Nigerian police say at least 13 people were struck and killed by a speeding vehicle after they were forced to lie in the middle of the road during a robbery. Police say robbers intercepted a bus Tuesday on a main road near the capital, Abuja. The thieves then ordered the passengers out of the bus, […]
Nigerian Robbery Victims Struck by Speeding Bus, 13 Dead
Nigeria Seeks Information About Militant Sect
A radical Islamist sect `bombed a checkpoint in northern Nigeria the same day the government established a new committee tasked with investigating the group. An army spokesman said suspected Boko Haram militants exploded a bomb Tuesday in the town of Maiduguri. There were no casualties from the blast, but the spokesman said there may have […]
Nigeria Seeks Information About Militant Sect
Nigeria’s government has established a committee to learn more about the radical Islamist sect Boko Haram. When it first announced the committee on Sunday, the government said the seven-person panel would negotiate with Boko Haram, which is blamed for a long string of killings, mostly in the northeastern state of Borno. But a Nigerian government […]
Nigerian Gov’t Seeks Talks With Boko Haram
Nigeria’s government says it to wants to negotiate with radical Islamist sect Boko Haram, which is blamed for dozens of killings in the country’s northeast. A government statement says President Goodluck Jonathan has named a seven-person panel to open talks with the group. It says the president appointed the panel after meetings with local leaders. […]
Nigerian State Orders Parents to Immunize Against Polio
Officials in Nigeria’s northern Kano state say parents who refuse to have their children vaccinated against polio may be prosecuted. The government order issued this week comes as the United Nations children’s agency, UNICEF, has been pressuring Nigeria’s northern states to promote vaccination against the highly contagious disease. Officials began a four-day immunization campaign in […]
Nigerian President Proposes Longer, Single Terms for Leaders
Nigeria’s president is proposing a constitutional amendment to limit presidents and state governors to a single, longer term. President Goodluck Jonathan announced his plan Tuesday, saying he hopes it will allow politicians to focus less on getting re-elected. The president said it also would save money to hold elections less frequently. His statement did not […]
Bomb Blast in Nigeria Wounds 3 Soldiers
A bomb blast in the northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri has wounded three government soldiers. A military officer, Hassan Mohammed, said the explosion occurred late Saturday. He said that radical Islamist sect Boko Haram was believed to be behind the blast. Boko Haram wants to impose strict Sharia law across the north, and it rejects […]
Nigerian Police Plead Not Guilty to Killing Islamic Leader
Five Nigerian police officers have pleaded not guilty to charges that they killed the leader of a radical Islamic sect two years ago. The officers were charged Tuesday at a court in the capital, Abuja, with “unlawfully killing” Mallam Mohammed Yusuf and some of his followers, and with committing a “terrorist act.” Yusuf was the […]
Greek Oil Tanker Hijacked Off Nigeria
Greek maritime officials say pirates have seized a Greek-run oil tanker off the coast of Nigeria. Officials said Monday that the Aegean Star and its 20-member crew were hijacked on Saturday. They say the ship was carrying oil from Ghana to Benin when it was seized 55 kilometers off the Nigerian coast, in the Gulf […]
Protesters Disrupt Shell Facility in Nigeria
Protesters in Nigeria broke into a Shell oil facility in the southern Niger delta demanding the company improve electrical supplies in their communities. Thursday’s demonstration by members of four local communities occurred at the Kolo Creek logistics base in Bayelsa state. The demonstrators accuse Shell of breaching an agreement to provide electricity and roads to […]