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VP SHETTIMA INAUGURATES NEW NAHCON BOARD, TASKS MEMBERS ON INNOVATIONS IN HAJJ OPERATIONS

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VP SHETTIMA INAUGURATES NEW NAHCON BOARD, TASKS MEMBERS ON INNOVATIONS IN HAJJ OPERATIONS

By: Our Reporter

The Vice President, Sen. Kashim Shettima has inaugurated the newly constituted board of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) with a call on the new management to introduce innovations in hajj operations in Nigeria.

Speaking during the inauguration of the new board at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday, the Vice President urged members to synergize and bring fresh perspectives to the operations of the commission.

According to Sen. Shettima, serving on the NAHCON board is very important given that “Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam”.

“For you, beyond your appointment, it is a win-win situation because if you serve the pilgrims well, almighty Allah will compensate you in the year after. So, it is more of a religious duty than an administrative function,” the VP emphasized.

Speaking further about the composition of the new board and the task ahead of them, Sen. Shettima said, “The president deliberately picked people with diverse backgrounds and untainted by the past so that they can bring fresh perspectives and innovations to Hajj operations in Nigeria and also interrogate the management structure of the organisation and bring out the best from the staff.”

“As usual, you will encounter a lot of challenges but I will urge you to fuse into a single force and achieve our desired result. I will urge you to wear your thinking caps and come up with robust solutions that will satisfy Nigerian pilgrims.

“It is a very tough assignment; this is the nature of pilgrimage. But I want you to have it at the back of your minds that you are rendering service to God and humanity,” he added.

The Vice President particularly urged the new management to improve on the Hajj Savings Scheme to boost the number of pilgrims participating in the exercise across the country.

His words: “There are States that have become success stories in the Hajj Savings Scheme, and there is a need for greater advocacy so that this scheme can be replicated across the country.”

He further challenged the board to “engage our agents and operations partners to foster a longer-term relationship so that they can make significant capital investment in operations in the holy land.”

Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the new board, Malam Jalal Arabi, thanked the President and Vice President for finding them worthy of service to the nation through the NAHCON board.

He said given the importance of the task ahead of them, the new board would work as a team to improve Hajj operations in Nigeria, assuring that pilgrims will get value for their money.

The NAHCON CEO said his team has already commenced work with a visit to Saudi Arabia to inspect facilities ahead of the forthcoming operations.

The newly constituted board comprises Aliu Abdulrazaq (Commissioner, Policy, Personnel, & Finance), Prince Anofi Elegushi (Commissioner, Operations), and Professor Abubakar A. Yagawal (Commissioner, Planning & Research).

The zonal and stakeholder representatives include Dr. Muhammad Umaru Ndagi — North Central; Abba Jato Kala — North East; Sheikh Muhammad Bin Othman — North West; Tajudeen Oladejo Abefe — South West; Aishat Obi Ahmed — South East; Zainab Musa — South South; Professor Musa Inuwa Fodio — Jama’atul Nasril Islam, and Professor Adedimizi Mahfouz Adebola — Supreme Council on Islamic Affairs.

Also, present at the event were the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate; Ministers of Aviation, Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN, and Interior, Mr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.

VP SHETTIMA INAUGURATES NEW NAHCON BOARD, TASKS MEMBERS ON INNOVATIONS IN HAJJ OPERATIONS

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Bandits ambush C-Watch operatives in Katsina, kill 8, burn patrol vehicles

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Bandits ambush C-Watch operatives in Katsina, kill 8, burn patrol vehicles

By: Zagazola Makama 

Suspected bandits have ambushed operatives of the C-Watch security outfit in Dandume Local Government Area of Katsina State, killing eight persons and setting two patrol vehicles ablaze.

The incident happened late Friday night when gunmen invaded a village near Dandume around midnight.

Residents said C-Watch operatives responded to a distress call and rescued eight villagers who had earlier sustained gunshot injuries during the attack.

However, on their way back, the operatives reportedly ran into an ambush by the bandits, who opened fire on them, killing the rescued victims and burning two patrol vehicles belonging to the security outfit.

Bandits ambush C-Watch operatives in Katsina, kill 8, burn patrol vehicles

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Troops barbecued scores of bandits in Kankara, Katsina

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Troops barbecued scores of bandits in Kankara, Katsina

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of the Nigerian Army have eliminated scores bandits in ongoing clearance operations in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State.

Zagazola learnt that the operations, which began on Friday, targeted multiple bandit hideouts in the area.

The sources said the troops, supported by other security components, engaged the criminals in sustained firepower, leading to the neutralisation of an undisclosed number of them.

“The operations are still ongoing, with troops pursuing fleeing bandits into the forest corridors,” one of the sources said.

Military authorities are yet to issue an official statement as at press time.

Troops barbecued scores of bandits in Kankara, Katsina

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Zulum Visits Families of 63 Borno Residents Killed by Boko Haram

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Zulum Visits Families of 63 Borno Residents Killed by Boko Haram

By: Michael Mike

Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum has visited Darajamal, a community in Bama, to condole with families of the 63 people killed by Boko Haram insurgents on Friday night.

The victims comprise 5 soldiers and about 58 civilians that were earlier displaced by the insurgents but have been resettled in Darajamal for two months now.

Zulum, visibly moved by the incident, met with community leaders and consoled the bereaved families. He expressed grief and condemned the brutal attack in the strongest terms.

Speaking to newsmen, the governor said, “We are here to commiserate with the people of Darajamal over what happened last night that has claimed the lives of many people. It is very sad. This community was settled a few months ago and they go about their normal activities, but unfortunately, they experienced Boko Haram attack last night. Our visit is to commiserate with them and build their resilience.”

On the casualties, the Governor said, “at this moment we have confirmed that 63 people lost their lives, both civilians and military, although the civilian casualties are more. Close to about 60 civilians and 5 soldiers lost their lives.”

Governor Zulum, while noting the challenges faced in the fight against insecurity, also called for the immediate deployment of the newly trained Forest Guards to complement the military in safeguarding vulnerable communities.

He said, “We have to take note that the numerical strength of the military is not enough to cover everywhere, so far so good, two sets of Forest Guards have been trained, therefore one of the solutions that we need to implement immediately is to deploy the trained Forest Guards to most of the locations that are vulnerable, they will protect the forest and communities.”

Also, the Senator representing Borno Central, Kaka Shehu Lawan, whose constituency Darajamal falls under, has condemned the attack, describing it as a crime against humanity.

He expressed his commitment to supporting Governor Babagana Umara Zulum through legislative backing to restore peace in Borno State.

Zulum Visits Families of 63 Borno Residents Killed by Boko Haram

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