Nigeria is adjusting how it conducts air operations against armed groups as part of an updated security arrangement with the United States. Under the new framework, Nigerian fighter aircraft will increasingly rely on U.S. reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering...
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...
U.S. Immigration Policy and the Changing Landscape of Africa-U.S. Travel
As the United States prepares to implement a new round of immigration and visa policy changes in 2026, the effects are being felt across Africa and parts of the Middle East. What began as a technical overhaul of screening and enforcement procedures has evolved into a...
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: Human Rights Watch accuses Nigeria army over civilian drone strike victims
Posted On 7 June 2023
A leading rights group urged Nigeria’s army on Tuesday to take responsibility for a drone strike that killed 39 civilians in January, calling for compensation for the victims and their families. The army eventually admitted ordering the strike near the town of Rukubi, in a central region known for ethnic and religious violence, that hit a group of herders on January 24. But in a response to Human Rights Watch (HRW) dated May 17, the army said it had targeted “alleged terrorists” based on “credible information”, without admitting any fault.
“The military’s unacceptable delay in owning up to the killing and injuring dozens of civilians only compounds the tragedy of this shocking attack,” HRW’s Africa researcher Anietie Ewang said in a statement. “The Nigerian military should provide full accountability for their actions as well as financial compensation and livelihood assistance commensurate with the needs of the victims and their families,” she said.
In Washington, State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said, “Reports of civilian casualties should be thoroughly and transparently investigated.” Efforts to prevent civilian casualties “are central to our security cooperation with the Nigerian military”, Patel told reporters.
Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule earlier told Nigerian media that the attack was carried out by a drone. Army officials declined to comment immediately when contacted by AFP on Tuesday.
Security forces regularly carry out airstrikes in northwest and central Nigeria against Islamist insurgents as well as criminal gangs, at times
accidentally hitting civilians. Human Rights Watch said it based its investigation on interviews in March with two survivors and seven family members of the victims. It said it also examined photographs of bodies and visited a mass grave of 31 bodies.
Alhaji Hassan Bello, who said he lost nine loved ones during the attack including his three sons and six brothers, told the rights group that he
fainted when he saw the bodies and was hospitalised for three days. “When I close my eyes, I hear their voice and then I see their bloodied bodies,” he was quoted as saying.
HRW said that witnesses described officers seizing more than 1,000 cows two weeks before the incident after they strayed into Benue State. Herders said they paid fines but believe they were deliberately targeted as a reprisal, with authorities in Benue hostile to herders from the Fulani community.
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.
Nigeria’s Conflict Goes Global With Washington Entering the Fight
U.S. airstrikes in northwestern Nigeria mark a rare moment in which a long-running domestic security crisis crossed into direct American military involvement. While Nigerian forces have relied on aerial bombardment for years against insurgents and armed groups, the decision to authorize U.S. strikes introduces new political signaling, diplomatic pressure, and strategic implications. This analysis examines why the intervention occurred now, how it differs from Nigeria’s own military operations, and what it reveals about the growing internationalization of conflict in West Africa.
