AGOSTO 2011

agosto 1, 2011
VERSO NEGOZIATI CON BOKO HARAM, MA SICUREZZA E’ PRIORITARIA

agosto 4, 2011
DELTA DEL NIGER: VECCHI E NUOVI DANNI SOCIO-AMBIENTALI, SHELL SOTTO ACCUSA

agosto 5, 2011
“LA MIA CITTÀ NELLA SPIRALE DELLA VIOLENZA”, TESTIMONIANZA DA JOS

26 agosto 2011
ESPLOSIONE CONTRO ONU AD ABUJA, ATTACCHI A MAIDUGURI

agosto 29, 2011
ATTENTATO AD ABUJA, SI AGGRAVA IL BILANCIO DELLE VITTIME

agosto 29, 2011
DELTA DEL NIGER, I VESCOVI CONTRO LE MULTINAZIONALI

agosto 29, 2011
DOPO L’ATTENTATO ABUJA HA PAURA: PARLA L’ARCIVESCOVO

agosto 30, 2011
ALLUVIONI NELL’OVEST, BILANCI PROVVISORI

agosto 30, 2011
JOS, VIOLENZE E VITTIME

3 August 2011
Nigeria bus runs over robbery victims

3 August 2011
Ogoniland oil spills: Shell admits Nigeria liability

11 August 2011
Pfizer: Nigeria drug trial victims get compensation

12 August 2011
Nigeria to probe 'army abuses' in Boko Haram crackdown

19 August 2011
Suspected Islamists have killed three police officers and a civilian in north-eastern Nigeria, officials say.

21 August 2011
Nigeria: Where religion is big business

agosto 26, 2011
Bomb at UN building in Nigerian capital Abuja

28 august 2011
Nigerian leader vows to fight terrorism after UN attack

28 August 2011
Nigeria floods: At least 20 killed in Ibadan

31 August 2011
Nigeria UN bomb: 'Al-Qaeda-linked' man named as suspect

31 August 2011
Nigeria floods: Death toll in Ibadan rises

agosto 1, 2011
VERSO NEGOZIATI CON BOKO HARAM, MA SICUREZZA E’ PRIORITARIA
Verrà inaugurata domani la commissione di sette esperti, di cui alcuni ministri, che avrà come compito di allacciare rapporti diretti e portare avanti negoziati con la setta religiosa estremista Boko Haram, dalle elezioni generali di aprile responsabile di violenze quasi quotidiane nello stato nord-orientale del Borno, in particolare nel capoluogo Maiduguri.
L’iniziativa è stata annunciata nel fine settimana con un comunicato a firma del governo federale di Abuja dopo che il presidente, Goodluck Jonathan, ha nominato i componenti della commissione di cui fanno parte, tra gli altri, i ministri della Difesa, del Lavoro e del Territorio della capitale federale. I sette membri faranno da tramite tra il governo e il gruppo estremista e dovranno riferire entro il 16 agosto dell’evolversi delle trattative.
Tuttavia per l’esecutivo federale aver imboccato la strada del dialogo non significa rinunciare a quella della sicurezza e dell’eventuale repressione: la neo-commissione porterà avanti il proprio mandato in collaborazione con il consigliere per la sicurezza nazionale per assicurarsi che le forze di sicurezza “lavorino in modo professionale” sottolinea la nota governativa. Nelle ultime settimane è già stato dispiegato a Maiduguri un apposito contingente di militari, la ‘Joint task force’ (Jtf), per contrastare gli elementi armati di Boko Haram, ma il suo intervento non è esente da critiche.
Il quotidiano nigeriano ‘Vanguard’ sottolinea invece che il governo federale stilerà una classifica dei principali centri e luoghi sensibili – infrastrutture pubbliche come università, aeroporti, stazioni, gasdotti ma anche luoghi di culto, albergo e risorse minerarie – per garantire una sicurezza più capillare ai cittadini e coordinare al meglio gli interventi delle diverse forze sicurezza.  In una testimonianza raccolta dal noto giornale, una fonte anonima vicina al governo di Abuja sottolinea che “c’è la consapevolezza di dovere ripensare alla sicurezza nazionale del paese andando oltre il problema di Boko Haram, alla luce dei numerosi attacchi dei pirati, dei rapimenti, dei danneggiamenti e furti ai danni di gasdotti e siti petroliferi (…) Dobbiamo confrontarci a nemici interni ed esterni, dobbiamo reagire di fronte a questa nuova realtà”.
Nel 2009 il movimento radicale Boko Haram, ufficialmente in lotta contro l’educazione occidentale e collegato con i talebani afgani, si era già reso responsabile di  un’insurrezione armata che causò almeno 800 vittime nel nord-est della Nigeria. Secondo alcuni osservatori nigeriani la nascita della setta sarebbe da attribuire ad esponenti politici locali che in partenza hanno armato alcuni uomini per difendere i propri interessi di potere; negli ultimi tempi il gruppo sarebbe riuscito ad infiltrarasi nelle agenzie di sicurezza nazionale, reclutando uomini in uniforme ormai passati alla causa di Boko Haram. (MISNA)

agosto 4, 2011
DELTA DEL NIGER: VECCHI E NUOVI DANNI SOCIO-AMBIENTALI, SHELL SOTTO ACCUSA
Dopo anni in attesa di giustizia, la comunità Bodo, stabilita nella regione di Ogoniland, stato meridionale petrolifero del Delta del Niger, verrà indennizzata per i danni economici subiti tra il 2008 e il 2009 in due episodi di inquinamento ambientale da ricondurre all’attività della multinazionale anglo-olandese Royal Ducth Shell. Nell’ambito di un procedimento giudiziario aperto in Gran-Bretagna dalla comunità Bodo, è lo stesso gigante petrolifero ad aver riconosciuto la propria responsabilità in due delle più gravi maree nere che hanno colpito la Nigeria. Nell’ottobre e dicembre 2008 due fughe di ‘oro nero’ avevano inquinato le acque dove la locale comunità di pescatori, in tutto circa 9000 persone, svolgeva la propria attività, unica fonte di reddito per sé e le proprie famiglie.
Se la Royal Dutch Shell si ritirò nel 1993 dall’Ogoniland, mantenne però in servizio un oleodotto che attraversa la regione, terra del noto militante ambientalista Ken Saro-Wiwa, per anni in lotta contro le multinazionali del petrolio, che probabilmente per questo motivo venne impiccato su ordine del regime militare allora al potere. Per quanto riguarda l’ammontare del risarcimento e la scadenza dei pagamenti, la società anglo-olandese ha già annunciato che la “procedura potrebbe prendere alcuni mesi” mentre i legali dei Bodo hanno replicato che faranno pressione per ottenere compensi immediati.
In un altro stato meridionale del Delta del Niger, quello di Bayelsa, è ancora la Shell a finire sotto accusa dopo alcune fughe di olio da una pipeline che oggi hanno costretto la multinazionale a chiudere una piattaforma onshore a Adibawa.
Solo tre mesi fa, una sentenza del tribunale di Port Harcourt aveva stabilito che la Shell occupava illegalmente il territorio di Bonny Island, uno dei poli petroliferi più importanti del Delta del Niger, dando ragione ai contadini e ai pescatori che difendono il loro diritto alla terra.
Il Delta custodisce il 90% degli idrocarburi della Nigeria, la prima potenza petrolifera d’Africa. Nonostante le sue ricchezze, la regione è storicamente ostaggio di povertà e degrado ambientale. (MISNA)

agosto 5, 2011
“LA MIA CITTÀ NELLA SPIRALE DELLA VIOLENZA”, TESTIMONIANZA DA JOS
Quelli di noi, che sono cresciuti a Jos, ricordano quando si passeggiava mano nella mano, senza fare caso se si fosse cristiani o musulmani. Si andava a giocare nella moschea o ad aiutare a pulirla, se ce n’era bisogno. E i musulmani erano sempre felici di seguire noi in chiesa, era un luogo da scoprire per loro.
Molto è cambiato a Jos, oggi. La spirale di violenza che si è innescata, l’ha resa una città in crisi, molti residenti se ne sono andati. Dal ritorno al sistema democratico, conflitti violenti combattuti su base politica e religiosa hanno prodotto migliaia di morti e senzatetto, mentre case, negozi e attività produttive sono andate distrutte.
Le cause delle violenze non sono ascrivibili ad alcuna ragione giustificabile. Ogni volta viene lesa la dignità dell’essere umano e questo non si può giustificare. La verità è che ci sono interessi in questo conflitto, e gli interessati stanno beneficiando dei “dividendi” dell’instabilità, mentre i partiti, ombre oscure dietro le crisi, appaiono come potenti blocchi che riescono a nascondere, impuniti, le loro responsabilità.
Dall’altra parte, sta un popolo che assiste alla decadenza morale di un Paese e dei suoi criteri di convivenza, e non può più tollerare il presente. La parte più triste della storia di Jos è che il conflitto sta incidendo sullo stile di vita delle persone comuni, le relazioni sono rigide chi confessa una religione non compra da chi ne confessa un’altra, il senso della fratellanza e della vicinanza non parla più di una comunità, il mercato centrale, luogo cordiale, è diviso dalla linea religiosa.
La situazione ha prodotto un radicale rallentamento di investimenti nella città. Il livello di povertà delle persone aumenta quotidianamente. Gli ospedali sono tornati ad essere dei dispensari, senza medicine né medici, le scuole sono senza banchi né insegnanti, le strade non sono percorribili. Al momento, gli unici raggi di speranza sono dati dai forum di dialogo: incontri tra le religioni, processi di costruzione della pace organizzati da organizzazioni non governative, come Apurimac, che oggi stanno raccogliendo i frutti possibili del lavoro svolto.
Spero, al pari di molti altri, che il nuovo governo farà il meglio per tutti. Tuttavia, le violente reazioni dopo le elezioni dello scorso aprile e le nuove esplosioni avvenute nella capitale, mettono la Nigeria ad un nuovo, pericoloso bivio. (di Godwin Okok, Rivista Agostiniana, Apurimac, Lug-Ago 2011). (MISNA)

26 agosto 2011
ESPLOSIONE CONTRO ONU AD ABUJA, ATTACCHI A MAIDUGURI
Un’esplosione ha investito oggi gli uffici delle Nazioni Unite di Abuja. Lo riferiscono fonti locali della MISNA secondo cui non sono ancora certi il bilancio di eventuali vittime e le cause. Secondo altre informazioni diffuse dalla stessa Onu l’esplosione sarebbe stata causata da un ordigno.
Nel nord-est, è intanto tornata a far parlare di sé la setta estremista ‘Boko Haram’ che oggi ha attaccato alcune stazioni di polizia e banche a Maiduguri, capitale dello Stato federale di Borno. Un primo bilancio riferito dalla polizia riferisce di almeno 12 vittime: quattro poliziotti, un soldato e sette dipendenti di due banche. (MISNA)

agosto 29, 2011
ATTENTATO AD ABUJA, SI AGGRAVA IL BILANCIO DELLE VITTIME
Sono 21 le vittime e oltre 70 i feriti provocati dall’attentato suicida che ha sventrato venerdì la sede degli uffici delle Nazioni Unite ad Abuja: l’ultimo bilancio è stato diffuso da funzionari dell’Onu oggi, poche ore dopo un nuovo agguato attribuito a militanti del gruppo armato Boko Haram.
Tra le vittime, hanno sottolineato i responsabili delle Nazioni Unite, ci sono cittadini nigeriani, ivoriani, keniani e norvegesi. La maggior parte di loro è morta sul colpo quando, dopo aver sfondato due cancelli ed eluso i controlli della polizia, un’automobile carica di esplosivo si è schiantata contro l’edificio.
Di fronte ai resti della sede dell’Onu le vittime sono state ricordate ieri con un minuto di silenzio da Asha-Rose Migiro, vice-segretario generale dell’Onu. Durante un breve discorso la dirigente ha detto che la comunità internazionale “non deve farsi intimidire dal terrorismo”. Nessun riferimento diretto è stato fatto a Boko Haram, un gruppo di matrice islamica che ha tratto forza e seguito dalle difficoltà e dall’arretratezza economica e sociale della Nigeria settentrionale. Proprio a Maiduguri, una delle principali città della regione, ieri un poliziotto è stato ucciso a colpi di pistola da un presunto militante di Boko Haram. (MISNA)

agosto 29, 2011
DELTA DEL NIGER, I VESCOVI CONTRO LE MULTINAZIONALI
“Orrore” è la parola usata dai vescovi del Delta del Niger per descrivere i sentimenti suscitati dalla diffusione di un rapporto scientifico sulla devastazione ambientale e sociale causata in questa regione petrolifera da 50 anni di sfruttamento indiscriminato.
“Siamo agghiacciati dai dettagli sulle violazioni ambientali provocate dalle continue perdite di petrolio e dalla negligenza totale degli operatori coinvolti” si legge in un documento diffuso dai vescovi a Port Harcourt, la principale città del Delta. A inizio agosto il Programma delle Nazioni Unite per l’ambiente (Unep) ha pubblicato un rapporto frutto di 20 anni di lavoro nell’area di Ogoniland, fondato su interviste a oltre 20.000 persone e sull’esame di migliaia di cartelle cliniche. Nello studio si denunciano le responsabilità della società anglo-olandese Royal Dutch Shell e del governo nigeriano, si calcola in 30 anni il tempo necessario per rimediare ai danni dell’inquinamento petrolifero e si chiede la creazione di un fondo da un miliardo di dollari per realizzare gli interventi ambientali indispensabili.
I vescovi esprimono “sgomento” per le mancanze del governo, “al corrente delle violazioni” ma incapace di tutelare i diritti delle comunità locali. Allo stesso tempo sottolineano il rischio che gli abusi commessi dalla Shell si ripetano con la National Nigerian Petroleum Corporation (Nnpc), il gruppo nigeriano che negli ultimi anni ha rilevato molte attività della società europea.
“Perseguire vantaggi economici danneggiando l’ambiente e colpendo i mezzi di sostentamento delle popolazioni – concludono i vescovi – è inaccettabile”. Una posizione analoga è stata espressa da diversi organismi della società civile, da ultimo l’Associazione per il benessere dell’Ogoniland. Non è bastato il recente annuncio del presidente Goodluck Jonathan sulla creazione del Comitato speciale sull’inquinamento petrolifero, incaricato di valutare le modalità di un intervento del governo. In un editoriale pubblicato nel fine-settimana dal quotidiano “Vanguard” si sottolinea che del gruppo non fa parte nessuno studioso della comunità ogoni, un’esclusione “deprimente” anche perché avallata dal primo presidente della Nigeria originario del Delta. (MISNA)

agosto 29, 2011
DOPO L’ATTENTATO ABUJA HA PAURA: PARLA L’ARCIVESCOVO
“I nigeriani, non importa se cristiani o musulmani, sono uniti nella condanna”: così alla MISNA monsignor John Onaiyekan, l’arcivescovo di Abuja, dopo l’attentato suicida che venerdì nella capitale ha sventrato la sede degli uffici dell’Onu provocando almeno 21 vittime e oltre 70 feriti.
Monsignor Onaiyekan parte dalle dichiarazioni dei dirigenti di tutti i partiti che hanno partecipato alle elezioni di aprile e, soprattutto, dalla sensibilità diffusa dei nigeriani. “Milioni di persone sono afflitte da disoccupazione e povertà e possono giustamente denunciare le inadeguatezze del governo – sottolinea l’arcivescovo – ma il disagio sociale non giustifica in alcun modo violenze di questo genere”.
In attesa che in coordinamento con le Nazioni Unite le indagini della polizia producano qualche certezza, resta lo sgomento. A preoccupare, secondo monsignor Onaiyekan, è anche la possibilità che l’attentato sia da ricollegarsi in misura più o meno significativa al “terrorismo internazionale”. Boko Haram, il gruppo armato che avrebbe rivendicato l’attentato, aveva finora agito soprattutto nelle regioni nordorientali e in particolare nello Stato di Borno. Un cambiamento di rotta sarebbe stato però indicato in giugno da un attentato dinamitardo contro il quartiere generale della polizia ad Abuja, un episodio con diverse analogie con la strage di venerdì. Secondo l’arcivescovo, incoraggiano le prese di posizione di pressoché tutti gli attori della scena pubblica. “Le divergenze – sottolinea monsignor Onaiyekan – riguardano solo le modalità con le quali affrontare l’emergenza, se solo con la forza militare o anche con il dialogo”.  (MISNA)

agosto 30, 2011
ALLUVIONI NELL’OVEST, BILANCI PROVVISORI
E’ di almeno 98 vittime il bilancio delle alluvioni che hanno colpito la città di Ibadan, nel sud-ovest della Nigeria. Lo riferiscono fonti della locale Croce Rossa secondo cui il bilancio resta parziale mentre sono ancora in corso le operazioni di soccorso. Le piogge intense hanno anche costretto alcune migliaia di persone ad abbandonare le proprie abitazioni.
Da venerdì le regioni sud-occidentali della Nigeria sono interessate da precipitazioni torrenziali con pesanti conseguenze su quartieri e centri abitati che non sono serviti da efficienti sistemi fognari. Quello delle alluvioni è un problema ricorrente in Nigeria ma anche in altri paesi dell’Africa occidentale, reso più acuto da una urbanizzazione rapida e priva di regole. (MISNA)

agosto 30, 2011
JOS, VIOLENZE E VITTIME
Sono almeno 20 le vittime provocate ieri da scontri tra cristiani e musulmani a Jos, una città della Nigeria centrale dove disoccupazione e povertà hanno già alimentato in passato violenze tra comunità: lo scrivono i quotidiani locali, mentre fonti della MISNA raccontano di incertezze e timori.
Secondo “The Vanguard”, i feriti sono oltre 50. Le violenze sarebbero coincise con un’iniziativa di preghiera organizzata, a due giorni dalla conclusione del Ramadan, in una moschea abbandonata che sorge in un quartiere per lo più cristiano.
“In buona parte della città la situazione sembra normale – dice alla MISNA padre Tony Fevlo, un parroco di Jos – ma abbiamo paura che le violenze ricomincino”.
Le notizie di Jos, una città dove negli ultimi anni scontri tra bande di giovani hanno causato centinaia di vittime, giungono in un momento carico di tensione per la Nigeria. Ieri è stato annunciato l’arresto di 50 persone sospettate per un attentato suicida che, venerdì, ha distrutto la sede degli uffici dell’Onu ad Abuja provocando 21 vittime. (MISNA)

3 August 2011
Nigeria bus runs over robbery victims
At least 13 bus passengers in Nigeria, forced by robbers to lie on a road, died when another bus ran over them, police say.
The luxury bus was heading from the central city of Lokoja to the capital, Abuja, when robbers stopped it.
"As the passengers were ordered to lie face down, [another] bus ran over them at top speed," police spokesman Yemi Ajayi told the AFP news agency.
He said 13 people were killed and many others wounded.
The Nigerian Tribune newspaper reported that a bus and lorry drove over the victims.
The thieves had been searching the passengers for money and other valuables when the tragedy happened early on Tuesday morning, it said.
Road safety officer Sunday Maku said the bodies were "mangled" and difficult to identify, the newspaper reported.
Nigeria has one of the highest crime rates in Africa and bus robberies are common on its roads, correspondents say. (BBC)

3 August 2011
Ogoniland oil spills: Shell admits Nigeria liability
Oil giant Shell has accepted responsibility for two devastating oil spills in Nigeria's Ogoniland region.
The Bodo fishing community sued Shell in the UK, alleging that spills in 2008 and 2009 had destroyed the environment and ruined their livelihoods.
Their lawyer said they would seek hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation for one of the world's "most devastating oil spills".
Shell told the BBC it would settle the case under Nigerian law.
Experts who studied video footage of the spills say they could be as large as the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska, when 10m gallons of oil destroyed the remote coastline, the UK's Guardian newspaper reports.
Until now, Shell has claimed that less than 40,000 gallons were spilt in Nigeria, it reports.
'Severe poverty'
Correspondents say the spillage was caused by pipelines which ran through the village.
Shell stopped pumping oil from Ogoniland in 1993 after the writer Ken Saro-Wiwa - who was later hanged - led a campaign against it for allegedly destroying the environment.
Martyn Day, representing the 69,000-strong community, said they would demand "adequate compensation immediately".
"This is one of the most devastating oil spills the world has ever seen and yet it had gone almost unnoticed until we received instructions to bring about a claim against Shell in this country [UK]," he said.
He said the community had three sets of claims.
The first claim - for at least $100m (£61m) - was to clean up the area.
The second one was for damages to the community land and the final one was for losses suffered by individual families, Mr Day said.
"The Bodo people are a fishing community surrounded by water. What was the source of their livelihood now cannot sustain even the smallest of fish. The spills have caused severe poverty amongst the community.
"Marine life has been devastated within the 2,000 hectares of the creek and the mangroves have been, without exception, destroyed," Mr Day said.
Shell said it accepted the spills were caused by equipment failure and not by sabotage or theft, which it said caused most of the spills in the oil-producing Niger Delta region.
It said it would pay compensation in accordance with Nigerian law but warned it "could take several months to reach a conclusion".
Mr Day said the settlement could set a precedent for other communities in the Niger Delta to seek compensation in British courts.
Communities have repeatedly claimed that international oil firms fail to respect their rights and contaminate their land with oil spills, though the companies dispute this. (BBC)

11 August 2011
Pfizer: Nigeria drug trial victims get compensation
US-based pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has made the first compensation payment to Nigerian families affected by a controversial drug trial 15 years ago.
It paid $175,000 (£108,000) each to four families in the first of a series of payments it is expected to make.
The payouts are part of an out-of-court settlement reached in 2009.
In 1996, 11 children died and dozens were left disabled after Pfizer gave them the experimental anti-meningitis drug, Trovan.
The payouts were made to the parents of four of the children who died.
Their parents told the BBC they welcomed the payment, but it would not replace the loss of their loved ones.
The children were part of a group of 200 given the drug during a meningitis epidemic in the northern city of Kano as part of a medical trial comparing Trovan's effectiveness with the established treatment.
For years Pfizer maintained that meningitis - not the drug - caused the deaths and disabilities.
But after a lengthy and expensive litigation process, it reached a settlement with the Kano government in northern Nigeria.
DNA tests
The trials were carried out in Kano and the state government fought Pfizer on behalf of victims and their families.
It has taken two years and DNA tests to establish who is entitled to payments, the BBC's Jonah Fisher in Lagos says.
It could take another year for payments to be concluded, he says.
Pfizer also agreed to sponsor health projects in Kano as well as creating a fund of $35m to compensate those affected.
Pfizer said it was pleased the four had been compensated.
"This is the first step in a multi-phase review process by which the independent board of trustees that manages the fund will deliver payment to all other qualified claimants," the company said in a statement.
"We thank them for their commitment and dedication to seeing this process through in the most timely and transparent way possible." (BBC)

12 August 2011
Nigeria to probe 'army abuses' in Boko Haram crackdown
Nigeria's army has been told to investigate alleged abuses of civilians by soldiers fighting a radical Islamist sect in the north-east of the country.
Defence Minister Bello Mohammed's move came after a woman was shot dead on Wednesday in clashes between soldiers and suspected members of Boko Haram.
Rights groups have accused the army of carrying out other unlawful killings.
Fighting around Maiduguri has intensified in recent weeks, causing thousands of people to flee the area.
'Bad eggs'
Mr Mohammed said the army was "doing a very good job" in protecting the lives and property of Nigerians in Maiduguri and throughout Borno state.
"However, a few bad eggs amongst them sometimes overreact to situations and create discontent amongst the civilian population thereby dragging the name of the military to disrepute," he said in a statement.
Boko Haram: Timeline of terror
2002: Founded
2009: Hundreds killed when Maiduguri police stations stormed
2009: Boko Haram leader Mohammed Yusuf captured by army, handed to police, later found dead
Sept: 2010: Freed hundreds of prisoners from Maiduguri jail
December 2010: Bombed Jos, killing 80 people and blamed for New Year's Eve attack on Abuja barracks
2010-2011: Dozens killed in Maiduguri shootings
May 2011: Bombed several states after president's inauguration
June 2011: Police HQ bombed
June 2011: 25 people killed in attack on bar
July 2011: Motorbikes banned in Maiduguri to prevent drive-by shootings
July 2011: Thousands of residents flee Maiduguri after a series of attacks
He has asked to army to "investigate all incidents of military misconduct against law abiding citizens".
Amnesty International has said soldiers in the Joint Task Force (JTF) sent to Borno have been responsible for at last 23 deaths and for burning a market.
Riots broke out on Wednesday after the killing of the woman in the northern town of Biu in Born state and a church was set on fire.
According to newspaper reports she was holding her young child at the time.
Mr Mohammed has ordered the military to thoroughly investigate the incident.
Boko Haram - which roughly translates as "Western education is forbidden" - has carried out a wave of killings and bombings in Nigeria in their attempt to overthrow the government and create an Islamic state.
In the last few months the military presence in Nigeria's north-east has been steadily increased as the government tries to force an end to the Islamist group Boko Haram's armed uprising, the BBC's Jonah Fisher reports from Lagos.
But the army's conduct has alienated the local community, he says.
Many residents of Maiduguri are now more scared of the army than they are of Boko Haram.
A month ago a group of elders called on the soldiers to pull out.
Last month, Borno state Governor Kashim Shettima admitted that the army had been guilty of excesses in Maiduguri.
Next week a committee is due to report back to Nigeria's president on the security situation in Borno state and the prospects for opening negotiations with Boko Haram. (BBC)

19 August 2011
Suspected Islamists have killed three police officers and a civilian in north-eastern Nigeria, officials say.
They say gunmen burst into the house of one of the policemen who was watching TV with his friends in the city of Maiduguri and shot everyone dead.
No group has so far claimed responsibility for the shootings.
But police blame the attack on Boko Haram, a sect that has carried out a series of attacks against security forces, local leaders and clerics.
The gunmen fled the scene after Friday's shootings.
Earlier in the week, police said they killed a man who tried to carry out a car bomb attack on the police headquarters in the city.
Thousands of people have fled the area in recent weeks as fighting between soldiers and sect members around Maiduguri, Borno state, has intensified.
The group, whose name roughly translates as "Western education is forbidden", is fighting to topple the government and create an Islamic state. (BBC)

21 August 2011
Nigeria: Where religion is big business
An increasing number of Nigeria's 70 million Christians are followers of the prosperity teachings - the belief that prosperity is a sign of spiritual blessing. Services are held in megachurches that hold thousands, with millionaire pastors preaching the word.
A lady scrolls down the screen of her tablet PC as she reads the Bible along with the rest of the congregation, a huge diamond-encrusted ring shining on her finger.
Hanging from the ceiling of the Household of God Church are several chandeliers, lighting up a plush 5,000-seat auditorium.
A water fountain hisses in the distance, though it is only heard when the dazzling character on stage singing passionately and occasionally speaking in tongues falls into silence.
This is the Reverend Chris Okotie, a former pop star turned pastor, businessman and politician.
A recent Forbes rich list included him among Nigeria's five wealthiest pastors, with assets of anywhere between $3m and $10m. But is he truly this rich?
"Possibly," he replies, with his giant multi-coloured Jacob & Co brand wristwatch shining from the end of his sleeve.
Private jets
Mr Okotie is one of several millionaire pastors leading churches in Lagos that are rapidly expanding across Nigeria, the rest of Africa and the US, Europe and Asia.
One of the key messages these churches preach is that financial prosperity is a sign of God's favour.
As they have grown in popularity since the early 1990s, so has the wealth of their pastors.
Many of them own luxury cars, while a few even travel in their own private jets.
Mr Okotie argues that prosperity is an integral part of the gospel.
"It is written about Jesus, specifically, that he became poor so that the believer might become rich, because he recognised that poverty is not part of God's plan for man," he says.
The head of another church, David Oyedepo, is said to have a net worth of up to $150m.
His Living Faith Church - also known as Winners Chapel - hosts three services every Sunday in Lagos, in a 50,000-seat church, and has branches in Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Gambia, the UK and the US.
He also runs a publishing house, a university and a secondary school.
But it is another popular church, the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), which leads the pack, having thousands of outposts around the world - including at least 2,000 in Nigeria, and close to 400 in the UK.
Large donations
The churches earn money from sales of books written by the pastors, and CDs and DVDs of the sermons, but the bulk of their revenue is said to come from donations from the congregation.
Some people find the idea of churches amassing such wealth problematic.
Local press reports that David Oyedepo was selling two of his church's private jets led to accusations of extravagance, although his church insists the planes were used by senior staff for work.
Nigeria's anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, recently said that churches needed to find out the sources of larger donations, to ensure the money was legitimately earned, if the country's fight against corruption was to be successful.
The head of the commission, Farida Waziri, insists that the church's prosperity "must come legitimately".
"A responsible pastor should know where the tithe of his worshipper is coming from," she says. "How and where did you make the money that you are bringing in as tithe? It is not enough for your member to bring in a huge amount and you say 'God bless you.'"
Some Nigerians want to see a clearer line drawn between the churches' possessions and those of their pastors.
Chris Okotie says his personal wealth comes from his previous career as a musician and from his other business ventures.
But critics accuse the pastors of taking advantage of needy congregations, by telling them to give money to the church in exchange for financial and spiritual rewards from God.
These churches are "big-time businesses being managed by entrepreneurs", says Leo Igwe of the Nigeria Humanist Movement.
"It's as a result of poverty, social and economic collapse problems. Nigerians have become desperate, and gullible, and these churches service this market."
"No! No! No!" responds Prince Okpaku, a member of Chris Okotie's congregation.
"It is God that has brought us thus far, and He's not even interested in offerings. The offering is strictly for benevolence assistance," he says.
Still, the churches continue to expand and, as more branches open around the world, they are proving to be among Nigeria's most successful exports. (BBC)

agosto 26, 2011
Bomb at UN building in Nigerian capital Abuja
There has been a bomb attack at the UN building in the Nigerian capital Abuja, the United Nations says.
The BBC's Bashir Sa'ad Abdullahi, who is at the site of the explosion, says the ground floor of the building has been badly damaged.
The emergency services are removing dead bodies from the building while a number of wounded are being rushed to hospital, our correspondent says.
Islamist militants have carried out recent attacks on the city.
A car bombing at police headquarters in June was blamed on Islamist sect Boko Haram, a group which wants the establishment of Sharia law in Nigeria.
There has been no claim of responsibility for Friday's attack, but government officials have blamed "terrorists" for the bombing, our correspondent says.
Eyewitnesses and an unnamed security source said a car bomb had exploded, but that detail is unconfirmed.
Friday's attack took place at about 1100 local time (1000 GMT) in the diplomatic zone in the centre of the city, close to the US embassy.
'Scattered bodies'
There was a loud explosion and smoke billowed from the building. The powerful blast shattered all the glass in the building, our correspondent says.
"I saw scattered bodies," Michael Ofilaje, a Unicef worker at the building, said according to AP news agency.
"Many people are dead."
He said it felt like "the blast came from the basement and shook the building".
Police have sealed off the area.
"We have deployed our policemen and anti-bomb squad. We can't establish how many casualties [there are]," an Abuja police spokesman said according to Associated Press news agency.

28 august 2011
Nigerian leader vows to fight terrorism after UN attack
Nigeria's president has promised to bring terrorism under control, during a visit to the scene of Friday's bombing at the UN's headquarters in Abuja.
Goodluck Jonathan said it had been not just an attack on Nigeria, but an attack on the international community.
The radical Islamist group, Boko Haram, told the BBC it was behind the blast in the capital, which left at least 23 people dead and 81 wounded.
Mr Jonathan said the group was a "local problem" that had to be dealt with.
Boko Haram, which is fighting for the establishment of Sharia law in Nigeria, is alleged to have had contacts with al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, which operates in North Africa, and al-Shabab in Somalia.
Escalation
The BBC's Mark Doyle in Abuja says Friday's suicide attack shows Boko Haram, whose name roughly translates as "Western education is forbidden", is getting bolder and that Nigeria has a growing security crisis.
For two years, the Islamist group has been targeting government and mounting a campaign of killings, but attacking the United Nations in the heart of the capital is a major escalation, our correspondent adds.
The bomber drove his vehicle through the headquarters' two security barriers, then crashed into the reception area before detonating the explosives.
The blast was powerful enough to bring down parts of the structure, where about 400 UN personnel work, and blow out the windows of nearby buildings.
Standing among the broken glass and twisted metal on Saturday, President Jonathan told reporters: "I and all Nigerians are shocked."
"Terrorist attacks on any individual or part of the world is a terrorist attack on the rest of the world," he added. "Terrorists don't care about who is anywhere."
"We will work with the UN and other world leaders to ensure that terrorism is brought under control."
When asked by the BBC what he would do about Boko Haram, he gave no direct answer but acknowledged it posed a threat.
"Boko Haram is a local group linked up with terrorist activities and as a government, we are working on it and we will bring it under control."
Our correspondent says Nigeria's government has tried negotiating with Boko Haram and cracking down hard, but neither tactic has worked.
'Not deterred'
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said on Friday that he condemned "this terrible act utterly", and sent Deputy Secretary General Asha-Rose Migiro and Under-Secretary General for Security Greg Starr to Nigeria.
On Saturday, the UN's top official in Nigeria said nine of its staff were confirmed dead and that dozens were being treated in hospital.
"We have lost motivated, bright, selfless people who were working only for the good of Nigeria and the world," said Agathe Lawson, the UN's acting resident co-ordinator.
"Our priority now is to ensure those who are injured and the families of those who died are cared for."
Mr Lawson said that her "second and urgent priority" was to ensure that UN operations continued in Africa's most populous nation.
"We will not be deterred in our mission to work to improve the lives of Nigerians. This is why we are here," she added.
Shortly after President Jonathan left the bomb site, agents from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrived to help investigate.
"The FBI is on the ground at the request of the Nigerian government," said US embassy spokeswoman Deborah MacLean without elaborating. (BBC)

28 August 2011
Nigeria floods: At least 20 killed in Ibadan
At least 20 people have been killed and thousands displaced by flooding in and around the city of Ibadan in south-western Nigeria.
The floods, resulting from heavy rains that began on Friday, caused a dam to overflow and washed away numerous buildings and bridges.
"It's a very serious situation," said Yushau Shuaib, an official in the city, 150km (90 miles) north of Lagos.
The damage was exacerbated by rubbish and debris clogging drains in the city.
Although flooding is common in Nigeria during the rainy season, this year's rains have been particularly heavy.
Hundreds of cars were also reported to have been submerged in the floods, along with scores of dwellings and extensive farmland.
Stall owners at the popular market in the Omi-Adio area of the city burst into tears after seeing the damage to their goods in a large warehouse, The Nation newspaper reported.
Camps have been set up to house the displaced.
Mr Shuaib said it was impossible to give an accurate figure of those displaced, but said that it was "definitely in the thousands".
Nigeria experienced severe flooding last year that hit some 500,000 people in many of its 36 states.
Across western and central Africa as a whole, more than 300 people were killed in the 2010 rainy season. (BBC)

31 August 2011
Nigeria UN bomb: 'Al-Qaeda-linked' man named as suspect
A man with alleged links to al-Qaeda is suspected of being behind the bombing of the UN headquarters in Abuja, Nigerian officials say.
A secret police statement said the man belonged to Islamist group Boko Haram and had recently returned from Somalia.
It said two other Boko Haram suspects had been arrested on 21 August, five days before the bomb, following a warning of attacks in the capital.
Friday's suicide car bombing killed 23 people and wounded more than 80.
Boko Haram, which is fighting for the establishment of Sharia law in Nigeria, has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The group is alleged to have had contacts with al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, which operates in North Africa, and al-Shabab in Somalia.
"Investigation has revealed that one Mamman Nur, a notorious Boko Haram element with al-Qaeda links who returned recently from Somalia, working in concert with the two (arrested) suspects masterminded the attack on the United Nations building in Abuja," said the secret police statement.
It said Mamman Nur remained at large and appealed for information leading to his arrest, adding that the two suspects arrested on 21 August were being held at a military facility.
They were identified as Babagana Ismail Kwaljima, aka Abu Summaya, and Babagana Mali, aka Bulama, and were described as "notorious leaders of the Boko Haram extremist sect".
They were detained three days after a warning.
"On 18 August, 2011, precise intelligence was obtained by this service that some Boko Haram elements were on a mission to attack unspecified targets in Abuja," said the statement.
Loosely translated from the local Hausa language, Boko Haram means "Western education is forbidden". (BBC)

31 August 2011
Nigeria floods: Death toll in Ibadan rises
At least 102 people are now thought to have been killed by floods in and around the south-western Nigerian city of Ibadan, the Nigerian Red Cross says.
Floodwater, resulting from heavy rains that began on Friday, damaged three bridges and caused a dam to overflow, submerging buildings across the city.
Most of the victims were children.
"I think in the process a lot of [houses] were washed away by the rainwater," said Umar Mairiga, a Red Cross official.
He said that some victims had been trapped in collapsed buildings.
Although flooding is common in Nigeria during the rainy season, meteorologists say this year's rains have been particularly heavy.
Last year, about 500,000 people were displaced nationwide.
The flooding over the weekend in Ibadan, 150km (90 miles) north of Lagos, was exacerbated by rubbish and debris clogging drains in the city.
About 2,000 residents have so far been displaced. (BBC)