sun rise development corridor in Lagos," Ladoja told PTI. According to her, Tolaram Group has observed that having a local presence in Nigeria allows companies to better understand and adapt to the Nigerian market, leading to more profitable operations. "This is an opportunity for Indian companies to develop new products tailored to the Nigerian and broader African markets," Ladoja said. She said LFZ is serving global brands like BASF, Tata International, Kellogg's, Colgate, Arla, Dufil, Lekki Portamong among others as their current tenants. "We are ideally positioned to serve the manufacturing se

Nigeria becomes first African basketball team to qualify for Olympic QFs

Ezinne Kalu had a giant smile on her face as she joined her teammates for a celebratory run around the court with Nigerian flags. Nigeria had reached a place no African country in men's or women's basketball had ever gone before the quarter-finals of the Olympics. Kalu scored 21 points and Nigeria secured a spot in the elimination round in Paris by downing Canada 79-70 on Sunday for its second win of the Olympics. It means a lot, you know, not just to us as a team, but to the entire world of Africa, Kalu said. "It only gets harder from here." When the final buzzer sounded, the team went to midcourt to start celebrating, with an assistant coach using her phone to record the moment. The Nigerians stopped to high-five the Canadians and then returned to celebrating with a midcourt huddle. An assistant coach grabbed a flag from a fan for photos on the court, and the Nigerians took their time hugging and posing for more photos as they savoured the moment. Surreal. This isn't going to

Nigeria slaps $220 mn fine on Meta over violation of data protection laws

Nigeria's government on Friday announced a fine of USD 220 million on Meta, saying its investigations found multiple and repeated violations of the country's data protection and consumer rights laws on Facebook and WhatsApp. A statement from Nigeria's Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, or FCCPC, listed five ways that Meta violated data laws in the West African country, including by sharing the data of Nigerians without authorization, denying consumers the right to self-determine the use of their data, discriminatory practices as well as abuse of market dominance. "Being satisfied with the significant evidence on the record, and that Meta Parties have been provided every opportunity to articulate any position ... the Commission has now entered a Final Order, and issued a penalty against Meta Parties," FCCPC chief executive Adamu Abdullahi said in a statement. A spokesperson for Meta didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Nigeria, which is Africa's

Female suicide bombers kill at least 18 people in Nigeria, say officials

Female suicide bombers targeted a wedding, a funeral, and a hospital in coordinated attacks in northern Nigeria that killed at least 18 people, local authorities said Sunday. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the the attacks in Borno state, which has been heavily affected by the insurgency launched in 2009 by Boko Haram. The extremist group previously has used women and girls in suicide bombings, prompting suspicions that some attackers come from the many thousands of people the militants have kidnapped over the years, including schoolchildren. The first suicide bomber detonated a device during a marriage celebration in the northeastern town of Gwoza, Barkindo Saidu, director-general of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency, told reporters. Minutes later, another blast occurred near General Hospital, Saidu said, and the third bomber at the funeral service was disguised as a mourner. Children and pregnant women were among those killed. At least 30 others were wounde