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About 26.5 million may grapple with food insecurity in 2024- Report

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About 26.5 million may grapple with food insecurity in 2024- Report

By: Michael Mike

About 26.5 million Nigerians may grapple with high level of food insecurity in 2024, according to 2023 Cadre Harmonisé analysis on food insecurity.

This figure was released by the Government of Nigeria and its partners during the unveiling of the October 2023 Cadre Harmonisé analysis on food insecurity.

Also, approximately 9 million children are at risk of suffering from acute malnutrition or wasting. Of these, an alarming 2.6 million children could face Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and require critical nutrition treatment.

The Cadre Harmonisé, an initiative focused on food and nutrition analysis, conducts studies biannually (in March and October) across 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). With the Government’s leadership and the United Nations (UN) system’s support, the latest projection for 2024 indicates a sharp rise from the 18.6 million people currently vulnerable to food insecurity from October to December 2023.

According to the report, several factors are driving this trend, including ongoing conflicts, climate change impacts, escalating inflation, and rising costs of both food and essential non-food commodities (in part due to the devaluation of the naira and the discontinuation of the fuel subsidy), adding that persistent violence in the north-eastern states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe (BAY) hinders food availability and access, with additionally, armed banditry and kidnappings in northwest and north-central states, including Katsina, Sokoto, Kaduna, Benue, and Niger, exacerbate the prevailing economic struggles.

According to a joint press statement on Friday by the World Food Programme, FAO, UNICEF, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Ernest Umakhihe, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, underscored the significance of the Cadre Harmonisé during a presentation in Abuja.

Represented by Mrs. Fausat Lawal, Director of Special Duties, Umekhihe highlighted that despite Government efforts, external challenges like the ongoing global economic effects of COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war, which disrupts food systems, persist.

Of the 18.6 million people who experience food insecurity today, 3.3 million live in the northeastern states of the BAY region. This number might rise to 26.5 million nationwide by the height of the 2024 lean season ( and to 4.4 million in the BAY states) if immediate action is not taken.

The FAO Representative ad interim in Nigeria and to ECOWAS, Dominique Koffy Kouacou, while calling on the Government to expand CH coverage to the remaining 10 states said, FAO would continue to support the Government and the people of Nigeria to overcome food insecurity and malnutrition.

He stated that: “In 2024, alongside our partners, FAO’s focus will be on agrifood systems transformation with deliberate attention on resilience-building, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, livestock, fisheries, and providing extension services.”

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that floods in October 2023 in Adamawa impacted around 8,500 households, leading to mass displacements, particularly among women, children, and the elderly. Such extreme weather patterns, linked to the El Niño phenomenon, are further undermining food security.

“Food insecurity and malnutrition are among the main drivers of humanitarian need in the BAY states,” said the head of OCHA in Nigeria, Mr. Trond Jensen.

“People have been forced to adopt negative coping mechanisms such as survival sex and child labour to stay alive. Over the past year, dozens of farmers have lost their lives, and others have been abducted or injured while eking out a living outside the security perimeters of Borno’s garrison towns due to limited farming lands and few or no livelihood options.”

UNICEF’s Country Representative, Ms. Cristian Munduate, emphasized the urgent need for action. She said, “Every child deserves proper nutrition and a life free from hunger. It’s not merely a responsibility but a moral duty for governments and the global community to ensure these rights are upheld.”

Highlighting the long-standing issue, WFP’s Country Representative, David Stevenson,said: “The hunger crisis in Nigeria, fueled by the ongoing conflict in the northeast, needs urgent addressing. Restoring peace in the northeast is critical for us to build pathways to production and achieve the northeast’s potential as the food basket of the country”.

Trend analysis for the northeastern states indicates consistently high or rising food insecurity levels since 2018. Over 4 million people have needed urgent assistance annually since June 2020.

The United Nations urges the Nigerian Government, donors, and stakeholders to commit resources and implement measures to avert a potential food and nutrition disaster, emphasizing the need for immediate support across the nation.

The Cadre Harmonisé analysis covered 26 of Nigeria’s 36 states, including the FCT. It represents a collaborative effort led by the Nigerian government, in association with regional technical agencies, UN bodies, and NGOs. The Cadre Harmonisé serves as a comprehensive tool to evaluate present and future food and nutrition scenarios.

About 26.5 million may grapple with food insecurity in 2024- Report

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Troops detect, detonate IED along Ngoshe–Pulka road in Borno

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Troops detect, detonate IED along Ngoshe–Pulka road in Borno

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team of 82 Division Task Force Battalion have successfully detected and detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) along a major supply route in Gwoza LGA of Borno State.

Security sources said the device was discovered at about 9:42 a.m. on March 22 during a routine scan of the Main Supply Route (MSR) between PAPA 4 and PAPA 5 along the Ngoshe–Pulka road.

The IED, suspected to have been planted by terrorists to target troops and commuters, was safely recovered and detonated in situ by the EOD team without causing any casualties.

Military sources said the operation was part of ongoing counter-IED measures aimed at ensuring the safety of movement along critical routes in the North-East.

Residents and road users have been urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious objects or activities to security agencies for prompt action.

Troops detect, detonate IED along Ngoshe–Pulka road in Borno

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ISWAP cleric threatens attack on Malam Fatori, after humiliating defeat, troops urged to remain alert

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ISWAP cleric threatens attack on Malam Fatori, after humiliating defeat, troops urged to remain alert

By: Zagazola Makama

A suspected ISWAP cleric has issued threats of a possible attack on Malam Fatori following the recent neutralization of 75 terrorists in a failed attack on March 18 2026.

According to intelligence sources, the cleric, who reportedly led this year Eid Fitr prayers in a location near Sabon Tumbu, warned during his sermon that the group would soon retaliate against Nigerian troops for operations carried out in Malam Fatori.

The source said the cleric specifically threatened that the town could be “reduced to ashes” in a reprisal attack, stressing that such statements by insurgents should not be dismissed as mere rhetoric.

Sources noted that past experiences have shown that insurgent groups often act on their threats, urging troops deployed in Malam Fatori to remain on high alert and adequately equipped to counter any potential assault.

They also warned that the insurgents could deploy heavy firepower and adopt tactics such as coordinated assaults and the use of vehicle-borne explosive devices in any attempted attack.

Malam Fatori has for long been described as the town as a long-standing stronghold of military resistance against terrorist elements. The town has, over the years, witnessed decisive military victories against ISWAP fighters, nick named the “Grave Yard of ISWAP” and earning a REPUTATION as a difficult terrain for insurgents to operate.

The troops of the Armed Forces, supported by other security agencies, remain on high alert and have continued to fortify defensive positions in anticipation of any attempted incursion.

According to the sources, intelligence and surveillance have been intensified, while logistics and operational readiness have been enhanced to ensure that any threat is decisively neutralised.

“Experience has shown that insurgents often suffer heavy losses whenever they attempt to attack well-defended positions like Malam Fatori,” the source said.

ISWAP cleric threatens attack on Malam Fatori, after humiliating defeat, troops urged to remain alert

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Baban Chinedu says Pastor Ezekiel Dachomo is a former Armed robber now turned crises entrepreneur

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Baban Chinedu says Pastor Ezekiel Dachomo is a former Armed robber now turned crises entrepreneur

By: Zagazola Makama

Sheikh Yusuf Haruna Baban Chinedu, popularly known as Baban Chinedu, has launched a scathing and evidence-based attack on controversial Plateau pastor Ezekiel Dachomo in a viral video, accusing him of being a former armed robber and a liar who fabricated stories about meeting Jesus after a 1980 bank robbery in Jos.

Baban Chinedu declared: “Ezekiel Dachomo isn’t just someone seen in a photo with a bandit; no, he is the bandit! … Ezekiel committed armed robbery. We have records on him from 1976, from ’76 to sometime after 2000. … This man is a hardened armed robber.”

He played a clip of Dachomo admitting: “Because I went in 1980 is our gang that robbed a bank in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. 1980, they make away with a lot of money. It was my best friend that led the operation.” Baban Chinedu challenged: “Praise be to God, I hope you all heard the statement this man made. … He is lying! I want you to listen and know that first of all, this man is a complete hypocrite and a total liar. I swear, it was a gun that shot them! Angels? He claims Jesus came down with seven angels who struck them and killed fourteen people while he hid in the blood? You see, even the angels God sent down… only managed to kill fourteen people and lost track of where that one man was?”

The sheikh alleged Dachomo hid among corpses and was rescued by a gang member named Emmanuel, not Jesus: “He was begging Jesus for God’s sake to forgive him and spare his life. He claims that was where he met Jesus… By Allah, he is lying! … It was a gun that shot them! No Jesus descended there; he is lying to you.” He added: “A lady told me; she heard him when he was shot, and he still has the scar from that wound on his left side. … He is lying! At that time, it was the police, Nigerian security agents, Nigeria Police MOPOL who she said shot them.”

Baban Chinedu accused Dachomo of transitioning from “practical, street-level bandit” to “spiritual bandit” and inciting religious conflict: “The armed bandits of the past are the ones who transformed into these kidnappers. … All those who are making these plans are your boys… You’re insulting her religion, she told us the truth about everything that happened… You are a robber, and the government should investigate you; you’re behind all of this.”

He challenged Dachomo to court: “Ezekiel, I, Yusuf Haruna Baban Chinedu, challenge you: if you know there’s any falsehood in what’s being said about you, take it to court.” The sheikh demanded investigation: “We want the government if possible to investigate this man, I swear to God he’s an armed robber… By Allah, the government should know that Ezekiel is involved in this. Let him tell you the names of those he robbed with.”

The viral video has ignited fierce online reactions, with many praising Baban Chinedu’s evidence-based approach while others condemn the personal attacks on Dachomo, intensifying Nigeria’s ongoing religious and ethnic tensions occasioned by US recent remarks on Christians genocide propaganda. Watch the video in the comment section.

Baban Chinedu says Pastor Ezekiel Dachomo is a former Armed robber now turned crises entrepreneur

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