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Nigeria Army ousts Boko Haram from its last major camp; two major roads in Borno re-opened

The Nigerian Army has driven Boko Haram militants from their last camp in the northeastern Sambisa forest, President Muhammadu Buhari has said in a statement. The military has launched a large-scale offensive against the jihadist group in recent weeks. Buhari said in a statement that the head of the army informed him on Friday, 23 December that the last major Boko Haram …

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5,000 migrants drown in Mediterranean in 2016

More than 5,000 migrants are thought to have drowned in the Mediterranean Sea in 2016, a record figure described as “a devastating milestone” by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR). On Thursday, 23 December alone, some 100 mainly West Africans were feared to have perished making the treacherous crossing to Europe. To save lives, the UNHCR says legal entry for those …

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Gambia: ECOWAS threatens Jammeh with military action; Senegalese troops ‘on alert’

President Yahya Jammeh of The Gambia stands the risk of being forcefully removed from power should he carry out his threat to sit tight after losing the December 1 election. ECOWAS leaders warned yesterday that they would not hesitate to send troops to Banjul, if Jammeh, who lost the election to opposition candidate, Adama Barrow, fails to step down next month. Senegal,which …

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Congo’s opposition agrees to deal for Kabila to step down

Congolese politicians have agreed in principle to a deal under which President Joseph Kabila willl leave office by the end of 2017, opposition leaders said on Friday, 23 December, an unexpected breakthrough after dozens were killed in anti-government protests this week. If the deal does succeed, it would be a major achievement for the Catholic church, which has been mediating …

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Cybercriminals target African countries with ransomware

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 21 December 2016,-/African Media Agency (AMA)/- Check Point, the largest global pure-play network cybersecurity vendor, has revealed that five African nations were among the top 10 most-attacked countries in November as cybercriminals made increasing use of ransomware attacks using the Locky and Cryptowall viruses. Botswana was the most-attacked country in Check Point’s list of 117 at-risk nations, …

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Berlin Christmas market attack suspect killed in shootout with Italian police

Anis Amri, the chief suspect in Monday’s truck attack on a Berlin Christmas market, has been shot dead by police in Milan. Italian Interior Minister Marco Minniti told a news conference on Friday morning that Amri was killed during a shootout with police at 3am. Amri opened fire during a routine check when he was asked for his identity documents …

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Nigeria to reward those who expose thieves of government funds with 5 per cent of the recovered loot

The Federal Government of Nigeria has approved the payment of 5 per cent of recovered looted fund to the whistle blower behind the recovery. Minister of Finance Kemi Adeosun briefed State House correspondents at the end of the cabinet meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday, 21 December. According to her, the programme is designed to encourage anyone with …

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Nigeria changes date for closure of Abuja’s airport

Nigeria plans to close the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in the capital Abuja for six weeks from 8 March to repair its runway, the aviation ministry said on Tuesday, 3 January, pushing the move back later than previously scheduled. No reason was given for the change of date. The closure is to allow extensive runway repairs which will last for six …

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Manhunt for suspect in Berlin Christmas market attack

More details have been released about the man all Europe’s police are now looking for. It appears the main suspect in the Berlin truck attack was previously known to German police, and a 100,000 euro reward is being offered for his capture. He has been identified as Tunisian-born 24-year-old Anis Amri, who had previously served four years in an Italian …

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Nigeria to eliminate forex black market, says Finance Minister

Nigeria’s Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun, has announced on Tuesday that the federal government had instructed the Central Bank to eliminate currency black market, where foreign currencies fetch more naira than the official rate. “The CBN has promised to do something by putting a system in place to eliminate the black market because it’s damaging the economy,” Ms Adeosun told a …

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