MEA RISK’s SHIELD & ALERT notifications: Access requires installing Shield & Alert mobile application. More info on S&A here or click here to signup and install

Nigeria: Questions Mount Over U.S. Airstrikes in Northern Nigeria$

By Leslie Varenne, MondAfrique: The American strikes carried out in Nigeria on Christmas Day raise serious questions. Beyond the confusion surrounding the objectives of the operation, inconsistencies in official statements, and the unclear nature of the targets, the...

Nigeria grapples with end of fuel subsidyF

By Alexandre Martins Lopes: Nigerians are struggling with surging fuel prices after newly elected President Bola Tinubu declared an end to popular subsidies, a move analysts and experts said was long overdue. On his first day in office, Tinubu kept to his campaign...

Kidnapped US national released in LagosF

Posted On 13 July 2020

A US woman lured to Nigeria on a promise of marriage and held for more than a year by an internet fraudster, has been rescued, police said on Sunday. The suspect, Chukwuebuka Obiakuwhom, met the woman on Facebook, and extorted $48,000 from her by promising to marry her. “Police operatives have successfully rescued an American citizen who was confined in a Lagos hotel where she was held against her wish for over a year,” national police spokesman Frank Mba said in a statement.

“The victim, a retired civil servant from Washington DC, USA, reportedly arrived in Nigeria on February 13, 2019”, and was held hostage by the suspect who also sexually abused her. He said the suspect was “an internet fraudster who has defrauded many people locally and internationally”. Police said the suspect would be charged at a later date. Nigerian scammers often use the internet to dupe their victims by promising them non-existent jobs, marriages or business opportunities.

Recent News from Nigeria

Nigeria Adjusts Airstrike Strategy Under Expanded U.S. Security Cooperation$

Nigeria is modifying how it conducts air operations against armed groups under a revised security arrangement with the United States. The new framework places greater emphasis on U.S. intelligence and reconnaissance support while shifting operational responsibility to Nigerian forces. The approach reflects Abuja’s effort to balance external assistance with domestic control amid ongoing security challenges in the country’s northwest.

Nigeria: Questions Mount Over U.S. Airstrikes in Northern Nigeria$

The U.S. airstrikes carried out in northern Nigeria on Christmas Day have triggered confusion and skepticism across the region. Conflicting statements from Washington and Abuja, uncertainty over the identity of the targeted groups, and reports from strike locations where no militants were found have raised serious questions about the operation’s objectives. In an already fragile security environment, the lack of clarity risks adding instability rather than addressing Nigeria’s complex security challenges.

Shield and Alert Nigeria