Nigerians

US signals efforts to protect Nigeria's Christians after Trump's threat

President Donald Trump's administration is promoting efforts to work with Nigeria's government to counter violence against Christians, signalling a broader strategy since he ordered preparations for possible military action and warned that the US could go in guns-a-blazing to wipe out Islamic militants. A State Department official said this past week that plans involve much more than just the potential use of military force, describing an expansive approach that includes diplomatic tools, such as potential sanctions, but also assistance programs and intelligence sharing with the Nigerian government. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also met with Nigeria's national security adviser to discuss ways to stop the violence, posting photos on social media of the two of them shaking hands and smiling. It contrasted with Trump's threats this month to stop all assistance to Nigeria if its government continues to allow the killing of Christians. The efforts may support Trump's pledge to avoid mo

South Africa, Nigeria set to exit FATF's 'grey list' in October plenary

The two nations were put under heightened scrutiny by the Financial Action Task Force in February 2023 for shortcomings in tackling illicit financial flows

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 ...

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 ..

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 meets Nigerian president Tinubu to boost ties between two nations

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday held extensive talks with Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu focusing on boosting the India-Nigeria partnership in a range of areas, including trade, investment and digital public infrastructure. Modi arrived in the Nigerian capital early Sunday on the first trip to the West African country by an Indian prime minister after a gap of 17 years. The prime minister was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the presidential villa following which he held one-on-one meeting with Tinubu. Both sides are likely to ink several agreements following the delegation-level talks. Modi is in Nigeria as part of a three-nation tour. From Abuja, he will travel to Brazil to attend the G20 summit. His last destination will be Guyana. The India-Nigeria ties were elevated to the status of a "strategic partnership' during the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to the African nation in October 2007. Nigeria has been a close partner of India for over six decades.

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.

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

Over 140 people killed in Nigeria amid rising ethnic, religious tensions

Amnesty International Nigeria's office told The Associated Press that it has so far confirmed 140 deaths in the Christian-dominated Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi local government areas of Plateau

Nigeriens prepare for war against regional countries threatening to invade

Nigeriens are preparing for war against regional countries threatening to invade, three weeks after mutinous soldiers ousted the nation's democratically elected president. Residents in the capital, Niamey, are calling for the mass recruitment of volunteers to assist the army in the face of a growing threat by the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, which says it will use military force if the junta doesn't reinstate the deposed President Mohamed Bazoum. ECOWAS has activated a standby force" to restore order in Niger after the junta ignored a deadline to reinstate and release Bazoum. The initiative, spearhead by a group of locals in Niamey, aims to recruit tens of thousands of volunteers from across the country to register for the Volunteers for the Defence of Niger, to fight, assist with medical care, and provide technical and engineering logistics among other functions, in case the junta needs help, Amsarou Bako, one of the founders, told The Associated Press Tuesday. "It's an ...

Nigeriens call for mass recruitment of volunteers as junta faces invasion

Nigeriens are preparing for a possible invasion by countries in the region, three weeks after mutinous soldiers ousted the nation's democratically elected president. Residents in the capital, Niamey, are calling for the mass recruitment of volunteers to assist the army in the face of a growing threat by the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, which says it will use military force if the junta doesn't reinstate deposed President Mohamed Bazoum. ECOWAS has activated a standby force" to restore order in Niger after the junta ignored a deadline to release and reinstate Bazoum. The initiative, spearhead by a group of locals in Niamey, aims to recruit tens of thousands of volunteers from across the country to register for the Volunteers for the Defence of Niger. The group would fight, assist with medical care, and provide technical and engineering logistics among other functions, in case the junta needs help, Amsarou Bako, one of the founders, told The Associated Press on Tuesday. "It's

Students abducted after gunmen attack school in Nigeria: Local police

Nigerian police on Sunday said a group of gunmen killed one resident and abducted some students following an attack in the country's north-central state of Niger

18 Indians abducted from Hong Kong-flagged vessel released: High Commission

People were kidnapped from the ship on December 3 after the ship was taken over by pirates

Nepal Police cracks multi-million rupee online fraud involving Indians

So far, 34 Nepali citizens have been found involved in the scam while 15 victims of the fraud are in contact with police.

Govt condemns 'deplorable' attack on Nigerians in Noida, five arrested

External Affairs Ministry assured of an impartial probe

Nigerians' issues should be handled on a case-to-case basis: Shantaram Naik

He said, overall, India has very good relations with African countries and would like to maintain it