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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...

Madagascar sends artemisia drink to Nigeria to fight Covid-19

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Posted On 16 May 2020

Abuja, May 16, 2020 – Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday received samples of a herbal concoction that Madagascar claims can cure people infected with the new coronavirus, his office said. Buhari who collected the potion from President Umaro Sissoco Embalo of Guinea Bissau who visited him in Abuja said the native remedy would be scientifically tested before use. “We have our institutions, systems and processes in the country. Any such formulations should be sent to them for verification,” he said. “I will not put it to use without the endorsement of our institutions,” he added.

The virus has so far infected 5,445 people and claimed 171 lives in Africa’s most populous nation of 200 million inhabitants. Several other African nations have also expressed interest in the purported remedy, which is known as Covid-Organics. The drink is derived from artemisia — a plant with proven efficacy in malaria treatment — and other indigenous herbs. But the World Health Organization has warned against “adopting a product that has not been taken through tests to see its efficacy”, and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has also said it should be “tested rigorously”. Madagascar leader Andry Rajoelina on Monday dismissed criticisms against the herbal concoction, saying the West was against it because it was discovered in Africa. Madagascar’s official body in charge of drug control has not approved the drink for sale in the country.

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...