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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...

How to fake your own abduction and get arrested for itF

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

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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