…collected in ransom from that incident alone, with the funds channelled to Ansaru in the Sahel region.Beyond fundraising, Rufai said kidnapping patterns had expanded to include schoolchildren and worshippers of both faiths, and that some abductions were now aimed at securing the release of detained group members. He no…

…bilateral ties between the two countries. On defence pacts with some countries in the Sahel, Lavrov said Russia was helping to eliminate security threats in the region, adding that Moscow was aware that some Western capitals were using Ukrainian mercenaries to sabotage the efforts, as they did in Libya, in a bid to und…

…during the six months, with nearly half of the 66,800 deaths projected across the Sahel region expected to occur in the country. The report, published on September 22, 2026, and titled “451,000 at Risk: Where Action Can Save Lives During the Super El Niño,” estimates that 451,000 additional heat-related deaths could oc…

…during the six-month period, with nearly half of the 66,800 deaths projected across the Sahel region expected to occur in the country. The report, published on September 22, 2026, and titled 451,000 at Risk: Where Action Can Save Lives During the Super El Niño, estimates that 451,000 additional heat-related deaths coul…

…in January 2025.At last weekend's meeting, representatives of ECOWAS and the Alliance of Sahel States agreed to establish joint working groups to develop a framework agreement for cooperation.The engagement follows discussions that have continued since the three countries withdrew from ECOWAS amid tensions over militar…

…to recruit members, conceal funds and coordinate attacks across West Africa and the Sahel. They raised the alarm in Abuja on Tuesday at a three-day regional training conference on detecting and disrupting terrorists’ exploitation of information and communication technologies and emerging technologies. The Acting Direct…

…operations. For example, this was seen with the smuggling of cigarettes around the Sahel by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. Currently, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, an al-Qaeda affiliate, uses extortion of traders and racketeering of smuggled goods to generate income. A significant collaboration between these…

…crisis, and called for greater solidarity with countries confronting terrorism in the Sahel. But it was his intervention on slavery and reparatory justice that potentially carries the greatest historical significance. Mahama argued that acknowledging the historical crime is not sufficient. “True healing requires truth.…

…days later, Vice President Kashim Shettima spoke for Nigeria. He addressed Sudan and the Sahel and pressed for Security Council reform. Nigeria was represented, and its case was heard. Yet President Bola Tinubu’s absence deserves scrutiny. He has missed three consecutive General Assemblies, sending Shettima in 2024, 20…

…country committed to constitutional order, democracy and stability in West Africa, the Sahel and across Africa. He said Nigeria’s position on the situation in Niger had already been made clear in an earlier statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on August 30, 2026. The minister said the Federal Government…

…of constitutional order, and a pillar of democracy and stability” in West Africa, the Sahel and Africa.He said the Federal Government had already made its position clear in an earlier statement issued on August 30, expressing deep concern over developments in Niger and calling for a peaceful, inclusive and participator…

…to enable vulnerable communities defend themselves. Imagine our closeness to the Sahel and the difficult terrain around the Lake Chad. Imagine the Niger Delta militancy and the challenge of navigating the creeks by regular forces. We have such peculiar problems that require strategic solutions. Take the example of a St…

…to share photos of the leaders of the three countries in the AES (Alliance des États du Sahel). AES, or The Alliance of Sahel States, is a mutual defense pact and political confederation formed by Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. Sani shared photos of General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the leader of Niger's military governme…

…in Niger will impact positively and directly on Nigeria, the sub-region and the Sahel. Any resort to the use of force to settle political differences detracts from this objective."Nigeria called on the Nigerien authorities to pursue an "inclusive and participatory" path towards restoring stability and constitutional or…

…and a military base at the international airport, while the state broadcaster, Tele Sahel, was briefly taken off air. The junta described the incident as a “destabilization plot” and said it had been contained. The Federal Government said it was keen to see peace, security, democracy and development prevail in Niger, n…

…to Niger's special forces as a likely source.Beatrice Bianchi, an adviser for the Sahel-Sahara Security Strategies Centre in Dakar, said presidential guard forces appeared to be gaining the upper hand by early Sunday morning, with many of the soldiers who had barricaded themselves inside Air Base 101 reported killed. "…

…Observers offered competing explanations.Wasim Nasir, a French journalist who covers Sahel conflicts, posted on X that the attack was likely a "coup d'état" and a "settling of scores between military personnel." Conflict researcher Hasret Kargin was more cautious, saying "there is currently no information on whether th…

…101 in Niamey, a report confirmed by several other witnesses. National TV station Tele Sahel went off air for just over an hour, with a black screen replacing normal programming both via satellite and online. It was restored around 10:00 am (0900 GMT). Soldiers blocked access to the presidential palace and national tel…

…by several other witnesses. At 9:00 am (0800 GMT), a black screen had replaced Tele Sahel’s programming both via satellite and online. Soldiers blocked access to the presidential palace and national television, residents added. The first shots were heard at about 1:00 am local time (0000 GMT) and continued until daybre…

…our northern security environment cannot be divorced from developments across the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin. “As Atiku rightly acknowledged, Nigeria shares borders with Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. While the region continues to confront terrorism, violent extremism and transnational organised crime have proven to be…

…said Nigeria and other ECOWAS member states adopted the wrong approach towards the three Sahel countries following military coups that brought juntas to power. According to him, the countries should not have been isolated because of the military takeovers. “I will get the ECOWAS leaders to sit down and deliberate, and…

…complicated security situation," encompassing terrorism spilling over from neighbouring Sahelian states, banditry in the north-west, groups such as ISWAP, ISIS, and Boko Haram, farmer-pastoralist clashes, and violence from cult groups and militias.Despite the gains cited by US officials, insecurity across Nigeria has c…

…independent reporting in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger amid the security crisis in the Sahel.

…illegal mining, organised crime and terrorism across Nigeria, West Africa and the Sahel. The call was made during a strategic visit by a UNODC delegation to the Mining Marshals Corps, where the international body commended the specialised unit for its expanding role in tackling illegal mining and related criminal activ…

…to keep its promise to hand power back to civilians by March 2024 at the latest. The Sahel country has been wracked since 2012 by a serious security crisis, notably fuelled by violence from jihadists allied to Al-Qaeda or the Islamic State group, along with criminal gangs and armed separatists. AFP