Regional News

At least 25 killed in Nigeria jihadist attack. Source; BBC

Police in Nigeria say at least 25 people have been killed in an attack by Islamist militants in north-eastern Borno state. The attack took place in the fishing town of Dikwa which is near a stronghold of Boko Haram insurgents. The UN says extremist violence since 2009 has left more than 350,000 people dead and displaced millions of others.

Boko Haram Kills 35 Fishermen In Borno. Source: Daily Trust

At least 35 people, who went on a fishing expedition, have been shot dead by Boko Haram fighters in Ngala Local Government Area of Borno State. Residents and families of the deceased said they were devastated by the attack and called for more security in the area to save them from attacks by terrorists.

Counter Terrorism: Gen Abdul Khalifa Lists MNJTF’s Accomplishments. Source: PRNigeria

The Force Commander (FC) of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), Major General Abdul Khalifa Ibrahim today 9 March 2023 delivered a lecture titled “Counter terrorism/Counter Insurgency Operations and National Security in Nigeria: The MNJTF in Perspective’’ at the National Defence College Abuja, Nigeria. The lecture is part of the series of packages lined up for participants of the College comprising senior officers of the rank of Colonels and their equivalents from Nigeria and other friendly countries from within and outside Africa. The lecture focused on the contributions of the MNJTF towards ensuring Nigeria’s national security. It detailed how the MNJTF in collaboration with other national operations have enabled the gradual restoration of peace and security in the Lake Chad Region and Nigeria in particular.

Military Operations: Troops Attack ISWAP, IPOB, Bandits and other Terrorists nationwide. Source: PRNigeria

The troops activities and operational successes being recorded in the various operational theaters within the 6 geo-political zones of the Country. In the past 2 weeks, both kinetic and non-kinetic operations were conducted in the various theatres of operations, with significant results recorded. The brief will therefore cover operational activities of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies conducted in addressing the various security challenges across the Country between the period of 23 February – 9 March 2023.

Bandits Kill 6, Abduct Many In Fresh Niger Attack. Source: Daily Trust

At least six persons, among them a pregnant woman, have been reportedly killed by bandits in communities in Rafi and Wushishi local government areas of Niger State. Daily Trust also gathered that no fewer than 50 people were also reportedly kidnapped between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning.

NIGERIA DAILY: How Alleged Millitary Brutality Is Leading To Death And Hospitalisation In Katsina. Source: DailyTrust

Some residents of Katsina decry rampant cases of Millitary Brutality leading to killing and hospitalisation of many innocent people.
Resident of Funtua has recently alleged the killing of one Mohammed Mairuwa, a commercial driver by some soldiers based in Funtua.

Terrorists Kill 32 Fishermen In Northeast Nigeria. Source: Humangle

Terrorists from the Islamic State have killed dozens of men as they fished in a river in Borno. At least 32 were shot dead on the afternoon of March 8 at the outskirts of Dikwa, a border community in Borno state northeast Nigeria, local sources say. The victims were rounded up and killed when they were discovered fishing in a river the Islamic State of West Africa Province had warned them to keep off. The killings occurred in Mukdolo village, about 19 km from Dikwa town, a local volunteer security personnel of the Civilian Joint Task Force said.

Community Feels Abandoned By Government In Conflict With Violent Herders. Source: Humangle

The absence of security agents in Ajowa-Akoko, Ondo state in southwest Nigeria, has left residents feeling abandoned and that they must defend themselves against attacks from herders  – or abandon their farms. Despite hosting over 12,000 people, according to residents, Ajowa-Akoko has no functional police station to accommodate police officers amid incessant killings and kidnappings. When HumAngle visited in February, there were no police officers in the entire community. This reporter only saw a dilapidated police building with a damaged roof and broken chairs at the counter.

NAF Airstrikes Kill Pregnant Woman, 2 Teens In Kaduna. Source: Daily Trust

Nigerian Air Force airstrikes have reportedly killed a pregnant woman and two teenagers in Sabon Gida village of Fatika District in Giwa LGA of Kaduna State. The fighter jet was said to have targeted some bandits in a nearby bush who had run into the village. Daily Trust gathered that the incident happened on Sunday around 5 pm.

BREAKING: Terrorists Attack Niger State Communities, Kill Pregnant Woman, Five Others, Abduct Over 50 Persons. Source: Sahara Reporters

No fewer than 50 persons were also reportedly abducted by the terrorists masquerading as bandits. A pregnant woman with five other persons has reportedly been murdered by Islamic terrorists in the suburbs of Rafi and Wushishi local government areas of Niger State, North Central Nigeria. The incident, SaharaReporters gathered, happened on Tuesday night.

Troops repel ISWAP in Borno community. Source: The Guardian

Troops of Sector 3, Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) have repelled the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) attacks on Monguno community in Borno State. According to the task force, the ISWAP fighters attacked the community bordering Cameroun on Sunday, March 4, in an attempt to penetrate the town on the shores of Lake Chad. A counter-insurgency expert in the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, disclosed in Maiduguri, yesterday, that the terrorists sneaked into the community through Abbari community and Charly 6 formation.

ISWAP Kills 200 B’Haram Terrorists, Families In Clash. Source: Daily Trust

Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists have killed over 200 members of the outlawed Boko Haram insurgents and their family members in a rivalry fight in Gezuwa camp – one of the terrorists’ dreaded enclaves in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State. No fewer than 560 members of the Boko Haram insurgents including top commanders, fighters and abductees have surrendered to the military, sources said.

One feared killed as gunmen attack motorists, raze vehicles in Enugu. Source: Premium Times

One person was feared killed, on Monday, by gunmen who carried out multiple attacks in different communities in Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria’s south-east. The gunmen, who fired sporadic gunshots, also set many vehicles ablaze during the multiple attacks in the state at about 5 a.m. The vehicles affected during the attacks were two Sienna, five tricycles, two saloon cars, a Toyota SUV and a mini-bus. The gunmen were said to be enforcing the controversial Monday sit-at-home declared by a faction of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a group leading the agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants to be carved out from the South-east and some parts of the South-south.

Terrorists Kill Senior Police Officer, Others In Zamfara. Source: Humangle

A terrorist group has shot dead the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and a police inspector of the Zamfara State Police Headquarters in Maru town, Zamfara State, Northwest Nigeria. Other casualties include a vigilante member and a civilian. HumAngle gathered that the terrorists had attacked and abducted an unspecified number of people around Bakin-tasha, a market in Maru, at about 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 5. While the police were preparing to repel the attack, the terrorists stormed the station. DPO, Superintendant Raheem Kazeem and his staff inspector Rabiu Umar of Maru Police Division were killed in a gun duel.

Burkina Faso imposes curfews to help ‘fight against terrorism’. Source: news24

Burkina Faso has put the North and parts of the Centre East region under curfew to aid the fight against jihadists, according to official documents seen by AFP on Sunday. The long-running insurgency in the impoverished Sahel nation has left thousands of civilians, police and soldiers dead and forced more than two million people to flee their homes.

Soldier Goes Berserk, Kills FOB Commander, Sergeant Major in Sokoto. Source: PRNigeria

A soldier of the Nigerian Army, Lance Corporal Nwobodo Chinoso, has shot dead the Commander of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Rabah in Sokoto State, Lt. Sam Oladapo. The incident happened at the weekend. Chinoso, also shot the FOB Rabah Command Sergeant Major (CSM), Sgt. Iliyasu Inusa, and another private soldier, Attahiru Mohammed, after he had killed Oladapo. PRNigeria further gathered that, after gunning down his army colleagues, Chinoso thereafter committed suicide by opening fire on himself.

Troops clear bandit hideout in fierce battle in Chikun, Kaduna. Source: PRNigeria

The Troops of Sector Four of Operation Whirl Punch, and Special Forces of the 167 Battalion have cleared a bandit hideout during a fierce encounter in Kaduna State. The troops who embarked on a long range fighting patrol to Tukurua general area of Chikun LGA, engaged and overpowered the outlaws, neutralizing one, with others fleeing in disarray. The troops during the operation rescued 14 kidnapped victims, comprising nine men and five women. The victims were moved to a secure location for debriefing and examination before being reunited with their families.

Terrorists kill DPO, two others in Zamfara. Source: Premium Times

At least, three people including a Divisional Police Officer (DPO), were killed by terrorists who invaded Maru, a town in Zamfara in an attack on Sunday morning.

The terrorists also abducted several people. The DPO, Kazeem Raheem, was killed alongside his orderly, Rabiu Bagobiri. The leader of a vigilante group, Shehu Chaku, was also killed by the terrorists. A local, who asked not to be named for security reasons, said the terrorists invaded the local government headquarters minutes after 1:00 a.m. and blocked the four exits of the premises. He said they were in the town to abduct a local businessman, who owns a petroleum station.

Many Killed In Benue Farmers-Herders Clashes. Source: Daily Trust

Many people have been killed in several communities of Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State after suspected herders launched attacks on the areas. Witnesses said many people were still missing some with gun shot wounds on several inhabitants and burnt houses. A local said the attacks began barely a week ago and escalated during the weekend to other parts of Kwande LGA, including Moon, Mbaikyor, Mbadura and Ilyav council wards. But the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) said there was a recent confrontation between herders and local guards in the affected areas over confiscation of livestock.

Sit-At-Home: Hoodlums Reportedly Kill One, Burn 7 Vehicles In Enugu. Source: Sahara Reporters

Some hoodlums reportedly enforcing Monday’s sit-at-home have killed a yet-to-be-identified person and burnt two Sienna minivans and five commercial tricycles popularly called Keke Napep in Enugu, Southeast Nigeria. The incident occurred in Abakpa in the Enugu East local government area of the state, according to Daily Independent. Eyewitnesses said the incident occurred in the early hours of Monday, at Liberty Bus stop, Abakpa.

50 feared killed as suspected herdsmen invade Benue communities. Source: Punch

No fewer than 50 persons have been feared killed during a four-day attack by suspected herdsmen who invaded some communities in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State. PUNCH Metro gathered that the affected communities include Adam, Iyarinwa, Abamde Ityuluv, Waya Boagundu, Agura Ayaga and Azege areas in Turan Council Ward, Kwande LGA. The immediate past Chairman of the LGA, Tertsua Yarkbewan, while speaking to journalists on the phone on Monday, said over 50 people were killed during the attacks by suspected herdsmen.

Bandits burn police armoured vehicle in Kaduna. Source: Blueprint

A community leader, Alhaji Yahaya Kimbiin, of Kimbi village, Randagi Ward in Birnin Gwari local government area of Kaduna state said that bandits stormed his community on Monday morning and attacked an immovable armoured vehicle belonging to the Mobile Police. Speaking in a phone interview on Monday, Alhaji imbi told newsmen in Kaduna that the incident occured on Monday morning when about eight bandits holding AK 47 stormed Kimbi Village.

Army probes killing of soldiers in Sokoto. Source: The Guardian

The Nigerian Army has commenced investigation into the incident of a soldier who killed his colleagues and himself at Forward Operations Base (FOB) Rabbah, Sokoto State.  Army spokesperson, Brig General Onyema Nwachikwu, said the sad incident occurred in the evening of Sunday March 5, 2023 at the FOB, where troops were deployed for Internal Security Operation (ISO).

Bandits kill 6 vigilantes at Birnin Gwari check point. Source: Blue Print

Bandits have killed six vigilante members at Awaro checking point in western part of Birnin-Gwari, Kaduna state. Usman Babangida, who was mourning the death of his colleagues, said in an interview on Wednesday that the bandits attacked the check point on Tuesday around 4pm.

Army rescues abducted female commissioner in Cross River. Source: Premium Times

Troops of 13 Brigade Nigerian Army, Calabar, deployed for Operation Akpakwu, have rescued the Commissioner for Women Affairs in Cross River State, Gertrude Njar, from captivity. The spokesperson of the brigade, Dorcas Aluko, a captain, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Calabar. The commissioner was kidnapped on 1 February in Mayne Avenue area, Calabar South. It is unclear when the rescue operation took place.

One Policeman Killed As Troops Repel ISWAP Attack In Magumeri. Source: News Net Global

Atleast one policeman killed while  repelling attacks by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the North Eastern Magumeri, Borno State. It was gathered that the insurgents sneaked into a police formation at about 2 a.m. on one hilux truck and a motorcycle. They dropped their vehicle and sneaked on foot to avoid any sound that will alert the troops. A Police source, told Zagazola Makama, a Counter-Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst that the terrorists attacked the police formation in two different directions resulting to the death of a Police  Sergeant. The sources said that the policemen swiftly engaged the terrorists in a gunbattle which lasted for about 30 minutes, forcing the terrorists to withdraw.

Peace and Security

Insecurity: Buhari Unveils 700 Locally-Made Troops-Carrying Trucks. Source: PR Nigeria

President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated 700 Ashok Leyland troops-carrying vehicles for the Armed Forces of Nigeria on Friday. The inauguration was done virtually. Buhari said the procurement of the vehicles was in response to the prevailing security challenges bedeviling the nation.

National Security: Nigeria, UAE Defence Colleges Pledge Collaboration. Source: PRNigeria

The National Defence College (NDC) of Nigeria and United Arab Emirates (UAC), have pledged to work together towards enhancing the national power of the two countries. The Head of Delegation, NDC UAE, Brig.-Gen. Mahdi Alahababi and Commandant, NDC Nigeria, Rear Adm. Murtala Bashir, made the pledge during a visit by the UAE delegation to Nigeria, in Abuja. The Head of UAE delegation, Brig.-Gen. Alahababi, said the visit was important to the Arab country towards sharing their knowledge about the two NDCs’ strategic studies and about how Nigeria conducts its business to meet its mission.

Enhanced Security: Nigerian Navy, NASENI Sign MoU on ‘Collaborative Engagements’. Source: PRNigeria

Humanitarian

To end domestic abuse against children. Source: Guardian

The escalating cases of domestic child abuse of which children have sometimes been faced with near death situations are sad spectacles of man’s inhumanity to man. Virtually every week, gory images of abused children fill the media space leaving many to wonder whether humanity is beginning to run out of patience for children. Indeed, at the frequency, with which this is happening, many are wondering whether an end to child abuse is anywhere within sight.

IWD: Oxfam reaffirms commitment to attaining gender-just society. Source: Blue Print

As Nigeria joined the rest of the world to mark the 2023 International Women’s Day, Oxfam Nigeria has reaffirmed to commitment to attaining a gender-just society, where opportunities, resources, and decision-making are not influenced by gender orientation. Oxfam Nigeria Country Director, Dr. Vincent Ahonsi, in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, said its interventions have achieved an increased participation of women in the productive space and positively change power relations in both the private and public sectors of the society, through the adoption of gender transformative approaches, and the integration of feminism into our programming.  According to him, “Oxfam celebrates with all women and girls in Nigeria as we mark the 67th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) and the 2023 International Women’s Day.

IWD 2023: Nigeria falling in women’s political participation. Source: Premium Times

Despite clamours for improvement in women participation in public life across the world, Nigeria appears to be moving in the wrong direction. From 1999 till date, only 157 women have been elected into the 469-member National Assembly (38 senators and 119 members of the House of Representatives), compared to 2,657 men (616 senators, 2,041 reps) during the same period. The results of the 25 February presidential and National Assembly elections have further exposed Nigeria’s failure to implement several treaties and statutes it signed, which are aimed at ensuring women’s involvement in politics. Of the 92 women who contested for the Senate in the February elections, only three won, while out of the 286 who contested for seats in the House of Representatives, only 15 have been declared winners. Mercy Abang, the CEO of Host Writer, said the low number of women in elective and appointive positions in Nigeria is directly proportional to the level of development.

Humanitarian Needs In Nigeria’s Northwest Remain Largely Unaddressed, Survey Shows. Source: Humangle

Ninety-eight per cent of displaced and non-displaced families assessed across Zamfara, Sokoto, and Katsina states in northwest Nigeria are facing adverse forms of humanitarian crises due to conflict, climate change, and poverty. However, only 10 per cent of those have received assistance, according to a survey conducted by REACH, a humanitarian initiative that provides data on crisis and displacement. The survey also revealed that displaced families were more likely to get assistance from the states’ governments or local Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). Others that have not received aid in the six months prior to the survey have resorted to begging in host communities.

IWD23: Are Displaced Women Part Of The Conversation? Source: Humangle

The theme for the 2023 International Women’s Day (IWD) was chosen in order to celebrate women and girls involved in the advancement of technology, “explore the impact of the digital gender gap on widening economic and social inequalities,” and also highlight the importance of safe digital space for women and girls, the United Nations has said. While some women celebrate under the aforementioned theme, displaced women are not as privileged as they are years behind other women who have not had to live with the unavoidable exploitations and hardship that they have been condemned to live with.

IWD23: Digital Technology Could Close Women’s Health Gaps, But Not All Women. Source: Humangle

Social media platforms, women’s blogs and period-tracking apps present opportunities for women to understand gender-specific conditions. In Nigeria, however, many factors still limit women’s access to the internet and healthcare.  In recent times, digital technology has been helping more women access adequate health care globally. This includes sexual and reproductive health. Social media platforms, blogs and period-tracking apps have enabled women to understand their bodies and to know when to seek medical help without fear or shame.

IWD: Nigeria, Other Low And Middle Income Counties Lose $1 Trillion In GDP To Exclusion Of Women From Digital World- UN Resident Coordinator. Source: news net global

The United Nations Resident Coordinator, Matthias Schmale has said the International Women’s Day ((IWD) has lamented that the exclusion of women from the digital world has shaved $1 trillion from the GDP of low- and middle-income countries including Nigeria over the past decade. He also said IWD should be used to remember the many challenges women still face in their daily lives such as gender-based violence, discrimination, marginalization. In his message on the IWD, said the day celebrated worldwide January 8 is a call-to-action to stand up for women’s fundamental rights, to strengthen protection against violence and abuse, and to accelerate women’s participation in the economic, social, and political life of Nigeria.

Grieving Traders Count Their Losses At Maiduguri Market Destroyed By Fire. Source: Humangle

More than 30,000 traders lost all their goods when fire gutted the main market in Maiduguri, northeast Nigeria, last week. Many who spoke to HumAngle as they visited the wreckage of the market counted their losses in millions of naira. The inferno that razed the entire complex of the leading market in Maiduguri, northeast Nigeria, in the early hours of Sunday, Feb. 26, has left tens of thousands of traders with nothing but sorrow, tears, and unimaginable losses.

Stabilization and economic development

The Cameroonian Women Grinding Flour By Hand To Escape The Russian Wheat Trap. Source: Humangle

Rising flour prices due to the war between Russia and Ukraine are forcing women in Cameroon to look for other options. For now, it is arduous work which they are doing by hand, producing little more than a few bags a day. Russia is Cameroon’s leading wheat supplier. According to the National Institute of Statistics, between  2010-2020, 65 percent of the country’s total imports came from Russia, now under international sanctions after sending troops into Ukraine last year. Russian grain shipments are not targeted by the international measures, but problems with processing payments through sanctioned banks have driven costs up.

Least Developed Countries summit kicks off in Doha. Source: rfi

The 5th Least Developed Countries summit started in Qatar’s capital with a top UN official warning that “urgent” measures are needed to help 52 countries facing debt repayment problems that put some at risk of default. Achim Steiner, head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP,) told French press agency AFP that 25 of the 52 were spending more than a fifth of government revenues servicing external debt.