Nigerian authorities seized a Russian airplane bound for Chad carrying two helicopters, a bullet-proof vehicle, and various heavy weapons. The crew has been variously reported as being Ukrainian and “French-speaking.” Ten Nigerian soldiers and over 70 Boko Haram fighters were reportedly killed when the jihadist group attempted to overrun the town of Ashaka in Borno state. Gunmen staged a jailbreak at Minna prison in Tunga in central Niger state, freeing more than 200 prisoners (also reported as 270). More than 10,000 people have been killed in Boko Haram-related violence over the past 12 months, a casualty level comparable to the civilian casualty figures in Iraq for the same period.
