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

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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

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Ex-bandit kingpin Lankai abducted by Bello Turji faction, later released in Katsina

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Ex-bandit kingpin Lankai abducted by Bello Turji faction, later released in Katsina

By: Zagazola Makama

Audu Lankai, also known as Ofisa, a repentant bandit leader, was reportedly abducted by members of the notorious Bello Turji faction during a rivalry clash in Batsari Local Government Area of Katsina State, but was later released and reunited with his family.

Security sources told Zagazola Makama that LANKAI was released on Feb. 2, 2026, at about 8:20 p.m. at Malamawan Danbedi.

The abduction follows earlier reports of an ambush in which Lantai Officer, another bandit leader, was reportedly targeted by the Turji faction. On Jan. 28, Bello Turji, leader of the faction, released an audio recording claiming that Lantai remained alive but in his custody, citing ongoing investigations into alleged misconduct by Lantai.

“Lankai was released by Turji and safely returned to his family, sources while security agencies are closely monitoring the situation to prevent any attack that will affect communities within the areas ,” a source said.

The sources said that the troops will continue to maintain heightened surveillance in the affected axis and have urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities promptly.

Ex-bandit kingpin Lankai abducted by Bello Turji faction, later released in Katsina

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Army troops of Operation Fansan Yamma repel bandits’ attack, recover arms in Sokoto

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Army troops of Operation Fansan Yamma repel bandits’ attack, recover arms in Sokoto

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of the Nigerian Army under Operation FANSAN YAMMA, in collaboration with other security agencies, have repelled a bandits’ attack on Kola Village in Salame Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

Sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident occurred on Jan. 1, 2026, at about 6:15 a.m., following a distress call that a large number of armed bandits, wielding sophisticated weapons, had invaded the community.

According to the source, the Army Forward Operating Base (FOB) troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA and operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit were swiftly deployed to the area

“The joint security team engaged the hoodlums in a gun duel that lasted for some time. The bandits were overpowered and fled into the nearby forest with their casualties,” the source said.

The added that during a combing of the surrounding bushes, the security operatives recovered one AK-47 rifle with 24 rounds of live ammunition, believed to belong to a neutralised bandit.

The team also recovered 48 rustled sheep that had been taken from villagers during the attack.

“No casualty was recorded on the side of the troops and the villagers,” the source said.

The sources said confidence-building patrols were ongoing in the area, while all FOB’s had been placed on alert to watch out for any injured bandits seeking refuge.

The troopd reassured residents of Salame and adjoining communities of sustained security presence and urged them to continue to cooperate with security agencies by providing timely and credible information.

Army troops of Operation Fansan Yamma repel bandits’ attack, recover arms in Sokoto

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Air force strikes bandit camps in katsina, neutralized 27 in dawn operation

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Air force strikes bandit camps in katsina, neutralized 27 in dawn operation

By: Zagazola Makama

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) component of Operation FANSAN YANMA has recorded a major operational success in Katsina State following a precision air operation that neutralised a large number of armed bandits in Faskari Local Government Area.

Zagazola learnt that the operation, conducted in the early hours of Feb. 1, targeted known bandit enclaves in the Shawu–Mununu forest axis, Ruwan Godiya area of Faskari LGA.

According to sources involved in the mission, the strikes followed sustained aerial reconnaissance that confirmed the presence of heavily armed elements believed to be responsible for recent attacks along the Bakori–Guga corridor.

“At about 6:30 a.m., NAF air assets executed a coordinated reconnaissance and strike mission on identified bandit camps in the Shawu Mununu forest,” the sources said.

“The targets were strongly linked to recent violent incidents in the area. The operation achieved its objective, with approximately 27 armed bandits neutralised.”

The sources said follow-up assessments indicated that the surviving members of the group fled the area in disarray, abandoning their hideouts and logistics.

The sources added that the precision of the air strikes significantly degraded the group’s operational capability and disrupted their freedom of movement within the forested belt stretching across parts of southern Katsina.

“There will be no safe haven for criminals anywhere in this region,” he said.

The sources said that NAF has since intensified aerial patrols and surveillance along the Faskari–Bakori–Guga axis to prevent regrouping and to support ground forces in maintaining pressure on fleeing elements.

The sources further noted that the operation forms part of a broader, sustained air-ground campaign to dismantle bandit across the North-West.

“We remain committed to supporting national security objectives. Our air crews will continue to dominate the airspace, deny these groups sanctuary and protect law-abiding communities,” said the sources.

He also urged residents to continue cooperating with security agencies by providing timely and credible information that could help identify criminal movements and hideouts.

“The safety of our people is our priority. With the support of the public, we will continue to degrade and defeat all armed groups threatening peace and stability,” the sources said.

Air force strikes bandit camps in katsina, neutralized 27 in dawn operation

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