Uncategorized
Association Seeks Education of Women with Disabilities on SGBV

The Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Edo Chapter, has called for the education of women with disabilities on issues related to Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV).
Its Chairperson, Ms Ann Ojugo, made the call during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Benin.
Ojugo said women with disabilities needed to be educated on ways to avoid abusive relationships as well as report cases of SGBV to relevant authorities.
“Women with disabilities, especially those from poor backgrounds, are at the receiving end when it comes to SGBV, due to poor access to knowledge about how to fight for their rights.
“Some women with disabilities have children for men they don’t know, men they don’t love, and are scared to report such situations.
“Some are also in abusive relationships and can’t fight for their rights because they lack adequate knowledge about SGBV issues,” she said.
She said the association recently trained 18 women with disabilities drawn from the 18 Local Government Councils in the state, on how to avoid abusive relationships and report such cases to where they could get justice.
“We encouraged the women to take the knowledge gained down to the grassroots so that women with disabilities will be bold to stand for their rights and report violence, so that culprits will be dealt with.
“At the end of the training, some of the participants said they would not have been victims of abuses if only they had access to information on SGBV,” she said.
She commended the Edo Government for establishing Sexual Assault Referral Centres in the 18 local government councils of the state.
She, however, said that more work needed to be done at the grassroots to enable victims gain access as well as visit the centres.
“The LGA chairmen should be able to provide logistics as well as create conducive centres where women with disabilities, going through different forms of SGBV, can easily visit and seek for help.
“Members of staff in such centres should not use derogatory words on the victims and they should give victims the necessary assistance,” she said. (NAN)
Uncategorized
NIMC Inaugurates NIN Authentication Service

The Federal Government of Nigeria has approved the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) inauguration of the NIMC NIN Authentication (NNAuth) for secured and seamless identity verification and authentication.
This is contained in a statement in Lagos on Tuesday, by the Head, Cooperate Communications, NIMC, Dr Kayode Adegoke.
Adegoke said that similarly, the presidency had directed the use of NIN Authentication for verification and authentication across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
He explained that this was in line with the commission’s mandate of regulating a reliable national digital identity for citizens and legal residents to affirm their identity
According to him, the inauguration of the NIN Authentication (NINAuth), a cutting-edge suite of services that include web, API and mobile verification is designed to enhance data security, protect privacy, and simplify access to government services.
”This is part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda on strengthening the national identity management system.
”The NIMC NINAuth application is the official service for integration with the commission’s back-end infrastructure.
”It introduces a robust layer of protection, empowering individuals with greater control over their personal information.”
He added that it required explicit consent before data is shared for Know Your Customer (KYC) processes or other verifications.
He said that the platform fosters trust, transparency, and user autonomy in digital identity management.
Adegoke also said that with the NINAuth, individuals could securely verify their identity and access key government services which include Sim registration, replacement, applications and passport processing
Others he said include tax filings and financial transactions, government Intervention Programmes in various MDAs, driver’s licence renewals and other regulatory processes.
The NIMC head of cooperate communications further said that the key features and benefits include enhanced Security, Protects personal data from unauthorised access, empowers individuals with the freedom to manage their data sharing preferences.
According to him, other key features and benefits include seamless access, provides a secure single sign on solution for convenient access to services.
He added that the innovation reaffirms NIMC’s commitment to advancing secured and efficient digital identity management, ensuring a more accessible, transparent, and secure identity verification system in Nigeria.
He said that the NINAuth application also provided a secured, scalable, and interoperable interface for identity verification through API integration.
According to him, it is designed to facilitate real-time authentication of NIN records, thereby promoting effective service delivery, database harmonisation, and compliance with the National Identity Policy.
He said that the NINAuth service had been designated as the exclusive platform for all NIN-based verification and authentication integration processes for optimal services.
”The implementation guide and process flow of the NIMC NIN Authentication are available at https://ninauth.nimc.gov.ng,” he said.
CRIME
Army Arrests Human Parts Trafficker, Drug Peddlers In Ogun State
By Oladapo Udom
Lagos, April 27, 2025 (NAN)Troops of the 81 Division, Nigerian Army, operating under the 35 Artillery Brigade, have apprehended a man for allegedly trafficking human parts at Kulanla Odomola in Ogun.
The division’s spokesman, Lt.-Col. Olabisi Ayeni, disclosed this in a signed statement on Sunday.
Ayeni said the troops rescued the suspect from an angry mob that had attempted to lynch him.
“The suspect, along with the exhibits, has been handed over to the Nigeria Police at Noforija for further investigation and possible prosecution,” he said.
The spokesman further revealed that troops operating in Ado-Odo, Ota Local Government Area of Ogun, arrested and detained three suspected drug peddlers during a patrol.
According to him, the suspects were found with two packs of substances suspected to be Indian hemp, concealed under 60kg of cargo in a white J5 vehicle.
“The suspects and exhibits have been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Ilaro Area Command, for further investigation and possible prosecution,” Ayeni said.
He reiterated the division’s commitment to deploying every legitimate means to protect law-abiding citizens from criminal elements within its area of operation.
Tanker Explosion: Reps presents N18m cheque to victims in Enugu
The Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr Tajudeen Abbas, Tuesday, presented a cheque for N18 million to the Enugu State Government as support to the victims of tanker explosion.
Report says that many people and families lost their lives and eight vehicles burnt in that fire accident after a tanker laden with fuel fell and exploded in the Ugwu- Onyeama axis of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway on Jan.
25.Presenting the cheque, the Speaker described the incident as a huge loss, not only to the Government and people of Enugu State, but also the nation as a whole,
Abbas was represented by Mr Nnolim Nnaji (Nkanu East/West) who led the Enugu State Caucus in the Green Chamber.
The speaker said that the support was in keeping with the tradition of the House of Representatives to ensure that governments and people of Nigeria were not alone in the face of such challenges.
Other Enugu State Caucus in the house that accompanied Nnaji include Messrs Martins Oke, Dennis Agbo, Mark Obetta, Anayo Onwuegbu, and Chimaobi Atu.
Abbas commended Mbah for his sterling leadership of the state and the prompt effort to comfort the families who lost their loved ones and supported the injured.
“On behalf of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, we commiserate with the Government and people of Enugu state over the tanker incident at Ugwu Onyeama.
“We acknowledge that you have done a lot to support both the injured and those who lost their loved ones.
“So, this is a cheque for N18 million to assist the state to further ameliorate their losses and challenges occasioned by the incident.
“We send our heartfelt condolences, once again and you can continue to count on our support,” he said.
Reacting, Gov. Peter Mbah thanked the Speaker and the Enugu State Caucus of the House of Representatives for the show of concern, assuring them that the donation would go straight to the purpose for which it was made.
“On behalf of the Government and people of Enugu State, I express profound gratitude and deep appreciation for this wonderful gesture.
“I recall that when the Ugwu-Onyeama incident occurred, taking the lives of several of our loved ones, the Speaker called and assured us that he was with us in prayers.
“Today, he has also shown us that he is not only with us in prayers, but also materially. He has equally come to mourn with us.
“This cheque of N18 million will go a long way in cushioning the effect of the incident on those affected and their families.
“Rest assured that as a government, we will ensure that this gets to them in a transparent, accountable, and just manner,” Mbah said. (NAN)