The Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, is currently holding a retreat with his cabinet members in Damasak, the headquarters of Mobbar Local Government Area. Damasak is one of the communities in Borno State that became virtually empty after repeated attacks by Boko Haram. The town, one of the largest…

A local female 'activist', Kellu Haruna, who spent the last five years fighting for the release of her husband and other men detained by the Nigerian military as suspected members of Boko Haram, has died. She died after suffering a heart disease complication. Mrs Haruna gained media attention after she…

The Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, on Sunday broke his longtime silence to speak on the Borno governor's recent call on insurgents to lay down their arms and embrace government's amnesty programme. In an 18 minutes audio message, Mr Shekau, who spoke in his native Kanuri language and in Hausa,…

The major factor that hinders the Nigerian army from defeating Boko Haram is the lack of an "army aviation," the man who heads the army's operations against the terror group said. Olusegun Adeniyi, who is the Theater Commander of the army's Operation Lafiya Dole, said this when he received a…

The National Assembly joint committee on the army on Thursday, in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, expressed satisfaction with troops' ongoing fight against Boko Haram. The committee's visit to Borno comes at a time soldiers are being killed during attacks by the Boko Haram insurgents. The NASS committee, led by…

The Borno State government has begun a new round of recruitment of local hunters to join the fight against the Boko Haram insurgency that entered its eleventh year in July. Governor Babagana Zulum said he was seeking alternative approaches to ending the long-running conflict. Sources in the state government and…

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State on Friday signed an agreement with 30 Saudi-based clerics who are residing in the city of Makka, the seat of Islam's holiest mosque, to endlessly pray for the return of peace in Borno, a government statement said. The governor, who has been in Saudi…

Borno State government's recent demolition of illegal hotels and alcohol joints around Maiduguri, the state capital, was done in response to intelligence that such outfits have become security threats, the state attorney General, Kaka-Shehu Lawan, has said. Mr Lawan, who is also the Commissioner for Justice said about 20 brothels,…

The military says it has freed and handed over 25 children, who were earlier arrested in connection with Boko Haram activities, to the Borno State government. The children, comprising 23 males and two females, were arrested during different military raids on Boko Haram hideouts. The children have been absolved of…

The Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, on Sunday approved the release of N825 million to clear 50 per cent of arrears of gratuities to 1000 retired civil servants, a government statement said. The approval is the second of such payments to retirees since the state government and workers' union…

At least 50 children are diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition every day at various communities and camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in conflict-ravaged Borno State, health officials have said. After the 2016 malnutrition crisis in Bama where over 500 children under the age of five were treated for malnutrition,…

One of the six workers of Action Against Hunger, an international humanitarian organisation, who was abducted by Boko Haram two months ago, has been killed. The insurgents uploaded a video online showing how the humanitarian worker was beheaded. Nigerian journalist, Ahmed Salkida, broke the sad news via his Twitter handle…

A female House of Representatives member from Nigeria, Zainab Gimba, has been elected the vice-chairperson of the Commonwealth Women in Parliament (CWP) International in Kampala, Uganda. The CWP is holding its 64th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) at Speke Resort Munyonyo, Kampala. Mrs Gimba, a former university don and first time…

The Commandant of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Secondary School, Jaji, O.O. Ogundana, who had gone missing, was found dead and her body dumped inside a shallow well, military sources have told PREMIUM TIMES. She was allegedly killed by a man who also works as a teacher in…

The Federal Government of Nigeria is disappointed with the United Nation (UN) Special Rapporteur's report of "violence in Nigeria", a statement from the presidency said. According to the statement that was issued by the presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, the preliminary report on violence in Nigeria as released by UN Rapporteur,…

The Nigerian Army Thursday announced a blacklist of Action Against Hunger, an international humanitarian organisation operating in Northeast Nigeria for allegedly 'aiding and abetting' Boko Haram terrorists. A statement issued by the 'Operation Lafiya Dole' Theatre Command in Maiduguri, Borno State, said the army has 'credible intelligence' that the NGO…

Nigerian soldiers have surrounded the Damaturu office of Action Against Hunger, an international non-governmental organisation in Yobe State. A staff of the humanitarian organisation said armed soldiers arrived at the office at about 5 p.m. and ordered all workers in the premises to leave at once. "As I am talking…

The Commandant of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Secondary School, Jaji in Kaduna State, O.O, Ogundana, has gone missing. The naval officer has not been seen for days. Reliable military sources informed PREMIUM TIMES that the Navy Commander might have been missing for days before it was noticed…

Nigerian soldiers have surrounded the Maiduguri office of Action Against Hunger, an international nongovernmental working in Borno State. Witnesses said soldiers took over and sealed the property Wednesday night. By Thursday morning, a PREMIUM TIMES reporter saw two military trucks packed at the entrance to the office. Some workers told…

The Yobe agricultural summit is aimed at moving 70 per cent of the farming population from subsistence to commercial agricultural practice, Governor Mai-Mala Buni has said. On Monday the governor declared open a week-long agricultural summit that had Nigeria’s major players in the agricultural sector in attendance. Speaking Monday in…

The Sunday night shooting that lasted over an hour at the University of Maiduguri was not an exchange between soldiers and suspected Boko Haram fighters, the university has said. Speaking on the incident, the spokesperson of the institution, Ahmed Muhammed, said contrary to early reports, the gunfire was an effort…

There was panic at the University of Maiduguri on Sunday night as soldiers battled to repel a Boko Haram attack on the higher institution. Sources at the university, located along Maiduguri-Bama road, said deafening sounds of gunshots were heard echoing from a direction the female hostels are located. The gunshots…

At least 13 Nigerian soldiers have, within the last few days, been killed in what seems to be a resurgence of Boko Haram attacks on troops in the North East, military sources said. The attackers also carted away a large quantity of military equipment. The attacks, which started on Sunday,…

The Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, has urged the Nigerian press to stop using "glorifying" titles while addressing the Boko Haram insurgents. Mr Buratai, a Lieutenant General, said addressing the insurgents with titles like ISWAP, or JAS only glorifies and gives them "undue publicity." He said callng the insurgents…

Contrary to the claim by Nigeria's army chief, the Boko Haram terror group still exist, and operate, in North-eastern Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari has said. Mr Buhari, however, said the terror group "has been degraded, but its members are still a nuisance around Lake Chad and surrounding islands." Mr Buratai…