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Nigeria: EU allocates €1 million to fight diphtheria outbreak

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Nigeria: EU allocates €1 million to fight diphtheria outbreak

By: Michael Mike

The European Union (EU) has released €1,000,000 (about N847 million) in humanitarian funding to fight the spread of diphtheria disease and assist the most affected communities.

According to a statement on Tuesday, this latest funding is in addition to €150,000 which the EU allocated to the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in March 2023 in an effort to help control the epidemic.

The statement said this new EU funding will enable UNICEF and the medical NGO ALIMA to contribute to the response by providing technical and staff support to frontline health agencies to enhance surveillance and case detection, treatment of cases, community awareness raising, and to assist with the procurement of vaccines.

Nigeria is currently facing the world’s second largest diphtheria outbreak with 10,322 confirmed and 16,616 suspected cases since the beginning of the year. Kano State in the Northwest represents the outbreak’s epicentre with 8,447 confirmed cases and 589 deaths. The most affected states are Kano, Yobe, Katsina, Borno, Bauchi, and Kaduna which collectively account for 96% of all suspected cases.

Despite control efforts since the start of the outbreak in late 2022, the disease has gradually spread to other states in the Northwest and Northeast. Children aged 1 to 14 years represent 72% of all confirmed cases. Analysis of the vaccination status reveals that over 60% of all suspected cases have not been vaccinated.

According to the statement, this funding is part of the EU’s Epidemics tool, created to provide rapid funding in case of a disease outbreak. Diphtheria is a highly contagious bacterial infection transmitted between humans. It causes an infection of the upper respiratory tract, which can lead to breathing difficulties and suffocation. Those most at risk are children and people who have not been fully vaccinated against the disease.

The European Union, together with its Member States, is the leading donor of humanitarian aid in the world. Relief assistance is an expression of European solidarity towards people in need around the world. It aims to save lives, prevent, and alleviate human suffering and safeguard the integrity and human dignity of populations affected by natural disasters and man-made crises.

The European Union through its Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid department helps millions of victims of conflicts and disasters every year. Through its headquarters in Brussels and its global network of field offices, the EU provides assistance to the most vulnerable people based on humanitarian need alone.

Nigeria: EU allocates €1 million to fight diphtheria outbreak

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Another Bandits group release three women in Katsina in peace deal promises

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Another Bandits group release three women in Katsina in peace deal promises

By: Zagazola Makama

Another group of repentant bandits has released three women in Katsina State as part of the ongoing peace process in the state.

The women, whose names were not immediately disclosed, were said to have been held by a notorious bandit leader, Kacalla Zailani, who controls the Maigora axis.

Community sources told Zagazola on Wednesday that Zailani freed the captives voluntarily without collecting ransom.

“He handed over the women to the mediators as a gesture of goodwill to consolidate the peace deal,” one of the sources said.

Another Bandits group release three women in Katsina in peace deal promises

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Zulum Pledges Legal Reform to Deepen Justice System

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Zulum Pledges Legal Reform to Deepen Justice System

… Fagbemi: Zulum, people-centred and reform-driven Gov.

By: Our Reporter

Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, has reaffirmed his commitment to working closely with the Federal Government, National Assembly and other partners to deepen reforms in the state justice system especially at the grassroots level.

Governor Zulum made the commitment on Wednesday at the 2025 Justice Sector Leadership Retreat held at the International Conference Centre of Musa Usman Secretariat, Maiduguri.

“I reaffirm Borno State’s commitment to working with the Federal Government, the Judiciary, the National Assembly, and development partners to deepen reforms in our justice system, especially at the grassroots level,” Zulum stated.

The governor stressed the need for the deployment of technology which will make justice delivery faster, transparent and accountable to the citizenry, noting that Borno State had already adopted the use of digital technology to bridge justice delivery gap.

“In Borno State, we are already witnessing how digital tools have enhanced case tracking, enabling virtual court sittings, thus improving prison decongestion and streaming access to legal aid especially in hard-to-reach areas. If deployed strategically, technology can bridge the gap between rural and urban justice access,” he remarked.

“This is particularly important in Borno State where we continue to recover from a protracted
insurgency and humanitarian crisis. Justice must serve as a foundation for healing, rebuilding trust and restoring the social contract”.

The governor emphasized the need for institutional collaboration and coordinated reform to effectively confront the menace of terrorism, corruption, resolving land disputes and securing investments for a better society.

“I urge all of us here as policymakers, jurists, administrators and stakeholders to see
coordination not as a procedural matter, but as a moral imperative. Our people deserve a system that works, not one riddled with delays, duplications, or inefficiencies”.

The retreat themed “Strengthening Justice Sector Service Delivery through Technology, Innovation and Co-ordinated Reform” underscores the importance of deployment of digital tools to fast track judicial process.

The event was attended by the senator representing Borno Central, Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan SAN; APC State Chairman, Hon. Bello Ayuba, Chairman/CEO NDLEA, Brig. Gen (rtd) Buba Marwa; Solicitor General of the Federation, Beatrice Jeddy-Agba, Heads of Agencies under Federal Ministry of Justice. Others include Secretary to the State Government, Head of Service, acting Chief of Staff, the State Attorney-General, members of the state executive council, and other top government officials.

… Zulum: people-centred, and reform-driven Gov -Fegbemi

Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has lauded Governor Babagana Zulum’s people-centred transformation and reforms in the justice sector.

“Just like other sectors, your impact in the justice sector has been profound. The launch of Borno State e-Justice project in
partnership with Law Pavilion has positioned the state as a pacesetter in digital transformation. With tools such as the Case
Management System, e-Library, and electronic mail tracking for legal processes, Borno is pioneering efficiency and transparency
in judicial service delivery,” Fagbemi stated.

“Borno under your leadership has become a case study in resilience and renewal. You have shown that governance is not about slogans but about solutions; not about rhetoric but about results. You have elevated the standard of leadership by demonstrating that ideas, when backed by courage and action, can transform societies, no matter the odds,” he added.

“In a state that has endured some of the toughest trials in our nation’s history, you did not succumb to despair. Instead, you applied
innovative thinking, sound judgment, and a data-driven approach to policy and the results are visible to all”.

The Attorney General called for the need to update the nation’s legal frameworks to support these innovations and invest in digital literacy,
cybersecurity, and data management for the professionals.

“By fostering a culture of innovation and leveraging the transformative power of technology, we can build a justice system that is more efficient, more accessible, and more equitable for all Nigerians,” he concluded.

Zulum Pledges Legal Reform to Deepen Justice System

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Bandit Kingpin Releases 28 Captives in Katsina Following Peace Deal

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Bandit Kingpin Releases 28 Captives in Katsina Following Peace Deal

By: Zagazola Makama 

A total of 28 persons abducted by suspected bandits in Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State have been released without ransom following a peace arrangement with bandit kingpin.

The bandits, led by their commander identified as Isya Akwashi Garwa, handed over the captives to officials of the council on Wednesday.

Zagazola  reports that those released were largely residents of Mairua, Kanen-haki and Yar Dabaru communities.

Local authorities confirmed that the release was the outcome of a reconciliation effort initiated in the area to restore peace and reduce violent attacks.

Community leaders in Faskari described the development as a positive signal and urged both sides to sustain the peace process. They also urged the bandit to force other bandits still attacking in the area to stop.   

A council official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “The captives were released this afternoon without any ransom being paid. The bandit leader fulfilled his promise under the peace talks,”he said.

Meanwhile, residents expressed relief at the safe return of the abductees, with some calling for stronger security guarantees to consolidate the gesture.

Bandit Kingpin Releases 28 Captives in Katsina Following Peace Deal

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