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UN Resident Coordinator Leads March Against Violence Against Women in Abuja
UN Resident Coordinator Leads March Against Violence Against Women in Abuja
By: Michael Mike
The United Nations Resident Coordinator, Mohammed Fall on Saturday led some prominent women activists in a march on major streets of Nigerian capital city of Abuja to demand for the end of violence against women.
The march was part of activities marking the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence (GBV) celebrated worldwide.
During the march which was organized in Abuja by the UN Women in conjunction with Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF), Medicaid Cancer Foundation, the UN Resident Coordinator alongside the women carried placards demanding for an end to violence against women and spoke against what they termed crime not only against women but humanity.
Addressing the media after the long walk, Mr. Fall said there was urgent need for an end in violence against women, girls and boys, insisting that everyone needs to be involved in the campaign as it affects the entire human race.
He lamented that the statistics of violence against women is still very much alarming and showed that it needed to be approached with all round strategies that would make people to know its harm and get offenders no hiding place.
Fall said there is still much told be done by government, law enforcement agencies and leaders in all sectors to build awareness against violence against women and to expose it for what it is: crime against humanity.
Speaking on the need to put an end to the crime, the former First Lady of Kebbi State and Founder of Medicaid Cancer Foundation, Dr Zainab Bagudu said with the law against violence against women in place, there is still need to fight on until the society shows it does not tolerate violence against women.
She said after the law, “then the next step becomes the implementation and general awareness, the mindset of the average, person from our environment, is that they don’t even understand what constitutes abuse. So we need to educate them, to make them aware, and most importantly, to combine the facilities that they need if abuse should take place, we focus on women and young adolescent girls, but boys are also victims of abuse, and they can turn out to be perpetrators once they have been abused.”
She said “there is continuous need
to organize educational classes in schools and different places, so that we can educate our boys and they can prompt be supportive.”
She noted that there is need for much more efforts at ending the violence against women, insisting that: “Well, it’s (campaign) never enough. We’re a very large country. The population is high, so we know the challenges that we have and different conflicting priorities. So it’s important that we don’t get tired, and one of the advocacies that we do, to call on government to provide more resources, and donor partners, to help us. The task can be quite big, and the police can sometimes not be as responsive as we would like them to be, due to other reasons, but we hope that they will be more acute to the trauma that this causes to women, children and some men when it happens, and that’s why we keep on advocating so it’s not enough. We need to have more. We need to have more action. We need to have more understanding. There are also programmes that focus on educating our security forces so that they really understand how they should be reacting. Every police station should have a desk against gender based violence and women should have the confidence, or abused victims should have the confidence to approach these desks, make their point without fear of stigmatization.”
On her part, the Mandate Secretary of the Federal Capital Territory, Dr. Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, said the campaign was on in all parts of the Federal Capital Territory to drive the message to the grassroots.
She noted that: “We need to keep aggregating and scaling like what is happening today. We need to have more of this advocacy. We need to have more of the intentionality of collaborations between governments and private, public individuals, people who are able to invest and engage not just the interest, but in terms of the action and bringing interventions from messaging to the place of invested empowerment, of the mindsets of cultural traditional practices.”
Project Manager of WARIF, Adeola Potts-Johnson, on her part, said the campaign has been a success so far for it has grown from just being held in a city to many important cities of Nigeria and prominent cities across the globe.
She said WARIF would continue to push the bar until violence against women becomes history.
UN Resident Coordinator Leads March Against Violence Against Women in Abuja
1,000 Northern Youths to Receive Training in ICT
By: Michael Mike
A thousand youth from across northern states of the country are to be trained on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as part of efforts at empowering youth from the region.
The training is part of efforts of United States (US) based organisation, Zumunta Association USA Inc. which planned to host its 2025 Annual Convention between July 14-25 in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
The association which was formed in New York, US in 1991 has since its inception given scholarships to over 5,000 science students in Northern Nigeria in the value of above N100 million.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Monday, the President of the Association, Mr. Sunday Bitrus, said apart from the ICT Training, a medical outreach would be organised between June 14-23 at the Gudi General Hospital, Akwanga, Nasarawa State to provide top medical care for members of the public.
Bitrus, while disclosing that the association is non-partisan and non-religious organisation dedicated to representing the rich cultural heritage and traditions of Nigeria, while also promoting a positive image of the country globally through the impactful actions of its members, said Zumunta Association remains committed to serving the needs of members, partnering with host communities and promoting unbiased, inclusive discourse on national development.
He noted that: “Our flagship Scholarship Programme has transformed the lives of
over 5,000 science students in Northern Nigeria, with over N100 million disbursed since inception. We receive more than
810,000 applications annually, a testament to the scale of need—and a call to action for donors and partners.
“We’ve spearheaded numerous palliative projects through partnerships with over 30 NGOs. Our work includes: School renovations; Health interventions; Community development initiatives across all 19 northern states and the FCT.
“In 2024, we joined hands with the government to enroll vulnerable populations into Essential Health Care Package
programmes, combating illnesses such as malaria, typhoid, and reducing under-5 mortality rates.”
He noted that during the Convention apart from the ICT Training and Medical Outreach, other activities lined up include Zumunta Golf Classic Tournament; Tennis Tournament, Business Meeting on Strategic Sectors such as Agriculture, Mining and Minerals, Health, and Housing; Gala, Awards and Fundraiser; Engagement with Traditional Rukers and Stakeholders.
Earlier, the Chairman/CEO, (NIDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, commended the efforts of the organisation towards development of the country.
Dabiri-Erewa, who was represented by the Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Sule Yakubu Bassi said the scholarships to 5,000 students was highly commendable and that NIDCOM would want to collaborate with the association in more areas.
End
Gunmen ambush patrol team in Imo, one officer killed, Police ASP missing
By: Zagazola Makama
A police patrol team was ambushed on Sunday morning by suspected members of the proscribed Eastern Security Network (ESN) along the Okigwe–Umuahia Expressway in Imo State, resulting in the death of one officer and the disappearance of another.
Zagazola Makama learnt that the attack occurred at about 8:20 a.m. near Umuaka in Okigwe while the team was on routine patrol duties.
According to security sources, the patrol team was ambushed by heavily armed assailants who opened fire without provocation.
Police Constable Oluebube Onwubuariri, one of the patrol officers, sustained gunshot wounds to the ribs and was rushed to the General Hospital, Okigwe, where he was confirmed dead.
The team leader, Assistant Superintendent of Police Casmir Eronobi, has been declared missing. He was last seen with his AK-47 rifle bearing breech number 12592 and 13 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.
A massive manhunt is underway to locate the missing officer and recover the service weapon.
Security reinforcements comprising tactical teams from Owerri, the military, local vigilantes, and hunters have been deployed to comb the surrounding forests and restore order.
Gunmen ambush patrol team in Imo, one officer killed, Police ASP missing
Turji Surrenders Not Out of Repentance, but Survival Instinct — Sources**
By: Zagazola Makama
A recently released video showing notorious bandit kingpin Bello Turji expressing interest in surrendering and accepting peace has left many Nigerians speculating whether the once-feared warlord has finally developed a conscience.
However, contrary to popular assumptions, Turji’s decision appears less about remorse and more about reality. The video, which went viral over the weekend, is not the result of a moral awakening but rather a product of desperation.
“Turji is not laying down arms because he suddenly loves peace. He is doing so because his operational capabilities have been severely weakened.”
Three days before the video surfaced, Zagazola reported that Turji was actively seeking surrender following the killing of his operational commander, Danbokolo, who was the true engine behind Turji’s terror enterprise.
Danbokolo was reportedly neutralized during a joint operation coordinated by the State Services and the Hybrid Forces, a local security team made up of Civilian JTF.
“Let’s be honest, Turji was more of a spokesman. Danbokolo handled the heavy lifting — the ambushes, raids, and executions,” the source said. “Once Danbokolo was gone, so was Turji’s swagger.”
The once-fire-spitting Turji now finds himself walking a tightrope, stripped of influence and hunted by the very people he once terrorized.
While the circumstances surrounding his potential disarmament are still being delicately managed, insiders confirm that the collapse of his network has been swift and decisive.
It is believed this recent development points to the impact of sustained, intelligence-driven offensives against high-value targets in the region.
Now, the question remains: will the government accept Turji’s amnesty after the atrocities he committed against peaceful communities in the Northwest? That remains uncertain.
Will his surrender end banditry in the Northwest? CERTAINLY NOT.
Turji Surrenders Not Out of Repentance, but Survival Instinct — Sources**
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