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Families of Missing Persons exchange experiences, discuss challenges, and support each other in an international conference
Families of Missing Persons exchange experiences, discuss challenges, and support each other in an international conference
By: Michael Mike
Families of Missing Persons from Nigeria participated in the 3rd edition of the International Conference for Families of Missing Persons, which took place between 21-23 November 2023.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) hosted two conference hubs in Nigeria, in Maiduguri (Borno State) and Yola (Adamawa State) respectively, where families attended online global and regional peer-to-peer sessions and were granted opportunities to meet and exchange with other families from around the world whose loved ones went missing in similar circumstances.
Families gained inspiration on how they can continue to build and strengthen their family associations. Beyond supporting one another, family associations usually are those that raise awareness and advocate on the issue of the missing.
Engaging with peers brought useful insights on how families can be more strongly seen and heard by their peers, communities, and authorities. Families shared what it means to each of them to live while searching, and how to cope with the emotional, legal, economic, and social challenges, particularly when having a missing relative during an ongoing armed conflict.
“I still have hopes that my loved one will be found someday, and we will meet again,” said Sadiya Abubakar a member of the Family Association in Damare internally displaced community. “With the experiences shared in the conference I discovered that we are not alone on facing the pains of not knowing the fate of our family members who have been missing for long”.
The families also got the chance to meet with member states to the Global Alliance for the Missing, which Nigeria is member to. The Global Alliance for the missing is a group of states that has committed to raise awareness on the issue of missing persons and to collectively engage diplomatically on the issue.
A family member from Nigeria, the only member state from Africa, made a statement on behalf of the African continent, outlying the importance for other African States to join the Alliance. The statement urged states to work together to facilitate search and address the needs of families, adopt legislations on the missing persons and include the families in the process to ensure belonging, ownership, transparency, and accountability by ensuring access to information on how and where families can engage with authorities on the issue of the missing.
The conference brought together more than 700 families of missing persons from 50 different countries, in a hybrid format. Families physically gathered in 44 local “conference hubs” and joined multilingual online sessions tackling the most critical challenges they face around the world.
“The conference was an opportunity for families to gain the understanding that they are stronger together,” said Anne-Sofie Stockman, ICRC`s delegate in charge of searching for the Missing.
“Families continue to show extraordinary will to never give up searching for their loved ones, however long it takes.”
The ICRC works together with the Nigerian Red Cross Society to help and support families of the missing in their pursuit for answers. So far this year, we’ve been able to help locate more than 460 people missing due to the conflict.
Families of Missing Persons exchange experiences, discuss challenges, and support each other in an international conference
Borno State’s Veronica Kidafa Mbaya Awarded N25 Million for Agricultural Excellence
By: Our Reporter
Veronica Kidafa Mbaya of Borno State has been recognized for her outstanding contributions to agriculture, winning the inaugural Every Home Garden farming competition, a nationwide initiative spearheaded by Her Excellency, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the First Lady of Nigeria. Ms. Mbaya received a N25 million prize during a ceremony held this evening at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa.
The presentation was made by the First Lady herself, highlighting the importance of the Every Home Garden Initiative and the success of Ms. Mbaya’s efforts. The event was attended by a distinguished gathering of First Ladies from various states across Nigeria, including Dr. Falmata Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State.
This significant award celebrates Ms. Mbaya’s dedication to agriculture and her exemplary contribution to food security in Borno State. It also underscores the Every Home Garden Initiative’s national impact and its success in fostering agricultural development and empowerment at the grassroots level.
20 million naira came from the first lady while NALFUND added 5 million naira to the winner.
Other 19 participants who made it to the finals received 2.5 million with 1 million from the first lady, 1 million from the first lady of the state concerned, and 500,000 naira to each of them from NALFUND.
Borno State’s Veronica Kidafa Mbaya Awarded N25 Million for Agricultural Excellence
Yobe: 12 killed in road crash
By: Yahaya Wakili
Twelve (12) persons lost their lives in a road crash on Tuesday, 3rd December, 2024, along the Bayamari-Geidam road in Yobe state, North East, Nigeria.
The Sector Commander Yobe state Sector command of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) Corps Commander, Mr. Livinus Yilzoom, disclosed this in a press release made available to newsmen in Damaturu.
He said the crash occurred at about 10:00 pm at km 20, Chelluri village, along the Bayamari-Geidam road.
Mr. Livinus Yilzoom revealed that the crash involved a stationary HOWO truck with registration number MAG 831ZR belonging to DAN NENE construction company and a Sharon minibus with registration number BAU 124YF, which ran into the truck and caught fire, thereby burning the 12 occupants of the bus beyond recognition.
According to Mr. Livinus Yilzoom, preliminary investigation revealed road obstruction by the HOWO truck as the immediate cause, while excessive speed and overload by the driver of the Sharon were the remote causes of the road crash.
He admonished motorists to avoid night travels because of the danger of poor visibility, which is further compounded by the present hazy harmattan weather.
The commander called on motorists to obey road traffic rules and regulations at all times to forestall future occurrences.
Yobe: 12 killed in road crash
Yobe: Emir of Fune sues for peace between farmers and herders
By: Yahaya Wakili
The emir of Fune in Yobe state, Alhaji (Dr.) Saleh Idris Ibn Usman, has called on farmers and herders to be patient with one another and to live in peace. This country belongs to us; we can’t go anywhere but Nigeria.
Alhaji Saleh Idris Ibn Usman made the call in an interview with the newsmen in Damagum, the headquarters of the emirate council. He said, God knows why he keeps us together, the harders and the farmers.
He calls on farmers to harvest their farm produce in time, not leave their farm produce to stay long in the farm, and also urges the herders to stay away from farmlands to enable farmers to park their farm produce.
The emir draws the attention of the security agents to protect the lives and property of the citizens and allow the herders to pass and urges the farmers not to take the law into their hands.
“If he destroyed your farm produce, report him to the authority concerned; don’t touch him. We have the ward head, the village head, and the district head, and we have the emir. Report him to them; they will take necessary action against him,” the emir added.
Alhaji Saleh Idris maintained that it is not fair that someone spent a year suffering in farming his farm; he finished everything; the only thing that remains is to harvest the produce. In a day you come and destroy the farm produce; in fact, it is not a small offense.
He said, We have been enlightening the farmers every year to harvest their farm produce in time and urge the herders not to encroach into the farm until farmers cultivate and evacuate their farm produce.
Yobe: Emir of Fune sues for peace between farmers and herders
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Borno State’s Veronica Kidafa Mbaya Awarded N25 Million for Agricultural Excellence
Yobe: 12 killed in road crash
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