Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | The main challenger to President Muhammadu Buhari in next year’s presidential poll has signed a deal committing to peaceful elections a day after missing the initial ceremony in the capital. “Earlier today, I appended my signature to the Peace Accord,” Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples …
Read More »Nigeria presidential candidate denies peace deal snub
Abuja, Nigeria | AFP | Nigeria’s main opposition party has blamed a “communication lapse” for its candidate not being present to sign a deal with other candidates for peaceful elections. Atiku Abubakar was a notable absentee at Tuesday’s ceremony in Abuja, at which President Muhammadu Buhari and dozens of other …
Read More »Fact-check: have 60,000 Christians been killed in central Nigeria since 2001?
Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | A video uploaded to Facebook by one of US president Donald Trump’s lawyers claims that 60,000 Christians have been killed by nomadic Muslim herdsmen in central Nigeria since 2001. The claim has been shared hundreds of thousands of times on Facebook but AFP has found …
Read More »Nigeria’s Buhari signs election ‘peace deal’ with opponents
Abuja, Nigeria | AFP | Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari and a number of opposition leaders on Tuesday signed a deal for peaceful elections but the main challenger for the country’s top deal was not present. The 75-year-old former military ruler was joined by representatives of dozens of other parties to …
Read More »Amnesty calls on ICC to fully probe Boko Haram conflict atrocities
Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | Amnesty International on Monday said the International Criminal Court should start a full-blown investigation into atrocities committed in the Boko Haram insurgency, accusing Nigeria of failing to bring those responsible to justice. ICC chief prosecutor Fatma Bensouda opened a preliminary examination in 2010 into eight …
Read More »Nigeria’s president blocks electoral reform bill
Abuja, Nigeria | AFP | Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday refused to sign off on plans to overhaul the country’s electoral laws, judging that new rules would cause “disruption and confusion” so close to an election. Africa’s most populous nation goes to the polls to elect a new president …
Read More »Nigerian presidential candidate warns about vote-buying
Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | The main challenger to President Muhammadu Buhari in next year’s election has advised Nigerians against selling their votes as concerns persist over possible electoral fraud at the landmark polls. Atiku Abubakar, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), claimed Buhari’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had …
Read More »Boko Haram raids kill soldier in NE Nigeria as attacks intensify
Kano, Nigeria | AFP | Boko Haram jihadists have attacked two military bases in Nigeria’s restive northeast, killing one soldier and injuring two, security sources told AFP Wednesday, in a week that saw insurgent assaults on troops intensify. Riding in trucks fitted with anti-aircraft guns, fighters from the self-styled Islamic …
Read More »Nigeria confirms eight soldiers killed in Boko Haram attack
Kano, Nigeria | AFP | The Nigerian Army on Tuesday said eight soldiers have been confirmed dead in a Boko Haram attack on a military base over the weekend in the country’s restive northeast. Gunmen from the self-styled Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) faction of Boko Haram attacked the …
Read More »Nigeria seeks arrest, extradition of former oil minister
Abuja, Nigeria | AFP | Nigeria’s main anti-corruption agency on Monday filed for the arrest of former oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke after a judge approved a request for her to be charged with corruption. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said in a statement the application for warrant of …
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