Leading the News -

Nigeria:

On December 1st, the United Nations (U.N.) reported nearly 450 schools have reopened in Borno state, Nigeria since October after being closed for more than 18 months following the Boko Haram attack on a boarding school in Yobe state that left 59 students dead. Despite continuing fears of attacks, the U.N. said some schools in Adamawa and Borno states have actually doubled the number of classes to provide education for people uprooted by the conflict, as well as local children.

On December 1st, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced the designation of two senior Boko Haram leaders, Mohammed Nur and Mustapha Chad, as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs). As a result of the designations, all of Nur’s and Chad’s assets will be frozen and all U.S. persons will be prohibited from engaging in transactions with them. In announcing the designations, Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Adam Szubin said Boko Haram represents a threat not just to innocents in Nigeria, but to all civilized society.