Nigeria began the new year Sunday under a state of emergency in areas targeted by Islamist attacks as soldiers flooded hard-hit cities in a bid to end spiralling violence in Africa's most populous nation.
Residents in the north-eastern city of Maiduguri reported a sharp increase in patrols and checkpoints, with soldiers in pickup trucks and armed with rifles stopping vehicles and forcing drivers to exit while also questioning them.
In the central city of Jos, security agents took over local government headquarters and two helicopters hovered overhead, while intensified patrols occurred on the ground.