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Borno Flood: Kashim Imam Begins Distribution of Cooked Meals to Victims
Borno Flood: Kashim Imam Begins Distribution of Cooked Meals to Victims
By: Michael Mike
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Parliamentary Liaison Officer, Alhaji Kashim Imam has volunteered to provide meals to large number of people displaced by recent flood the submerge more than half of Maiduguri, the Borno State Capital and its environs.
Imam, who is also a former Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration on Wednesday said the gesture became imperative in order to present many residents of the state who had been thrown into discomfort as result of the devastating flood, which has resulted in unprecedented devastation, with over 30 lives lost, 23,000 residential houses destroyed, and 414,000 people displaced, critical infrastructure, including bridges, roads, electricity systems, healthcare facilities, and schools, severely damaged, including approximately one million people losing their source of livelihood.
Imam. who is known for his philanthropic acts have had to relocate to Maiduguri to supervise the distribution to internally displaced persons camps accommodating the victims of the disaster in Maiduguri and its environs.
According to Imam who spoke during a brief press conference, “We are saddened by the shared numbers of lives lost, by our account, it’s running into hundreds and sadly their bodies are being discovered daily as water recedes. The carnage, the loss of lives, the loss of properties and unimaginable displacements.
“The immediate emphasis is on food, I have seen people crying they haven’t eaten in two days and this is an immediate concern of everybody, as water recedes and we count our losses then these other challenges will also come to the fore.
“In line with the appeal of Governor Zulum, we elected to focus on alleviating the suffering of those affected by providing food and water with immediate effect so I am happy to inform you that I am providing a total of 200,000 food packs we have already commenced with an average of 6,000 a day and we wish to scale to 10,000 packs every day,” Imam said.
Imam, who was at different times the gubernatorial candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state before joining the All Progressives Congress (APC) said the food distribution is only the first step in his intervention pointing out that “ there are short, medium and long time plans of assisting the flood victims “.
He lamented that: “Almost every indigene of Borno is sad and saddened by the devastation that has befallen my home town Maiduguri . We are saddened by the sheer number of lives lost, which by all accounts running into hundreds. Nobody can give you exact accurate figures. Still and sadly there are bodies that are being discovered daily as the water recedes. Sadly nobody has the most accurate figures. It is very factual that it runs into hundreds of lives lost.
“Thousands of people are homeless. All there homes have been destroyed by the floods; nobody was prepared for this; our poele were caught unawares in the middle of the night. The floods came in the middle of the night and all accounts points at between midnight and half past midnight. Most people were already home in bed and most were asleep. All were caught unawares. Nobody saw this coming and nobody was prepared for this. The carnage, the lost of life, the loss of properties is enormous. Those that were rescued managed to escape with the cloths that they were wearing. And if you go round the metropolis, out of the 15 wards in Maiduguri, only four were not affected. Eleven were badly affected. In some of these wards, more than a week after people are still trapped they cannot come out.
Fatima Imam, one of the daughters of Imam who was part of the group that oversee the food packaging, revealed that members of her family have continued to work round the clock to ensure cooked food reaches all the victims.
She said: “We try to feed as many people as possible every day- sometimes we cook rice, stew and beef while other times Jollof rice. We cook at least 20 bags of rice every day – we sleep by 4 am and wake up by 6 am just to make sure we get food across to the flood victims.”
Borno Flood: Kashim Imam Begins Distribution of Cooked Meals to Victims
Security operatives arrest suspected fuel suppliers to bandits in Gombe
By: Zagazola Makama
Security operatives in Gombe State have arrested two suspected fuel suppliers believed to be providing logistics support to bandits operating in neighbouring communities in Bauchi State.
Security sources said the suspects were arrested on March 4 at about 4:30 a.m. during a stop-and-search operation along the Kashere–Futuk Road in Akko Local Government Area of the state.
The sources said the operation followed intelligence reports indicating that bandits terrorising parts of Bauchi State were sourcing fuel supplies from Kashere in Gombe State.
During the operation, operatives intercepted a red tinted Golf 3 vehicle with registration number GME 221 XA, loaded with 29 jerrycans of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
The vehicle was driven by one Aliyu Usman, 20, of Futuk Village in Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State, who reportedly fled the scene and escaped.
Two passengers in the vehicle, identified as Bello Abdullahi, 52, and Sulaiman Musa, 40, both from Futuk Village in Alkaleri LGA of Bauchi State, were arrested at the scene.
The suspects claimed that the fuel was purchased in Billiri, Gombe State.
The police impounded the vehicle along with the 29 jerrycans of fuel as exhibits while investigations are ongoing to determine their involvement in supplying fuel to criminal elements.
Efforts are also underway to apprehend the fleeing driver and uncover other members of the suspected supply network.
Security operatives arrest suspected fuel suppliers to bandits in Gombe
Troops of 3 Division liberate Mansur Village, Alkaleri LGA in Operation BUGUN KARKANDA III
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of 3 Division Nigerian Army have successfully liberated Mansur Village and surrounding settlements in Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State as part of the ongoing Operation BUGUN KARKANDA III.
The operation, led by Major General Folusho Oyinlola, General Officer Commanding 3 Division and Commander of Operation ENDURING PEACE, targeted armed terrorists and criminal elements terrorising the local communities.
According to military sources, troops executed a coordinated offensive on identified flashpoints, dislodging terrorists who had attempted to seize control of Mansur Village. An AK-47 rifle was recovered during clearance operations, degrading the operational capacity of the insurgents.
Following the offensive, troops consolidated their positions and conducted patrols across Alkaleri LGA to maintain security and restore normalcy. Residents have reportedly begun resuming socio-economic activities in the area.
Military intelligence indicates that cross-border terrorist gangs operate within Plateau, Bauchi, and Taraba States, exploiting local terrains and engaging in fluid movement patterns to evade security forces.
The insurgents are reported to include high-value targets such as Mallam Lehi, Mai-Kunkuru, and Mallam Azuge, who operate in the Wase/Kanam forests and Jejin Madam axis.
The General Officer Commanding urged troops to maintain vigilance, stressing the importance of denying terrorists freedom of action while ensuring civilian protection.
Operation BUGUN KARKANDA III is part of the Nigerian Army’s ongoing efforts to dominate insurgent corridors and restore peace and security in North East and North Central Nigeria.
Troops of 3 Division liberate Mansur Village, Alkaleri LGA in Operation BUGUN KARKANDA III
Military EOD neutralizes improvised explosive device in Talata Mafara, Zamfara
By: Zagazola Makama
An improvised explosive device (IED) planted between Yar Danya and Maikwanugga villages in Talata Mafara Local Government Area of Zamfara State has been safely neutralized by military Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) experts.
Zagazola report that the operation, conducted on March 3 at about 2:00 p.m., followed the discovery of the device along a key village route. Security sources said the EOD team successfully detonated the IED, preventing potential harm to residents and commuters in the area.
Patrol and monitoring activities by the troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA and other security forces had since been intensified in the vicinity to ensure the safety of the local population and prevent further threats.
Military EOD neutralizes improvised explosive device in Talata Mafara, Zamfara
Security operatives arrest suspected fuel suppliers to bandits in Gombe
Troops of 3 Division liberate Mansur Village, Alkaleri LGA in Operation BUGUN KARKANDA III
Military EOD neutralizes improvised explosive device in Talata Mafara, Zamfara
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