News
UMTH: Orchard, for the Benefits of Patients’ Healing
UMTH: Orchard, for the Benefits of Patients’ Healing
By: Balami Lazarus
Hospitals are considered universally to be the most serene environment where patients are expected to have the best healthcare services and attention and also to be provided with quality medical treatment and care through their doctors and caregivers, aided by other health workers, to enable the sick ones to recuperate, feel better, and get well. How can our hospitals achieve this?
However, this can be achieved not only by discharging their primary objectives through the provision of medical treatments but also in some other related friendly environmental health windows.
When the NEWSng team took a post-flood visit to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) recently to assess some projects like the one and only Interventional Radiology Centre (IRC) in Nigeria and the Stroke Centre (SC), among other few ongoing projects that are not peculiar to most hospitals in Nigeria.
Farms are of different types, but the one in question herein is an orchard, a special kind of farm. Orchards have never been part of the hospital environment, while gardens and parks are a common sight in our hospitals. Therefore, UMTH, under the able good leadership of Prof. Ahmed Ahidjo, decided to make yet another landmark by establishing a large orchard within the hospital premises in Maiduguri.
Why an orchard in UMTH? Speaking to the CMD, Prof. Ahmed Ahidjo on the Orchard project, he happily said, “The Orchard is meant to provide a conducive environmental atmosphere/space for patients, their relatives, visitors, staff, and students to have contact with and the feel of the natural environment provided by the Orchard.” He further emphasized by saying that “patients will have a natural environment for them to relax, which will help in their healing processes.” He informed NEWSng that it is also meant to provide sources of fresh fruits for the patients and members of the hospital community at affordable prices. “The Orchard is not only established to provide leisure/relaxation, but its products—fruits—are going to be sold to assist in maintaining the facilities of the orchard.”
In the course of our reports, NEWSng spoke to Mr. Abubakar Sadiq Dawule, officer in charge of the orchard, who took us round. The Orchard is 1.75 hectares of land totaling 26 plots that are 25 meters in size. Abubakar Dawule said that each plot is planted with a single variety of economic tree that bears quality fruits. All the plots are planted with single different varieties of economic trees like cashew, custard apple tree , mango , orange, banana, guava, mango apple, pawpaw, date trees, tangerine, berries of different kinds, watermelon, and other varieties of economic trees/plants.”
Sadiq further informed NEWSng that the aims of the orchard are “to create a green area of plantation that will provide economic trees for the production of fruits.” He also said that is to help reduce global warming and provide protection for the hospital’s environmental beauty. “To have natural environment space for nutritional benefits of patients to improve their healing.
UMTH Orchard has standard functional facilities like a water fountain, a set of concrete backrest seats in each plot, and an office block consisting of shops, stores, and restrooms. The orchard is beautifully designed with paved walkways to each plot and free flow of water to all the plots. It is fenced with one main entrance. These efforts are carried out by an 18-man workforce, including security operatives, to secure the orchard.
Interestingly, the UMTH Orchard was sponsored by a well-meaning Nigerian Hon. Abdulmalik Zubairu Bungudu (Zanna Bungudu), a member of the National Assembly—House of Representatives representing the Bungudu/Maru Federal constituency of Zamfara State, with the sum of 20 million Naira.
Challenges faced by the Orchard, according to Abubakar Sadiq Dawule, are the need for additional borehole walkways and lights and more fertilizer/manure.
Garden scissors, an axe, a cutlass, and watering cans, among other handy tools, “are necessary for the maintenance of the orchard.”
UMTH: Orchard, for the Benefits of Patients’ Healing
Finally, DSS Arraigns Sowore on alleged Cybercrime Offences
By: Our Reporter
Judge bars him from inciting public, undermining national security
The Department of State Services (DSS) on Tuesday arraigned a politician and online publisher, Omoyele Sowore, before a Federal High Court in Abuja, for alleged cybercrimes, with the court barring him from further making statements that are detrimental to the peace and security of the country.
Justice Mohammed Umar, in a ruling, threatened to revoke the bail granted Sowore’ should he ever make such statements. The arraignment came after two previous attempts, with the politician’s lawyer introducing what the DSS lawyer, Akinolu Kehinde SAN, called legal obstacles.
On Tuesday, however, Justice Umar held that since there was evidence that Sowore was a presidential candidate in the country before and having also earlier been granted bail by the court, with his international passport still being held by the court, he was entitled to be granted bail on self-recognition.
The ruling was on a bail application argued by his lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, shortly after Sowore was arraigned on a five-count charge, in which he is accused of defaming President Bola Tinubu by referring to him as a criminal in his posts on X and Facebook.
When the charge, being prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS), was read to him, Sowore pleaded not guilty.
In the charge, Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2019 and 2023 elections, is accused of contravening the provisions of the the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024 and the Criminal Code Act by calling President Bola Tinubu a criminal
The two other defendants listed in the charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025 are X Incorp (formerly Twitter) and Meta (Facebook) Incorp.
Details shortly.
Finally, DSS Arraigns Sowore on alleged Cybercrime Offences
News
One killed, dozens abducted as bandits launch multiple attacks in Zurmi, Bungudu LGAs in Zamfara
One killed, dozens abducted as bandits launch multiple attacks in Zurmi, Bungudu LGAs in Zamfara
By: Zagazola Makama
Armed bandits have carried out a series of coordinated attacks across parts of Zamfara State, killing one person and abducting several others in Zurmi and Bungudu Local Government Areas, security sources have confirmed.
In the first incident, bandits invaded Tungar Tsamiya village in Moriki District of Zurmi LGA at about 10:40 p.m. on Nov. 30, shooting dead one resident and abducting 10 others.
Security forces launched a search-and-rescue operation to locate the victims.
Barely hours later, on Monday morning, another group of bandits attacked Doguwar Gona forest in the same Moriki District.
The assailants abducted 17 men and women who were in the area fetching firewood. Security personnel are tracking the movement of the attackers with the aim of rescuing the captives.
In a separate incident in Bungudu LGA, gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles stormed Makwa village in Kurar Mota District at about 12:15 p.m. on Dec. 1 and abducted an unconfirmed number of residents.
Troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA and police operatives, supported by local vigilante groups, have intensified efforts to rescue all abducted victims and restore calm across the affected communities.
Search operations are ongoing.
One killed, dozens abducted as bandits launch multiple attacks in Zurmi, Bungudu LGAs in Zamfara
NSA Ribadu visits Kontagora Bishop, pledges swift rescue of abducted Niger schoolchildren
By: Zagazola Makama
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, on Monday paid a sympathy visit to the Bishop of Kontagora, Bishop Bulus Yohanna, following the recent abduction of students of St. Mary Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State.
The NSA, who arrived Kontagora by helicopter at about noon, was accompanied by the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr Tony Ajayi; the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs; and senior officials from the Office of the NSA.
Ribadu and his entourage proceeded to the office of the Bishop at St. Michael Church, where they met with representatives of families of the abducted students, the school principal, and the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for the 19 Northern States, Bishop Joseph Hayap.
During the meeting, the NSA assured the community that the Federal Government was intensifying efforts to secure the safe release of the abducted pupils and staff.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ending attacks on schools and ensuring the safety of students across the country.
NSA Ribadu visits Kontagora Bishop, pledges swift rescue of abducted Niger schoolchildren
Finally, DSS Arraigns Sowore on alleged Cybercrime Offences
One killed, dozens abducted as bandits launch multiple attacks in Zurmi, Bungudu LGAs in Zamfara
NSA Ribadu visits Kontagora Bishop, pledges swift rescue of abducted Niger schoolchildren
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