Boko Haram moves into north-central Nigeria in apparent expansion - officials

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) - Boko Haram insurgents have taken over multiple communities in Nigeria's north-central Niger state, offering villagers money and incorporating them in their ranks to fight the government, a local government official and the state's information commission told Reuters.

The Islamist group is typically concentrated in the northeast of Africa's most populous nation, and its presence in Niger, a state that borders the federal capital territory, could indicate a concerning spread at a time the military says its counter-insurgency efforts are working.