Nigeria’s president approves largest military expansion in recent times

In December, US and Nigerian forces launched a joint operation to tackle jihadists, which involved strikes against militants from the Lakurawa group in north-western Nigeria on Christmas Day.

In addition to the new division, three new army headquarters will be set up in north-east and central Nigeria - areas plagued by Islamist militants, banditry and clashes between farmers and herders.

Over the past week, an armed gang killed at least 20 villagers in the north-western state of Zamfara and 46 students were abducted from a school in Borno state in the country's north-east.