An Area Court sitting at Centre-Igboro, Ilorin has on Tuesday dissolved the Islamic marriage between Taibat Oniban and Alfa Kamaldeen both of Okelele Area, Ilorin, after eight years.

The Presiding Judge, Idris Etsu, made the ruling after the Bailiff of the court deposed an affidavit on the agreement of the husband to dissolve the marriage.

“The bailiff said that he called the husband on the phone and he said that he is not interested in the marriage.

“The husband agreed that the custody of the child between them be granted to the wife,” Judge said.

The court therefore dissolved the Islamic marriage between the two parties.

Etsu ordered that the woman should observe a three month iddah (waiting) period before she could remarry again.

The court granted the mother custody of the only child in the marriage.
Earlier, the wife filed for divorce, custody and maintenance fees of N20,000 monthly, due to lack of love, affection and care.

She, however, told the court that her husband had told her that he would not pay anything for the child maintenance and agreed, so far she has the child custody. (NAN)

Dr Temitope Ilori, the Director-General, National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA)
has attributed the significant progress made in ending HIV/AIDS in Nigeria to journalists amplifying issues around the
epidemic on their media spaces.

Ilori stated this during the end of year media party organised by NACA to celebrate the progress, impact and partnership with journalists in Abuja.

According to her, amplifying issues around HIV has further raised awareness on prevention, care and treatment, geared toward meeting the 2030
target of eliminating AIDS in Nigeria.

She said “the gospel of HIV is all about the media. It is all about prevention, care and treatment.

“We appreciate journalists who collaborated with us in our vision, mission and goal of achieving an AIDS-free generation and making sure AIDS
is no longer a public health threat by 2030.”

She also noted the pivotal role journalists play in creating awareness on Prevention-of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT), advocacies
for policies to protect the vulnerable, especially children.

“We also launched the PMTCT acceleration plan, which you have done a good work in projecting it, aimed at addressing gaps in testing and prevention
of HIV to achieve zero transmission to newborns,” she said.

She revealed that Nigeria has HIV prevalence of 1.4 per cent among general population, 15-64 years, with an estimated two million people living with the virus.

The NACA boss, while urging the media to sustain the fight against HIV/AIDS by amplifying issues around the epidemic, encouraged stakeholders and the
public to renew commitment to ending the epidemic, especially among children.

Also, Mrs Toyin Aderibigbe, the Deputy Director, Public Relations and Protocol Division, NACA, commended the media for their commitments toward
ending AIDS in Nigeria and urged them to sustain the fight.

She added that “your support and commitment to amplifying the stories, campaigns and programmes on HIV response in Nigeria has been instrumental
in advancing our mission to combat HIV/AIDS and improve public health.

“The milestones we celebrate today would not have been possible without your impactful reporting and dedication.”

Other events of the day were the conferment of awards to notable journalists like Justina Auta of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN); Lara Adejoro,
The Punch Newspaper; Nike Adebowale-Tambe, Premium Times, among others.

The journalists were conferred with various awards for their exceptional reporting on HIV-related issues.

Mrs Bassey Ita-Ikpang, the FCT Chairperson of Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), who spoke on behalf of the award recipients,
thanked the Federal Government for the recognition.

Ita-Ikpang assured the commitment of the award recipients and other journalists to sustain the fight against HIV/AIDS.

She said “we will keep on reporting and amplifying the messages of NACA and other stakeholders in ending AIDS in Nigeria.”

She urged other stakeholders to continue to collaborate toward ending stigma, discrimination and reducing new infections in the country.

It will be recalled that Dr Iziaq Adekunle-Salako, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, had noted Nigeria’s significant progress in
the fight against HIV/AIDS, with a current prevalence rate of 1.4 per cent in the general population and an estimated two million people living with HIV.

Also, Dr Leo Zekeng, the UNAIDS Country Representative, said Nigeria had achieved notable progress in treatment access, with 1.6 million out of two
million people living with HIV currently on treatment.

Zekeng, however, said that challenges such as stigma, discrimination and access to prevention and treatment services remained.

He said “as of 2023, approximately two million people are living with HIV in the country, with an adult prevalence rate of 1.3 per cent among
individuals aged 15–49. Nigeria recorded approximately 130,000 new HIV infections in 2010.

“By 2023, the number declined to about 75,000 new infections, representing a reduction of approximately 55,000 cases, or a 42.3 per cent decrease over 13 years.

“The country has also achieved notable progress in treatment access, with 1.6 million out of the two million people living with HIV in Nigeria currently on treatment”. (NAN)

Residents of Zaria and Sabon Gari Local Government Areas of Kaduna State have expressed excitement as contractors resumed work on long-abandoned road projects in the area.

The roads, neglected since 2011, are finally receiving attention under the administration of Gov. Uba Sani.

Mallam Danjuma Isa, a resident of U/Hauwa in Sabon Gari, shared his joy over the resumption of construction, highlighting the hardships endured by residents, especially during the rainy season.

“This will ease our daily struggles and improve connectivity in the community,” he said.

Another resident, Abubakar Mansur expressed gratitude for the progress, urging the government to ensure timely completion of the projects.

“This road has been a nightmare for years. We are hopeful this time will be different,” he prayed..

Repot says that the optimism among residents grew after a site inspection led by Dr Abdullahi Baba-Ahmed, Managing Director of the Kaduna State Roads Agency (KADRA).

Speaking during the visit, Baba-Ahmed reaffirmed government’s commitment to completing the projects.

“These roads are critical, not just for Sabon Gari but also for neighboring areas and states, as they serve as key connections to regions like Jos,” he stated.

Baba-Ahmed revealed that only 20 per cent of the contract fees were paid by previous administrations, which caused delay, assuring that the remaining 80 per cent had been approved for immediate disbursement.

“The projects, including U/Hauwa and Dogon Bauchi roads, are set to be completed within four and 12 weeks, respectively.

“The governor has ensured adequate funding, so there are no financial constraints. This administration is committed to making Kaduna a hub of construction activity across all three senatorial zones,” Baba-Ahmed assured.

Rasheed Idris, a member representing Sabon Gari constituency, also commended the renewed efforts of the state government under Gov. Sani.

He stressed the strategic importance of the roads in decongesting Sokoto Road and linking Sabon Gari with Zaria local government area.

He said “This project was initiated in 2011 but stalled due to challenges. It’s an honour that it will now be completed during my tenure,” he said.

Aminu Shagali, the State Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, expressed delight, saying that he had a personal connection to the project.

“This initiative began during my time in the Kaduna State House of Assembly in 2011. It is heartwarming to see it finally nearing completion.

“The ongoing construction aligns with Gov. Sani’s directive to prioritise both inherited and new projects across the state,” he said.

According to him, residents are hopeful that this development will lead to a new era of infrastructure growth and improved livelihood. (NAN)