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One year after Allawa’s fall, displaced residents cry for help as humanitarian crisis deepens in Niger

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One year after Allawa’s fall, displaced residents cry for help as humanitarian crisis deepens in Niger

By U.K. Umar

One year after armed attackers overran Allawa community in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, a deepening humanitarian crisis continues to haunt the thousands of people who fled the invasion and now live in makeshift camps with no hope of return.

The silence that hangs over the once-thriving agrarian community of Allawa is not just physical, it is a silence of abandonment, neglect and despair.

Since the violent invasion of April 25, 2024, residents who escaped death have become Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), living in overcrowded primary school buildings, market stalls and half-roofed compounds in neighbouring towns such as Kuta, Erena and Gwada.

Education has been disrupted. Food is uncertain. Healthcare is nearly non-existent. And worse, hope is fading.

At an abandoned block of classrooms now serving as a displacement shelter in Kuta, Zagazola Media Netowork, met Malam Musa Yakubu, a 47-year-old farmer and father of seven. He sat quietly under the shade of a neem tree, surrounded by three of his children, all barefooted and visibly malnourished.

“This place was once my children’s school. Now it is our home,” he said, forcing a smile. “We sleep on broken desks, on bare floor. During rainy nights, we cover ourselves with nylon bags. My wife cries often because she cannot feed our children.”

Malam Yakubu said he grew up in Allawa and owned over 15 hectares of farmland before the invasion. Today, he depends on handouts from well-wishers.

“The last time we received food aid was three months ago. Since then, we have been living on roasted yam and wild leaves. My children have not seen a classroom since we fled.”

Standing nearby was Amina Ibrahim, 16, who said she dropped out of Junior Secondary School following the attack. Now, she spends her days helping her mother hawk groundnuts in Kuta. I want to return to school,” she said quietly. “But how can I go to school when we have no home, no books, and no peace?”

‘My primary school is a ghost town’

For U.K. Umar, a former resident of Allawa and the writer of this report, the tragedy is personal.

“I attended Central Primary School in Allawa, which is now in ruins,” he recalled. “My childhood friends are now scattered across IDP camps. Some lost their parents. Some were taken by the attackers. We were not just displaced. We were forgotten.”

Umar said the displacement was not just the result of one attack, but a culmination of years of insecurity that was never addressed.

“What happened on April 25, 2024, was the final blow. Security agencies left, and armed groups moved in. What followed was a complete collapse of community life. Now, we are a forgotten people.”

Terror in the shadows

Reports from Shiroro LGA suggest that terror groups now control mining activities across several wards including Kurebe, Kwaki and Kushaka. Residents allegethat the attackers collect levies from artisanal gold miners up to N2 million per site every two weeks. Those who fail to comply are barred from mining, while others are punished.

“Their boys come during the day to collect fuel and money. At night, they disappear into the bush. They even settle disputes among locals. It is like a second government,” said a displaced youth who asked not to be named.

Just two weeks ago, five persons were reportedly abducted in Kwanta Yashi. Locals say they fear speaking out, as they are caught between hunger and violence.

‘Even water is a privilege’

In the Erena IDP settlement, Hajia Halima Abdullahi, 60, spoke through tears.

“I used to be a trader. I had goats and chickens. Now, I beg for drinking water. We fetch from a stream one hour away, and sometimes, we boil it. Other times, we drink it raw.”

She said many elderly displaced persons have developed hypertension and respiratory infections due to harsh conditions.

“There are no drugs. No doctors. Sometimes, we use herbs. Our children are falling sick every day.” It was also observed that the camps lack toilets, clean water, mosquito nets, and electricity. In some shelters, more than ten people sleep in one small room.

‘We feel abandoned’

There is growing frustration among displaced residents over what they describe as state government indifference.

“All we hear are promises. No concrete plan. No official has told us when we can return. It is as if our lives no longer matter,” said Ibrahim Zakari, a youth from Allawa now living in Gwada.

He appealed to the Niger State Government and the Federal Government to urgently intervene.
We are Nigerians too. We voted. We paid taxes. We built our homes and schools. Why have we been left to suffer?”

“You cannot keep over 20,000 displaced people in hopeless conditions for over a year and expect stability. Children are out of school. Teenage girls are being married off. Boys are joining vigilante groups. Trauma is spreading like wildfire,” he warned.

He called on the Federal Government to declare a humanitarian emergency in Shiroro LGA and mobilise the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), as well as development partners, to scale up food, water, and shelter support.

“There must be a concrete, time-bound plan for resettlement. These people deserve to go home with safety, dignity, and support.”

Conclusion

One year after the fall of Allawa, the question remains: how long must a people wait?

As Niger State and the Federal Government grapple with rising insecurity, the forgotten people of Allawa continue to live in limbo displaced, distressed, and dangerously ignored.
Their pain is not history. It is ongoing. And unless urgent steps are taken, the crisis may deepen further.

“We have not died,” Malam Musa Yakubu said quietly. “But we are not living either.”

One year after Allawa’s fall, displaced residents cry for help as humanitarian crisis deepens in Niger

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Ongoing FG’s Reforms to Lift N50 million Nigerians from Poverty in Ten Tears

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Ongoing FG’s Reforms to Lift N50 million Nigerians from Poverty in Ten Tears

By: Michael Mike

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said the Federal Government’s ongoing reforms and development initiatives are aimed at lifting between 40 and 50 million Nigerians out of multidimensional poverty within the next decade.

The Vice President who was represented by the Special Adviser to the President on Power Infrastructure, Sadiq Wanka, at DevFest2025, themed “Ending Poverty in Nigeria,” reinforced the consensus that eradicating poverty is possible if Nigeria sustains reforms, strengthens collaboration, and embraces bold, inclusive strategies organized by Nextier, said: “If we remain consistent in applying these policies, GDP growth will soar, inequality will reduce, food and multidimensional poverty will fall, and inflation could reach single digits by 2026. Overall, our reforms could free 40 to 50 million Nigerians from poverty within a decade, enabling them to fulfil their God-given potential,”

Unveiling the government’s “Poverty Exit Plan”, Shettima described the strategy as both a moral obligation and a strategic compact to ensure no Nigerian is left behind. The plan, he explained, rests on three pillars: investing in infrastructure, driving economic and financial inclusion, and transforming agriculture from subsistence to value-driven, mechanised production.

The Vice President highlighted positive economic indicators already taking shape: external reserves rising to $42 billion, six consecutive months of inflation decline, Naira stabilisation under Central Bank policies, and a 44.3% trade surplus increase in H1 2025, amounting to over N10 trillion.

He disclosed that more than N330 billion has been disbursed to 8.1 million households through Conditional Cash Transfers, while the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has provided over N80 billion in loans to 400,000 students. In agriculture, the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) has attracted over $1 billion to boost mechanisation and value addition.

Shettima emphasized early reforms like petrol subsidy removal and forex unification, describing them as bold but necessary steps to create fiscal space for investments.

“The removal of the petrol subsidy and the unification of the foreign exchange market were bold acts of economic surgery, essential to stabilize our nation and set it on a path of sustainable growth.”

He explained that the plan rests on three strategic pillars investment in infrastructure, promotion of inclusion, advancing agriculture and value addition.

“Our Poverty Exit Plan is multifaceted and relentless. It is built on three strategic pillars: investing in critical infrastructure, driving financial and economic inclusion, and encouraging value-addition and mechanized agriculture.”

Shettima highlighted early positive outcomes, including higher reserves, narrowing fiscal deficit, rising non-oil exports, and stabilizing inflation, projecting that poverty and inequality could be drastically reduced by 2026.

“If we remain consistent in our application of these policies, our government is confident that we will see GDP growth soaring, inequality reducing drastically, food and multidimensional poverty crashing, and inflation potentially reaching single digits by 2026.”

The Head of Delegation of the European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Gautier Mignot, underscored that poverty reduction must be driven primarily by sound domestic policies. International partners, he noted, can support but cannot substitute local leadership.

He said: “Poverty reduction is not just a moral duty; it is a political, social, and economic imperative. It reduces instability, strengthens democracy, and drives productivity.”

He stressed the need to listen to the voices of poor communities, not just statistics, and pointed to Nigeria’s entrepreneurial spirit—especially among women—as a powerful force for poverty reduction. He revealed that the EU has committed over €87 million to strengthen Nigeria’s social safety nets and resilience programmes, alongside €150 million in humanitarian support to address food insecurity affecting 33 million Nigerians.

From the state level, Professor Chidiebere Onyia, Secretary to the Government of Enugu State, shared lessons from the state’s multi-sectoral interventions in education, agriculture, and health, which he said are shifting the focus from poverty reduction to poverty eradication.

In his welcome remarks, Dr. Ndubuisi Nwokolo, Partner at Nextier Development Foundation, stressed the need to move beyond short-term fixes and token interventions.

“Money alone does not eradicate poverty. Neither do rice distributions nor handing out sewing machines. We must dig deeper and embrace sustainable, evidence-based solutions,” he said.

Nwokolo urged stakeholders to scale up local innovations, harness Nigeria’s youthful population, and adopt a whole-of-society approach that integrates government, civil society, private investors, and academia.

Patrick Okigbo III, Founding Partner of Nextier, echoed this call, noting that the festival was designed to bring together thoughtful leaders and innovators to co-create practical solutions.

“We refuse to accept that poverty is unsolvable. The time to end it is now, with the right partnerships, policies, and political will,” Okigbo said.

With 40% of Nigerians—over 82 million people—still below the poverty line, the challenge remains daunting, but stakeholders agreed that a mix of consistent policies, grassroots innovations, and international cooperation could set the country on a path to shared prosperity. Nextier Push For Reforms To End Poverty in Nigeria

Meanwhile, the nation’s fight against poverty received a renewed boost on Tuesday as government leaders, development partners, academics, and civil society actors converged at the Nextier Development Solutions Festival (DevFest2025) in Abuja to chart bold pathways for poverty eradication.

Ongoing FG’s Reforms to Lift N50 million Nigerians from Poverty in Ten Tears

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Police launch manhunt for guard over abduction of toddler in Taraba

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Police launch manhunt for guard over abduction of toddler in Taraba

By: Zagazola Makama

Security forces in Taraba have launched a manhunt for a security guard accused of abducting a two-year-old boy and demanding ransom.

Security sources confirmed the incident it was reported late on Sunday by the victim’s mother, Mrs. Ujuwan Okosun.

She alleged that her guard, identified as Amos Kini, took away her son, Ivan Okosun, along with her mobile phone, and later used the same phone to call her husband, demanding N5 million ransom for the boy’s release.

Police detectives immediately visited the scene and arrested one Aruna Dauda, said to be the guarantor of the suspect.

“The command has intensified efforts to track down the suspect and rescue the child unhurt. Investigation is ongoing,” said the sources.

The police urged residents to remain vigilant and continue to support security agencies with timely information to curb criminality.

Police launch manhunt for guard over abduction of toddler in Taraba

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Police inspector killed at checkpoint in Taraba

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Police inspector killed at checkpoint in Taraba

By: Zagazola Makama

The Police Command in Taraba has confirmed the killing of an officer by unknown hoodlums at a checkpoint in Tella, Gassol Local Government Area.

Zagazola gathered that the incident occurred on Sunday at about 9:30 p.m.

The victim, identified as Insp. Suleiman Dala of 40 Police Mobile Force (PMF), Jalingo, was attacked while on duty, and his rifle was taken away by the assailants.

Police operatives who visited the scene photographed the body and evacuated it to the General Hospital, Tella, where it was deposited at the morgue.

“The command has intensified efforts to track down the perpetrators and recover the rifle. Investigation is ongoing,”said sources.

The sources said that the command commiserated with the family of the late officer and assured that those behind the attack would be brought to justice.

Police inspector killed at checkpoint in Taraba

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