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The South-east Governors Forum says it will seek a political solution to the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) currently in detention.
The governors disclosed this in a communique issued at the end of the forum’s meeting held at the Government House, Enugu on Sunday.

According to them, we are watching with keen interest, the developments with respect to the case of Nnamdi Kanu viz-a-viz the Appeal Court rulings. A political solution is still possible in this circumstance.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the governors are meeting for the first time this year as they met last in October 2021.

The forum, however, decried the state of insecurity in the region, stating that economic activities have come to a halt in the zone while kidnapping and wanton killing had become the order of the day.

“We call on the Federal Government to come to our aid in providing security in the zone bearing in mind that elections are around the corner.

“We have also agreed to set up a 24-hour Joint Patrol in all major highways within the Southeast, especially during the Christmas season,” the communique said.

The governors, however, denied creating Eastern Security Network (ESN) but jointly formed Ebubeagu and Forest Guards to provide security for the region.

“It is not correct for any person to allude to the fact that South East Governors created ESN.

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu #citi_BOY Lagos State Health Sector 1999-2007. A Review: Before taking the oath of office, Bola formed a transitional working group to assess the state of Lagos’s health and make some recommendations which were immediately implemented.
A Thread �

PMTCT –Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission
IEC– Information, Education and Communication ( like posters, handbills, pamphlets etc)
BCC – Behavioral Change Communication.(Materials or process used to communicate IECs effectively)LASEMS –Lagos State Emergency Med. Services

Some of these recommendations include: – the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency which was in charge of HIV/AIDS control. 
HIV prevalence decreased as a result, falling from 6.7% to 3.5% between 1999 and 2007.

Thousands of pregnant women received counseling/therapy in PMTCT in the 10 PMTCT centers set up by his government, thereby aiding in preventing mother-to-child transmission.

Roll back malaria program was kicked off and more than 3.6 million patients received free treatment and more than 681,000 and 1 million treated nets and BCC/IEC supplies were supplied, respectively.

Over 181,627 doses of the Sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine formulations were provided, and intermittent preventative therapy for malaria in pregnant women was implemented. A medical culture well established in Lagos State. See citation.

To end poliomyelitis, Lagos State actively participated in the NPI, National Program on Immunization and more than 2.5 million children received the Polio vaccine within the campaign.

Under the Asiwaju government, Lagos State launched a School Health Program, which provided free eye screening and treatment for around 6,600 students and provided free milk to over 900 public schools totaling about 297,000students.

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Sunday, voiced his support for the decision of the Central Bank of Nigeria to launch new designs and replace high value Naira notes. 

This was as he noted that the nation would gain a lot by the new initiative, especially its impact on illicit monies. 

According to a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, Buhari spoke in a Hausa radio interview with the famous journalists Halilu Getso and Kamaluddeen Shawai to be aired Wednesday Morning on Tambari TV on Nilesat. 

The statement is titled ‘CBN has my backing in replacing Naira notes, says President Buhari.’

The Nigeria Army revealed on Sunday that seven terrorists have been neutralised in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State and weapons have been recovered from the operation.

A statement by the Director, Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, said troops of 1 Division Nigerian Army on Operation Forest Sanity carried out a clearance operation around Maidaro, Kagi Hill, Kusharki and Anguwan Madaki areas of the LG.

He added that after the fierce battle that led to the death of seven terrorists in separate operations, some bandits still escaped their net.

The Nigeria Army revealed on Sunday that seven terrorists have been neutralised in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State and weapons have been recovered from the operation.

A statement by the Director, Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, said troops of 1 Division Nigerian Army on Operation Forest Sanity carried out a clearance operation around Maidaro, Kagi Hill, Kusharki and Anguwan Madaki areas of the LG.

He added that after the fierce battle that led to the death of seven terrorists in separate operations, some bandits still escaped their net.

The Northern Elders’ Forum has said that the exodus of doctors from Nigeria to the West has brought the nation’s health sector to its knees.

This is as the United Kingdom’s General Medical Council noted that it had licensed 91 Nigerian-trained doctors to practice in the UK.

Saturday PUNCH reports that the statistics also showed that between January 1, 2022, and September 30, 2022, about 1,307 Nigerian-trained doctors were licensed in the UK as Nigeria continues to battle one of the worst situations of brain drain in its history.

Reacting to this development, the spokesperson for the NEF, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed noted that it was sad that foreigners were benefitting from the nation’s pool of medical practitioners who were fast migrating to the West to practice.

The Northern Elders’ Forum has said that the exodus of doctors from Nigeria to the West has brought the nation’s health sector to its knees.

This is as the United Kingdom’s General Medical Council noted that it had licensed 91 Nigerian-trained doctors to practice in the UK.

Saturday PUNCH reports that the statistics also showed that between January 1, 2022, and September 30, 2022, about 1,307 Nigerian-trained doctors were licensed in the UK as Nigeria continues to battle one of the worst situations of brain drain in its history.

Reacting to this development, the spokesperson for the NEF, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed noted that it was sad that foreigners were benefitting from the nation’s pool of medical practitioners who were fast migrating to the West to practice.

A man decapitated his partner then stabbed her body more than 100 times after she refused to have sex with him.

38-year-old Justin Fields, from Alabama in the US, removed the head and at least one limb of 52-year-old Tammy Bailey on October 21, 2022

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on Friday adopted the Abuja Declaration that preferred global funding of Media and Information Literacy as panacea to the global scourge of fake news, disinformation and misinformation.

The declaration was adopted by acclamation of 65 UNESCO-member countries physically present  and others who participated virtually at the 2022 UNESCO Global Media and Information Literacy Week which ended on Friday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports  the 10-page document titled ‘Abuja Declaration on Global Financing for Media and Information Literacy: An Imperative to Fight Against Disinformation and Build Trust’ was read to the participants  by the Programme Specialist Communication and Information, UNESCO, Mr Alton Grizzie.

Prior to its adoption, the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Gutteres, in a virtual message charged all UN member-states to formulate policies that would make the Abuja Declaration workable.

He said global funding of MIL was imperative considering the crisis that followed COVID-19 pandemic globally owing to parallel misinformation and disinformation.

Speaking in the same vein, the  Assistant Director-General Communication and Information, UNESCO, Dr Tawfik Jelassi, said the Abuja Declaration was an inclusive document and no nation should be left out in its implementation.

For his part, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the document would greatly accelerate the fight against disinformation and help to build trust.

He urged development partners, multilateral organisations and all countries to commit to supporting and funding the initiative, which he said would  ultimately make the world a safer and more peaceful place to live.

He also reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to pursuing, supporting and promoting the right MIL policies and programmes locally and internationally.

As contained in the document, the participants at the conference which featured Youth Agenda Forum resolved that government around the world should articulate national MIL policies that would serve as guide across all levels of government.

They agreed that all nations must see literacy as imperative to fight against disinformation and building trust as well develop and implement training modules o

Following several alerts regarding security threats in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, the National Assembly on Friday night announced the commencement of a stop and search policy.

According to the National Assembly Security Committee, the National Assembly Complex is particularly a vulnerable target for insurgent attacks.

In a memo signed by the Director, Administrative, Dr. Tahir Sani, the Committee resolved to adopt several proactive measures in the short and long terms.

The memo read, “One of such measures is the directive to Security Agencies and the Sergeant-at-Arms Department to ensure that, effective Monday, October 31, 2022, all vehicles coming into the National Assembly premises are thoroughly searched. This entails that, the drivers of the vehicles shall by themselves open the booths of their cars and submit their vehicles to comprehensive checks.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Friday ordered that the execution of its judgement which faulted the extradition of the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, from Kenya to Nigeria and set aside the terrorism charges against him be put on hold.

It also asked that the Supreme Court should expedite hearing in the Federal Government’s appeal against its judgment which discharged Kanu of the terrorism charges brought against him.

Consequently, it ordered its registry to compile and transmit to the Supreme Court within seven days the record of appeal in respect of the judgment delivered on October 13 and ordered the affected counsel to settle the records immediately for transmission to the Supreme Court.

The appellate court had on Thursday, October 13, 2022, freed Kanu of the terrorism and treasonable felony charges preferred against him by the Federal Government.

No fewer than 21 persons were on Friday rescued when men of the Katsina Police Command repelled an attack by terrorists at the Buraji and Sabon Sara villages, Matazu LGA, Katsina State

The Commissioner of Police, Idrisu Dabban, made the disclosure in a statement made available to Saturday PUNCH the Police spokesperson, Gambo Isah.

“Today being 28/10/2022 at about 0430hrs, a distress call was received that terrorists in their numbers, on motorbikes, shooting sporadically with AK-47 rifles, attacked Buraji and Sabon Sara villages, kidnap 15 women and six children and rustled 20 cows.

The National Emergency Management Agency said on Friday that flood water in some of the affected states was receding, but warned that owners of submerged houses should not be in a hurry to re-occupy such buildings.

It warned that such houses could be unsafe, adding that some of the places where the water had receded were still not safely accessible.

Speaking in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents on Friday, the Head of Press Unit, NEMA, Mr Manzo Ezekiel, explained that it would be best if submerged buildings were subjected to structural integrity test before occupation so as not to endanger lives.

Asked if the water was receding or there was still a surge, he stated, “It is receding, but most of the places are still inaccessible. Some of the places are not yet fit for human habitation, but the water is receding. However, it’s receding from the extreme North and even some part of the central region compared to the South.

The National Emergency Management Agency said on Friday that flood water in some of the affected states was receding, but warned that owners of submerged houses should not be in a hurry to re-occupy such buildings.

It warned that such houses could be unsafe, adding that some of the places where the water had receded were still not safely accessible.

Speaking in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents on Friday, the Head of Press Unit, NEMA, Mr Manzo Ezekiel, explained that it would be best if submerged buildings were subjected to structural integrity test before occupation so as not to endanger lives.

Asked if the water was receding or there was still a surge, he stated, “It is receding, but most of the places are still inaccessible. Some of the places are not yet fit for human habitation, but the water is receding. However, it’s receding from the extreme North and even some part of the central region compared to the South.

Three persons were crushed to death when an unidentified driver of a commercial blue truck marked LSD697YD and an unidentified driver of a commercial blue/white Mitsubishi L300 bus with number plate: LEH596XA collided.

The fatal crash occurred at the Onitsha Head Bridge by Asaba-Onitsha Expressway on Friday.

It was gathered that 10 people, comprising six male adults and four female adults, were involved in the crash. While three persons comprising two males and one female died on the spot, seven others were injured.

An eyewitness said the victims were pedestrians walking down the bridge.

Terrorists have abducted the District Head of Birnin Tsaba in the Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State, identified only as Alhaji Hashimu along with his younger brother, Danbalange, who is a member of the All Progressives Congress in the area.

An indigene of the area, Mohammed Faruku, told City Round that the district head and his brother were kidnapped at their homes around 4.30am on Friday.

Faruku said, ‘’Both men were seized from their homes in Birnin Tsaba by a group of terrorists who road on motorcycles.’’

A family member of the victims, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of attack, said, “The attack on the two victims was launched by a notorious terrorist leader. He called us on  phone and confirmed the abduction of the victims by his gang.’’

The Nigeria Police on Saturday debunked reports that the Federal Capital Territory was being saturated with bombs. 

The police described as fake news reports in the news and on social media that bombs were being planted in FCT in connection with the terror alert issues by the United States on possible attack in Abuja. 

In a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the police decried instances where individuals who are “presumed to be peace ambassadors and patriotic agents of national unity in Nigeria” are spreading falsehood.

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has received 20 of the 60 Operational vehicles donated to 16 security outfits by the Federal Capital Territory Administration. 

This was contained in a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the FCT Police Command, Josephine Adeh, on Thursday. 

According to the statement, FCT Minister, Muhammad Bello, commended the security operatives for their gallantry and selfless service, especially for those who had paid the ultimate price in the course of discharging their duty.

In his goodwill message, the Minister noted that the donation comes with a three-year paid servicing schedule and is one of the several measures by the current administration to ensure that the country is safer before its succession.