He worked for local newspapers before joining Agence France-Presse (AFP) in 2000 as a freelance correspondent covering northern Nigeria. He has extensive knowledge of religious conflicts, which he has been covering in his professional capacity. This has enabled him to have deep understanding of the politics and drivers of religious conflicts in the region including the Islamist violence of Boko Haram that the region is grappling with. He is married with children. Read more from ​Aminu Abubakar