Authorities in Chad have declared a state of emergency around the Lake Chad region following an upsurge of attacks by Boko Haram militants.

Authorities in Chad have declared a state of emergency around the Lake Chad region following an upsurge of attacks by Boko Haram militants. Chadian ministers at an extraordinary cabinet meeting voted for sweeping powers to control the movement of people in the area because of frequent attacks by the militants. With the measure, the governor of the region will be able to ban the movement of people and vehicles, search homes and recover arms. The decision was made after a suspected Boko Haram suicide bomb attack killed at least two people in the Lake Chad region.