EU Provides Additional €1 million in Humanitarian Funding for Flood, Cholera in Nigeria

By: Michael Mike

The European Union has allocated €1 million in emergency humanitarian funding to Nigeria to support the country’s response to the ongoing floods and cholera epidemic.

According to a statement by EU on Friday, this funding will help humanitarian partners on the ground deliver essential aid, including shelter, water, sanitation, hygiene services, and healthcare to those most affected by both crises.

According to the statement, in response to the devastating floods which have impacted Kogi, Delta, and Anambra States in October, the EU is providing €500,000 to support essential humanitarian activities in Nigeria.
The statement said the three states remain among the most affected. In several locations, the risk of flooding persists, as the water level remains high due to the river flow and to the soil saturation. The floods have affected over78,000 people and severely damaged thousands of houses and destroyed crops nearing harvest, particularly in areas affected by the convergence of the Niger and Benue Rivers.

It said the current funding will assist in providing food, shelter, water, sanitation, and protection services to the affected populations. Furthermore, this funding will allow anticipatory action with the replenishment of emergency stocks to be used in case of new floods occurring in the future.

Earlier in September this year, the EU had already allocated €1.1 million to humanitarian partners working in the Northeast and Northwest Nigeria as part of its response across West and Central Africa to address the impacts of flooding in the region.

The statement said in addition to the ongoing floods, Nigeria is also grappling with a cholera epidemic that has significantly impacted the health and well-being of affected populations, particularly in flood-prone areas. The cholera outbreak has been exacerbated by the floods, especially in regions with inadequate sanitation and poor access to clean water.

To support the response, the EU is allocating €500,000, with the hardest-hit areas include the northern states of Borno and Yobe, where overcrowding in displaced persons’ camps and unsafe water conditions have fueled the spread of the disease.

The statement added that this funding will be used to strengthen Nigeria’s health system through humanitarian partners by supporting medical care, water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions, covering case detection activities, establishing cholera treatment centers, and launching vaccination campaigns to curb the outbreak.

Nigeria is currently facing the twin challenges of widespread flooding and a cholera outbreak. The floods, which have affected over 1,3 million people across the country, continue to pose significant risks to both lives and livelihoods. The cholera outbreak, aggravated by poor sanitation and water contamination, threatens to further strain Nigeria’s health system. In response, the EU is working alongside Nigerian authorities and humanitarian organizations to provide urgent relief and to ensure early recovery for affected communities.

These additional funds bring the total EU humanitarian funding for Nigeria in 2024 to € 48,7 million focusing mainly on the Northeast and Northwest, affected by conflict and insecurity and with alarming rates of people in food crisis and children suffering from life-threatening malnutrition.
The European Union and its Member States are the world’s leading donor of humanitarian aid. Relief assistance is an expression of European solidarity with people in need all around the world. It aims to save lives, prevent and alleviate human suffering, and safeguard the integrity and human dignity of populations affected by natural disasters and man-made crises.

Through its Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations department, the European Union helps millions of victims of conflict and disasters every year. With headquarters in Brussels and a global network of field offices, the European Union provides assistance to the most vulnerable people on the basis of humanitarian needs.

EU Provides Additional €1 million in Humanitarian Funding for Flood, Cholera in Nigeria

Illicit drugs: NDLEA strengthens airport operations as officers undergo advanced trainings

. Deploy new skills, tools across airports operations, Marwa charges officers

By: Michael Mike

Selected Commanders and officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, have undergone series of trainings in Advance Passenger Information System (API) and Passenger Targeting/ Intelligence Gathering as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen NDLEA’s operational efficiency at the country’s major airports.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC, which facilitated the trainings held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire and Abuja, the workshops were designed to enhance the capacity of the Agency’s Commands at Airports to target and intercept high-risk passengers, cargo and mail, to help combat illicit drug trafficking. They will also help to facilitate communication and coordination between countries of origin, transit and destination in order to destabilise illicit cross-border flows and criminal networks.

While the Commander of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Strategic Command of NDLEA, ACGN Usman Ali Wadar and his counterpart at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja, CN Mohammed Ajiya participated in the six-day training in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, 13 other officers drawn from the MMIA and NAIA Commands took part in the five-day training that held in Abuja. They are all expected to impact the knowledge and skills acquired during the sessions on their other colleagues.

The trainings were funded by the European Union, Australia, Canada, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States under the AIRCOP Airport Communication Project, implemented by the UNODC.

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended the facilitators: Ms. Fabienne Russel of UNODC and Anderson Leme Siqueira of Brazilian Customs Administration for taking their time to be in Abuja for the training after the engagement in Abidjan.

He equally praised the two NDLEA Commanders and other officers who participated in the Abijan and Abuja training sessions for their interest and commitment. He charged them to immediately reflect the new skills and tools in their operations across the international airports in the country.

Femi Babafemi
Director, Media & Advocacy
NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja
Friday 20th December 2024 Illicit drugs: NDLEA strengthens airport operations as officers undergo advanced trainings
. Deploy new skills, tools across airports operations, Marwa charges officers

Selected Commanders and officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, have undergone series of trainings in Advance Passenger Information System (API) and Passenger Targeting/ Intelligence Gathering as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen NDLEA’s operational efficiency at the country’s major airports.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC, which facilitated the trainings held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire and Abuja, the workshops were designed to enhance the capacity of the Agency’s Commands at Airports to target and intercept high-risk passengers, cargo and mail, to help combat illicit drug trafficking.

They will also help to facilitate communication and coordination between countries of origin, transit and destination in order to destabilise illicit cross-border flows and criminal networks.

While the Commander of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Strategic Command of NDLEA, ACGN Usman Ali Wadar and his counterpart at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja, CN Mohammed Ajiya participated in the six-day training in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, 13 other officers drawn from the MMIA and NAIA Commands took part in the five-day training that held in Abuja. They are all expected to impact the knowledge and skills acquired during the sessions on their other colleagues.

The trainings were funded by the European Union, Australia, Canada, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States under the AIRCOP Airport Communication Project, implemented by the UNODC.

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended the facilitators: Ms. Fabienne Russel of UNODC and Anderson Leme Siqueira of Brazilian Customs Administration for taking their time to be in Abuja for the training after the engagement in Abidjan.

He equally praised the two NDLEA Commanders and other officers who participated in the Abijan and Abuja training sessions for their interest and commitment. He charged them to immediately reflect the new skills and tools in their operations across the international airports in the country.

Illicit drugs: NDLEA strengthens airport operations as officers undergo advanced trainings

Rising Tensions in Zamfara as war of supremacy is set to begin between Bandits and LAKURAWA militants

By: Zagazola Makama

The intricate dynamics of banditry in Northwest Nigeria have taken a significant turn, with prominent leaders Dogo Gide and Najaja navigating an evolving challenge posed by the presence of the Lakurawa faction. This faction, which has established a camp in Bagega, Zamfara State, has reportedly sought to recruit these bandit leaders into its plans of creating an “Islamic state.” However, their refusal has not only strained relations but also set the stage for a potential confrontation.

In the volatile landscape of the brewing conflict between the notorious bandit leaders and a formidable militant group threatens to plunge the region into further chaos. Dogo Gide and Najaja, two prominent bandit leaders, find themselves at a critical crossroads as they confront the encroaching presence of Lakurawa, a group.

The stakes are high for Gide and Najaja. The presence of Lakurawa not only challenges their authority but also invites an increased military presence in the region, a scenario that could disrupt their operations and lead to violent confrontations. Local communities, however, are caught in a complex web of conflicting desires; they pray for a resolution to the banditry that has plagued their lives, even as they yearn for more robust security measures to protect them from both bandit attacks and the looming threat of Lakurawa.

One other disturbing trend was the infiltration of a six-member Improvised Explosive Device (IED) making team from Nigeria’s northeastern region into the northwest and north-central areas. Trained by NANAYE, a former Boko Haram IED expert who has since surrendered. These individuals have already made their way to the camps of the insurgents in Niger and Zamfara states.

The implications of their presence are dire. A series of recent Remote Controlled Suicide Bombing (RSBIED) incidents four recorded in Zamfara and two in Niger State have been linked to this IED group. The group’s activities have raised alarms among security agencies and local populations alike, as the sophistication of these attacks indicates a significant escalation in the tactics employed by bandit factions.

The timeline of violence in the region has been alarming. On December 7, 2024, the first RSBIED incident occurred along the major supply route (MSR) connecting Angwan Usman and Bassa in Shiroro Local Government Area, resulting in the tragic death of a bicycle rider. Just days later, on December 19, another RSBIED attack took place in Bassa Village, claiming the lives of five individuals and injuring three others.

This incident was particularly chilling; the attackers employed a dual-layered strategy, with one explosive designed to detonate upon contact and a second set to trigger in response to rescue efforts. Victims of the December 19 incident were swiftly evacuated to IBB Specialist Hospital in Minna, Niger State, but the scars of violence run deep. Families mourn their losses, and the fear of further attacks looms large over the region.

The IED group is believed to operate within camps led by: Sadikku’s JAS faction in Allawa-Madawaki, Niger State. Turji and Dogo Auta’s factions in Barikin Daji and Dan Bagudu Hills, Talata Mafara LGA, Zamfara State.
These groups, leveraging their deep entrenchment in the region, appear to be integrating IED strategies into their operational arsenal, intensifying the threat to civilians and security forces alike.

Regional Implications

The presence of Lakurawa and the integration of IED tactics signal a troubling shift in the conflict landscape. For communities in Zamfara and Niger states, the stakes are high. Many are calling for sustained military intervention and strategies that address both the immediate threats and the underlying drivers of insecurity.

As tensions simmer among bandit factions and the use of IEDs becomes more frequent, the need for a coordinated and robust security response has never been more urgent. Local leaders and security experts are urging a mix of kinetic and non-kinetic approaches to stabilize the region and restore normalcy.

In this climate of uncertainty, the Nigerian government and security forces must act decisively to address the threats posed by both bandits and militant groups. Failure to do so could result in a humanitarian crisis, further destabilizing an already fragile region and leaving its inhabitants vulnerable to the ravages of violence and insecurity. The time for action is now, before the situation spirals beyond control.

Zagazola Makama is a Counter Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad Region.

Rising Tensions in Zamfara as war of supremacy is set to begin between Bandits and LAKURAWA militants