News
Nigeria, US sign MoU on Cultural Heritage Preservation
Nigeria, US sign MoU on Cultural Heritage Preservation
By: Michael Mike
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cultural heritage preservation project in Adamawa State has been signed by the Nigerian and United States governments.
This is as the US government on Thursday said it has successfully repatriated a total of 63 Benin Bronzes since 2022.
The MoU project involves the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, American University of Nigeria, Yola, Adamawa and International Council on Monuments and Sites-Nigeria and the United States of America under the implementation of Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation grant.
The U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, has provided $1.5 million for 14 projects across 21 states of Nigeria since 2001.
Only recently, in 2020, the embassy awarded the U.S. non-profit organisation CyArk a $125,000 grant to digitally survey and document the Busanyin Shrine within the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove.
The latest project is aimed to document, conserve and improve the cultural heritage of the Sukur UNESCO World Heritage Site in Adamawa State.
Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony in Abuja, Ambassador David Greene said “We are so proud that, with our Nigerian partners, we have been able to preserve culturally significant art, sites, and other heritage items.”
The US Charge D’Affairs also added that: “Our latest AFCP grant will support ICOMOS-Nigeria and its local partners to help preserve Sukur cultural heritage through infrastructure enhancements, revival of threatened traditional crafts, and documentation and preservation of the Sakun language.
“This will require a collaborative effort amongst each of your organizations, so I am proud and pleased to witness your signing today of the Memorandum of Understanding covering the planned project.
“We truly appreciate your unwavering dedication to conserve, protect, and preserve Nigeria’s cultural heritage. My government and I eagerly anticipate building upon this partnership in the years to come, and I can tell you that I personally hope to have an opportunity to visit the Sukur site. “
Building on twenty years of AFCP grants, the ambassador said “In 2021, the United States and Nigeria signed the bilateral Cultural Property Agreement. With that, we intensified joint efforts to identify, intercept, and repatriate looted, or other displaced cultural property and related heritage works.
“These efforts paved the way for the official transfer in October 2022 of twenty-two Benin Bronzes back to Nigeria. I am pleased to report that since 2022, the number has grown, and now a total of sixty-three Benin Bronzes have been successfully repatriated to Nigeria.”
Minister of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa in her remarks said, “The project aims at undertaking a 2-year conservation and preservation work in the Sukur Cultural Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is regarded as a place of Outstanding Universal Values. The work also involves the conservation of the tangible and intangible heritage of Sukur Cultural Landscape, enhancing community capacity, strengthening local, national and international links and networks for conserving the site’s Outstanding Universal Values and buttressing the resilience of the Sukur community in the face of insurgency and climate change.
Nigeria, US sign MoU on Cultural Heritage Preservation
Military
Mutiny: Presidential Guard Tightens Security Around Niger Presidency Amid Reports of Military Protest
Mutiny: Presidential Guard Tightens Security Around Niger Presidency Amid Reports of Military Protest
By Zagazola Makama
Security was significantly reinforced around Niger’s Presidential Palace in Niamey following reports of unrest involving elements of the country’s armed forces, security sources told Zagazola Makama.
According to multiple security sources, the heightened deployment of the Presidential Guard, supported by armoured vehicles around the Presidential Palace on the night of July 3 and into July 4, followed what was described as a limited protest by personnel of an armoured unit within the Niger Armed Forces (FAN).
The sources said some soldiers reportedly declined deployment to frontline positions in northern Tillabéri Region, particularly around Inatès and Chinagodrar, citing inadequate heavy equipment and insufficient operational resources to confront the growing security threats in the area.
The protest was described by one source as a “small mutiny,” although there has been no official confirmation from the Nigerien authorities.
Security sources said the development triggered concern within the country’s leadership, prompting the reinforcement of security around the Presidential Palace and temporary restrictions on movement in the surrounding area as a precautionary measure.
The Tillabéri Region remains one of Niger’s most volatile security zones, with recurrent attacks by armed extremist groups, including factions linked to the so-called Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS).
As of the time of filing this report, the Nigerien government and military authorities had not issued any official statement regarding the reported protest or the increased security presence around the Presidency.
The situation remains under close observation.
Mutiny: Presidential Guard Tightens Security Around Niger Presidency Amid Reports of Military Protest
Two suspected criminals arrested during patrol in Plateau
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Sector 1 under Operation Enduring Peace have arrested two suspected criminals during a routine patrol in Jos East Local Government Area of Plateau.
Security sources disclosed that the suspects, identified as Azi Ezekiel, 21, and Ajiji Emmanuel, 19, were apprehended at about 10:30 a.m. on Saturday along the road leading to Forbur Village.
The sources said the suspects were intercepted by troops of Sector 1, Sub-Sector 12, while conducting a routine patrol in the area.
According to the sources, the two suspects have been handed over to the Keystone Police Station in Forbur for further investigation and possible prosecution.
The arrest forms part of ongoing security operations aimed at combating criminal activities and enhancing safety across Plateau State.
Two suspected criminals arrested during patrol in Plateau
Troops arrest suspected kidnapper in Plateau community
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Sector 4 of Operation Enduring Peace have arrested a suspected kidnapper during a security operation in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau.
Security sources said the suspect, identified as Mohamdu Surajo, 29, was arrested at about 6:45 p.m. on Friday at Sabon Layi Village following sustained security operations in the area.
The sources disclosed that the suspect is currently in military custody and is undergoing preliminary interrogation to aid ongoing investigations.
They added that the arrest is part of continued efforts by security forces to dismantle criminal networks and enhance security across Plateau State.
Troops arrest suspected kidnapper in Plateau community
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