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UNICEF seeks $250 million to assist children in Horn of Africa
UNICEF seeks $250 million to assist children in Horn of Africa
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Friday said it had revised its emergency appeal from 119million dollars to nearly 250 million dollars.
It said that it revised its appeal in order to help millions of children facing severe drought in the Horn of Africa.
UNICEF warned that the number of children facing severe drought conditions across the region had increased by more than 40 per cent in a space of two months.
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“If we don’t act now, we will see an avalanche of deaths of children in a matter of weeks.
“ Famine is just around the corner,’’ Mohamed M. Fall, the UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, said in a statement issued in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.
The agency said that between February and April, the number of children facing the impact of drought including acute hunger, malnutrition and thirst had increased from 7.25 million to at least 10 million.
According to UNICEF, within the past two months across the Horn of Africa, the number of households without access to reliable clean and safe water has almost doubled from 5.6million to 10.5mmillion.
While the number of people classified as suffering from food insecurity had risen from 9 million to 16 million, the statement stated.
It said that the number of out-of-school children had remained disturbingly high at 15million with an additional 1.1 million children being at risk of dropping out of school, adding that thousands of schools already were lacking access to good water.
UNICEF said that the climate-induced emergency across the Horn of Africa had remained the worst drought the region had experienced in 40 years.
“Three consecutive dry seasons have driven hundreds of thousands of people from their homes, killed vast swathes of livestock and crops, fuelled malnutrition and increased the risk of disease,’’ it said.
UNICEF said more than 81,000 children in Somalia would be at risk of famine by the end of June if the fourth consecutive rainy season should fail, and food prices would continue to rise sharply if humanitarian assistance is not stepped up.
It added that more than a 1.7million children across Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia required urgent treatment for severe acute malnutrition and warned that if rains should fail in the coming weeks, this figure would rise to 2million.
“We need to act now to save children’s lives and also to protect childhoods.
“ Children are losing their homes, their education and their rights to grow up safe from harm. They deserve the world’s attention now,’’ Fall said.
(Xinhua/NAN)
Police successfully rescue kidnapped ward head in Benue
By: Zagazola Makama
The Benue State Police Command has successfully rescued Dickson Idu, the Ward Head of Ehatokpe Ohimini, who was abducted on April 30, 2025.
Police sources told Zagazola Makama that the victim was kidnapped from his residence in Ohimini Local Government Area (LGA).
Upon receiving the information, the Commissioner of Police, Benue State, directed the Acting Area Commander Otukpo, the Officer-in-Charge of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, and a team of officers to immediately proceed to the area and ensure the safe rescue of the victim.
At approximately 8:45 a.m., a combined team of armed conventional policemen, the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, and personnel from the Benue State Civil Protection Guard, supported by Ohimini youths, launched an operation in the Ojanu/Ijami Village forest. The team conducted an intense combing operation, utilizing smoke canisters to pressure the kidnappers.
The strategy paid off, and at about 3:25 p.m., the kidnappers, feeling the heat of the search, released their captive. Dickson Idu was successfully rescued and has been debriefed and reunited with his family.
The sources said while no arrests have been made so far, the police have assured that investigations are underway, with efforts to apprehend the suspects continuing.
Police successfully rescue kidnapped ward head in Benue
Notorious bandit killed during gunfight with police in Zaki-Biam in Benue
By: Zagazola Makama
A notorious bandit, Aungwa Sesugh, alias Tino Brown, was killed in a gunfight with the Benue State security forces during a raid in the Zaki-Biam area early today.
Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that at about 1:30 a.m. on May 1, 2025, the Tactical Team, acting on a tip-off, arrested Aungwa Sesugh, a notorious member of the Akumave gang, in possession of a locally fabricated Beretta pistol with three live ammunition and assorted charms.
Upon interrogation, Sesugh confessed to being involved in several criminal activities, including the kidnapping of Ukum Nulge’s Chairman. He led the police team to Tse-Shor Village, where he claimed the gang’s arms were stored.
However, upon arrival, members of his gang opened fire on the security team. During the ensuing exchange of gunfire, Sesugh was struck by a bullet, sustaining injuries. Despite being rushed to the hospital for treatment, he succumbed to his wounds.
Other members of the gang, believed to have been wounded in the gunfight, managed to escape into the surrounding bushes. Additional security forces have been deployed to the area in pursuit of the fleeing bandits.
Notorious bandit killed during gunfight with police in Zaki-Biam in Benue
Explosion at Giwa barracks armoury caused by heatwave — Military sources
By: Zagazola Makama
Sources from the Nigerian military High Command in Maiduguri have debunked rumours circulating on social media about an alleged attack on the Giwa military barracks in Maiduguri, Borno, clarifying that the incident at the base’s armoury was caused by extreme heat.
The sources said the incident occurred due to a heat-induced reaction within a section of the armoury, leading to a wild explosion and fire.
The Command confirmed that they are working to bring the situation under control.
“What occurred was an isolated incident triggered by excessive heat, which caused an explosion within the armoury.
The military sources urged Members of the public to disregard panic-inducing reports and refrain from spreading misinformation that could create unnecessary fear among residents.
It assured the public that all military facilities in Maiduguri remain secure and that routine operations continue without disruption.
“There is no cause for alarm. Our troops are fully alert and in control of the situation,”said the sources.
Explosion at Giwa barracks armoury caused by heatwave — Military sources
Police successfully rescue kidnapped ward head in Benue
Notorious bandit killed during gunfight with police in Zaki-Biam in Benue
Explosion at Giwa barracks armoury caused by heatwave — Military sources
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