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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
DSS arrests notorious bandit in Bauchi village, recovers cash and ammunition
By: Zagazola Makama
Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have apprehended a notorious bandit in Bojinji Village on the outskirts of Bauchi during a surprise raid, recovering millions of naira in cash and a large cache of ammunition.
Sources told Zagazola Makama that the suspect had relocated to Bauchi from Zamfara State, claiming to be fleeing persecution, and had settled in the community with his family. Bauchi has been a preferred destination for people affected by conflicts in neighbouring states, but security operatives say some criminal elements exploit this pattern to mask their activities.
The raid, carried out without prior warning, caught residents by surprise. “The DSS traced the suspect’s illicit wealth and movements before executing the operation,” a security source said.
Investigations revealed that the suspect was known locally for his lavish lifestyle, spending entire days drinking at Unguwar Yelwan Angas and buying alcohol for others, but no one suspected him of criminal activity until the DSS intervention.
Security officials have urged community members to assist security agencies by reporting suspicious individuals, particularly those whose lifestyle appears inconsistent with their means, as such vigilance is critical to preventing crimes and exposing criminal networks.
Security sources have confirmed that further investigations are ongoing to determine the extent of the bandit’s operations and any accomplices within the state.
DSS arrests notorious bandit in Bauchi village, recovers cash and ammunition
Troops neutralise six bandits, recover rifles as arson attacks escalate in Zamfara
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops operating under Project Garkuwan Arewa have neutralised six bandits and recovered seven AK-47 rifles during a security operation in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
A security source told Zagazola Makama on Sunday that the operation, conducted in the villages of Gangara, Tsageru and Sungawa, followed credible intelligence on hostile bandit activities in the area.
“Troops neutralised six bandits identified as Musa, Shehu, Nasiru, Yusuf, Mantagora and Siddiq. Seven AK‑47 rifles were also recovered during the operation,” the source said.
He said despite the setbacks suffered by the criminals, remnants of the bandit group resorted to burning farmlands and properties in surrounding communities in a bid to intimidate residents and regain control.
According to the source, local vigilante operatives are assisting troops in tracking fleeing bandits, some of whom have taken refuge within Gangara town, resulting in intermittent gunfire exchanges.
Security authorities described the attacks as retaliatory actions aimed at destabilising rural communities and warned of increased risks of civilian casualties if the criminals are not cleared from the area.
Troops have since intensified ground patrols in Gangara, Tsageru and Sungawa, while coordination with local intelligence networks has been strengthened to provide early warning on bandit movements.
Operations to track and apprehend fleeing suspects are ongoing.
Troops neutralise six bandits, recover rifles as arson attacks escalate in Zamfara
PRESIDENT TINUBU ORDERS THE WITHDRAWAL OF POLICE OFFICERS GUARDING VIPS FOR CORE POLICE DUTIES
By: Our Reporter
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the withdrawal of police officers currently providing security for Very Important Persons in the country.
Henceforth, police authorities will deploy them to concentrate on their core police duties.
The presidential directive was issued at the security meeting President Tinubu held on Sunday with the police, Air Force, army chiefs and the Director-General of the Department of State Services, DSS, in Abuja.
According to the Presidential directive, VIPs who want police protection will now request well-armed personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
Many parts of Nigeria, especially remote areas, have few policemen at the stations, thus making the task of protecting and defending the people difficult.
In view of the current security challenges facing the country, President Tinubu is desirous of boosting police presence in all communities.
Already, President Tinubu has approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police officers. The federal government is also collaborating with the states to upgrade police training facilities nationwide.
Sunday’s meeting was attended by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Waidi Shaibu; the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke; the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; and the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Tosin Adeola Ajayi.
PRESIDENT TINUBU ORDERS THE WITHDRAWAL OF POLICE OFFICERS GUARDING VIPS FOR CORE POLICE DUTIES
I performed over 73 mass burials of Christians; I buried 501 in one village, and they say there is no genocide against Christians? – Ezekiel Dacho
DSS arrests notorious bandit in Bauchi village, recovers cash and ammunition
Troops neutralise six bandits, recover rifles as arson attacks escalate in Zamfara
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