NEWS
India Offers NYSC Capacity Building for Corps Members.
By Evelyn Terseer – Abuja
The Republic of India has stated its readiness to offer capacity building training for Corps Members.
It also said it would strenghten its cooperation with Nigeria on youth empowerment.
The Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Abhay Thakur disclosed this yesterday when he paid a courtesy visit to the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim in his office in Abuja.
He commended the NYSC for its roles as the only Federal Government agency that manages graduate youths for national development.
The diplomat disclosed that India also has National Cadet Corps (NCC) of more than one million youths, which like the NYSC has a large gathering of youth population.
He extended his country’s invitation to the NYSC to select Corps Members and officials that would participate in the Republic Day Parade to mark the seventy-fifth Independence Anninversary celebration of India, which comes up in January next year.
In the statement by Director, press and public relations, Adenike Adeyemi he said the event would have in attendance, many Heads of Governments across the world.
Thakur added that India had collaborated with different Federal Government agencies through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as Budget and National Planning for technical and economic collaboration.
“We are delighted to extend our hitech programme to the NYSC though financial hub, management, agricricultural practices, media and communications. We feel very happy to extend this programme and collaborate with the NYSC.
The aim of the NCC of India is to develop character, comradeship, discipline, the spirit of adventure and self service”, he said.
The Director-General, Brigadier Shuaibu lbrahim congratulated all lndians on the seventy-fifth Independence Anniversary.
He said the NYSC was established to promote national unity and integration as a fall-out of the Nigeria Civil War.
He added that the Scheme is the only agency in the African continent that mobilises so many graduate youths for Service every year.
He promised that the criteria for the selection of Corps Members that would be participate in the anniversary would be transparent.
General Ibrahim informed the Indian diplomat that Corps Members performed creditably during the outbreat of COVID-19 pandemic last year by producing different anti-COVID-19 items such as facemasks, hand sanitizers, liquid soaps, foot-operated water and soap dispensers, among others, which were distributed free to Nigerians nationwide.
He added that it is only in the NYSC that Corps Members are tested for COVID-19, free of charge, after which those that test negative are allowed into the camp, while those that test positive are taken away by officials of the NCDC and state ministries of health for treatment and management.
“Corps Members have been contributing immensely to National Development.
They have lots of potentials, and they have been sensitising Nigerians on the non-pharmaceutical anti-COVID-19 protocols”, he said.
He added that the partnership with NCDC and Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 have assisted the government on data analysis of COVID-19 in Nigeria.
The Director-General said the NYSC was involved in the establishment of similar youth agency in Gambia.
NEWS
Police Detain Woman for Alleged Killing of Co-wife in Bauchi
The police command in Bauchi State, said it has apprehended a housewife over alleged killing of her co-wife following a domestic violence incident in Bauchi metropolis.
This was contained in a statement by the spokesman of the command, SP Nafiu Habib, on Monday in Bauchi.
He said that the command detained the suspect (name withheld) on Sept.
27 for alleged culpable homicide following a domestic incident at Tafawa Balewa Housing Estate in Bauchi.Habib said that on Sept. 27, at about 4:05 p.m., the Police C-Division, Bauchi, received credible information that there was a domestic incident between two wives residing in the same household belonging to their husband.
He said that preliminary investigation revealed that the 33-year-old suspect, who is the second wife, allegedly acting under hallucinations, struck the first wife with pestle on the forehead, and the victim fell unconscious.
“Upon receipt of the report, detectives attached to C-Division immediately mobilised to the scene.
“The scene was documented, and the victim was rushed to the Specialist Hospital, Bauchi, where she was certified dead by a medical doctor. The corpse has been deposited at the hospital mortuary for autopsy,” he said.
Habib said that the police recovered the pestle used in committing the offence.
He quoted the Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, as directing the transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for discreet investigation and prosecution.
Aliyu condoled with the bereaved family and cautioned against domestic violence.
The CP also advised husbands to seek timely medical and psycho-social support for members of their families exhibiting mental health challenges. (NAN)
NEWS
FRSC Deploys 170 Ambulances Nationwide for Emergency Rescue
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has deployed more than 170 ambulances across the country as part of efforts to strengthen emergency response and rescue operations on Nigerian roads.
The Corps Public Education Officer (CPEO), Osondu Ohaeri, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja, while responding to questions on the operational capacity of the corps emergency ambulance network and its response to Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs).
Ohaeri said the FRSC had the largest number of ambulances among emergency response agencies in Nigeria, with more than 170 ambulances and 60 Zebra points across the country.
He said the figure should however not be interpreted as the number of ambulances currently operational or serviceable as of September 2026.
According to him, an accurate current figure of serviceable ambulances will require the latest fleet-status report from the corps medical and rescue office.
He explained that the figures demonstrated the scale of the corps emergency response network, while the availability of individual ambulances was managed operationally based on their location, condition and assignment.
On the adequacy of the ambulances for emergency rescue, he said the corps continued to maintain and deploy its assets as part of its emergency response responsibilities, stressing that the status of individual vehicles could vary depending on their operational condition and assignment.
The CPEO said the corps was also focused on improving its emergency response capacity, particularly by strengthening rescue deployment and collaboration with other relevant agencies.
He also said that the corps had historically recorded an average response time of about 15 minutes under its documented emergency-response programme.
He cautioned against presenting the figure as the current nationwide average without updated operational data.
According to him, response time varies depending on several factors including the location of a crash, traffic congestion, distance from the nearest ambulance point and accessibility of the crash scene.
He added that the accuracy and timeliness of information provided by callers could also affect the speed with which rescue teams reached crash scenes.
Other factors he said include the possibility of emergency teams responding to other incidents simultaneously.
Ohaeri stressed that the corps had identified faster response to road traffic crashes and other emergencies as one of its management priorities in 2026.
He said efforts were therefore ongoing to strengthen rescue deployment and inter-agency collaboration to improve emergency response to road crashes.
He added that the FRSC remained committed to improving emergency rescue operations, strengthening the deployment of its resources and working with relevant stakeholders to ensure better outcomes for road crash victims.
He reiterated that complaints concerning emergency response, evacuation, treatment of victims or other forms of alleged misconduct should be channeled through the appropriate authorities for investigation and necessary action.
The CPEO further assured that the corps would continue to strengthen its emergency response mechanisms as part of broader efforts to reduce the consequences of road traffic crashes and improve the safety of road users nationwide.(NAN)
NEWS
NBA Decries Rising Insecurity in Plateau, Urges Urgent Action
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has decried the spate of security challenges currently confronting Plateau and other parts of Nigeria.
The Chairman of Jos Branch of the association, Morgan Dung, said this during a joint news conference on Monday in Jos.
Dung spoke on behalf of the Jos, Bukuru and Pankshin branches of the association.
The chairman particularly decried the recent attacks and killings in Mangu, Barkin-Ladi, Riyom, Bokkos, Bassa, Wase and Kanam Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.
Dung, who described the continuous killings of innocent residents as “unfortunate and unacceptable”, called on the Federal Government and the security agencies to tackle the menace.
“The protection of lives and property remain the most fundamental responsibility of government as contained in section 33 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
“NBA frowns at the inability of the government to prevent the continuous loss of lives and property in Plateau and beyond.
“We particularly condemn the recent killing of members of community vigilantes at their duty posts in Mangu, Barkin-Ladi, Riyom, Bokkos and Bassa LGAs
“We call on the government and security agencies to bring the perpetrators to book. This menace must also stop,”he said.
Dung, however, commended president Bola Tinubu over his recent visit to Plateau and the move to establish State Police in the country.
He further called on the government to sponsor an executive bill to fully domicile security issues under the concurrent legislative list.
Dung urged the government to properly and adequately equip security agencies, strengthen border surveillance and secure all forests serving as hideouts for bandits and other criminal elements.
The chairman also commended Gov. Caleb Mutfwang for revamping Operation Rainbow, a state-owned security outfit and training of 2,000 personnel of the neighbourhoods watch.
He, however, called for the licensing of Operation Rainbow to operate with kinetic facilities, implement the anti-land grabbing law and provide structures for police division and forward operation bases in the state.
Dung advised security agencies to deploy more personnel and equipment to flashpoints in the state, insisting that such a move would ensure prompt response to threats.
The chairman, who called on the judiciary to ensure timely dispensation of terrorism cases, advised governors to sign death warrants of convicted terrorists to serve as a deterrent to others.
He pledged NBA’s readiness to promote access to justice, document evidence of atrocities and pursue public interest litigation to ensure accountability (NAN)


