NEWS
UNICEF Flags-off Integrated Vaccines Campaign in Plateau
From Jude Dangwam, Jos
The United Nations Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF) Bauchi Field Officer has flag-off an integrated vaccines campaign with the view to prevent the menace of Human Papilloma virus that causes cervical cancer cases in women, Polio eradication campaign and administration of supplements to pregnant women across Plateau State.
The Health Specialist, Bauchi Field Office, Dr. David Audu while monitoring the admittance of the HPV vaccines across some school in Jos South local government area of Plateau State on Friday said the campaign intended to cover every single girl within the age of 9-14 years old in all the 17 LGAs of the state.”This exercise is an HPV vaccination campaign. HPV stands for Human Papillomavirus, a virus that causes the majority of cervical cancer cases. Fortunately, there is a vaccine that prevents girls from contracting this virus.”We are currently in the Jos South local government area vaccinating nine-year-old girls as part of this campaign. Although the HPV vaccine has already been introduced into Nigeria’s routine immunization schedule, this campaign serves as a boost to increase coverage. Our aim is to vaccinate as many girls aged 9 to 14 as possible,” he emphasizedThe Health Specialist further explained, “To achieve this, we have integrated the HPV vaccination into the ongoing Polio Campaign and the Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH) Week. This means we’re providing polio vaccines, micronutrient supplements for children and pregnant women, and administering the HPV vaccine all in one coordinated effort.”We are calling on all nine-year-old girls in the state to come out and receive the HPV vaccine. It is a safe and effective way to protect them from cervical cancer in the future.”In terms of targets, we are not looking for just a few; our goal is to vaccinate every nine-year-old girl in the state. The Federal Government, with support from UNICEF and GAVI, has made adequate vaccines available. These vaccines are not only safe and effective, but also more convenient. It’s now a single-dose vaccine, unlike the previous version which required two doses. So we encourage all eligible girls to take advantage of this opportunity and get vaccinated.” He appealedAt the flagging off ceremony held at the PHC Naraguta in Rigiza District of Jos North, Audu noted thus; “As you know, the Minister of Health has directed that we work in an integrated manner by ensuring that the campaigns we are having are overlapping each other so that we make use of the human resources and financial resources for the betterment of the children.The representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) Oche James from the Polio National Emergency Operation Centre Abuja assured of their readiness towards providing technical support reiterated that parents must not take the exercise considering the fact that the Nigerian environment has exposed a lot of citizens to all kinds of disease.The wife of the Executive Chairman of Jos North Local Government Chairman, Tina John while expressing gratitude to UNICEF and World Health Organization (WHO) for the intervention, called on all women in the LGA to bring forth their children for vaccination which is aimed at boosting their immunity and make them strong against any form of disease or infections.The Director PHC Jos North, Martha Milat Kummiap “All our men are spread across the corners of Jos North it took us over a week to continue to create awareness, to citizens of the locality. All stakeholders have been engaged and ready for it.The District Head of Rigiza HRH, Pozoh Luka Wariya assured the readiness of his people to fully participate in the exercise to caution his wards from resisting the vaccines.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)


