Witnesses in Nigeria say fighting between soldiers and Islamist insurgents in a market in the country’s northeast has left at least 20 people dead. Residents and medical personnel in the city of Maiduguri say the dead, who they identify as mostly civilians, were killed when the fighting erupted Monday in the popular Baga market. Military […]
Witnesses: At least 20 Killed in Nigeria Market Attack
Posted February 20th, 2012 at 5:30 pm (UTC-5)
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Bomb Explodes Outside Church in Central Nigeria
Posted February 19th, 2012 at 12:30 pm (UTC-5)
Several people were reported wounded in the central Nigerian town of Sulega when a bomb exploded outside a church. A police spokesman said the explosion came from a parked car. He described it as minor and said an investigation is underway. Sulega is located on the edge of the nation’s capital, Abuja. Suspicion immediately fell […]
Islamic Radicals Storm Nigeria Prison, 119 Inmates Escape
Posted February 16th, 2012 at 6:30 pm (UTC-5)
Islamic radicals have stormed a prison near Nigeria’s capital, killing one guard and letting 119 inmates flee into the night. Witnesses say about 20 gunmen on motorcycles rode up to the prison in the town of Koton-Karifi, shot at the guards, and bombed the main gate. The ultra-conservative Islamic group Boko Haram claimed responsibility Thursday […]
Islamic Radicals Storm Nigeria Prison, 119 Inmates Escape
Posted February 16th, 2012 at 6:15 pm (UTC-5)
Islamic radicals have stormed a prison near Nigeria’s capital, killing one guard and letting 119 inmates flee into the night. Witnesses say about 20 gunmen on motorcycles rode up to the prison in the town of Koton-Karifi, shot at the guards, and bombed the main gate. The ultra-conservative Islamic group Boko Haram claimed responsibility Thursday […]
Gunmen Storm Nigeria Prison, 118 Inmates Escape, 1 Dead
Posted February 16th, 2012 at 10:20 am (UTC-5)
At least 118 inmates have escaped from a Nigerian prison, after gunmen bombed their way inside and killed a guard during a shootout. The prison is located in the central town of Koton-Karifi, about 120 kilometers southwest of the capital, Abuja. Police say gunmen stormed into the facility Wednesday night. Witnesses said around 20 gunmen […]
Nigerian Militants Storm Prison, Free Inmates
Posted February 16th, 2012 at 6:20 am (UTC-5)
Police in Nigeria said Thursday that militants attacked a prison and freed several inmates in the central part of the country. Witnesses said around 20 gunmen on motorcycles attacked the federal prison just south of Abuja late Wednesday, firing at guards before setting off a bomb outside the main gate. They said one guard was […]
Nigeria Police Chief Decries Police Corruption, Abuses
Posted February 14th, 2012 at 12:10 pm (UTC-5)
Nigeria’s new police chief has said that members of the force routinely commit extra-judicial killings, jail innocent people, and demand bribes. During a speech Monday in Abuja, the acting inspector general of police, Mohammed Abubakar, said the police force had “fallen to its lowest level.” The new chief said police anti-robbery squads have become “killing […]
Monitor: Pirates Launch Deadly Attack Off Nigeria Coast
Posted February 13th, 2012 at 8:35 am (UTC-5)
Pirates have carried out a deadly hijacking off Nigeria’s coast, prompting a maritime watchdog to warn vessels about traveling through the region. The head of the International Maritime Bureau, Noel Choong, said the latest attack took place on Monday when the attackers seized a cargo ship, killing the ship’s captain and chief engineer. Choong told […]
Nigeria Government Says Poverty on Rise
Posted February 13th, 2012 at 7:55 am (UTC-5)
The Nigerian government says poverty continues to rise in the country despite overall economic growth in the past few years. The National Bureau of Statistics says 61 percent of Nigerians were living on less than $1 per day in 2010, compared to about 51 percent in 2004. It says the percentage of Nigerians living in […]
Nigeria Recaptures Top Suspect in Christmas Bombing
Posted February 10th, 2012 at 9:15 am (UTC-5)
Nigerian authorities have recaptured the top suspect in a Christmas day bombing that killed at least 37 people outside the capital, Abuja. Government officials say the State Security Service re-arrested Kabiru Sokoto on Friday in eastern Taraba state near the Cameroon border. Authorities say he has been flown to Abuja. Sokoto is believed to belong […]
