News from Sms

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 Smartmedian Studio🎙

(SMS)

    • Thirteen Nigerian policemen killed in ambush

      Chris Ewokor

      SMS News, Abuja

      The authorities in Nigeria say 13 policemen were killed in an ambush by suspected armed gangs in the north-western state of Zamfara on Sunday.

      Seven others were also wounded after they responded to distress calls from villagers in the Bungudu local government area of the state.

      A statement by the governor of Zamfara state, Bello Matawalle, said the police officers “came under fire following an ambush staged by armed gangs”.

      The incident comes a day after armed assailants kidnapped at least 50 people from several villages in the wider state, which has been riven by insecurity.

      Cases of armed gangs attacking communities and kidnapping villagers - many of them for ransom - have risen.

      In other parts of Nigeria, attacks on security agents by gunmen have also been on the rise.

      Last week, an army general was killed by suspected armed gangs near the capital Abuja.

      On the same day four soldiers were also killed at different locations across the country.

    • Covid: Nigerian capital and six states on high alert

      Chris Ewokor

      SMS News, Abuja

      A person receives a dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus disease vaccine in Lagos
      Copyright: Getty Images
      Image caption: Nearly 170,000 cases have been confirmed in Nigeria

      Nigeria has placed its capital Abuja and six other states on high alert following the emergence of the Delta variant of coronavirus in the country.

      The presidential steering committee on Covid-19 in a statement on Saturday said the number of new cases and hospital admissions have continued to rise.

      The two most populous states in the country, Kano and Lagos are among the six places with “worrisome early signs of the third wave of the pandemic”.

      The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control said 203 new Covid-19 infections were recorded on Sunday.

      So far nearly 170,000 cases have been confirmed, with 2,127 deaths.

    • Nigerian army general shot dead in attack

      Ishaq Khalid

      SMS News, Abuja

      A senior Nigerian army officer has been shot dead by gunmen while travelling from the central city of Lokoja to the capital Abuja.

      Maj-Gen Hassan Ahmed was attacked in the late hours of Thursday. His wife, who was with him, was reportedly abducted by the attackers.

      This is the latest high-profile killing as insecurity continues to deteriorate across the country.

      The army has described the killing as a "sad incident".

      Gen Ahmed was recently appointed a senior director at Nigeria’s army headquarters. It is not yet clear who was behind the attack or their motive.

      Nigeria is grappling with worsening insecurity with various armed groups unleashing violence including killings and kidnappings for ransom. Both civilians and the security forces have fallen victims.

      The authorities have been severely criticised for their failure to tackle the deepening crisis.

    • Nigerian army frees 1,000 Boko Haram suspects

      Ishaq Khalid

      The Nigerian army has released more than 1,000 people who have been cleared of having links with the Islamist militant group Boko Haram.

      They were reportedly being held at a military facility in the north-eastern city of Maiduguri in Borno state.

      Army spokesman Onyema Nwachukwu said the 1,009 suspects had undergone a "rigorous" profiling process before being cleared and handed over to the civilian authorities for release.

      It is not clear how long they have spent in military detention.

      In a recent report, the UN said the decade-long Islamist insurgency in north-eastern Nigeria had caused the deaths of nearly 350,000 people.

    • News, Abuja

    • Women killed in food stampede at Nigerian camp

      Mayeni Jones

      BBC News, Nigeria

      At least 10 women, most of whom were either pregnant and/or breastfeeding, have been killed in a stampede in the town of Monguno in north-eastern Nigeria.

      The crush occurred when thousands of people in a camp for the people who've fled their homes because of the Islamist insurgency rushed to receive food aid.

      It was being distributed by the International Committee of the Red Cross, which says it is shocked and concerned at the loss of life and has offered its support to local health authorities to help treat the wounded.

      A security source said people panicked after police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd.

      More than100,000 displaced people live in Monguno.

      Most of them are victims of a decade-long war between Islamist extremist groups and Nigerian security forces.

    • Nigeria's Eid horse parades cancelled over security

      Ishaq Khalid

      BBC News, Abuja

      Horsemen during a durbar in Daura in Nigeria - 2019
      Copyright: Getty Images
      Image caption: The Durbars are usually colourful events attracting many tourists

      Celebrations to mark the Muslim festival of Eid ul-Adha have been cancelled in two traditional emirates in the northern Nigerian state of Katsina because of security concerns.

      This includes the cancellation of their spectacular horse-riding parades known as durbars.

      Performed by galloping horsemen, the durbars in the emirates of Daura and Katsina usually attract thousands of spectators from within Nigeria and neighbouring countries.

      A horseman and his horse in traditional costumes at a Durbar in Katsina, Nigeria - 2019
      Copyright: Getty Images
      Image caption: The horsemen come to pay their respects to local rulers known as emirs

      But this is the third year in a row that these festivals will not take place in some areas.

      Insecurity and last year’s Covid-19 pandemic were the reasons behind previous cancellations.

      This year the region has been particularly hard hit by violence linked to armed criminal gangs who frequently carry out kidnappings for ransom as well as killings.

      Drummers at a durbar in Katsina, Nigeria - 2019
      Copyright: Getty Images
      Image caption: The festivities at the durbars usually go on for several days

      A spokesperson for the Katsina emirate told the BBC that special prayers would be said at palaces for peace and security in Nigeria instead of the large traditional gatherings.

      Next week’s Muslim holiday, also known as Eid al-Kabir in Nigeria, usually begins on the last day of the Hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

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