National News
NAPTIP, others secure freedom of 15 Nigerian girls trafficked to Mali
NAPTIP, others secure freedom of 15 Nigerian girls trafficked to Mali
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has secured the release of 15 Nigerian girls trafficked to Mali.
One of the girls has a three-year-old boy. Two others are pregnant.
They were released from their traffickers with the support of Action Against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants in Nigeria (A-TIPSOM).
Also supportive was the Network Against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour (NACTAL).
A-TIPSOM is a project being implemented in Nigeria by the International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policy (FIIAP) and is being sponsored by the European Union (EU).
At the reception of the girls on Sunday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja, the NAPTIP Director-General, Dr Fatima Waziri-Azi, stated that the return of the girls was achieved through a collaborative effort.
Represented by Mrs Angela Agbayekhai, Head, Intelligent and International Corporation Unit, NAPTIP, the director-general said the process started through the information the agency got from NACTAL, an NGO working in partnership.
“You will agree with me that it is not just Mali that these children of ours have been, but we are happy today that we have been able to bring back these number of girls.
“It is our hope and plan that we will bring back more of these children because we have so many of them still out there in Mali.
“Today we have 15 of them with a child of three years, a male child. A fact-finding team that went to Mali in 2017 estimated that there are about 20,000 Nigerians still trafficked there.
“These ones brought back today is a drop in the Ocean of the numbers of these Nigerians. This is a good start, NAPTIP D-G will work with the minister’s concern to bring back as many as possible.
“Bringing them back was not difficult, we had on the ground an NGO we work with based in Mali, we gathered information, share intelligence and it was easy to put them together,” Waziri-Azi said.
Mr Abdulganiyu Abubakar, the NACTAL President, stated that the whole process was made possible based on the partnership they have with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the 16 West African countries.
He said that NACTAL has implemented different mechanisms in the 16 ECOWAS countries for the protection of children.
Abubakar said that there is no country in the region that have a formidable platform in terms of child protection mechanism like Nigeria.
He said that the partnership with ECOWAS countries on child protection mechanisms led to the formation of the West Africa Coalition Against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants (WACTISOM).
“It is this initiative of WACTISOM that led to the identification of these young Nigerian girls; our partners in Mali have written to us about these 15 girls in their custody who are victims of trafficking.
“They have all escaped from their traffickers and want to return back home and we immediately contacted NAPTIP and A-TIPSOM. Mali is a major transit country for trafficking in persons,” he said.
Mrs Ugoh Ogbunide, the Technical Advisor on Partnership, A-TIPSOM, said that all that her organisation have done was to provide support for the return of the girls.
Four Soldiers Injured in Vehicle Accident on Mambilla Plateau
By: Zagazola Makama
Four Nigerian soldiers have sustained injuries in a vehicle accident on the Mambilla Plateau in Taraba State.
The accident occurred on Thursday while the troops were moving across the mountainous terrain of the area, Zagazola reports.
The Emir of Mambilla, Dr. Shehu Audu Baju, was said to have personally joined in the rescue operation to ensure that the soldiers received prompt assistance.
Following the rescue, the injured personnel were evacuated to the 20 Battalion Barracks in Serti for urgent medical care.
Community members and traditional leaders in the area have expressed sympathy and prayed for the speedy recovery of the soldiers, while also calling for the safety of other security operatives on duty.
Four Soldiers Injured in Vehicle Accident on Mambilla Plateau
UKNIAF, NGF Advance Electricity Reform with Nationwide Workshop Series
By: Michael Mike
The United Kingdom Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UKNIAF), in partnership with the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) have wrapped up a major national initiative to support State-led electricity market reforms.
The State Learning Workshop Series focused on Electricity Market Development, Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) and energy modelling software.
Workshops in Lagos, Calabar, Kano and Jos have been successfully completed, drawing participants from all the 36 States and the FCT and setting a strong precedent for what lies ahead.
These sessions equipped policymakers, regulators and stakeholders with the tools to design robust, sustainable and investor-ready electricity markets at the State level, in line with the provisions of the Electricity Act 2023.
Reflecting on the significance of this initiative, the Director-Legal/Head Power Desk at the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Mr. Chijioke Chuku,, stated that: “Nigeria’s electricity future depends on the capacity of our States to lead with vision, clarity, and technical precision. Through the workshop series, we are equipping States not just with knowledge, but with the confidence to take charge of their electricity markets. The NGF is proud to partner with UKNIAF in ensuring that the promise of the Electricity Act 2023 becomes a lived reality across the country.”
The sessions in the State Learning Workshops covered: The legal and regulatory pathways for setting up State Electricity Markets; Commercial models for private sector investment; Integration of State plans into Nigeria’s National IRP;
Practical training on the software platform for energy modelling.
The initiative drew from lessons learned in the course of UKNIAF’s work supporting the Akwa Ibom, Enugu, and Oyo State Governments—early movers in electricity market development—in setting up their markets.
It also drew from experience gained in the course of UKNIAF providing technical support to the Federal Ministry of Power in drafting both the National Integrated Electricity Policy and Nigeria’s first National Integrated Resource Plan, both of which were approved very recently.
With States now empowered by the Electricity Act 2023, this series is a timely and strategic effort to ensure capacity, coordination, and sustainability in Nigeria’s decentralised energy landscape.
UKNIAF, NGF Advance Electricity Reform with Nationwide Workshop Series
Three killed, others injured in bandits’ attack on Zamfara community
By: Zagazola Makama
Armed bandits have killed three persons and injured three others in an attack on Galadi town, Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara.
Sources confirmed the incident saying the attack occurred at about 10:50 p.m. on Aug. 27.
The sources said the bandits stormed the town, shooting sporadically, which resulted in the deaths and injuries.
Troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA were mobilised to the scene. The corpses and injured victims were evacuated to Galadi Primary Health Care Centre for autopsy and treatment.
Meanwhile, a manhunt for the fleeing culprits has been intensified, as the bandits escaped before the arrival of the joint forces,” the sources said.
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