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CSOs trained on supporting North East families to counter violent extremism, Boko Haram propaganda

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CSOs trained on supporting North East families to counter violent extremism, Boko Haram propaganda

By: Michael Mike

Neem Foundation and Hedayah have successfully trained Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Northeastern Nigeria on supporting families to counter violent extremism and propaganda from terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP).

This initiative, supported by the European Union, was announced in a statement yesterday by the Director of Programmes at Neem Foundation, Mr. Ahmed Jumare,  following the conclusion of a six-day workshop. The workshop was held from May 7th-9th and May 28th-30th at the Grand Sands Hotels in Maiduguri, Borno State, and brought together 32 participants from civil societies and organizations in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, and Taraba states.

The Northeastern part of Nigeria has faced significant challenges due to Boko Haram activities and other terrorist organisations, leading to displacement, destabilisation of local security, and constant danger for communities. Many families in the region have members who have either joined or are susceptible to radicalization, potentially turning them into violent extremists. Reintegration of former members is further hampered as these individuals are frequently shunned or vilified by their home communities.
In response to these challenges, the Neem Foundation and Hedayah collaborated to train CSOs on supporting families to counter violent extremism.

Jumare said the  training included a series of group activities designed to localize the approach, enhance understanding, and practically draft concepts, especially on the topics covered.

During the training, he said, facilitators from Hedayah joined virtually to support the sessions. Participants expressed their appreciation for the training modules, emphasizing the importance of the methodologies taught.

Muhammad Ngobdo Hassan, one of the participants, also highlighted the usefulness of learning how to engage with families needing reintegration support and the methodology to follow. “The training was very technical and very useful. If you don’t know how to conduct a needs assessment, code it, and identify critical issues to convert them into interventions, it’s challenging. This training has enriched our work,” he said.

Other participants noted the timeliness of the training, given the ongoing hardships caused by insurgents and the increasing number of Boko Haram members seeking reintegration. Ali Maina, representing GISCO, a local organization in Borno, stated, “This training has come at the right time. Countering violent extremism, deradicalisation, and reintegration in Borno State entail the Borno Model.
Resettlement is ongoing, and this type of training is very effective.”

The workshop also focused on how local organizations can fully support families through violence prevention and peace-building interventions, while also considering their emotional well-being. Participants were enlightened on providing psychosocial support.
Hauwa Muhammad, another participant, shared that her organization, Rehabilitation Empowerment for Better Health Initiative, previously focused more on victims than their families. “The community and its members must work together to support victims and their families, not just the organizations,” Muhammad emphasized.

The training highlighted the importance of involving the entire community in supporting both victims and their relatives. Neem Foundation and Hedayah reiterated their commitment to further support organizations with similar training.
Participants vowed to cascade the training to their staff and use the knowledge in designing and implementing their projects in the region.

Certificates of attendance were awarded to the participants, and a group photograph was taken to mark the occasion.

CSOs trained on supporting North East families to counter violent extremism, Boko Haram propaganda

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Governor Buni commended for selecting Maigari for appointment as Commissioner of the Federal Character Commission

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Governor Buni commended for selecting Maigari for appointment as Commissioner of the Federal Character Commission

By: Yahaya Wakili

Yobe state Governor, Hon. Mai Mala Buni CON, and Chiroman Gujba have been commended for doing the best thing for selecting Hon. Jibrin Maigari, Commissioner, Federal Character Commission, representing Yobe state.

The commendation was made by the executive chairman of the Nangere local government council, Hon. Samaila Musa FICN, while receiving the commissioner of the federal character commission, Hon. Jibrin Maigari, who was on a sensitization visit in his office.

He said Hon. Maigari is performing excellently because since this commission was created, we have never gotten the federal commissioner who has brought something tangible to Yobe, because in the past five years we have seen the result when he assumed office.

Musa maintained that, “His Excellency, Governor Mai Mala Buni CON, has done the right thing by appointing the right person in the right place, because I was a director in the federal service. I know how difficult it is to secure employment for the teeming youths.

He advised that His Excellency, Hon. Mai Mala Buni, should continue to put the right people in that place so that the right people will be employed. Adding that, before I came here, I had something in mind that we have youths who have completed their secondary education, and they could not secure admission into tertiary institutions.

According to the chairman, these youths performed; they had gotten the requirements to be admitted, but because of the family background of the family, they could not, and they feel that the local government should bring a package whereby the youth will compile their CVs and go to university, polytechnic, or college of education to secure admission for them.

“We have graduates who are diploma holders, NCE, HND, and degree holders. There is nothing doing; I had to believe that we are going to adopt entrepreneurial activity within Nangere, training them three months after training them. We come up with different varieties of skills for them to engage in different businesses and activities,” he said.

“So by doing that, we are able to train 500 youths, and at the end of the day, every youth will be able to engage four people, so plus him, there are five. So you multiply five times five hundred, and you have 2,500 employed, and we called it a blue-collar job because what a cola job these days is too easy. So we have to develop a plan or strategies whereby the youth must survive.

The chairman said we have a work plan already, and very soon we are going to develop it, because we have adopted that in the 2025 budget, and very soon, by the second quarter, we are going to embark on it. He noted that I have already discussed with the consultancy services of Yobe State University in that regard.

Governor Buni commended for selecting Maigari for appointment as Commissioner of the Federal Character Commission

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World Medical Relief donates healthcare equipment to Yobe State

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World Medical Relief donates healthcare equipment to Yobe State

By: Yahaya Wakili

The Yobe State Executive Council has noted the delivery of healthcare equipment to the state donated by World Medical Relief in the United States. These equipment include hospital beds, infusion pumps, patient monitors, surgical instruments, and tools, amongst others.

Governor Mai Mala Buni CON disclosed this yesterday while chairing the first State Executive Council meeting held at the Government House in Damaturu.

The governor spoke about his administration’s human capital development effort, adding that in 2024, many people across the state were reached with various forms of support, particularly the students sent to India for undergraduate studies.

Briefing the newsmen on the outcome of the Exco meeting, The state Commissioner of Home Affairs, Information, and Culture, Alhaji Abdullahi Bego, said the governor reflected on the preceding year, noting it as one in which the state government was able to execute many projects and programs that have positive impacts on the lives of the people of the state.

He said the government has also built four modern sesame seed processing factories in Machina, Nguru, Potiskum, and Damaturu, and all of them have been completed 100% and will be commissioned soon.

In addition, all local government areas cut off by last year’s rains, especially in the northern part of the state, have been repaired and vehicular traffic restored, and the state government is also currently constructing a road from Potiskum to Ngojin and from Fadawa to Daya in the Fika local government area.

World Medical Relief donates healthcare equipment to Yobe State

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Military

NAF AIRSTRIKES NEUTRALIZE SCORES OF BANDITS HIBERNATING AT ALAWA FOREST IN SHIRORO LGA OF NIGER STATE

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NAF AIRSTRIKES NEUTRALIZE SCORES OF BANDITS HIBERNATING AT ALAWA FOREST IN SHIRORO LGA OF NIGER STATE

By: Olusola F Akinboyewa

The Air Component of Operation FANSAN YAMMA (AC OPFY) has recorded another significant achievement in its counter-terrorism campaign, neutralising scores of bandits and dismantling their logistics base at Alawa Forest in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State. This operation, conducted on 21 January 2025, was based on credible intelligence and follow-up confirmatory aerial surveillance efforts which indicated an influx of armed terrorists into the forest. These criminals were linked to widespread violence, including two Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attacks on 19 December 2024 in Bassa, Shiroro LGA, which claimed several innocent lives.

In response, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) launched a three-day sustained air operation, code-named KONAN DAJI, to degrade the terrorists’ capabilities and render the forest unhabitable for them. To this end, AC OPFY dispatched a formation of fighter aircraft to execute air interdiction missions in the area. Upon arrival, the jets swiftly engaged the identified targets with precision strikes, neutralising numerous armed fighters and destroying their logistics base, as confirmed by multiple secondary explosions.

The NAF, in close coordination with ground forces, remains resolute in its commitment to maintaining operational dominance across the region. Sustained efforts are underway to eliminate all criminal elements from Alawa Forest and surrounding areas, ensuring lasting peace and security for communities in Niger State and beyond.

NAF AIRSTRIKES NEUTRALIZE SCORES OF BANDITS HIBERNATING AT ALAWA FOREST IN SHIRORO LGA OF NIGER STATE

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