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Senator Lawan tasks defense chiefs with sustaining democracy in West Africa.
Senator Lawan tasks defense chiefs with sustaining democracy in West Africa.
By: Yahaya Wakili
The President of the 9th Senate, Senator Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan, Ph.D., GCON. Yobe North Senatorial District, has tasked the defense chiefs of the 12 countries that are currently members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), to ensure the sustenance of democracy within the subregion.
Senator Lawan disclosed this in a press statement signed by Dr. Ezrel Tabiowo, FAI, FIMC, FCP, and Fsca Media Adviser to Senator Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan, Ph.D., GCON. Chairman, Senate Committee on Defense, which was made available to newsmen in Damaturu.
The Economic Community of West African States was previously constituted by 15 countries, which included Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
However, in 2024, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali announced their withdrawal from the bloc, following their suspension from ECOWAS due to the military takeovers of their respective governments. Consequentially, the development reduced the number of ECOWAS member states to 12.
Speaking at the 42nd Ordinary Meeting of the ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defense Staffs, which was held in Abuja on Wednesday at the Defense Headquarters, Senator Lawan commended the Defense Chiefs in attendance for ensuring the safety of member states.
He underscored the need for the respective parliaments to support ECOWAS through the approval and provision of resources needed to guarantee the security of countries in the West African subregion.
Senator Lawan, who currently chairs the Senate Committee on Defense, further tasked the Defense Chiefs with working to ensure that democracy is returned to countries taken over by military regimes.
He said, “Let me state that we need to ensure that democracy continues to flourish in our subregion. We are challenged at this time by some of our countries that have gone out of democratic administrations; we must never get tired of doing whatever we need to do to ensure that democracy is returned to those countries.”
Senator Lawan, while thanking ECOWAS for re-electing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Chairman of the bloc at the 65th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government, said that the National Assembly will continue to prioritize issues of security as well as give its full support to all institutions of ECOWAS within its borders to reciprocate the support extended to Nigeria by member states.
“We, the Nigerian parliament, as always, represent our people in the ECOWAS parliament and always place security on the front burner. We will always support the ECOWAS parliament on our part because we believe that our safety and security also depend on the resources available and approved by us for institutions like this.
“Finally, I want to take this opportunity to thank ECOWAS as a body for giving a second mandate to our dear President, Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for an additional year. We believe that it is because of the trust that ECOWAS countries have in the president that he has been given this.
“And, for us as a parliament in Nigeria, we will continue to support Mr. President and, indeed, all institutions of ECOWAS within our borders, to ensure this one year is done successfully,” Senator Lawan said.
Senator Lawan tasks defense chiefs with sustaining democracy in West Africa.
Warabe killings, Zulum awards scholarship to children
By: Bodunrin Kayode
Governor Babagana Zulum has declared
scholarship for children of 13 civilian joint task force (CJTF) residents slaughtered at Warabe village Gwoza council area of Borno state.
The Governor who was at the community Wednesday for a sympathy visit also declared a million naira for each of the widows of the CJTF that were slaughtered when insurgents ambushed them recently.
Trouble actually started recently when two of the residents from the community went off to scavenge for firewood in the thick belly of the savannah within their general area.
The insurgents quickly attacked and killed two of the CJTF members in the process for daring to forage into the forest.
Some of the residents who escaped the ambush returned to base and informed the community about the loss of two of their members.
” the community then mobilized a fresh team of rescuers to get to the location of the tragedy to retrieve the corpses of their fallen members.
” By the time they got to the location to retrieve the corps of their fallen friends, 11 of them were killed in a fresh ambush making 13.
“The whole community was thrown into mourning in the process. And that is why we are asking the Governor to assist us in tightening the security architecture of this axis.” Said our source.
Warabe killings, Zulum awards scholarship to children
Chinese expatriate kidnapped after murder of 8 NSCDC personnel in Edo, regains freedom in Kogi
By: Zagazola Makama
A Chinese expatriate earlier kidnapped in an attack that claimed the lives of eight personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Edo has regained his freedom.
The expatriate, identified as Mr. Wang, was abducted on Sept. 5 during an assault targeting a team of NSCDC operatives assigned to protect Chinese workers at the BUA Cement Plant, Okpella.
Zagazola Makama gathered that Mr. Wang was released at about 11:30 p.m. on Dec. 2 in Kabba, Kogi State.
Sources said that the expatriate left Nigeria immediately after regaining his freedom and has since returned to China.
Details on whether ransom was paid or how negotiations were conducted were not disclosed.
Chinese expatriate kidnapped after murder of 8 NSCDC personnel in Edo, regains freedom in Kogi
Army troops rescue 10 kidnapped women, recover rifle and ransom money in Sanga, Kaduna
By: Zagazola Makama
The Nigerian Army troops of 1 Division Operation FANSAN YANMA have rescued 10 kidnapped women during a coordinated search-and-rescue operation in Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The women were abducted from their farms at Ungwan Nungu on Nov. 29.
Sources told Zagazola Makama that the successful operation was carried out after days of sustained days search operations to track the kidnappers.
The sources stated that at about 6:40 a.m. on Friday, the troops made contact with the abductors who were attempting to receive ransom money from relatives of the victims.
“The troops engaged the kidnappers with superior firepower, forcing them to abandon the victims and flee,” the sources added.
According to the sources, the troops rescued all 10 victims and recovered one fabricated AK-47 rifle, one round of 9mm ammunition and ₦1.6 million, said to be part of the ransom the criminals were attempting to collect.
The rescued victims have been debriefed and reunited with their families, while efforts are ongoing to track and arrest the fleeing suspects.
Army troops rescue 10 kidnapped women, recover rifle and ransom money in Sanga, Kaduna
UK, Nigeria Launch Flagship Economic Reform Programmes to Strengthen Stability and Drive Economic Growth
NIS-Flags-Off 2025 Service Delivery Reforms
Southern Borno: Zulum Spends Night in Uba, Condoles Communities in Warebe and Uba
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