Nigeria

A Nigerian mass wedding to fight stigma of 'divorcee'

In a state better known for bombings, a mass wedding of 100 divorcees to confront traditional stigma of divorce in Nigerian society.
US mulls Nigeria's Boko Haram for terror watch list

The Nigerian militant group Boko Haram has killed more than 1,000 in a three-year insurgency, and may have ties with Al Qaeda. Will putting the group on a terror watch list help?
Nigeria soldiers arrest Boko Haram commander

The arrest of the Islamist sect's operational commander Suleiman Mohammed, and discovery of arms cache, is welcome news for Nigeria, which has been battling Boko Haram for three years.
Amid battles, Boko Haram offers dialogue with Nigerian president

A caller claiming to speak for the Islamist militant group Boko Haram called a local TV station on Sunday demanding 'one on one' dialogue with Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan.
Africa Monitor
Killing the messenger: Islamist insurgency widens in Nigeria

A suicide bombing at a venerable newspaper suggests that journalists could now become routinely targeted by Boko Haram, says guest blogger G. Pascal Zachary.
Church service attacked in Nigeria after Boko Haram threats

An attack on a Christian church service at a university in northern Nigeria Sunday left at least seven people dead. The Islamist group warned it would attack schools and other institutions.
Separate bomb blasts rock Nigeria's newspapers, at least six killed

While no one has taken credit for the twin blasts, the methods used in the attacks on the newspaper offices appear similar to those used by the Islamist fundamentalist group, Boko Haram.
Nigerian forces raid suspected Boko Haram bomb factory

While Nigerian security forces have succeeded in arresting senior members of Boko Haram, the Islamist militant group has shown signs of growing sophistication in its methods.
Boko Haram: Fed up residents apprehend Islamists in northern Nigeria

Residents of Kano arrest two Boko Haram fighters in a sign of frustration with the group's campaign of terror in northern Nigeria.
Boko Haram: Nigeria's Army kills nine suspects after attack

Nigerian Army kills nine suspected members of the banned Islamist militant group Boko Haram, blamed for the deaths of 1,000 in a three-year long rebellion in northern Nigeria.
Keep Calm
Nigerian government ready for talks with Islamist group Boko Haram

But after a Boko Haram campaign that killed at least 1,000, and a government crackdown that killed the Islamist group's leader, there are questions as to what the two sides can discuss.
In Nigeria, Somalia, and Afghanistan: what is a foreign fighter?

In countries where colonial borders don't reflect ethnic or family ties, it's not as easy to decide who is a foreigner. Yet Nigeria has deported 11,000 foreigners in the past six months on suspicion of Islamist sympathies.
Nigeria's new police chief vows crackdown on corruption

Nigeria's acting inspector general Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar admits that Nigerian police have committed extrajudicial killings and run criminal rackets. That will change, he says.
With oil pipeline attack, Niger Delta rebels announce return

After a year long truce, Niger Delta rebel group MEND launched an attack on an oil pipeline. MEND's attacks come as Nigeria's military is struggling with the Islamist Boko Haram movement in the north.
Can you hear me now? Nigeria arrests Boko Haram spokesman.

Nigerian security sources say they traced the Boko Haram spokesman Abu Qa Qa by tracing his cellphone calls, a tactic also used to track down Osama Bin Laden.
Terrorism & Security
Nigeria tense after Islamists kill at least 178

A spokesman for the Islamist group Boko Haram claimed responsibility for Friday's attacks in the northern Nigeria city of Kano. 
Occupy Nigeria victory: president to cut fuel prices

The initial removal of an estimated $7 billion annual fuel subsidy impacted an entire population and crippled the Nigerian economy.
Nigeria closes its borders amid unrest from Islamists, strikers

Nigeria's president met with security chiefs to discuss Islamist group Boko Haram, while Nobel prize winner Wole Soyinka warned his country may be heading toward civil war.
Famed author Chinua Achebe on the Occupy Nigeria strikes

In an interview with The Christian Science Monitor, Nigerian author Chinua Achebe supports fuel-subsidy protests and says that Nigeria's unrest can be eased by better, less-corrupt leaders.
Africa Monitor
Why Nigerians are in an 'occupy' mood (+video)

It would be unacceptable to citizens anywhere if the price of gasoline doubled overnight without warning, argues guest blogger Jeremy Weate.
'Occupy Nigeria' emerges ahead of mass strike

Talking of '1 percent cabals,' opponents of Nigeria's government are angry about its removal of a fuel subsidy and its weak response to ongoing attacks by a radical Islamist sect.
Terrorism & Security
Christmas church bombings put global spotlight on 'Nigerian Taliban' (VIDEO)

The US is pledging to help Nigeria identify those responsible for a series of attacks that left at least 40 people dead on Christmas day.
Africa Monitor
Islamic banking stirs up controversy in religiously-divided Nigeria

The governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria is fielding criticism for exacerbating the country's sectarian problems by allowing Islamic banking to make its debut in Nigeria.
Terrorism & Security
Nigeria Islamist group Boko Haram blamed for escalating violence

Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram is suspected in Sunday's deadly attacks on beer gardens, the latest since the inauguration of a Christian president May 29.
Africa Monitor
Boko Haram attacks show new range, sophistication

Recent attacks by Nigerian Islamist militant group Boko Haram drive home to politicians the need to bring isolated northern Nigeria into alignment with the government.