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  • 1,070 Nigerians died in road accidents – NBS

    1,070 Nigerians died in road accidents – NBS

    The National Bureau of Statistics ( NBS ) said on Wednesday  that at least 1,070 Nigerians died in road accidents in the third quarter of this year.

    The NBS Road Transport Data for Third Quarter, 2017 posted on its website on Wednesday showed that 89 out of the victims were children.

    The report stated that 981 of the 1,070 Nigerians that died, representing 91.7 per cent of the figure were adults while the remaining 89 Nigerians, representing 8.3 per cent of the figure were children.

    The breakdown of the figure showed that 815 of the number were males, representing 76.2 per cent while 255 were females, representing 23.8 per cent.

    According to the report, 2,478 road accidents occurred in the third quarter.

    It, however, attributed the major cause of accidents to speed violation, which it said accounted for 44.51 per cent of the total accidents reported in the quarter.

    It stated that loss of control and dangerous driving followed closely as they both accounted for 10.41 per cent and 9.52 per cent of the total accident recorded respectively.

    Meanwhile, the report stated that a total of 6,803 Nigerians got injured in the accidents.

    Read also: Nigeria’s population hits 193.3m, says NBS report

    It stated that 6,419 of the 6,803 Nigerians that got injured, representing 94.4 per cent of the figure were adults while the remaining 384 Nigerians, representing 5.7 per cent of the figure were children.

    It further stated that 5,110 male Nigerians, representing 75 per cent, got injured in road accidents in the quarter while 1,693 female Nigerians, representing 25 per cent got injured.

    According to the report, estimated vehicle population in Nigeria as at third quarter was put at 11,547,236 with the total population of the country puts at 193.3 million in 2016.

    It stated Nigeria s vehicle per population ratio was put 0.06

    In addition, it stated that data on the category of vehicles involved in road accident reflected that 58 per cent of vehicles were commercial (2,000), 40.6 per cent were private (1,401), 1.4 per cent were government (48) and the remaining were diplomat (0).

    It stated that FCT recorded the highest number of road crashes in the quarter, closely followed by Kaduna and Kogi States while Borno and Bayelsa States recorded the least.

    The report stated that 200,565 national driver’s licenses were produced in the period under review.

    It stated that Lagos and FCT produced the highest number of driver’s licenses while Zamfara and Kebbi produced the least numbers of national driver’s license.

    Similarly, it stated that 75,958 vehicle number plates were produced in the quarter.

    It also stated that Delta and FCT produced the highest number of vehicle plate numbers while Ekiti and Rivers produced the least numbers of vehicle plate numbers in the quarter.

    NAN

  • CSO urges Borno to conduct census of persons with disabilities

    CSO urges Borno to conduct census of persons with disabilities

    The Network of Civil Society Organisations, Borno Chapter, has called on the state government to conduct head-count of Persons with Disabilities ( PLWD ), to fast track implementation of support services to them.

    Mr Ahmad Shehu, Chairman of the organisation, made the call at a rally to commemorate the 2017 International Day of Persons with Disabilities, on Monday in Maiduguri.

    Shehu said that the call was imperative to build a comprehensive data of persons with disability to facilitate proper planning and implementation of support programmes.

    He said that lack of population data on persons with disabilities hindered effective implementation of programmes, designed to improve their social and economic well-being.

    “The government should create an enabling environment for PLWD to attain their potentials because it is the only way to prevent them from street begging.

    “Absence of data of persons with disabilities affect planning and interventions, hence the need to carry out census.
    “Establishment of social protection programme is essential to guarantee their support and survival.

    Special programme for employment and education of the PLWD should be implemented in the state,” he said.

    Shehu urged the United Nations ( UN ) agencies and development organisations to accord priority in their interventions to persons with disabilities in the state.

    Also, Malam Umar Muhammad, the Chairman of the Blind Association, appealed to the National Emergency Agency ( NEMA ), to include their members in the emergency food intervention programme.

    Muhammad lamented that persons with disabilities were not benefiting from the programme in the crisis affected areas of the state.
    “We registered 41, 414 members, most of them were displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency.

    “It is disheartening to see that we are not benefiting from the food intervention programme,” he said.

    Muhammad also called on Gov. Kashim Shettima, to appoint their members into various political positions, to ensure their representation in governance.

    NAN

  • Troops kill three Boko Haram insurgents in Borno

    Troops kill three Boko Haram insurgents in Borno

    The Nigerian Army said on Saturday that its troops killed three Boko Haram insurgents at Gajibo village in Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno State.

    The Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, Theatre Command, Operation Lafiya Dole, Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, disclosed this in a statement issued in Maiduguri.

    Nwachukwu said the troops killed the three insurgents, when a group of terrorists attempted to attack Gajibo community on Thursday.

    He disclosed that the insurgents, who launched the attack on the village in a Military Personnel Carrier and gun trucks, were repelled by the troops.

    “Troops of the 22 Brigade deployed in Operation Lafiya Dole on Thursday evening killed three Boko Haram insurgents in an encounter that ensued when a group of insurgents attempted an attack on Gajibo community in the fringes of Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno State.

    “The insurgents armed with Armoured Personnel Carrier and gun trucks met with fierce resistance from the troops, who successfully defended Gajibo village after routing the insurgents. Troops also recovered three AK 47 rifles from the insurgents.

    “Currently, troops are further exploiting the success of the counter offensive and are still in pursuit of the insurgents,” he said

    The deputy director said the troops fought gallantly to defend the town and push back the attackers.

  • Polio: UNICEF immunizes 2m children in four states

    Polio: UNICEF immunizes 2m children in four states

    The Global Affairs Canada (GAC) in conjunction with UNICEF said it immunized more than two million children in rural communities of Jigawa, Niger, Taraba and Zamfara states in the past one year.
    Dr. Esther Obinya, a UNICEF health specialist and the National Coordinator of the Hard To Reach (HTR) project, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jalingo on Saturday, that the initiative of reaching rural communities with vaccines was recording a lot of success.
    She disclosed that the HTR project was able to reach more than 900,000 pregnant women in the four states with ante-natal and post-natal services and commodities within the period.
    Obinya stated that the HTR, which is aimed at eradicating polio and strengthening health care in remote communities, is enjoying support from the federal, state and local governments in all the four high-risk states where the project is ongoing.
    She disclosed that more than 3,000 settlements had been visited at least three times since the project began in March 2016.
    She identified security breach occasioned by the frequent communal clashes, hazardous terrains, political interference and getting the right technical personnel, especially, Nurse-Midwives as the major challenges of the project.
    The Bill and Melinda-Gates foundation had carried out similar exercises in Borno, Yobe, Kaduna, Bauchi, Katsina, and Kano with very good results, she said.
    Obinya, who was in Taraba to supervise the Quarter 3, 2017 Review Meeting of GAC/HTR for Jigawa, Niger, Taraba, and Zamfara states, also called on the benefiting states to work assiduously to sustain the project which would end in December 2018.
    Delegates from the four states had earlier undertaken field trips to some Hard to Reach communities in Ardo-Kola and Jalingo Local Government.
    NAN recalls that the World Health Assembly had in 2012 asked the World Health Organisation to formulate a programme that would eradicate polio worldwide when it was discovered that Nigeria, Afghanistan, and Pakistan had remained the three most endemic countries that were left with polio.
  • Boko Haram kills 357 Nigerians in 55 attacks

    Boko Haram kills 357 Nigerians in 55 attacks

    The Senators were alarmed on Tuesday over the revelation that Boko Haram have killed more than 357 Nigerians in 55 attacks in the last 11 months.

    Former Senate Leader, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, reeled out the disturbing statistics in a motion entitled “The worrisome state of security in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States.”

    Ndume said that there was no doubt that Boko Haram terrorists have made significant gains in the three northeastern states in the last 11 months.

    The Borno South lawmaker told his colleagues that the three front line states have come under heavy attacks from insurgents.

    He feared that if something was not done urgently to halt the advance of Boko Haram extremists, the gains made in the fight against terrorism will be eroded.

    Ndume said, “The insurgency in the North East is resurfacing. If we need to invite the Security Chiefs to brief the Senate in a closed door session, I will formally move the motion.”

    He said that 76 civilians have been killed by the terrorists in November, while 11 soldiers also lost their lives within the same period.

    Ndume noted that of the 357 civilians that died, 220 were killed between June and November.

    He noted the people were killed as a result of suicide bombings.

    He further said that 83 child suicide bombers were used in 2017 alone by the terrorists.

    Out of the 83 child suicide bombers, he noted that 55 of them are girls and are under age 15.

    He said that 27 young boys of the same age were used for the same purpose by the insurgents.

    The senator told his colleagues that 14.8 million people have been affected by the crisis.

    He said the estimated cost of destruction is put at over $9 billion (N2.75 trillion).

    Ndume said that 85 per cent of the destruction is in Borno. Up to 1.8 million people are Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), out of which more than 80 per cent are living in host communities.

    He said: “In the year 2017, more than 257 civilians were killed during 55 attacks in the North East. The deadliest month was in August, when the militant group killed 100 people, followed by November with 76 people killed already.

    “Recently, three soldiers and a child were killed in Magumeri in Borno, several civilians were killed in Madagali in Adamawa, and eight soldiers were killed in Sasawa in Yone State.

    “The cases of suicide bombing in Borno and recently in Mubi, Adamawa that killed 50 people and wounded several others continues to escalate. At least, 220 people were killed since June as a result of suicide bombing.

    “Over 83 child suicide bombers were used in 2017. This is four times as many child suicide bombers used in all of 2016. The United Nations agency said out of 83 children deployed by the atrocious insurgents, 55 were girls, mostly under 15 years old and 27 were boys. One was a baby strapped to a girl. Nineteen children were used last year according to UNICEF.”

    “About 14.8 million people are affected by the crisis. The estimated cost of destruction is put at over $9 billion. About 80 per cent of the destruction is in Borno. Up to 1.8 million people are IDPs, out of which more than 80 per cent are living in host communities.”

    Ndume prayed the chamber to invite Service Chiefs to brief the Senate in a closed door session on the worrisome state of security.

    The prayer did not sail through.

    The Senate instead referred the issue to Senator Ahmad Lawan-led ad-hoc committee on insecurity, to address.

     

  • Boko Haram kills three soldiers in Borno

    •Stray bullet kills five-year-old boy 

    Three soldiers were, at the weekend, killed by Boko Haram insurgents in Magumeri town, Borno State. Six people were injured.

    Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 8 Task Force Division, Col. Timothy Antigha, spoke yesterday.

    Antigha said the soldiers died while repelling insurgent’s attack on Saturday. He added that six soldiers were injured while some platforms were damaged. Bur troops repelled the attack and normalcy has been restored to the area.

    He said: “About 6 pm yesterday (Saturday), suspected Boko Haram terrorists attempted to attack Magumeri. As a prelude to the intended attack, the terrorists attempted to dislodge the Forward Operational Base in Magumeri. However, soldiers of 5 Brigade Garrison repelled the attack; the troops fought gallantly.

    “Unfortunately, three soldiers died while six others sustained injuries. The bodies of the deceased have been evacuated and the injured taken to our medical facility for treatment.

    “The 8 Division assures residents of Magumeri that everything is being done to ensure their safety and security. To this end, they are to continue pursuing their legitimate activities without any fear”.

    A five-year-old boy also died after he was hit by a stray bullet. Two women and a teenager were also injured.

    Secretary of Magumeri council Wakil Malam-Tawu said a clinic, mosque and shops were also razed in the attack, adding that those injured have been discharged after treatment.

    He said: “The people have returned to their homes. It was only one child of about 5 years who was killed, and three other people injured by stray bullets.

    “Also, a rocket launcher hit one of our health clinics, a mosque and some shops along the main road. When I visited Magumeri this morning (yesterday), the town was very calm. We have also visited the boy’s family to condole with them.”

    Malam-Tawu dismissed as ‘misleading’, reports that the insurgents had taken over the town. According to him, normalcy has been restored.

  • Borno to convert Boko Haram leader’s house to museum

    Borno to convert Boko Haram leader’s house to museum

    The Borno Government says it will convert the house of the former leader of Boko Haram sect, Mohammed Yusuf, to a museum.

    The state Commissioner for Home Affairs, Information and Culture, Dr Mohammed Bulama, disclosed this at the sidelines of the 9th National Council for Culture, Tourism and National Orientation held in Dutse, Jigawa.

    The Council with the theme “Tourism and Culture as Panacea for Nigeria’s Economic Recovery’’ was organised by the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture.

    Bulama said in an interview that the museum would help to archive all things related to Boko Haram insurgency to attract tourists and for the benefits of future generation.

    “We are going to convert the house of the leader of the Boko Haram sect Mohammed Yusuf where the insurgency all started from, to a museum.

    “The place is called Maarcas; we want to build a museum there where all the things that had happened relating to the insurgency will be archived.

    “We want to document and archive all that had happened so that our future generation will be able to have first hand information,” he said.

    Yusuf, sect leader and founder of the militant Islamist group, Boko Haram was killed in 2009 and his group has continued to constitute serious security threat to Borno and other states in the North-east.

    The Commissioner said the State was also planning to turn the Sambisa forest, which used to be the insurgents’ haven, to a tourist centre by reviving the already existing games reserve in the forest.

    “Last year, Gov. Kashim Shettima made a pronouncement to the effect that every Dec. 22, will be declared a public holiday in Borno because that is the day the military declared that they had captured Ground Zero in Sambisa forest.

    “What we intend to do when stability is fully achieved is to convert the forest into a tourist attraction in order to show the world what has happened.

    “Before insurgency, we used to have a game reserve in the Sambisa forest, we are going to revive that,” he said.

    According to Bulama, Borno is very rich in culture and diversity; and the government would use the security situation in the State for tourism advantage.

    Bulama said that the meeting in Dutse witnessed very robust contributions in form of memorandum presentations and intervention by participants and other stakeholders in the culture and tourism sectors.

    Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, the Director General of National Council for Arts and Culture, who also spoke at the event, said that “culture and tourism are intertwined and cannot be separated.”

    He explained that “culture is the brand that tourism sells” and it should be approached based on the strength and rich potential of each state or political zone.

    Runsewe said the meeting would enable stakeholders strategise on harnessing the potential in culture and tourism to become a new oil for the country.

    Speaking in the same vein, the Director General of the National Orientation Agency, Dr Garba Abari, said his Agency would use its various platforms to sensitise the people on the country’s diverse cultural heritage and tourism potential.

    He said the Agency would work with all States and stakeholders to boost local tourism for employment generation and other economic advantages.

    NAN

  • PDP: Borno gets new EXCO

    PDP: Borno gets new EXCO

    Alhaji Zanna Gaddama has been elected as new Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Borno, with Alhaji Baba Mustapha as the Secretary.

    Alhaji Sabo Garba, the Chairman of the Electoral Committee in the state, announced the result in Gombe on Saturday after the election by the congress from Bayo and Shani local government areas of Borno.

    He said that the congress election conducted two weeks ago was declared inconclusive due to some challenges which resulted in the two local governments not casting their votes.

    Garba said “we started this election two weeks ago in Maiduguri; we now came back to complete it here in Gombe with the remaining two local governments who were unable to vote.

    Read Also: PDP accuses APC of plot to sabotage its convention

    “However, we concluded election peacefully today without any problem.”

    The electoral committee chairman said the choice Gombe to conclude the election was because it was close to the two local governments.

    He added that Gaddama retuned elected with 553 votes to defeat Usman Baderi who scored 525 votes.

    He explained that the Secretary, Baba Mustapha, scored 553 votes to defeat Alhaji Yusuf Dikko who had 499 votes, while Baba Sheriff Abba, declared the state’s
    Youth Leader scored 529 votes to defeat Alhaji Usman Abba with 527 votes.

    He said that Kellu Abba returned elected as Women Leader with 570 votes to defeat Hajiya Gambo Zailani who scored 426 votes.

    Garba thanked delegates for the support and cooperation that led to the successful congress election.

    He congratulated the winners and advised them to take every member along for the success of the party.

    Speaking on behalf of the new executive after taking oath of office, Gaddama promised to work toward repositioning the party and uniting members to reclaim its past glory in the state and the country at large.

    He thanked party delegates for the confidence reposed in the new executive officers and promised to give them the opportunity to contribute for the development and success of the party come 2019 general elections.

  • Boko Haram: Hunters kill one, recover 154 animals

    Boko Haram: Hunters kill one, recover 154 animals

    Some hunters from Gur village in Biu Local Government Area of Borno in conjunction with hunters from Damaturu on Thursday intercepted suspected Boko Haram terrorists cattle rustlers and killed one of them.

    Army Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman said in a statement on Friday that the encounter took place at Burashika village in Biu.

    Read Also: Four suicide bombers, teenager killed in Maiduguri attacks

    Usman said the hunters recovered one AK-47 rifle mounted with magazine of two rounds and 48 cows, 58 goats, 36 sheeps and 12 donkeys.

    He added that the recovered livestock had been handed over to security operatives in Gur village, pending identification by their rightful owners and handover.

  • UNDP constructs 300 houses for IDPs in Borno

    UNDP constructs 300 houses for IDPs in Borno

    The United Nations Development Programme ( UNDP ) has begun the construction of 300 housing units for internally displaced persons in Borno, the agency said in its fact-sheet.

    The prospective beneficiaries are victims of the Boko Haram insurgency in the state.

    The data made available in Maiduguri on Thursday show that the projects are in Ngwom community in Mafa Local Government Area.

    The UN agency stated that 288 of the houses were under construction, while work on the remaining 12 had not stated.

    The agency also stated that it constructed a clinic,  288 market stalls, 20 shops, as well as six classrooms, one administrative block and a store at the primary school in the community.

    It stated that the clinic would be equipped by the World Health Organisation ( WHO ).

    The agency said it had also distributed 210 bags of assorted fertilisers, 105 knapsack sprayers and 120 goats to farmers in the community.

    The agency also stated that it distributed  2,100kg of   sorghum seeds, 2, 100kg of millet seeds, 2, 362.5kg of cowpea seeds and 24 cartons of chemicals to farmers.

    It also highlighted some of its proposed projects, including a police out-post, borehole, installation of solar equipment at the clinic, distribution of agricultural inputs for fish farmers and livelihood support.

    It also proposes to provide unconditional grants to women and young girls, train youth entrepreneurs on micro and small business enterprises and train local government officials.

    “The training is to build the capacity of local government officials on provision of basic community services, maintenance of public infrastructure, planning and monitoring skill,” it stated.

    NAN