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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...

Bandits raid Ukuru in Niger state, kill 14 residentsF

Posted On 14 August 2020

Shield and Alert Nigeria

Article sponsored by MEA Risk LLC

Dozens of armed cattle thieves killed 14 people and stole herds during a raid on a village in central Nigeria, police said Thursday. The latest deadly attack by cattle rustlers in the restive region was on the Ukuru village in Niger state on Wednesday, regional police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun said. “The gunmen opened fire on the village, killing 14 people and wounding five others,” Abiodun said. “The attackers stole an unspecified number or cattle from the village.” Police officers were sent to the area to track down the assailants with the help of local vigilantes, he added.

Armed gangs of cattle thieves, called bandits by locals, regularly raid villages in central and northwestern Nigeria, killing and kidnapping people as well as looting and burning homes. They have generally been motivated by money, but security experts warn the region’s jihadist groups have been increasingly infiltrating their ranks. Boko Haram, which has waged a bloody Islamist insurgency in northeast Nigeria for over a decade, released a propaganda video earlier this month showing bandits from Niger state pledging allegiance to the group.

AFP

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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