Adeleke appeals to Army to prevent bandits’ infiltration into Osun from Kwara

By: Zagazola Makama

Ademola Adeleke of Osun on Saturday appealed to the Nigerian Army to intensify efforts at preventing the infiltration of bandits into the state from neighbouring Kwara.

Adeleke made the appeal while speaking at the Passing Out Parade of the 89 Regular Recruits Intake held at the Nigerian Army Depot, Osogbo.

The governor, who described the event as significant to national security, said the ceremony underscored the critical role of the military in protecting Nigeria’s territorial integrity and defending the Constitution.

He commended the Nigerian Army for its decades of service in maintaining both internal and external peace, noting that the Army, in collaboration with other services, the Police and security agencies, had remained central to the containment of terrorism, banditry and communal conflicts.

“For us as a state government, we have enjoyed a very close partnership with the Nigerian Army and the entire military establishment. From my hometown and across the state, our engagement with servicemen has continued to deliver peace and stability,” he said.

Adeleke said Osun had remained one of the most peaceful states in the country largely due to the sacrifices and dedication of the military and other security agencies, stressing that the state government deeply appreciated the efforts of servicemen and women.

He disclosed that troops were currently deployed in border communities between Osun and neighbouring states to conduct special operations aimed at containing banditry and kidnapping.

“Our dear Army Chief, your men are currently around the border towns between Osun and Kwara States conducting special operations to contain banditry and kidnapping. We are very grateful for this support,” the governor said.

He, however, appealed for sustained military presence to prevent any infiltration of bandits into Osun from Kwara State, describing the threat as real but expressing confidence that the ongoing operations would succeed.

Addressing the newly passed-out recruits, Adeleke urged them to remain dedicated to the values and ethos of military service, reminding them that they were joining an institution widely acknowledged as the heartbeat of the nation.

“You have a duty to remain loyal to the Nigerian Army, the Constitution and the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.

The governor also called on political leaders across the country to adopt dialogue and consensus-building in resolving governance challenges, noting that political solutions would reduce tension and ease the burden on the military and other security agencies.

He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, for promoting inclusiveness in governance, saying such an approach would strengthen national unity and stability.

Adeleke assured that the Osun State Government remained committed to peaceful political engagement and harmony, adding that this would enable security agencies to focus on their core responsibilities of protecting lives and property.

The passing-out parade was attended by senior military officers, traditional rulers, government officials, serving and retired military personnel, other security operatives and representatives of the media.

Adeleke appeals to Army to prevent bandits’ infiltration into Osun from Kwara

Stakeholders unveil Regional Think thank, declare action on maternal, newborn deaths, others

By: Michael Mike

A Regional Body of academia and experts in the health sector has been inaugurated with the goal of accelerating innovations in maternal, newborn, child, nutrition and health (MNCH&N) outcomes across sub-Saharan Africa.

The Regional Think Tank which was formed in Abuja, Nigeria’s federal capital, comprising experts from across sub-Saharan Africa draws its mandate from relevant global and African charters and treaties of which Nigeria is a signatory.

These charters include: The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, the African Union Agenda 2063, Every Newborn Action Plan (ENAP), the Ending Preventable Maternal Mortality (EPMM) Strategy, and other multi-country implementation frameworks to catalyse coordinated acceleration of maternal, newborn, child, nutrition, and health (MNCH&N) outcomes across sub-Saharan Africa.

According to the stakeholders, the establishment of a regional body of experts becomes imperative because less than five years to the end of the SDG timeline in 2030, Africa remains far from achieving its MNCH&N targets. In 2023 alone, the region recorded an estimated 201,205 maternal deaths, concentrated in West, East, Central, and Southern Africa.

“Approximately one quarter of these deaths were attributable to postpartum haemorrhage (PPH), a largely preventable cause when proven, life-saving interventions such as E-MOTIVE are implemented at scale,” Prof. Hadiza Galadanci, a member of the Think Tank and Executive Director, Africa Centre of Excellence for Population Health and Policy, said.
In a statement made available to our correspondent in Abuja, the newly formed body decried newborn mortality in the region describing it as unacceptably high, with over one million newborn deaths annually in sub-Saharan Africa, while stillbirths persist as a major public health concern.

It noted that malnutrition contributes to nearly 45% of under-five deaths, further compounding risks to child survival. “These overlapping challenges underscore the urgent need for coordinated, evidence-driven, and scalable action,” the communique said in part.

It said that the newly unveiled regional think tank (RTT) will coordinate engagement at regional and national levels to support the scale-up of E-MOTIVE, while serving as a platform for dialogue on effective pathways for scaling other high-impact MNCH innovations across Africa.

It reads: “The overarching vision of the RTT is to accelerate implementation at scale and avert thousands of preventable deaths soon. The RTT responds to persistent challenges in African MNCH&N programming, including fragmentation, uneven adoption of proven innovations, policy–practice gaps, insufficient and unsustainable financing, limited cross-country learning, and weak performance monitoring systems. By convening regional expertise, the RTT aims to harmonise evidence, strengthen country pathways to scale, and improve implementation fidelity.”

Participants at the inaugural meeting of the Think Tank included representatives from the Africa Centres of Excellence (Nigeria, Guinea, and Senegal); academic institutions (Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Nairobi, and University of Rwanda); civil society (White Ribbon); implementing partners (Centre for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI), Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN), Pathfinder International, TA Connect, SCiDAR, and Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI); funders (Gates Foundation); and the private sector (Ferring Pharmaceuticals).

They reflected representation from all sub-regions of sub-Saharan Africa, with a wider pool of regional experts identified for future engagement. The participants formally endorsed the RTT governance structure, including a Steering Committee, a dual Chair arrangement ensuring Anglophone and Francophone representation, and a Secretariat to coordinate implementation, learning, and engagement.

Stakeholders unveil Regional Think thank, declare action on maternal, newborn deaths, others

Foundation donates N10m to Gombe market fire victims

By Peter Uwumarogie

A Non-Governmental Organsation known as Velocity Humanitarian Foundation, on Friday, donated N10 million to support victims of Monday night’s fire, which razed the Gombe Timber Market.

Chairman of the foundation, Malam Adamu Ibrahim who presented the cheque to the leadership of the market on Friday, also sympathised with victims of the inferno.

He said that the incident had drawn the attention of the organisation’s founder Engr. Aliyu Mohammed, who consequently, directed an extension of the support.

According to him, the foundation is focused on impacting lives, adding that the fire incident had compelled the organsation to extend support to victims in line with its objectives.

He also called on well meaning Nigerians within and outside the state, to assist the victims in view of their huge investment lost to the fire.

In response, Chairman of the state’s Timber Sellers Association, Malam Mohammed Ahmadu,, thanked the organisation for extending the gesture, at a time it was most required.

Ahmadu also described as encouraging, the support and well wishes from many residents who had come to sympathetise with them since the incident.

“This N10 million is well appreciated because we need all the support we can get to ameliorate the sufferings of our members since the fire outbreak.

“We thank the founder of the Foundation, Engr Mohammed and their staff, for this donation; we will always remember this good gesture done to us,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ahmadu said that the association had resolved to acquire a transformer specifically for use of members, which will be turned off after business hours to prevent a reoccurrence of electricity-related fire.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the fire outbreak destroyed over 60 shops and goods worth millions.

Foundation donates N10m to Gombe market fire victims