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Foundation Constructs 30 Beds Capacity Hospital Worth N500m For NCS

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The Abdul Samad Rabiu Initiative (ASR Africa) has commenced the construction of a 30 beds capacity ultra modern hospital for the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in Bauchi state under its security sector support grant.

Speaking during the inauguration of the construction in Bauchi on Monday, the Managing Director ASR initiative for Africa, Dr Ubon Udoh, said that the state-of-the-art medical edifice is valued at N500 million with all the equipment to be brought in.

He explained that the partnership between the Nigeria Custom service and ASR Africa was an example of strategic partnership which would be for the benefit of Nigeria moving forward.

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Udoh, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of ASR, reiterated the commitment of the Chairman, ASR Africa and the BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu, in fulfilling the pledges made to the security agencies across Nigeria.

READ ALSO: We’re Always Ready To Provide Technical Support – UNICEF

According to him, ASR Africa had engaged all the beneficiaries of the security grant and was on track to ensure the implementation of all projects selected by the armed forces and security agencies in the country.

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He appreciated the leadership of the Nigerian Customs Service for partnering with ASR Africa on this project.

It will be recalled that the Chairman of ASR Africa, Abdul Samad Rabiu on his visit to the immediate past President of Nigeria in December 2022, announced a grant of N10 billion to the Nigerian armed forces and security agencies.

READ ALSO: Protest, Unrest Looms As BEDC Disconnects UNIBEN From National Grid

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“This grant, part of the Security Sector Support grant, is aimed at providing support for security agencies in the country and the armed forces to effectively and efficiently fulfill their mandate to the Nigerian people.

“Other beneficiaries include the Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Immigration Service, Department of Secret Services (DSS), Nigeria Police, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigerian Correctional Service,” he said.

Also speaking, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, appreciated ASR and expressed delight to have been the recipient of the project which he said, would enhance the capacity and welfare of the personnel and those of the community they serve.

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We are happy that we have found a reputable partner that has chosen to work with us to deliver a world class 30 beds hospital here in Zone D, Bauchi.

“On behalf of all of us, on behalf of all officers and men, we want to say a very big thank you to ASR initiative for finding us worthy to benefit from the benevolence of the ASR initiative.

“This facility will not only cater for the interest of custom officers and their families, indeed, we are going to dedicate the service of this hospital to all members of the community of Yelwa and Bauchi in general,” he said.

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Residents Flee Kogi Community Over Fear Of Bandit Attacks

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Hundreds of residents of Okunran village in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State have deserted their homes following persistent attacks by armed bandits.

A viral video circulating on social media showed the once-bubbling community completely deserted, with houses abandoned and streets empty.

Okunran, once a bubbling town, is now a ghost town,” a resident said.

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The villagers said they fled to escape incessant kidnappings, killings, and ransom demands that have plagued the community.

READ ALSO:Army Kills Notorious Bandit, Babangida, In Kogi

The government has failed us, security agencies have failed us. If we remain here, we will be consumed by bandits. We are tired of paying ransom and contributing money for bandits,” said Akin Samuel, a fleeing resident.

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The Guardian learnt that neighbouring communities, including Okoloke and Egbe, are also considering leaving if the attacks persist.

The abduction of the first-class traditional ruler of Okoloke, 90-year-old Pa. Dada James Ogunyanda, in May 2025, deepened the climate of fear in the area. Although he was released after a ransom was paid, the monarch has refused to return to his palace.

A native of Okunran, Auwal Maroof, who now lives in Lokoja, said the decision to flee became inevitable.

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READ ALSO:One Dead, Five Injured In Kogi Road Crash

We have been praying for God’s intervention, but the insecurity persists to the point that fleeing was the only option to stay alive,” he said.

Egbe, the commercial hub of Yagba, is feared to be vulnerable due to its close connection with neighbouring Kwara State, where the bandits are suspected to be coming from.

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Local sources report that at least 10 people, including seven police officers and three civilians, were killed by bandits in Yagba within one week this month.

The Chairman of Yagba East Local Government recently imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in a bid to contain the crisis, while the Kogi State government and the senator representing the district have pledged to rid the area of bandits.

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18 Dead, Dozens Missing In Zamfara Mine Collapse

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Rescuers in Nigeria are searching for dozens of people missing after a boulder crashed onto an illegal mine during heavy rains, killing at least 18 people, local sources told AFP on Saturday.

The rock came crashing down on Thursday on the mine in the northern Zamfara state outside the Kadauri village in the Maru district, they said.

“We have managed to pull out 18 dead bodies from the pit and five other survivors who sustained various degrees of injuries,” Sani Lawwali, a miner who works in unauthorised pits, said from Kadauri.

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A dozen other miners were still trapped inside and their fate remained unknown, said Lawwali, who took part in the rescue effort.

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“The process is slow and laborious as we use our bare hands to chisel the end of the boulder to make holes for limited access into the pit,” he said.

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Rescuers have asked for a bulldozer being used at a nearby road construction site to be brought in to help, but had not yet received a response from the company using it, Lawwali added.

Abubakar Nabube, a local community leader, confirmed the death toll of 18. He said that 15 of those killed came from the nearby Maikwanugga and Damaga villages.

If no help comes from emergency agencies soon, none of those trapped would come out alive,” he said.

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READ ALSO:Bandits Attack Mosque In Zamfara, Kill, Abduct Worshippers

Zayyanu Ibrahim, a resident of Kadauri village said the collapse occurred at one of several newly dug sites in the recently established mining site.

“Dozens of miners were working in the pit while it heavily rained outside. A huge boulder at the mouth of the pit collapsed and buried miners inside,” said Ibrahim, who also confirmed the toll.

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Sani Abdullahi, a councillor in the area, said it was difficult to say how many people there were in the pit at the time of the accident.

READ ALSO:Zamfara Gov Disburses ₦322m To Support 8,225 Schoolgirls

Officials from the Nigerian emergency agency NEMA did not respond to an AFP enquiry about the accident.

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Zamfara, a poor agrarian state, is rich in gold deposits where illegal artisanal mining thrives in the countryside, despite several attempts by authorities to stop the practice.

The authorities have blamed illegal mining for the worsening of bandit violence, with criminal gangs getting money from protection fees they extort from miners.

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Police Confirm Abduction Of 17 Passengers Along Calabar Waterway

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The Police Command in Cross River has confirmed the abduction of 17 passengers by sea pirates along the Calabar Waterways.

The command’s Deputy Public Relations Officer, DSP Igri Ewa, who made the confirmation on Saturday in Calabar, said that the passengers were abducted on Thursday.

Ewa said that the command had already swung into action to ensure the ‘immediate and prompt’ rescue of the abductees.

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According to the police spokesperson, a serving police officer in Akwa Ibom and a popular politician in Cross River who were on board the boat narrowly escaped abduction.

READ ALSO:Six Arrested For Alleged Killing Of Police Constable In Bayelsa

A passenger who preferred anonymity told newsmen that the boat was attacked a few minutes after take-off from Oron en route Calabar.

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They stopped our boat, transferred some passengers to their boat, and when their boat was full, they took off.

“When we arrived at the Inland Waterways Jetty, we were thoroughly quizzed by the police. Our statements were later taken before we were allowed to go home.”

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