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Post flood audit: 29 Churches covered by Alau Dam collapse flooding

Published

9 months ago

February 9, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Post flood audit: 29 Churches covered by Alau Dam collapse flooding

By: Bodunrin Kayode

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) chair and auxiliary Catholic Bishop of Maiduguri Dr John Bakeni has said that 29 Churches were affected in the September flood of last year which devastated a large chunk of the state capital.

The devastating flood which was orchestrated by a night burst in the Sims of the Alau Dam which supplies drinking water into greater maiduguri submerged the entire municipal, jere and some sections of Mafa council areas of the Borno State capital.

The chair of CAN told this reporter in an interview that the flood was so devastating that it affected hundreds of residents such that friends and relatives had to take in their people who were rendered homeless from the tragedy.

” For us in the Catholic Church, St Timothy, which would have been a safe haven for affected people was completely taken over by the flood so we had no choice but to shift the people to the Bishop’s house.” Said Dr Bakeni.

The Bishop said that the Church had to assist over 400 people who were badly affected at the peak of the flood crisis adding that “We had to establish feeding bases in some areas like the farm centre with support of the Governor Professor Babagana Zulum and food was supplied to them.”

To the Bishop, who was a member of the September 2024 flood committee set up by Zulum to rehabilitate the people, the Church was planted and permitted by God to exist as such the Lord will lift the people up to where they should get to whenever there is a calamity of this magnitude.

During the chat held in his office at St Timothy Church, the CAN boss said that nobody actually saw the level of catastrophe coming from the flood because more than half of the town was submerged and unfortunately it came at night when nobody expected it.

“For us, st Patrick, st John, St Michaels,
Maduganari police chaplaincy, St Augustine, where many people took solace to hide away from the flood were all affected.

“The Christian committee should give thanks to God for all that happened because so many people were affected, 29 churches as a whole including Catholic churches.

“A crocodile was here, snakes were left loose and a lot of damage was done to the compound forcing the priests here to take refuge in the bishop’s house.” Said Bakeni.

Reacting to complaints from his members, the CAN chair noted that the committee did its best to ensure that the relief funds went round but that the doors are still open for special cases to be made for people who are dissatisfied with what went on in the management of the compensatory funds for residents who suffered economic and material losses.

On the myriads of complaints sent to the Gujibawu led flood committee, the CAN boss went on: “we operated based on the funds available. I tell you even if we had N30 billion to share, the funds would not have gone round as some residents expected.

“Those in the market places were given compensations too. The issue was a big deal so we gave based on the available funds. The highest we could give was one million and this was in extreme cases.

“There were many tough issues of owner versus tenants to deal with but we had to look into it and agree on a formula to ease the tensions. But it was obvious we could not please everyone.

“Remember that there was poverty and hunger before the flood which worsened the economic status of individuals.
As for those in the uniformed services, there was a general template for every one so they were taken care of.

“Bogis went in to capture everyone regardless of social status religion etc. This was the mandate given to the committee and I think they carried it diligently. It was one of the most transparent exercise we went through in the entire task.

” Most of those who made pledges responded. It was a genuine human need for the assistance of our common humanity. So you cannot afford but to make a genuine human need and not fulfill it. I tell you, the best spirit of Nigerians was at play and it tells you what we can do as humans. This helped to bring out the resilience in us.

Speaking on lessons learnt from the flood and how residents retuned back to their feet in spite of the loss of materials and even loved ones in some cases, the CAN boss posited that “it tells you that nothing is permanent in this life but a lot of things are ephemeral. It also tells us that the forces of nature which are air, wind and water are very powerful and can’t be taken for granted.

“Another lesson here is that when it comes to maintaining our infrastructures, we must not compromise, especially when it comes to things like Dams.

” Fourthly, we have to learn to live simply because all that you may accumulate in life can vanish within seconds. We must never forget that we have a common humanity because nobody was talking about tribe and religion when the flood came.

“Again, there were unsung heros for humanity who were cooking in their homes and feeding people quietly in the city without expecting a special thank you or media attention for that matter.” Said the CAN boss.

Asked why the committee had to recommend the fixing of strategic infrastructure in the city, he went on:
“Ours was just recommendations and we recommended accordingly so that the linkage bridges can be fixed immediately so that people can return to normal lives again. I mean those places the chairman looked at with the eyes of an engineer.

“As for funds, we were not the only one spending the non governmental organizations equally came in to help out to ease the pains of the people like Caritas Germany and the UN affiliates and many others. And that was why we had N 4 billion handed to the government after doing justice to the funds we received.”

Challenges the committee encountered

On Challenges, the CAN boss stated that they had many to put up with but the major one was the the levels of destruction of private and public infrastructures.

The most shocking challenge he stressed was that of the lack of sincerity and honesty among residents in the town which was a huge deal to him. “Imagine people standing in front of their houses and taking pictures to make bogus claims from the committee which was untrue.

“The chairman is a man of integrity and he showed leadership regardless of our individual differences or internal discordant voices so we know he did his best. Sometimes it is not too much talk that can take care of challenges.

“As for the zoo, most of the animals escaped as you must have heard. Some were trapped and taken care of. The zoo was one of the foremost section to be fenced so they did their best on the problems that it pushed into the metropolis.

On the State of the Nation

Speaking on the security challenges faced by the nation, he went on: ” well to be fair, I think things are better off now. We should commend the armed forces generally for the much they have done because we are better off. People are able to travel unlike before to many parts of the state.

“But we are not out of the woods yet because we were cautioned during the last yuletide period. Hints of suicide bombers lurking around and why we must not drop our guards etc was in the air. But in spite of all these I say kudos to General Musa, the entire armed forces and his entire team for the good work going on to sustain the peace needed for stability of the polity.

“We thank God because there was bumper harvest this year and the intensity over the years have actually lessoned. But it must be stated that security is a major challenge to us as a nation and it must be tackled.”

On the recent approval of the state police by the Governors for improved security he went on: “The state police has been a controversial topic. But if we look at our history, how was policing done? How were things then in terms of security. We are happy they have finally approved it. It’s just because of the kind of country we find ourselves where the law is hardly respected because of the mindset of some people. But it is going to be a project of law. And if the law is properly applied, we actually need it in every state, local government and town.

” Look at our population, we are over 200m but look at the population of our police, how many are they? In civilized nations, so to speak, you have policemen at all levels so one begins to worry, why are we kicking against it? People gave so many reasons but it is purely because of our general disposition towards law and order which must be addressed.

“The idea of state police in its contextual nature is needed. But then how do you structure it? How do you define and design it. But don’t forget some people feel they are above the law. Remember that human beings are all the same. What gives us a level ground is the rule of law.” Said Bakeni.

Post flood audit: 29 Churches covered by Alau Dam collapse flooding

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Outbreak of Malnutrition: EU Offers Support to Nigeria

Published

7 hours ago

October 29, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Outbreak of Malnutrition: EU Offers Support to Nigeria

By: Michael Mike

The European Union Parliament has decried the perennial malnutrition crisis in Northern Nigeria, promising to stand by Nigeria in addressing the issue.

The promised was made in Wednesday evening by EU parliamentarians who paid a three-day visit to Nigeria.

The leader of a six-member delegation, David MacAllister during a press conference to round up their visit, also urged the three tiers of government to urgently face the health crisis.

MacAllister said: “At the same time, ladies and gentlemen, we are deeply concerned and deeply saddened by the malnutrition crisis, in particular in north-east and north-west Nigeria.

“The European Union stands with Nigeria and the affected populations, mainly children, with the humanitarian support of nearly €50 million this year.

“But a financial commitment from Nigeria’s federal and state governments is also urgently needed to face the crisis. Thousands of children are unemployed.”

He promised that the EU will follow up the situation. “We will certainly follow up in particular on those matters and in particular on the unfolding humanitarian crisis in north-western Nigeria,” added.

He pointed out that Nigeria matters to the EU being the most populous country on the continent and one of its major economies.

He added: “So we do hope that Nigeria can also contribute to play a leading role to strengthen the EU-EU relationship, in particular on the occasion of the EU-EU summit to be held in Angola at the end of November.

“When it comes to your great country, Nigeria, we in the European Union consider Nigeria a strategic partner.”

MacAllister said his stay in Nigeria has brought him closer to unravel some of the 5,000 puzzles about the country.

He quoted an English saying: “Well, I described Nigeria to me as a puzzle of 5,000 pieces, and we have certainly set the frame in the last 48 hours, and every conversation, every briefing, every meeting we had makes me add further pieces together. And what I have always realised is the good English saying, “what is seen is better than a hundred times read”.

He said this applies to Nigeria, adding “We have started to understand better, and our main message will be that we need to be in continued engagement with the European Parliament, not only with the largest country in Africa, but also with democracy.

“Nigeria may not be a perfect democracy. Indeed, in the actual governance, you know that yourself, but this country is a democracy, and that’s why we highly respected our colleagues we met today from the different political parties, and we’re very honoured to not only be received by the President of the Senate, but also by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.”

On the European Union-African Union summit holding in Angola next month, MacAllister said “European Parliament has adopted a resolution, a particular resolution last week in Strasbourg, where the draft version, which was finally adopted between the political groups after three days of negotiations with a broad majority, kind of underlines the European Parliament’s expectation towards this summit.”

He also added: “We would like to see concrete results. We want to foster trade between Europe and Africa. We want to make our development cooperation as effective as possible, and we strongly, in the European Parliament, across party lines, believe that the future of Europe and the future of Africa are so closely linked to each other.

“Your success and the success of Africa will also be our success in Europe and vice versa.

Also speaking, the Head of EU delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Gautier Mignot said EU’s interest is to have a prosperous Nigeria.

Explaining why the EU has been magnanimous to Nigeria albeit ECOWAS, Mignot said “Of course we are doing this also because it is in our interest. Our interest is to have a prosperous, stable and democratic West Africa and in particular the main country in West Africa and in the African continent and Nigeria.

“And also, of course, we need Nigeria to partner with us to defend our common values that we are sharing, defence of natural resources in particular, on the world scene. And we need Nigeria also to make business. We need Nigeria to manage, to gather migration flows. “This is what we are doing. So we have common interests and of course this is what our partnership is based on. Nigeria matters, Nigeria matters to the European Union and our message returning to Europe, returning to Brussels will be that we believe it is time for the European Union to engage more with and in Nigeria.”

On the issue of malnutrition, the envoy said EU teams are in contact with partners who are operating different states like Katsina and Sokoto for instance, in particular in the North-West of the country.

He added: “And they ‘ve been recently on the field, so what we see is that there are still many, many families coming, mothers with babies, with children in states of severe acute malnutrition and these children are in danger of dying and some of them have died. I’ve seen myself a few weeks ago when I went to Katsina and there are also many families that do not reach these centres because they don’t know of their existence or they are just too far away to reach them. So there is really a necessity to make sure that there is no breakup in the chain of supply of the therapeutic food, which is absolutely indispensable and this requires additional funding from international donors or from national donors.

“We have seen how some state governments, Katsina for instance, have become more aware of the necessity of addressing the situation, but we need real efforts from all sides to inform the reaction to this crisis.

“So it’s very important to mobilise the necessary funds to address this situation.”

Then on the question on cooperation between the European Union and ECOWAS, he said :Our cooperation is rooted in shared values such as mutual integration, good governance and economic growth. The partnership has evolved to cover a wide range of areas including security, trade, migration and institutional capacity building. I want to underline that the European Union has supported ECOWAS through financial aid, technical assistance and political dialogue, particularly in conflict prevention, counter-terrorism and also intellectual processes.

“The EU provides support to ECOWAS regional peace, security and stability mandate to build and maintain peace, security and stability in the region to ensure conditions of development.”

Outbreak of Malnutrition: EU Offers Support to Nigeria

International

France, Italy Collaborates with Nigeria to Boost Human Trafficking Fight

Published

8 hours ago

October 29, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

France, Italy Collaborates with Nigeria to Boost Human Trafficking Fight

…Launch Common Operational Partnership Project

By: Michael Mike

The French and Italian governments, in conjunction with Nigerian government have launched the Common Operational Partnership (COP Nigeria) Project aimed at combating human trafficking.

Speaking at the official launch of the project in Abuja, the Director General of National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Hajiya Binta Bello said: “Today’s event marks yet another milestone in our collective efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s response to human trafficking and the smuggling of migrants. It is a moment of renewed collaboration, shared commitment, and forward-looking action.

“Nigeria occupies a strategic position in the migration dynamics of West Africa. As a country of origin, transit, and destination, we continue to grapple with multifaceted and evolving challenges — from human trafficking and migrant smuggling to related transnational crimes such as sexual exploitation, document forgery, and drug trafficking.”

Bello, who was represented at the Launch by the agency’s Director, Research and Programme Development, Josiah Emerole, noted that: “Over the years, NAPTIP has made remarkable progress in its five cardinal areas of intervention — Policy, Prevention, Protection, Prosecution, and Partnership. However, we are fully aware that the changing nature of trafficking and smuggling necessitates continuous innovation, deeper collaboration, and the strengthening of institutional capacities across all levels.”

She said: “The Common Operational Partnership (COP) initiative, implemented by the Government of France with the support of Italian Ministry of Interior, represents a strategic opportunity to consolidate our achievements and introduce evidence-based, context-specific approaches to tackling these crimes in Nigeria.

@Built around four key pillars — Joint Needs Assessment, Training and Mentoring, Operational Support, and Geographic Focus — the COP Project provides a comprehensive framework to enhance investigation, prosecution, and victim-centered interventions. Equally important, it will promote effective intelligence sharing, joint operations, and operational synergy among NAPTIP’s zonal commands and our regional partners in West Africa.”

She disclosed that: “The project will commence with pilot implementation in 3 target States — Cross River, Osun, Katsina, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) — all strategically positioned along high-risk trafficking and migration corridors. These routes have witnessed increasing volumes of irregular movement and emerging trafficking trends aimed at accessing developed countries. Addressing these challenges requires coordinated and sustained action, which this initiative aptly supports.”

Bello added that today’s launch is not merely ceremonial. It is a clear statement of intent — a reaffirmation of Nigeria’s commitment, through NAPTIP and in partnership with our international allies, to dismantle trafficking networks, disrupt smuggling operations, and uphold the dignity and rights of every human being.

She acknowledged the contributions of

the Government of France, CIVIPOL, the Italian Ministry of Interior, the European Union, and all other partners for their unwavering support, technical expertise, and steadfast commitment to this success of the project

She said: “Your collaboration reinforces the spirit of shared responsibility and global solidarity in combating human trafficking and migrant smuggling.”

She added that: “As we formally launch this project today, I urge all stakeholders to remain united and focused on our shared vision. Together, we can make the Common Operational Partnership not only a model of success for Nigeria but also a benchmark for regional cooperation and best practices across West Africa.”

Speaking on the project, the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot said the official launch of the Common Operational Partnership

France-Italy-Nigeria project is a milestone in our shared commitment to combat trafficking in human beings and the smuggling of migrants.

He said. “I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all those who contributed to developing this initiative, including CIVIPOL, whose leadership and experience with the COP model is proving fundamental in providing expert coordination to the project, the International Security Cooperation

Directorate (DCIS) of the French Ministry of Interior and the Italian Ministry of Interior, whose technical expertise and coordination support will be crucial for the project’s success; and finally, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), in particular the

Migration Partnership Facility (MPF), for their management support.”

He added that: “As you well know, Nigeria occupies a central position in this global challenge. It remains a source,

transit, and destination country for trafficking and smuggling, with well-established networks along the main migration routes. These rings exploit the most vulnerable, undermine security, and

violate fundamental rights. The EU Pact on Migration and Asylum and the renewed EU action plan against migrant smuggling (2021-2025) call for a comprehensive response and an even closer

cooperation along the migratory routes to dismantle criminal networks while safeguarding migrants’ dignity. The initiative we are launching today reflects that vision.”

He noted that: “The Common Operational Partnership France–Italy–Nigeria Project is a concrete step forward. Running until June 2027, with a budget of €1.43 million (93% co-funded by the European Union), it aims to achieve two objectives: first, to enhance NAPTIP’s capacity to dismantle trafficking and smuggling networks while protecting victims; and second, to strengthen regional and international cooperation against these crimes.

“Its methodology is practical and results-driven: a comprehensive needs assessment, followed by tailored training, equipment provision, and daily mentoring. This approach builds trust and ensures sustainable impact.”

Speaking also, the French Ambassador to Nigeria, Marc Fonbaustier said: “The project we are launching today is both concrete and ambitious. It is action–oriented and forward–looking. It aims to strengthen the capacities of law enforcement agencies, particularly NAPTIP, to improve information sharing, encourage joint investigation, and ensure coordinated support for victims”.

In her goodwill message, the Head, International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), Isabelle Wolfsgruber, assured that the Centre shall continue to partner with state and non-state actors in the fight against human trafficking in Nigeria.

The project is co-funded by the European Union, contracted by ICMPD through the Migration Partnership facility. It will be implemented by CIVIPOL and NAPTIP.
End

News

NANS Warns Against Political Interference In The Attempted Assassination Case Of Chief Benard Jagboro

Published

8 hours ago

October 29, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

NANS Warns Against Political Interference In The Attempted Assassination Case Of Chief Benard Jagboro

By Daniel Dafe

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has expressed deep concern over the recent attempt on the life of one of the patrons of NANS, Chief Benard Jagboro, which occurred in Okwokoko, Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State.

Comr. Jeremiah Ohomah, National Financial Secretary, NANS, who said this in a statement on Wednesday, commended the swift and diligent response of the Nigeria Police Force, who promptly tracked and arrested the suspects involved in the dastardly act.

NANS also said that “it is also on record that arms and ammunition were recovered during the operation, a clear indication of the gravity of the crime and the professionalism displayed by the security operatives.”

According to the statement, “NANS has received credible reports that the case and the arrested suspects—originally scheduled for transfer to Abuja for proper investigation and prosecution—have been stalled following an alleged intervention by a yet-to-be-named political figure and a serving Minister,” saying that “this development, if true, is a grave threat to justice and a dangerous precedent that undermines the rule of law.”

“On this premise, the leadership of NANS strongly warns against any form of political interference aimed at aiding or abetting criminals. We will not sit idly by while individuals in positions of authority attempt to pervert justice or shield perpetrators of violence from accountability,” the statement said.

The statement said further: “The Association reiterates its unwavering commitment to the pursuit of justice for Chief Benard Jagboro and demands that the police be allowed to carry out their constitutional duty without undue influence or intimidation. Any attempt to obstruct justice will be met with firm resistance from the Nigerian student community.”

NANS also called on the Inspector General of Police and relevant authorities “to ensure that this case is handled transparently and that justice is not only done but seen to be done.”

NANS Warns Against Political Interference In The Attempted Assassination Case Of Chief Benard Jagboro