Regional News
Hundreds of Boko Haram, ISWAP terrorists Killed in Nigerian Airstrike. Source– TRTWorld
The Nigerian air force killed more than 200 Boko Haram terrorists in an air raid with the Super Tucano light fighter jet in the Sambisa Forest in the northeastern state of Borno, a military expert has told Anadolu Agency.
There has been no official confirmation from the military but Zaga Zola Makama said on Friday no fewer than 200 Boko Haram and Daesh in West Africa Province (ISWAP) insurgents had been neutralised.
Over a Dozen Herders Killed by Boko Haram in Nigeria’s Restive Borno State. Source. TRTWorld
Boko Haram militants have killed 17 herders and stole their cattle following clashes in the troubled northeastern Nigerian state of Borno, self-defence militia told AFP.
The militants on Saturday attacked herders guarding their cattle in a pasture near Airamne village in Mafa district, the militiamen said.
“Seventeen herders were killed in the fight and all their cattle taken away,” militia leader Babakura Kolo said on Monday.
“The herders put (up) resistance but were outgunned and outnumbered by the attackers, who had better weapons,” said Kolo.
Burkina Faso: Ten Killed by Road Mine in Eastern Border Town. Source- Africanews At least 10 people were killed when their minibus hit a roadside bomb in eastern Burkina Faso on Christmas Day in a suspected Islamic extremist attack.
The minibus was travelling near the village of Bougui and close to the border with Niger on Sunday afternoon when it hit a landmine, Colonel Hubert Yameogo said in a statement.
While the injured were taken to the hospital in Fada N’Gourma, the main town in the east, the rest of the passengers on the bus disappeared, Colonel Yameogo said.
Three Die in Military Helicopter Crash Army Base in Niger. Source- Africanews
Three people were killed on Monday in a helicopter crash at an army base near Niger’s capital Niamey.
“A Niger Armed Forces MI-17 helicopter, returning from a routine training flight, crashed while landing on the military airstrip from Niamey airport,” the Nigerien Ministry of Defence said in a statement sent to AFP.
“Unfortunately the three crew members – an officer and a non-commissioned officer from Niger and an expatriate instructor – died on the spot despite the efforts of the emergency services to contain the fire,” it added.
A commission of inquiry “was immediately set up to determine the causes of this tragic accident”, continues the text.
Boko Haram kill 17 Herders in Northeastern Nigeria State of Borno. Source- Africanews
Boko Haram jihadists attacked herders guarding their cattle in a pasture near Airamne village in Mafa district on Saturday, a local militia group said.
“Seventeen herders were killed in the fight and all their cattle taken away,” militia leader Babakura Kolo said.
“The herders put (up) resistance but were outgunned and outnumbered by the attackers, who had better weapons,” said Kolo.
Another militiaman, Ibrahim Liman, gave the same toll.
He said the jihadists launched the attack from camps in nearby Gajiganna forest, where they relocated after being partially forced out from their stronghold in Sambisa forest by jihadist rivals ISWAP and the Nigerian army.
Police Arrest Traditional Tittle Holder For Allegedly Raping 14-Year-Old Boy in Zaria. Source- Premiumtimes.
The police in Kaduna State command have arrested a traditional title holder in Zaria for allegedly raping a 14-year-old boy.
The command’s spokesperson, Muhammadu Jalige, told journalists in Zaria on Wednesday that the suspect would be prosecuted at the conclusion of the investigation into the incident.
The victim’s elder brother, Hamza Zubairu, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the incident happened on December 9 in the Kwarbai Area of Zaria.
Mr Zubairu said the suspect, a neighbour of the victim’s parents, used to enjoy a lot of respect in the neighbourhood.
He added that on the day of the incident, the suspect sent the victim into his room to bring some money, but followed the teenager into the room and bolted the door.
More Than 20 million Children Facing Hunger in The Horn of Africa- UNICEF. Source- Africanews
More than 20 million children are facing the threat of hunger, thirst and disease, up from 10 million in July, as climate change, conflict, global inflation and grain shortages devastate the region according to UNICEF.
Lieke van de Wiel, UNICEF Deputy Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa said, “while collective and accelerated efforts have mitigated some of the worst of what was feared, children in the Horn of Africa still face the most severe drought in more than two generations.”
UNICEF estimates that nearly two million children in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia are currently in need of emergency treatment for severe acute malnutrition, the deadliest form of hunger.
Gunmen Bomb Nigerian Police Facility, Set Inmates Free. Source- Premiumtimes
Gunmen have bombed the Ihiala Police Divisional Headquarters in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, south-east Nigeria.
The attack happened on Wednesday at about 3:00 a.m., residents told PREMIUM TIMES.
The gunmen were said to have thrown improvised explosive devices into the facility, which razed a building inside the station.
An indigene of the area, Uju Okafor, said the bombing and sporadic shootings by the gunmen did not allow them to sleep during the attack.
Official: Car Crashes into Street Party in Nigeria; 7 killed. Source- Africanews
An out-of-control car crashed into a crowd at a large street party in southern Nigeria on Tuesday, leaving seven people dead and many others injured, authorities told The Associated Press.
The driver lost control of the car on a packed street in Calabar, Cross River State capital, just as people were gathering to watch a bikers parade at the Calabar carnival, Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps said.
Tuesday’s bikers show is one of the main highlights of the carnival event known as one of Africa’s biggest street parties. The annual carnival has regularly drawn people from across Nigeria and beyond since it began nearly two decades ago.
Thousands had gathered to watch the bikers’ stunts when the car smashed into people, scattering bodies and leaving the injured along the road, witnesses said.
Gunmen kill over 20 villagers in northern Nigeria. Source- Africanews More than 20 villagers were killed in two separate attacks by gunmen in the troubled northern state of Kaduna in Africa’s population giant Nigeria, local officials said Monday.
The death toll from Sunday’s violence against the villages of Malagum 1 and Sakwong in Kaura district rose to 28 or 37, according to sources.
Criminal gangs have been attacking villages in the northwest and central parts of the country for years, stealing livestock, kidnapping people for ransom, looting food and burning down homes.
A Narrow Escape from Dogo Gide’s Camp. Source- Humangle
A serious rift between the infamous terrorist kingpin, Dogo Gide, and one of his fighters, Dikki, has enabled the narrow escape of Louis, one of the terrorists’ captives. The victim reached home on Tuesday, Dec. 20.
Gide is the terrorist who abducted more than 100 school children from the Federal Government College (FGC) Birnin Yauri, Northwest Nigeria, in June 2021.
Although by Jan. 2022, most of the school children had regained freedom, 11 of them remain in captivity.
In November, two new captives were brought to Gide’s camp. The young girls, Abigail and Louis, were kidnapped from Ungwan Turawa community in Kajuru local government, Kaduna State.
Insurgency May Not Go in the Next 3o Years-Don. Source- Dailytrust
A university don and lecturer with Bayero University, Kano, Professor Bello Ibrahim, has warned that insurgency in North East and banditry may not end in the next 20-30 years.
The don, who is also a Professor of Sociology at the university attributed the prediction to the fact that the region is battling with the major problems of poverty and lack of access to education as the two major reasons fuelling the crisis.
Peace and Security
Burkina Faso Orders UN Coordinator to Leave, Declares the Diplomat “person non grata”. Source- Africanews.
Burkina Faso has ordered the UN’s coordinator in the country to leave by the end of the day, declaring her “persona non grata”, the foreign ministry said Friday.
Italian diplomat Barbara Manzi, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Burkina Faso, “is declared persona non grata in the territory of Burkina Faso”, the ministry said, without giving any official reason for the expulsion.
“She is therefore requested to leave Burkina Faso today, 23 December 2022.”
Foreign Minister Olivia Rouamba said Manzi’s decision to “unilaterally” withdraw non-essential UN staff from the capital Ouagadougou justified the move.
The withdrawal “discredits and tarnishes the image of the country and puts off potential investors. It’s unthinkable and we have to take responsibility”, she told national television.
Nigerian Refugees Turned Taxi Drivers Sacked From Niger Republic. Source- Dailytrust
Nigerian refugees in Diffa, Niger Republic have cried out to the authorities in Nigeria and their host country to intervene on a new transport rule that grounded over 200 taxis with Nigerian number plates.
At least 20,000 Nigerians – men, women and children – are currently taking refuge in the Diffa region after fleeing attacks by Boko Haram in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.
Malam Musa Abdullahi, the leader of the Nigerian taxi owners in Diffa, a migrant of Abadam LGA in Borno State, said so far, Nigerien police and customs had confiscated nearly 100 vehicles from them within one week.
He said the new rule enforced a demand that any Nigerian refugee who wants to transport goods or humans using a car with Nigerian number plate must acquire a paper that cost 600,000 CFA, which is equivalent to N700,000.
UN Chief Says Burkina Faso Has no Grounds to Expel Envoy. Source- Al Jazeera
The United Nations has said Burkina Faso had no grounds for ordering senior UN official Barbara Manzi to leave the country and that the doctrine of “persona non grata” could not be applied to her.
Burkina Faso’s military government on Friday put out a statement instructing Manzi, an Italian national who was appointed UN resident coordinator last year, to leave the country with immediate effect.
Shehu of Borno Warns Against Proliferation of Firearms. Source- Dailytrust
Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai Al-Amin Al-Kanem has raised concern over the proliferation of small and light arms through international sources in the Northeast.
The monarch, who handed the warning while receiving the Coordinator, National Center for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), Mr. S.A Mohammed said, if not tackled, it will retard the relative peace being enjoyed recently in the zone.
Ivory Coast Says Progress Made to Secure the Release of Troops Detained in Mali. Source- Africanews.
The issue of the 46 Ivorian soldiers detained in Mali since July is “in the process of being resolved”, the Ivorian Defence Minister told the press on Thursday, after the visit of an official delegation to Bamako.
On 10 July, 49 Ivorian soldiers were arrested in Mali, described as “mercenaries”, then charged in mid-August with “attempting to undermine the external security of the state” and formally imprisoned. Three women were later released.
Abidjan says the soldiers were on a UN mission providing logistical support to the UN Mission in Mali (Minusma) and is demanding their release, a demand supported by West African heads of state at the last summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which set an ultimatum of 1 January or face new sanctions against Mali.
Fulani Leader Abducted After Attending Security Meeting in Kaduna Community. Source- Dailytrust
Barely six days after bandits raided three communities and abducted 37 villagers in Kaduna villages, bandits have again abducted a Fulani leader, Alhaji Aliyu Abdullahi, in Maganda village near Kagarko town in the state.
The abducted leader, who is popularly known as Ardon Maganda, was reportedly abducted on Monday, around 6:12pm while on a motorcycle from Janjala village going back to neighbouring Maganda village.
Humanitarian
Nigeria: Families Struggle Amidst High Food Prices. Source- Africanews
Nigeria’s consumer inflation rose again in November, its statistics agency said.
The Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported in its latest consumer price index that inflation rose to 21.47% in November, up from 21.09% in October.
The Bureau ascribed the increase to a combination of factors, including a sudden spike in demand before the Christmas shopping season, higher import costs as a result of the depreciation of the naira, and an increase in production expenses.
Because of the significant reduction in food production, the country’s insecurity issues have resulted in an acute rise in food prices.
Bandits Kill 14, Abduct 81 in Sokoto, Katsina. Source- Dailtytrust.
Bandits have killed 14 persons and abducted 81 others in Sokoto and Katsina states.
In the eastern part of Sokoto State, 13 persons were killed and 73 abducted, including women and children.
The attacks took place in different communities in Sabon Birni, Gada and Goronyo local government areas.
Our correspondent learnt that the communities were attacked almost at the same time last Monday.
Speaking to Daily Trust, a traditional title holder in Sabon Birni, who sought for anonymity, said three communities were attacked in his local government area and 11 persons were killed.
Soaring Living Costs Drain Christmas For Joy Families in Nigeria. Source- Al Jazeera
Abuja, Nigeria – Adeola Ehi had been looking forward to taking her two-year-old daughter home to meet her grandparents for the first time this Christmas. But increased household spending which included an unexpected rent increase made the 43-year-old communications consultant shelve the planned journey.
In Nigeria, where more than half of the population of 200 million lives on less than $2 a day, every little price increase puts a significant strain on household incomes. At least 133 million people suffer from “multi-dimensional poverty”, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, which says citizens spend about half of their income on food and another 20 percent on transportation.
Several Dead, Dozen Hirt As Car Ploughs Into Nigeria Carnival. Source- TRTWorld
Seven people were killed and more than two dozen injured when a car ploughed into a popular carnival at Calabar in southeast Nigeria, the local head of highway security has said.
“The incident occurred when a Toyota Camry car lost control and rammed into (a) crowd of onlookers,” Maikano Hassan, the local commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, said in a statement on Wednesday.
Seven people died and 29 were injured on Tuesday, some of them critically, according to the statement.
Yobe LG Empowers 300 Flood Victims. Source- Dailytrust
The Jakusko Local Government Council in Yobe State has empowered 300 victims of the 2022 flood disaster with farm implements and equipment for various trades.
Alhaji Abdullahi Garba, the council’s chairman, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jakusko on Wednesday.
He said 150 of the victims received irrigation machines, while 50 others got mechanised farming machines.
Garba added that a set of 50 victims got sewing machines and another set of 50 received grinding machines. (NAN)
Tackling Menace of Out-of-School Children. Source- Dailytrust
The annual statistical analysis shows the scary growth in the number of out-of-school children across Nigeria. This has been a nightmare to our educational and economic development.
The numbers are mostly high in the local areas where there is low access to modern amenities and a proper system of education. The people end up sending their children to hawk in the streets, marrying (the girl-child) early.
Nigeria Daily: How Increase In Varsity’s Tuition Fees May Stop Poor Students From Schooling. Source- Dailytrust.
Access to education is a fundamental right. It is essential for the exercise of all other human rights and should be made affordable.
But with the recent increase in the University of Maidugiri tuition fee and the rate of inflation, is affordable education possible?
In this episode of Nigeria Daily, we look at how the increase in school fees of the University of Maiduguri may keep poor students out of school.
How Ritualists Slaughtered 2 Women in My Presence- Kano Woman. Source- Dailytrust.
A married woman in Kano, Aisha Idris Ibrahim, has narrated how she escaped from a den. The woman said she boarded a tricycle to visit her parents but found herself in the hands of who were hunting for human parts.
Narrating the incident to Freedom Radio in Kano, the woman said she boarded the tricycle from Kurna area of Dala LGA to her parent’s house in Kawo area of the state metropolis but didn’t know what happened from then.
We Must Address Domestic Violence to Save Family Institution. Source- Dailytrust
Nigeria is currently witnessing a most worrisome trend of marriages crashing and families breaking apart as a result.
The rapid turn of events is fast yielding a country of single parents and all its means for innocent children and a society where fragility, unfortunately, continues to define family life.
ActionAid Nigeria Urges FCTA to Resettle IDPs. Source- Dailytrust
The ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) has expressed concerned over the plights of the over 3,000 inhabitants of the Durumi internally displaced persons (IDP) camp made up of 330 households, 70 percent of whom are women and children from Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states.
The victims were displaced by insurgents in the Northeast between 2012 and 2014.
Country Director, AAN, Comrade Ene Obi, on Wednesday in Abuja noted that the camp was demolished on December 21, 2022 by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) citing an upsurge in crime and criminality for the demolition.
Stabilization and economic development
Shell Pays 15 million Euro in Compensation to Nigerian Farmers. Source- Africanews
Shell will pay 15 million euros in compensation to Nigerian farmers for oil spills that severely polluted three villages in the Niger Delta, the oil giant said Friday.
A Dutch court ruled in 2021 that Shell’s Nigerian subsidiary was liable for damages resulting from the spills and ordered Shell to pay compensation in the long-running lawsuit brought by four Nigerian farmers.
“Shell and Milieudefensie have negotiated a settlement for the benefit of the communities of Oruma, Goi and Ikot Ada Udo in Nigeria, which were impacted by four oil spills between 2004 and 2007,” the oil giant said in a statement.
Shell “will pay an amount of 15 million euros for the benefit of communities and individual plaintiffs,” the group said.
After Kolmani Oil Well Success, NNPC Explores Sites in Niger, 6 Others. Soucre- Dailytrust
Barely a month after the federal government unveiled Kolmani River 2 oil well between Gombe and Bauchi states, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has accelerated processes for more frontier exploration across Niger, Nasarawa, Sokoto, Borno, Yobe, Anambra, Adamawa, Bauchi and Gombe states.
This is according to a Daily Trust analysis of a report obtained from NNPC Ltd on its frontier exploration services activities from 2020 to 2022.
NG0 Trains 1000 Women to Raise Economic Base in Kano. Source- Dailytrust
A Kano-based non-governmental organisation, Alkhairi Orphanage and Women Development (AOWD), has trained and graduated 1000 women on various skills to improve their economic base across the 44 LGAs in the state.
The women were trained and empowered on how to make cakes, soap, liquid soap, perfume, beads, tailoring and weaving among others.
