Latest Abuja News

ECOWAS pledges to 'keep door open' after 3 coup-hit West African nations exit regional bloc

Jan. 29, 2025 12:42 PM EST

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — The junta-led West African nations of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso have formally withdrawn from the regional bloc known as ECOWAS, the body said Wednesday. The previously announced withdrawal, which marks the culmination of a yearlong process during which the...

Nigerian soldiers killed 79 militants and suspected kidnappers in the past week, army says

Jan. 24, 2025 16:45 PM EST

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigerian soldiers killed 79 militants and suspected kidnappers over the past week, the army said Friday, in an operation targeting a decades-long insurgency by Islamic militants in the northeast and attacks by various armed groups in the northwest. The West...

Death toll in Nigeria gas tanker explosion rises to 98

Jan. 20, 2025 15:19 PM EST

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — The death toll from a gasoline tanker explosion in north-central Nigeria has risen to 98, the country’s emergency response agency said Monday. The blast happened in the early hours of Saturday near the Suleja area of Niger state after individuals attempted...

Nigerian gasoline tanker explosion death toll rises to 86, with 55 others injured

Jan. 19, 2025 14:58 PM EST

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — The death toll from a gasoline tanker explosion in north-central Nigeria has risen to 86, the country’s emergency response agency said on Sunday. The blast happened in the early hours of Saturday near the Suleja area of Niger state after individuals...

Nigerian gasoline tanker explosion kills at least 70 people, authorities say

Jan. 18, 2025 14:47 PM EST

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — At least 70 people have died in north-central Nigeria after a gasoline tanker exploded, the country’s emergency response agency said. The blast happened in the early hours of Saturday near the Suleja area of Niger state after individuals attempted to...

Nigerian army says it killed 76 extremists during a weeklong operation in Borno State

Jan. 16, 2025 14:10 PM EST

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigerian troops killed 76 Islamic militants in the country's northeast during operations conducted in various parts of Borno state, the military said Thursday. The operations took place between Jan. 7 and Jan. 13, Nigerian army spokesperson Edward Buba said...

Why do civilians often die in Nigerian military strikes that target rebels?

Jan. 15, 2025 04:30 AM EST

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — The Nigerian military has mistakenly killed hundreds of civilians in airstrikes targeting armed groups in the nation's conflict-battered north over the years, many of them locals bombed in their villages. The latest misfire was on Saturday when the Nigerian...

Explosive device kills 2 at a school near Nigeria's capital, police say

Jan. 06, 2025 18:48 PM EST

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — An improvised explosive device detonated at a school on the outskirts of Nigeria’s capital Monday, killing two people who were handling the bomb and injuring two others, police said. The IED was suspected to have been brought to the Tsangagyar Sani Uthman...

Why did at least 67 people die in Christmas charity stampedes in struggling Nigeria?

Dec. 22, 2024 11:18 AM EST

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Stampedes during three Christmas charity events across Nigeria have left at least 67 people dead in the past week, many of them children. Families are struggling during the country's worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation. At least 35 children were killed...

Stampedes in Nigeria leave at least 32 dead during Christmas food distribution

Dec. 22, 2024 08:09 AM EST

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — The death toll from stampedes during two Christmas charity events in Nigeria has increased from 13 to 32, police said Sunday. The victims, including at least four children, collapsed during crowd surges as people grew desperate for food items while the country grapples with...