NEWS
Over 3,311 Vulnerable, Orphans Children Given Meaningful Life in Bayelsa
From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa
In order to reduce the vulnerable children from the society and give them a meaningful life, over 3,311 vulnerable children and orphans have been rescued and given a meaningful source of livelihoods in Bayelsa State through the state’s livelihood-based social protection and care programs.
The program is part of the Integrated Child Health and Social Services Award Project (ICHSSA1), a program funded by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and powered by the Centre For Clinical Care and Clinical Research (CCCRN) in partnership with the Bayelsa State Government, Catholic Relief Services and 16 other community based organization.
Speaking during the Launch of Bayelsa State Strategic Plan for Vulnerable Children Programming (2025-2030) and CCCRN -ICHSSA 1 project State dissemination and closeout meeting in Yenagoa, the state capital on Monday, the Chief of Party of ICHSSA 1 project, Dr Peters Adekoya said the rescued vulnerable children were drawn from 1,171 households in the state.
He stated that the project’s approach has significantly improved food security, livelihood skills, health and social well-being, thereby reducing poverty and vulnerability among the children.
He further said, with the successes achieved with the project, it has enhanced their efforts to extend and replicate the programs across the state to reach more vulnerable children in need.
He said: “From the initiation of the projects in Bayelsa in October 2021 to September 2024, the ICHSSA 1 project achieved significant milestones in supporting vulnerable children and adolescents which significantly improved economic stability and access to essential services for beneficiaries.
“With the establishment of an orphan and vulnerable children state technical steering committee, the group promotes rapid responses to Gender Based Violence (GBV) and social protection issues, our cash transfers were given to 114 households, and many others.” He said.
Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, who officially launched the Bayelsa State Strategic Plan for Vulnerable Children Programming (2025-2030), said why the state government sustains the programme at the local government level, is that over 70 percent vulnerable children live at the local communities.
According to him, the fundamental human rights of orphans and vulnerable Children (OVCs) like any other citizens of the country must not be neglected but protected at all times.
Speaking further on the expansion of the programme, Senator Ewhrudjakpo called on the Centre for Clinical Care and Clinical Research Nigeria and other stakeholders not to limit the issue of vulnerability to those living with HIV/AIDS and their children alone but to all disadvantaged children.
The deputy governor also called for closer collaboration between all tiers of government, development partners and other critical stakeholders in alleviating the plight of orphans and vulnerable children in society.
Ewhrudjakpo charged local government authorities in the state to replicate what the state government is doing by developing their own strategic plans on how to reduce the suffering of vulnerable children in their various councils.
He therefore urged the state ministry of Women and Children Affairs to expand the programme, because orphans are also vulnerable.
Also speaking, the state commissioner for Women, Children Affairs, Empowerment and Social Development, Deaconess Elizabeth Bidei, said they commenced the implementation of a three years intervention called “Integrated Child Health and Social Services Award Project (ICHSSA1), across the eight local government areas in the state.
In his goodwill message, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Seiyefa Brisibe, congratulated the women affairs ministry on its achievements in caring for orphans and vulnerable children, and pledged his ministry’s support in terms of providing good healthcare for the children.
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)


