National News
Over 22,500 migrants assisted back to Nigeria by IOM since established

Over 22,500 migrants assisted back to Nigeria by IOM since established
By: Michael Mike, Abuja
The International Organisation for Migration has been able to assist in the return of more than 22,500 migrants back into Nigeria from 20 countries across North Africa, Middle East and Europe.
The United Nations agency, which started operations in Nigeria in 2001 (20 years ago) with helping in returning stranded Nigerian migrants from Rome, Italy.
A statement on Tuesday from the organisation read that: “Today, IOM through its Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) programme has assisted the return of more than 22,500 migrants from 20 countries across North Africa, Middle East and Europe.”
IOM commenced operations twenty years ago, upon the signing of the Cooperation Agreement with the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, an agreement which permits it to implement programmes in Nigeria related to the migration of persons and provision of humanitarian aid.
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The statement said: “From a hand-counted team in early 2001, IOM Nigeria has grown into a 1,500-strong mission, with presence in five locations (Abuja, Benin City, Lagos, Maiduguri and Yola) and is among the biggest IOM Missions on the continent and one of the biggest UN Agencies in Nigeria.
The statement quoted IOM Chief of Mission Frantz Celestin to have said on Monday at a luncheon celebrating 20 years of the organisation in Nigeria, that:
“I am proud of my colleagues in Nigeria, who have worked tirelessly and tenaciously, some at the frontlines, in an ever-changing working environment with passion and ingenuity to support the Federal Government of Nigeria respond to the needs of its people.”
Celestin said IOM’s emergency programming portfolio is diverse spanning from emergency response, transition and recovery to migration management and migration data.
He said as of September 2021, more than 1.5 million individuals benefited from IOM WASH, shelter, non-food items, livelihoods, camp coordination and management interventions and various Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) services and activities in the North-east, noting that IOM operates and manages two of the enablers to the humanitarian efforts in the region, the Humanitarian hubs, which provide a safe space for all humanitarian actors in the deep field and the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) which is responsible for determining trends and patterns of mobility, the characteristics and needs of the affected populations.
Also speaking, UN Resident Coordinator, Edward Kallon said: “IOM has been very strategic to the humanitarian response in the North-east. They are the key players and leaders in the establishment of the Humanitarian hubs. They are playing a critical role in providing that space for humanitarian actors to be able to respond in a very complex operational environment.”
The statement recalled that in 2021 more than 4,800 aid workers from 135 organisations utilised all nine humanitarian hubs and their vital services, and as a result of the unprecedented challenges in sustaining and delivering quality health care during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, IOM offered its medical laboratories and staff to support the establishment of the UN Severe Acute Respiratory Isolation and Treatment Facility and to date, over 7,500 individuals from UN agencies and the diplomatic community have used the testing and facilities in Abuja, Lagos and Maiduguri for diagnostic and travel purposes.
IOM Nigeria’s footprint in the country has expanded considerably in the past 20 years with generous support from more than 20 donors and development partners.
Head of Cooperation at the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Cecile Tassin-Pelzer was quoted in the statement to have said: “IOM has the power to continue changing people’s lives, changing attitudes and realities. We are really looking forward to continuing working with IOM.”
Over 22,500 migrants assisted back to Nigeria by IOM since established
National News
Chieftaincy dispute causes chaos in Muye village in Niger

Chieftaincy dispute causes chaos in Muye village in Niger
By: Zagazola Makama
A renewed chieftaincy tussle in Muye village, Lapai Local Government Area of Niger State, has sparked violent confrontations between rival supporters, prompting swift intervention by security operatives.
Zagazola Makama gathered that the crisis began around 6:20 p.m. on Thursday when the deposed village head, Alhaji Mohammed Abdulkadir Maigari II, forcefully returned to Muye and broke into the palace.
The incident provoked tension among residents, especially after supporters of the current Dakachi confronted the deposed monarch. The situation was immediately brought under control by a team of security personnel from Lapai.
However, Zagazola learnt that the situation escalated on Friday morning when supporters of both camps clashed again, leading to a free-for-all fight that disrupted public peace in the community.
Security sources were swiftly deployed to Muye to restore normalcy.
“The combined security teams have brought the situation under control. Monitoring and surveillance operations are ongoing to prevent further breakdown of law and order,” the source said.
No casualties or arrests have been officially confirmed as of the time of filing this report.
Chieftaincy dispute causes chaos in Muye village in Niger
National News
Eid-el-Kabir: IPCR Calls on Nigerians to Peace, Harmony

Eid-el-Kabir: IPCR Calls on Nigerians to Peace, Harmony
By: Michael Mike
Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) has called on Nigerians to promote peace and harmony in their communities, recognizing that peace is essential to national development and progress.
The advice was given by the Director General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, in his message on Eid-el-Kabir.
The Institute, while extending warm greetings to Nigerians, wished them a joyous and peaceful celebration, marked by love, compassion, and unity.
The Institute while noting that Sallah is a significant occasion in the Islamic calendar, symbolizing the values of sacrifice, gratitude, and community, emphasized that the spirit of Sallah should guide Nigerians in their interactions with one another, fostering a culture of peace, tolerance, and understanding.
The IPCR urged Nigerians to promote peace and harmony in their communities, recognizing that peace is essential to national development and progress, while
encouraging individuals to embrace the values of Sallah, including forgiveness, empathy, and kindness, in their daily lives.
According to IPCR, peace is critical to promoting national stability and cohesion.
The Institute also urged Nigerians to use this period of Sallah celebration to address conflicts and promote dialogue, which could help to build trust and understanding among Nigerians and also contribute to a more peaceful society.
It recognized that the country’s many ethnic and religious groups can work together to build a more harmonious society, celebrating their differences and promoting a culture of tolerance.
End
National News
Community Leader Seeks Tinubu’s Urgent Intervention in Incessant Plateau Killing

Community Leader Seeks Tinubu’s Urgent Intervention in Incessant Plateau Killing
By: Michael Mike
A community leader and the Waziri Mushere of Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, Chief Yohana Margif has expressed dismay over the incessant killing of innocent citizens of the community.
Margif made this known in an interview with journalists on Thursday in Abuja.
He called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently intervene to halt what he described as genocide against the people, which he said was being perpetrated by suspected herdsmen.
Margif also called on Malam Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, and other security chiefs in the country, to rein in the alleged culprits.
He said: “I would like to draw the attention of the topmost leadership in Nigeria to the deteriorating dire security situation in Plateau, particularly in Mushere Chiefdom of Bokkos LGA.
“I urge President Tinubu to take immediate decisive action to halt these endless and senseless killings, protect lives and properties, and secure the future of the Mushere people, and other victims of obvious genocide against the people.
“Herdsmen are killing our innocent people, burning their homes, looting their foodstuff, property, livestock, and taking over their ancestral lands,” he said.
According to the Abuja-based real estate mogul, the attacks and attendant killings have intensified recently since the onset of this year’s farming season.
Margif further said that the people had been displaced from their villages and ancestral homes and were forced to become internally displaced persons in the country.
He emphasised that the situation required immediate intervention by all stakeholders in order to prevent further escalation and inflict an irredeemable harm by wiping out the entire community from the surface of the earth.
He lamented that: “Since President Tinubu’s administration began, Plateau State has witnessed an unprecedented escalation of violence and loss of lives.
“This is the current sad reality. Our people are constantly under the threat of the enemy’s bullets and can’t sleep with two eyes closed due to the perpetual unleashing of violence against them by external forces.
“Something urgent must be done to stem the tide of violence and end this war against the people in order not to
harm this administration’s reputation,” Margif said.
In the past couple of days, suspected herdsmen militia killed no fewer than 35 people in the localities of Hokk, Pangkap, Fokoldep, Kopmur, Margif, Horop, Mbor, Mushere and Kwahas localities in Mushere Chiefdom.
Chairman, Bokkos Community Peace Observers, Kefas Mallai, who confirmed the killings to newsmen, said the victims included a 70-year-old Pastor of COCIN LCC Kwakas-Mushere, Mimang Lekyil, who was attacked and killed in the church.
He said that the pastor’s wife was also shot in the leg and was admitted at the Jos University Teaching Hospital for treatment, he said.
“Bokkos has never been this insecure, with the people being butchered as we are currently witnessing,” Lilian Madaki, from the Mushere community told journalists.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Emmanuel Adesina, also confirmed the incident in a statement saying security forces including police and military personnel, had been deployed in the affected communities.
Community Leader Seeks Tinubu’s Urgent Intervention in Incessant Plateau Killing
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