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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...

‘Armed bandits’ kill 10 in northern Nigeria’s Kaduna stateF

Posted On 15 October 2020

Armed assailants killed at least 10 civilians in attacks on two villages in a restive area of northern Nigeria, witnesses said Monday. The gunmen attacked the communities of Kidandan and Kadai in Kaduna state over the weekend in what authorities said was revenge for law enforcement operations against them. Resident Amiru Lawan Balarabe told AFP that “at least 10 people” were buried after the attack. A second resident Mustapha Yusuf put the figure at 16 killed and said that 25 others were wounded.  Several hundred people fled after the attacks, both witnesses said.

Armed gangs regularly raid villages in central and northwestern Nigeria, killing and kidnapping people as well as looting and burning homes. Kaduna commissioner for internal security and home affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said security forces carried out an offensive after the assault on Kidandan. “The fleeing armed bandits carried out a reprisal attack on Kadai village, leading to loss of lives, and razing of houses, motorcycles and vehicles in the village,” he said in a statement.

Gunmen are believed to hide in the vast forest that stretches across Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and Niger states. Their attacks are generally motivated by money, but security experts have warned that jihadist groups have attempted to infiltrate their ranks.

AFP

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.

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