National News
Over 3.5 million Displaced by Crisis in Nigeria-UN

Over 3.5 million Displaced by Crisis in Nigeria-UN
37 Aid Workers Lost, 24 Wounded, 34 Kidnapped in North East Since 2016
By: Michael Mike
Over 3.5 million people are internally displaced in the country as a result of crises, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) data has revealed.
Also the insurgency in the Northeast, mostly affecting Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY) states have led to the lost of 37 aid workers since 2016 with additional 24 wounded and 34 kidnapped, according to the Aid Worker Security Database.
Speaking at the commemoration of the World Humanitarian Day, which was marked in Abuja by a road walk by stakeholders in the Humanitarian sector, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr. Nasir Sani Gwarzo noted that the essence of this year’s theme, #NoMatterWhat, encapsulates the profound essence of humanitarian action, being the core principle that drives humanitarians is their steadfast commitment to extending life-saving assistance, irrespective of an individual’s identity or geographical location.
He said: “Humanitarian workers stand as beacons of hope, traversing perilous paths to ensure aid reaches its intended recipients, regardless of the challenges they encounter. In recognizing that crises recognize no boundaries, humanitarians, too, acknowledge no barriers in their mission to assist those in dire need—No Matter What.”

Gwarzo said: “It is paramount to acknowledge that frontline humanitarian workers are integral to the well-being of our nation. Their selfless endeavours amidst conflict zones and areas afflicted by natural disasters epitomize service to Nigeria. Their altruism not only ameliorates the conditions of those they assist but also contributes to the stability and prosperity of our nation. Regrettably, since 2016, the Aid Workers Security Database has recorded the tragic loss of 37 aid workers, with 24 wounded and 34 kidnapped in the North East of Nigeria. The current year has already witnessed the kidnapping of five aid workers in the North East, alongside similar incidents from various corners of our nation.
He said: “As we gather here today to mark World Humanitarian Day, it is vital to acknowledge that countless individuals are grappling with humanitarian crises across Nigeria. These crises stem from diverse causes, ranging from insurgency and banditry to clashes between farmers and herders, compounded by the impacts of climate change. According to the UNHCR Operating Data, a staggering 3,578,966 internally displaced persons were recorded as of June 2023 in the North East, North West, and North Central regions of Nigeria. Families, venerable and resilient, find themselves navigating dire circumstances, often contending with acute needs such as sustenance, shelter, water, protection, and livelihoods.
“In the face of these challenges, both the Government of Nigeria and the entire humanitarian community have redoubled their efforts to provide meaningful responses. These endeavours are a testament to the resolute commitment of aid workers who persistently deliver assistance under the most challenging circumstances, embodying the essence of this year’s World Humanitarian Day theme.”
On his part, the United Nations (UN) Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, Mr. Matthias Schmale, said this year’s World Humanitarian Day honours all aid workers who step up each day to provide life-saving assistance to millions of people in north-east Nigeria and other parts of the country, noting that “despite daunting challenges, humanitarians work tirelessly to deliver assistance to those in need no matter who, no matter where, no matter what.”
He said: “On a number of occasions I have seen for myself how hard humanitarians in north-east Nigeria are working in extremely difficult circumstances, often risking their lives and safety to support people in need.”
He added that: “Since 2016, 37 aid workers have been killed in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY) states, according to the Aid Worker Security Database. Additionally, 24 have been wounded and 34 kidnapped, commending: “The courage, dedication and perseverance of national and international aid workers on the front line who deliver no matter what is deeply impressive.”
He revealed that the UN and its partners aim to assist six million people in north-east Nigeria through the 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP), while stating that additional funding is urgently needed, even as he lamented that the plan appealed for USD$1.3 billion but is currently only 29 per cent funded.
Schmale lamented that the deteriorating food security and nutrition situation is one of the most alarming aspects of the crisis in the north-east, decrying that an estimated 4.3 million people are food insecure in the BAY states, according to the March 2023 Cadre Harmonisé assessment.
He noted that some two million children under five are likely to face acute malnutrition this year, adding that: “To urgently operationalize time-sensitive and critical activities, the United Nations and partners launched a $396 million Lean Season Multi-Sector Plan as part of the HRP. While partners have made significant progress, including reaching approximately 2.1 million people with food assistance, they are challenged by limited funding, as this prioritised plan is only 51 per cent funded.”
He however noted that despite facing tremendous difficulties, aid workers persist each day, standing shoulder to shoulder with affected communities. He said: “On this day, and every day, I salute the commitment and perseverance of humanitarian workers.”
He promised that: “No matter what, the humanitarian community will continue to work together in support of government and other key actors to save, protect, and improve lives.”
Over 3.5 million Displaced by Crisis in Nigeria-UN
National News
VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution

VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution
By: Michael Mike
Vice President Kashim Shettima has expressed deep grief over the passing of prominent Nigerian businessman and philanthropist, Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata, saying the nation has lost an irreplaceable institution.
The late Dantata, an uncle of Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, passed away at the age of 94 in Abu Dhabi in the early hours of Saturday in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to Mustapha Abdullahi Junaid, his Personal Private Secretary (PPS), who confirmed the death.
In a condolence message, Vice President Shettima praised the late businessman for his lifetime of service, describing him as “a living bridge that connected us to our past.
“We have not just lost a leader; we have lost an irreplaceable institution,” Senator Shettima said, describing Dantata as “one of the greatest titans in Nigeria’s philosophical history” whose departure marks the end of a vital chapter in the country’s economic and democratic evolution.
“In African tradition, when such an elderly person transitions, a vital chapter of our history departs with them. He was indeed among the great titans, a living bridge that connected us to our past,” VP Shettima added.
The Vice President extended heartfelt condolences to the Dantata family, expressing hopes that they would “find the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss,” even as he prayed that Almighty Allah would grant the deceased Jannatul Firdaus.
Born into the legendary Dantata family of Kano, Alhaji Aminu built on his father’s commercial legacy to become one of Nigeria’s most influential business figures. His empire spans construction, manufacturing, banking, agriculture, and the oil and gas sectors.
Beyond business, Dantata was renowned for his extensive philanthropic work, funding schools, mosques, health centres, and supporting widows and the underprivileged across Nigeria.
VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution
National News
Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting

Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting
By: Michael Mike
The Senior Officials Meeting between Nigeria and the European Union (EU) will be held on Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd July 2025 in Abuja to prepare for the upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting and to explore areas of cooperation.
A statement on Saturday by the Press Officer, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Modestus Chukwulaka, read: “The Delegation of European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS wishes to inform that the Senior Officials Meeting between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the European Union (EU) will be held on Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd July 2025 in Abuja.
“The agenda of the very important meeting is to prepare for the upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting and to explore areas of cooperation.”
According to the statement, the Senior Officials Meeting will be co-chaired by the Regions, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria, Ambassador Janet Olisa, Director, and the Deputy Managing Director for Africa Department, European External Action Service, European Union, Mr Mathieu Briens.
The statement revealed that the agenda of the meeting is expected to entail wide-ranging discussions that would focus on various aspects of the Nigeria – EU partnership, such as: Cooperation on multilateral and regional issues; Peace, Security and Governance; Humanitarian situation; Trade and Investment; Human Development: Health, Education, Social Protection; Science, technology, innovation and digital transition; Migration; Energy, climate change and green economy transition among others.
Nigeria and the European Union share a deep, long-standing partnership inspired by mutual values and interests as well as support for multilateralism and rule-based international order, the statement said.
Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting
National News
Farida Waziri Tasks Benue Leaders to Unite, Act and Save Their People

Farida Waziri Tasks Benue Leaders to Unite, Act and Save Their People
…. Donates relief materials to displaced persons in Yelwata, IDP camp
By: Michael Mike
Former Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Mrs. Farida Waziri has charged former governors, legislators, traditional rulers and other stakeholders in Benue state to set aside rivalry, unite and act with urgency to save their people from incessant attacks and killings.
Waziri, a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police and Principal Partner, Brookfield Chambers Abuja stated this on Saturday 28th June 2025 while donating relief materials to victims of the recent gunmen attacks in Yelwata community and displaced persons at the internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Makurdi, the Benue state capital.
Some of the items donated under the banner of Women, Youth, Children and Crime Organisation (WYCCO), a non-governmental organization founded by her, include: bags of rice, sugar, tubers of yam and other household items.

She said: “This is no time for division. It is no time for political squabbling or ego-driven manoeuvring. Among us are men and women who have led this state — former governors, legislators, traditional rulers — individuals with influence and authority. The time has come to set aside our differences and stand united, for the sake of the ordinary Benue man, woman, and child.
“That is why I stand here today to make this urgent and heartfelt appeal to our leaders: cast aside rivalry, unite, and act. Act with urgency. Act with purpose. Because what we face now increasingly resembles a deliberate, coordinated effort to erase our people and our heritage.
“We must take heed of the words of Sir Winston Churchill, who once said:
‘Our difficulties and dangers will not be removed by closing our eyes to them.’
Another of Churchill’s warnings is just as relevant to our present predicament:
‘If you will not fight for right when you can easily win without bloodshed… you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival.”
Waziri, while stating that her call was a build up to the earlier proposal by President Bola Tinubu during his recent visit Beforehand Benue, noted that meetings alone would not solve the problem, urging that: “But let us be sincere: peace will not come from meetings alone. To end the cycle of violence, we must confront its roots. Before the Yelwata massacre, communities in Gwer West, Apa, and Guma had already endured weeks of killings, kidnappings, and raids. These horrors did not emerge in a vacuum; they are symptoms of deeper issues.
“We must therefore confront the real causes — ethnic and religious tensions, unchecked banditry, and the rise of cultism as well as the abuse of illicit drugs. These forces must be tackled, along with the herder-farmer conflict, with honesty and courage. We cannot afford to keep going in circles. And there is no room for blame games. Our leaders — and indeed, all of us — must be pragmatic. So today, let us commit, as one people, to healing our wounds, reclaiming our land, and ensuring that never again will a child in Benue grow up in a camp instead of a home”
She said the development in Benue must be of “concern to all sons and daughters of Benue regardless of whether we live within its borders or far away in the diaspora to find out the root cause of these attacks with a view to proferring solutions that will bring an end to these barbaric acts”
Farida Waziri Tasks Benue Leaders to Unite, Act and Save Their People
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