National News
Victims of SGBV have been given Access to Needed Care in Sokoto- Aliyu

Victims of SGBV have been given Access to Needed Care in Sokoto- Aliyu
By: Michael Mike
Sokoto State Governor, Dr Ahmed Aliyu has said survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in the state have been given access to the care they needed to rebuild their lives.
The governor made the declaration at the weekend at the close out ceremony of the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative to end violence against women and girls in the state.
Aliyu while acknowledging the contribution of EU-UN towards the success of the state government’s intervention, said the state government has enhanced service provision for survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).
He said: “We have enhanced service provision for survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) and ensured that women and girls had access to the care they needed to rebuild their lives.”
Represented by his Chief of Staff, Alhaji Aliyu Dikko, the Governor emphasised that: “The state has tirelessly worked to guarantee that women and girls have seamless access to the necessary care, facilitating their journey to rebuild their lives after traumatic experiences.”
He reiterated the state’s commitment to eliminating violence and harmful practices against women and girls, and emphasized the significant progress made by
the Spotlight Initiative, which he described as a comprehensive program designed to ensure that every woman and girl in Sokoto State can live free from violence and harmful practices.
The governor added that: “The government has diligently worked to establish laws and policies that protect women and girls, creating an environment that enforces accountability and justice for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence in Sokoto State.”
Chief Child Protection, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Ibrahim Sesay, who represented the United Nations at the event said: “Over the past five years, in collaboration with the Sokoto State Government, the Spotlight Initiative has made notable strides in addressing the root causes of gender-based violence (GBV) and harmful practices against women and girls.”
He highlighted some key achievements of the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative and included the domestication of child protection and violence against persons’ laws, establishment of a One-stop Centre for survivors of GBV, and the successful graduation of over 9,000 out-of-school women and girls from the Accelerated Second Chance Education Program.
Sesay emphasised the prevalence of harmful social norms such as child marriage and female genital mutilation in Sokoto State, while Nigeria, according to him, continued to grapple with significant numbers, including 26 million child brides and 19.9 million survivors of female genital mutilation.
“This close-out ceremony serves as a call to action for all stakeholders to commit to upholding the rights of women and children in Sokoto State. It also urges the government to allocate resources and prioritize stable financing for child protection and for the promotion of gender equality and women empowerment.
The Commissioner for Women and Children Affairs, Hajiya Hadiza Ahmed Shagari said that the protection of women and girls was very essential in Sokoto state and that was the reason why an organisation like Nana Kadija Centre, was established.
The Commissioner, represented by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Hajiya Aisha Mohammed, noted, “We have successfully and effectively worked with all partner MDAs, NGOs and CSOs who have made themselves accessible and committed to the various activities on Gender-Based Violence and child protection issues in Sokoto state”.
Chief Judge of Sokoto state, Hon. Justice Muhammad Sifawa, represented by Hajiya Mariya Haruna, expressed the appreciation of the Sokoto State Judiciary to the European Union and the United Nations for their support since the project’s inception in 2019.
He said, “The judiciary commits to persisting in its efforts to ensure swift dispensation of justice on cases about Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and related vices. This is to assure the women and girls that there is a safe space for them to reach out to anytime they need the support they require”
The joint EU-UN Spotlight Initiative, aimed at eliminating violence against women and girls and harmful practices in Nigeria, has generated significant impacts since inception in 2019. The initiative was actively implemented in five states: Adamawa, Cross-River, Ebonyi, Lagos, and Sokoto, as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Victims of SGBV have been given Access to Needed Care in Sokoto- Aliyu
National News
VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution

VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution
By: Michael Mike
Vice President Kashim Shettima has expressed deep grief over the passing of prominent Nigerian businessman and philanthropist, Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata, saying the nation has lost an irreplaceable institution.
The late Dantata, an uncle of Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, passed away at the age of 94 in Abu Dhabi in the early hours of Saturday in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to Mustapha Abdullahi Junaid, his Personal Private Secretary (PPS), who confirmed the death.
In a condolence message, Vice President Shettima praised the late businessman for his lifetime of service, describing him as “a living bridge that connected us to our past.
“We have not just lost a leader; we have lost an irreplaceable institution,” Senator Shettima said, describing Dantata as “one of the greatest titans in Nigeria’s philosophical history” whose departure marks the end of a vital chapter in the country’s economic and democratic evolution.
“In African tradition, when such an elderly person transitions, a vital chapter of our history departs with them. He was indeed among the great titans, a living bridge that connected us to our past,” VP Shettima added.
The Vice President extended heartfelt condolences to the Dantata family, expressing hopes that they would “find the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss,” even as he prayed that Almighty Allah would grant the deceased Jannatul Firdaus.
Born into the legendary Dantata family of Kano, Alhaji Aminu built on his father’s commercial legacy to become one of Nigeria’s most influential business figures. His empire spans construction, manufacturing, banking, agriculture, and the oil and gas sectors.
Beyond business, Dantata was renowned for his extensive philanthropic work, funding schools, mosques, health centres, and supporting widows and the underprivileged across Nigeria.
VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution
National News
Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting

Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting
By: Michael Mike
The Senior Officials Meeting between Nigeria and the European Union (EU) will be held on Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd July 2025 in Abuja to prepare for the upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting and to explore areas of cooperation.
A statement on Saturday by the Press Officer, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Modestus Chukwulaka, read: “The Delegation of European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS wishes to inform that the Senior Officials Meeting between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the European Union (EU) will be held on Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd July 2025 in Abuja.
“The agenda of the very important meeting is to prepare for the upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting and to explore areas of cooperation.”
According to the statement, the Senior Officials Meeting will be co-chaired by the Regions, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria, Ambassador Janet Olisa, Director, and the Deputy Managing Director for Africa Department, European External Action Service, European Union, Mr Mathieu Briens.
The statement revealed that the agenda of the meeting is expected to entail wide-ranging discussions that would focus on various aspects of the Nigeria – EU partnership, such as: Cooperation on multilateral and regional issues; Peace, Security and Governance; Humanitarian situation; Trade and Investment; Human Development: Health, Education, Social Protection; Science, technology, innovation and digital transition; Migration; Energy, climate change and green economy transition among others.
Nigeria and the European Union share a deep, long-standing partnership inspired by mutual values and interests as well as support for multilateralism and rule-based international order, the statement said.
Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting
National News
Farida Waziri Tasks Benue Leaders to Unite, Act and Save Their People

Farida Waziri Tasks Benue Leaders to Unite, Act and Save Their People
…. Donates relief materials to displaced persons in Yelwata, IDP camp
By: Michael Mike
Former Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Mrs. Farida Waziri has charged former governors, legislators, traditional rulers and other stakeholders in Benue state to set aside rivalry, unite and act with urgency to save their people from incessant attacks and killings.
Waziri, a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police and Principal Partner, Brookfield Chambers Abuja stated this on Saturday 28th June 2025 while donating relief materials to victims of the recent gunmen attacks in Yelwata community and displaced persons at the internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Makurdi, the Benue state capital.
Some of the items donated under the banner of Women, Youth, Children and Crime Organisation (WYCCO), a non-governmental organization founded by her, include: bags of rice, sugar, tubers of yam and other household items.

She said: “This is no time for division. It is no time for political squabbling or ego-driven manoeuvring. Among us are men and women who have led this state — former governors, legislators, traditional rulers — individuals with influence and authority. The time has come to set aside our differences and stand united, for the sake of the ordinary Benue man, woman, and child.
“That is why I stand here today to make this urgent and heartfelt appeal to our leaders: cast aside rivalry, unite, and act. Act with urgency. Act with purpose. Because what we face now increasingly resembles a deliberate, coordinated effort to erase our people and our heritage.
“We must take heed of the words of Sir Winston Churchill, who once said:
‘Our difficulties and dangers will not be removed by closing our eyes to them.’
Another of Churchill’s warnings is just as relevant to our present predicament:
‘If you will not fight for right when you can easily win without bloodshed… you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival.”
Waziri, while stating that her call was a build up to the earlier proposal by President Bola Tinubu during his recent visit Beforehand Benue, noted that meetings alone would not solve the problem, urging that: “But let us be sincere: peace will not come from meetings alone. To end the cycle of violence, we must confront its roots. Before the Yelwata massacre, communities in Gwer West, Apa, and Guma had already endured weeks of killings, kidnappings, and raids. These horrors did not emerge in a vacuum; they are symptoms of deeper issues.
“We must therefore confront the real causes — ethnic and religious tensions, unchecked banditry, and the rise of cultism as well as the abuse of illicit drugs. These forces must be tackled, along with the herder-farmer conflict, with honesty and courage. We cannot afford to keep going in circles. And there is no room for blame games. Our leaders — and indeed, all of us — must be pragmatic. So today, let us commit, as one people, to healing our wounds, reclaiming our land, and ensuring that never again will a child in Benue grow up in a camp instead of a home”
She said the development in Benue must be of “concern to all sons and daughters of Benue regardless of whether we live within its borders or far away in the diaspora to find out the root cause of these attacks with a view to proferring solutions that will bring an end to these barbaric acts”
Farida Waziri Tasks Benue Leaders to Unite, Act and Save Their People
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