Nigeria

9, April 2025

Nigerian governor warns of Boko Haram comeback ⁰

The governor of Nigeria’s Borno state has warned that jihadist group Boko Haram is making a comeback after its fighters staged a series of attacks and seized control of some parts of the north-eastern state.

Babagana Zulum called for more military assistance for soldiers fighting the insurgency.

The Nigerian government has downplayed the governor’s fears, saying security in the country has improved in the last 18 months.

Borno state has been at the centre of a 15-year insurgency by Boko Haram, which has forced more than two million people to flee their homes and killed more than 40,000.

At the height of its insurgency in 2015, Boko Haram controlled huge areas in Borno state before being beaten back.

The militant group gained international notoriety in April 2014 when it kidnapped more than 270 schoolgirls from the town of Chibok, also in Borno state.

Following a relative lull, the militants have been targeting army bases, police stations and rural communities.

In January, an ambush by the Boko Haram breakaway faction, Islamic State West Africa Province (Iswap), reportedly killed at least 20 Nigerian soldiers, while another attack in the same period left 40 farmers dead.

Governor Zulum said it was disheartening that the group now attacked and kidnapped people in many communities almost on a daily basis.

In a meeting with national security officials, he said that Borno State was “losing ground,” against the jihadists.

Security analysts say the concentration of soldiers in north-western Nigeria to deal with banditry and kidnappings has led to a reduction in the number of troops on the frontline with Boko Haram in Borno and other parts of the north-east.

The fight against the militants became even more challenging after neighbouring Niger withdrew its troops from a regional force set up to tackle the jihadist group.

Another analyst, Hamisu Sani, told the BBC that it wouldn’t be easy to defeat Boko Haram but it wasn’t impossible.

“No matter how our military weaken them, they can always regroup and will remain a threat,” he said.

“The solution would be to crush the fighters in their entirety – which is possible given the right support to our military.”

Source: BBC

1, April 2025

Former Nigerian head of state Obasanjo to invest $700mln in Kribi ⁰

Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria’s former president turned businessman, is set to visit the Kribi deep-sea port in Cameroon this April to launch his company, Obasanjo Agro-Allied Business Ltd (OABL). His venture aims to strengthen cross-border trade between Cameroon and Nigeria.

According to Agha Albert Ngwana, CEO of Aftel Cameroon Limited, a partner of Obasanjo’s group, OABL plans to invest $700 million (about CFA420 billion) in multiple sectors, including agriculture, maritime transport, hospitality, and oil.

As part of the project, Obasanjo will expand his farm operations into Cameroon, cultivating maize and soybeans on 610 hectares of land to support his livestock business. OABL has secured land concessions from the Kribi port authority and intends to set up packaging factories, wholesale fertilizer distribution, and warehouse facilities.

The company also plans to develop a 10-hectare site for wood processing and introduce various maritime services to ease congestion at Nigeria’s Apapa and Lekki ports. “Our goal is to provide transshipment services and other key operations at the Kribi deep-sea port,” Ngwana explained. OABL’s plans also include building oil and gas storage facilities for ship refueling and constructing a five-star hotel in Kribi.

Obasanjo’s investment comes as Kribi prepares to launch the second phase of its port expansion. China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), a subsidiary of China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), completed the technical handover of the new infrastructure on February 21, 2025. The extension, which includes a 715-meter-long dock, is expected to boost efficiency and capacity when commercial operations begin in April.

OABL’s projects will not only strengthen economic ties between Cameroon and Nigeria—two of the region’s leading economies—but also support local producers, enhance regional development, and position Kribi as a key hub for cross-border trade. This aligns with the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by promoting intra-African commerce.

In 2023, trade between Cameroon and Nigeria was largely driven by exports, reaching CFA39.5 billion, with imports totaling CFA39.4 billion, according to Cameroon’s National Institute of Statistics. However, authorities note that informal trade and smuggling significantly impact official trade figures, given the two countries share a long and porous 1,500-km border.

Source: Business in Cameroon

18, March 2025

Nigerian Senate to probe Cameroon’s encroachment on Akwa Ibom oil wells ⁰

The Nigerian Senate has constituted an ad-hoc committee to investigate alleged annexation of maritime territories, mangrove islands villages of Effiat clan in Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom.

The resolution is sequel to adoption of a motion, sponsored by Senator Aniekan Bassey (PDP-Akwa Ibom) and co-sponsored by six other senators at plenary on Tuesday.

Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (APC-Ondo) was named Chairman of the ad-hoc committee.

Members of the committee included senators Adeniyi Adegbonmire (APC-Ondo) Seriake Dickson (PDP-Baylesa), Shehu Kaka (APC-Borno), Ipalibo Harry Banigo (PDP-Rivers).

Also in the committee are, senators Agom Jarigbe (PDP-Rivers), Ekong Sampson (PDP-Akwa Ibom), Aniekan Bassey (PDP-Akwa Ibom).

The Mbo Mangrove Island is a fishing settlement, west of the Rio Del Ray estuary and serves as the official borderline between Nigeria and Cameroon.

According to reports, the island hosts oil wells and abundant gas reserves.

Source: Punch Nigeria

30, October 2024

Nigerian MP apologises after viral taxi slapping video ⁰

Nigerian MP Alex Ikwechegh has apologised after a video went viral of him slapping and verbally abusing a taxi driver who had come to deliver food to his house.

“I sincerely apologise for my words and actions during this incident… As a public servant, I understand the weight of my role and how my words can impact others,” said the politician who was questioned by police over the incident on Sunday evening.

Bolt driver Stephen Abuwatseya accepted a job to deliver some snails to Ikwechegh’s home in the capital, Abuja, and began recording their conversation after an argument started over payment.

The lawmaker had accused the driver of disrespecting him and went on to slap him in the clip.

What appeared to have angered the 44-year-old politician from Abia state in south-eastern Nigeria was the driver’s request that he come outside to collect the delivery.

“So, you think I will give you my money with the way you have spoken to me?” he asked in the video recording.

Mr Abuwatseya responded: “I did a job for you, and you have to pay me, sir.”

The MP then phoned the snail seller to complain about the driver’s behaviour: “How can this stupid idiot come to my house and tell me that I’m supposed to come and meet him in his car and pick up snail that I’m buying from you?

“Can you imagine this rat? I can make this man to disappear in the whole of Nigeria and nothing would happen.”

He then turned back to the driver and continued the argument, asking if he knew who he was, repeatedly saying: “How dare you?”

He continued: “I will beat you up. I will show you that I’m a big brother to you. I will slap the hell out of you, lie you down, and lock you in my generator house. How dare you?”

When Mr Abuwatseya later made it clear he was recording, the MP challenged him to call the police chief.

The recording stopped when it appears the MP grabbed at the phone. In a later clip the driver is seen bare-chested and alleges the politician tore his shirt off and had slapped him three times in total.

In a statement on Monday, the police said they were investigating the matter and urged people to refrain from using the inspector general of police’s name “to intimidate others”.

In his statement, released on Tuesday, Ikwechegh extended his “heartfelt apologies” to the police chief “ recognising the unintended disparagement my remarks may have caused to his person, his office, and the entire institution”.

He also apologised to the House of Representatives, which, according to local media, has since referred the matter to its ethics committee.

“This incident has been a humbling reminder of the necessity for restraint and self-control, especially in challenging circumstances,” the legislator said.

“I am committed to using this experience as an opportunity for growth, both as a citizen and as a more empathetic representative of the people.”

Ikwechegh said he and Mr Abuwatseya had “explored alternative dispute resolution methods” to sort out the issue and had reached a “respectful resolution”.

Source: BBC

12, October 2024

Paul Biya: Nigerians making a mockery of Cameroonians ⁰

Over the last week, news about Biya’s death has been trending online and many around the world hold that it is time for Cameroon to have a brand new leadership.

Biya is old and at 91, there is very little he can deliver to the people of Cameroon. For 42 years, Biya has mismanaged the country, opening the door for corruption and embezzlement which are today the country’s hallmark.

The news about Biya triggered a wave of celebrations abroad with Nigerians joining without thinking twice.

Speaking to Cameroon Concord News Group, a Nigerian in Ireland who elected anonymity said that Cameroonians are weak, adding that even the Okada Union in Lagos will not let a 91-year-old man to be its president.

Nigerians are aware that Cameroonians are leaving their country in droves because of Biya’s tyranny and mismanagement and they hold that Cameroonians should be courageous enough to take the bull by the horn instead of running away.

He added that though Nigeria is not an Eldorado, it is better than Cameroon because Nigerians are enjoying free speech.

He pointed to Minister Atanga Nji’s press release which banned any discussions on President Biya’s health, adding that such a person should never be a minister in Cameroon, a country which has millions of highly educated people.

He said most of Africa was praying for Biya to quit the political scene, adding that at his age, he was too old to engineer any real change or reforms in the country.

By Chi Prudence Asong

16, September 2024

Nigeria: Prisoners flee after floods damage jail ⁰

The Nigerian authorities say more than 270 inmates are now known to be missing after escaping from custody when severe flooding damaged a prison in the north-eastern city of Maiduguri.

So far, seven are back in detention.

The flooding was caused by the collapse of a dam following heavy rainfall.

Several hundred thousand people in Maiduguri, which is the Borno state capital, have been forced from their homes by the floodwaters and at least 30 have died.

Borno state Governor Babagana Zulum described the extent of the damage as “beyond human imagination”.

‘I thought I would die with my six children’ – dam collapse survivor

This is the first time that the Nigerian authorities have admitted to the numbers who fled custody.

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) said on Sunday that after the walls of the medium security prison had been damaged, inmates were in the process of being transferred and some managed to escape during the “evacuation to a safe and secure facility”.

Governor Zulum had earlier told the BBC that some members of the Islamist militant group Boko Haram were among those who had got out.

But it is not clear how many of the fugitives are linked to jihadist violence.

NCoS spokesperson Umar Abubakar has tried to assure the public that his organisation is working with security agencies to recapture those who fled.

It has published the photos of the missing men and has urged people to remain calm adding that the prison break does not affect public safety.

Source: BBC

21, August 2024

Nigerians outraged by president’s new plane ⁰

Many Nigerians have reacted with outrage after a new plane was bought for President Bola Tinubu at a time when the economy is experiencing its worst crisis in a generation.

The purchase comes less than two weeks after thousands took to the streets across the country to protest at rising hunger and the cost of living.

Elected last year to lead Africa’s most populous country, Mr Tinubu has introduced several economic reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidies, which have contributed to high inflation, currently over 30%.

President Tinubu said the reforms were necessary to cut government spending and stimulate long-term growth.

In January, the Nigerian president announced a 60% reduction in the size of official travel delegations, including his own entourage.

However on Monday, the president departed for France using a newly acquired Airbus A330, which has become the latest addition to the presidential fleet of more than five aircraft.

The cost of the plane has not been disclosed, and nor has the reason for his trip.

X user @Fdmlearn said it wasn’t right that Nigerians were being told to undergo economic pain while the government was buying a new plane for the president.

“Wait so despite the Tinubu led Government telling Nigerians to bear the economic hardship and wait for a better tomorrow, they were busy paying cash for a new private Jet to add to the presidential fleet that has over 6 aircraft’s already?”.

Another X user @RealOlaudah was even more angry.

“Let’s tell ourselves the truth. Tinubu’s new Airbus presidential aircraft purchase for N150 billion at a time of penury, hunger, and want shows how wicked, selfish, self-indulgent, and insensitive to the plight of the average Nigerian he really is.”

However, @Timi_The_Law says he supports the president’s decision as the plane is not personal but belongs to the office of the president.

“Tinubu’s decision to buy a new plane is the right one. The plane belongs to the office of the president, and future presidents will enjoy it,” he posted.

It is not known if lawmakers approved the purchase, which was not mentioned in this year’s budget.

In a statement on X, President Tinubu’s media aide Bayo Onanuga said the new plane would actually save money.

“The new plane, bought far below the market price, saves Nigeria huge maintenance and fuel costs, running into millions of dollars yearly,” the statement read in part.

The new presidential jet was recently released to the Nigerian government after it was seized by a Chinese firm, Zhangson Investment Co. Limited, which obtained a Paris court order to seize some Nigerian government assets following an investment dispute with Ogun state in south-west Nigeria.

The 15-year-old plane, with a market value of $600m (£460m) is said to have an elaborate configuration for VIPs and replaces the country’s 19-year-old Boeing BBJ 737-700.

Nigerian officials have previously said that the presidential fleet had a high maintenance cost due to the age of its planes.

In June, lawmakers recommended the purchase of two new aircraft for the president and his deputy, saying the old ones were not safe.

Last month, lawmakers passed a supplementary budget, which sought to raise the 2024 budget from 28.7 trillion naira ($18bn; £14bn) to 35.06 trillion naira.

It is not known if the purchase of the new plane was included in this budget.

The BBC has reached out to the Senate President and the Office of the National Security Adviser but is yet to get a response.

Source: BBC

30, July 2024

Obasanjo says Africa is on the edge of chaos ⁰

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has warned that the African continent was on the edge of chaos.

“All over Africa, we are… sitting on a keg of gunpowder,” he said in a recent interview with CNN affiliate Citizen TV.

“There’s virtually no exception (country) in Africa where the youth are not angry. They are unemployed… unempowered and they see nothing other than hopelessness,” he said.

Obasanjo warned that “if no adequate attention is paid to the needs of the youth in Africa … it will be very ugly for all of us.”

In some of Africa’s major cities, young people are experiencing a summer of discontent as anger and frustration erupt over corruption, the soaring cost of living, and widespread unemployment.

The protests began in Kenya last month, where young people – particularly Gen Z – engaged in six weeks of demonstrations over an unpopular bill that sought to raise taxes. At least 50 people died as a result.

President William Ruto retracted the bill and announced a shake-up of his cabinet following pressure from demonstrators who remained on the streets, saying they were unhappy about alleged corruption and police brutality in his government. There have been some calls for him to resign.

Kenya, East Africa’s dominant economy, has grappled with escalating living costs that have spiked food prices and other commodities, amid a rising unemployment rate among the country’s youth. The nation also owes billions of dollars in foreign and local debts, spending a sizeable chunk of its revenue repaying its creditors.

The unrest swiftly spread to neighboring Uganda, where citizens attempted to march to the parliament in the capital, Kampala, on July 23 and 25. Security forces responded with a heavy clampdown, detaining more than 100 people, according to police reports.

Those protesting are angry about widespread government corruption in the country, which loses an estimated Sh. 10 trillion ($2.7 billion) in public funding to graft annually, according to Ugandan anti-corruption body the Inspectorate of Government (IG).

Radio host Faiza Fabz, who joined the protests, said on social media that the demonstration was an “opportunity to change the course of our nation” and “force the leaders to finally listen to us and demands of the people.”

Some of those demands include “auditing the lifestyle” of MPs “and publicizing it,” and the resignation of lawmakers involved in corruption scandals, according to a newspaper front page she shared on social media platform X. Fabz was among the demonstrators detained by the Ugandan police.

Uganda has witnessed some stability in its economy following “an oil-related construction boom and robust growth of agriculture,” according to the World Bank.

But it has also grappled with endemic corruption, scoring 26 last year on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, which ranks countries on a scale of zero to 100, with zero meaning “highly corrupt” and 100 signifying that a country is “very clean.”

Several high-profile Ugandan politicians were sanctioned by the United States and the United Kingdom for corruption earlier this year, including the speaker of the country’s parliament, Anita Annet Among, whom the protesters called on to resign.

President Yoweri Museveni, 79, who has ruled Uganda with an iron fist for nearly four decades, warned the protesters they were “playing with fire,” and later praised the security forces for “foiling” the protests, and claiming without evidence that they were orchestrated with “funding from foreign sources.”

‘Reality check for African leaders’

In Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria, young people are also planning an “end bad governance” march on August 1.

Young Nigerians calling for protests want a respite from the country’s economic woes as inflation skyrockets to more than 34%, its highest level in nearly 30 years, causing one of the nation’s worst ever cost-of-living crises. Unemployment in the West African nation has also been on the rise, its data office said in its most recent report, in February.

They also want the country’s security problems curbed amid a rise in kidnappings for ransom, among other demands, which include “reducing the cost of living, curbing insecurity, reducing the cost of governance, electoral reform, judicial reform, and constitutional reform,” according to a signed statement from a group of civil society organizations.

Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong said in an interview with Arise Television on Sunday: “People are tired, people are hungry…. Why does the president have to wait till the 1st of August? He can start this moment to effect the changes that people are asking for.”

The last time a major protest occurred in Nigeria, security forces opened fire on unarmed protesters who were peacefully demonstrating against alleged police brutality, resulting in deaths and injuries.

Fearful of a repeat of the 2020 #EndSARS protests, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has called for calm and implored citizens not to take to the streets.

He warned that the planned protest “could degenerate into violence and set the country backwards,” alleging that the upcoming march was being instigated by citizens with dual nationality.

“The sponsors of protests do not love our country … They do not understand citizenship. They have alternative passports. They are in different parts of the world holding meetings virtually,” the president said.

A Nigerian defense spokesman said the planned protest could replicate deadly demonstrations in Kenya.

“The context of this planned protest is to shadow what is happening in Kenya … and … what is happening in Kenya … is violent … and remains unresolved,” spokesman Edward Buba said at a press conference, adding that “the military will not stand by and allow anarchy to befall our nation.”

For Gift Mugano, an adjunct professor of economics at South Africa’s Durban University of Technology, the youth uprisings are “a reality check for African leaders.”

“It’s like a protest contagion because the Kenya Gen Z movement is stimulating the momentum in other African countries,” Mugano told CNN.

He added that “as long as there are no economic opportunities, and governance and rule of law are not at their best, we will not have stability in the continent.”

Mugano advised African governments against cracking down on protesters, telling them to instead “attend to issues affecting the continent, create economic opportunities and improve governance.”

A ‘growing discontent’

Senegalese political analyst Mamadou Thior echoed this sentiment, telling CNN that the rising dissatisfaction among Africa’s youth could lead to unrest across the continent.

“There is a growing discontent among young people (in Africa) and those who are in charge should pay attention to this movement,” Thior said.

He added that “young people are impatient, and they want things to change at a very rapid pace.”

According to Thior, who leads the Senegalese media ethics organization CORED, youth activists across the continent are connected through social media, “and that’s why what is happening in Kenya can affect people in Uganda and even here in West Africa.”

Youth-led uprisings against corruption and bad governance have also erupted in other parts of Africa, including Senegal and Ghana, in recent months.

Uganda’s President Museveni warns citizens they are ‘playing with fire’ over planned protests

Protests broke out in Senegal in February after its then-president Macky Sall announced a delay in the country’s scheduled elections. Following demonstrations that left at least three protesters dead, Sall backtracked on the delay after the Senegalese constitutional council ruled against his decision to postpone the vote.

The ruling coincided with the release of many political detainees, including current President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who was released just a little over a week before the election.

In the preceding months, Ghana, Senegal’s fellow West African state, saw days of anti-government protests as demonstrators railed against economic hardships and unemployment.

Source: CNN

28, June 2024

Cameroon, Nigeria agree to end border dispute ⁰

Nigeria and Cameroon said Thursday they would no longer seek a court ruling to settle their disputed border.

Rather, the two nations said, joint delegations will validate a demarcation plan on site and put an end to long-standing territorial disputes.

The nations share about 2,100 kilometers (1,300 miles) of border, from Lake Chad in the north of the Gulf of Guinea to the Atlantic Ocean coast.

Leonardo Santos Simao, chairperson of the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission set up by the United Nations to solve the countries’ territorial disputes, said he is delighted the two countries decided to resolve their disputes without long and expensive processes at the International Court of Justice.

The agreement to peacefully resolve border disputes before the end of 2025 was made at a meeting of the Mixed Commission on Wednesday and Thursday in Yaounde. Simao called it a milestone.

The two countries agreed to visit disputed territories in Rumsiki and Tourou in northern Cameroon and Koche in eastern Nigeria before the end of 2024.

Nigerian Justice Minister Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, who is the leader of the West African state’s delegation to the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission, confirmed that the countries have agreed to complete the project within 12 months.

“It’s a consensus between Cameroon and Nigeria. By the end of 2025, this project should be concluded,” he said. “We have so admirably and maturely handled the situation in such a way that there is hardly any dissent. We are satisfied with the outcome of the two-day meeting, and we are hopeful that there is light at the end of the tunnel.”

Cameroon and Nigeria say the border demarcation was slowed by Boko Haram terrorism in both countries. They say that the Boko Haram group’s firepower is drastically reduced now and that the demarcation can continue.

The two states say they will move past existing differences over the precise location of the border in about 30 villages.

The Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission was established in 2002 at the request of President Paul Biya of Cameroon and the then-Nigerian leader Olusegun Obasanjo to facilitate the implementation of an October 10, 2002, International Court of Justice ruling that ceded Bakassi, an oil-rich border peninsula, to Cameroon.

Nigeria initially rejected the verdict, with its senate arguing that the ruling, based on a colonial era agreement, was unfair and should be appealed. But Nigerian officials said the verdict should be respected.

Source: VOA

24, June 2024

Seven, including children, killed as over 100 abducted in gunmen attack in Nigeria ⁰

Gunmen have attacked a village in northwestern Nigeria, killing at least seven people and abducting more than 100 others, residents and police say.

The attack took place in Nigeria’s northwestern Katsina state on Saturday night, residents and police said.

According to residents, gunmen on motorbikes arrived in Maidabino village in the Danmusa local government area of Katsina, and began firing sporadically, forcing residents to flee.

Hassan Aliyu, one of the residents, told Reuters by phone that the attack took residents by surprise and dozens of women and children were confirmed missing.

“They killed seven people, including burning two children,” he said, adding, “They spent more than six hours destroying our properties.”

Auwalu Ismail, another resident, said the gunmen first blocked all roads leading to the village before the attack.

“They burned down our shops, vehicles, and took away our livestock. They also kidnapped my wife and more than 100 women and children,” he said.

State police spokesperson Abubakar Aliyu Sadiq confirmed the attack and the seven deaths. But he refrained from commenting on the news of missing people, saying investigations are underway.

“The remaining men who did not flee are living in fear … and waiting to hear news about their abducted loved ones,” Muhammad Sani, whose sister was kidnapped, said.

Nigeria’s northwest and central regions have seen the largest mass abductions for ransoms in recent years.

In March, Boko Haram gunmen kidnapped more than 250 school children, including at least 100 children aged 12 or under, after raiding a school in a town in the northwestern state of Kaduna.

Last year, gunmen took over 80 students in a raid on a school in the northwestern state of Kebbi.

Source: Presstv