Army Troops intercept cache of ammunition in commercial vehicle on Maiduguri–Kaduna road

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have intercepted a large cache of ammunition hidden in a commercial vehicle along the Maiduguri–Kaduna road.

Sources told Zagazola Makama that the troops deployed at a checkpoint in Nafada, en route to Gombe, discovered the consignment when the driver of the vehicle raised suspicion about a waybill package he was asked to transport.

Sources said that the driver was given a carefully wrapped bag in Maiduguri to deliver in Kaduna, along with the contact of the person who was to receive it.

The driver, who was unaware of the contents, became suspicious of the package and alerted soldiers at the checkpoint. Upon inspection, the troops discovered that the bag contained a large quantity of ammunition.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the consignment was linked to a soldier allegedly serving with Sector 2 in Damaturu, Yobe State. The sector has since been alerted to trace and arrest the suspect.

Security sources described the interception as a major breakthrough in efforts to cut the flow of arms fueling insecurity in the North-East and North-West.

“This is a disturbing development, particularly because of the alleged involvement of a personnel. The case is already under investigation to identify all those connected to it,” a source said.

The interception has once again brought into sharp focus the link between the arms trade and Nigeria’s insecurity. With the Maiduguri–Kaduna corridor serving as a major route, analysts warn that traffickers will continue to exploit unsuspecting drivers, commercial vehicles, and porous checkpoints unless stricter monitoring measures are enforced.

Army Troops intercept cache of ammunition in commercial vehicle on Maiduguri–Kaduna road

Irregular Migration: 7000 Nigerians Stranded in Libya, Says NIDCOM

By: Michael Mike

The Chairman of the Nigerian Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa has disclosed that about 7000 Nigerian immigrants are stranded in Libya.

She made the disclosure at the official launch of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), strategic plan for Nigeria, 2025-2027, in Abuja.

Speaking on Tuesday evening, Dabiri-Etewa said: “As we speak 7000 Nigerians are stranded in Libya. At this time and age people still travel by road.”

IOM Chief of Mission in Nigeria, Ms. Sharon Dimanche in her welcome address, stated that the IOM strategic plan for Nigeria was developed by Nigerians and owned by Nigerians.

She said: “We all sat together, led by the minister of humanitarian, budget and economic planning, at technical level, and went through our strategy. And why did we do that? Because for me, it was not about IOM.

“It was about you. That is why I came to this country, for us to sit and serve one another. So we reviewed our strategy, went into details, reflecting some of those priorities, and what we have here is a reflection of your own ideas, what you proposed, and led by your technical people that we sat together.”

She added that: “This is not just an IOM strategy for Nigeria, it is Nigeria’s strategy supported by IOM, developed through inclusive consultations and shaped by national priorities.”

She also used the opportunity to call on the federal government and all other stakeholders to support the full implementation of the strategic plan.

She said: “We are not just launching the strategy to leave it there, but I’m counting on each and every one of you to implement that strategy together, so that when we sit down three years, five years from now, we can hold each other’s accountable.

“We want to see that difference. And I’m counting on you for your support to make that difference.”

The Deputy Director IOM, Ugochi Daniels, in her goodwill message said, “I’m sure with this team and with the rest of the United Nation team here and the partnership with the government the road might be steep but we will get there.

“What I want to add to that is that the strategy that we are launching today is how we as IOM are translating in concrete terms our commitment in achieving the vision the national development aspirations of the federal government of Nigeria in partnership with all of you represented here and the organizations and states and at the federal level that you represent.”

She assured that, “it is my firm and concrete belief that when we gather again at the end of the strategy we will be able to celebrate not just the achievements from the strategy but the achievements of all of the states that are supported and the achievements of the federal government of Nigeria and the contribution IOM has had to make to this.”

The Minister of state Humanitarian Affairs, Yusuf Sununu, the Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, the Chief of Defense Staff, Gen Christopher Musa, representatives of Borno, Yobe, Abia, Bauchi and others pleged to support the implementation of the IOM strategic plan

Irregular Migration: 7000 Nigerians Stranded in Libya, Says NIDCOM

Nigeria, IOM Seek Greater Collaboration Against Irregular Migration

By: Michael Mike

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has said Nigeria is poised to forge better collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in tackling migration crisis,

This is as she attributed the spate of illegal migration of Nigerians to the country’s huge demography explaining that over 70 per cent of the nation’s population was under 40 and they needed employment.

The Minister expressed the willingness of the federal government when the Deputy Director-General (Operations) for the International Organisation for Migration, Ms. Ugochi Florence Daniels, paid her a courtesy visit in her office in Abuja.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu explained that Diaspora is one of the major planks of the President Bola Tinubu’s foreign policy approach comprising Democracy, Demography, Diaspora and Development, otherwise christened 4-Ds.

She highlighted the government’s focus on citizen diplomacy following its concern about the welfare of the over 17 million Nigerians in the diaspora, noting that Nigeria’s very vibrant diaspora plays very important role in the nation’s economy by driving development.

The minister while highlighting the contributions of millions of Nigerian migrants in diaspora, equally emphasised the need for IOM to promote positive narratives on migration, stating that the country has sustained campaign to dispel the myth about greener pastures which according to her was the driver of irregular migration.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu, therefore, acknowledged the longstanding cooperation between Nigeria and IOM in addressing concerns relating to vulnerable migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

She applauded IOM’s strategic direction to save lives and protect people on the move, drive solutions to displacement and facilitate pathways for regular migration.

The minister further acknowledged the recent assistance by IOM in responding to the severe displacement due to flooding in some parts of the country especially Niger State where it deployed a rapid response team to support data collection, conduct initial damage assessment and provide emergency shelter kits and non-food items packages to support up 1000 most vulnerable families.

In view of the financial challenges currently facing the Organisation, the minister highlighted the need to initiate and execute programmes that address existential needs of persons of concern to IOM, in line with national priorities.

Disclosing that the government was taking necessary measures to fulfil its financial obligation to IOM, she urged the Organisation to ensure harmonisation of activities with Ministries, Departments and Agencies and other International Organisations. She, then, urged that the body leverages its global status to engender novel financial partnership from non-traditional donors.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu further said that as part of the UN80 Reform Initiative, Nigeria was willing to host International Organisations/UN Operations that are relocating from Geneva or New York.

Currently, IOM Nigeria is implementing a programme titled: “Promoting Better Management of Migration in Nigeria” (PBMM), funded by the European Union to assist Government in the areas of Managing Irregular Migration through Immigration and Border Management, Migration Data, Policy and Labour Migration and Diaspora Mobilisation.

Earlier, the Deputy Director General of IOM, Ugochi Florence Daniels reassured the Organisation’s commitment to the government and people of Nigeria.

She said that Nigeria was number one in returns as no fewer than 70,000 irregular migrants had been returned to the country by the IOM while about 27,000 were reintegrated in the society through its Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration Programme (AVRR).

Daniels said the Organisation was dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for all migrants and accelerating the transformative initiatives to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including the Africa Union’s Agenda 2063.

“We have a very comprehensive intervention in Nigeria. We count on your continued support for the work of IOM in Nigeria,” she said.

Nigeria, IOM Seek Greater Collaboration Against Irregular Migration