By Raphael Atuu, Abuja

The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development has commenced engagement with the British Standards Institution (BSI) on the implementation of a new United Kingdom-funded Grow Job and Trade Standards Programme, aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s quality and standards systems and expanding market access for livestock and livestock products.

The engagement, held in Abuja, marks the commencement of the new programme following the successful completion of a three-year Standards Partnership Programme, also funded by the United Kingdom.

Discussions focused on how the new programme could support the implementation of Nigeria’s National Quality Policy through stronger collaboration with the National Quality Council and other institutions responsible for quality assurance, standards, certification and trade.

Speaking during the engagement, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Dr. Chinyere Ijeoma Akujobi, emphasised the need for the programme to address critical issues affecting the livestock sector, particularly sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) requirements, export certification, disease control, residue monitoring, laboratory testing and access to international markets.

Dr. Akujobi noted that, for Nigerian livestock and livestock products to compete effectively in the global market, the country must be able to demonstrate that its products consistently meet internationally recognised safety, quality and animal health standards.

She specifically highlighted the need to establish and implement effective residue monitoring plans for livestock products, including honey, eggs, fish and meat. According to her, strengthening domestic testing capacity is essential to provide assurance that Nigerian products are free from harmful substances such as pesticide residues and heavy metals.

The Permanent Secretary also underscored the importance of establishing disease-free zones and compartments to facilitate the export of livestock and animal products, noting that international trading partners require credible evidence that animals and their products satisfy prescribed animal health requirements before granting market access.

Dr. Akujobi further called for stronger coordination among government institutions involved in quality control, certification, inspection and trade.

She stressed the need to improve interoperability among relevant agencies operating at ports, particularly in the verification of certificates, to strengthen border controls and curb rejection of exported products resulting from poor documentation.

She assured the BSI team of the Ministry’s readiness to work closely with the institution to identify priority areas within the livestock sector and ensure that interventions under the new programme are aligned with Nigeria’s current needs and development priorities.

Dr. Akujobi added that efforts to promote livestock exports must take a comprehensive value-chain approach, covering production, processing, storage, transportation, quality assurance, certification and access to domestic and international markets.

The Director, Quality Assurance, Dr. Nurullah, stressed the importance of strengthening quality control and certification systems for livestock and livestock products, particularly those destined for export markets.

He noted that effective collaboration among the Ministry’s technical departments and relevant government agencies would be critical to ensuring that Nigerian livestock products meet applicable national and international standards and gain wider acceptance in global markets.

In his remarks, the Project Manager and Team Lead of the British Standards Institution (BSI), Riccardo Benvenuti, said the BSI team was in Nigeria to formally commence the new UK-funded Grow Job and Trade Standards Programme, building on the achievements of the previous three-year Standards Partnership Programme.

Benvenuti explained that the programme was designed as a collaborative initiative and was not intended to impose predetermined solutions on the Ministry.

He said the BSI approach was to work closely with the Ministry to understand its priorities, identify key challenges and determine areas where the programme could provide practical and sustainable support.

According to him, the objective is to understand what the Ministry seeks to achieve and jointly identify areas in which BSI expertise and technical support can contribute to achieving those goals.

The engagement reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development and its development partners to strengthening Nigeria’s livestock standards, improving product quality and safety, and positioning the sector to take greater advantage of national, regional and international trade opportunities.

From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa

The Bayelsa State Police Command has rescued a 42-year-old woman, Sarah Chinedu, who was abducted in Amassoma, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state, after spending nearly one month in captivity.

The 42 years old woman is an Indigene of Ebonyin State and resident in Amassoma in Southern Ijaw Local Council area.

The victim was abducted on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, after suspected kidnappers reportedly stormed her foam shop under the guise of wanting to buy an item.

The Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa State Command, CP Ajao Adewale, disclosed this on Sunday morning while briefing journalists on the successful operation carried out by men of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) led by CSP Chris Nwaogbo, saying the woman was rescued unhurt from the kidnappers’ hideout in Ogobiri Forest, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the State.

Adewale said the command received a distress call at about 7 pm on the day of the abduction and immediately activated its intelligence network to track the perpetrators.

He said intelligence gathering, including digital and local sources, eventually provided clues on the movements of the kidnappers and their ransom negotiations with the victim’s family.

According to him, the kidnappers initially demanded N100m but later reduced the ransom to N20m. And reportedly collected N1.5million for “refreshments” from the Husband.

The CP said operatives of the command’s Violent Crime Response Squad, led by CSP Chris Nwaogbo, relocated to Ogboinbiri Forest five days before the final operation and began closing in on the suspects.

He said the operatives stormed the kidnappers’ camp at about 1:45 a.m., rescuing the victim and arresting one of the suspected kidnappers.

The suspect, identified as 33-year-old Mark from Akenfa 1 community, was arrested during the operation.

The CP said the suspect had confessed to his involvement in the abduction and explained how the gang allegedly carried out the operation.

The CP said the suspect had confessed to his involvement in the abduction and explained how the gang allegedly carried out the operation.

According to Adewale, the suspects claimed to have approached the woman’s shop, where foams are sold, under the pretext of buying foam before taking advantage of the situation to abduct her.

“They surveyed the environment and saw that the woman was not sufficiently protected. They abducted her, put her in a vehicle and moved her to the riverside, where she was ferried to the camp,” he said.

The police commissioner said the rescue operation involved personnel from the Violent Crime Response Squad, the Federal Criminal Investigation Unit and the Marine Department.

He commended the offic

By David Torough, Abuja

Troops of Joint Task Force North West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, have rescued six kidnapped victims and recovered N800,000 taken from them by terrorists during an operation in Dandume Local Government Area of Katsina State.

The victims were rescued on Saturday, August 22, 2026, after troops of Sector 2 responded to a distress call that terrorists had intercepted a vehicle and abducted six occupants along the Dandume–Sheme Road.

According to a statement by the Joint Task Force Media Information Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Danja, the troops advanced to the area and engaged the terrorists, overpowering them with superior firepower and forcing them to flee into nearby bushes.

The six victims were subsequently rescued unharmed, while N800,000 earlier taken from them by the terrorists was recovered. The recovered cash and vehicle were handed back to the victims in the presence of the Divisional Police Officer, Dandume.

In a separate operation on August 21, troops also engaged terrorists along the Maraban Kankara axis in Kankara Local Government Area.

The troops forced the terrorists to retreat into the surrounding bushes and pursued the fleeing elements before recovering a motorcycle during a subsequent search of the area.

The Joint Task Force said it would continue aggressive patrols and offensive operations to restrict terrorists’ freedom of movement and protect lives and property.

It also appealed to residents to provide timely and credible information to security agencies to support ongoing counter-terrorism operations.