The Nation Newspaper

Tag: National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)

  • Three suicide bombers killed in Borno attack

    Three suicide bombers killed in Borno attack

    Three suicide bombers were killed Friday in a pre-dawn attack close to the NNPC depot on Damboa Road, Maiduguri.

    Three fuel tankers were set ablaze in the attack, ahead of a planned visit by the United Nations Security Council to assess the Boko Haram crisis in Nigeria.

    One of the bombers, an elderly woman, blew herself up beside a stationary tanker loaded with fuel around 3 a.m.

    With her was a young man in his teens and a girl who continued down the road toward the fuel depot until they were challenged by soldiers who fired at them to avert what could have been a major attack on the fuel depot.

    “We are lucky. Today could have been another sad day for us in Maiduguri,” the State Police Commissioner Damian Chukwu told reporters at the scene.

    “They (soldiers) ordered them to stop but they chose to run,” Gajibo said. “The male suicide bomber detonated his explosives near S. Baba (gas) filling station, while the girl was shot at by the military and ran under a parked truck loaded with petrol products which went up in flames” when her explosives detonated.

    Firefighters razed to the spot, opposite the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to put out the fire.

    Spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Abdulkadir Ibrahim confirmed three deaths.

    He said: “the fire has been brought under control while evacuation has been concluded.”

    “Three suicide bombers came into the city through Damboa around 3:00 am (0200 GMT) and they were spotted by civilian (vigilantes),” he said.

    “They quickly ran and hid under three petrol tankers, where one of them detonated his explosives, killing all of them.”

    The attack came just days before a delegation of the U.N. Security Council is due  in Maiduguri as part of a four-nation tour of countries in the Lake Chad Basin devastated by the seven-year Boko Haram uprising that has killed more than 20,000.

    Yesterday, the Security Council members were in Cameroon for meetings with top officials and an encounter with the multinational force that has been fighting Boko Haram extremists.

    Council members also plan to go to Chad and Niger, then on to Nigeria, where they are expected to visit a camp in Borno State for people displaced by Boko Haram.

  • Boko Haram: 310,000 IDPs in Borno return to liberated communities

    Boko Haram: 310,000 IDPs in Borno return to liberated communities

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), says about 310,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), from seven local governments areas of Borno state have returned home following liberation of their communities and return of peace.

    Mr Muhammad Kanar, the NEMA North-East Coordinator, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Tuesday in Maiduguri.

    Kanar said that as at Monday, only about 101,387 IDPs were still remaining in camps across Maiduguri, the Borno capital.

    He said that about 67,000 returned to Dikwa; 9,000 to Bama; 13,000, to Konduga;, 5,000 to Lassa; 52,000 to Damboa;52,000 to Banking;71,000 to Gambrun Ngala, and 41,000 returned to Konduga.

    Kanar also gave statistics of the number of returnees to other communities, adding that many of the IDPs returned willingly.

    “In Konduga, for example, about 41,000 IDPs that returned to the area, were those who returned willingly. You know is a few kilometres from the town, and all their houses had been rebuilt by the state government.
    ” We have a lot of IDPs in Mafa, which is just 100 kilometres from Maiduguri. Many farmers from Gamborun Ngala have gone back to farm.

    “The Borno Ministry of Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Resettlement (RRR), had already completed re-construction works in some of the councils to enable IDPs return home.

    ” NEMA, Federal and State Ministries of Agriculture, Ministry of Education, would work together to provide packages to returnee IDPs to enable them become self-reliant.
    “Also, international Non-Governmental Organisations, have been up and doing in the area of welfare for IDPs as well as provision of optimal health services,” Kanar said.

  • More Nigerians to return from Libya

    More Nigerians to return from Libya

    Barely one week after 161 Nigerians voluntarily returned from Libya, a fresh batch is being expected to arrive the country on Tuesday.

    Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, the spokesperson for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), South-West Zone, confirmed the development to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.

    Farinloye said the returnees are expected to arrive the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO)/Hajj Camp Section of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos by 3:00 p.m.

    NAN reports that 161 Nigerians had on Feb. 14 voluntarily returned from Libya aboard a chartered Nouvelair aircraft with registration number TS-1NB.

    The aircraft had landed at 3.55 p.m. at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

    The returnees, comprising of 40 males, 103 females, nine children and nine infants, were brought back by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Nigerian Embassy in Libya.

    They were received by officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), the National Agency for the Protection of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Police.

    Also on ground to receive them were officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

    NAN gathered that three of the returnees needed medical attention, with one of them, Miss Loveth Omorodion, arriving the country with a fractured leg.

    The returnees were each given a stipend of N19, 695 to facilitate their transportation to their respective states.

    Addressing newsmen, Mr Nahashon Thuo, Head of Sub-office, IOM, Lagos, said the returnees indicated interest to return to Nigeria due to the harsh living condition in Libya.

    He said, “Our role is to facilitate their safe return to Nigeria. We provided them with travel documents, clothes and a little stipend to enable them reunite with their families.

    Also speaking, Alhaji Muhammad Sidi, the Director-General, NEMA, said their return was prompted by a recent viral video showing some Nigerians being brutalised in Libya.

    He said: “When we saw the video, we immediately contacted our partners and sent it to IOM to help us clarify it.

    “So what you are witnessing today is the effort of IOM who got in touch with the people over there and the returnees you are seeing today are Nigerians who have shown interest to return voluntarily.

    Sidi, who was represented by Dr Onimode Bandele, the Deputy Director, Search and Rescue, NEMA advised Nigerians to stay in the country and develop it together.

    On his part, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said the government remains committed to the welfare of Nigerians all over the world.

    Represented by her Special Assistant, Mr Abdulrahman Balogun, she advised Nigerians abroad to be worthy ambassadors of the country.

    She said the government had put in a programme to rehabilitate Nigerians who volunteered to return from Libya, in order to reintegrate them into the society.

  • Boko Haram lunches midnight attack in Maiduguri

    Boko Haram lunches midnight attack in Maiduguri

    …Eight suicide bombers killed

     

    The Police in Maiduguri have confirmed a suicide attack on a convoy of commercial cars at Muna garage in Maiduguri.

    The vehicles numbering about thirteen according to a statement issued by the State Police Spokesman DSP Victor Isuku, said the vehicles were awaiting security cover from military to depart to Gamboru Ngala on Friday when a suicide bomber sneaked and detonated his explosive ridden body in the midst of the trucks.

    The statement explained that the action triggered an unprecedented explosion which razed down the parked vehicles beyond recognition.

    The statement reads; “Yesterday at about 2318hrs,  a suicide bomber sneaked into the midst of 13 pick-up trucks loaded with goods along Maiduguri/Mafa road, said to be awaiting departure to Gamboru Ngala early hours  of today and detonated IEDs strapped on self. The resulting Explosion razed down the parked vehicles beyond recognition.

    EOD/Police patrol team were promptly deployed to the scene to restore safety & normalcy”.

    The police have however denied that some gunmen on motorcycle came shooting shortly after the suicide bomber attacked the convoy.

    The casualty figure from the attack is not yet clear as some unconfirmed reports believe many people may have been feared dead during the attack.

    About eight of the suicide bombers who lunched the attack on the vehicles were said to have died in the attack.

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said the bombers mostly women numbering eight in number were loaded in a Volkswagen Golf from Muna community.

    The spokesman for NEMA Sani Datti in a statement informed that the bombers attempted to run through a military check Point, adding that seven civilian JTF operatives were wounded in the event.

    The statement reads; “Yesterday (Thursday) at around 11:00pm, Boko Haram members attempted to attack Maiduguri. They came through Mafa- Dikwa road along Muna community. The suicide bombers came in a Volkswagen Golf carrying eight suicide bombers most of whom were female teenagers.

    “The driver attempted to over-run the security post where the security personnel’s were stationed, but few of the personnel’s sustained minor injuries, while the remaining bombers detonated their IED in some of the communities in Muna Dalti settlement.

    “Seven (7) Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) sustained minor injuries and were taken to University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH).  Some of the suicide bombers found their way to a place where people gathered with their trucks loaded with goods for onward movement to Mafa, Dikwa and Ngala LGAs.

    “Over 14 loaded trucks were burnt by the suicide bombers though no casualty was recorded. The seven corpses of the suicide bombers were evacuated to the State Specialist Hospital by NEMA and Borno SEMA team,” the statement said.

     

  • NEMA DG commends Yobe over management of relief materials

    NEMA DG commends Yobe over management of relief materials

  • One Civilian JTF, three suicide bombers die in Borno explosion

    One Civilian JTF, three suicide bombers die in Borno explosion

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has confirmed the death of four people in late night multiple blasts in Mafa Local Government, outskirts of Maiduguri

    In a statement released by the Head of Media and Public Relation Sani Datti said a civilian JTF lost his life while the other three victims are the suicide bombers.

    He added that two persons were wounded in the blast.

    The statement reads: “One Civilian JTF, three suicide bombers lost their lives and two persons injured in two separate foiled suicide bombs in Usmanti and Kaleri area of Mafa LGA of Borno State.

    “The first incident occurred around 11:55 pm, 24/01/2017 when the suicide bomber was targeting a security outpost in the area but was noticed and neutralised.

    “The second occurred Wednesday, morning during morning Prayer at around 5:30am.  Two suicide bombers a female and a male were trying to enter a mosque while prayer was on, but they were spotted on time by Civilian JTF,” the statement said.

  • Synagogue stampede: Police, NEMA, LASEMA debunk report

    Synagogue stampede: Police, NEMA, LASEMA debunk report

    Report of a stampede at the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) that allegedly claimed three lives have been dismissed by the Police, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA).

    Similarly, the church denied the report, insisting that they have watched their video recordings of Prophet Temitope Joshua’s outing during Saturday’s special healing service and nothing of such was seen.

    One of the spokespersons for the church who refused to be named said: “It’s just a rumour. I can tell you categorically that nothing of such happened here. Funny enough, I was even in church on that said Saturday when they claimed it happened. All the same, when I got the call from a journalist, I still consulted all the media team.

    “You can make your findings. Nothing like that happened. You know the media team follows the prophet around with a video and still camera. How come none of the cameras picked up the stampede?”

    However, some worshippers at the church and taxi drivers who carried passengers outside the premises told The Nation that there was an actual stampede.

    According to a source, it happened outside the church premises around 4am, when Prophet Joshua came out.

    He said: “What happened was that the man of God came outside the church and as he was walking, people tried to touch him.  Alot of people were outside including sick people and they were running over themselves trying to touch him. That was when some people trampled on others.”

    A taxi driver who refused to be named said he was carrying passengers to and fro the place, adding that he could not really ascertain if those trampled upon died.

    He said: “It was early in the morning. I usually go there to carry passengers on their special healing service because so many people come from different parts of the world.

    “People outside were forcing their way in and in the process, pushing one another. I don’t really know if anybody died but I know that some people were trampled upon.”

    Police Commissioner Fatai Owoseni said he was unaware of any stampede at the church, wondering how something like that would happen without the police knowing.

  • Bomb blasts: NEMA confirms blast at Madagali market

    Bomb blasts: NEMA confirms blast at Madagali market

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Coordinator in charge of Adamawa and Taraba,Mr Sa’ad Bello, has confirmed twin bomb blasts in Madagali Market in Adamawa.

    Bello, however, said the number of casualties was yet to be ascertained.

    Also confirming the incident, the Chairman of Madagali Local Government, Alhaji Yusuf Mohammed, said the incident which occurred around noon was at the animal and grains sections of the market.

    “Certainly there are casualties but I can’t really give you a figure for now,” Mohammed said.

    A resident of Madagali, who simply identified himself as Hamma, said many people were affected as the blasts occurred around the busy areas of the market.

    “You know today is our market day. I just pray God to minimise the casualty,” Hamma said.

  • NEMA cleared of complicity in alleged IDPs relief diversion

    NEMA cleared of complicity in alleged IDPs relief diversion

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Tuesday, was cleared by the Senate Majority Leader, Sen. Ali Ndume of complicity in the alleged diversion of relief materials meant for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in North-East.

    Ndume told journalists in Yola that the Senate could not found any evidence of diversion against the NEMA officials.

    “No NEMA members of staff was involved in diversion or stealing of any relief items meant for the IDPs,’’ Ndume said.

    He said that the allegation of diversion of relief materials meant for the IDPs in Borno and Yobe was raised by him, adding that the contractor involved was the suspect.

    The senate leader said that the contractor had been invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for interrogation.

    “I personally raised the allegation of the said diversion of the relief materials meant for our people (IDPs) living in various camps across the North-East region.

    “What actually happened is that grains were ordered from strategic national grains reserves.

    “It was awarded to a contractor to transport, but along the line, some got missing. The contractor is now before the EFCC,” he said.

    Ndume, who visited some IDPs camps in Yola, said that strong commitment of the government was to shut the camps and return the IDPs back home.

    He explained that all the IDPs camps visited were ready to be shut down as all people in various camps had shown enthusiasm to return to their homes.

    Also, during the visit, Gov. Muhammadu Jibrillah of Adamawa, said he would join hands with the Borno and Yobe Governments to evacuate the remaining IDPs back home.

    Jibrillah said, now that relative peace had returned to most areas, his government would support any move to evacuate the IDPs back home.

    He lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for his concerted efforts in reconstructing those areas destroyed by the insurgents.

  • Four die, six vehicles burnt in Lagos accident

    Four die, six vehicles burnt in Lagos accident

    At least four men were on Wednesday killed and six vehicles razed in an early morning accident along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

    The accident which occurred around 3:00am, was said to have been caused by a diesel tanker, which lost control and rammed into a truck carrying beer, resulting to an inferno.

    It driver, while on high speed, abruptly applied brakes before ramming onto the beer laden truck at Kara Bus Stop, Isheri Osun.

    While three of the deceased, said to be the driver and his motorboys, were burnt beyond recognition, The Nation gathered that the other dived into the lagoon in a bid to put out the fire on their bodies but drowned.

    Among the burnt vehicles were two containerised trucks, two trailers, the tanker and a Toyota Corolla saloon car.

    As the emergency workers were battling to contain the Kara disaster, another petrol tanker fell at the Berger end of the Otedola Bridge, compounding traffic situation on the express.

    accident-at-isheriThe gridlock extended to Ikorodu Road towards Maryland, forcing traffic management agencies to divert motorists.
    However, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) insisted that only three persons were consumed by the inferno, adding that the decomposed corpse found floating in the lagoon was not part of the accident casualties.

    Both LASEMA’s General Manager, Adesina Tiamiyu and NEMA’s Southwest Coordinator Alhaji Suleiman Yakubu confirmed the incident.

    They stated that the intervention of firemen, operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps minimised the casualty.

    According to Yakubu, a driver of one of the affected vehicles sustained a minor injury, while others escaped unhurt.

    Tiamiyu said: “Recovery operations of burnt vehicles with LASEMA’s heavy duty equipment ongoing to abate gridlock, which has built up on Lagos-IbadanExpressway. Traffic has affected almost every part of the expressway and Ikorodu road up to Alapere and Ogudu.

    “Road users, especially articulated truck drivers are advised to avoid overspeeding and adhere to safety regulations while plying the road so as to forestall avoidable disasters.  “Investigation into the incident would be carried out by appropriate authorities at the scene.”