BBC reporters travel under tight security to villages near the site of Christmas Day airstrikes in north-west Nigeria, targeting camps linked to Lakurawa, a militant group affiliated with the Islamic State. Locals describe life under threat, with farmers accusing militants of seizing livestock, enforcing levies and embedding themselves in border communities where state presence is minimal.

We also turn to AFCON 2025, where belief and football often collide. From pre-match rituals to deeply rooted ideas about luck and destiny, we explore how superstition continues to shape African football, with players reflecting on why these practices persist at the continent’s biggest tournaments.

Presenter : Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Chiamaka Dike, Bella Twine, Keikantse Shumba, Blessing Aderogba
Technical Producer: Terry Chege
Senior Producer: Daniel Dadzie
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla