The trial of a Nigerian militant leader charged with treason was delayed today as prosecutors asked for him to be tried in his absence after he disrupted the hearing.

Petrol gushing from a ruptured Nigeria pipeline caught fire today as villagers scavenged for free fuel, sparking an inferno that killed up to 200 people and left charred bodies scattered around the site.

A Nigerian rebel leader claimed tonight he had reached a peace deal that would bring an end to fighting in the oil rich south that has helped push up world fuel prices.

More than two dozen people have been killed in violence surrounding elections in Nigeria that showed the ruling party make a solid showing, according to partial returns.