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Tag: Jos

  • For the love of Jos violence victims

    For the love of Jos violence victims

    Lacking materials and cash, Jos University Teaching Hospital and Plateau State Specialists Hospital often struggle to cater for victims of violence. Now, N30m relief has come, reports YUSUFU AMINU IDEGU

     

     

    They are not just another pair of hospitals. Owned by the state government, their doors are always open to patients including victims of violence. Immediately, their staff get to work, trying their best to dull patients’ pain, stop bleeding and revive those fighting for their lives. But the hospitals often run into all sorts of problems, including lack of cash and life-saving materials.

    That is the lot of Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) and Plateau State Specialists Hospital.

    Help has come. A non-governmental organisation, Victim Support Fund or VSF has provided N30m to be split between them, N20 for teaching hospital, N10m for the specialist facility.

    The two major hospitals in Jos, the state capital, have been bearing the burden of providing medical care to victims of attacks.

    VSF noticed their efforts and challenges. Each time there were such attacks as car or suicide bombings, the hospitals quickly ran out of drugs and other consumables because of the huge number of casualties they treated. The hospital management often appealed to governments and private organisations to assist with necessary health facilities for saving life.

    It was on that note that the NGO sourced funds to assist the hospitals for the sake of victims of attacks. At the end of their search for funds, they came up with a whooping sum of thirty million naira to be donated to the hospitals. Hence,  the NGO came up to formally present the fund in aid of victims.

    But before the NGO made their presentations to the benefiting hospitals, the NGO had to sign a memorandum of understanding with managements of the hospitals so as not to divert the funds for other purposes other than purchasing medical facilities like drugs to be used on victims of insurgency.

    The Executive Director of the NGO, Prof. Sunday Ochoche made the donation to management of Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) and Plateau State Specialist Hospital. Of the N30 million, the NGO gave N20m to JUTH and gave N10m to Plateau Specialists Hospital.

    Mr. Ochoche said, “The donation is to compliment the efforts being made by hospitals which bear the most burden of caring for victims of insurgency and other related crisis in the country.

    He said, “Victims Support Fund is private sector-led, in conjunction with and support from government and other well meaning individuals. We have been to different hospitals providing care for crisis and insurgency victims in North East and other areas, the problems and challenges are enormous, we come in to show solidarity and to support in our own little way”

    “The organisation was set up when former president Goodluck Jonathan invited private sector to compliment government efforts following the intensity of attacks in 2014, so as to help alleviate the sufferings of victims, thus the Victims Support Fund Committee was formed under the chairmanship of T.Y. Danjuma who has been the largest individual contributor, haven donated 10 million dollars to VSF at its inception.

    Mr. Ochoche also said,“We have not supported private hospitals because the emphasis is to help build capacity and provide resources for these public institutions to be able to provide free medical care for victims, and we are providing support to help build capacity that will be available for public use. With the limited resources we have, we thought it will be more cost effective to put it in public institutions. Apart from Plateau State, we have provided support for other government hospitals in Borno, Adamawa, Gombe, Yobe and Abuja respectively.

    The fund was presented in cheque to management of the benefitting hospitals. The Chief medical directors of Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) Dr Edward Banwat received the cheque on behalf of the hospital while Dr. Joseph Golwa, Chief Medical Director of Plateau Hospital recited a cheque of N10,000 on behalf of the hospital. Both of the expressed appreciation for the support by VSF and promised that the funds will be used for what is it meant for and that, that will be judiciously utilised as agreed.

     

  • Son hacks mother to death in Jos

    Son hacks mother to death in Jos

    Residents of Jenta Magoro in Jos North local government of Plateau state, were thrown into shock following the news of a young man who matcheted his own mother to death.

    The incidence which occurred at about 6am Thursday morning was said to have come after a heated disagreement between the victim and her son.

    The Plateau Police command who confirmed the incidence gave the name of the dead woman as Mama Wollo Inde.

    According to the Police Public Relation Officer DSP Abu Emmanuel, “The 63 year old son known as Bravo Kunde attacked her 75 year old mother Wollo Inde with machete.”

    Close neighbors confirmed that they heard the voice of the old woman crying for help as early as 6am.

    “We rushed to the old woman’s room to discover she was attacked by her own son with whom they have been living together for long.

    “Another neighbor who pleaded anonymity said, “We noticed a very deep cut on the head of the old woman with blood rushing from the cuts when we came in to help her. Some of the neighbors rushed out to look for vehicle to convey her to the hospital but the old woman died before the vehicle could come.”

    A family member, Moses Yakubu, said, “My elder brother has been behaving strange in the last few days and we were suspecting him to be under the influence of hard drugs, but we never knew he could go this far to kill his own mom, we are all in shock.”

    The Police spokesman said, “The suspect was about to escape after the incidence but injured himself in the process. He was immediately apprehended and is currently receiving treatment at Plateau Specialists Hospital Jos.

    “The body of the old woman has also been deposited at the morgue in the same hospital and we have commenced full investigation to unravel what led to the victim committing the crime.”

  • Troops warn Jos residents of Boko Haram’s presence

    Federal troops code-named ‘Operation Safe Haven’ (OPSH), have alerted Jos residents to the presence of Boko Haram insurgents in the city.

    They said the terrorists might be planning to use suicide bombers at crowded places, such as markets, relaxation centres, termini, schools, etc.

    There had been multiple explosions in the city, which led to deaths.

    The last of such attacks was during the Ramadan fast when worshippers were killed at Dilimi Mosque, Jos.

    In a statement yesterday in Jos, OPSH spokesman Capt. Ikedichi Iweha urged people to be vigilant.

    The statement said: “Park operators and managers of relaxation spots, market unions, mosques, churches, etc are enjoined to put in place security measures.

    “This is because of intelligence report, which shows the intention of the insurgents to attack the Jos metropolis.”

    The troops reiterated their readiness to respond to breach of security.

    They urged the public to supply information to security agencies, assuring of that such sensitive information would be treated with confidentially.

  • Boko Haram insurgents in Jos – Troops

    Residents of Jos, the Plateau state capital have been alerted by the federal troops known as Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) of the presence of Boko Haram in the city.

    The federal troops reported that the insurgents may be planning to detonate bombs through suicide bombers or car bomb at crowded places like markets, relaxation centers, motor parks and schools.

    There have been several cases of multiple bomb explosions in the city in recent past which led to the deaths of hundreds of residents including car bombs, suicide bombing and throwing of grenades.

    The last of such attacks was during the last Ramadan fast which killed many worshippers listening to sermon at Dilimi Mosque Jos.

    In a statement released in Jos on Sunday by the spokesman of the OPSH, Captain Ikedichi Iweha, the federal troop has called on citizens of the state to be security conscious and tighten security around public places.

  • Jos poll: Why Appeal Court overuled tribunal

    Jos poll: Why Appeal Court overuled tribunal

    For failing to take into cognisance the suigeneris nature of election petitions, which require strict compliance with the timings contained in the laws guiding election petition proceedings, the Court of Appeal sitting in Jos, Plateau State has set aside a ruling  of the Plateau State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.

    The appellate court granted an interlocutory application by the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the April 11 election, Simon Lalong.

    Governor Lalong and his Deputy Prof Sonni Gwanle Tyoden defeated Gyang Nyam Shom Pwajok (GNS) and his running mate, Yilji Gomwalk, who contested on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Aggrieved by the declaration, Pwajok,  Gomwalk and the PDP filed a petition before the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal of Plateau vide PETITION NO. EPT/PL/GOV/2/2015 on May 2. Governor Lalong, the APC and INEC  are first, second and third respondents.

    The respondents filed their respective replies to the petition, each raising a preliminary objection on the grounds that the petitioners’ pleadings challenging, inter alia, the “generic, vague, nebulous and general” paragraphs of the Petition in breach of paragraph 4(1)(d) of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) and Order 13 Rules 4(1), 5 and 6(1) of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2009 .

    The provisions require parties to furnish sufficient particulars in their pleadings to avoid taking the other party by surprise.

    The appellant also filed a substantive application on June 12, praying the tribunal to strike out the petition and/or the offending paragraphs.

    However, at the pre-hearing session, by agreement of parties and in the light of the provisions of paragraph 12(5) of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) and the implication of the provision of Section 285(6) of the Constitution (as amended), the ribunal in its pre-hearing session report directed that all preliminary objections be argued and/or adopted with the final written addresses of parties in the petition and one composite judgment delivered by the tribunal.

    After the close of pre-hearing session, the petitioners on July 23 sought the tribunal’s leave to call an additional witness and to file the witness’ statement on oath. Among their prayers was an order granting leave for the hearing of the application outside the pre-hearing session.

    The pre-hearing session ended on June 29, while the application was filed on July 23.

    Earlier in the course of proceedings, and while seeking for more time to obtain documents from the INEC at the lower tribunal, the petitioners, through their lead counsel, Robert Clarke (SAN), told the tribunal that the documents earlier given to them were fake.

    After being granted leave to obtain fresh documents from INEC, the petitioners alleged that INEC refused to give them the documents they needed.

    The first and second respondents opposed the motion and filed counter-affidavits. They contended that no authentic report or document could emanate from the fake documents used by the petitioners.

    On August 1, the tribunal heard the application and delivered its ruling on August 5. Dissatisfied, the first respondent filed a Notice of Appeal on August 22.

    In the interlocutory appeal, Pwajok, Yilji Gomwalk, PDP, APC and INEC became the first, second, third, fourth and fifth respondents. Governor Lalong filed his  brief of argument. The fourth and fifth respondents did not file any respondent’s brief at the Court of Appeal. However, the first to third respondents filed their brief of argument. They also filed a preliminary objection contending that the appellant  cannot appeal against an interlocutory ruling or decision delivered or made by the trial tribunal.

    The appellant, through his lead counsel, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), formulated these issues: “Whether   the   lower   tribunal   was   not in   error   when   it  failed to appreciate the essence of the provision of paragraph 47(1) of the First Schedule to Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) by holding that the first to third petitioners /respondents did not need to seek and obtain the tribunal’s leave to get their July 23 application heard and determined outside pre-trial session; whether having regard to the sui generis nature of election petition, the provisions of section 285(5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and paragraphs 4(1 )(d); 4(5)(a), (b) and (c); 4(6) and 14(2) of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended), the tribunal was not wrong to have granted the first to third petitioners/respondents’ application filed on July 23, which thereby occasioned a miscarriage of justice to the appellants”.

    In its judgment delivered on September 22, the Court of Appeal Jos dismissed the objection of the first to third respondents. It allowed the appellant’s appeal and dismissed the application filed by the first to third respondents/petitioners.

    The Appellate Court further held that the tribunal was wrong when it failed to take into cognizance the sui generis (specially classified time bound proceedings) nature of election petitions which require strict compliance with the time-lines, which it held, must be adhered to.

    Counsel for Lalong, Mr. Jonathan Mawiyau, said: “I feel fulfilled because justice has been done according to law.  We had vehemently opposed the application because we believed that the grant of the prayers will automatically alter the content, structure and spirit of the petitioners’ complaints against the result and declaration of INEC respecting the April 11 2015 Governorship Election in Plateau State. It would certainly give a weak petition undeserved strength. We also believed that granting the prayers in the July 23 application will significantly amend the petition itself, albeit, outside the time-frame allowed by law for any amendments to be made.

    “There was ‘ingenuity’ in the tribunal’s decision that even before the application was filed, it had already, by virtue of its pre-hearing session report, granted leave to the petitioners to bring an application, making the application itself superfluous. That was a trap, which we had to escape, and to escape we had to appeal. Now that the Court of Appeal has fully agreed with our position and reasoning, we feel fulfilled.”

    On the effect of the judgment on the substantive matter before the Tribunal, Mawiyau said: “My  take is that we are now better positioned in our defence of the petition. Firstly, we have a Preliminary Objection before the lower Tribunal. Its ruling had in effect determined it even before it was argued. That was in spite of the fact that the same tribunal had, during the pre-hearing session, ruled that it would write a composite judgment touching the objection and the main petition. Now, there is an opportunity for the objection to be considered in the light of the judgment of the Court of Appeal.

    “Secondly, the tribunal can only refer to the so called expert’s evidence or the ‘forensic report’ and all those fake documents in the light of the judgment of the Court of Appeal, and strictly thereto.

    “If it is to be looked into at all, I am of the view that only the Supreme Court can do that since not even the Court of Appeal can look into it again,  particularly having regard to the sui generis nature of election petitions, which makes it most unlikely to have the time to refer the matter to any of the lower Courts.

    “I am more comfortable with that position since there, at the Supreme Court, the issues will be dealt with dispassionately.”

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Trauma healers trained in Jos

    Trauma healers trained in Jos

    Survivors of violence need more than drugs and sympathy. An agency of the European Union has trained counsellors to heal unseen wounds of trauma victims in Plateau State, reports YUSUFU AMINU IDEGU

    The European Union (EU) has started the second phase of its peace building and rehabilitation project in Plateau State, organising training programmes on trauma healing and skill acquisition for victims of Jos crisis. The EU made an initial commitment of €4.5 million in the phase, which is being implemented through its agency, Apurimac Onlus, a faith-based non-governmental organisation in Jos, the state capital.

    Okoko
    Okoko

    Country Director of Apurimac Onlus, Mr. Godwin Okoko said, “The NGO has been operating in Jos since 2008 in the areas of peace building, human development and social justice. We have so far established four vocational skill training centres, one in each senatorial zone as well as the state capital. We also established trauma healing centres in Jos North Local Government Area where victims of violence and bomb blasts received free medical treatment and trauma counseling.”

    While declaring the five-day training open for trauma counsellors in Jos last week, Mr. Okoko said, “In this particular programme, we are implementing the EU peace building project using our facilities for skill training and trauma healing for identified victims. Trauma healing because, the experience to victims are really traumatic, the heavy sound of bomb alone can affect somebody’s mental balance, especially being the first experience. And we’ve had several cases of bomb blasts in Jos city. Apart from the sound of the blast, the sight of charred human bodies, if you realise the impact of the bombs on human body alone can traumatise anyone that experienced it.

    “In the course of working with victims of bomb blast, we realised that victims who managed to survive bomb blast takes days for them to recover from the shock and disbelief, the psychological effect is massive on many people. Relations of victims who on realizing he lost loved ones through bomb blast and attacks by gunmen can go man, they are capable of contemplating revenge, especially orphans who will grow up to discovered how he lost his parents. So, in a conflict areas like Plateau state there are several reasons for residence to be traumatic.”

    Mr. Okoko said, “We identified such traumatic victims from hospitals, IDPs camps and from relations. We currently have 55,000 of them. Most of them after being discharged from hospital as a result of bomb blast will go back home with their trauma as they may not have the fund to remain in hospital for counseling. We locate them and offer them free trauma healing. We locate most of them from IDPs camp, where you will meet a woman or children who saw how their loved ones were shot or killed by machete. Some who managed to escape out of their house returned the next day after the attack to see the burnt bodies of family members. What a traumatic experience is that, there are several of them in Barkin Ladi, Riyom and Wase LGAs.”

    Due to the large number of victims that requires the trauma healing, the implementing agent, APURIMAN ONLUS will never have enough space to bring all of them together, hence the decision to train some community counsellors, who will then go back to their communities to train the victims. These community counsellors are selected medical workers, sociologists, psychologists, nurses and religious evangelists.

    Mr. Okoko said, “We selected nine of these professionals from each local government for a five-day training and after that we deploy them to the various IDPs camps to counsel these traumatic victims. We need to fine-tune their minds away from violence, we talk to them to divert their attention from what happened in the past; we have to take their memories away from the horrible things they may have passed through in the course of the violence. We have to do these so that we can turn them to peace ambassadors rather than allowing them to think of vengeance. We also use religious preachers to talk to them on the ways of God.”

    The NGO has identified three local governments with severe cases of trauma, they are Barkin Ladi, Riyom and Wase local government areas of the state. “The trauma healing has become necessary so as to forestall further conflict in the various communities, that is the center of the entire peace building because it is through that psychological headings that you can be able to achieve sustainable peace.

    The NGO organised its open day last week as a day set aside for the inspection of ongoing trainees in its training facilities in the state by the director general of Apurimac Onlus from Italy, Mr Vila Vittorio, as well as state government representative. The tour took the team to inspect the trauma healing center in Katako areas of Jos North LGA where it successfully trained 2,000 trauma victims in 2014.

    Mr Okoko said, “Apart from the trauma healing, we trained youths to acquire skills to enable them have means of livelihood that will take them away from been used in violence. We want to prevent idleness of the youths, hence, we have so far trained 14,000 youths in various skills like computer training, hair dressing, tailoring, knitting, leather works, aluminum works, wielding and fabrication, catering and event decoration. The training takes six months.

    “We have also trained over 5,000 educational actors in peace education and peace building, all these training are geared towards sustainable peace building and positive engagement of youths to make them productive, attain economic independence and make them useful to the society”

    Mr. Okoko restated the commitments of the EU and APURIMAC on the Plateau towards building social integration using various peace mechanism, and urged government, other stakeholders in the state to join hands in achieving sustainable peace in the state.

    At the end of the facility tour, the Chief of Staff to Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, Mr. John Dafan expressed government readiness to partner with any organisation to help in conflict prevention and peace building in the state. The government official said, “Government appreciates the efforts of Apurimac Onlus and other organisations working towards having a lasting peace in the state and government will not hesitate to assist the NGO and the European Union to make their peace building project a huge success.

     

  • School building collapses in Jos, kills 8 pupils

    The building of an Islamic School has collapsed in Bukuru, Jos South Local Government in Plateau State killing at least eight students.

    The incident which occurred at about 7:30 on Sunday night threw several families into mourning.

    The Islamic school, Abu Naib Islamic school is operated under a building located along Gero road in Bukuru.

    The school normally holds its evening lessons between 6:30pm and 9pm daily with over forty students attending.

    ‪National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said four students were confirmed dead while five were injured as a result of the incident.

    ‪Alhaji Danlami Muhammad who lives in the community said; “I cannot give details of the casualties as at now because we are still trying to rescue them.”‬

    ‪Alhaji Muhammad said about 40 children were inside the building when it collapsed adding that, “the number could have been more than this but for the rainfall that prevented some of the children from attending.”‬

    ‪Confirming the incident, North Central Zonal coordinator of the NEMA, Muhammad Abdulsalam said; “so far four children have been confirmed dead while five others have sustained injuries and have been taken to the specialists hospital. Our men are still carrying out the rescue mission and by tomorrow. I will give you the details.” ‬

  • kidnapped teenager found in Jos

    kidnapped teenager found in Jos

    A teenage girl who claimed she was kidnapped since March this year has been found in Riyom local government of Plateau state.

    The girl who can only remember her name identified herself as Rukayatu but she could not clearly explain where she was kidnapped from.

    In a statement released by the Special Task Force (STF) on Jos crisis, code named operation safe haven through the media officer Captian Ikedichi Iweha, the girl has been in their custody while efforts have been intensified to trace the parents of the girl.

    The statement reads, “The attention of the general public is by this notice called to help in identifying the person in this photograph. She gave her name as Rukayatu and she is about 12- 14 years old. She has been in STF custody for Two (2) days within which time efforts have been made to contact her relations. She claims has been missing since March 2015 and have been held against her will by unknown persons since then.

    ” Members of the general public who recognize her are please requested to contact the Special Task Force (OPERATION SAFE HAVEN) Jos or the Department of State Security Service, Plateau State Command for identification and further action.”

  • Panel to probe Jos chlorine leakage

    Panel to probe Jos chlorine leakage

    The Plateau State government has constituted an administrative panel to investigate the chlorine gas leakage which claimed eight lives. The 11-man panel is chaired by Mr Jimmy Cheto, an engineer.

    The chlorine gas leakage at Jos Water Treatment Plant that affected over 100 residents was initially thought to be a saboteur’s handiwork. It was rather a case of negligence and possibly sheer ignorance of the chemical capacity of the gas. Those who use of the chlorine in treating water for human consumption may not know the chemical beyond its usage.

    Laboratory scientists and chemists say the chemical is also a weapon of mass destruction, which can wipe out many humans, animals and plants, as was the case in the leakage in Jos killed human beings, plants and animals.

    Chlorine gas is described as a “highly irritating, greenish-yellow poisonous gas existing as a diatomic gas and capable of combining with nearly all other elements, produced principally by electrolysis of sodium chloride and used widely to purify water, as a disinfectant and bleaching agent, and in the manufacture of many important compounds including chlorates, sodium hypochlorite, and chloroform”

    A laboratory scientist in the Laboratory Science Department of University of Jos, Mr. Danjuma Kumbak said, “Chlorine is very poisonous, being highly irritating to the nose, throat, and lungs, and causing suffocation. It is used in purifying water, as a disinfectant, and bleach.

    He said, “The chemical is only useful to humans when it is dissolved in water, but it is poisonous to human beings when consumed in its raw stage. Such accident can occur through sabotage or careless handling of the chemical.

    “I know that small amounts of chlorine gas can be made in the laboratory by combining hydrochloric acid and manganese dioxide.”

    Historians have revealed that chlorine gas was used as a chemical weapon during the First World War by Germany. Recently, during the Iraq war of 2007, chlorine gas was used in the form of chlorine bombs by insurgents against the local population and coalition forces in the Iraq War. On March 17, 2007, for example, three chlorine-filled trucks were detonated in the Anbar province, killing two and sickening over 350. Other chlorine bomb attacks resulted in higher death tolls, with more than 30 deaths on two separate occasions.

  • Explosion kills eight in Jos

    Explosion kills eight in Jos

    101 others hospitalised

    A chlorine cylinder belonging to the Plateau State government exploded yesterday at the Lamingo water dam in Jos, leaving eight people dead.

    The victims had inhaled the poisonous gas emitted by the explosion.

    Chlorine is used in treating water for human consumption.

    Over a hundred other people who inhaled the gas however escaped death but were rushed to OLA Hospital, Evangel Hospital  (Jankwano), Plateau Specialist Hospital and Air Force Hospital for treatment.

    The Director of press and public affairs to Governor Simeon Lalong, Samuel Nanle confirmed the incident.

    He said some of those taken to the hospital had been discharged, adding that the contamination had been contained and “does not affect the water which has been supplied to public mains; water from the public mains is safe for consumption and is not affected in anyway by the Arial contamination of Chlorine from the exploded cylinder.”

    Government commiserated with the families of the victims and “has taken immediate measures to address the issues of expired components of the Treatment Plant and to guard against future reoccurrence of this unfortunate incidence”

    Deputy Governor Prof. Sunny Tyoden led a government delegation to see those receiving treatment on account of the explosion and promised them assistance in settling their hospital bills.

    He also visited the water treatment plant where the explosion occurred. He was accompanied by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Peter Azi, Chief of Staff  Government  House, John Dafan, Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Water Resources Hanatu Dantong and Commissioner of Police Nasiru Oki.

    The deputy governor condoled with the families of those who lost their lives in the incidence and cautioned the general public against building residential houses close to industrial areas to avoid such casualties on human lives.