The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor, has expressed the readiness of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) in sustaining the collaborative healthcare arrangement with the National Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA). This, he said is in order to further improve healthcare services for members of the AFN and the nation in general.

The CDS, who made the disclosure during the visit of the management Staff of the agency, said the AFN would continue the partnership given its commitment to ensuring good healthcare system for personnel and their families.
He commended NPHCDA for championing the eradication of polio virus and other childhood diseases in the country.

The NPHCDA Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer, Dr Faisal Shuaib, said he was at the Defence Headquarters to solicit the support of the military towards ensuring that children in the various areas affected by insecurity are vaccinated against any form of disease, especially the circulating Mutating Polio Virus.

The Executive Director indicated that the NPHCDA and its partners are working to reach security compromised locations in the country so as to halt the scourge.

He applauded the CDS for his pragmatic leadership and commended the resilience and gallantry of the members of the AFN, particularly troops in the theatres of operation.

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A teacher in Kano, Abdulmalik Tanko, has been arrested over his alleged involvement in the kidnap and death of Hanifa Abubakar, a five-year-old pupil.

The pupil was said to have been kidnapped in December and her abductors had demanded N6 million ransom.

In a statement on Thursday, Abdullahi Kiyawa, police spokesperson in Kano, said Tanko killed his pupil when he found that she had recognised him.

“Some time on the 04/12/2021 at about 2030hrs, a report was received from a resident of Dakata Quarters, Nassarawa LGA, Kano State that, one Hanifa Abubakar, ‘f’, aged 5 years old, was kidnapped and a ransom of Six Million Naira (N6,000,000.00) was demanded,” the statement reads.

“On receipt of the report, the Commissioner of Police, Kano State Command, CP Sama’ila Shu’aibu Dikko, fsi, met with heads of security agencies in the state, re-strategised for effective service delivery and raised a team of Operation Puff Adder led by SP Shehu Dahiru to arrest the culprits.

“Sustained efforts and prolonged follow-up led to the arrest of one Abdulmalik Mohammed Tanko, ‘m’, aged 30 years old, of Tudun Murtala Quarters, Nassarawa LGA, Kano State and one Hashim Isyaku, ‘m’, aged 37 years old, of same address by a detective team of the Department of State Services (DSS),  Kano State.

“On investigation, Abdulmalik confessed that, the victim, Hanifa, is his student at a private school in Kwanar Dakata, Nassarawa LGA, Kano State. He kidnapped her and took her to his house where he contacted her relatives and demanded a ransom of Six Million Naira (N6,000,000.00).

“On the 18/12/2021, having realised that the victim recognised him, he claimed to have poisoned her to death, conspired with one Hashim Isyaku, ‘m’, took and buried her in a shallow grave located at the private school premises located at Kwanar ‘Yan Gana, Tudun Murtala Quarters, Nassarawa LGA, Kano State.

“Hashim also confessed that, sometimes in the month of November 2021, the principal suspect, Abdulmalik met him and one Fatima Jibreel Musa, ‘f’, 27 years old, of Layin Falaki Tudun Murtala Quarters, Nassarawa LGA Kano State and ordered them to kidnap Hanifa. They planned but later rescinded their action. Fatima was also arrested.“

The suspects, the police said, led a combined team of security and medical operatives to where the body was buried.

The corpse was exhumed and taken to the Mohammed Abdullahi Wase Specialist Hospital Kano where she was confirmed dead.

The police added that the suspects will be charged to court upon completion of investigation.

Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has embarked on a two-day enforcement operation at Lekki axis, to clear the roadsides of various illegal activities defacing the environment.

The exercise involved clearance of waste nuisance and dislodging of street trading from First Roundabout to Jakande axis, as well as Freedom Way entrance, on Lekki Epe expressway.

The Managing Director/CEO of LAWMA, Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni said the operation would ensure that the area was rid of structures and elements constituting environmental nuisance, such as littering and improper waste disposal, currently undermining efforts of the Authority at maintaining sustainable cleanliness.

He said, “Our enforcement team is carrying out a two-day campaign, which began on Thursday, January 20, 2022, to stem the tide of littering and defacing of the environment, ensuring that effective sanitation is sustained within the VI axis of the state”.

Odumboni pointed out that street trading activities by some persons in the area, had attracted all forms of gathering, including beggars, thus leading to high level of environmental degradation, including littering and open defecation.

The LAWMA helmsman stated that the agency had rolled out various programmes and initiatives, aimed at achieving a consistently clean environment across the metropolis, calling on residents to support those efforts, by avoiding indiscriminate waste disposal and other vices.

He also implored residents to imbibe the habit of bagging their wastes at all times, using appropriately covered waste bins for containerisation, as well as patronising assigned PSP operators, who had been mandated to evacuate wastes generated by tenements.

For inquiries on waste management related issues in your area, please call LAWMA toll-free numbers: 07080601020 and 617 (for GLO users).