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Benue govt. distributes relief materials to IDPs

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The Benue Government on Wednesday in Makurdi distributed food and non food items to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the State.

Mr  James Iorpuu, Acting Executive Secretary, Benue Emergency Management Agency (SEMA),  while presenting the items to the IDPs, said that the government was determined to improve their welfare.

Iorpuu said that the exercise underscored Gov. Hyacinth Alia’s unwavering commitment to alleviating the suffering of the displaced persons currently in IDP camps across state.

He said that the government was focused on providing solutions to the problems facing the IDPs through durable and sustainable solutions.

Iorpuu said that relief materials would be distributed to all the 14 camps, orphanages, Schools for people with Special needs and IDPs not in the designated camps.

He said the items distributed included 2,400 bags of rice, 729 bags of beans, 160 bags of garri and 1,520 cartons of indomine.

Others are 175 gallons of groundnut oil, 157 gallons of red oil and 905 cartons of maggi among others.

He said  that the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), had deployed seven of their critical sectors in the state for humanitarian assistance.

According to him, the sectors are in shelter, non-food items, camp management and coordination, protection, and in Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).

“Their efforts in camp coordination and camp management, shelter and non-food items, livelihood, water and sanitation, and transitional recovery have been instrumental in ensuring that our IDPs receive the necessary assistance and support.”

Speaking on his one year in office, Iorpuu said he had increased the staff strength of the agency from 43 to 219, renovated and furnished the SEMA headquarters.

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The SEMA boss said that he had attracted international donor agencies especially the UN agencies to the state to support the humanitarian crisis.

He said that the agency was already building a multipurpose conference hall that would house most of the donor agencies offices, and coordinate all humanitarian affairs in the state.

He said the IOM was already collating data of all the IDPs in the state for effective support.

Iorpuu appealed to residents residing at flood prone areas to start making arrangement of relocating, following Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) prediction of heavy flooding in the state this year. (NAN)

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11 killed as bandits attack, set villages ablaze in Kebbi

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No fewer than 11 people have been killed in coordinated attacks by suspected notorious bandits in some villages in Arewa Local Government Area (LGA) of Kebbi.

Police Public Relations Officer of Kebbi State command, CSP Nafi’u Abubakar, disclosed this in a statement issued in Birnin Kebbi on Monday.

Abubakar said: “On 09/03/2025 at about 2047hrs, suspected Lakurawa bandits in their large numbers with sophisticated weapons invaded Dogon Daji, Danmarke, Yar Goru, Tambo, Birnin Debi, Garin Nagoro and Garin Rugga villages.

“They are all in Arewa LGA and are border communities between Nigeria and Niger Republic.

“As a result, 11 people lost their lives, and two others sustained gunshot wounds. The suspected bandits also set ablaze some houses at the affected villages,” he stated.

The Police image maker added that on receipt of the report, the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Bello Sani, swiftly mobilised to the scene for an on the spot assessment.

Abubakar noted that the CP interacted with the Police, Army, Civil Defence, and the vigilance group that had been deployed to the areas to combat crimes.

“The CP equally condemned the unfortunate incident and instantly reviewed the security architecture of the area by deploying additional tactical teams.

“He charged them to decisively deal with suspected Lakurawa bandits operating in the area.

“The CP also had a meeting with critical stakeholders in the area, where he commiserated with them, and appealed to them to always assist the Police and other security agencies with relevant and timely information for prompt response.”

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Houses set ablaze in Jigawa communal clash

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At least 26 thatched houses and 16 granaries were burnt in a communal clash in Taura Local Government Area (LGA) of Jigawa, the police have confirmed.

Police spokesman SP Lawan Shiisu said in a statement in Dutse on Monday that the incident occurred during a conflict between residents of two communities in the LGA.

“On Sunday, at about 21:45 hours, residents of Gidan Na Ruwa Fulani Settlement, Taura LGA, saw a large group from Zangon Maje Village flashing torches and chanting war slogans.

“This prompted all villagers to flee for their lives,” he added.

Shiisu said that, upon receiving the report, the Divisional Police Officer of Taura and his patrol team swiftly rushed to the scene.

“When they arrived, the team discovered that youths from Zangon Maje had attacked and set fire to 24 thatched houses and 16 local granaries,” Shiisu said.

He explained that a preliminary investigation showed the trouble began when Musa Hussaini, 20, and Shanu Sule, 26, both from Zangon Maje, were beaten and their motorcycle stolen.

As a result, the victims raised the alarm and mobilised members of their community to retaliate, leading to the violent confrontation.

Shiisu, however, said normalcy had since been restored, and patrols were being intensified to prevent further disturbances.

According to him, the Area Commander in charge of Ringim led a police team to the affected areas on Monday, meeting stakeholders and engaging in dialogue.

Shiisu added that five suspects had been arrested and were in custody, assisting with the investigation.

“The command urges citizens to avoid taking the law into their own hands and to report grievances to the proper authorities for a swift response,” Shiisu said.

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He warned that anyone found guilty of violence would face severe consequences. (NAN)

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NELFUND encourages female students on FG’s zero-interest education loans

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The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has advised female students to take advantage of the Federal Government’s zero-interest education loans to support their academic pursuits and financial stability.

The Managing Director of NELFUND, Mr Akintunde Sawyerr, gave this advice on Monday in Abuja.

He spoke at the NELFUND Women Forum Programme, held in celebration of the 2025 International Women’s Day (IWD).

Sawyerr was represented by Ms Oluwatosin Sanusi, NELFUND’s Head of Investments and Funds Management.

He said that the ratio of females in tertiary institutions accessing the loans compared to males was not impressive.

According to him, one out of every five application for the education loan fund is a female, which is not encouraging.

“The NELFUND initiative is all about providing loans for students in tertiary institutions, to pay for their fees and to take care of their welfare.

“There is also another part of the initiative which is the skill acquisition.

“And it is under way and it would also cover educational fees and fund purchases of equipments for entrepreneurship trainings.

“The skills acquisition programme places students on a monthly stipend, which is laudable; however, we have less women who are taking advantage of this initiative.

“Currently we have a ratio of 4 to 1, which means for every four male applicant, we have just one female, which isn’t impressive,” he said.

Sawyerr said that NELFUND was working with women stakeholders to create awareness on the initiative to encourage female students to partake and enjoy the benefits of the dividends of democracy.

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However, he emphasised that loan repayment upon graduation and employment was crucial for the sustainability of the programme.

Sawyerr explained that timely repayment would allow for the expansion of the initiative, enabling more students across all government-owned institutions to benefit.

He further stated that the education loan fund was accessible to students at various levels in universities and polytechnics within federal and state-owned institutions.

According to him, the skill acquisition loan is not limited to tertiary students alone.

The Minister of State for Education, Dr Suwaiba Ahmed, lauded the federal government’s initiative.

She encouraged students to utilize the fund to ensure uninterrupted studies due to financial constraints.

Ahmed was represented by Dr Mufida Hussain, his Special Assistant on Education and Quality Assurance.

She said that the girl-child must optimise all opportunities presented, in order to break barriers and attain desired dreams and aspirations in life.

“Achieving gender equity requires bold, swift and decisive steps, and we cannot afford to wait.

“So, we must act now to break barriers and create opportunities for women and girls,” Ahmed said.

She said that the federal government was committed to gender equity and had invested in gender balanced initiatives.

The National President of Female Students of Nigeria, Ms Choice Enebeli, commended NELFUND for advocating for female students to apply and benefit from the education loan.

“Women’s rights are humans rights and we must continue to strive for a world where women and girls have equal access to education, healthcare, economic opportunities, and leadership positions,” Uchenna said.

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She promised to lead an awareness campaign on the educational loan across the country, for the benefits of female students.

, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement, Mrs Chioma Nweze, urged female students to be proactive in seeking opportunities rather than waiting for them.

She encouraged them to take advantage of available opportunities and expand them for the benefit of other women.

According to her, women should not wait to be offered opportunities but should take initiative and claim them. (NAN)

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