NEWS
HAPI Urges State Assembly to Hasten Passage of Disability Bill in Benue

From Attah Ede, Makurdi
A non-governmental organisation, Hope Alive for Possibilities Initiative (HAPI), has appealed to the Benue State House of Assembly to give priority attention to disability matters and hasten the passage of the disability bill before it.
The Executive Director of Hope Alive for Possibilities Initiative (HAPI), Avir Akighir said not more than 15 percent of People with Disabilities (PWDs) in Benue State stand to benefit immensely if the State House of Assembly fast-tracks the passage of the disability bill currently before it.
The administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia had recently approved the bill which has been sent to the Assembly for legislative action.
Speaking at a press conference in Makurdi at the weekend, Avir Akighir called on the Assembly to prioritise the bill, stating that the law, once enacted, would empower PWDs to play an active role in Benue State’s socioeconomic development.
“The Disability Bill holds the potential to provide a robust framework that guarantees the rights, dignity and full participation of persons with disabilities in all spheres of life, including education, employment, healthcare and public infrastructure.
“We urge the House of Assembly to prioritise the disability bill, recognising its transformative impact on over 15 percent of the state’s population of persons with disabilities.
“Speedy enactment and implementation of the Disability Law will not only align Benue state with national and international standards but will also serve as a beacon of hope for marginalised communities,” Akighir said.
The Executive Director disclosed that HAPI with support from Disability Rights Advocacy Fund (DRAF) works in Benue to ensure the enactment of the bill in the state.
He commended Governor Alia for forwarding the bill to the Assembly for passage and acknowledged the governor’s efforts towards upliftment of people with disability.
Earlier, the Benue State Chairman of Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) thanked the governor for his commitment to the welfare and inclusion of persons with disabilities in his government.
He promised that PWD would continue to remain supportive of Alia administration and also appealed to the state assembly to do the needful by giving speedy consideration to the bill before it.
NEWS
Taraba Community Seeks Strict Enforcement of Open Grazing Prohibition Law

The Munga Dosso community in Karim- Lamido Local Government area of Taraba has appealed to the state government to ensure strict enforcement of it anti-open grazing law to address herders and farmers conflict in the state.Mr Robert Bukar, Youth Leader of the community made the appeal on Monday, while briefing newsmen in Jalingo.
The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that the Munga Dosso community has came under an attack recently by suspected herders, where scores were killed and property worth millions of naira were destroyed. Bukar noted that the bill was signed into law by the former Gov. Darius Ishaku in 2018.He said that the enforcement of the law would address the lingering farmers/herders conflict.He also decried absence of government’s representatives to the crisis affected community.The youth leader also said that the community was left to it faith at the time its 12 members were killed by suspected herders and were given mass burial.“Notably, no government representatives from federal, state, or local levels visited the community after this incident.“We have a senator, a house of representatives member, a state assembly member, yet non deemed it necessary to visit us and to listen to our lamentations.“As a peace-loving community, we always report all incidents and seek assistance from security agencies.However, we were disappointed by the lack of government representation at the mass burial, where officials failed to commiserate with our people.” It is true that the state government sent relief materials to the victims but relief materials is not our problem. We expected their solidarity at the time.“The aftermath of such violence has tragically resulted in not only fatalities but also a significant number of injuries and displacements.“It has led to a humanitarian crisis that requires urgent attention. Families are left to mourn their loved ones, while survivors grapple with trauma and insecurity.“Access to essential resources has become increasingly challenging, complicating efforts for community stability.“Moreover, in all these, our people are often arrested and from police station to prison but none of the perpetrators are brought to justice.“It is only in the recent crisis that the herders were arrested with asulted rifles by the police in Karim -Lamido but were released the next day,” Bukar said.The youth leader also appealed to government to increase security deployment to allow farmers to safely return to their farms.He also requested Taraba government to ensure that the recently constituted administrative committee of enquiry carry out a thorough investigation to apprehend and punish the perpetrators of the recent attacks. (NAN)NEWS
Police Confirm Alleged killing of Naval Officer by Hoodlum in Kaduna

The Police Command in Kaduna State, on Monday confirmed the alleged killing of a Nigerian Navy Officer, Lt.-Cdr. M. Buba by a hoodlum on Sunday at about 4:50 am .The command’s spokesperson, DSP Mansir Hassan, confirmed the incident to Newsmen in Kaduna.Hassan said Buba was attacked and robbed near Kawo the fly over.
He said the yet-to-be identified individual had attacked the Naval Officer with a knife and robbed him of his mobile phones. According to him, the suspect was attempting to escape when an angry mob overpowered and beat him to death.Hassan said the late Naval officer suffered stab wounds and was rushed to Manaal Hospital where he was declared dead by a Medical Doctor.He also disclosed that Mr Suleiman Dahiru , who attempted to help the late Naval officer was also stabbed in the hand and he was also receiving treatment .Hassan said, “The body of late Buba has been deposited at the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital mortuary.“The deceased was in his black Toyota vehicle with registration number APP-745HT, when the incident happened “He said investigation and monitoring were ongoing in the general area to fish out the hoodlum. (NAN)NEWS
Successful Hajj 1446: Saudi Arabia Announces End of Pilgrimage

Prince Saud bin Mishaal, Deputy Emir of the Makkah Region, announced the successful completion of Hajj 1446, declaring it incident-free in terms of security, health, and services.Mishaal said that over 1.6 million pilgrims participated in the holy pilgrimage, with 1,506,576 pilgrims arriving from outside the Kingdom.
He explained that 166,654 domestic pilgrims, comprising Saudi citizens and residents. Mishaal said, “Total pilgrims1,673,230, including 877,841 male pilgrims and 795,389 female pilgrims. ”The prince extended congratulations to the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their role in ensuring the pilgrims’ safety and peace.He also praised the pilgrims’ cooperation and compliance with regulations, which contributed to the season’s success.Mishaal added, “The pilgrims performed their rites in safety and peace, thanks to the distinguished execution of operational plans by the Kingdom’s leadership.“The Hajj season was free of any major security, health, or service-related incidents.”He said that preparations for the next Hajj season would begin immediately, with the Kingdom’s leadership, government, and people taking pride in serving the holy sites and visitors. Mishaal extended congratulations to King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their role in ensuring the pilgrims’ safety and peace.( NAN)