France and Nigeria to strengthen relations amid Nigerian security crisis

French president Emmanuel Macron announced on Sunday that his country would strengthen ties with Nigeria at the request of his Nigerian counterpart Bola Tinubu. This comes amid a growing security crisis in Nigeria's north.

Could France and Nigeria be working more closely together in the future? This is the announcement made by French president Emmanuel Macron on Sunday evening. At the request of his counterpart Bola Tinubu, Macron said that France stood in solidarity with Nigeria in the face of a deteriorating security situation, especially in the country's north.

At least 400 people have been kidnapped in just the past two weeks, among them many schoolchildren.

100 school students were reportedly liberated on Monday after having been kidnapped from a Catholic school on 21 November in the country's west.

US president Donald Trump has threatened to intervene militarily in Nigeria over what he called a targeting of Christians. Children and adults from Muslim schools and mosques are however also frequently victims of kidnappings.

Aside from kidnappings, which have not been claimed by any particular group, terrorist attacks also pose a problem in northern regions. The Islamist militia Boko Haram is particularly active.