Humanity Watch

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has finally admitted carrying out military operations in Buhari village in Yunusari Local Government area of Yobe State on Wednesday. NAF had earlier denied any operation in the area, stating that the last conducted mission in Yobe State (not Yunusari LGA) was on September 5, 2021. NAF added that the reports on the bombing of the village were entirely false. However, the agency made a U-turn on Thursday. The Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF Headquarters, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, said an operation took place in the area and shots were fired. The statement by Gabkwet said: “Following intelligence on insurgents movements along the Kamadougou Yobe River line, an aircraft from the Air Component of ‘Operation Hadin Kai’ was detailed to respond to the suspected insurgents’ activities in the area along the Nigeria/Niger border at about 0600hrs on Sept 15. “The aircraft while operating South of Kanama observed suspicious movement consistent wit...

Niger State government has broken silence on outbreak of cholera in the state as the commissioner for Health, Dr. Mohammed Makusidi, yesterday said 150 people had died as a result of the disease in the state. He said the deaths were recorded from April to date even as he did not give reasons on why the government was silent over the outbreak for a long time.Niger State government has broken silence on outbreak of cholera in the state as the commissioner for Health, Dr. Mohammed Makusidi, yesterday said 150 people had died as a result of the disease in the state. He said the deaths were recorded from April to date even as he did not give reasons on why the government was silent over the outbreak for a long time. The commissioner who spoke at the ongoing workshop by Pathfinder International in Minna noted that the outbreak was across the 25 local government areas LGAs of the state. According to him, before spreading to other local government areas, the disease was detected in 18 of the 2...

Nigeria Police will recruit 60,000 police personnel over the next six years. Inspector-general of police (IGP), Usman Baba, disclosed this yesterday during his working visit to Kwara State police command. This is just as the police boss described Kwara as the most peaceful state in the country. He said the police high command would recruit no fewer than 10,000 personnel every year for six years. “President Muhammadu Buhari has given approval for us to recruit 10,000 police personnel every year for six years. We have started but we have not done for 2020. So, we are doing for 2020 and 2021 between now and the end of the year. Their training is for six months. Latest by the end of 2021 our strength is expected to increase by 20,000,” Baba stated. He added that the personnel would be recruited from the 774 local government areas across the country, adding that upon completion of their training they would be redeploy to their various states of origin. This, the police boss said woul...

  By Josephine Ejeh As Nigeria continues to grapple with the challenges of  bad leadership, the Nigerian Prize for Leadership(NPL) has flagged-off call for nominations and entries for its 2021 Prize Winner and Opening of Application for participants in the 2nd Edition of  the NPL Ambassadors Leadership Programme(ALP 002).  An initiative being promoted by some eminent elder statesmen and women, the Prize is to recognize outstanding acts of leadership, based on clearly defined Nigerian paradigm, at various levels of society, and human interest.  1st from right , former Presidential Aspirant for the Social Democratic Party (SDP), former Minister of  Information  and the Chairman, NPL Prize Presentation Committee, Prof. Jerry Gana, the Chairman, NPL Governoring Board, Prof. Anya Anya and other dignitaries present at the ocassion on Wednesday in Abuja. The Prize is open to all Nigerians and will be presented to the most qualified, selected based on app...

Maureen Okpe  Former Permanent Secretary  in the Ministry  of Women Affairs, Ambassador Anthonia Ekpa has announced   the painful demise of her only son, Mr Mfon-Obong Ekpa. The deseased, a native of Ema Itam village in Itu Local Government of Akwa Ibom State, passed on to glory on Monday, August 16th 2021. Late Mr Mfon-Obong Ekpa. In a statement signed by parent of the deseased,   Barrister Anthonia A Ekpa (PhD),  lamented that he will be greatly missed by all who had the opportunity of meeting and working with him. "Late Ekpa was the only son of the family. Mfon will be greatly missed by his business associates, church friends, family, and all  who had the privilege of meeting him. "Until his death, he was the lead innovator at Keap Technologies, and a strategy consultant with 2oc Tech Solutions. Mfon, as he was fondly called, had a unique drive to create  technological and security solutions for business in the Nigerian space. "He enj...

  The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi has rubbished the reports that farmers killed in Toro village, Modakeke is a renewed crisis between Modakeke and Ife. Ooni described the killing in Modakeke as sheer criminality. "What happened at Toro village was sheer criminality and the long hand of the law would soon catch up with the perpetrators,” Ooni stated. He noted that attachment of communal coloration to the killing is an attempt by mischief makers to derail security operatives who are on top of the matter. Oba Adeyeye in a release by Moses Olafare, his director of media and public affairs said he received the report of the killing on Friday with serious concern. The monarch said the matter has been reported to the appropriate security agencies who have swung into action. Ooni warned that the Ife-Modakeke crisis has long been resolved and the killings should not be linked to the long resolved crisis. Oba Adeyeye thanked the Osun government, security agencies, and vigilante...

  The Lagos State Police Command has arrested Desmond Ikechukwu and Egwuonwu Gift who kidnapped their neighbour’s son and demanded a N2.5 million ransom. The police spokesperson, Adekunle Ajisebutu disclosed this in a statement on Saturday. He said the victim, Daniel Chukwudi, was kidnapped on July 11, following a planned abduction by Ikechukwu and Gift. The statement said: “The Lagos State Police Command has again arrested two male suspects, Desmond Ikechukwu Okafor (21) and Egwuonwu Gift Iyke (34) who conspired together and kidnapped an 8-year-old child, Daniel Chukwudi, on 11th July 2021. “The kidnap was planned and executed by the victim’s neighbour, Desmond Okechukwu Okorafor who, using his unhindered access to the family, lured the victim from his parents’ home at Aboru, Ipaja, and adopted (abducted) him to Ajangbadi area of Lagos where he was kept in custody for six days before he was rescued. “Twenty -four hours after the evil act, the suspects reached out to the victim’s p...

 Kogi State Government has evacuated its indigenes trapped at the University of Jos (UniJos) after the school was closed by the management owing to recent attacks in the state Onogwu Muhammed, Chief Press Secretary to the governor in a statement on Saturday said the students returned in buses with heavy security escorts provided by the State Government on Friday. He noted that the state governor, Yahaya Bello mandated that everything necessary must be done to return the students safely back home. The governor, however, assured the students that they would return back to school soon stating that authorities in Plateau State are on top of the situation to restore law and order in the state. He also praised the students for their orderly conduct and patience during the unfortunate incident. Students of the University on Thursday raised the alarm over the continued attacks on them by hoodlums, whom they said had killed four students over the week. The alarm came just as the corpse of a...

At least four neglected communities, Leleyi Gwari, Dakwa, Tungan-Ashere  and Paseppa in Kwali,  Abuja Municipal Area Council(AMAC) and Bwari Area Councils of Abuja, Nigeria capital city, grappling with network challenges will soon hive a sigh of relief. The hard to reach communities suffering from government neglect especially in the area of basic social amenities are to benefit from the Community Network Project being implemented by CITAD with support from the Association of Progressive Communications(APC). APC is a global network of civil society organisations that promotes the empowerment of citizens through ICT, and advocates access to a free and open Internet, in respect of human rights and freedoms in the online space. The intervention is part of CITAD's community-led approach to addressing the digital divide in Nigeria. As part of the project,  CITAD  which is committed to the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for the development and pro...

  Decades after adopting the National Gender Policy on 35 per cent Affirmative Action for Women, Nigeria still lags well behind most countries across the world in female representation in parliament, cabinet and court. Despite advocacies to promote gender equality not much has been achieved. With the ongoing process of review of the 1999 Constitution, expectations are rife that, unlike previous times,  the proposed amendment to the constitution would address the concerns of  Nigerian women. Josephine Ejeh who spoke with renowned women activists championing the course for equal participation of women in governance in Nigeria, re-echoes their views in this special report.       Nigeria's National Assembly complex in Abuja. Globally, Nigeria has been touted as the giant of Africa. In terms of abundance of natural resources, it is second to none in the whole of Africa. It is also the envy of many countries because of its rich cultural and ethnic diversity. In ...

    Rural communities face the worst deprivation from the effect of the COVID 19 pandemic. Billions of Naira earmarked as COVID-19 funds to cushion the devastating effect of the pandemic were not accessed by rural communities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Research conducted by CITAD with support from Actionaid Nigeria under the Youth Digital Engagement (YDE) project shows that only an insignificant percentage of the population in the communities benefited from the COVID-19 palliatives in the FCT, Josephine Ejeh reports. For years, Kadijah Sani survived from proceeds from sales of waterleaf which she uses to support her family until the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus which subjected her to the worst ever experience in her farming business.   All over the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the livelihood of people especially the aged and young. For young persons, the pandemic led to more job losses and widened the social exclusion gap. Young women...