LAGOS, Nigeria — Aminu Magami, a taxi driver in northwest Nigeria, froze in fear when more than 20 gunmen stormed an expressway one night in February, shooting into the air. In Nigeria, kidnappings for ransom have been a risk in the oil-rich south for decades. But in recent years, the practice has spread to other areas, with northwest Nigeria — the home region of President Muhammadu Buhari — an increasingly concerning criminal front. They were chained and held captive in dark huts with dozens of others, in a dense forest that spreads across northwest Nigeria and neighboring Niger, a haven for criminal and militia groups. In addition, an historic conflict over land resources between herders and farmers across north and central Nigeria has worsened in recent years.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer May 18, 2019 03:45 UTC