From Ifeanyichukwu Nwannah, Gusau

Over one hundred residents, persons with disabilities, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), and other vulnerable groups in Zamfara State have been empowered with skills and cash by the International Organization for Migration IOM, for self-reliance.

The recipients expressed gratitude to the organization for empowering them with skills training and one hundred and forty four thousand Naira training allowances as part of activities marking the 30th anniversary of the creation of Zamfara State.

The beneficiaries, who participated in various skills acquisition programmes, expressed optimism that the intervention would enable them to improve their livelihoods and become self-reliant.

The distribution ceremony, held at the Gusau Local Government Secretariat, brought together traditional rulers, community leaders and other stakeholders.

The intervention forms part of the livelihoods and climate mitigation component of the Conflict Prevention, Crisis Response and Resilience (CPCRR), Programme, funded by the European Union Foreign Policy Instruments and being implemented in Katsina and Zamfara States in collaboration with Mercy Corps and the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD).

Speaking on behalf of the traditional leaders, the Chairman of the Community Peace and Resilience Committee (CPCRR), and District Head of Madawaki Ward, Alhaji Dahiru Shehu, described the intervention as timely and impactful.

He said that empowering vulnerable women, IDPs and persons with disabilities would help reduce street begging and encourage self-reliance.

“When you empower fourty women in a community, it is like empowering hundreds, because they can multiply the capital into income-generating activities,” he said.

The District Head who was represented by Surajo Labbo, commended Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, for his partnership with IOM in line with his commitment to providing people with opportunities to earn a living.

Dahiru Shehu also expressed appreciation to IOM for bringing numerous developmental programmes to the State as part of its contributions towards sustaining peace and stability in communities.

Earlier, a representative of IOM said the initiative was part of the organisation’s commitment to improving economic standards among women, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.

“We have trained 104 beneficiaries in various trades, including tailoring, cosmetics production, briquette making, soap making, carpentry and handicrafts, to improve their living conditions in their respective communities”

 “The sum of one hundred and forty four thousand Naira is for the two-month training allowances,” he said.

He explained that the beneficiaries would soon be provided with equipment and machines according to the trades they had learned during the training.

By Laide Akinboade, Abuja

In order to boost security, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Wednesday said it has completed the modern Divisional Police Headquarters and residential staff quarters in Ushafa and Saburi, Bwari and Abuja Municipal Area Councils respectively.

Director of the Security Services Department, FCTA, Adamu Gwary, described the development as a major step toward curbing crime across Abuja’s satellite towns.

Gwary told journalists during a visit to the sites on Wednesday, that the Ushafa and Saburi projects were 100 per cent completed and ready for official handover.

He added that 10 others across other areas councils were more than 90 per cent completed.

He explained that the Ushafa and Saburi facilities were among the 12 Divisional Police Headquarters, two per area council, being constructed across the territory to eliminate security blind spots.

“Out of the 10 ongoing projects, almost all have achieved more than 90 per cent completion, following Wike’s directive for all contractors to wrap up work before the end of November,” he said.

According to him, the strategic projects were part of a broader security initiative ordered by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike to take crime-fighting infrastructure directly to the doorsteps of residents in fringe and rural communities.

He explained that the newly constructed Divisional Headquarters features a fully equipped ground floor housing a central counter, detention facilities, and separate cells for male and female suspects.

He added that the upper floor contains eight fully furnished administrative offices, including an executive office for the Divisional Police Officer (DPO).

He said that to ensure adequate personnel presence and rapid response times, the complex includes a three-storey residential block comprising six fully furnished two-bedroom ensuite flats, complete with dining areas, kitchens, stores, and sitting rooms for officers.

Gwary added that a technical team from the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) Public Building Department would join the contractor to verify all specifications against the Bill of Quantities before the official handover is finalised.

He recalled that during the peak of security challenges in 2023, Wike conducted town hall meetings across six area councils and promised residents that security infrastructure would be decentralised away from the city center.

He said that the Ushafa station and another located at Igbu, 35 kilometers away, near the FCT-Nasarawa border, would secure satellite communities while fortifying the territory’s external borders against cross-border criminality and kidnapping rings.

Reflecting on the progress made since 2023, Gwary noted a measurable reduction in reported kidnappings and heinous crimes across the FCT.

He attributed this drop to a combination of enhanced equipment, expanding physical infrastructure, and strict enforcement against internal collaborators.

Reiterating the minister’s firm stance, Gwary reminded residents that informants supplying information to kidnappers and hoodlums would face the same severe legal consequences as the criminals themselves.

He urged residents to continue providing timely and accurate intelligence to security agencies whenever suspicious activities occur.

The director said that beyond physical structures, the FCTA is aggressively expanding its monthly logistics support to security agencies and tech-driven surveillance capabilities.

He disclosed that the Airport-to-Villa corridor is currently being monitored via advanced technology managed from the Force Headquarters control room.

He added that tech-surveillance networks would soon be expanded beyond presidential routes to cover key high-risk corridors.

The Site Engineer for Ushafa project, Kabir Muhammed, thanked Wike for trusting his firm with the project, assuring that the team worked closely with project monitoring and evaluation teams to deliver the facility within schedule.

The Federal Government has declared Thursday as a public holiday to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary.

The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the declaration in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.

Tunji-Ojo, who made the announcement on behalf of the federal government said that Nigeria unarguably remains the most prosperous black nation in the world.

He reiterated that peace and stability were necessary conditions for the development of any nation.

He called on Nigerians to emulate the nation’s founding fathers by loving Nigeria, thereby building a nation to be proud of.

“As we celebrate 66 years of our independence, we should always remember that there is hope for our country and our diversity is our strength.

“Our collective determination remains the foundation upon which a stronger and more prosperous nation will be built,” Tunji-Ojo said.

The minister reassured Nigerians that the administration of President Bola Tinubu through the Renewed Hope Agenda will ensure a better Nigeria for all citizens, as a befitting tribute to our heroes past.

Tunji-Ojo urged citizens to use the celebration as an opportunity to demonstrate the values of unity, patriotism, peaceful co-existence and mutual respect.

The minister assured Nigerians that the federal government remains committed to strengthening national security.

He added that this would be achieved by improving public safety and creating an environment where citizens can live, work and pursue their legitimate aspirations with confidence.

Tunji-Ojo congratulated all Nigerians, home and abroad on this year’s Independence Day celebration.

The federal government said that the activities for the celebration will be “low key”.

The federal government said the celebration will be reflecting on the contributions, enduring legacies and sacrifices of the founding fathers and heroines, who worked for Nigeria’s independence from colonial rule.

The government said that the achievements recorded by Nigeria since independence were built on the foundation laid by the country’s nationalists, stressing the importance of remembering their sacrifices while reflecting on the nation’s journey since Oct. 1, 1960.(NAN)