Troops arrest suspected spy, recover weapons in Cross River

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of Operation UDO KA have arrested a suspected spy attempting to infiltrate a military defensive position in Obubra Local Government Area of Cross River.

Security sources said the suspect was apprehended at about 9:55 a.m. on Wednesday at Isabang settlement while allegedly conducting reconnaissance on troops’ locations.

According to the sources, troops of the 245 Battalion intercepted the suspect during a routine security sweep, leading to his arrest.

Items recovered from the suspect include a short locally made pistol, a cutlass, a torchlight and two mobile phones.

“During preliminary investigation, the suspect admitted to being a spy allegedly sent by a criminal group to carry out reconnaissance within the community,” the source said.

He added that the suspect also provided useful intelligence, including the identity of one Christopher Emmanuel, popularly known as “Black Stone,” as a member of the group responsible for a recent attack on troops in the area.

The sources noted that troops have since intensified aggressive patrols across the Odonget general area and its environs to deter further hostile activities.

They reaffirmed the commitment of security forces to sustaining pressure on criminal elements and ensuring the safety of residents.

Troops arrest suspected spy, recover weapons in Cross River

Chad closes border with Sudan, orders military alert after drone attack

By: Zagazola Makama

The Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno has ordered the immediate closure of Chad’s border with Sudan and placed the military on maximum alert following a reported drone attack on Chadian territory.

The directive was issued after an emergency defence and security council meeting convened late on March 18 at the presidential palace in Ndjamena.

According to sources, the decision followed what authorities described as a fresh incursion involving Sudanese drones into Chadian territory, heightening tensions along the shared border.

The meeting was attended by the Prime Minister, Allamaye Halina, senior government officials, top military commanders and heads of security agencies.

During the session, Deby Itno reviewed Chad’s diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict in Sudan, noting that multiple mediation attempts had failed to bring peace between the warring parties.

He expressed concern over the humanitarian burden the conflict has imposed on Chad, as well as the spillover of intercommunal tensions across the border due to shared ethnic and social ties.

In response to the latest attack, the president ordered the complete closure of the approximately 1,300-kilometre border between Chad and Sudan.

He also directed the deployment of a government delegation to the affected areas to assess both human and material losses resulting from the incident.

Furthermore, the Chadian leader instructed the armed forces to maintain a state of maximum operational readiness and to respond decisively to any further aggression originating from Sudan.

The directive applies to any hostile actions linked to forces loyal to Abdel Fattah al-Burhan or the Rapid Support Forces led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

Officials said the meeting ended with immediate instructions to military commanders to implement the president’s orders without delay.

The development marks a significant escalation in regional tensions, as the conflict in Sudan continues to have cross-border security implications for neighbouring countries, including Chad.

Chad closes border with Sudan, orders military alert after drone attack

UMTH: Biomedical Engineering, Keeping Up With Patient’s Medical/Healthcare Needs

By: Balami Lazarus

Most people limit engineering to civil, electrical, mechanical, aeronautics, building, hydroengineering, and a few others. However, engineering is wide and vast, not limited to the few fields mentioned. Are you aware that the human body system is a work of bioengineering?

NEWSng was recently at University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) and was informed of the roles of biomedical engineering in maintenance and services for keeping the hospital’s biomedical machines running, such as MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and CT scan (Computed Tomography) scanner machines are all used for diagnosis.

Biomedical engineering is a rare field of engineering that deals and works with delicate, sensitive hospital machines for better medical and healthcare services that are carried out through some of these machines.

Therefore, biomedical engineering combines engineering arts and principles with medical and biological sciences through biomechanics/devices to enhance better medical care services in the hospital.

Speaking with Engr. Silas Habu Gamdu, the head of biomedical engineering of UMTH, said that hospitals like UMTH cannot stand without biomedical engineers in discharging their medical services for those in need in order to diagnose and understand their ailments. “Most of the delicate and sensitive machines of this hospital, like MRI and CT scans, are basically used for diagnosis as a human lifeline to improve medical/healthcare.”

Engr. Habu Gamdu further informed NEWSng that UMTH is an institutional hospital where teaching and medical research are part of her primary responsibilities. The need for biomedical machines is necessary. The status of UMTH under the leadership of Prof. Ahmed Ahidjo, where we have specialized medical centers…These

Biomedical machines like Fresenius, Baxter, NIPRO, and PET, among others, are like jugular veins that indicate and determine patients’ clinical diagnoses—ailments/treatments.

Engr. Habu emphasized this by saying, “There are many other machines in the hospital that the biomedical engineers maintained to enable the hospital to perform at its maximum capacity in diagnosis.”

NEWSng findings revealed that biomedical engineers not only work with hospitals and clinics but are also found in medical companies and research institutions, including pharmaceutical industries.

Engr. Gamdu said that his department is faced with inadequate biomedical engineers considering the extent and large numbers of biomedical machines/tools available in the hospital.

UMTH: Biomedical Engineering, Keeping Up With Patient’s Medical/Healthcare Needs