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COVID-19: Bagudu Distributes CACOVID Palliatives to 38,047 Households

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From Haruna Aliyu Usman, Birnin Kebbi


Gov Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, Thursday, flagged off the distribution of assorted food relief materials to no fewer than 38,047 households.

The materials were donated by the Coalition Against COVID-19 ( CACOVID ).

while the disbursement was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari.


The flag off ceremony was conducted simultaneously on Thursday, across the thirty six states of Nigeria and FCT, Abuja.

The food items included Pasta Macararoni, rice, refined salt, sugar, spahagetti, flour and noodles .


Bagudu, represented by his Deputy, Alhaji Sama’ila Yombe Dabai , said that,  a total of forty five (45) trucks of the items were supplied to the state .


The governor explained that, modalities had effectively been mapped out to ensure the even distribution of the materials to all the two hundred and twenty five political wards of the state .
Bagudu assured justice and equity in the disbursement of the items, through the local councils’ chairmen.
The governor was highly optimistic that, the invaluable gesture would significantly alleviate the suffering occasioned by the negative tolls of the pandemic . 
According to him: ” All the intended beneficiaries will receive the materials as scheduled and nobody will be missed.
” However, I must still warn that, officials Involved in the distribution should be God fearing and honest in the discharge of the assignment .”


Also speaking, the Chief of Staff, Government House,  Birnin Kebbi, Alhaji Suleiman Muhammad Argungu, who is also the Kebbi State Coordinator, COVID-19 Food Relief Programme, stated that , top officials of the state government and those of the Coalition will monitor both the flag off exercise and the actual distribution of the food items, across the state.


Argungu, who was also a former Deputy Governor in the state,  noted,”this is to ensure that, the exercise was done according to the plans, while vowing that, appropriate sanctions await anybody who flouts them.”


The State COVID -19 Task Force Chairman and Health Commissioner, Jafar Mohammed said that, Kebbi State has so far recorded 90 COVID -19 confirmed positive cases, out of the 648 suspected cases investigated. 


Out of the number, 83 persons have been treated and discharged, he stated.


According to him, the pandemic has so far claimed seven lives, while there was no any pending positive case in any of the isolation centres in the State.


He lauded Gov Bagudu for according topmost priority to the provision of moral and financial support to all the activities of the task force, which was responsible for the colossal successes it had recorded.


In his speech before presentation of the relief materials, the representative of Coalition Against Covid -19 ( CACOVID), Umar Muhammed said the Private Sector coalition was a joint initiative of leading private sector leaders and the Central Bank of Nigeria  ( CBN) launched to galvanize urgent support in the fight against COVID -19 in Nigeria.


He said because the virus has been reported among individuals across Nigeria with high risk of spreading to affect the population not only in Nigeria with attendant socio-economic and healthcare disruptions, the need to come together to fight for the nation.


“Today, the fight for survival has become a necessity, and it is not just the responsibility of the Government, It is our collective responsibility and we must all join the fight to stay alive”, he stated.


Muhammed also announced that so far the CACOVID in collaboration with state governments has commissioned 38 isolation centers across all the 36 states in Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT) as well as improved the testing capacity of the NCDC with the donation of over 100,000 test kits and various PPEs.


He added that the Food Relief Program which had started would cover 1.6 million families, or about 10 million people across the country.


He assured that CACOVID has laid out an elaborate plan to effectively and efficiently distribute the relief packages to the target beneficiaries across all local government areas in Nigeria.


“We are doing this to help the most vulnerable households that have been affected by the Coronavirus”, he said.


He commended governor Bagudu for assisting the CACOVID team in the fight against the the dreaded COVID- 19 pandemic in Kebbi State.


Foreign News

Israel Vows to Build Jewish Settlements, Rejects Macron’s Call for Palestinian State

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“Do not threaten Israel with sanctions” as it will continue to build a “Jewish state” on the ground,” Israeli Defense Minister, Israel Katz, warned on Friday.He also rebuffed a call by French President Emmanuel Macron for establishing a Palestinian State.In open defiance of international law, Katz claimed that world powers may recognize a Palestinian state “on paper.

”Katz made the remarks during a visit to Sa-Nur, an illegal outpost in the northern West Bank that the Tel Aviv government recently decided to officially designate as a settlement for illegal Israeli settlers.
In a direct message, Defense Minister Israel Katz targets French President Macron and European allies.He also dismissed the potential international consequences.
He said: “They will recognise a Palestinian state on paper, while we will build the Jewish Israeli state on the ground.“Don’t threaten us with sanctions. You will not make us bow.“The State of Israel will not kneel before threats.”His comments came hours after President Macron stated that recognising the State of Palestine was a “moral duty”.Macron also reiterated that France may move toward official recognition during an upcoming international conference focused on the two-state solution.Earlier this week, Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the Israeli Security Cabinet had secretly approved the establishment of 22 new illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.In response, the Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now issued a statement Thursday, revealing that 12 of the newly approved settlements were previously unauthorised outposts and farming sites established in recent years.According to Peace Now, there are currently 156 illegal settlements and 224 outposts across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, with over 736,000 illegal Israeli settlers living on occupied Palestinian land.The international community, including the UN, considers the Israeli settlements illegal under international law.The UN has repeatedly warned that continued settlement expansion threatens the viability of a two-state solution, a framework seen as key to resolving the decades-long Palestinian-Israeli conflict.In July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian land illegal and demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.(AA/NAN)

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Stock Market Sheds N48bn Amid Sell-offs

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The stock market on Friday closed the week on a bearish note, as key performance indicators dipped by 0.07 per cent.Specifically, the market capitalisation declined by N48 billion, or 0.07 per cent, to N70.462 trillion from N70.510 trillion recorded on Thursday.The All-Share Index also dropped by 0.

07 per cent or 76.07 points to close at 111,742.
01 down from 111,818.08 posted on Thursday.
The decline was largely attributed to sell-offs in heavyweight stocks like Beta Glass, NCR Nigeria, Conoil, Legend Internet and 33 others.Also, the market breadth closed negative with 37 stocks declining against 28 gainers.On the flip side, Beta Glass declined by 10 per cent, closing at N232.65 while NCR Nigeria also lost by 10 per cent, finishing at N6.
57 per share.Conoil dropped by 9.99 per cent, settling at N298.10 and Legend Internet fell by 9.94 per cent, closing at N6.16 per shareAlso, Industrial Medical Gases shed by 9.91 per cent, ending the session at N33.65 per share.On the gainers’ chart, Omatek grew by 9.86 per cent, settling at 78k while Red Star Express climbed by 9.62 per cent, closing at N8.32 per share.Deap Capital Management rose by 9.38 per cent, finishing at N1.05 and Sovereign Trust Insurance soared by 9.09 per cent, ending the session at N1.08 per share.May and Baker also increased by 8.26 per cent, closing at N11.80 per share.A total of 1.90 billion shares valued at N64.14 billion were traded across 18,653 transactions, in contrast to the 556.45 million shares worth N17.17 billion exchanged across 18,505 deals on Thursday.Transactions in the shares of United Bank for Africa topped the activity chart with 1.41 billion shares worth N49.02 billion.United Capital followed with 66.84 million shares valued at N1.32 billion while Access Corporation sold 53.97 million shares worth N1.19 billion.Fidelity Bank traded 31.38 million shares valued at N606.09 million and Zenith Bank transacted 29.93 million shares worth N1.46 billion. (NAN)

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Customs Intercepts 39,425 Litres of Smuggled Petrol

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The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adeniyi, said Operation Whirlwind intercepted 39,425 litres of petrol worth ₦39.4 million within Lagos-Ogun axis. Mr Adeniyi disclosed this on Friday at a news conference in Lagos, organised following recent petroleum product seizures by Operation Whirlwind at the Federal Operations Unit, Ikeja.

Represented by the National Coordinator of Operation Whirlwind, Asst.
Comptroller-General Hussein Ejibunu, Adeniyi said it marked another milestone by operatives in the Lagos-Ogun axis. He attributed the success to officers’ dedication, commitment and resilience over the past year within the zone. Adeniyi said the Office of the National Security Adviser, NMDPRA, and Attorney General’s office all commended Customs’ efforts in intercepting smuggled petroleum products.
He said, “On May 23, we were in Yola for a similar exercise where over 46,000 litres of seized PMS were auctioned. “Today, we are conducting another auction following seizures made at Laro, Imeko, Badagry, Owode, Ajilete, and other flashpoints.” He added that investigations confirmed the petrol was intended for smuggling into Benin Republic. A total of 1,577 jerrycans of 25 litres each — amounting to 39,425 litres — were seized, along with eight vehicles used for transportation. Adeniyi stated that the seized petrol had a duty paid value of ₦39.4 million, and the vehicles were valued at ₦24 million, totalling ₦63.4 million. He reiterated that there was no safe haven for smugglers, and Customs would continue disrupting illegal activities to the barest minimum. The CGC directed that the seized petrol be auctioned immediately to Nigerians in 25-litre jerrycans at ₦10,000 each. He thanked strategic partners—ONSA, the Attorney General’s office and NMDPRA—for their unwavering support and cooperation. Adeniyi added that the success of Operation Whirlwind was due to strong collaboration with these agencies. “Since Operation Whirlwind began in 2025, Customs officers have not fired a single shot, and four suspects are currently facing trial,” he said. Comptroller Charles Orbih, Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘A’ of NCS, reaffirmed the service’s commitment to protect Nigeria’s economy and ensure policy benefits reach all citizens. He noted that every litre smuggled across the borders causes revenue loss, scarcity, market instability and weakens energy security. “Operation Whirlwind, launched by the National Security Adviser’s office, proves Nigeria Customs is capable of defending and securing the nation’s borders,” Orbih stated. Comptroller Muhammed Shuaibu, FOU Zone ‘A’, commended Customs Management for the success achieved during Operation Whirlwind. He said the seizure was a joint effort by officers committed to combating smuggling and protecting the nation’s borders. He added that the seizure would help revive the economy, and Customs would maintain its focus on revenue generation and supporting legitimate trade. Mr Patrick Musa, of the NSA’s Lagos Zonal office (NMDPRA), said the operation proved Customs’ competence in border protection. He noted that NMDPRA, mandated with petroleum distribution, would continue collaborating with Customs and other agencies to stop petrol smuggling. Mrs Abidemi Aluko, representing the Attorney General’s office, appreciated the CGC, Customs officers and partner agencies for curbing petrol smuggling. “This is not business as usual. Suspects are currently under investigation for illegal petroleum dealings and will face trial,” she said. Quoting relevant laws, she stated the offence carries a sentence of life imprisonment or a fine, including forfeiture of transport means. “The Federal Government remains committed to prosecuting and bringing to justice those involved in petrol smuggling,” Aluko added. She called on sister agencies and stakeholders to strengthen collaboration to fight economic sabotage. In his closing remarks, ACG Kola Oladeji thanked the CGC for his leadership and enabling environment that contributed to the operation’s success. Oladeji urged officers to stay committed and intensify efforts to enhance national security. (NAN)

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