The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Zamfara

  • Army kill 8 bandits in Zamfara

    Eight bandits have been killed by troops of the One Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Gusau in an exchange of gunfire in Maru Local Government area of Zamfara.

    This is contained in a press release signed by the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Major Clement Abiade and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gusau on Thursday.

    He said the army was now carrying out clearance operations in the state nicknamed “Operation Idon Raini.”

    According to him, the troops encountered the bandits in the bushes spanning through Dansadau, Kabaro and Sangeko villages, all in Maru local government area of the state.

    “Apart from those killed, many of the other bandits escaped with various degrees of bullet wounds and may now be seeking medical help.

    “We are therefore pleading with members of the public to give us any useful information that will lead to the arrest of the escapees and all other criminals that carry unprovoked attacks on innocent citizens, “he said.

    The army spokesman also disclosed that five motorcycles as well as five rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition belonging to the fleeing bandits were recovered by the troops on Wednesday. (NAN)

  • Police, army block commuters in Zamfara

    Armed security personnel yesterday denied hundreds of travellers passage through Zamfara following the conduct of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ward congresses in the state.

    The fierce looking police, army and civil defense personnel had blocked all exits out of Gusau, the state capital, leaving motorists travelling out of the state stranded.

    Some of the motorists, especially commercial vehicles leaving the state capital as early as 7.00 am, could not go beyond the outskirts of the town as they were stopped by security personnel.

    Many of the vehicle owners and passengers were seen wearing long faces, unsure of what to do.

    Some of them who spoke lamented that no announcement was made to the effect and that the development had affected their business schedules.

    Sale Moriki, a commercial driver going to Kano from Gusau, expressed disappointment over the development.

    “If the government is serious, it would have reached out to our union leaders, who would have prepared us before we came out and drivers and passengers would have planned ahead, ’’ he said.

    When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, DSP Mohammed Shehu, said the restriction of movement was to ensure smooth conduct of the exercise.

  • Police arrests 11 suspected bandits in Kebbi

    The Kebbi State Police Command has arrested 11 suspected Bandits who killed five people in Bena town in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of kebbi state.

    The Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Kabiru, told journalists in Birnin Kebbi, Wednesday that the suspects were arrested after the command swung into action to counter their invasion of Bena town on border with Zamfara.

    “We have succeeded in arresting 11 suspected bandits who came in from Zamfara and killed five people in Bena town of Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area.

    “The armed bandits crossed over to the border village of this state in Bena district to continue with their nefarious activities.

    “Consequently, five persons were killed on April 20 and April 22, while 15 motorcycles were stolen,” he said.

    Mr Kabiru said ten of the suspects were indigenes of Zamfara State, while one was an indigene of Kebbi State but based in Zamfara State.

    “Five locally -made guns, four axes, four shovels and a bunch of charms were recovered from the suspects,” he said.

    The commissioner said the command had already deployed mobile police personnel, special anti-robbery squad, safer highway patrol teams, units of conventional policemen and a surveillance team to the affected areas to checkmate the activities of the bandits.

    “Other senior officers of the command have relocated to the affected areas and interacted with stakeholders and enjoined them to work closely with the police to checkmate the activities of the bandits,” he said.

    Suspected gunmen had on April 20 killed about 30 people in Kabaro and Danmani villages in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

  • ‘Disease Control Centre removes Zamfara from CSM endemic list’

    The National Center for Disease Control has removed Zamfara from its list of states prone to Cerebro Spinal Meningitis ( CSM ) outbreak, says the state Commissioner of Health, Alhaji Lawali Liman.

    Liman made the disclosure on Tuesday while briefing a team of journalists on National Democracy Dividend Media Tour organized by the National Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists ( NUJ ).

    He explained that the removal of Zamfara was a result of its sustained surveillance and case management of the disease.

    “Out of the 147 wards, we only have challenges in seven wards at a time when some states of the federation are facing threats in all their wards,” he said.

    The commissioner said that the state government recently renovated and equipped Primary Healthcare Center in each of the 147 wards to bring health care services closer to rural dwellers.

    “Apart from the recent recruitment of 100 medical doctors and over 300 nurses and midwives, the state government is also working towards the establishment of referral hospitals in Talata-Mafara, Gummi and Kaura-Namoda,” he added.

    Liman also explained that the government distributed HIV/AIDS kits to 90 health facilities across the state with a view to checking prevalence and avoiding spread.

    He said that the effort has enabled the state retain its position of having the lowest cases of HIV/AIDS in the country.

    Over 40 journalists drawn from various media houses, led by NUJ National President, Abdulwaheed Odusile,  are on the tour.

    NAN

  • Auto crash: lawmaker loses ten family members

    Alhaji Sa0 Yarkufoji, a member of Zamfara State House of Assembly, has confirmed the loss of  ten family members to a ghastly auto crash.

    The victims included three biological children and seven other family members of the lawmaker, representing Bakura State Constituency.

    Our reporter confirmed that other family members of the lawmaker, who died in the accident, were four of his grandchildren, his two sisters and his driver.

    Read Also: http://staging.thenationonlineng.net/frsc-confirms-10-dead-in-zamfara-auto-crash/

    it should be recorded that the accident occurred along Sokoto-Gusau road on Sunday.

    Confirming the incident, the Public Relations Officer of the Command, Route Commander Nasiru Ahmed, said that the crash was a head-on collision between a Volkswagen Golf car and a Coca-Cola truck.

    Ahmed said that out of the 10 persons, who died in the car conveying 12 passengers, nine were female.

    He said that the other two persons who sustained various degrees of injuries
were still receiving treatment at Yariman Bakura Special Hospital, Gusau.

    Ahmed urged motorists to avoid night journey and over speeding as much as possible to reduce crashes across the state.

    NAN

  • FRSC confirms 10 dead in Zamfara auto-crash

    The Federal Road Safety Commission  ( FRSC ) in Zamfara has confirmed the death of  10  persons in Sunday’s  late evening auto-crash in the state.

    Confirming the incident, the Public Relations Officer of the command, Nasiru Ahmed, said the incident occurred on the Sokoto-Gusau road  and involved  a head-on collision between a Golf car and a truck.

    The accident, he said, was due to over-speeding and loss of control on both sides.

    Ahmed said 10 persons died while two other persons sustained  injuries and were currently receiving treatment at Yariman Bakura Special Hospital in  Gusau.

    He urged drivers to avoid night journeys as a way of reducing crashes on the roads.

    NAN

  • FRSC confirms ten dead in Zamfara auto-crash

     

    The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Zamfara has confirmed the death of ten persons in Sunday’s late evening auto-crash in the state.

    Confirming the incident, the Public Relations Officer of the command, Nasiru Ahmed, said the incident occurred on the Sokoto-Gusau road and involved a head-on collision between a Golf car and a truck.

    The accident, he said, was due to over-speeding and loss of control on both sides.

    Ahmed said ten persons died while two other persons sustained injuries and were currently receiving treatment at Yariman Bakura Special Hospital in Gusau.

    He urged drivers to avoid night journeys as a way of reducing crashes on the roads.

    NAN

  • 30 massacred in Zamfara

    Suspected gunmen have also  killed about 30 people in Kabaro and Danmani villages in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

    An eye witness, Mr. Shuaibu Kabaro, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maru that the suspected gunmen attacked the two communities and the incident was immediately reported to the security agents.

    He said three of the bandits were arrested by security agents following the prompt report of the incident to the security personnel.

    Shuaibu said, the gunmen in turn went and mobilized more gangs and returned in multitude to carry out the attack which left about 30 dead and many others injured in the two communities.

    The Maru Local Government Council Chairman, Alhaji Salisu Dangulbi and the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Mohammed Shehu both confirmed the killings.

    According to them, many of the villagers deserted their homes for fear of further attacks which now characterized the mode of operations of the gunmen.

    The duo said, with the presence of security personnel now in the area, however, many of the villagers had returned home.

    The PPRO further explained that units of mobile police working with the military and other security agents were immediately mobilized to the affected areas and that peace and normalcy had been restored.

    The police spokesman however said that the actual number of those killed was still being worked on and “until this is done, I cannot give you actual figure at the moment.’’

  • 240,000 out of school children in Zamfara – UNICEF

    The United Nation Children Education Fund (UNICEF) said it had identified 240,560 out-of-school children in three Local Government Areas of the state.

    The affected local government areas are Bukkuyum, Maradun and Zurmi.

    The Chief of UNICEF in charge of Sokoto Field office, Mohameden Fall disclosed this on Friday in Zurmi at the launching of cash transfer disbursement to parents of affected children under the UNICEF’s Educate A Child (EAC) project.

    He said the number was derived from the household mapping and listing of out-of-school children conducted in 2016 through the state Universal Basic Education Board when the number of out-of-school children was identified in the three LGAs.

    “In Bukkuyum, a total of 93,849 out-of-school children were identified with 41,134 males while 52,715 were females.

    “In Maradun 63,943 were identified with 28,963 males and 34,980 females while Zurmi has a total of 82,768 children with 38,286 males and 82,768 females,” he said.

    Fall also noted that the EAC project was bring funded by Qatar Foundation as personal initiative of Sheikh Nasser of Qatar and implemented by UNICEF in collaboration with Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina and Zamfara state governments.

    According to him, the overall aim of the EAC was to extend the access to quality of basic education for 501, 749 out-of-school children across the four states by 2020.

    “We are targeting to reach out 10,347 in the first phase in Zamfara State, considering the alarming number of out-of-school children in the state.

    “We are calling on the state government to extend this programme to other local government areas,” he said.

    The project was initiated to assist households in sending their children and keeping them in school, in the benefiting communities who will receive an unconditional cash transfer of N8, 000 per child that falls between six and 11 years for the period of two years.

    “Cash transfer is one of the seven strategic interventions under the EAC to enable the government of the target states and UNICEF to reach more out-of-school children,” he said.

    He thanked the state government for the recent award of N1billion contract for school renovation and the release of over N1billion UBE counterpart funding on UNICEF intervention.

    In his remark, the state Commissioner of Budget and Economic Planning, Alhaji Ibrahim Birnin-Magaji thanked the UNICEF and Qatar Foundation for initiating the project.

    Birnin-Magaji said that the project was complementing the state government policy of promoting pupils enrollment and enhancement of basic education in the state.

    He said the state government was ready to continue to partner with the UNICEF and other development partners to improve quality education in the state.

    “The state government is committed to enhance teaching and learning in the state, from 2011 to date, we have renovated over 4,000 classrooms to reduce congestion of pupils.

    “We trained over 8,000 teachers and established 50 ICT centers across the primary and junior secondary schools in the state.

    “These efforts have increased our enrollment drive from 283,000 in 2012 to 600,000 as of now”, he said.

    Birnin-Magaji said the plan was one the ways to recruit more teachers and implement N18, 000 minimum wages for primary and junior secondary school teachers in the state.

    Earlier, the state SUBEB Chairman, Murtala Jangebe Commended the State Government and UNICEF for the project, saying that it would increase the pupils’ enrollment in the state.

    Jangebe said 3,449 children have been selected from the 14 communities to benefit from the assistance of N8, 000 under the project per term, per child.

    “We are disbursing N27 million as first phase to beneficiaries from Alawa, Kadage, and Doka communities from the three LGAs of Bukkuyum, Maradun and Zurmi respectively.

    “In each of the selected LGA, one community was chosen for the flag-off as first phase and we are going to continue with the remaining 11 communities”, he said.

    NAN

  • JOHESU Strike: Patients demand care, love

    Patients and their relations in Gusau and Benin on Friday called for care and love as the JOHESU nationwide strike entered its third day.

    Reports from   and Edo States confirmed that normal healthcare services have been disrupted by the strike.

    While some patients were seen being attended to by some doctors, relatives of others were seen evacuating their sick ones from the hospitals for alternative medicine.

    They all appealed to government to address the demands of the striking healthcare workers in order to strengthen the health sector.

    They also called on the aggrieved workers to consider their plight and save lives.
    In Gusau, the management of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) has made arrangement for skeletal services to cushion the effect of the strike on patients.

    However, NAN observed that the medical and surgical wards of the hospital were empty as all patients were discharged due inadequate manpower to manage them.

    The accidents and emergency ward, paediatric unit and labour room were the busiest areas in the hospital.

    Other departments in the hospital like Pharmacy, Laboratory and Medical Records were all managed by the heads of the departments.

    A medical doctor, who preferred anonymity, told our reporter that humanity was considered very important in medical service.

    “In this regard, attention is given to emergency cases in order to avoid loss of lives during the industrial action,’’ the source said.

    A patient’s relative, Malama Hauwau Suleiman, said her child was managed well, adding “as you can see there are about five doctors in the ward right now.

    “We are not facing any problem even though there is strike in the hospital’’.

    Report also confirmed that services were also being offered at the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) clinic of the hospital where patients were seen waiting to see doctors.

    Similarly, NAN also reports that there was no much increased in patients trooping to private hospitals as other state healthcare facilities in the state remained opened.

    A report from Benin said some pregnant women had accused JOHESU members of insensitivity to their plight.

    The aggrieved women told NAN that the industrial action took them unawares.

    They claimed that the industrial action was targeted at them as some of them were getting close to their Expected Date of Delivery (EDD).

    Mrs Agnes Osamudiame told our reporter that she was in the last phase of her third trimester, and was in the hospital for her weekly antenatal check, but did not see any medical staff to attend to her for hours.

    She, however, pleaded with the government to urgently attend to the demands of the striking health workers, saying that their services were indispensable.

    Mrs Ifueko Omoruyi, another pregnant woman, said they should be taken into consideration before any strike by those in the health sector, suggesting that alternative arrangement of accessing medical services should be provided for them.

    “Most of us are due in few days, so what do we do now? The doctors should be able to join voices with other health workers so that government can resolve the issue and save us this pain,” Omoruyi said.

    Also, a man who simply gave his name as Mr Nwogheren, claimed that his pregnant wife died as a result of the strike.

    The management of the hospital led by the Chief Medical Director, Dr Darlington Obaseki, is yet to react to the development.

    NAN