Category Nigeria News

The state’s Department of State Services (DSS) memo to the 32nd Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Akure, the state capital, has sparked fears for the Ondo government.

According to the memo, members of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) planned to attack some Ondo communities.

Idowu Ajanaku, the Ogun State Commissioner of Information and Orientation, stated in a statement that the memo was a part of regular intelligence reports that security agencies and the government share regularly.

He believes that these reports are routinely made as part of security operations to identify and avoid potential threats.

Ajanaku assured the public that the state’s government and relevant security organizations are taking necessary steps to improve security.

Also Read: Two Accomplices Arrested In Ondo, Suspect Illegal Arms Manufacturer.

The statement read in part as “the public can be assured that the government is taking necessary precautions to ensure safety and security” and that the government is acting on these reports.

“To prevent and respond to any potential threats, security agencies and the government must continue to cooperate and maintain vigilance.”

We urge all residents to remain vigilant and composed while contacting the security company that is closest to them for any suspicious activity. We want to reassure you that Ondo State is taking every precaution possible to stop any attack.

Read more: Police Arrest Father For alleged rape of a teenage daughter in Ondo.

According to the commissioner, the state government is making several safeguards for residents, particularly those who live in border communities, to keep Ondo State as one of the nation’s safest.

The House of Assembly of Edo State has passed a bill to repeal the 2025 Customary Court of Appeal and enact a law to restore the state’s Customary Court of Appeal.

The committee of the whole took the bill into consideration and decided to adopt it clause by clause.

Also read:   Edo To Regulate Scavengers, Scrap Dealers To Stop Vandalism 

The bill’s clerk, Alhaji Audu Omogbai, was given the order from the Speaker, Blessing Agbebaku, to send them to the governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, for his approval.

The House also received a report on a bill to establish the Edo State Property Protection Committee, which was presented to the House by Maria Edeko, a member representing the Esan North East II constituency, the chairman of the Committee on Security and Public Safety.

The report aims to address the issues relating to the protection of government buildings, properties, and other issues in addition to its four findings and one recommendation.

The chairman claimed that during their regular meetings, some gaps in the bill were found and appropriate amendments were made.

The committee’s amendments to the report were later approved by the House.

Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, has expressed condolences to the affected families and the government of Niger State for the Katcha gas tanker explosion that left over 42 people dead.

Also read: Niger State Tanker Explosion Death Toll Hits 42, Residents Blame Bad Road

Obi expressed sadness and pain over “poverty continues to force our people into circumstances where they must risk their lives to survive.”

He believes that no one should simply attempt to live.

“I send my deepest condolences to the governor of Niger State, the affected communities, and the families who lost loved ones. In a post on X, he wrote, “It is both sad and painful that poverty continues to put our people in dangerous situations where they must risk their lives to survive.”

The Labour Party’s (LP) candidate for president in 2023 called the tragedies “almost daily” in our country heartbreaking.

According to Obi, “Those in power frequently respond with silence and indifference because the loss of lives has become so frequent.”

“This is unacceptable.” I make a second-time plea to the leaders to show more compassion, empathy, and responsibility.

Read more about Sanwo-Olu’s comments to the Niger governor and the families of the victims of the tanker explosion.

We must continue to work toward creating a world where everyone lives in dignity.

“These unrecurring tragedies should remind us of our collective responsibility to build a Nigeria where no one has to die merely by trying to survive.”

“May all those who lost their lives rest peacefully, and may their families find strength and comfort.” Amen”.

Katcha Tragedy

Over 60 people were hurt in the incident, which happened along the Agaie–Bida road in the state’s Katcha LGA, when an articulated vehicle exploded in the Essa community.

Before the tanker caught fire, many of the victims were attempting to collect fuel from it.

For treatment, the injured were transported to Essa Primary Health Care Center, Idris Private Hospital, and the Federal Medical Center (FMC) in Bida.

The state of the road was the subject of intense ire from the drivers.

Ibrahim Gaawu, a leader in the Essa community, called for the government to immediately halt its efforts after describing the highway as a “death trap.”

42 people were killed and many others were hurt when the tanker exploded right away. Despite the millions of dollars spent on it, this road, which was constructed in 1923 and was last reconstructed ten years ago, is in terrible condition.

Following the tragic tanker explosion along the Bida–Agaie highway that claimed 35 lives and injured many others, Lagunas State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has expressed sympathy to the government and the people of Niger State.

Sanwo-Olu, who also chairs the South-West Governors Forum, described the incident as worrying and deeply depressing in a statement released by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, on Wednesday.

The governor expressed his heart as he read and followed the development of the disaster that occurred yesterday [Tuesday] along the Bida–Agaie highway in Niger State following the explosion of a tanker, which reportedly claimed about 35 lives.

Read more about the Niger State Tanker Explosion: Residents Blame Bad Road, Death Toll Hits 42.

Sanwo-Olu expressed his condolences to Mohammed Bago, the governor of Niger State, the victims’ families, and all those who were affected by the tragedy.

He stated, “Our thoughts and prayers are with my brother, Governor Mohammed Bago, the government, the people of Niger State, the deceased families, and the victims of the sad incident.”

The governor of Lagos also prayed for the repose of the deceased and the injured’s quick recovery, and prayed for the families of those who had lost loved ones.

“I ask that the Almighty God give the victims’ families the strength to bear the irreparable loss. I pray for the repose of the deceased.” I wish those in the program a quick recovery, Sanwo-Olu continued.

On Wednesday, over 60 people were hurt in the tragic petrol tanker explosion, and the death toll in the Essa community reached 42.

Senators from the nation’s northern region have expressed condolences for the families of the victims of the tragic tanker explosion in Niger State, which is said to have claimed several lives.

The articulated vehicle detonated on Tuesday in the Essa neighborhood, along the state’s Agaie–Bida road, in Katcha LGA.

A petrol tanker exploded in the state of Niger, killing at least 39 people and injuring more than 60 others, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

The government and the people of Niger State expressed condolences to the explosion two days later through the Northern Senators Forum.

Sen. Abdulaziz Yar’adua, the NSF’s chairman, expressed deep grief over the tragic incident and prayed for the souls’ repose in a statement.

Read more about the Niger State Tanker Explosion: Residents Blame Bad Road, Death Toll Hits 42.

We are deeply moved by this tragic event, and we pray for the souls’ repose. He prayed, “May Allah bless them Jannatul Firdaus and comfort their families during this difficult time.”

The Federal Road Safety Corps should increase its efforts to make sure tankers and other vehicles on our roads are roadworthy and compliant with safety standards in order to stop such tragic events from occurring in the future.

The Forum prayed that Allah granteth to the victims’ families peace and comfort in the form of eternal peace and comfort. The Forum extended its sincere sympathies to the government, the people of Niger State, and their families.

Safety Guidelines

The tanker explosion, in the Forum’s opinion, once more demonstrated the need for strict safety standards and regular inspections of vehicles carrying hazardous materials.

The tragic tanker explosion in Niger State, which reportedly claimed several lives, has previously caused the Nigeria Governors’ Forum to express its deep sorrow.

The Katcha Local Government Area of Niger State, where reports claim about 38 people died as a result of a tanker explosion, is saddened by the state’s governors’ forum, according to reports.

The Forum expressed condolence to the people and government of Niger State, particularly the families of the victims and Governor Mohammed Umar Bago, in a condolence message signed by its Chairman and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

The Forum applauded the rapid intervention and humanitarian assistance provided to the victims by emergency responders.

Governor AbdulRazaq characterized the incident as yet another depressing reminder that more care needs to be paid to safety and regulations when combustible materials are stored and transported across the nation.

Plans to invest $ 210 million to help young Nigerians find employment have been finalized by the Nigerian government.

Through the second phase of the Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme (NJFP) 2.0, which aims to connect high-potential graduates with real-world work experience, training, and mentorship, the initiative will be spearheaded in collaboration with the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Vice President Kashim Shettima stated on Wednesday that the goal is to bridge the gap between learning and earning for thousands of young Nigerians, graduates who have the education but sometimes lack the opportunity.

He claims that this will give Nigerians the ability to become productive economic power, demonstrating that young people can rise to the occasion when the government offers them structure, partnership, and purpose.

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The VP noted that while the NJFP is a Nigerian initiative that is based on national priorities and based on the sense of purpose, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is determined to strengthen the program’s integration into the government’s national planning and budgeting frameworks.

This government will play its part by making sure that the program’s financial commitment reflects our faith in its transformative potential. However, he claimed that national ownership must also imply that everyone is a part of the national conversation.

Private and Public Partnerships

In order to address Nigeria’s unemployment problem, Vice President Shettima also advocated for cooperation between the government and the private sector.

I invite our partners from the private sector, the development community, and the donor ecosystem to join us in creating the NJFP Basket Fund, a sustainable financing mechanism to ensure the program’s future as we launch NJFP 2.0 today.

The VP continued, “Our immediate goal is to raise $ 22 million, not as a charity, but as an investment in our young people’s most precious asset.”

He further urged the EU, UNDP, and other partners to take into account the program’s launch as an opportunity to demonstrate that “young people’s employment is a shared responsibility rather than just a policy priority.”

He argued that the country should take the lead from the front, and that inclusivity is essential to driving the process, and that this should be done through Nigeria’s public institutions, private sector champions, and philanthropic community.

The task is both challenging and inspiring. Our young Nigerians are only asking for a fair system that values effort, recognizes merit, and offers opportunity for them to serve.