Gunmen have reportedly abducted no fewer than 14 passengers along the Makurdi/Naka/Adoka road area of Benue State.

 

The incident happened between 10 and 11am on Thursday, about three kilometres from Naka, the headquarters of the Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State.

 

According to a commercial driver who did not want to be mentioned for security reasons, the vehicles involved were Picnic and Sharon buses; each of the vehicles carried 12 passengers.

 

Confirming the incident to our correspondent through telephone chat, the secretary of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, High-Level Unit, Yakubu Onu, said the two commercial vehicles belong to their members at High-Level Park, Makurdi

 

Onu said one of the vehicles left Makurdi and was heading to Lokoja Thursday morning when it was ambushed by gunmen near Naka.

 

He added that the second vehicle which was ambushed at the same spot, was coming from Ankpa in Kogi State to Makurdi.

 

Onu said, “The First vehicle was going to Lokoja with nine passengers on board and six of them were abducted and taken to the bush.

 

“The second vehicle was coming from Ankpa and coming to Makurdi, eight passengers were abducted at the same spot near Naka.

The NURTW High-Level unit scribe said that three passengers were spared from the vehicle going to Lokoja and that the driver with the three passengers went to the Naka police station to report the incident.

 

“The driver called and told us that after he reported at the police station in Naka, he was asked to proceed on his journey but we have not heard from him,” Onu said.

 

Also confirming the abduction, the traditional ruler of Naka, HRH, Daniel Abomtse, said that the gunmen ambushed two commercial vehicles and went away with some of the passengers.

 

He said one elderly woman, a breastfeeding woman, and some kids with the driver were spared by gunmen.

 

“The incident happened at Okpa near Adoka and bordering Gwer West LGA and there is an ungoverned space around this area that has become a haven of criminals,” the monarch said.

 

The traditional ruler who identified some ungoverned spaces that have been a haven for criminals appealed to the Federal Government to order aerial surveys of the coastal areas of Benue and Nasarawa states.

When contacted, Benue State Command Public Relations Officer, Catherine Anene, a Chief Superintendent of Police, said she did not have the report.

 

“I don’t have this report,” Anene said in a terse text message.

The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Plateau State, Chris Hassan, has expressed confidence that the party’s strength and credibility in the state will not be affected by defections in other states.

 

Hassan stated this during a press conference in Jos on Thursday.

 

He urged party members to remain calm and resolute, emphasising that defections are not new in political party processes.

 

Hassan’s address came barely 24 hours after the Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, the immediate past governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, and all members of the Peoples Democratic Party in Delta State defected to the All Progressives Congress.

 

Hassan commended the state governor, Caleb Mutfwang, for his outstanding leadership and good governance, highlighting the governor’s developmental strides, equity, justice, and service to the people.

 

He noted that Mutfwang’s achievements in less than two years are truly remarkable and a testament to the solid trust and satisfaction in the leadership and direction of the party.

 

The chairman said, “We are deeply grateful for the support of our party faithful and the good people of Plateau State who have reposed confidence in us. We are aware of a lot of threats of defection across some states. We have noted some isolated cases of defections by a few party members to our political parties.

 

“Let me therefore urge all party members to remain calm and resolute. Defections are not new in political party processes of this nature. However, we are confident that the strength and credibility of the PDP are founded on the struggles of our Plateau people.

“We assure the leadership of our party to consolidate on our gains. We will continue to provide the needed platform for the aspirations of our people. Everything is under control and better days still lie ahead for us.”

 

The PDP chairman strongly condemned the recent attacks by Fulani militia in Bokkos and Bassa Local Government Areas that claimed lives in the past two weeks

 

He commended the governor’s swift response and the proactive efforts of the state security agencies.

 

“We strongly commend and support the governor’s call for communities to organise and coordinate local security measures in collaboration with neighbouring communities.

 

“This grassroots-driven approach is a proactive and inclusive strategy that recognises the peculiar security challenges of each locality. It reflects the leadership’s concern and the well-being of its people. Indeed, our governor, Barrister Caleb Mutfwang, has once again demonstrated that he is a leader who loves and stands firmly for his people,” he stated.

 

Hassan also acknowledged the coordinated efforts of the military, which have already produced results in dislodging the militia from some areas.

The PDP chairman urged all Plateau citizens to continue supporting the government, stay vigilant, and remain committed to keeping Plateau the state of their dreams under Governor Mutfwang’s capable leadership.

 

“The PDP remains the party of our people and for the people. Together, we shall continue to March towards the greater heights of our beloved state. May God bless us all,” he concluded

 

The Rivers State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a man identified as Kelvin Okoro, for allegedly hacking a Revered Sister to death in the Aluu community in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.

 

It was gathered that the suspect owed the deceased (Maureen Wecheonwu) an undisclosed sum of money and had been pestering him to offset it.

 

A source who wished to remain anonymous because of the sensitive nature of the matter said Kelvin tricked his benefactor and took her to a lonely place where he allegedly carried out the dastardly act on Thursday morning and immediately fled the scene.

 

The source further said the Reverend Sister’s remains was discovered in a pool of her blood by some natives who alerted a local security outfit in the area.

 

He stated, “What we heard was that he didn’t know how to repay the money. So he called the woman out in the guise of discussing the debt.

 

“Not knowing his evil intentions because the Reverend Sister had been complaining to people in the community that he had refused to pay his debt, so he took her to a lonely path and hit her severely with an object.”

He added that after the discovery of her remains, people started wondering why they hadn’t seen the man, prompting an intensified probe by the vigilante codenamed OSPAC.

 

Speaking further, the source said the Vigilante Commander in the Aluu community, Kingsley Wali, led a search team to his hideout, arrested him and handed over the suspect to the police.

 

He further said the victim allegedly fled with some personal belongings belonging to the deceased after the incident.

 

When contacted, the spokesperson of the state Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident, saying an investigation is ongoing.

 

She stated, “Yes, I can confirm. The matter has been transferred to the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department.”

US President Donald Trump has lashed out at Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, accusing him of prolonging the war by rejecting any suggestion of ceding Crimea to Russia as part of a potential peace deal.

 

Zelenskyy has ruled out giving up any Ukrainian territory to Russia ahead of peace talks scheduled for Wednesday in London among U.S., European, and Ukrainian officials.

 

“There is nothing to talk about. It is our land — the land of the Ukrainian people,” Zelenskyy said.

 

During similar talks held last week in Paris, U.S. officials reportedly presented a proposal that included allowing Russia to retain control of occupied Ukrainian territory as part of a peace agreement.

This is according to a European official familiar with the matter, who was not authorised to speak publicly and requested anonymity.

Trump described Zelenskyy’s resistance as “very harmful” to negotiations.

 

“Nobody is asking Zelenskyy to recognise Crimea as Russian territory, but if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago?

“Eleven years ago, it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired,” Trump wrote on social media.

 

NAN

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, is currently meeting the striking workers of Nigeria Meteorology Agency in Abuja to resolve the matter.

 

The workers’ strike which has almost brought the industry to its knees started at midnight on Tuesday, after the unions repeatedly warned the management of NiMet of failing to fulfill promises made to it to bridge some lapses bordering on their welfare.

 

Following the impact of the strike, on Wednesday, some airlines such as XEJET, Aero Contractors, and Ibom Air operated as scheduled, Air Peace operations were grounded by the strike.

 

In a statement posted on its X handle, Air Peace stated that following the strike by NiMet staff, it suspended its operations until the strike issue is resolved.

 

The statement which was signed by the Head of Corporate Communications of the airline, Ejike Ndiulo, read, “Due to the ongoing NiMet strike and the unavailability of CNH (hazardous weather) reports required for safe landings, Air Peace has suspended all flight operations nationwide until the strike is over.

“Your safety is our top priority. We appreciate your understanding and will share updates as the situation unfolds.”

 

On Thursday, disruptions became more evident as passengers whose flights had been disrupted were seen sitting at different terminals of the Lagos airport waiting for aircraft to pick them up.

 

In a tweet on his X handle, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Michael Achimugu, announced around 1:30 pm on Thursday that the minister was meeting the staff members.

 

He said, “The Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, is presently meeting with the striking unions, DG NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo and other stakeholders to resolve the issues.

A Federal Government agency – the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, has decried the low patronage of Nigerian-made products by Nigerians.

 

The agency identified some challenges leading to the low patronage of the local products as affordability and public perception, among others.

 

Speaking on Thursday during a stakeholders meeting organised by the agency in Akure, Ondo State capital, the Deputy Director of Engineering at NASENI, Mr Joseph Alasoluyi, said Nigerians preferred buying foreign goods compared to local goods.

 

Alasoluyi, however disclosed that the agency had trained over 50 participants in the production of hand-made products, in a bid to ensure Nigeria-made products are patronised

 

He explained that NASENI was set up to promote science, technology, and engineering as a foundation for Nigeria’s development and currently operates 12 institutes nationwide to achieve its objectives.

 

According to him, the aim of President Bola Tinubu, who is also the overall chairman of NASENI, was to ensure high production and patronage of “our local products thereby creating employment opportunities for many.”

 

He said, “The idea of this programme is to interface to ensure we produce products using our indigenous technology. This is what NASENI is out for, to ensure that homegrown technologies are encouraged.

“We are out there to ensure we integrate efforts to ensure that local technology is used to develop products within the resources we have.

 

” The NASENI’s ‘3 Cs’ – Creation, Collaboration, and Commercialisation – that define NASENI’s strategic mandate: Creating innovations through research, Collaborating with partners to develop and refine products, and Commercialising these solutions to benefit the economy.

 

“Our achievements include the development of solar irrigation systems, CNG conversion centres, building machines capable of producing up to 1,000 blocks per hour, 10-inch tablets, locally made laptops, and electric tricycles (Keke Napep) set for market launch.”

 

In his remarks, the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Prof. Samuel Oluyamo, blamed the Federal Government for not properly funding research in the varsities, also noting that many research outputs were left halfway due to lack of funding and weak linkages between research institutions and industry.

 

Oluyamo also queried the federal government’s commitment to funding research and development, saying many academic innovations remained on the shelve due to a lack of support for commercialization and poor infrastructure.

 

“Until we upscale research into mass production, technological growth will remain elusive. The government is not funding research in the universities enough. Thank God for TETfund that is trying in this regime. The major interest in beefing up research in universities and research institutions is really not there,” he said.

The Central Bank of Nigeria has approved the request of 2025 intending pilgrims to be granted cash transactions for the holy pilgrimage to Mecca.

 

This followed the intervention of Vice-President Kashim Shettima, who appealed to President Bola Tinubu on behalf of the over 40,000 pilgrims through the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria on Thursday.

 

NAHCON’s Commissioner for Policy, Personnel Management and Finance, Aliu Abdulrazaq, who disclosed while speaking with newsmen after meeting with the vice-president at the State House, Abuja, confirmed that the CBN granted Nigerian pilgrims the opportunity of cash transactions for this year’s Hajj.

 

He said, “The meeting was prompted by the policy of the Federal Government on the card for Basic Travel Allowance (BTA) for 2025 Hajj operations. We have held a series of meetings before now. The vice-president intervened and invited the Central Bank’s Deputy Governor with a plea.

 

“Out of the magnanimity of the CBN and appeal made by the vice-president, they dropped the idea of a card for pilgrims in the 2025 Hajj, and they conceded to people having cash instead of a card. This is a landmark achievement for NAHCON.

 

“If you go to Saudi Arabia, mostly the areas where the pilgrims are going to perform their rituals, there is only one Automated Teller Machine there, and it is always crowded – it poses so much difficulties for pilgrims to purchase whatever they want to purchase.”

 

He further explained that, “Secondly, 95 per cent of the pilgrims from Nigeria are peasant farmers, and they have difficulties with electronic payments. Even with the cash, some of them have difficulties identifying the currencies. These variables make it important for them to have the cash they are used to.

 

“From now on, we are even more confident that the Hajj operations will be very seamless for the pilgrims. All arrangements have been in top gear, but the BTA was our fear; today, the fear has now been addressed.”

 

Also speaking, the NAHCON’s Secretary, Dr Mustapha Muhammad Ali, clarified that the change is neither a concession nor a subsidy from the Federal Government.

There is a need for clarification we want to make. It is not a concession or intervention by the Federal Government. It is not a subsidy either. The vice-president intervened because most of the pilgrims make purchases in the streets of Mecca or Medina, and they do not need debit cards to make their purchases. Now it is allowed for them to carry cash. The CBN will provide the cash at the market rate,” he said.

 

Explaining the CBN’s intervention in the matter, the Director of Human Resources at the CBN and Board member representing the CBN in NAHCON, Abba Muhammad Aliyu, said the CBN granted NAHCON’s request because the welfare of Nigerian pilgrims was of utmost interest to the Nigerian government.

 

“Looking at the financial literacy of the pilgrims, there is a need for us to see that we make life easy for them because a lot of them do not know how to operate the ATM. So, these are some of the reasons the senior management of the bank, in their own magnanimity upon the call of the vice-president, looked at those issues,” Aliyu said.

 

He further clarified that the government was done with the concessionary issue, saying: “What is happening is purely a mode of payment method. Instead of asking the pilgrims to carry a card, they are only going to be paid through cash.”

 

There had been concerns that the hitherto use of mandatory debit cards proposed by the CBN for the pilgrimage would endanger the smooth planning, operation and performance at the 2025 Hajj.

The CBN had earlier in the year introduced a new payment method for Basic Travel Allowance for Nigerians embarking on the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage.

 

Under the revised system, each pilgrim would be issued an ATM card for withdrawals and transactions during the pilgrimage in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

 

The initiative made it mandatory for all intending pilgrims to open a BTA-linked bank account

Immunisation efforts are under growing threat as misinformation, population growth, humanitarian crises, and funding cuts jeopardise progress and leave millions of children, adolescents, and adults at risk, the World Health Organisation, the United Nations Children’s Fund, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, have warned.

 

The UN agencies and Gavi made this known in a news release on Thursday in commemoration of World Immunisation Week from April 24 to 30.

 

The release stated that outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, meningitis, and yellow fever are rising globally, and diseases like diphtheria which have long been held at bay or virtually disappeared in many countriesare at risk of re-emerging.

 

In response, the agencies are calling for urgent and sustained political attention and investment to strengthen immunisation programmes and protect the significant progress achieved in reducing child mortality over the past 50 years.

“Vaccines have saved more than 150 million lives over the past five decades,” said WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus. “Funding cuts to global health have put these hard-won gains in jeopardy. Outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases are increasing around the world, putting lives at risk and exposing countries to increased costs in treating diseases and responding to outbreaks. Countries with limited resources must invest in the highest-impact interventions – and that includes vaccines.”

 

The release stated that measles is making an especially dangerous comeback. The number of cases has been increasing year on year since 2021, tracking the reductions in immunisation coverage that occurred during and after the COVID-19 pandemic in many communities. Measles cases reached an estimated 10.3 million in 2023 — a 20 per cent increase compared to 2022.

 

The agencies warned that this upward trend likely continued into 2024 and 2025, as outbreaks have intensified around the world. In the past 12 months, 138 countries have reported measles cases, with 61 experiencing large or disruptive outbreaks — the highest number observed in any 12-month period since 2019.

 

“Meningitis cases in Africa also rose sharply in 2024, and the upward trend has continued into 2025. In the first three months of this year alone, more than 5,500 suspected cases and nearly 300 deaths were reported in 22 countries. This follows approximately 26,000 cases and almost 1,400 deaths across 24 countries last year.

 

“Yellow fever cases in the African region are also climbing, with 124 confirmed cases reported in 12 countries in 2024. This comes after dramatic declines in the disease over the past decade, thanks to global vaccine stockpiles and the use of yellow fever vaccine in routine immunisation programmes. In the WHO Region of the Americas, yellow fever outbreaks have been confirmed since the beginning of this year, with a total of 131 cases in four countries.

These outbreaks come amidst global funding cuts. A recent WHO rapid stocktake with 108 WHO country offices — mostly in low- and lower-middle-income countries — shows that nearly half of those countries are facing moderate to severe disruptions to vaccination campaigns, routine immunisation, and access to supplies due to reduced donor funding.

Disease surveillance, including for vaccine-preventable diseases, is also impacted in more than half of the countries surveyed,” it noted.

It stated that the number of children missing routine vaccinations has been increasing in recent years, even as countries make efforts to catch up with those missed during the pandemic.

 

“The global funding crisis is severely limiting our ability to vaccinate over 15 million vulnerable children in fragile and conflict-affected countries against measles,” said UNICEF Executive Director, Catherine Russell.

 

“Immunisation services, disease surveillance, and outbreak response in nearly 50 countries are already being disrupted – with setbacks at a similar level to what we saw during COVID-19. We cannot afford to lose ground in the fight against preventable diseases.”

 

It further stated that joint efforts by WHO, UNICEF, Gavi, and partners have helped countries expand access to vaccines and strengthen immunisation systems through primary health care, even in the face of mounting challenges. Every year, vaccines save nearly 4.2 million lives against 14 diseases with nearly half of these lives saved in the African Region.

 

UNICEF, WHO, and Gavi urgently called on parents, the public, and politicians to strengthen support for immunisation.

The agencies emphasised the need for sustained investment in vaccines and immunisation programmes, and urged countries to honour their commitments to the Immunisation Agenda 2030.

“Increasing outbreaks of highly infectious diseases are a concern for the whole world. The good news is we can fight back, and Gavi’s next strategic period has a clear plan to bolster our defences by expanding investments in global vaccine stockpiles and rolling out targeted preventive vaccination in countries most impacted by meningitis, yellow fever, and measles,” said Dr Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

 

“These vital activities, however, will be at risk if Gavi is not fully funded for the next five years, and we call on our donors to support our mission in the interests of keeping everyone, everywhere, safer from preventable diseases.”

 

Gavi’s upcoming high-level pledging summit, taking place on June 25, 2025, seeks to raise at least $9 billion from donors to fund its ambitious strategy to protect 500 million children, saving at least 8 million lives from 2026–2030.

The Lagos State Government has revealed that over 135,000 residents are currently living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, highlighting the ongoing public health challenge in Nigeria’s most populous state.

 

The state Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, disclosed this on Wednesday during a media briefing to mark the second anniversary of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term in office.

 

“135,224 residents are living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV),” Abayomi said, adding that the state government has intensified awareness and intervention efforts by engaging more than 100 religious leaders as HIV and AIDS ambassadors.

 

He explained that the involvement of faith leaders is aimed at reducing stigma and improving community-level outreach.

 

“We are using trusted voices to drive education, testing, and treatment in our communities,” he said.

 

In addition to tackling HIV, the state has provided free cervical cancer screenings for 154,228 women and treated 8,613 with thermal ablation.

 

It also conducted prostate cancer screenings for 300 men, alongside screening 312,927 people for hypertension and diabetes.

 

“In a population of 30 million, the estimated hypertension prevalence is 20%, and 70% of them are unaware of the disease,” the commissioner noted.

 

He also revealed that Lagos has a 12% obesity rate and a 6% diabetes prevalence, with 50% of those affected unaware of their condition.

Despite these health challenges, the state is grappling with a critical shortage of medical personnel.

 

Abayomi disclosed that Lagos needs an additional 33,000 doctors and 33,000 nurses to meet healthcare demands.

 

“We have 7,000 doctors in the state, but the state needs an additional 33,000,” he said.

 

To address this, he said the Lagos State University of Medicine and Health is expected to produce 2,500 healthcare workers annually within five years, including doctors, nurses, and laboratory scientists.

 

Meanwhile, only 4.17% of registered residents; about 1.25 million people, have taken up the state’s health insurance policy.

However, Abayomi expressed optimism that the recently passed mandatory health insurance law would boost enrolment and funding.

 

“The new mandatory nature of the state health insurance act would significantly scale up the size of the pool of funds,” he said.

 

He also reported that major health infrastructure projects, including the New Massey Street Children’s Hospital, the Ojo General Hospital, and the Mental Health Institute in Epe, are nearing completion and are expected to be commissioned by April 2026.