Category Nigeria News

The Red Cross reported that search teams were spotted several kilometers away from the scene of deadly flash flooding in Niger on Saturday as Mokwa, the north-central market town, reached a death toll of 150.

More than 250 buildings were levelled and two bridges were swept away in the town, according to Ibrahim Audu Husseini, a spokesman for the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, as bodies were recovered close to 10 kilometers (six miles) away from the town.

Husseini warned that the number of bodies being swept down the powerful River Niger could rise even higher.

On the other side of the swampy banks of the waterway, search teams were heading toward Jebba, according to Gideon Adamu, the head of the Red Cross in Niger State.

More than 3, 000 people were displaced by the flooding in Mokwa from Wednesday night into Thursday, according to Husseini. According to Adamu, 121 people were hurt in the hospital, and more than 100 were missing.

Nigeria’s rainy season is just beginning its first full year, which typically lasts six months.

Every year, hundreds of people are killed by flooding, which is typically brought on by heavy rains and poor infrastructure.

Additionally, scientists have reaffirmed their caution that more extreme weather patterns are being fueled by climate change.

We can’t give up, they say.

According to an AFP reporter, roads in Mokwa were still flooded on Friday, with Husseini claiming his team would need to use excavators to reach victims feared buried beneath rubble.

The town’s residents were still searching for their loved ones. Families were missing a dozen people in some cases.

As long as families are crying out, according to Adamu, the head of the Red Cross, “we can’t give up the search.”

We’ll find some bodies in the farmland on the Jebba side if some were carried away by the floods.

In the busy, rural market town, 151 people were killed, 3, 018 were displaced, 265 homes were destroyed, and two bridges were ejected from the mess.

The house where Mohammed Tanko, a 29-year-old civil servant, was raised, he said to reporters on Friday, “We lost at least 15 from this house.” The property has vanished. We completely lost.”

Floods are made worse by poor drainage, construction of homes on waterways, and the disposal of waste in drains and water channels in Nigeria.

The National Emergency Management Agency stated in a statement that “this tragic incident serves as a timely reminder of the dangers associated with building on waterways and the crucial importance of keeping drainage channels and river paths clear.”

A large group of travelers staying overnight in a Mokwa mosque, according to Adamu, made the search for the missing more difficult. The building collapsed, and where the people were going were still unidentified.

Security forces were helping the disaster response, according to President Bola Tinubu.

A warning was erected.

Between Wednesday and Friday, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency issued a warning about flash floods in 15 of the country’s 36 states, including Niger.

One of the worst flood seasons in decades, according to NEMA, occurred in at least 31 of Nigeria’s 36 states in 2024, killing over 1,200 people and causing 1.2 million to flee.

A 50-year-old yam vendor named Sabuwar Bala described how she escaped the wracking waters as “I was only wearing my underwear; someone loaned me everything I’m wearing right now.” I was unable to even save my flip-flops.

Bello Matawalle, the minister of state for defense, has warned all maritime criminals who threaten Nigeria’s waters that the country’s naval environment will no longer be a haven for crime because it will help promote economic activity and safeguard national security.

At the Saturday ceremony for the Nigerian Navy’s ships and helicopters’ commissioning and induction ceremony in Lagos, he issued the warning.

According to him, the Federal Government has made a commitment to safeguard the country’s waters for the sake of the country’s prosperity.

According to the President, his administration’s support for the purchase of these crucial assets underlines his administration’s commitment to safeguarding our nation’s interests and economic prosperity in line with his renewed hope agenda.

The Nigerian Navy will continue to perform fleet recapitalization to increase its operational efficiency in accordance with our statutory obligations to safeguard the country’s maritime domain. The addition of these new platforms to our fleet will, he said, “enable the Navy to dominate our maritime space and prevent criminal elements from having the freedom to engage in illegal activity in our waters.”

Read more about Tinubu’s executive order introducing new incentives for the oil sector.

He explained that the ships in service today have high endurance and advanced surveillance and rapid response capabilities.

Long-range surveillance and a high endurance are features of the three Augusta Westland AW109ST Trekker helicopters. To strengthen our surveillance and response capabilities, this will help us strengthen our maritime domain awareness capabilities in order to promote increased economic activity in the maritime environment.

“Smooth seas do not make skilful sailors,” the proverb goes. The 69th anniversary celebration at the commissioning ceremony demonstrates the gradual upgrades being made to the Nigerian Navy over the years,” Matawalle said.

He disclosed that the Nigerian Navy is still anticipating the addition of a number of platforms this year.

He claimed that among these platforms, there are, among others, two 76m High Endurance Offshore Patrol Vessels from Turkey, three 46m Fast Patrol Boats from China, and Tug Boats.

When incorporated into the Nigerian Navy fleet, these platforms will improve our operational readiness to fulfill our statutory obligations.

Another group of foreigners were found guilty and given one year in prison each for cyber-terrorism and internet fraud by the Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday.

After each of their pleas of guilty, Justice Yellin Bogoro and Justice Alexander Owoeye issued a total of 15 sentences, including 11 Filipinos, two Chinese, one Malaysian, and one Indonesian.

The convicts are Guo Bin, Savien Cire Renovilla, Irish Chna, Darwisa Esmael, Winnie De Jesus, Kayceelynn Remorin, and Zeng Zerong.

Other members include: Beverlyin Gumayo (also known as Veb Sumayo), Jessa Sanchi, Jhena Sarmiento, Rain Torida, Rex Jose Dilag (also known as Madison), Tan Soon Kar, Fernando Fu Fang, and Beverlyin Gumayo (also known as Veb Sumayo).

Additionally, the trial judges directed the Nigeria Immigration Service’s Comptroller-General to make sure that convicts are returned to their home countries within seven days of their sentences.

The Federal Government of Nigeria was also given the command to forfeit the items recovered from the defendants.

With this most recent verdict, there are now 33 foreigners who have been found guilty and sentenced.

18 foreigners were found guilty and sentenced last Friday in two separate trials by Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke and Justice Yellim Bogoro.

Under a plea deal with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the foreigners who had initially entered a not-guilty plea changed their pleas.

The 193 foreign nationals who were detained in December 2024 at their hideout in the seven-story building known as the Big Leaf Building on Oyin Jolayemi Street, Lagos, are included in a larger number of those detained.

Agbu Kefas, the governor of Taraba State, has revealed that one of the police escorts killed his sister, Atsi Kefas, in the car they were driving.

According to him, a preliminary police report revealed that one of the officer escorts who fired shots into the car left her dead.

The governor stated that the investigation is still being conducted to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident and ensure that justice is served.

Also available are Troops Kill Bandit, Recover Arms in Taraba, and &nbsp.

Let me say that, in spite of personal tragedy like the loss of my sister, Atsi Kefas, I remain strong because the call to serve you outweighs the suffering, to make it clear to you.

“May their souls rest peacefully among the victims of the Karim Lamido crisis and in her honor, along with me, as I observe a minute of silence.”

“However, preliminary police reports revealed that my sister Atsi died from severe gunshot wounds sustained by one of the police escorts in the vehicle.”

To ensure justice will prevail, the investigation is still being conducted. You can see that this work is intended to honor both the past, present, and future, as well as you all. Let’s move Taraba forward in a positive way, please.

You can agree with me that Taraba is no longer a spectator when it comes to leadership in the next two years. We are leading with discipline, technology, and a good heart.

Let us rise together, believe again, and advance Taraba, in your time.

“I’m creating the Taraba so that governance is measured by outcomes rather than sentiment.” Every program must deliver real value to our people, as we are shifting from promises to outcomes.

The governor hasn’t mentioned his sister’s death since last December, when reports suggested bandits had blocked her route along Wukari-Kenya Road.

Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has reiterated his administration’s commitment to furthering reforms in the FCT’s transportation sector.

Along with former governors of Benue, Samuel Ortom, and Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, Wike was speaking as he examined some ongoing projects in Kugbo, Mabushi, and Giri district.

READ MORE: Wike Disagrees With NEMA, Says Abuja Explosion Not Attempted Suicide Bombing?

His administration, in his opinion, is already figuring out ways to integrate roadside taxis to create a harmonized transportation system.

The current security situation in Nigeria, according to the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), demonstrates significant improvements that demonstrate the effectiveness of government measures to address the country’s security challenges.

The group expressed regret at a press conference in Abuja over planned conflicts between Christians and Muslims in Northern Nigeria.

This alarming development, according to Comrade Jamilu Charanchi, the country’s national coordinator, not only threatens the region’s shared values but also poses a significant threat to regional stability and peace.

The group claimed that recent publications have raised concerns about the escalating violence in communities despite contradictory reports from some international human rights organizations, particularly Amnesty International.

According to them, over 10, 217 people have died in the past two years since the current government took office, with 6 896 fatalities in Benue State alone and 2630 in Plateau State. We must convey our deep concern about the lack of transparency in these figures, the organization stated in an Amnesty International report from recent days.

The international rights organization, according to the CNG, allegedly lacked reliable sources for their statistics, leading the northern group to believe that Amnesty may have purposefully inflated the number of Christians who are the region’s primary victims.

The group responded, “

Amnesty International’s attempts to rewrite historical accounts of the notable accomplishments of the Federal Government in tackling insecurity are regrettable.

Recognizing these accomplishments is essential, in the CNG’s opinion, for a balanced understanding of the ongoing efforts to improve national security and foster public trust in governmental initiatives.

They emphasized:

Despite their religious beliefs, the Coalition of Northern Groups argued that such falsehoods are a disservice to the truth and a retaliation for the dignity of all Nigerians.

The group claims that a member of the United States cannot ignore the accusations made against a number of foreign organizations. Congress, who claimed that some international organizations played a role in funding Boko Haram and other insurgent organizations.

The CNG believes that this raises important questions about the motivations behind some of the reports that these organizations regularly publish.

In light of this development, the CNG urged the Federal Government to be decisive in its response.

The group responded, “

CNG urged all African nations to critically evaluate the activities of international human rights and relief organizations within their borders through its spokesman.

The group asked leaders of African nations to suspend these organizations’ activities until they made the recommendation to take proactive steps to respect local contexts and frameworks. According to the CNG, this will safeguard national interests and foster a culture of cooperation without impairing sovereign states’ autonomy and integrity.