Regional News
Cholera Outbreak Kills 30 Amid Improper Waste Management In Nigeria – HumAngle (humanglemedia.com)
At least 30 people have been confirmed dead across 96 local governments in 30 states of Nigeria as a result of a cholera outbreak. According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) public health advisory published Thursday, out of a total of 1,141 suspected cases recorded in 2024, 65 cases of cholera were confirmed between Jan. 1 and Jun. 11. The states affected are Bayelsa, Zamfara, Abia, Cross River, Bauchi, Delta, Katsina, Imo, Nasarawa, and Lagos.
Timber logging drives JNIM’s expansion in Mali | ISS Africa
The unregulated timber logging economy is central to extremists’ governance strategies and regional infiltration. Timber logging is at the centre of Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin’s (JNIM) rapid expansion into southern Mali – the government’s last major stronghold.
Jihadis from Africa’s Sahel have crossed into Nigeria’s North, a new report says. | Africanews Jihadi fighters who had long operated in Africa’s volatile Sahel region have settled in northwestern Nigeria after crossing from neighbouring Benin, a new report said Wednesday, the latest trend in the militants’ movements to wealthier West African coastal nations. The extremists believed to be linked to al-Qaida have in the last year crossed over from Benin’s hard-hit northern region and settled in the Kainji Lake National Park, one of Nigeria’s largest which had been under security threats, according to the report by the Clingendael Institute think tank.
Lake Chad, once a thriving oasis in the Sahel region, is now a stark reminder of the devastating effects of climate change. The lake’s surface area has shrunk dramatically over the past few decades, from 25,000 square kilometers in the 1960s to less than 2,500 square kilometers today. This drastic reduction has had a profound impact on the lives of millions of people who depend on the lake for their livelihoods.
Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS), has commended the efforts of Nigerian troops in the Lake Chad region, marking a “significant improvement” in regional security. During a visit to Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, North East Nigeria, on Monday, Lagbaja celebrated the Islamic Eid al-Adha festival with soldiers recuperating from injuries sustained in Operation Hadin Kai.
Explosions at a military ammunition depot in Chad’s capital kill 9 | Africanews
Nine people have been killed after a fire set off explosions at a military ammunition depot in Chad’s capital.Government spokesperson Abderaman Koulamallah confirmed the news on Wednesday adding that 46 people were being treated for various injuries after the explosions jolted residents from their sleep late Tuesday in the Goudji district of the capital, N’Djamena. The explosions lit up the sky as thick smoke covered the clouds in the West African nation, setting off frantic efforts to extinguish the fire as residents fled their homes for safety.
A few days after kidnapping people across 17 villages in Sokoto East Senatorial District, terrorists abducted another 70 farmers on Thursday, June 14. The terrorists carried out the attack between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. in the Lajinge and Dan-Tudu communities of Isa Local Government Area in northwestern Nigeria. Locals from the affected communities told HumAngle that the mass abduction of farmers occurred because they could not raise the ₦20 million protection levy the terrorists imposed on them.
In a series of Multinational Joint Task Force ( MNJTF) operations targeting terrorist activities, the troops of Operation Lake Sanity 2, under the Task Force Wulgo, have successfully rescued 34 women and children from the clutches of Boko Haram terrorists and neutralized one terrorist during clearance operations conducted in the Mazuri, Itsari, Mudu, and Maleri villages on fringes of southern Lake Chad in Nigeria on 15 June 2024.
Young people in Burkina Faso appear to boycott Kemi Seba meeting | Africanews
With anti-Western and anti-United Nations demonstrations in full swing in Burkina Faso’s capital,Ougadougou, activist and pan-Africanist firebrand, Kemi Seba, travelled to the country to meet junta leader,Ibrahim Traoré, and supporters of his cause. Accused of promoting Russian policy on the continent and in French-speaking countries, he defended himself at a press conference. “To the Russian authorities, I made a speech saying that if Russia makes the mistake of wanting to reproduce the same neo-colonial schemes in Africa that France committed, we would fight Russia,” he said.
A special task force, Operation Safe Haven, OPSH, has arrested six suspected bandits and recovered weapons and 47 rustled cows in Manguna, Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau. Commander of OPSH, Abdusalam Abubakar, disclosed this at the Eid-el-Kabir luncheon, organised for troops of the operation on Monday in Jos.
Niger lifts immunity of deposed President Mohamed Bazoum | Africanews
Niger’s highest court lifted the immunity of the country’s democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, nearly a year after he was overthrown by mutinous soldiers, his lawyer said Friday, opening the door for the army junta to prosecute him for alleged high treason. Bazoum and his family have been under house arrest since a military coup that overthrew his rule last summer. The junta authorities said they planned to prosecute him for “high treason” and for undermining national security, and earlier this year initiated legal proceedings to lift his immunity in a newly created State Court, which became the country’s highest judicial authority.
Disappearing Mali pond threatens UNESCO fishing tradition | Africanews
Thousands of fishermen holding cone-shaped nets stood side by side, cheering and chanting as they waited for the signal. Suddenly, they rushed to a large muddy pond and cast their nets, dropping to their knees in the mud. Soon, one proudly held up a fish the length of his arm. For several hundred years, people have gathered in the southern Mali town of San for Sanké mon, a collective fishing rite in June that begins with animal sacrifices and offerings to the water spirits of Sanké Pond. The rite, with masked dancers and traditional costumes, is on UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage.
Cameroon-Anglophone Crisis: Deadly Attack In Buea – Journal du Cameroun
According to residents of Buea, the separatist fighters carried out an attack in the town to reinforce the ghost town operation of Monday. A situation that has been imposed in the South West and North West regions since 2016, and over the years, many have become reluctant to respect this law imposed by the separatist groups. One of the groups has decided to reinforce this decision. The group, called Mountain Lion of Fako, which launched the attack in Buea at Mile 15 along the National Road injuring two people in a shooting is also accused of launching one in Tiko. One of the injured, Teneng Dieudonne, died of his wounds. According to media sources, he just married two months ago.
Nigerian Air Force kills over 80 terrorists in Katsina airstrikes – Yerwa Express News (yen.ng)
The Nigerian Air Force, NAF, says the Air Component of Operation Hadarin Daji, has eliminated more than 80 terrorists in recent air strikes at Gidan Kare Village of Ruwan Godiya Ward in Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State. This is contained in a statement by NAF spokesman, AVM Edward Gabkwet, on Monday in Abuja. Mr Gabkwet said the air strikes carried out on the night of June 15 killed the terrorists and burnt more than 45 motorcycles.
Nasarawa shuts down illegal mining operation – Daily Trust
The Nasarawa State Government has taken a decisive action against Trimadix Geomin Consult Limited, shutting down their operation at the Amba mining site in Kokona Local Government Area for operating illegally. Mr Tim Eldon of Trimadix Geomin Consult Limited recently accused the state government of interference during a press conference in Jos, Plateau State last Friday. But in a briefing in Lafia, the state capital on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Mr Kwanta Yakubu, reaffirmed government’s commitment to tackling illegal mining activities in the state.
Borno State, Nigeria – The African Health Budget Network (AHBN), partnering with the African Epidemiology Network (AFENET), is launching a new initiative to address the high number of unvaccinated children (zero-dose children) in Borno. This initiative, the Community of Practice (CoP) on Immunization Budget Tracking, Accountability, and Sustainability, targets improved immunization coverage in the state. It will achieve this by focusing on responsible budgeting and resource allocation.
Presidency clears misconceptions on New York Times report on Nigeria – Yerwa Express News (yen.ng)
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, on Sunday reacted to a recent report published in New York Times on Nigeria’s economy. He said Ruth Maclean and Ismail Auwal’s feature story titled, “Nigeria Confronts Its Worst Economic Crisis in a Generation,” published on June 11, appeared typically predetermined and followed the usually denigrating way foreign media establishments reported African countries for several decades.
Beti Assomo, Minister Delegate of the Presidency in charge of Defence, was in Awae, Yaounde, yesterday, June 18, 2024. He visited the new site of the Combined Services Military Academy. Accompanied by Kamgain Jackson, the Director of the Military Engineering in charge of the site, he made an evaluation of the state of work on the new site of the military academy. The new campus will house 46 buildings and a population of between 1,200 and 1,500 people.
Nigeria, Africa to witness 40% drug abuse rise among youths – UNODC – Daily Trust
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has raised alarm that Nigeria and some African countries will witness 40 per cent rise in the population of drug users, especially the youth population, if urgent measures are not taken. The UNODC Country Deputy Representative, Mr. Danilo Campisi, raised the alarm on Wednesday in Abuja at a press conference to kick off the week-long activities to celebrate the 2024 International Day Against Drugs and Illicit Trafficking organised by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in conjunction with other stakeholders.
Cameroon-Kumbu-Ndu Road Network: Excavations Underway – Journal du Cameroun
At the site of the National Road N° 11, several machines are being mobilised to carry out the earthworks, which are 19.03% complete, including 135,993.05 m3 of excavated material, 81,638.86 m3 of excavated material backfill, 10,252.26 m3 of borrowed material backfill and 992.56 m3 of drainage.
Shettima affirms FG’s commitment to North East’s economic revival – Daily Trust
Vice President Kashim Shettima has reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to driving economic revival and development in the North East region of the country. He stated this on Wednesday while laying the foundation for the new headquarters of the North East Development Commission (NEDC) in Maiduguri.
Proposed green tax may spark job losses – Climate Centre – Daily Trust
The Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre (NCIC) has opposed the proposed climate change tax, but instead called for a circular economy prioritising sustainable waste management. In a report titled, “Beyond Green Taxes: Embracing the Circular Economy for Sustainable Plastic Waste Management in Nigeria,” the centre expressed dismay over the proposed green tax on single-use plastics, and championed a circular economy approach as a more effective and lasting solution.
Jos South and the need to avert crisis – Daily Trust
At times like this, when communities are on the brink of crisis, it is crucial for us to come together and work towards peace and reconciliation. The recent events in Jos South have deeply saddened me, especially as I have personally experienced the devastating consequences of such conflicts. On Monday, 17th June 2024, I lost a dear friend to the violence that erupted in our community. The loss of a friend is always heartbreaking, but to lose them in a senseless act of violence is truly devastating. It is a stark reminder of the urgent need for us to address the underlying issues that fuel these conflicts and find lasting solutions.
Cholera: Expert recommends good hygiene practices for schools – Daily Trust
In response to suspected and confirmed reports of cholera outbreaks in some parts of Nigeria, a sanitation expert has called for intensified measures to improve hygiene practices in schools. Mr Benson Attah, the National Coordinator, Society for Water and Sanitation (NEWSAN), told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that school management authorities need to immediately increase their level of alertness and intensify cholera awareness.
Vigilante leader killed in Kano – Daily Trust
Mukhtar Garba Baballiya, leader of a vigilante group in Ja’en community, Gwale Local Government Area of Kano, has been murdered.
The vigilante leader was reportedly stabbed on Tuesday night when he was trying to intervene in a dispute between thugs in Ja’en Makera and Ja’en Unguwar Lalle.
Peace and Security
President Bola Tinubu has called for stronger collaboration between Nigeria’s law enforcement agencies and the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, in the fight against cybercrime, terrorism, and other related crimes.The FBI is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States of America, and its principal federal law enforcement agency. The president spoke on Friday during a meeting with FBI director, Christopher Asher Wray, at the State House in Abuja.
The Curriculum Of Hate: What Extremists Teach Their Children – HumAngle (humanglemedia.com)
Violent extremist groups loyal to the Islamic State take the education of their young ones seriously, and they fashion it in a way that encourages blind loyalty and prepares them for a life of combat. Several pictures and videos released by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) show young members either in military training camps or in classes receiving lessons. In one of the videos seen by HumAngle, an instructor was shown teaching Arabic grammar to children seated on benches.
NAF to receive 50 new aircraft to boost anti-banditry operations – Daily Trust
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has announced plans to bolster its anti-banditry operations with the acquisition of 50 new aircraft scheduled to arrive between now and next year. This initiative aims to strengthen security efforts in the North-West region and across Nigeria. The Chief of Air Staff, Marshal Bala Abubakar, disclosed that the incoming aircraft fleet would include significant additions, such as 12 AH-1 attack helicopters, 24 M-346 attack aircraft, 12 Augusta Westland 109 helicopters and two Casa 295 medium airlift aircraft.
Nigerian troops kill terrorist commander Buharin Yadi in Kaduna – Yerwa Express News (yen.ng) The Nigerian Army on Sunday said its troops eliminated a terrorist identified as a cohort of a notorious terrorist commander known as Buharin Yadi, who was eliminated by troops in a recent encounter. The army, in a post on its official X Handle, said the terrorist was in transit to commit mayhem during the ongoing Eid-el Kabir celebration in Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Kogi to recruit 1,050 hunters to curb insecurity – Daily Trust
The Kogi state government is to recruit 1, 050 hunters to beef up security in the state. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this followed the State House Assembly’s approval of the government’s request on Wednesday at plenary. The commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Salami Ozigi-Deedat, had sent a letter to the house for the recruitment of 50 hunters each in the 21 Local Government Area of the state. In the letter, the state government gave reasons for the proposed recruitment to include shortage of security personnel in the state and the need to curb crime and criminality in the state.
Security consciousness is a duty for all – Daily Trust
Insecurity is a national issue. The right to life of every Nigerian must be safeguarded. Essentially, the responsibility of any functioning government is to ensure that no person is intentionally deprived of his life. I will tell you why. In EZE v. STATE (2018) LPELR-44967(SC), the Apex Court held that the life of every citizen of the country is invaluable and should be protected at all cost. As such, I believe one of the heritages of true democracy is the enforcement of rights where there is no cause for its breach except for justifiable reasons as laid down in the 1999 Constitution as amended.
How PSC, NPF dispute stalled recruitment of 10,000 policemen – Daily Trust
The simmering disagreement between the Police Service Commission (PSC) and the police high command over the recruitment of constables is affecting service delivery and the timeline to increase the manpower of the security outfit. Specifically, stakeholders who spoke to our reporter described the fresh controversy on the recruitment exercise as “unhealthy,” saying such development was already jeopardising the internal security in the country considering the leading role of the police in ensuring civil authority.
Insecurity: Reps pledge support to boost military’s capacity – Daily Trust
The House of Representatives Committee on Defence, on Wednesday reaffirmed its commitment to providing the necessary resources and support to enhance the operational capabilities of the military in combating insecurity. The committee also called on Nigerians to support the Nigerian Armed Forces in addressing the country’s security challenges.
Air Chief orders more force against terrorists, bandits – Daily Trust
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, on Wednesday, ordered Air Officers Commanding (AOCs), branch chiefs, directors as well as the entire senior leadership cadre of the Nigerian Air Force to redouble their efforts against terrorists and bandits. Abubakar, who stated this at NAF headquarters in Abuja, when he met with them in commemorating his one year in office, also charged the commanders to intensify efforts against other criminals and ensure that the country is completely safe and secure.
Humanitarian
African refugees neglected as crises worsen | ISS Africa
As of May, 120 million people had been forcibly displaced worldwide this year – up from 35.8 million in 2012, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency’s (UNHCR) annual Global Trends Report. Most (75.9 million) are internally displaced persons (IDPs) within their own countries. Political unrest and violence, conflict, climate change and natural disasters are increasingly compounding and unleashing crises of unparalleled magnitude and complexity.
WFP increases response to address rising hunger in Nigeria, others – Yerwa Express News (yen.ng) The World Food Programme, WFP, says it will increase its food and nutrition assistance programme in some countries in West and Central Africa in June. WFP, through the programme, hopes of reaching 7.3 million people as the June-August lean season is under way at a time when hunger levels are high and food resources are low. The programme will aid response plans of national governments in Nigeria. Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger.
Police Officer, Son Assaulted By Nigerian Soldier – HumAngle (humanglemedia.com)
As Muslims worldwide gathered to celebrate the Eid-Al-Adha religious festival on Jun. 16, things were taking a less peaceful turn for a Nigerian Police officer and his son in Kebbi State, northwestern Nigeria. Both men say they were assaulted by a soldier of the Nigerian military who invaded their home in Maga village with two military Hilux vehicles filled with armed men; an incident that has been confirmed to HumAngle by Ajayi Ayoyinka, the camp commandant at Dan-Marke military base in Zamfara, where the vehicles came from. He added that he was not around at the time it happened.
Twenty-twenty-two is etched in Zara Mohammed’s memory as a year of relentless hardship. Along with other families, the 27-year-old mother of five was displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency years ago and found refuge in the Moduganari Tsallake area of Maiduguri, northeastern Nigeria. The area has become both a sanctuary and a source of new struggles. As the rain pounded her tin roof that year, Zara clutched her children, “her heart racing with each crash of thunder.” Their home, situated along the waterway, experiences severe flooding during heavy rains.
She Was Sexually Abused As A Child, Now She Can’t Bond With Men – HumAngle (humanglemedia.com)
At just eight years old, a commercial motorcyclist hired to take Catherine to school sexually assaulted her on many occasions. The motorcyclist would place her in front and put her brother and another boy in the back seat while conveying them to school somewhere in Adamawa, North East Nigeria. It was in that way he was able to assault her. Once, she wore a pair of pants to school as underwear, and the bike man rebuked her as it protected her in some way from the situation. “He threatened me not to tell anyone about it,” she remembers.
In Health And In Labour – HumAngle (humanglemedia.com)
By Hadiza’s estimation, the baby wasn’t due until about three weeks. So when that day during the Ramadan fast two years ago, her back started to feel like it was about to break in two, she thought: surely, this isn’t labour. When the contractions began, mild at first, then sharp and relentless like the stubborn fist of a toddler holding onto something it should not be holding on to, she thought again: surely, this isn’t labour. By the late evening of that day, she could barely walk; she dragged her feet around the tent she shared with her husband and seven children in the Shuwari IV camp for internally displaced persons in Maiduguri, northeastern Nigeria.
Borno police assures security for eid – Yerwa Express News (yen.ng)
Maiduguri, June 14, 2024 – Commissioner of Police, Borno State Command, CP Yusufu Mohammed Lawal, has assured the people of Borno State of a peaceful Eid-El-Kabir celebration. In a press release signed by ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso, the spokesman of the Command said the police deployed assets for crowd control and crime prevention during the festivity.
The controversies and series of serious allegations hanging on the neck of the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Ibrahim Lamuwa, have taken a different dimension. Recall that the Perm Sec had been in the eye of the storm for days over allegations of sexual harassment levelled against him by one Simisola Fajemirokun-Ajayi who is said to be an aide to the minister.
Cameroon-Malaria Prevalence: Malachie Manaouda Blames Lack Of Funding – Journal du Cameroun
As part of the implementation of the latest strategic plan for the period 2021-2023, Cameroon has mobilised 132 billion CFAF out of the 232 billion CFAF needed to reduce this burden, leaving a shortfall of almost 100 billion CFAF,” Malachie Manaouda told parliament, explaining the prevalence of malaria in Cameroon. This was on the occasion of the Special Parliamentary Day on Malaria at the National Assembly.
Mobilization and economic development
Nigeria secures $2.25B World Bank loan to back reforms despite hardship | Africanews
The World Bank has approved a $2.25 billion loan for Nigeria to shore up revenue and support economic reforms that have contributed to the worst cost-of-living crisis in the country. The bank said in a statement late Thursday that the bulk of the $1.5 billion loan will help protect millions who have faced growing poverty since a year ago when President Bola Tinubu came to power and took drastic steps to fix the country’s ailing economy. The remaining $750 million, the bank said, will support tax reforms and revenue and safeguard oil revenues threatened with limited production caused by chronic theft.
Nigeria has requested an 18-month extension on the closing date of the World Bank’s $800 million palliative loan in a strategic move to bolster its social safety net programs amidst rising inflation and economic challenges. According to a restructuring paper document on the project from the World Bank, the Nigerian government has requested to extend the closing date of the project from June 30, 2024, to December 31, 2025.
