Battling multiple bombers strapped with suicide vests, Nigerian troops and civilian self-defense fighters repelled the fiercest Boko Haram extremist attack in months on the key northeastern city of Maiduguri on Friday. Nine bombers and two civilians were killed, according to witnesses, soldiers and police. The city is the birthplace of the Islamic insurgency and the headquarters of the military campaign to halt it. Residents awoke to mighty explosions around midnight. Three female suicide bombers blew themselves up at a truck station, detonating vehicles at Muna Garage on the city's eastern outskirts, according to police Deputy Superintendent Victor Iskukwu. Muna Garage…

Director-General of the Debt Management Office (DMO), Dr Abraham Nwankwo said Nigeria’s total debt as at December 31, 2016 was 57.39 billion dollars (N17.36 trillion). He made this known when defending the agency’s 2017 budget before the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts in Abuja on Thursday. Nwankwo said the amount included domestic and foreign debts owed by the country as at the end of 2016. While giving a breakdown of the debt profile, he said the external debt profile stood at 11.41 billion dollars (N3.48 trillion), while the domestic debt stock stood at 45.98 billion dollars (N13.88 trillion).…

Following the free fall of the Naira against the Dollar in the foreign exchange market, National Economic Council (NEC) has asked Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to urgently review its foreign exchange policy. NEC noted that the current exchange rate, which had invariably affected the prices of goods in the market to an all time high, was no longer sustainable. At the moment, the local currency exchanges N516 to one Dollar. Briefing State House correspondents at the end of NEC meeting presided over by Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday, Deputy Governor of Nassarawa State, Mr.…

Boko Haram Islamic extremists fired repeatedly at a military helicopter on a humanitarian mission in northeast Nigeria and wounded one airman, the Nigerian Air Force said Thursday. A fighter jet and helicopter gunship were immediately scrambled and retaliated, killing scores of the insurgents at the located threat, spokesman Group Capt. Ayodele Famuyiwa said in a statement. He said the Mi-17 transport helicopter was carrying medical personnel from Maiduguri city to treat refugees in the Gwoza area when it came under repeated fire on Wednesday. But the pilot was able to continue the flight safely and the attack didn't interrupt a…