Niger calls emergency state in region bordering Nigeria

Niger has declared a state of emergency in a southeastern region bordering Nigeria, which has come under repeated recent attacks by the Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram.

The measure, which will grant increased powers to security forces, including to carry out searches, was imposed on Tuesday. “The state of emergency is proclaimed in the Diffa region for a period of 15 days,” a statement read on state radio said.

The militants have attacked Niger several times since last week. One such attack by a female bomber on Monday killed at least six people and wounded several others.

Meanwhile, Niger’s parliament has voted unanimously to send troops to Nigeria to join a regional fight against Boko Haram.

According to AFP, the worsening militancy has killed at least 13,000 people and rendered more than a million others homeless since 2009.