German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Wednesday reaffirmed Germany’s commitment to supporting Nigeria in its fight against armed groups, announcing €10 million ($11.4 million) in funding this year to support the return and reintegration of people displaced from areas formerly controlled by Boko Haram and militants linked to the Islamic State.
Speaking after talks with Nigerian Foreign Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu in Abuja, Wadephul said the worsening security situation in the Sahel now poses an increasing threat to all coastal states in West Africa, describing Nigeria as being “on the front line in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.”
He said Germany would continue supporting stabilization efforts as armed groups affiliated with Islamic State and al-Qaeda expand their operations across Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu said sustained international partnerships remain essential to combating terrorism, violent extremism, transnational organized crime and other security threats facing West Africa.
The two ministers also discussed expanding bilateral economic ties. Wadephul described Nigeria as one of Germany’s key strategic partners, noting that bilateral trade grew by around 10 percent over the past year and that more than 100 German companies currently operate in Nigeria.
At Least 30 Killed in Kaduna Village Attack
In a separate development, two witnesses said armed attackers killed at least 30 people, including eight children, during an assault on Naridun village in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State early Monday.
According to village official Dogon Rana, the attackers entered the community, opened fire indiscriminately and set several houses ablaze. Four people were also wounded.
Resident Ishaya Dawa said some victims were killed by throat-slitting and that most of the dead were women, children and elderly residents. He added that security forces arrived several hours after the attackers had fled.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Nigeria continues to face growing insecurity in its northwestern and central regions, where armed criminal gangs regularly carry out killings, kidnappings and village raids, while government forces continue fighting Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the country’s northeast.
