News
Baga Town Bloodbath ‘Cover up’ Satellite Images Emerge
Human Rights Watch (HRW),international rights crusader, has punctured military’s claim that the fires that razed thousands of buildings in Baga, Borno State were caused by rocket-propelled grenades fired by members of Boko Haram, Islamist militant group.
This is coming as new evidence reportedly obtained by Al Jazeera, the international news media suggested that the number of people killed during recent fighting in the state may be much higher than officially reported.
But HRW said that satellite images, showed that soldiers may have set the fires that razed “2,275 buildings and left 125 others” in the town severely damaged.
In a statement Wednesday, the international rights group called on the federal government to impartially probe the incident adding that the military was covering up something going by the fact that it had vehemently refused to allow journalists access into the troubled community.
There had been reports that 187 persons were killed and about 2,000 houses torched during the April 16, 2013 clash.
Elsewhere, Al Jazeera claimed in a report Wednesday that in the violence’s aftermath, the number of people killed during the clash between Nigerian security forces and the armed group Boko Haram was subject to wildly conflicting reports.
According to Al Jazeera the Nigerian army is standing by its claim that no more than 36 people died during the fight in Baga, a town in Borno state, and that the vast majority of victims were members of Boko Haram.
Local politicians and residents say as many as 200 people, largely civilians, died in the violence, a claim supported by aid organisations.
The army maintains that it was protecting the town’s people from the fighters.
Al Jazeera’s Yvonne Ndege is one of the only television journalists to have gained access to the area and spoke to soldiers and the people of Baga about the clash.
Fatima Ahmadu, a grandmother who lost three relatives during the violence, described fleeing for her life after the battle started.
“We were all asleep when a group of men set fire to our house,” she said.
“Me, my children and grandchildren ran out for our lives. We have lost everything.”
More than two weeks after the fighting between Boko Haram and the military, Baga is still overrun with soldiers and, until now, media access has been prevented.
Some residents our correspondent spoke to said the violence started when Boko Haram fighters attacked villagers and killed a soldier, prompting the military to fight back.
Claims by Human Rights Watch, the US-based watchdog group, that 2,000 homes were burnt down have been vehemently denied by the army, which maintains that only 30 homes were destroyed, none by the armed forces.
Al Jazeera’s Ndege also gained access to the site where fighters killed in the clash were apparently buried.
There are about 20 graves at the site, and the army denies the existence of a mass grave.
“So there are no 200 graves?” Lieutenant-Colonel Sagir Musa said, referring to the death toll cited by local politicians and residents.
“Look at whole of the cemetery here, are there up to 200? Look at it. And the mass grave people are talking about?
“Where is the mass grave? Is there anything that looks like a mass grave.
“A mass grave is usually bigger. This is one man. So where is it?”
Back in the main town some people are trying to go back to their normal way of life.
Many other residents are on edge because the military says the Boko Haram fighters that fled the battle could return at any moment and attack the town.
The Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIBN) and the Association of Corporate Communication and Marketing Professionals in Banks (ACAMB) have enjoined banks to further deepen and prioritize financial inclusion, women’s empowerment and sustained growth through strategic mandates and frameworks, aimed at closing the financial gap and empowering more small, and medium enterprise (MSME) owners.
Both organisations made this call during a courtesy visit to the newly invested 24th President and Chairman of Council of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Dr. Dele Alabi, Ph.D, FCIB, as part of plans to congratulate him on his investiture as well as seek a stronger alliance between both bodies.
The visit followed Alabi’s investiture where he unveiled his “IMPACT” Vision, themed “Consolidating Our Local Impact, Enhancing Our Global Relevance.”
The vision rests on six pillars: Inclusion across geographic, gender, and generational lines; Membership growth and quality; Professionalism and ethics; Accountability; Competencies and skills development; Technology, automation, and innovation. Other areas of shared interest, include women empowerment, financial inclusion and literacy, as well as MSME clinics, all of which are top on his agenda.
Alabi explained that under him, the institute will be prioritising financial inclusion and women empowerment, because of its realisation that women are often the primary financial managers and caregivers in families. Access to savings, micro-credit, and insurance acts as a safety net during crisis and allows them to significantly improve living conditions.
He added that CIBN would be happy to drive joint knowledge sharing and exchange sessions with CBN and ACAMB across various platforms. “Educating the public through public awareness programmes, with ACAMB as the rallying point, is central to what we do,” he noted.
ACAMB President, Jide Sipe, who led the delegation, spoke in unison with the CIBN president, as he noted that, closing the inbalances in financial access help economies grow faster, reduces inequality, and encourages greater civic participation by all.
Lagos State has become the first sub-national government in Nigeria to establish a comprehensive Greenhouse Gas Registry, a move aimed at strengthening climate governance, improving emissions accountability and accelerating the state’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
The Lagos State Greenhouse Gas Registry (LGHGR) was unveiled at the Central Business District, Alausa, Ikeja, at a ceremony attended by Prof. Akin Abayomi, commissioner for Health, members of the State Executive Council, representatives of the Federal Ministry of Environment, development partners, TPHG Technologies, the diplomatic and business communities, academics, civil society organisations and the media.
Describing the initiative as a landmark achievement in the state’s environmental sustainability drive, Dr. Babatunde Ajayi, general manager of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), said the Registry marks a defining moment in Lagos’ climate action journey and reflects Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to building a resilient, climate-smart and environmentally sustainable economy.
According to Ajayi, the digital platform will enable the state to accurately measure, monitor, report and verify greenhouse gas emissions across key sectors, providing credible data to guide environmental policies and climate interventions.
He said the Registry would strengthen evidence-based decision-making, improve transparency and accountability, support national and international climate reporting obligations, unlock carbon market opportunities and boost investor confidence in Lagos’ environmental initiatives.
Ajayi also commended TPHG Technologies for providing the technical expertise that made the pioneering project possible.
Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Abayomi described the Registry as a major milestone that positions Lagos at the forefront of climate governance and emissions accountability in both Nigeria and Africa.
He noted that climate change has evolved into a significant public health and governance challenge, stressing that access to reliable emissions data would enable the state to formulate evidence-based policies, attract climate financing, strengthen resilience and accelerate its transition to a low-carbon economy.
Providing insights into the technical framework of the project, Dr. Mofoluso Fagbeja, lead consultant and chief executive officer, TPHG Technologies, explained that the Registry was developed from the greenhouse gas inventory jointly undertaken by LASEPA and TPHG Technologies in 2022, using 2019 as the baseline year for emissions assessment.
He said the platform is designed to close critical emissions data gaps, particularly within the industrial sector, while supporting effective climate policy implementation, emissions management and sustainable development.
Fagbeja also disclosed that the greenhouse gas inventory estimated that poor air quality contributes to about 35,000 premature deaths annually in Lagos, underscoring the urgent need for stronger emissions control measures and cleaner environmental practices.
In a goodwill message, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, minister of Environment, represented by Mrs. Adenaike Olunimpe Oludunni, federal controller of Environment in Lagos, commended Lagos State for pioneering the initiative, describing it as a significant contribution to Nigeria’s climate commitments.
He said the Registry aligns with the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement and supports the Federal Government’s Energy Transition Plan, while reaffirming the ministry’s commitment to deeper collaboration with Lagos State on climate governance and environmental sustainability.
A recently released Henley Passport Index 2026, showed that Nigerian citizens can travel to at least 20 destinations outside the African continent where entry is allowed either visa-free, with a visa on arrival (VOA) at no extra cost, or via an e-visa.
This expanded access opens doors for Nigerian travellers to experience countries in the Caribbean, Asia, and beyond with greater ease.
Below is a comprehensive guide to countries outside Africa which Nigerian passport holders can visit without a traditional visa.
Visa-Free Countries outside Africa for Nigerian Passport Holders:
Barbados
Cambodia – Visa on arrival
Comoros Islands – Visa on arrival
Cook Islands
Dominica
Fiji
Haiti
Iran – Visa on arrival
Kiribati
Lebanon
Maldives – Visa on arrival
Micronesia
Montserrat
Niue – Visa on arrival
Palau Islands – Visa on arrival
Samoa – Visa on arrival
St. Kitts and Nevis
Timor-Leste – Visa on arrival
Tuvalu
Vanuatuul
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