Military commanders promised a tour of this northeast Nigeria city, the birthplace of the nation's Islamic extremist insurgency, to show the busy streets and people selling fruits from wheelbarrows pressed right up against the road.

Nigeria's military on Friday released 58 detainees believed to have connections with rebel group Boko Haram, who were arrested in Nigeria's troubled northeast Yobe and Borno states.

Authorities with the Defense Headquarters of Nigeria on Friday confirmed arrests of 56 rebels in the western African country's northeastern region.

The leader of Boko Haram says the militant group has forced the Nigerian army to retreat and has sustained little damage itself.

The Nigerian army says it has razed a number of important camps used by the militant group Boko Haram in the northeast of the country.

The Nigerian army has vowed to press ahead with a war on Boko Haram militants in the northeast as it imposed a 24-hour curfew in parts of the city of Maiduguri.

Nigerian troops operating in northeast Borno State said on Saturday that 65 rebels had been apprehended so far by officers of the Special Task Force (STF).

Military authority on Saturday imposes 24 hours of curfew on Nigeria's northeastern city of Maiduguri following the commencement of offensive against the Boko Haram insurgents in the area.

Residents on Friday said the special military force deployed to the restive Nigeria northeast states of Yobe and Borno cordoned off border roads linking the two states and Adamawa to prevent the Boko Haram militants from fleeing to other neighboring states.

Dozens of people have been killed in a military strike launched by Nigerian army since Thursday night in the northern part of the West African country, according to security sources.

Mobile phone service has been cut in areas of northeast Nigeria as the military sends more soldiers to the region to fight Islamic extremists.

A security official in northeast Nigeria says soldiers have shelled suspected camps of Islamic extremists fighting in the region, killing at least 21 people.

An official of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has confirmed the killing of the state secretary of association, Rev Faye Pama Musa in the trouble Nigeria northeast Borno State by suspected Boko Haram gunmen.

At least 11 people were killed on Tuesday in an attack on a village in central north Nigeria, according to security sources.

Nigeria on Tuesday proposed the establishment of a joint commission with Singapore to strengthen the relations between both countries.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in the most troubled states in the northeast part of the country.

The World Bank Monday called on the federal government to delink its expenditures from oil price to ensure that its spending plan was not hampered by fluctuations in crude oil prices.

A Nigerian Mi-24B attack helicopter has crashed at a military base in the country’s southern Niger Delta, but there were no immediate reports of casualties, Nigeria's Air Force says.

At least seven people have been killed in an exchange of fire between Nigerian military forces and unknown gunmen in the country’s northeast.

Authorties in Nigeria say at least 11 people have been killed in violence blamed on Islamic insurgents in the country's northeast.