Regional News
Over 400 children, women, students abducted in Nigeria northern region in 72 hours. Source: Yerwa Express News. Over 400 children, women, students abducted in Nigeria’s northern region in 72 hours – Yerwa Express News (yen.ng)
Over 413 people were abducted in Nigeria’s northern region.
Out of the number, 213 are Internally displaced persons comprising abducted in Borno’s local government, Ngala.
They include women and children, who were cornered and fled with while fetching firewood in adjoining bushes.
Similarly, 200 more were abducted today in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
They are reportedly all students of Kuriga Primary and Secondary School. The figures are still not officially confirmed.
This brings the total number of the abducted in the country to over 413, based on figures out in the media.
At least 170 ‘executed’ in Burkina Faso Attack. Source: Africanews. At least 170 ‘executed’ in Burkina Faso attack – Authorities | Africanews
At least 170 people were killed in northern Burkina Faso last week, a regional prosecutor said in a statement on Sunday.
Aly Benjamin Coulibaly said attackers targeted four villages in Yatenga province before ‘executing around 170 people’ on February 25.
The statement did not name the attackers. Burkina Faso is battling an Islamist militant insurgency in its north and east. Armed groups – some affiliated to Al Qaeda and ISIS – regularly launch attacks on civilian and military installations.
The violence has killed almost 20,000 people and displaced more than two million in one of the world’s poorest countries in a region racked by instability.
Bandits abduct 287 students, principal from Kaduna school. Source: Dailytrust. Bandits abduct 287 students, principal from Kaduna school – Daily Trust
At least 312 students and a principal, Abubakar Isah were abducted in broad day light on Thursday when bandits invaded the LEA Primary and Junior Secondary School, Kuriga in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Officials of the school and community leaders told Governor Uba Sani, alongside key government officials, who visited the school on Thursday, that 187 students were abducted from the secondary school section and 125 from the primary school section.
Terrorists abduct scores of female IDPs in Borno – Daily Trust
Terrorists have abducted over 100 female Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Ngala, the headquarters of Gamboru Ngala Local Government Area of Borno State, locals, community leaders and security sources said.
The sources said the women left their camps in search of firewood in the bush around Jillam and Wurga villages about 15 kilometres from the town when the tragedy struck.
It was gathered that the incident happened on Sunday, March 3, 2024, but only came to the fore yesterday.
Both Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have been carrying out heinous acts in the northern and central parts of Borno for years, and it is not yet clear which of the faction is behind the latest incident.
This is one of the major abductions that took place in Borno, since the kidnapping of 276 girls of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, on the night of April 14, 2014.
Five killed in a private plane crash in eastern Burkina Faso | Africanews
A private aircraft with seven people aboard crashed into a tree Wednesday after failing to take off successfully in Burkina Faso’s eastern region, killing five people and injuring two, authorities said.
The plane was taking off from a local airport in the city of Diapaga en route to the city of Fada N’Gourma when it “ended up in a tree,” the government news agency Agence d’Information du Burkina said.
The two injured people were rushed to a health facility, and authorities had begun an investigation into the crash, Burkina Faso’s Transportation Ministry said in a statement.
Photos published by the government news agency showed burned parts of an aircraft scattered at what appeared to be the scene of the crash as residents gathered.
Borno dispatches team to rescue abducted female IDPs – Daily Trust
Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has dispatched a search team to work with security operatives to rescue the over 200 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), who were abducted while searching for firewood in the Gamboru Ngala LGA.
The director general of the agency, Dr Barkindo Saidu, who disclosed this to Daily Trust on Thursday, said they could not declare the IDPs abducted until a claim is made by their abductors.
Malaria: Africa’s most affected countries commit to end deaths | Africanews
Ministers of Health from the 12 African countries with the highest burden of malaria gathered in Yaoundé, Cameroon, on Wednesday (Mar. 06).
Ending deaths from the disease remains a challenge despite a package of measures that have proven to be inefficient and not adapted to the continent.
Mali’s minister of health and social development, Dr. col Assa Badiallo, urged to unite force.
“We call on civil society, communities, and private actors to participate even more so that more funds can be invested into the fight against Malaria.”
“Through mechanisms such as RAMED [Editor’s Note: the health insurance scheme for the most vulnerable], through private health insurances and the compulsory health insurance scheme in Mali (AMO), our goal is that the entire Malian population can benefit from the available treatments,” the minister said.
Boko Haram hits Borno IDPs again, sets many houses on fire – Daily Trust
Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have razed down at least 25 newly constructed buildings meant for returnees in Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno State.
Amid the heat of insurgency, Dikwa residents fled their homes and took cover as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
However, days after abducting IDPs who went into the forest to fetch firewood, insurgents stormed a remote village in Gajibo, shooting sporadically and burning more than 25 newly built houses.
According to eyewitness, Modu Kundiri who was on his to Maiduguri from Gomboru, they were asked by the troops to wait for about 3 hours at Logomani village.
“The soldiers informed us that we had to wait for about 3 hours from 11:am -2 pm before we were allowed to leave Logomani.
“I saw and counted more than 25 newly constructed houses at Gajibo village in Dkiwa LGA was on fire,” Modu said.
Chad’s interim leader confirms candidacy in this year’s presidential poll | Africanews
Chad’s interim president, Mahamat Idriss Déby, on Saturday said will run in this year’s long-awaited presidential race.
His candidacy was endorsed by representatives of the political groups that make up his coalition, For a United Chad, which claims to include over 200 parties.
“After deep and serene reflection, I have decided to accept the choice you have made to name me as the candidate of the For a United Chad coalition,” he said.
The military leader’s announcement comes just three days after his main rival in the polls, Yaya Dillo, was shot and killed in the capital N’Djamena in suspicious circumstances.
Déby seized power in 2021 following the death of his long-ruling father, Idriss Déby Itno, who was killed in clashes with rebels.
He was sworn in 2022, promising a return to civilian rule within 18 months, but subsequently extended the transition by two years.
Troops kill notorious terrorists’ leader, others in Katsina – Daily Trust
The Nigerian Army troops have neutralised a notorious terrorist leader, Maikusa, who was the second-in-command to the infamous terrorist known as Modi Modi in Katsina.
This is contained in a statement by the Director, Army Public Relations, Maj -Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu on Tuesday in Abuja.
Nwachukwu said the troops gunned down Maikusa and three other terrorists on Monday, during an counter at Kurfi and Safana Local Government Areas of the state.
He said the ferocious operation also resulted in the successful clearance of terrorists’ enclaves in those areas.
Chad opposition leader Yaya Dillo killed in shooting | Africanews
An Opposition leader in Chad Yaya Dillo has been killed in a clash with security forces in Chad, officials report.
Dillo was accused by the government of involvement in a deadly attack on the country’s security agency, which he denied.
Heavy gunfire erupted near his party’s headquarters in the capital, N’Djamena, on Wednesday.
Dillo, a vocal critic of President Mahamat Déby, had opposed him since Déby took office in 2021, succeeding his father, who was killed by rebels after ruling for thirty years.
The violence comes ahead of presidential elections scheduled for May 6, aimed at restoring constitutional rule.
Communications Minister Abderaman Koulamallah told AFP that Dillo refused to surrender and fired on law enforcement before his death at his party’s headquarters.
Family of 7, 38 others killed as militia groups exchange gunfire in Benue – Daily Trust
A family of seven and 38 others were killed after rival militia gangs clashed in Gbagir community of Ukum Local Government Area in Benue State.
Residents said the incident which happened on Tuesday sent shivers in the spines of rural dwellers who witnessed the horror.
They said though most of the deceased victims are suspected local militias who engaged themselves in the fight of supremacy, there were however at least 12 innocent farmers caught in the web of the gun battle between the duo groups – “Full Fire” and “Chain.”
The residents who have all fled the vicinity said scores of people were wounded while others are still missing as at Wednesday morning.
Cameroonian prosecutors wind up probe into the murder of Martinez Zogo | Africanews
The Yaoundé military court in Cameroon on Friday closed their judicial investigation into the murder of journalist and former director of radio amplitude FM, Martinez Zogo who died just over a year ago.
The trial will now open in the coming weeks according to the counter-espionage service. The twenty or so accused have all been referred to the court on various charges.
In Cameroon, the end of this judicial investigation comes just five days after five of the detainees had their charges reclassified. Three members of the DGRE, Cameroon’s counter-espionage service, will be prosecuted for “assassination”.
The businessman and the head of the Direction générale de la recherche extérieure (DGRE) are accused of having played a role in the death of the director of radio Amplitude FM, whose tortured body was discovered on the outskirts of Yaoundé in January. Zogo had not been missing for five days before his remains were located January 22 near Soa, a suburb of Yaoundé.
Peace and Security
Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to form joint force to fight jihadist insurgency | Africanews
Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso will form a joint force to meet the countries’ defence and security goals.
The announcement was made Wednesday (Wed. 06) following the first official meeting of the three nation’s military chiefs of staff in Niamey.
The head of Niger’s army, general Moussa Salaou Barmou said the new task force would be “operational as soon as possible,” but did not give further details on the size or remit of the force.
Britain has circulated a draft U.N. resolution calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities in conflict-wracked Sudan ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins soon.
The draft, obtained late Wednesday by The Associated Press, expresses “grave concern over the spreading violence and the catastrophic and deteriorating humanitarian situation, including crisis levels of acute food insecurity, particularly in Darfur.”
With Ramadan expected to begin around Sunday, depending on the sighting of the new moon, the council is expected to vote quickly on the resolution, likely on Friday.
Terrorism in the Sahel: AES force will be “operational as soon as possible” | Africanews
The three nations accounting for the majority of deaths from terrorism in the Sahel region announced a joint force that will be operational as soon as possible.
Niger’s armed forces chief said in a statement Wednesday (Mar. 06) in Niamey that he had developed an “operational concept” with his Malian and Burkinabe counterparts.
“We have come up with a joint force of AES countries that will be operational as soon as possible to take over the security challenges in our area,” Barmou announced.
The 3-member AES group also known as the Alliance of Sahel states includes the countries which are home to the tri-border zone.
Sudan demands full reinstatement to the AU, conditions acceptance of mediation | Africanews
Sudan’s Defense forces commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has conditioned acceptance of AU mediation on membership reinstatement.
Citing a statement from theruling Sovereignty Council local media reported that, al-Burhan expressed “Sudan’s confidence in the African Union’s potential solutions, but only if the state regains its full membership and the organization treats it as such.”
Gen Burhan met members of the AU High-Level Panel on the Resolution of the Conflict in Sudan on Sunday.
The three-member panel was established by the AU Commission in January to facilitate dialogue, restore constitutional order and work collaboratively with all the Sudanese stakeholdersmeaning all civilian forces, military belligerents and regional as well as global actors including IGAD, the UN, the League of Arab States.
‘No justification for Gaza carnage’: Nigeria Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar | Politics | Al Jazeera
Doha, Qatar — Israel must stop its war on Gaza, and the world needs to drop its “double standards” over the killings in the besieged enclave, Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar told Al Jazeera.
Tuggar was visiting Qatar as part of a delegation led by Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Nigeria and Qatar signed a series of memorandums of understanding and discussed potential collaboration in sectors such as energy, trade, labour, agriculture and more.
No compulsion in ECOWAS membership – FG – Daily Trust
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has said there’s no compulsion in the membership of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Tuggar was alluding to three Sahelian states of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso that exited the regional bloc late January citing misgivings with the bloc.
He said it is up to the regimes in the countries to make a decision as: “ECOWAS is a union of a community of people and the emphasis is on the community, on the people, on the citizens.”
He stated this in an interview he granted Qatar broadcaster – Al Jazeera in Doha.
Humanitarian
A ruinous conflict raging for about a year between rival generals in Sudan risks creating the world’s largest hunger crisis, the top U.N. food official warned Wednesday as the global attention has been focused on the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
Cindy McCain, head of the World Food Program, said the fighting in Sudan, which pits the country’s military against a violent paramilitary group, has shattered the lives of millions across the northeastern African nation.
“The war in Sudan risks triggering the world’s largest hunger crisis,” McCain said as she wrapped up a trip to neighboring South Sudan, where hundreds of thousands of Sudanese had fled the fighting in their home country.
The U.N. food agency said some 18 million people across Sudan face acute hunger, with the most desperate trapped behind the front lines.
At least 8,565 migrants died on land and sea routes worldwide last year, the highest number since the U.N. migration agency began counting deaths a decade ago.
The biggest increase was on the treacherous Mediterranean Sea crossing, to 3,129 from 2,411 in 2022, the International Organization for Migration said Wednesday. However, that was well below the 5,136 deaths recorded on the Mediterranean in 2016 as huge numbers of Syrians, Afghans and others fled conflicts in their homelands toward Europe.
The 2023 count was nearly 20% more than the previous year. Most of the deaths last year, about 3,700, were people who drowned. The count also includes migrants who vanished — often while trying to cross by sea — and are presumed dead even if their bodies were not found.
NEDC to distribute rice, others to N/East residents – Daily Trust
The North East Development Commission has announced the immediate release of 300,000 bags of rice and other food commodities to residents of the North East.
The agency’s managing director, Mohammed Alkali, at a press briefing yesterday in Abuja, said the release was part of measures to support the efforts of the federal and state governments in the region to alleviate the economic challenge facing Nigerians.
Nigeria tightens security as food theft continues amid soaring inflation | Africanews
Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) announced Sunday (Mar. 3rd) it was increasing security at its facilities, Amid increased cases of attacks on warehouses.
The Director General of NEMA has instructed Zonal Directors and Heads of Operations to strengthen security in and around the Agency’s offices and warehouses nationwide “to forestall any breaches”.
Africa’s largest economy is also the continent’s most populous country.
Nigerians are living through one of the west African nation’s worst economic crises in years with inflation rising to nearly 30% and the consequences of monetary policies that have pushed the Naira to an all-time low against the dollar.
UN official warns of possible war crimes, rape as a weapon in Sudan | Conflict News | Al Jazeera
The United Nations human rights chief has said that the apparent deliberate denial of safe access for humanitarian agencies within war-torn Sudan could amount to a war crime.
“Sudan has become a living nightmare. Almost half of the population – 25 million people – are in urgent need of food and medical aid. Some 80 percent of hospitals have been put out of service,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, said on Friday.
The Sudan crisis “continues to be marked by an insidious disregard for human life”, he told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, saying that many of the violations of international humanitarian law committed by the warring parties “may amount to war crimes, or other atrocity crimes”.
UNICEF, Kaduna govt commit to tackling malnutrition in children under 5 – Daily Trust
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said it is committed to close partnership with the Kaduna State government towards reducing malnutrition in children under five in the state.
UNICEF Nigeria Chief of Nutrition, Ms Nemat Hajeebhoy, made the call when she led a delegation on an advocacy visit to the deputy governor of Kaduna State, Dr Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House.
She said Kaduna State has 1.5 million children under five, and that UNICEF is working to ensure that all those children have access to nutrition, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), and education, among others.
She applauded the state for its partnership over the years, and the implementation of policies related to women and children including the implementation of six months maternity.
UNICEF donates $290,462 health equipment, drugs to Yobe gov’t – Daily Trust
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has donated medical equipment and drugs worth $290,462 to the Yobe State government to curb the outbreak of diseases and improve maternal, neonatal and child survival.
The state has recently been in the grip of a meningitis outbreak, with the death of at least 22 students in three boarding schools.
Zulum targets construction of 85,000 new houses for 66 communities in Borno – Abc News Nigeria
The meeting was held at the council chamber of the government house in Maiduguri.
Governor Zulum explained that each of the proposed resettlement communities will have schools, clinics, police posts, marketplaces, stalls, boreholes, secure farmlands and vocational training centres where appropriate.
The governor said Borno State Government would commit 15% of its annual budget to the solution pathways for the resettlement of IDPs while expanding Maiduguri city along six entrances to accommodate people who may choose to integrate into the city.
According to Zulum, the solution pathway requires Borno to raise 2.7 billion US dollars for implementation.
Reps link food shortage to prolonged insecurity – Daily Trust
he House of Representatives has said the prolonged insecurity in the North East and other parts of the country has had devastating effects on Nigeria’s food production in the last decade leading to the harsh reality confronting the nation.
Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu stated this in an opening remark at the Sectoral Debate held at the House of Tuesday.
He said the food shortage had affected the socio-economic spheres in the country and was posing an imminent threat to the country’s stability.
EFCC, Customs intercept 22 trucks exporting food to Chad, Cameroon, Benin – Daily Trust
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) officers in separate operations have intercepted 22 trucks loaded with food and non-food items heading towards N’djamena, Chad Republic, Central African Republic, Cameroon and Benin Republic.
The Maiduguri Zonal Command during a sting operation on Tuesday at Kalabiri/Gamboru Ngala and Bama roads, Borno State, arrested 21 trucks conveying the items.
The head of Media and Publicity of the command, Dele Oyewale, said in a statement that, “Investigation showed food items cleverly concealed in the trucks that would have gone undetected, but for the vigilance of operatives of the Commission.
“Further checks showed that the waybills covering the goods carried by the trucks indicated their destinations as N’djamena, Chad Republic, Central Africa Republic and Cameroon respectively.”
Why are Nigerians going wild? – Daily Trust
The current wave of discontent sweeping through Nigeria is swelling our social history as a nation but with an unfortunate tilt towards the negative traits. It presents us as a nation that is adrift, perhaps having lost its bearing and now searching for direction. Nigerians are passing through hard times as a result of the government’s reforms.
There is hunger in the land, with poverty rising in both urban and rural areas. However, some of the responses or reactions to the situation indicate fundamental deficiencies in us as a nation.
Mobilization and economic development
Nigeria’s Dangote to set up oil trading arm for Lagos mega refinery | Africanews
Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, is charting new territory by considering the establishment of an oil trading arm, potentially headquartered in London, to facilitate the operations of his upcoming refinery venture in Nigeria, sources close to the matter revealed.
This strategic move could sideline major global trading entities, which have been engaged in extensive negotiations for months, aiming to provide financial backing and crude oil supplies to Dangote’s refinery in exchange for product exports. Anticipation is high within the trading community as the colossal 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery gears up to reshape global oil and fuel dynamics.
‘How CBN can track $26bn binance transactions’ – Daily Trust
Obinna Iwuno, President of Stakeholders in Blockchain Technology Association of Nigeria (SiBAN), has refuted the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) claim that $26billion in crypto transactions could not be traced.
The CBN had raised concerns over the sum of $26 billion that flowed through Binance Nigeria over the past year from “unidentified sources”.
Iwuno explained that binance, a major cryptocurrency exchange, implements KYC (Know Your Customer) procedures, requiring users to verify their identities before trading.
Speaking on Channels TV on Tuesday, Iwuno argued that anonymity is impossible on centralized exchanges like binance due to mandatory KYC.
70% of fraud traceable to banking sector – EFCC – Daily Trust
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said 70 percent of financial crimes in Nigeria can be traceable to the banking sector, warning the bank auditors to stem the tide as soon as possible.
The anti-graft agency also bemoaned the growing rate of loss bank customers incur due to insider-related fraud comprises outright stealing of customers deposits’ authorised loan facilities, forgery and several other criminal practices.
The Chairman of EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, said this when he spoke at the 2024 Annual retreat of the Association of Chief Audit Executives of Banks in Nigeria (ACAEBI) in Abuja.
The EFCC’s boss frowned at the rate of fraudulent activities associated with the local banking industry.
Nigeria losing $200m for abandoning cassava plan – NCGA – Daily Trust
The Nigeria Cassava Growers Association (NCGA) has stated that Nigeria loses more than $200m annually for not implementing the plan that would have seen cassava products used in the production of bread.
The new National President of NCGA, Mustapha Othman Bakano, said the continued reliance on flour for bread is costing the country millions of dollars in importation bills.
Speaking during the inauguration of new executives for the association, Bakano blamed change in policy direction for the jettisoning of the cassava bread initiative.
