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Nigeria, US sign MoU on Cultural Heritage Preservation

Nigeria, US sign MoU on Cultural Heritage Preservation
By: Michael Mike
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cultural heritage preservation project in Adamawa State has been signed by the Nigerian and United States governments.
This is as the US government on Thursday said it has successfully repatriated a total of 63 Benin Bronzes since 2022.
The MoU project involves the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, American University of Nigeria, Yola, Adamawa and International Council on Monuments and Sites-Nigeria and the United States of America under the implementation of Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation grant.
The U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, has provided $1.5 million for 14 projects across 21 states of Nigeria since 2001.
Only recently, in 2020, the embassy awarded the U.S. non-profit organisation CyArk a $125,000 grant to digitally survey and document the Busanyin Shrine within the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove.
The latest project is aimed to document, conserve and improve the cultural heritage of the Sukur UNESCO World Heritage Site in Adamawa State.
Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony in Abuja, Ambassador David Greene said “We are so proud that, with our Nigerian partners, we have been able to preserve culturally significant art, sites, and other heritage items.”
The US Charge D’Affairs also added that: “Our latest AFCP grant will support ICOMOS-Nigeria and its local partners to help preserve Sukur cultural heritage through infrastructure enhancements, revival of threatened traditional crafts, and documentation and preservation of the Sakun language.
“This will require a collaborative effort amongst each of your organizations, so I am proud and pleased to witness your signing today of the Memorandum of Understanding covering the planned project.
“We truly appreciate your unwavering dedication to conserve, protect, and preserve Nigeria’s cultural heritage. My government and I eagerly anticipate building upon this partnership in the years to come, and I can tell you that I personally hope to have an opportunity to visit the Sukur site. “
Building on twenty years of AFCP grants, the ambassador said “In 2021, the United States and Nigeria signed the bilateral Cultural Property Agreement. With that, we intensified joint efforts to identify, intercept, and repatriate looted, or other displaced cultural property and related heritage works.
“These efforts paved the way for the official transfer in October 2022 of twenty-two Benin Bronzes back to Nigeria. I am pleased to report that since 2022, the number has grown, and now a total of sixty-three Benin Bronzes have been successfully repatriated to Nigeria.”
Minister of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa in her remarks said, “The project aims at undertaking a 2-year conservation and preservation work in the Sukur Cultural Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is regarded as a place of Outstanding Universal Values. The work also involves the conservation of the tangible and intangible heritage of Sukur Cultural Landscape, enhancing community capacity, strengthening local, national and international links and networks for conserving the site’s Outstanding Universal Values and buttressing the resilience of the Sukur community in the face of insurgency and climate change.
Nigeria, US sign MoU on Cultural Heritage Preservation
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Three Fulani women abducted by gunmen in Kwara

Three Fulani women abducted by gunmen in Kwara
By: Zagazola Makama
Atleast three Fulani women were abducted by armed hoodlums who attacked Awi village, a Fulani/Hausa camp near Omu-Aran, under sporadic gunfire.
Sources disclosed that the incident occurred on June 29 at about 1:00 a.m. and was reported later that morning by one Danbare Sarki Fulani, a community leader.
The victims were identified as: Halimi Kadiri, Gaaje Yusuf, and a nursing mother Maria Isah. All the victims are said to be of Fulani Bororo origin.
Upon receipt of the report at about 10:00 a.m., a team security operatives and members of the local vigilante group was immediately mobilised to the scene and began combing the nearby forests,” the statement said.
Additionally, the Anti-Kidnapping Squad (AKS) team attached to Omu-Aran, alongside neighbouring Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) and local vigilantes, have launched a coordinated search-and-rescue operation aimed at locating the victims and apprehending the perpetrators.
Police sources confirmed that investigation is ongoing and assured the public of continued efforts to ensure the safe rescue of the abducted women and restoration of peace in the area.
Three Fulani women abducted by gunmen in Kwara
News
Troops neutralise 2 ISWAP insurgents planting IEDs on Borno highway

Troops neutralise 2 ISWAP insurgents planting IEDs on Borno highway
By: Zagazola Makama
The Nigerian Army troops of Sector 2, Operation Hadin Kai, have neutralised two suspected fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) attempting to plant Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) along a critical highway in Borno State.
Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama on Monday that the ambush operation occurred along the strategic Trans-Timbuktu (TT) corridor, extending towards the Katarko–Goniri axis.
The sources said that the operation was conducted following credible intelligence on the movement of a terrorist IED-laying party along the route.
“During the encounter, troops engaged the terrorists in a brief but decisive firefight, killing two insurgents and forcing others to flee.
“Items recovered at the scene included two AK-47 rifles, several magazines, a motorcycle, and materials intended for constructing IEDs. Equipment designed to cut through tarred roads for the concealment of explosives was also found.
“The swift response by the troops not only thwarted a potential attack on military and civilian vehicles but also helped to secure a major supply route frequently targeted by terrorists,” a security source said.
The military has since intensified patrols and route clearance operations in the general area to prevent further attempts by the insurgents.
Troops neutralise 2 ISWAP insurgents planting IEDs on Borno highway
News
Bandits kill two, abduct four in Katsina community

Bandits kill two, abduct four in Katsina community
By: Zagazola Makama
Armed bandits have killed two persons and abducted four others in a late-night attack on Gidan Tamba village in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State.
Zagazola Makama learnt that the incident, which occurred on June 29 at about 10:45 p.m., threw the quiet rural community into panic as the gunmen stormed the area and opened fire indiscriminately.
One of the victims, Ashiru Shafiu, aged 60, was reportedly shot dead on the spot, while another resident, Suleiman Yusuf, also 60, collapsed during the raid and later died of cardiac arrest. Both were rushed to the General Hospital in Kankara, where they were confirmed dead.
In addition to the fatalities, four residents were abducted during the attack. They have been identified as: Kazeem Nuhu, Shafiu Aliyu, Rama Dan Mallam and Ummah Abdulwahab.
The attackers reportedly arrived on motorcycles and disappeared into the surrounding forest with the kidnapped victims.
Bandits kill two, abduct four in Katsina community
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