16:15 08/06/2015
Sumaila - Health workers move from door to door in the rural
Sumaila district of Kano state,administering oral polio vaccines to
children under five.
It could be any other vaccination drive but
the programme has extra importance in Nigeria, where there has not been a
case of the virus since July 24 last year.
As the one-year
anniversary approaches without a case, health officials are keen to keep
it that way. If successful, Nigeria will be taken off the list of
polio-endemic countries.
Fauziyya
Ahmed scribbles a code with chalk on the door of a house that she and
her team have just visited to indicate the children are now immunised.
"So far we have not encountered any resistance from parents in all the homes we have visited," she told AFP.
"People
now accept the polio vaccine as safe for their children, unlike in the
past, when parents were hostile to vaccinators and would call them
names."
Aggressive battle
They
weren't only called names. In February 2013, eight unknown gunmen
opened fire on two polio clinics in Kano, killing nine women
vaccinators.
Between 2003 and 2004, Kano state suspended polio
immunisation for 13 months, after some Muslim clerics and doctors
claimed the vaccine was a US-led Western plot to depopulate Africa.
Similar claims have been made in the world's two other polio-endemic countries, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
In
all three, that and Islamist extremist violence from the likes of Boko
Haram and the Taliban have hindered vaccination efforts, allowing the
virus to re-emerge.
Laboratory analysis both inside and outside
Nigeria has declared the vaccine safe but public health officials and
international agencies have faced a battle ever since to convince
parents.
Their aggressive fight with the help of organisations such as the Gates Foundation and Rotary International has paid off.
In
2009 there were 338 recorded cases of polio in Nigeria but there were
only six last year, according to World Health Organization surveillance
data.
Local leaders
In Kano
state, work to combat polio has included using the latest satellite
technology to track teams of vaccinators and determine the areas
covered.
Influential religious and community leaders were also
brought in to help persuade parents to give their children the jab, said
health education officer Ahmed Sule Hungu.
Public information
films were shown illustrating the debilitating effects of polio, which
includes paralysis, permanent disability and death.
Health workers used the distribution of nutritional supplements to persuade parents to have their children inoculated.
Murtala
Yahaya, 47, had his two children vaccinated after watching the film
while 52-year-old Umar Sallau said he was convinced because of the
involvement of clerics and traditional chiefs.
"I didn't trust
polio vaccines because I was told it was not safe for children," said
Sallau, from Rimi village, 20 kilometres (13 miles) from Sumaila.
"But
when I heard clerics advising people to allow their children to be
immunised and I saw our traditional chief publicly giving polio drops to
his child, my view on polio vaccines changed.
"If polio vaccines
were not safe, our clerics would not advise us to use it for our
children and our traditional leaders would not have given it to their
own children."
Bargaining chip
Vaccinators
still face challenges, stemming from the priority the local authorities
have placed on polio at the expense of treatment for other prevalent
conditions such as malaria.
"This was why some of us rejected it
in protest but now that they include other much-needed drugs, we accept
it," said housewife Laraba Maikudi from Gidan Sidi village, as her
three-year-old daughter received the polio jab.
Two hundred metres
away, two health workers were sitting under a huge baobab tree,
examining sick children and dispensing drugs for free.
"This is
part of the incentives to make them accept the polio vaccine because
they complain the government is always concerned about polio," said one
health worker, without giving his name.
Resistance to the vaccine
is also used as a bargaining chip to force the state government to
provide much-needed but scarce social services.
People in remote
Dagora village in Sumaila district for example demanded an access road
in exchange for allowing in the vaccinators.
"Resistance is no
longer about ignorance... but is as a result of social frustration
created by lack of basic amenities, especially lack of healthcare
facilities in public hospitals," said Danjuma Al-Mustapha, a monitoring
and evaluation officer with the UN children's fund in Kano.
Monday, 8 June 2015
Police arrest seven member gang over cultism in Lagos
16:15 08/06/2015
Lagos - Police in Lagos have arrested a seven member gang after an alleged shooting that killed five youths, Leadership reported.
The gang was arrested after heavy interrogation by police and threatening to unleash mayhem in the city of they are not released immediately.
Police are also looking for the leader of the National Union of Road Transport Workers who is said to be involved in the matter and is still at large.
However police are still trying to find other youths who are believed to be terrorising the state.
For more on this story visit Leadership
Lagos - Police in Lagos have arrested a seven member gang after an alleged shooting that killed five youths, Leadership reported.
The gang was arrested after heavy interrogation by police and threatening to unleash mayhem in the city of they are not released immediately.
Police are also looking for the leader of the National Union of Road Transport Workers who is said to be involved in the matter and is still at large.
However police are still trying to find other youths who are believed to be terrorising the state.
For more on this story visit Leadership
Buhari bids for help against Boko Haram
18:21 08/06/2015
Berlin - The Nigerian government says new President Muhammadu Buhari has told France's leader at the G-7 summit that his country would welcome greater support from other nations in its effort to end Boko Haram's insurgency.
A government statement said Buhari also said Monday that Nigeria would like more intelligence on Boko Haram's links with the extremist Islamic State group, its movements and training and the sources of its weapons. It said that, at the meeting with French President Francois Hollande, Buhari reaffirmed his government's "total commitment to ending Boko Haram's insurgency in the shortest possible time."
The Islamic extremist uprising has killed an estimated 13,000 people and forced 1.5 million from their homes.
Buhari took office on May 29.
3:29 p.m. (1329GMT; 9:29 a.m. EDT)
U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon has warned world leaders that efforts to fight terrorism can misfire if they don't respect fundamental rights.
Ban told the Group of Seven meeting in Germany on Monday that security measures and even military action may be necessary to combat violent extremists.
But he cautioned that "when counter-terrorism efforts ignore the rule of law and violate fundamental rights, which they do far too often, they not only betray the values they seek to uphold, but can also end up further fueling violent extremism."
Ban said targeting entire minorities increases bitterness, radicalism and extremism within those communities
3:21 p.m. (1321GMT; 9:21 a.m. EDT)
President Barack Obama says it will take time but Islamic State militants will ultimately be defeated and driven out of Iraq.
Obama says the challenges remain significant in Iraq, where the IS group controls large swaths of territory and recently took the key city of Ramadi.
But the president adds that success against the militants will ultimately depend on an effective international coalition backing Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.
Obama says he's "absolutely confident we will succeed" if the international coalition supports Abadi and the prime minister has a government that represents everyone.
Abadi thanked Obama and leaders from the Group of Seven wealthy democracies for their support. He also expressed confidence in ultimate victory.
The two leaders commented Monday as they met on the sidelines of the G-7 summit being held in Elmau, Germany.
3:15 p.m. (1315 GMT; 9:15 a.m. EDT)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel says there is "not a lot of time" to work out a deal over more bailout money for financially troubled Greece.
Merkel said at the Group of Seven summit in Germany on Monday that Greece needs to agree to take steps to straighten out its finances and economy, as it negotiates with other eurozone countries and the International Monetary Fund for more bailout loan money.
Greece is dangerously close to running out of money and defaulting on debt repayments to the IMF and the European Central Bank. A default could worsen Greece's situation and perhaps force it out of the euro
Merkel said that "we want Greece to remain part of the eurozone but we've got the clear message that solidarity... requires Greece to implement measures."
3:05 p.m. (1305 GMT; 9:05 a.m. EDT)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel says the Group of Seven wealthy democracies have agreed that the world should phase out the use of fossil fuels by the end of this century.
Merkel said Monday that the G-7 leaders committed themselves to the need to "decarbonize the global economy in the course of this century."
That is a technical term for ending the use of oil, gas and coal but not nuclear power — and replacing them with alternative sources of energy such as wind and solar power.
Merkel had pressed for the G-7 to agree on the goal so it can be put forward at a summit on climate change later this year in Paris. Burning carbon-based fuels such as oil and gas releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which is blamed for global warming.
2:58 p.m. (1258 GMT; 8:58 a.m. EDT)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel says the Group of Seven democracies have agreed that sanctions against Russia must remain in place until a cease-fire deal for eastern Ukraine is fully respected.
Merkel, closing a two-day summit in southern Germany, said Monday that the G7 was ready to step up the sanctions later if the situation called for it.
The European Union and the United States have imposed economic sanctions on Russia over its conflict with Ukraine. A cease-fire agreement reached in Minsk has been shaky, with the heaviest fighting in months breaking out in recent days between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces.
12:25 p.m. (1125 GMT; 6:25 a.m EDT)
The White House says President Barack Obama and French President Francois Hollande are in agreement on some of the world's vexing problems, including Russia's actions in Ukraine and keeping Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
The two leaders met Monday on the sidelines of a summit of the Group of Seven leading democracies being held in Elmau, Germany.
Obama and Hollande agreed that economic sanctions against Russia should stay in place until Russia fully implements terms of a peace accord with Ukraine. They also agreed to stay united in pursuit of a deal with several other world powers to restrict Iran's nuclear program.
France at times has taken a harder line and expressed more skepticism than Washington on the Iran talks.
The White House says the leaders also discussed climate change, trade, countering Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, and instability in Libya.
12:20 p.m. (1120 GMT; 6:20 a.m EDT)
Activists have had a hard time sending their message to the G-7 leaders, who are tucked away in a secluded Alpine valley guarded by thousands of police.
So Greenpeace decided Monday to project its demands onto a nearby mountain.
The environmental group used green lasers to beam the words "G-7: Go for 100 percent renewables" onto the side of the Zugspitze, Germany's highest peak.
Greenpeace climate policy chief Martin Kaiser said he hopes German Chancellor Angela Merkel will manage to convince climate holdouts such as Japan's Shinzo Abe to drastically cut down on carbon emissions in the coming decades.
11:50 a.m. (0950 GMT; 5:50 a.m. EDT)
The G-7 has opened its exclusive circle to meet with the leaders of Iraq and several African nations, along with the heads of various international organizations.
Key topics of discussion include the threat from terrorism and deadly diseases.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Arabi will brief leaders Monday on his country's fight against the Islamic State group, while African countries will talk about their efforts to stop the spread of Ebola.
The so-called "outreach" format also ensures that developing countries' views are heard on global issues such as plans to rein in global warming.
11.15 a.m. (0915 GMT; 5:15 a.m. EDT)
Mystery solved: the mayor of the village where President Barack Obama was served a pre-lunchtime beer says it was alcohol-free.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed Obama to Kruen, near the G-7 summit venue, a few hours before the meeting began on Sunday. It wasn't yet noon, but the president was served local delicacies including a tall glass of beer.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Sunday he didn't know what kind of beer Obama was served but he was confident the president didn't order a non-alcoholic version.
Kruen Mayor Thomas Schwarzenberger told news agency dpa Monday that German and U.S. officials had asked that the guests be given only alcohol-free beer, so that's what Obama, Merkel and her husband, Joachim Sauer, were given.
10:45 a.m. (0845 GMT; 4:45 a.m. EDT)
Leaders of the Group of Seven wealthy democracies are searching for a common stance on climate change on the second and final day of their summit in southeastern Germany.
Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany is seeking agreement on eventually moving away from the use of carbon-based fossil fuels and an endorsement of goals to limit the long-term rise in global temperatures and provide financing to help countries deal with the impact of climate change. Her idea is to forge a united front going into a conference on climate change in Paris later this year.
Leaders at the annual meeting will also hold discussions Monday on combating terrorism. The G-7 consists of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States.
Berlin - The Nigerian government says new President Muhammadu Buhari has told France's leader at the G-7 summit that his country would welcome greater support from other nations in its effort to end Boko Haram's insurgency.
A government statement said Buhari also said Monday that Nigeria would like more intelligence on Boko Haram's links with the extremist Islamic State group, its movements and training and the sources of its weapons. It said that, at the meeting with French President Francois Hollande, Buhari reaffirmed his government's "total commitment to ending Boko Haram's insurgency in the shortest possible time."
The Islamic extremist uprising has killed an estimated 13,000 people and forced 1.5 million from their homes.
Buhari took office on May 29.
3:29 p.m. (1329GMT; 9:29 a.m. EDT)
U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon has warned world leaders that efforts to fight terrorism can misfire if they don't respect fundamental rights.
Ban told the Group of Seven meeting in Germany on Monday that security measures and even military action may be necessary to combat violent extremists.
But he cautioned that "when counter-terrorism efforts ignore the rule of law and violate fundamental rights, which they do far too often, they not only betray the values they seek to uphold, but can also end up further fueling violent extremism."
Ban said targeting entire minorities increases bitterness, radicalism and extremism within those communities
3:21 p.m. (1321GMT; 9:21 a.m. EDT)
President Barack Obama says it will take time but Islamic State militants will ultimately be defeated and driven out of Iraq.
Obama says the challenges remain significant in Iraq, where the IS group controls large swaths of territory and recently took the key city of Ramadi.
But the president adds that success against the militants will ultimately depend on an effective international coalition backing Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.
Obama says he's "absolutely confident we will succeed" if the international coalition supports Abadi and the prime minister has a government that represents everyone.
Abadi thanked Obama and leaders from the Group of Seven wealthy democracies for their support. He also expressed confidence in ultimate victory.
The two leaders commented Monday as they met on the sidelines of the G-7 summit being held in Elmau, Germany.
3:15 p.m. (1315 GMT; 9:15 a.m. EDT)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel says there is "not a lot of time" to work out a deal over more bailout money for financially troubled Greece.
Merkel said at the Group of Seven summit in Germany on Monday that Greece needs to agree to take steps to straighten out its finances and economy, as it negotiates with other eurozone countries and the International Monetary Fund for more bailout loan money.
Greece is dangerously close to running out of money and defaulting on debt repayments to the IMF and the European Central Bank. A default could worsen Greece's situation and perhaps force it out of the euro
Merkel said that "we want Greece to remain part of the eurozone but we've got the clear message that solidarity... requires Greece to implement measures."
3:05 p.m. (1305 GMT; 9:05 a.m. EDT)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel says the Group of Seven wealthy democracies have agreed that the world should phase out the use of fossil fuels by the end of this century.
Merkel said Monday that the G-7 leaders committed themselves to the need to "decarbonize the global economy in the course of this century."
That is a technical term for ending the use of oil, gas and coal but not nuclear power — and replacing them with alternative sources of energy such as wind and solar power.
Merkel had pressed for the G-7 to agree on the goal so it can be put forward at a summit on climate change later this year in Paris. Burning carbon-based fuels such as oil and gas releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which is blamed for global warming.
2:58 p.m. (1258 GMT; 8:58 a.m. EDT)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel says the Group of Seven democracies have agreed that sanctions against Russia must remain in place until a cease-fire deal for eastern Ukraine is fully respected.
Merkel, closing a two-day summit in southern Germany, said Monday that the G7 was ready to step up the sanctions later if the situation called for it.
The European Union and the United States have imposed economic sanctions on Russia over its conflict with Ukraine. A cease-fire agreement reached in Minsk has been shaky, with the heaviest fighting in months breaking out in recent days between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces.
12:25 p.m. (1125 GMT; 6:25 a.m EDT)
The White House says President Barack Obama and French President Francois Hollande are in agreement on some of the world's vexing problems, including Russia's actions in Ukraine and keeping Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
The two leaders met Monday on the sidelines of a summit of the Group of Seven leading democracies being held in Elmau, Germany.
Obama and Hollande agreed that economic sanctions against Russia should stay in place until Russia fully implements terms of a peace accord with Ukraine. They also agreed to stay united in pursuit of a deal with several other world powers to restrict Iran's nuclear program.
France at times has taken a harder line and expressed more skepticism than Washington on the Iran talks.
The White House says the leaders also discussed climate change, trade, countering Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, and instability in Libya.
12:20 p.m. (1120 GMT; 6:20 a.m EDT)
Activists have had a hard time sending their message to the G-7 leaders, who are tucked away in a secluded Alpine valley guarded by thousands of police.
So Greenpeace decided Monday to project its demands onto a nearby mountain.
The environmental group used green lasers to beam the words "G-7: Go for 100 percent renewables" onto the side of the Zugspitze, Germany's highest peak.
Greenpeace climate policy chief Martin Kaiser said he hopes German Chancellor Angela Merkel will manage to convince climate holdouts such as Japan's Shinzo Abe to drastically cut down on carbon emissions in the coming decades.
11:50 a.m. (0950 GMT; 5:50 a.m. EDT)
The G-7 has opened its exclusive circle to meet with the leaders of Iraq and several African nations, along with the heads of various international organizations.
Key topics of discussion include the threat from terrorism and deadly diseases.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Arabi will brief leaders Monday on his country's fight against the Islamic State group, while African countries will talk about their efforts to stop the spread of Ebola.
The so-called "outreach" format also ensures that developing countries' views are heard on global issues such as plans to rein in global warming.
11.15 a.m. (0915 GMT; 5:15 a.m. EDT)
Mystery solved: the mayor of the village where President Barack Obama was served a pre-lunchtime beer says it was alcohol-free.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed Obama to Kruen, near the G-7 summit venue, a few hours before the meeting began on Sunday. It wasn't yet noon, but the president was served local delicacies including a tall glass of beer.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Sunday he didn't know what kind of beer Obama was served but he was confident the president didn't order a non-alcoholic version.
Kruen Mayor Thomas Schwarzenberger told news agency dpa Monday that German and U.S. officials had asked that the guests be given only alcohol-free beer, so that's what Obama, Merkel and her husband, Joachim Sauer, were given.
10:45 a.m. (0845 GMT; 4:45 a.m. EDT)
Leaders of the Group of Seven wealthy democracies are searching for a common stance on climate change on the second and final day of their summit in southeastern Germany.
Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany is seeking agreement on eventually moving away from the use of carbon-based fossil fuels and an endorsement of goals to limit the long-term rise in global temperatures and provide financing to help countries deal with the impact of climate change. Her idea is to forge a united front going into a conference on climate change in Paris later this year.
Leaders at the annual meeting will also hold discussions Monday on combating terrorism. The G-7 consists of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States.
53 bodies dug up since Nepal quake avalanche
17:16 08/06/2015
Kathmandu - Nepali soldiers and police have recovered the bodies of 53 trekkers and villagers buried in avalanches set off by an earthquake in April, and were digging through snow and rocks with shovels and hoes on Monday for signs of more victims.
Search and rescue operations had been suspended in the village of Langtang, 60km north of Kathmandu, last month as fresh avalanches buried some of the 128 bodies that had been recovered, putting rescue workers in danger.
Soldiers from the army's disaster response unit resumed the search after the risk from avalanches abated and recovered 53 bodies including three of foreign trekkers over the weekend, the military said in a statement.
"It is still confusing whether all these 53 bodies are new or also included those that were washed away by the avalanche after being recovered earlier," army spokesperson Brigadier General Jagadish Chandra Pokharel told Reuters.
Uddhav Bhattarai, the most senior bureaucrat of Rasuwa district where Langtang is located, said scores of soldiers, joined by police and villagers were looking for more than a dozen trekkers and Nepalis missing since the April 25 earthquake.
Rasuwa, bordering Tibet, is one of the areas hardest hit by the earthquake and another on May 12 which together claimed 8 773 lives in Nepal's worst natural disaster on record.
Kathmandu - Nepali soldiers and police have recovered the bodies of 53 trekkers and villagers buried in avalanches set off by an earthquake in April, and were digging through snow and rocks with shovels and hoes on Monday for signs of more victims.
Search and rescue operations had been suspended in the village of Langtang, 60km north of Kathmandu, last month as fresh avalanches buried some of the 128 bodies that had been recovered, putting rescue workers in danger.
Soldiers from the army's disaster response unit resumed the search after the risk from avalanches abated and recovered 53 bodies including three of foreign trekkers over the weekend, the military said in a statement.
"It is still confusing whether all these 53 bodies are new or also included those that were washed away by the avalanche after being recovered earlier," army spokesperson Brigadier General Jagadish Chandra Pokharel told Reuters.
Uddhav Bhattarai, the most senior bureaucrat of Rasuwa district where Langtang is located, said scores of soldiers, joined by police and villagers were looking for more than a dozen trekkers and Nepalis missing since the April 25 earthquake.
Rasuwa, bordering Tibet, is one of the areas hardest hit by the earthquake and another on May 12 which together claimed 8 773 lives in Nepal's worst natural disaster on record.
Gunmen kill Nigerian businessman in South Africa
17:16 08/06/2015
Lagos - A Nigerian businessman based in Johannesburg, South Africa, Mr Emmanuel Onyekaozuru, 50, was killed on Sunday by gunmen.
The President of Nigeria Union in South Africa, Mr Ikechukwu Anyene, on Monday told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Pretoria, South Africa, that Onyekaozuru was shot by two gunmen.
"The union has received a report that a Nigerian businessman, Emmanuel Onyekaozuru, was shot in his business premises at 9.00 p.m. yesterday (June 7).
''The report said that the gunmen shot the deceased and escaped in a car.
"The incident has been reported to the police and the Nigerian Consul General in South Africa,’’ he said.
Anyene said that the union would work with the consul general and the police to ensure that justice was done in the case.
"Mr Onyekaozuru is the only son of his parents. He is married with three children.
"He is an indigene of Abatete in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State,’’ he said.
Anyene also said that the gunmen did not remove anything from the business premises of the deceased.
"This is one death too many and we are not happy that a Nigerian has been killed,’’ he said.
Lagos - A Nigerian businessman based in Johannesburg, South Africa, Mr Emmanuel Onyekaozuru, 50, was killed on Sunday by gunmen.
The President of Nigeria Union in South Africa, Mr Ikechukwu Anyene, on Monday told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Pretoria, South Africa, that Onyekaozuru was shot by two gunmen.
"The union has received a report that a Nigerian businessman, Emmanuel Onyekaozuru, was shot in his business premises at 9.00 p.m. yesterday (June 7).
''The report said that the gunmen shot the deceased and escaped in a car.
"The incident has been reported to the police and the Nigerian Consul General in South Africa,’’ he said.
Anyene said that the union would work with the consul general and the police to ensure that justice was done in the case.
"Mr Onyekaozuru is the only son of his parents. He is married with three children.
"He is an indigene of Abatete in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State,’’ he said.
Anyene also said that the gunmen did not remove anything from the business premises of the deceased.
"This is one death too many and we are not happy that a Nigerian has been killed,’’ he said.
APGA, PDP win rescheduled Bayelsa election
In Brass Constituency, the APGA candidate, Alfred Watson, defeated the candidates of the ruling PDP and the All Progressives Congress (APC) with 849 votes.
The PDP candidate scored 380 while the APC got 476 votes.
The elections, which were held on Saturday, were marred by alleged hijack of election materials and voters’ apathy due to shootings by unknown gunmen suspected to be hired thugs.
Read more at Vanguard.
Read more on: 2015 elections
Military moves anti-Boko Haram HQ to Maiduguri
17:16 08/06/2015
Maiduguri - The command centre for Nigeria's military operation against militant Islamist group Boko Haram has been moved to Maiduguri, the largest city in the country's northeast, an armed forces spokesman said on Monday.
Boko Haram has killed thousands and displaced around 1.5 million people during a six-year insurgency in which it has tried to establish an Islamic emirate in the country that is Africa's top oil exporter and most populous nation.
In the last few days, more than 80 people have been killed in a spate of bombings in Maiduguri, capital of Borno state where the insurgency began.
"From now on, the fight against terrorism and insurgency would be monitored, coordinated and controlled from this centre," said army spokesman Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman.
He said a military team, led by a two-star general, had begun work at the command base.
New president Muhammadu Buhari used his inauguration speech on May 29 to announce that the command centre would move from Abuja, the capital, to the northeast. Since then he has met his counterparts in Niger and Chad to discuss the group.
The military has drawn criticism in Nigeria media for directing the fight against Boko Haram from the relative security of Abuja. Directing the campaign from Maiduguri puts the military closer to the action and boosts Buhari's image as someone tough on the insurgents.
At the start of the year, Boko Haram controlled territory in the northeast around the size of Belgium. But Nigeria's army said its recent offensive, with troops from Chad, Cameroon and Niger, pushed the group out of most of the areas it had controlled.
The group denied the claims in a video that surfaced on social media last week, with attacks in Maiduguri and Yola pointing to a resurgence by the group.
Maiduguri - The command centre for Nigeria's military operation against militant Islamist group Boko Haram has been moved to Maiduguri, the largest city in the country's northeast, an armed forces spokesman said on Monday.
Boko Haram has killed thousands and displaced around 1.5 million people during a six-year insurgency in which it has tried to establish an Islamic emirate in the country that is Africa's top oil exporter and most populous nation.
In the last few days, more than 80 people have been killed in a spate of bombings in Maiduguri, capital of Borno state where the insurgency began.
"From now on, the fight against terrorism and insurgency would be monitored, coordinated and controlled from this centre," said army spokesman Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman.
He said a military team, led by a two-star general, had begun work at the command base.
New president Muhammadu Buhari used his inauguration speech on May 29 to announce that the command centre would move from Abuja, the capital, to the northeast. Since then he has met his counterparts in Niger and Chad to discuss the group.
The military has drawn criticism in Nigeria media for directing the fight against Boko Haram from the relative security of Abuja. Directing the campaign from Maiduguri puts the military closer to the action and boosts Buhari's image as someone tough on the insurgents.
At the start of the year, Boko Haram controlled territory in the northeast around the size of Belgium. But Nigeria's army said its recent offensive, with troops from Chad, Cameroon and Niger, pushed the group out of most of the areas it had controlled.
The group denied the claims in a video that surfaced on social media last week, with attacks in Maiduguri and Yola pointing to a resurgence by the group.
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