Warri, Nigeria | AFP | Nigerian militants on Sunday blew up a state-run pipeline in the restive oil producing south, in the latest act of sabotage aimed against the strategic sector, a local official said. “The pipeline popularly known as the Abura line was bombed at about 7:30 am on …
Read More »As Nigeria’s recession takes hold, Buhari’s shine wanes
Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | It’s not Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari’s fault that Nigeria’s economy is inextricably tied to the global price of oil, now half of its 2014 peak of over $100 per barrel. But the president’s response to the economic crisis has a growing number of people concerned …
Read More »Polluted water in hand, Nigerian king takes Shell to court in London
London, United Kingdom | AFP | King Emere Godwin Bebe Okpabi holds up a plastic bottle containing contaminated water from his community in Nigeria, proof of oil pollution that he blames on Royal Dutch Shell — and on which he hopes a London court will deliver justice. “My people …
Read More »Nigeria’s economic crisis deepens
Abuja, Nigeria | AFP | Nigeria’s economic slump sharpened in the third quarter as rebels bombed oil pipelines in the restive south and businesses struggled to access foreign exchange, official data showed Monday. The third quarterly contraction in a row comes as the West African nation reels from a crash …
Read More »Moses leads Nigeria to another World Cup win
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Victor Moses opened and closed the scoring as Nigeria overcame Algeria 3-1 Saturday to take charge of their group in 2018 World Cup qualifying. Captain John Obi Mikel, a Chelsea team-mate of Moses, was also on target for Nigeria at a packed Uyo stadium …
Read More »Nearly 60 percent of Nigerian flights delayed in 3 months
Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | Nearly 60 percent of domestic flights were delayed in Nigeria in just three months to the end of September, local media reported on Monday, citing statistics from the country’s aviation regulator. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) recorded 7,722 delays of the 13,097 scheduled flights …
Read More »Nigeria frees ex-president’s spokesman held in graft probe
Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | Nigeria has released a spokesman for former president Goodluck Jonathan held for allegedly diverting money meant to fight Boko Haram Islamists, an anti-graft official said Sunday. Reuben Abati was arrested and held for questioning by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) since October 24 …
Read More »Nigeria rescues Chibok schoolgirl near Cameroon border
Kano, Nigeria | AFP | Saturday Nigerian troops on Saturday rescued another of the missing Chibok schoolgirls seized by Boko Haram Islamists, in an operation near the border with Cameroon, a spokesman said. The girl, found along with her baby son, was one of the more than 200 schoolgirls taken …
Read More »African Development Bank okays $600 million loan for Nigeria
Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | The African Development Bank has approved the first installment of a $1 billion loan to Nigeria to help President Muhammadu Buhari combat a “crisis situation”. In a Wednesday press release, the AfDB said that the $600 million loan was the “first tranche of a US …
Read More »Nigeria officials ‘sexually abusing Boko Haram victims’
Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | Human Rights Watch on Monday accused Nigerian officials of sexually exploiting women and girls living in camps for victims of Boko Haram in the war-torn northeast. HRW said in July it documented 43 cases of women and girls in seven ‘internally displaced persons’ (IDP) camps …
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