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Troops rescue 2 abducted health workers from Boko Haram captivity

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A 42-year old nurse, Alice Loksha, who was abducted by Boko Haram sometime  in March 2018 while working at UNICEF Office in Rann town of Kaka Balge Local Government Area of Borno State, has  escaped from terrorist’s captivity  in Sambisa Forest after six years.

The Theater Commander, Operation Hadin Kai, JTF North East Theater Command Headquarters, Maximal Cantonment Maiduguri, Major General Wahidi Shaibu disclosed this to journalists Friday evening at the 7 Division Sports Center Maiduguri.

He added  another abducted woman, Fayima Ali, who was abducted by Boko Haram insurgents on October 19, 2020, while traveling from Kaduna to process her late brother’s death benefits also escaped the captivity of the insurgents.

According to him, both Alice and Fayina were forced into marriage with the insurgents while during the captivity of the   Boko Haram insurgents and  both women have undergone  medical and traumatic experiences showing  remarkable resilience in the face unprecedented difficulties.

While presenting the rescued persons to the Borno State Government  for onward  rehabilitation and reintegration with their families and relations, the Deputy Theatre Commander,  Maj. Gen. Kenneth Chigbu on behalf of the Theater Commander, said: “Alice  was forced to marry Abu Umar, with whom she had a son, Mohammed.

“After Abu Umar’s death, she was forced into another marriage to ISWAP Commander Abu Simak before  she  was  able to escape from Dogon Chuku camp on October 24, 2024, and arrived at HQ TC on October 29, 2024 where she received medical attention.

“Alice, a 42-year-old nurse hails  from Hawul LGA of Borno State,” Kenneth added

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He further said,” Fayina was initially held at Kangaruwa enclave for nine months, then transferred to Tumbunma for three years, and returned to Kangaruwa for another year before escaping.

“The rescued persons were received on behalf of the Borno  State Government by the  Borno State Commissioner of Women Affairs and Social Development,  Hajiya Zuwaira Gambo,” Kenneth said.

The commissioner thanked and commended the Nigerian Army  for rescuing the girls and its efforts in restoring peace in the state and  North-East region and the country  at large.

She assured the military that the two women would receive  the usual intensive care  and rehabilitation from the Borno state.

“The women will undergo psychosocial support and rehabilitation before being handed over to their families for integration,” Zuwaira said.

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Kaduna State to hold education summit – Commissioner

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Kaduna State Government will convene an Education Summit as part of its strategy to bring about transformative change in the education sector, which will be anchored on four strategic pillars.

The Commissioner for Education, Professor Muhammad Sani Bello, who disclosed this while inaugurating the steering committee, further said that the event will be titled KADA EDUPACT International Summit 2025″.

According to him, one of the pillars is the Policy/Governance/Innovative Education Financing Pillar.

The Commissioner also listed the Access and Retention, Credible Learning Outcomes From Quality Inputs Pillars, as well as the Technology and Innovation pillars.

Prof Bello argued that the main objective of the summit is “to forge an Educational Pact between the government and the people, establishing commitment to shared model for education delivery, measurable outcomes and clearly defined negotiables.”

He further said that experts will make motivating presentations, adding that the Summit will provide opportunity for robust discussions on local and international investments in education, policy-making as well as technological innovations for improved teaching and learning.

The Commissioner also assured that a comprehensive education development roadmap for Kaduna State would fashioned out during the summit.

He said that the Director General of Kaduna State Schools Quality Assurance Authority, Professor Usman Abubakar Zaria, will coordinate the activities of the steering committee, whose membership cuts across relevant Ministries Department and Agencies.

Sub-committees to handle various aspects of the summit were announced immediately after the steering committee was inaugurated.

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Police Bust Human Trafficking Ring In Oyo, Rescue 84 Victims

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The Oyo State Police Command has uncovered a human trafficking ring in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

In a major operation, the police rescued 83 individuals and a child from a house in the Orogun area of the city, where they had allegedly been held for an undisclosed period.

Preliminary reports suggest that the victims, believed to be nationals of the Democratic Republic of Congo, were lured to Nigeria under the pretence of being offered employment opportunities.

There are also claims that the perpetrators extorted significant sums of money, reportedly in dollars, from the victims’ parents and relatives as part of the elaborate scheme.

The rescued individuals are currently at the Police Headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, where authorities are conducting further investigations to ascertain the full details of the case.

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Pope Francis Laid To Rest In Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica

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Pope Francis was buried inside his favourite Rome church after a funeral mass in St Peter’s Square, the Vatican said on Saturday.

Francis, who died on Monday aged 88, was laid to rest during a 30-minute ceremony which started at 1:00 pm (1100 GMT) at the Santa Maria Maggiore basilica in the Italian capital.

Footage shared by the Holy See showed cardinals marking his wooden and zinc coffin with red wax seals.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who as camerlengo is running the Vatican’s day-to-day affairs until a new pope is elected, sprinkled it with holy water after it was lowered into a tomb set inside an alcove.

A reproduction of the pectoral cross worn by Francis during his lifetime hung above it.

Francis had asked that the tomb, located near the altar of Saint Francis, be simple and unadorned, reflecting the humble spirit of his papacy.

The tombstone bears only the inscription “Franciscus” — the pope’s name in Latin.

Its marble is sourced from Liguria, the northwestern Italian region once home to the Argentine pontiff’s Italian ancestors.

Francis, born Jorge Bergoglio, had specified in his will the exact spot he wanted to be buried, in the side nave of the beloved fifth-century AD church.

The pontiff was devoted to the worship of the Virgin Mary and made a point of praying in Santa Maria Maggiore before leaving on trips abroad and upon his return to Rome.

Located in the heart of Rome, the basilica already holds the tombs of seven popes.

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