Headline

Declare State Of Emergency On Nation’s Nature Parks, Group Urges FG

Published

4 years ago

February 9, 2022

The Federal Government of Nigeria has been ueged to declare a state of emergency on nature parks across the country to save them from extinctions.

A group under the aegis of Conservation Roundtable made the call in Benin in a communique issued at the end of a two-day round table meeting on forest conservation.

The communique signed by Andy Osa Ehanire, leader of the group, and made available to newsmen, stated that there is need to sign up collaborations with reputable international Non Governmental Organizations (NGOS) in park conservation management such as the African Parks that has recorded huge successes in about a dozen countries, and to create more cross-border sanctuaries; since it is now a painful reality that we do it alone.

It stated that Osemwegie Ebohon Cultural Center and its Founder/Curator, High Priest Osemwegie Ebohon, remains a citadel of nature and biodiversity conservation knowledge and consciousness values that should attract public infrastructure and other forms of support from government, being a veritable exponent of African cultural and ecological heritage.

It added that local communities and other stakeholders are meant to be encouraged to
adopt pilot schemes in environmental and biodiversity conservation projects
as to reposition the tenets of age-long policies, evaluation and monitoring of forest regeneration and re-wilding of sanctuaries.

The communique also reiterated that beyond the two World Heritage Sites that are cultural landscapes in Nigeria, Sukur and Oshogbo, many more are long due for the attainment of same status for our ecological treasures that abound across the diverse vegetation from the mangrove swamps in the south, to the savannas in the north.

It further lamented that there are obvious deficits in the engagement of scholars in systemic research and advocacy, thus leading to what appears to be a state of collective amnesia, in spite of the presence of large scale unmitigated degradation or destruction to ecological resources.

It added that with the huge annual budgetary allocations and the wide array of security formations, our so-called protected areas have all been ceded to theatres of anarchy through deforestation, land grabbing, banditry, kidnapping and other unrestrained acts of ecological resource plundering.

It maintained that the expected deployment of technological advances in the management of our protected areas has been in serious deficits, saying said for decades, it has been possible to use satellites, drones, CCTV cameras and other technological advances to maintain adequate surveillance for eco-auditing and mitigation, so as to stem the “nefarious activities in our supposedly pristine parks.”

Headline

US Commits $32.5m To Support Food Security In Nigeria

Published

8 hours ago

September 3, 2025

Editor

The United States Government has committed $32.5m to the United Nations World Food Programme to support food and nutrition assistance for hundreds of thousands of people affected by conflict in Nigeria.

According to a statement released by the US Embassy in Abuja on Wednesday, the funding will enable WFP Nigeria to reach approximately 764,205 vulnerable individuals in the Northeast and Northwest regions of the country.

These areas have been severely impacted by ongoing insecurity and displacement, with millions struggling to access necessities.

The assistance package includes general food distributions as well as targeted nutritional support.

Among the beneficiaries are 41,569 pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls, and 43,235 children who will receive specialised nutrition support through electronic food vouchers, according to the statement.

“World Food Program Nigeria, with US Government’s contribution of $32.5m, will provide food assistance and nutrition support to internally displaced persons across conflict-affected areas.

“With the US Government’s donation, the World Food Programme Nigeria will provide food and nutrition assistance to 764,205 beneficiaries across Northeast and Northwest Nigeria.

“This includes complementary nutrition top-ups for 41,569 pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls and 43,235 children through electronic food vouchers,” the statement read.

On December 18, 2024, PUNCH Online reported that the United States Agency for International Development has denounced recent media reports misrepresenting US agricultural initiatives in Nigeria, stating that its programmes operate transparently and align with the country’s laws.

In a statement issued by the US Mission in Nigeria, USAID highlighted the significant achievements of its agricultural collaboration with Nigeria, which it claimed has supported over five million Nigerian farmers since 2019.

The agency maintained it has boosted food production and strengthened rural economies across the country through its efforts.

Headline

UK To Ban Sale Of Energy Drinks To Children

Published

10 hours ago

September 3, 2025

Editor

The United Kingdom government has unveiled plans to prohibit the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks, including popular brands such as Red Bull, to anyone under the age of 16 in England.

Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, announcing the move on Wednesday, said the step was aimed at safeguarding young people’s wellbeing.

“By stopping children from buying these drinks, we’re laying the groundwork for healthier and happier generations,” he explained.

Government figures suggest that up to one in three teenagers aged 13 to 16 regularly consume energy drinks, many of which contain more caffeine than two cups of coffee.

While most major supermarkets already enforce a voluntary restriction, the new policy would make it a nationwide rule.

“How can we expect pupils to thrive in the classroom if they’re running on the equivalent of a double espresso every day?” Streeting asked, stressing that the government was responding to concerns raised by parents and teachers. “We’re determined to address the root causes of poor health and educational struggles head-on.”

Headline

Indian Man Gets Death Sentence For Burning Wife Alive Over Skin Colour

Published

10 hours ago

September 3, 2025

Editor

A court in India recently sentenced a man to death for setting his wife, Lakshmi, ablaze alive due to her dark skin colour. This harsh punishment reflects the gravity of the crime and its impact on society.

As reported by BBC on Wednesday, the attack on Lakshmi took place on the night of 24 June 2017, the murder dates eight years back, and the judgment, delivered at the weekend, has made headlines in a country where public obsession with colourism is well documented.

The attack on Lakshmi took place on the night of 24 June 2017, according to the court order seen by the BBC.

Before her death, Lakshmi revealed that her husband, Kishandas, frequently mocked her for being dark-skinned, calling her “kali” and body-shaming her since their marriage in 2016.

On the night of her attack, Kishandas brought a plastic bottle containing a brown liquid, purportedly a skin-lightening medicine.

According to Lakshmi’s statements, he applied the liquid on her body, and when she complained about a strong acid-like smell, he set her on fire with an incense stick.

Adding to the cruelty, Kishandas poured the remaining liquid on her while she was burning and then fled. Her family rushed her to the hospital, but she later died from her injuries.

The judge, Rahul Choudhary, condemned the act as not only a murder but “a crime against humanity,” stressing that Kishandas “broke her trust” and showed “excessive cruelty in throwing the remaining liquid on her” while she burned.

He described the case as fitting the “rarest of the rare” category, saying, “It will not be an exaggeration to say that this heart-rending brutal crime was not just against Lakshmi, but it’s a crime against humanity.”

He added, “It’s a crime that shocks the conscience of humanity, which cannot even be imagined in a healthy and civilised society.”

The public prosecutor called the verdict “historic,” hoping it would serve as “a lesson for others in society.”

He said, “A young woman in her early 20s was brutally murdered. She was someone’s sister, someone’s daughter; there were people who loved her. If we don’t save our daughters, then who would?”

This tragic story highlights the deep-rooted issue of colourism, where darker-skinned women face widespread discrimination and abuse.

Despite ongoing campaigns to challenge these prejudices, the preference for fair skin remains strongly embedded in many areas of life, continuing to cause immense harm. Until societal attitudes change, such heartbreaking incidents are likely to persist.