UK optician kidnapped and killed in Niger Delta, three other medical aid workers rescued

UK optician kidnapped and killed in Niger Delta, three other medical aid workers rescued
A British optician, kidnapped with a missionary couple and another optician while working in the Niger Delta of Nigeria, has died. Ian Squire founded a Christian charity, Mission for Vision, in 2003 to “improve the lives of those living in the poorest regions in the developing world”. Once a year he . . . Read More

Boko Haram attacks intensify in Nigeria & Cameroon

Boko Haram attacks intensify in Nigeria & Cameroon
On 25 July, 20 people were killed when a 12-year-old girl blew herself up in a crowded bar in Maroua, northern Cameroon.World Watch Monitor   The radical Islamist group Boko Haram has intensified its suicide bombing attacks in northern Nigeria and Cameroon in recent weeks. On Friday (31 July) a . . . Read More

Nigerians, fearing election violence, forfeit vote to move to other end of country

Nigerians, fearing election violence, forfeit vote to move to other end of country
Ahead of Nigeria’s general elections on 28 March, hundreds of people, fearful of election violence, have fled back to their place of origin, World Watch Monitor has been told. The election was originally scheduled for 14 February, before being postponed to the March date for security reasons. Take for example . . . Read More

Claim of truce raises hope that kidnapped Nigerian girls will be released

Claim of truce raises hope that kidnapped Nigerian girls will be released
The deserted streets of Chibok in August.World Watch Monitor   Nigeria’s kidnapped schoolgirls will be released as part of a truce between militant Islamist group Boko Haram and government forces, the Nigerian army said Friday. The Nigerian chief of defence, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, made the announcement. Boko Haram . . . Read More

Goodluck Jonathan’s amnesty gamble

Goodluck Jonathan’s amnesty gamble
A month ago, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan said he would not negotiate with the militant Islamic sect Boko Haram because they were “ghosts,” faceless adversaries who would not step forward. That was then. This Wednesday, the President is scheduled to formally inaugurate a committee to explore amnesty for Boko Haram . . . Read More