Buni approves the appointment of the new Emir of Tikau

By: Yahaya Wakili

Governor Mai Mala Buni CON of Yobe State has approved the appointment of Alhaji Abubakar Muhammadu Ibn Grema as the new emir of Tikau following the demise of his late father, Alhaji Muhammadu Abubakar Ibn Grema, on May 10, 2024.

In a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Baba Malam Wali mni, which was made available to newsmen in Damaturu, Yobe state capital,.

His appointment was based on the unanimous recommendations of the kingmakers of the Tikau emirate council.

Alhaji Abubakar Muhammadu Ibn Grema is the eldest son of his late father, Alhaji Muhammadu Abubakar Ibn Grema.

The new emir of Tikau, Alhaji Abubakar Muhammadu Ibn Grema, has a Bachelor of Agric Economics and Extension from Bayero University Kano, an Msc Agric Economics (Applied Econometrics, Development, and Resource Economics), and a Ph.D. in Rural Development.

The new emir has worked in various capacities at Yobe State University, and he is currently the principal manager of Yobe University Farm.

Alhaji Abubakar Muhammadu Ibn Grema has attended various courses, which include training on environmental impact assessment at Ecosystem International Limited, Lagos, Nigeria, and health and safety training and induction at the University of Reading Safety Unit, Berkshrine, United Kingdom.

The appointment takes immediate effect.

Buni approves the appointment of the new Emir of Tikau

Nigeria and UN Launch US$306 million Appeal Fund to Tackle Urgent Food and Nutrition Crisis in Northeast

By: Michael Mike

An appeal for US$306 million has been launched to tackle projected food security and nutrition crisis in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY) states during the lean season of May to September.

The appeal was launched on Tuesday in Abuja by the Government of Nigeria, national and international partners, with the aim of fast-tracking food assistance, nutrition supplies and services, clean water, healthcare, and protection support to people in severe need during the period in the three states that were heavily impacted by the over a decade Boko Haram crisis.

According to the Government-led Cadre Harmonisé analysis released in March this year, some 4.8 million people are estimated to be facing severe food insecurity, the highest levels in seven years in the BAY states,

The report specified that children, pregnant and lactating women, older persons, and people living with disabilities are among those who are most vulnerable.

The appeal launched on Tuesday is expected to at least provide urgent succour to 2.8 million and make them insusceptible to the lean season food insecurity and nutrition crisis with a multi sectoral plan put in place.

A statement on Tuesday by United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said this food and nutrition crisis, which has been compounded by soaring food prices, is primarily due to continued conflict and insecurity in the BAY states, alongside climate change impacts. It threatens to become catastrophic without immediate and coordinated intervention. The prices of staple foods like beans and maize have increased by 300 to 400 per cent over the past year following the removal of the fuel subsidy and the depreciation of the naira. Inflation is outpacing the ability of families to cope, making essential food items unaffordable.

It added that malnutrition rates are of great concern. Approximately 700,000 children under five are projected to be acutely malnourished over the next six months, including 230,000 who are expected to be severely acutely malnourished and at risk of death if they do not receive timely treatment and nutrition support.

Speaking at the launch of the plan, the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Zubaida Umar said: “The mobilization of funding and resources to address this lean season food security and nutrition crisis envisaged in the north-eastern part of the country is a step in the right direction in complementing the Federal Government’s efforts to prevent the deaths of people as a result of malnutrition-related complications, adoption of negative coping mechanisms and other health related issues among others.”

Announcing the release of $11 million from the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund to jumpstart the emergency response, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Mohamed Malick Fall, said, “I am confident that we have the capacity to address these increased needs in support of Government efforts, what we need now are resources. Joining hands together, pooling resources, to save lives and stop the suffering”.

The Acting Representative of UNICEF Nigeria, Dr Rownak Khan, on his part, said: “UNICEF is deeply concerned about the escalating food security and nutrition crisis in the BAY states. The alarming rise in severe acute malnutrition among children underscores the urgent need for immediate action. This year alone, we have seen around 120,000 admissions for the treatment of severe acute malnutrition with complications, far exceeding our estimated target of 90,000. We must ensure that lifesaving nutrition commodities reach every child in need. This is not just a call to action; it is a race against time to save lives and protect the future of millions of vulnerable children,”

While highlighting that immediate actions need to be taken for longer term results, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Representative ad interim in Nigeria, Dominique Koffy Kouacou, said, “given the urgent situation, urgent interventions are required to support short-, medium- and long-term needs of vulnerable populations. The focus therefore needs to be on building resilience supported by emergency agriculture, including seeds, fertilizer, livestock and technical training, and developing agribusiness for better production and better nutrition”.

The World Food Programme (WFP) Country Director, David Stevenson, said: “We need to get out of conflict into solutions, and the solution is peace and production. Meanwhile, there remains a conflict in the north-east that requires our collective urgent assistance. We are prioritizing access to nutritious foods by providing cash-based transfers, specialized nutritious foods, and by supporting local food solutions.”

The statement by OCHA noted that with the lean season coinciding with the rainy season, there is a need for collective efforts to improve access to drinking water, sanitation facilities, and hygiene to combat the spread of infectious diseases, particularly among the more than 2 million internally displaced persons in camps and overcrowded settlements in the BAY states. This is crucial to help break the vicious cycle of disease and malnutrition that threatens the lives of young children and other vulnerable people.

It further said alongside efforts to protect lives, there is also a need to strengthen people’s resilience by supporting agricultural livelihoods which sustain over 80 per cent of the vulnerable people across the BAY states. Limited funding for agricultural livelihoods continues to perpetuate cyclical food insecurity.

It recalled that this is the fourth time that the UN and humanitarian partners are launching an operational plan for the BAY states pointing to the need to address the root causes of hunger and malnutrition. This includes but is not limited to advancing peace-building efforts, improving access to essential health care services, supporting food production systems, enhancing social protection services, and mitigating climate change shocks.

The lean season food security and nutrition crisis multisector plan is part of the 2024 UN-coordinated Humanitarian Response Plan for Nigeria.  
 
Every year, countries in the Sahel face a difficult “lean season” period between planting and harvesting. During this time, food supplies are low, pasture for livestock is scarce, and households rely on various coping strategies to meet their food needs.

Nigeria and UN Launch US$306 million Appeal Fund to Tackle Urgent Food and Nutrition Crisis in Northeast

23 bandits killed in a deadly rivalry clashes in Zamfara

By: Zagazola Makama

Two rival armed terrorist groups, under the leadership of Bello Kaura and Kachalla Najaja, engaged in a violent clash on Saturday, May 11, near the Sunke forest in the Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara, located in North West Nigeria.

Intelligent sources told Zagazola Makama, a Counter Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad region that the intense three-hour gun battle between the two factions resulted in the deaths of 23 terrorists involved in the confrontation.

Kaura and Najaja, the leaders of the respective bandit groups, physically confronted each other in the Sunke forest, exchanging heavy gunfire.
Kaura’s group successfully repelled Najaja’s attackers, forcing them to retreat through the Gandu forest in the Bukuyum area of the state.

Eyewitnesses in the area reported the deadly skirmish that claimed numerous lives and left many others wounded. Over the past four years, a significant number of residents had fled their villages due to the inability to meet the ransom and protection fees demanded by the terror leader, Bello Kaura.

Local sources revealed that Kaura was resisting Najaja’s encroachment on his territory, viewing the latter’s attacks on villages outside his domain in Anka as an unwarranted intrusion. Following the initial confrontation, Kaura’s group eliminated six terrorists affiliated with Najaja.

Subsequently, Najaja mobilized armed fighters to confront Kaura in the Sumke forest, resulting in the deaths of 17 terrorists loyal to Kaura in the Anka region.

Kaura has vowed to eliminate Najaja’s group while the other faction was making arrangements for another major confrontation.

23 bandits killed in a deadly rivalry clashes in Zamfara