National News
UNODC, EU, FG Promote Strategic Plan for Wildlife, Forestry
UNODC, EU, FG Promote Strategic Plan for Wildlife, Forestry
By: Michael Mike
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the European Union (EU), and the Federal Government have insisted that there is urgent need to put in place strategic approach to effectively curtain the rising crime against wildlife and forestry in the country.
Speaking on Tuesday during the presentation of International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC): Analytical Toolkit Nigeria, Country Representative of UNODC, Oliver Stolpe
decried the high level of environmental degradation, saying Nigeria had one of the highest rates of deforestation globally.
He lamented that the country from 2002 to 2020 lost 141kha of humid primary forest equivalent to 14 per cent of its total tree cover.
He said: “Excessive, unsustainable, and most illegal extraction threatens the livelihood of local communities and species, who called these woods their home.
“Wildlife is not only threatened by the continuous shrinking of their habitat but also by professional poachers and local hunters.
“Organised criminal trade of wildlife and forest products through Nigerian ports has created a threat to biodiversity across the entire region.”
He added that: “Not one of these developments has gone unobserved, neither by the government of Nigeria nor by the international community.”
Stolpe however commended the adoption of the first national strategy to combat crime, the recent establishment of the wildlife enforcement task force, and efforts to review the legislative framework and boost the criminal justice system to be strategic steps taken.
He also revealed that such efforts started to bear fruits with regard to the ability of Nigerian law enforcement to seize illegally traded wildlife and forest products.
Stolpe said: “These efforts have not yet reversed the trend to put an end to the role of Nigeria, as a regional hub for the illegal trade in wildlife and forest products.
“The legal framework continues to evidence gaps as concerns the penalties foreseen by law.
“Recent cases suggest that investigators, prosecutors and judges appear to require further capacities and resources to mount an effective and credible justice response when organised crime is involved.”
Also speaking at the event, Ambassador of the EU to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Samuela Isopi,, described the event as an urgent step for the survival of not just the animals to be protected, but humans.
Isopi, represented by Dr Sobri Mekaoui, Programme Officer, EU delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, urged stakeholders to work closely together at the country level for the benefit of Nigeria and humanity.
She said: “Basically, this effort when fully analysed is about the preservation of the human species as much as it is about the preservation of wild animals.
“That explains why this event is funded by the European Union, through the general grant for the implementation of the ICCWC, which includes Nigeria as a target country.
“The EU will continue to play a leading role and support actions that contribute to the preservation, conservation, protection of wildlife, biodiversity and the environment in general as our commitment to climate action.”
Isopi noted that to achieve holistic climate action, every nation must be prepared to push forward the green agenda not just in the area of hardware, but also efficient administration of justice in this regard.
She disclosed that the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS supported Nigeria with a 2 million euros conservation project being implemented by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in Cross River State of Nigeria.
She however said the project would protect the environment and biodiversity against the effects of climate change and strengthen the system through the design and implementation of ecological, socio-economic, and law enforcement, to measure progress towards conservation objectives.
During the official inauguration of the toolkit, the Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi,, said the toolkit would further boost sustainable management of forest and biological resources.
Abdullahi, represented by Malam Stanley Jonah, Director of Planning Research and Statistics, explained that the toolkit would ensure a world free of wildlife crime, a safer planet and a global vision of living in harmony with nature.
He said: “We hope to continue to welcome and work closely with our Development Partners to sustain and heighten the tempo as necessary as we can.
“We have resolved to leave no stone unturned in protecting and conserving our valued natural endowments for national development and for the sake of our planet.
“The responsibility is not for one entity to shoulder, it calls for strategic involvement of a broad range of stakeholders and partners, to build a sense of ownership and responsibility for quantitative and qualitative results.”
UNODC, EU, FG Promote Strategic Plan for Wildlife, Forestry
National News
President Tinubu Storms Jos Today To Commiserate With Residents Of Angwa Rukuba Massacre
President Tinubu Storms Jos Today To Commiserate With Residents Of Angwa Rukuba Massacre
By: Bodunrin Kayode
President Bola Tinubu will today visit the Plateau state capital Jos to commiserate with residents who lost loved ones during the Palm Sunday shooting spree by criminals that took place at Angwa rukuba area of the city.
The President who was scheduled to visit Ogun state postponed his scheduled trip to Iperu, meant to flag off operations at the Gateway International Cargo Airport.
From the Plateau, the President is expected to travel to Lagos to observe Good Friday public holiday which ushers the beginning of the Easter public holiday which rounds up the lent period.
A state house release signed yesterday by the Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga noted that President Tinubu will travel to Ogun State for the commissioning of the Cargo Airport and the inauguration of two commercial aircrafts for the export and import of goods, aimed at boosting the state’s economic growth on Saturday April 4th.
“He will also inaugurate the new edifice of the Federal Operations Unit of the Nigerian Customs Service and its operational vehicles.
“He will return to Lagos to continue the Easter holiday, during which he is also expected to commission infrastructural projects undertaken by the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
“These projects include: the iconic Ojota/Opebi Link Bridge; the Lagos State Geographic Information System Building; the Multi-Agency Complex named after the President, and a school Complex.
“Before returning to Abuja, President Tinubu will visit Bayelsa State on April 10 to commission some of Governor Duoye Diri’s completed projects.” Said the release.
Sadly several residents lost their lives during the black Palm Sunday shooting spree which is suspected to have been carried out by auto bike riding bandits following after their patterns in the hinterlands of the state.
These bandits who had tormented, killed and destroyed homes of residences of the Jos north axis of the state for several years after September 7th 2001
This damnation let loose on innocent residents is resurfacing after hundreds of killings had occurred in the Jos North council area of the state from September 7th 2001 till date.
And because of the myriad of challenges creeping into the federal security system sub regionals have geared up to manage their on police and Intel services which would assist greatly because they are masters of their territories.
The Federal government is fast tracking the process of state police to ensure that each sub nationals take charge of their environment to ensure that they support the center in the maintenance of internal security.
President Tinubu Storms Jos Today To Commiserate With Residents Of Angwa Rukuba Massacre
National News
NiMet predicts 107 to 138 days of rainfall in Gombe
NiMet predicts 107 to 138 days of rainfall in Gombe
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has said that in 2026, the length of the rainy season in Gombe State is expected to be between 107 and 138 days.
This is contained in the Agency’s 2026 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) document, which Gayus Musa, the meteorological manager for Gombe State, made available to Our Correspondent in Gombe on Tuesday.
The total amount of rainfall across Gombe State in 2026 is predicted to be between 701 mm in the northern part of the state (Nafada) and 1089 mm in the South (Shongom).
The onset of the rainfall is expected to commence in the state on May 29 (Shongom) and cease by October 22 (Yamaltu/Deba).
Similarly, in the prediction, four local government areas of the state, namely: Nafada, Yamaltu/Deba, Dukku and Funakaye were likely to be impacted by a severe dry spell (21 days and above) between June and August.
Musa while speaking to Our Correspondent on the first rainfall experienced in some communities in Akko, Gombe and Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Areas of the state on Monday urged farmers to resist the temptation of early planting of crops.
He described the first rain as false onset, explaining that the rainfall was false because it would not support any germination as seeds planted with such rain would not survive.
“This (first rain) is a false onset because the precipitation cannot carry any germination and so any seed planted would not survive.
“So farmers should not engage themselves in planting but to prepare their farmlands while getting their seeds and other inputs ready,” he said.
Musa advised farmers in the state, to make use of the prediction in carrying out farming activities towards avoiding losses in view of the impact of climate change on agriculture.
He further urged relevant authorities in the state to take proactive measures towards tackling environmental issues associated with the rainy season.
NiMet predicts 107 to 138 days of rainfall in Gombe
National News
Tuggar Resigns from Tinubu’s Cabinet, Sets for Bauchi Governorship
Tuggar Resigns from Tinubu’s Cabinet, Sets for Bauchi Governorship
By: Michael Mike
The rumoured interest of Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar in becoming the governor of Bauchi State come 2027 may have been confirmed he resigned on Monday to prepared ground for actualization of his political ambition.
The resignation was ahead of the deadline set for political appointees seeking elective positions in the forthcoming general elections.
In a resignation letter submitted to the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Tuggar expressed profound gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the opportunity to serve the country and contribute to the implementation of the administration’s Four-D foreign policy strategy.
The former minister also appreciated the management and staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and members of the diplomatic community for their cooperation and support throughout his tenure.
During his time in office, Tuggar was credited with advancing Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives through initiatives focused on people-centred diplomacy. These included humanitarian evacuations, facilitation of scholarships for Nigerians abroad, and sustained support for citizens in the diaspora.
His tenure also witnessed increased diaspora engagement, including efforts to develop a structured database of Nigerians living abroad aimed at strengthening their participation in national development.
In addition, Tuggar strengthened bilateral and multilateral relations through strategic engagements with traditional partners and regional alliances, particularly across the Global South. His leadership also promoted regional security cooperation and supported the formation of the Regional Partnership for Democracy initiative.
He also prioritised economic diplomacy, positioning Nigeria as an attractive destination for foreign investment, especially in the energy sector, while facilitating diplomatic interventions that secured the release of detained Nigerians in foreign countries and improved bilateral relations.
The resignation letter was received on behalf of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation by Dr. Abubakar Kana, Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, ahead of the March thirty-first deadline directed by President Tinubu in line with provisions of the Electoral Act.
Tuggar’s resignation was conveyed in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy, Alkasim Abdulkadir.
Tuggar Resigns from Tinubu’s Cabinet, Sets for Bauchi Governorship
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