The 24 schoolgirls who were abducted from Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area of the state have been confirmed by Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi State.
The governor claimed that neither the state nor the federal government paid the girls’ release for ransom.
There was no payment for ransom. The Federal Government and the Kebbi State Government both received no pay. The governor claimed that the security agencies’ efforts alone led to the rescue.
On Wednesday, he added, the children will be handed over to their parents.
Governor Idris thanked President Bola Tinubu for his concern and for directing security forces to ensure the girls’ rescue.
Read more about: 24 Abducted Kebbi Schoolgirls Regain Freedom.
Prior to this, Special Counselor to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the release of the schoolgirls was previously announced in a statement.
According to him, Tinubu praised the security forces’ efforts to free all the victims who had been taken away by terrorists.
He directed security agencies to intensify their efforts to free the still-carrying students.
The release of the 24 schoolgirls that were abducted by terrorists in Maga Kebbi last week has been welcomed by President Bola Tinubu.
Moments later, according to reports, a military détachment allegedly left the building after dawn and abducted the girls.
Similar kidnappings occurred in Eruku in Kwara State and Papiri in Niger State as a result of the Kebbi incident.
On Sunday, Eruku’s 38 kidnapped victims were all released. The Christian Association of Nigeria’s Niger State chairman reported that 50 of the missing students from the Catholic School in Niger had been discovered in their parents’ homes the same day.
Read more about: 24 Abducted Kebbi Schoolgirls Regain Freedom.
President Tinubu praised the security forces for their tireless efforts to free all the victims who had been taken away by terrorists in a statement released on Tuesday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
He directed the security personnel to make additional rescue efforts for the still-carrying students.
“I’m relieved that all 24 girls have been found,” she said. To prevent further kidnapping incidents, we must now place more boots on the ground in the most vulnerable areas. President Tinubu stated that his country will provide all the assistance required to accomplish this.
The UN called for “immediate and substantial” international intervention in the Palestinian territory on Tuesday, warning that Israel’s conflict in Gaza has devastated the country’s economy and threatens its very survival.
The UN Trade and Development Agency (UNCTAD) warned that a “unprecedented collapse across the Palestinian economy” had resulted from a new report warning that war and restrictions had caused an “unprecedented collapse across the Palestinian economy” and that reconstruction work would cost more than $70 billion and could take several decades.
According to the statement, “the military operations have significantly undermined every pillar of survival,” from food to shelter to healthcare, and have plunged Gaza into a human-made abyss.
“The continued, systematic destruction leaves a lot of questions about how well-equipped Gaza is to resurrect itself as a place and society,” he said.
1, 221 people were killed when the Palestinian-led Hamas attack in southern Israel in October 2023, sparking a devastating two-year conflict in Gaza.
More than 69 000 people have died as a result of Israel’s retaliatory assault on Gaza, according to UN-reliable health ministry data.
Read more about At least 50 killed in Israeli strikes, according to Gaza’s civil defense.
According to UNCTAD’s report, the magnitude of the destruction wrought on the territory has “unleashed cascading crises, economic, humanitarian, environmental, and social, propelling (it) from de-development to utter ruin.”
Even “in an optimistic scenario of double-digit growth rates supported by a significant level of foreign aid,” it said. “Gaza will take several decades for Gaza to return to pre-October 2023 welfare levels.”
UNCTAD advocated for a “comprehensive recovery plan” that combines “coordinated international assistance, restoration of fiscal transfers, and measures to ease trade, movement, and investment constraints.”
The UN agency also calls for the introduction of a universal emergency basic income, requiring that everyone in Gaza receive a renewable and unrestricted monthly transfer of cash in response to “extreme, multidimensional impoverishment” of the entire population.
According to the report, Gaza’s economy shrank by 87 percent between 2023 and 2024, leaving its GDP per capita at just $161, one of the lowest levels ever.
The West Bank’s situation was worse, but according to the report, “violence, accelerated settlement expansion, and restrictions on worker mobility have decimated the economy there as well,” “resulting in the worst economic decline since UNCTAD began maintaining records in 1972.”
The Federal Government should increase investments in hospital infrastructure, regional medical facilities, and funding for the health sector to improve the quality of the country’s respiratory care, according to the Nigerian Thoracic Society (NTS).
The society urged local authorities to establish fully equipped regional centers of excellence to advance diagnosis, treatment, and research in respiratory medicine in a communiqué released at the conclusion of its 32nd Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference, which took place in Lagos.
Musa Babashani, president of NTS, and Abiona Odeyemi, secretary general, both signed the statement, which stressed the need to modernize the hospital system to address the country’s growing respiratory disease burden.
Additionally, it encouraged hospital administrators to improve their documentation practices so that local data can be compiled for new technologies, including artificial intelligence.
Participants at the conference, which was titled “Harnessing Technology to Advance Equitable Respiratory Care in Nigeria,” discussed how technology and artificial intelligence (AI) can advance critical care and medicine both domestically and internationally.
Delegates concurred that AI cannot replace healthcare professionals, despite its ability to improve diagnosis and treatment.
FG Unveils Health Strategies To Improve Planning, READ ALSO.
The topic of the conference was the diffusion of knowledge about the causes of sub-Saharan African respiratory diseases.
The communiqué highlighted persistent issues like the high rate of tobacco use, rising lung cancer rates, poor access to high-quality healthcare, and low health-insurance coverage.
It highlighted the need for more comprehensive CPR training and better public health education because many Nigerians lack sufficient emergency response knowledge.
The NTS also reiterated its call for more public awareness campaigns against tobacco use, citing insufficient tobacco-control measures.
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, his Special Adviser on Technical Matters, David Atuwo, served as his representative during the event.
According to the Nigerian Army, the 12 Brigade’s troops intercepted a significant drug courier and recovered a sizable shipment of cannabis sativa in Kogi State.
The Army said the interception is a part of ongoing operations to stop criminal activity and stop the movement of illegal substances linked to banditry and violent crimes, according to a statement posted on the company’s X handle on Tuesday.
On November 24, 2025, troops from the Agbede Response Area conducted a routine stop-and-search on a Toyota Camry traveling from Ekiti State to Obajana using the registration number DKA 158AU.
A branded police hat and belt were reportedly displayed on the dashboard of the Johnson Ayo-driven vehicle, which reportedly raised questions during the inspection.
10 sacks of Cannabis Sativa, weighing 108.8 kilograms, were discovered inside the car after thorough investigation.
Initial investigations, according to the Army, suggested that large-scale drug trafficking supported criminal networks financially and fueled banditry operations throughout the state and nearby areas.
READ ALSO: Police Arrest Suspect Kidnapper in Taraba
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Kogi State Command, has received the suspect’s and the recovered drugs for further investigation and action.
108KG of cannabis is being seized by NDLEA operators.
The Army reiterated its commitment to supporting national initiatives to combat drug trafficking, combat banditism, and improve security for citizens.
In one of its social intervention initiatives for 2025, the Zamfara State Government has sponsored the mass wedding of 200 female orphans, widows, and underprivileged women.
The board’s annual activities, which included business grants, debt relief assistance, poultry production training, and computer literacy programs, came to an end with the event on Monday.
Huriya Dauda Lawal, the First Lady of Zamfara State, said the mass wedding demonstrates the government’s commitment to improving the welfare of widows, orphans, and other vulnerable citizens.
She continued, adding that her office also offered crucial household items to assist newlyweds.
The Zakat Board has successfully delivered a number of life-changing interventions for the fourth quarter of 2025, including assistance for the marriage of 200 female orphans who need support from essential household items like furniture, bedding, and a $ 200, 000 dowry, to enable them to begin their marital lives with respect and comfort, the first lady said.
“Settlement of debt-related cases across Shari’ah courts and correctional centers, giving deserving individuals a second chance to regain their freedom and live honorably.”
“Business grants of 50, 000 each for 200 small-scale traders, many of whom are widows, orphans, and caregivers, boosting their ability to make ends meet and become financially independent. 100 poultry producers are being trained and given the tools they need to start their own poultry business.
“Digital literacy instruction for 10 orphans and kids from less fortunate homes, each with a mini computer to enhance their learning and potential future.”
These accomplishments “exemplify the vision we have for a more prosperous, self-sufficient, and empowered Zamfara State.” The First Lady’s office has also donated important household items to further support these noble efforts, which only adds to the success of this initiative.
Also read: Gunmen Kill APC Chieftain in Zamfara
Habib Balarabe, the executive secretary of the Zamfara State Zakkat and Endowment Board, stated that the initiative aims to end street begging and end poverty by providing vulnerable families with the funds needed to establish a stable home.
We plan this event specifically for Zamfara State’s less-privileged residents. We planned to wed 200 orphans. We also hold an additional program to empower them while they are still living in their homes, such as providing them with a business token, Balarabe said at the event.
We are doing it to reduce both the state’s poverty and how beggars get around.
When asked about her choice, 14-year-old Zainab Mohammed, one of the newlywed brides, said she was grateful to the state government and that she preferred marrying rather than attending school.
Sincerely, I praise the Almighty God and the Prophet Mohammed for keeping God’s peace with him. I’m delighted. I’m not a childless. I, in fact, favor getting married over attending school, Muhammad said.
Each couple received 30 000 dollars in cash as part of the intervention.
100 recipients of poultry production training also received starter packs to aid in starting small poultry businesses.
