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IOM, Japan to support IDPs, returnees, host communities in Northeast

IOM, Japan to support IDPs, returnees, host communities in Northeast
By: Michael Mike
The Government of Japan and the United Nations International Organisation for Migration (IOM) have signed a joint agreement to support .Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), returnees and vulnerable host communities in the Northeast.
The Ambassador of Japan, Kazuyoshi Matsunaga, said during the signing ceremony of the agreement in Abuja that the the aim if the assignment is to support measures designed to tackle urgent needs of vulnerable people in Adamawa, with an eye of extending it to other affected states.
The envoy said. the agreement focused on: “Strengthening basic healthcare services for IDPs, returnees and host communities in Nigeria” between Japanese government, Adamawa government, IOM and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
According to him, the project which is worthy US$4.4 million will run from March, 2024 to March, 2026 with measures to ensure sustainability, monitoring and evaluation, calculation of post-project cost, training of personnel in the operation, maintenance, and upkeep of equipment.
Kazuyoshi said: “t is towards combining fixed facilities with innovation technology solutions, such as medical mobility, as service and telemedicine is essential to effectively serving the mobile IDP population.
“Effective technology transfer from Japan to Nigeria requires strong focus on human resource development, therefore investment on capacity building to enable local staff fully utilize and maintain medical equipments.
“So, the ultimate measure of success of this project should not be measured by the construction of beautiful primary healthcare centre or improved access to healthcare service with advanced technology.
“It should be measured by the healthy and safe life of citizens who benefit from this improved healthcare services beyond the duration of the project.”
He explained that the project will bring about introduction of innovation technology, medical masks and telemedicine, and involvement of Japanese companies as model for improving healthcare service across Nigeria.
Chairman of Adamawa Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Sulaiman Bashir, who signed the agreement on behalf of Adamawa State Government, said the agreement would not have been possible without the partnership between IOM and the Japanese government.
He said: “Our state, as mentioned earlier, had enormous humanitarian and development needs. A state of 5.5 million people, 60 per cent are less than 30 years of age.
“These are areas that are of great concern to us. In terms of the humanitarian crisis, we have the three different crises that we are battling within our state.
“Initially, we have the Boko Haram terrorist activity in the northern part of the state, we have the farmer-herder clashes, we also have the last one, the inter-communal conflict there.”
On his part, the IOM Nigeria Chief of Mission, Laurent De Boeck, promised to partner States and Local Government actors to rebuild, rehabilitate, and equip nine health facilities in eight Local Government Areas in Adamawa.
He said such will be achieved through training staff from each unit of the nine Primary Healthcare Centres, which include doctors, nurses, midwives, community health workers, information/data officers, laboratory technicians.
He added that: “This project aligns with the long-term development priorities of both the Nigerian Government and the Adamawa authorities.
“It is a testament to our commitment to not only provide immediate relief, but also to contribute to sustainable solutions that addresses root causes of displacement and insecurity,” he said.
He reiterated the organisation planned to ensure healthcare is not a privilege, but fundamental right accessible to all, to pave way for healthier, more stable and prosperous future for the people of northeast Nigeria.
Chief Representative of JICA, Mr Yuzurio Susumu, said the grant provided from the agreement will further advance construction of primary healthcare centres, and boost capacity building among other things.
Yuzurio said, “Our ultimate goal is to contribute to the creation of an inclusive environment that fosters peaceful coexistence.
“By ensuring access to quality healthcare services, we aim to encourage the return and resettlement of IDPs, laying groundwork for sustainable peace and prosperity in Adamawa.”
IOM, Japan to support IDPs, returnees, host communities in Northeast
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Security challenges contribute to increasing zero dose immunization prevalence in Borno state

Security challenges contribute to increasing zero dose immunization prevalence in Borno state
By: Bodunrin Kayode
The Director of Public and Community Health in the Borno State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (BSPHDA) Dr Mala Abdulwahab has said that security challenges contribute to the high prevalence of zero dose.
Dr Mala regretted that a lot of the “zero-doses” of immunization being recorded in Borno state comes from the lingering level of insecurity plaguing the state adding that a reduction of the prevalence would take place only if these insecurity gaps are closed.
Dr Mala made these assertions during a review meeting of the Borno state annual score card for immunization accountability 2024 as put together by the Committee of Practice (COP) and the Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN) which held in maiduguri recently.
He said that the lingering insurgency in the state has definitely put a clog in the wheels of a lot of progress which should have been made in the reduction of the zero dose when it comes to immunization adding that it is the hope of the COP that this primary challenge would soon be a thing of the past.
Speaking on further challenges working against health workers during zero dose immunization, Dr Mala regretted that a lot of residents actually assume that because elites are expected to have some form of education, resistance or carelessness will not emanate from them or even core insiders in the medical profession.
Mala’s sadness on this issue stems from the fact that a large chunk of some medical personnel in Borno state are not helping to attack the rising prevalence of the zero dose cases in the state, because they equally take the campaign for granted depriving their kids from having the relevant vaccines as at when due.
The Director of public and community health revealed that Borno state contributes a whopping 60 percent of the measles prevalence in the country adding that something urgently must be done by health workers and educators to reverse this unsatisfactory trend within the sector.
The Director Community health posited that theses kids who are yet to start their regimes of the vaccines especially penta 1,2 and 3 are equally contributing to the embarrassing statistics being reeled out from within the system.
“There is really no reason why we must be having zero-dose cases up till now within this part of the country. It is very unfortunate that this preventable occurrences keep coming up in spite of our efforts.
“Some of the zero-does do come from the elites in the country while some are compromised by prevailing security challenges especially around the state capital areas and some other parts of the state too. But we must keep trying.
” Let me tell you how we used to handle difficult fulani people in the bush, we go with our veterinary doctors and by using the veterinarians they talk to the fulani people to fall in line in terms of taking the vaccines. They see their cattle getting better and their kids too.
” However, it is regrettable that some medical practitioners are not allowing their kids to be immunized against the six killer diseases. This should never be allowed to thrive within the on coming immunization campaigns.
“And this is why I am calling on all of us here to pay relevant visits to VIPs, stakeholders and influencers to ensure that the civil society, media and others are carried along to reduce zero-doses to the nearest minimum.
“For immunity to be maintained, we need to work on the 65 percent coverage of immunization in the state to something better. We must make better progress in the pending campaigns.
” I also urge that advocacies should be done in large numbers to ensure effectiveness. Community leaders will take you more serious when you go in large numbers to make your points heard” Said Mala.
The Director called on field representatives to make deliberate efforts to ensure they anchor their advocacies with the traditional rulers of each domain like the Shehu of Borno in the state capital to make the expected progress.
Also present in the review session, Peace Ambassador, Ahmed Shehu assured the round table of stakeholders that their convergence will close a lot of gaps on the entire vaccination architecture in the state.
He assured that activists like him will do their best to ensure that the zero-dose prevalence becomes a thing of the past as they forge ahead in the 2025 campaigns.
Also speaking, Dr Musa Melton, a senior field coordinator of the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) in Borno state noted that the exercise was meant to open the remaining vestiges of existing challenges caused by the zero dose and dealing with them decisively from the coming campaigns to be mounted by the community of practice (COP).
He however noted that the last review of actualities on ground was not all that gloomy because epidemiological statistics indicated that the number of zero-doses have actually reduced in the state and the entire country.
Melton commended Dr Aminu Magashi the founder of the Africa health network for bringing the vital budgetary issues to the fore adding that with the new push to bringing down the number of zero-doses in the state and the willingness of the state govt led by Prof Babagana Zulum to spend more on health, there is good news at the horizon.
Dr Melton stated that measles has however dropped drastically in the state and the entire country from last year’s statistics to this year’s adding that they will soon celebrate the end of the zero-dose prevalence as the campaigns intensifies.
UNICEF immunization officer and representative in the round table Bashir Elegbede frowned at dishonest immunization officers adding that inspectors will be in the field for the next campaign to hunt down such people and reduce such misbehaving practitioners contributing to the zero dose.
He warned that everyone will answer his or her fathers name this time around as business as usual will never be tolerated from anyone.
Present at the occasion were stake holders from within the state and some from outside like Dr Aminu Magashi who is the global convener of the community of practice (COP) on accountability and social action on health and a member of the global action plan for SDG 3 advocacy group.
A child in contemporary Nigeria is said to be out of the zero-dose prevalence when such a child had been subjected to BCG, OPV O, Hepatitis BO all at birth.
Within six weeks the same child should have taken Pentavalent 1, PCV 1, OPV1, IPV1, and ROTA 1 while at 10 weeks, Pentavalent 2, PCV2, OPV2 and ROTA 2.
At 14 weeks a child is expected to have taken Pentavalent 3, PVC 3, OPV 3, IPV2 and Rota 3.
At five months the malaria vaccine should be infused while at six months the vitamin A 1st dose even as the malaria vaccine is followed at seven months.
By nine months one’s baby should be done with measles first dose, yellow fever, Meningitis vaccine and vitamin A second dose even as the measles second dose and malaria vaccine are administered at 15 months.
Updated data received from the COP indicated that by 9 Years, children should be ready for the human Papilloma virus vaccine and that should make them good to go by world standards to avoid zero-doses.
This is the contemporary ideal and expectations for all children as laid down by the national primary health agency of Nigeria.
Security challenges contribute to increasing zero dose immunization prevalence in Borno state
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Delta Police Arrest Notorious Kidnapper, Recover AK-47 in Rivers State

Delta Police Arrest Notorious Kidnapper, Recover AK-47 in Rivers State
By Zagazola Makama
The Delta State Police Command has recorded another breakthrough in its fight against kidnapping and gun-running, following the arrest of a fleeing gang member and the recovery of an AK-47 rifle.
According to police sources, the operation was a follow-up to the earlier apprehension of Mohammed Bello, a notorious kidnapper and arms dealer.
Acting on intelligence obtained from Bello’s confession, the police extended their investigation to Rivers State, where they tracked down and arrested one Chedeye Mohamed.
Mohamed, a native of Kogi State, had been hiding in the Trailer Park Area of Onne, Port Harcourt. Upon interrogation, he led detectives to a bush near the trailer park, where an AK-47 rifle loaded with 13 rounds of live ammunition was recovered.
The suspect confessed to carrying out kidnappings and armed robberies in Ughelli, Agbarho, and other parts of Delta State before retreating to Port Harcourt for cover after each operation.
Delta Police Arrest Notorious Kidnapper, Recover AK-47 in Rivers State
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Man Arrested for Killing His Mother and Sister in Ekiti State

Man Arrested for Killing His Mother and Sister in Ekiti State
By: Zagazola Makama
A 21-year-old man, Victor Lorjaal, has been arrested for allegedly macheting his mother and elder sister to death at Aba Ele Camp, Itaji Ekiti.
Sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident occurred at about 12:30 p.m. on March 25, 2025.
The suspect’s brother, David Ioyzain, reported to the police that Victor attacked their mother, Mrs. Victoria Lorjaal, and their sister, Brenda Lorjaal, while they were picking charcoal on the farm.
David stated that he heard his mother screaming for help and rushed to the scene, only to find both victims lying lifeless with deep machete wounds. After the attack, the suspect fled but was later found at home with blood stains on his forehead, nose, and legs.
The community members apprehended Victor and handed him over to the police. Officers visited the crime scene, documented evidence, and recovered the bodies, which were deposited at General Hospital, Ayede.
Police sources said that the suspect has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) for further investigation.
Man Arrested for Killing His Mother and Sister in Ekiti State
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