From Attah Ede, Makurdi

Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia has reaffirmed his administration’s firm commitment to strengthening multi-sectoral coordination as a core strategy to improve service delivery, optimize resources, and ensure that all interventions meet the real needs of the people.

He stated this during a high-level meeting of the State’s Multi-Sector Coordination Platform, convened by the Bureau for International Cooperation and Development (BICD) at the BICD held at Government House, Makurdi. The meeting was with the theme “Strengthening the Benue State Multi-Sector Coordination Platform for Sustainable Impact.”The Governor, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Chief Moses Atagher, declared the meeting open.He maintained that the current administration’s vision is to institutionalise government-led coordination as the standard for all partnerships in the state.The governor commended the BICD, under the leadership of Dr. Aondoaseer Leonard-Angelo Viashima, for its central role in aligning multi-sectoral interventions with the state’s priorities and fostering meaningful engagement between government and partners.He assured all stakeholders of his administration’s continued political leadership over the coordination process, its dedication to state ownership of partnerships, and its resolve to create an enabling environment for multi-sectoral action that delivers lasting benefits to communities across Benue State.Also speaking, the Secretary to the State Government, Deaconess Aber, emphasized the Governor’s directive for ministries, departments, agencies, and partners to work within the state-led coordination platform to achieve unity of purpose, avoid duplication, and ensure measurable results.The SSG who was represented by James Azande, Senior Special Assistant on Media in the Cabinet Office, appealed to the participants to take advantage of the meeting to strengthen partnership in the State.The day’s programme featured detailed updates from the BICD Technical Team on ongoing coordination efforts, partner registration compliance, and sector cluster designations, followed by a presentation from the Nigerian INGO Forum on gap mapping and opportunities for improved collaboration.A major highlight was the roundtable session, where MDAs and UN agencies presented their mid-year achievements, sharing updates on projects funded through grants, donations, and development programmes.These ranged from infrastructure upgrades, healthcare delivery, and educational initiatives to agriculture support, peacebuilding actions, and renewable energy deployment. Each presentation was followed by constructive reviews and feedback aimed at improving the impact, reach, and sustainability of interventions for the benefit of the people of Benue.The interactive Q&A session generated practical ideas for overcoming coordination challenges and reinforced the shared commitment to transparency, accountability, and delivering measurable results.The meeting concluded with clear next steps, including operationalizing sector working groups, launching enhanced coordination tools, and convening a joint review session in the fourth quarter of 2025.The meeting brought together a distinguished line-up of participants, including the Country Director of the Nigerian INGO Forum, Carmilla Higgins, and her delegation; heads of UN Agencies and offices active in Benue State; the Principal Private Secretary to the Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Chenge; the Director General of the Benue State Commission for Peace and Reconciliation, Mrs. Josephine Habba.Others are; the Director General of the Benue State SDGs Office, Chief John Akuse, the Director General of the Benue State Economic and Planning Commission, Prof. Jerome Andohol, the Director General of the Benue State Social Investment Project, Erdoo Iyo; Permanent Secretaries of the Ministries of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Education, Health, Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Power and Renewable Energy, Works, Housing and Urban Development, Water Resources, Environment and Climate Change, and Agriculture and Food Security.

From Ayinde Akintade, Osogbo

The authorities of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, have involved the Osun State Command of the Nigerian Police in its search for a female student of the institution who has been missing for four days.A release by the Public Relations Officer of the University, Abiodun Olarewaju, stated that the student, identified as Dorcas Oseghale, of the Department of Chemistry with Matric number: CHM/2021/165, was last seen on the evening of August 6, 2025 at about 8:00pm.

When Dorcas, who resides at Adesanmi House, Ibadan Road, Ile-Ife, said that she was going out to buy food in front of the students’ village, along Ede road axis of the University, did not return on time, her roommate then made several attempts to reach her on phone but surprisingly discovered that her two lines were not reachable.According to Olarewaju: “at around 3:00pm on August 7, 2025, a report of a missing female student was intercepted on a students’ social media platform and the Security Unit of the University started tracking the conversation around the incident. But around 6:10pm on the same day, a group of students from the Department of Chemistry, in search of the missing student, alongside a female student (Akinkuade Omobolanle Beatrice), from the Department of Agricultural Extension, identified as her roommate, reported a case of a missing student at the Security Unit of the University.Considering the complexity of the case and its limitations in terms of human and material resources, the Security Unit of the University then detailed three of its personnel to lead the students and report its preliminary findings to the Nigerian Police, which have enough manpower with sound professional and technical expertise to unravel the mystery surrounding the “disappearance” of the student, for further investigation.Meanwhile, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Adebayo Simeon BAMIRE, has lauded the students of the University for being their brothers’ and sisters’ keeper, thanking them for quickly noticing that one of them is missing and promptly reporting the same to the appropriate quarters. The Vice Chancellor then appealed to the Police and other security agencies to do all within their power to help find the missing student.Bamire also appealed to anybody who may have useful information that can assist the security agencies on the whereabouts of Dorcas Oseghale to report to the nearest police station or the security unit of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

From Abdullahi Abubakar, Ilorin

Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq over the weekend held a strategic security meeting with the military, police and other security agencies in Kwara South.This was contained in a press release by Hon. Olayinka Fafoluyi, Senior Special Assistant, New Media to Kwara State Governor.

According to the release, “The meeting, convened by the Governor, was a swift follow-up to the reviewed reports submitted by various stakeholders, including that of a routine meeting of Kwara South Leaders convened by Dr. Johnson Adewumi.”Those present included the Irepodun Local Government Chairman, Hon. Abdulazeez Yakub; Commissioner for Communications, Hon. Bolanle Olukoju; Prince Olanrewaju Shuaib (SOFAB); as well as senior officers of the police, army, and other security agencies in the state.A part of the press statement reads: “During the meeting, the Governor commended the Nigerian Army, police officers, local vigilantes, and community leaders for their collaboration, which is contributing to peace and safety across the state.””The strategic security meeting, which ended on a positive note, was part of the AbdulRazaq-led administration’s ongoing efforts to further strengthen security across the state,” Fafoluyi added.”Governor AbdulRazaq has remained committed to fortifying Kwara’s security architecture and ensuring the state remains inhospitable to non-state actors and criminal elements. The Governor, who has maintained constant touch with the security commanders and local vigilantes across the state, directed the sustained security lockdown of areas with signs of threats to ensure public safety,” added the statement.The Governor reassured the public that concerted efforts are being made, in coordination with the Office of the National Security Adviser, to keep the state safe at all times.The Chairman of the Nigerian Governor Forum (NGF) also urged maximum support and asked the people not to panic as security forces conduct their operations within the state.It would be recalled that, there was a spike in the activities of bandits in the southern senatorial district, of late, especially in Oke-Ode, and Babanla axes of Ifelodun local Government Area of the State. But the security forces, especially the Army, from the 22nd Armoured Brigade, Sobi Barrack, Ilorin, have come down hard on the criminals in an expedition that has restored normalcy in the areas. But it seems the Governor does not want to give the social malcontents any breathing space or an opportunity to allow the regroup and rearm, hence the strategic meeting.