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Nigerian president Tinubu under pressure to avoid war with northern neighbor Niger

By Camille Malpat with Aminu Abubakar in Kano, Nigeria: Political leaders in Nigeria are urging President Bola Tinubu to reconsider a threatened military intervention against junta leaders in neighbouring Niger, ahead of a Sunday deadline to reinstate the country's...

Nigeria grapples with end of fuel subsidy

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...

Nigeria: Bandits raid six villages in north, kill 30 civilians

Armed men killed 30 people in weekend raids on six villages in Nigeria's north, a region regularly hit by criminal violence and clashes between communities, local police have said. The bloodshed is the latest outbreak of inter-communal violence which the country's...

Nigeria: ISWAP ambushes army unit, kills several soldiers

Several Nigerian soldiers died in an attack on a military convoy in the Lake Chad region by jihadist fighters aligned with the Islamic State group, security forces said Tuesday. The convoy was hit by militants from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP)...

Nigeria: Cash-strapped Boko Haram kidnaps herders for ransom

Boko Haram jihadists have kidnapped 30 ethnic Fulani herders near northeast Nigeria's Lake Chad, demanding ransom for their release, fishermen and the head of an anti-jihadist militia told AFP Tuesday. The militants in eight boats stormed the fishing and herding...

How to fake your own abduction and get arrested for it

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Posted On 9 June 2020

A 17-year-old girl in southwestern Nigeria who allegedly faked her own kidnap to demand a ransom from her mother has been arrested, police said on Sunday. Seun Adekunle is accused of conspiring with her boyfriend to stage her abduction in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun state and asking for 500,000 naira (1,388 dollars). “The two lovers were arrested on Thursday following a report by the girl’s mother that she had not been seen since since June 1,” state police spokesman Abimbola Oyeyemi told AFP. He said the girl’s mother got a call from someone two days later claiming to have kidnapped her and demanding 500,000 naira for her release. “The caller also warned her against reporting the abduction to the police if she still needed her daughter,” Oyeyemi said. He said police detectives were able to trace the girl and her lover to their hideout. “They were caught hibernating, yet passing themselves off as victims of abduction. They were promptly arrested.” Oyeyemi said the suspects would be taken to court after investigation. Kidnapping for ransom is common in southern Nigeria where oil workers, prominent Nigerians, including relations of sports stars, have been abducted in recent years. The victims are usually released unhurt after ransom payments.

AFP

Nigerian army drone hits village in Kaduna State, kills civilians

By Aminu Abubakar with Laurie Churchman in Abuja: An army drone strike accidentally hit a village in northwestern Nigeria killing dozens of civilians celebrating a Muslim festival, local authorities, the military and residents said on Monday. Nigeria's armed forces...

Nigeria’s election runner-up, Atiku Abubakar, files appeal over election challenge

The runner-up in Nigeria's presidential election in February on Tuesday filed an appeal to the Supreme Court to overturn a ruling rejecting a challenge to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's election victory. Opposition parties had claimed various irregularities, from...