At least nine worshippers have been reported killed in an attack by suspected terrorists in the Saya-Saya community in Ikara Local Government of Kaduna state. The member representing Ikara local government at the state’s House of Assembly, Alhassan Muhammed, reported that the assailants attacked two communities. “The sad incident happened on Friday after Insha’i prayer, the gunmen invaded the Saya-Saya town on a motorcycle with sophisticated weapons. “They started shooting inside and outside the mosque during the night prayer, killing seven people inside the mosque and two others in the neighbourhood. “The Kaduna State government, the local government councils and…

Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), on Sunday, says the country lost an average of $7.2 million monthly from illegal oil connections. The oil firm disclosed this following the discovery of an illegal connection in Owaza community, Abia state. The illegal connection was discovered on Saturday, by the oil theft situation assessment delegation deployed in the Niger Delta by the federal government. The team was also said to have visited the Trans-Niger Pipeline Right of Way in Owaza, Abia, where an array of dismantled illegal connections were observed. The delegation was led by Muhammed Badaru, minister of defence. Some of…

At least 12 people have been kidnapped in two separate incidents in northern Nigeria, officials and witnesses said on Saturday. In the first incident, unidentified assailants kidnapped four people late on Friday. Those taken included the village head of Nasarawa-Burkullu community in northwestern Zamfara state, local official Muhammad Bukuyum said on Saturday. Bukuyum said the other victims were three local farmers, and that the assailants had demanded a ransom, without giving further details. In a separate incident, Boko Haram militants abducted eight farmers on Saturday in Maiwa village, about three kilometres from Maiduguri, the capital of northeastern Borno state. Mohammed…

Forty-nine women kidnapped by Boko Haram earlier in the week near Maiduguri, in Nigeria's northeastern Borno state, regained their freedom early on Friday after a state official paid a ransom for their release, two of the victims and a local leader said. The women were abducted on their farms on Tuesday morning in Shuwaei Kawuri village on the outskirts of Maiduguri, two victims who did not want to be identified told Reuters. "We were all released at midnight after Boko Haram said our families secured our release after meeting their demands," one of the victims said. While the Islamists had…