Pocket News Nigeria

"They Sent a Letter Asking to Preach. Then They Massacred us" - Nigerians on Jihadist Attack in Woro. More than 100 armed jihadists dressed in army fatigues rode into the neighbouring Muslim villages of Woro and Nuku in Nigeria's western state of Kwara on motorbikes - driven by revenge. "They came en masse in the name of religion, and they decided to kill our people," Abdulla Umar Usman, a former teacher and resident of Woro, told the BBC, explaining how the attack, in which at least 75 people are so far known to have been killed, unfolded. Mass burials have been taking place since Wednesday morning. The mayhem started an hour before sunset on Tuesday as residents of the farming community were heading home from their fields, where they grow yams, maize and millet. The militants headed straight to the home of traditional leader Umar Bio Salihu - because they had written to him asking if they could come and preach what is considered an extremist versio...

Nigeria is stepping up its ambitions in Africa’s automotive market as Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing prepares to commission a major factory dedicated to compressed natural gas trucks and electric vehicles, signalling a push into cleaner transport and large-scale local manufacturing. The Executive Chairman of Innoson Group, manufacturers of Innoson vehicles, Mr. Innocent Chukwuma, has reaffirmed his long-standing commitment to domestic manufacturing and youth empowerment. Speaking on the progress made by his company on the project, Chukwuma stated that Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM) Company has grown into one of the largest employers of labour in Africa, with thousands of families sustained through its operations. He disclosed that in 2026 alone, the company plans to employ about 2,000 additional workers following the establishment of a new factory dedicated to the production of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks and electric vehicles. He explained that the CNG Vehicle ...

The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has strongly condemned the deadly terrorist attacks in Kwara State that left at least 170 people dead. The attack occurred on Tuesday when armed terrorists invaded Woro community in the Kaiama Local Government Area of the state. The terrorists killed no fewer than 170 residents during the onslaught, injured dozens, while several others are said to be missing in the aftermath of the violence. Residents accused Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s administration of ignoring repeated distress calls and security warnings months before the terrorists stormed the area and massacred the people. Reacting to the incident, the UN chief, Guterres, in a statement released on Thursday by his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, expressed deep sympathy with the victims and reaffirmed the UN’s support for Nigeria in its fight against terrorism. “The Secretary-General conveys his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to th...

Iran's Revolutionary Guards have seized two oil tankers with their foreign crews in Gulf waters for "smuggling fuel," the Tasnim news agency reported Thursday. The seizures took place amid heightened tension after Washington dispatched a naval group to the region following Tehran's deadly response to anti-government protests. "More than one million litres of smuggled fuel were found on board of the two vessels," Tasnim reported, and a total of "15 foreign crew members were referred to the judiciary." The Guards captured the vessels near Iran's Farsi island in the Gulf, the agency said. Iranian forces regularly target tankers that Tehran accuses of being part of the illicit trade in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint for global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments. The seizure is the the latest in a series of similar incidents in recent months. Al Arabiya || Gulf News

Reuters  The U.S. has sent a small team of troops to Nigeria, the general in charge of the U.S. command for Africa said on Tuesday, the first acknowledgment of U.S. forces on the ground since Washington struck by air on Christmas Day. President Donald Trump ordered airstrikes on what he described as Islamic State targets in Nigeria in December and said there could be more U.S. military action there. Reuters earlier reported that the U.S. had been conducting surveillance flights over the country from Ghana since at least late November. The top general said the U.S. team was sent after both countries agreed that more needed to be done to combat the terrorist threat in West Africa. "That has led to increased collaboration between our nations to include a small US team that brings some unique capabilities from the United States," General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, head of the U.S. military's Africa Command AFRICOM, told journalists during a press briefing on Tuesday. A...

Nigeria has emerged as the African country with the strongest naval fleet in 2026, boasting 152 vessels and ranking 22nd globally. This ranking comes from the Global Firepower (GF) report, which provides an analytical overview of the military capabilities of 145 modern armed forces worldwide. The Nigerian naval fleet comprises frigates, patrol vessels, and mine warfare ships, forming a crucial component of the country’s defense infrastructure and maritime security strategy. The fleet safeguards national defense and maritime security, leveraging Nigeria’s 853 km coastline and 8,600 km of waterways for strategic operations. What the data is saying Nigeria’s naval fleet is the largest in Africa by total vessels, with 152 units weighing a combined 38,052 tonnes. Patrol vessels dominate the fleet, making up 132 units or 97.8% of total assets. Nigeria operates 132 patrol vessels, including offshore patrol boats, gunboats, missile boats, and fast-attack craft designed for shallow-...