News

GBV: Group Sensitises Religious, Community Leaders On Measures To Tackle Menace

Published

1 year ago

December 4, 2024

Editor

Inter-faith Dialogue Forum for Peace (IDFP) on Thursday, sensitized religious and community leaders on measures to tackle the menace of Gender Based Violence (GBV) in Bauchi state.

Speaking at the sideline of the programme, Ms Faith Johnny, the Programme and FundRaising Development Officer, IDFP, said that the purpose of the sensitization is to develop a compendium for faith-based actors on prevention of GBV.

“This period is the sixteenth day of activism against Gender Based Violence and IDFP in collaboration with the UN Women have come up with a one-day engagement forum.

“What we mean is that, we have come to Bauchi today, where we will be hosting 10 faith-based actors who will be giving us 10 names each to make a hundred and at the end of this project, we are going to be having several other actors in a compendium so that if any organisation or individual wants to do something on GBV in Bauchi state, they have a list of people to contact.

“They have their numbers, they have cases, they have what has come after the cases and further actions to follow up.

“What we are expecting from this engagement is to have a comprehensive compendium of faith-based actors. This will now serve as a tool for other organisations to use in their further engagement in GBV issues,” she said.

Johnny however, urged both parents and guardians to closely watch their children and wards, talk to them, ask them what they are going through and this, she said, would serve as a variable tool in ending GBV.

Also speaking, Aminu Mohammed, one of the community leaders present, said this kind of sensitization of the faith-based actors both Muslims and Christians would go a long way in addressing GBV in Bauchi state.

“This is to make an advocacy to them as regards to Gender Based Violence because it’s something that is happening and so rampant in the state.

“There are several cases and in order to tackle it, you have to involve the religious and the community leaders because they are the grassroot members that can influence some of the members of the public.

“We are having problems of conspiracy of silence whereby the victims or their parents or relations will not like to open up and without opening up, you can’t be able to address the issue completely.

“Sometimes, stigmatization is another factor as to why they don’t want to open up and that is why we are making this advocacy and we want to expand it to the grassroots,” he said.

In his submission, Pastor Sunday Simon, Director, Christian Affairs in Bauchi state, opined that the engagement is one of the good ones they were looking forward to.

He said “this is because there is an issue that has been lingering in the whole country for a very long time and you will find out that the region’s people are not engaged the way they are now going to be.

“This programme came at the right time and with the right people and by engaging these religious and community leaders, it will also help the programme to reach the grassroot.

“The reason for the programme is to get the acceptance of these region people and also the leaders so the messages will go to the grassroot because before, when a programme of this nature comes, it will just die without achieving its goals because it didn’t include these people.

“IDFP is an organisation that has national and international outreach. It’s an organisation that has come to stay because it deals with all the faiths in the country,” he said.

Simon added that IDFP has broken the barrier of not including the religious and community leaders in this kind of programmes, saying these are the kind of people that when they talk, the people listen and respond positively to them.

News

Edo NLC Crisis: Caretaker Committee Drags Rival Exco, Govt To Court

Published

2 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

The division in the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), took a new dimension on Wednesday as Prof. Monday Monday Lewis Igbafen-led caretaker committee approached the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Benin Judicial Division, seeking to affirm its authority and restrain a rival executive from parading itself as the council’s leadership.

Joined in the suit are the Edo State Government, the Commissioner for Labour and Productivity, and the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.

In a suit marked: NICN/BEN/12/2026, and filed before the court in Benin, the claimant, Igbafen, acting for himself and on behalf of the NLC Caretaker Committee in Edo State, is challenging the continued occupation of the union’s secretariat and control of its assets by members of the Bernard Egwakhide-led factional State Executive Council.

The claimants are asking the court to declare that the caretaker committee (Igbafen-led faction), constituted on August 11, 2025, by the NLC national leadership, remains the only lawful authority to administer the affairs of the Edo State Council pending fresh elections.

They further seek a declaration that the continued occupation of the NLC secretariat located at No. 1 Teboga Road, Benin City, as well as the retention of union assets, financial records, and official instruments by the defendants, is illegal and void.

The suit also prays for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from parading themselves as officials of the NLC Edo Council or interfering with the functions of the caretaker committee.

In addition, the claimants are seeking a mandatory order compelling the defendants to immediately hand over the secretariat, vehicles, financial documents, cheque books, and all other properties belonging to the union.

The caretaker committee further urged the court to restrain the state government and its officials from interfering in the internal affairs of the union, alleging undue support for the dissolved executive.

The claimants further demand N50 million as general and exemplary damages against the defendants for alleged unlawful usurpation of office and acts prejudicial to the administration of the council.

According to court documents made available to our correspondent, the crisis followed the dissolution of the Edo State Council by the NLC National Executive Council on February 27, 2025, over allegations of misconduct, anti-union activities, and constitutional violations.

However, the matter has yet to be assigned a hearing date.

News

Transfer: Premier League Clubs Scramble For Dele-Bashiru

Published

7 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

Lazio midfielder, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru is a subject of interest from three Premier League clubs, according to Sky Sports.

Lazio reportedly rejected offers from Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth for the Nigeria international in January.

La Biancolesti are bracing for more interest in Dele-Bashiru ahead of the summer transfer window, according to Sky Sports.

The 24-year-old has two years left on his contract with the Serie A club.

The attacking midfielder joined the Rome-based club from Turkish Super Lig outfit Hatayspor in 2024.

He has been a regular feature for Lazio this season.

News

Xenophobic Attacks: Nigerian Students To Picket MTN, MultiChoice, Other Businesses

Published

8 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS South-West Zone D, has announced plans to picket South African companies in Nigeria following the ongoing xenophobic attacks in the country.

DAILY POST reports that some Nigerians were recently killed in South Africa over the violent attacks.

A statement issued to newsmen by Comrade Adeyemo Josiah Kayode, Coordinator, NANS South-West, Zone D, said that the association is mobilizing to take decisive and lawful action by organizing peaceful picketing and mass advocacy against South African business interests operating in Nigeria.

“We categorically state that the continued targeting of Nigerians under any guise is unacceptable and must come to an immediate end.

“This will include major corporations such as MTN Group and MultiChoice Group. It is morally indefensible for businesses to thrive in an environment where the lives of Nigerians are protected, while Nigerians are subjected to fear and violence elsewhere.

“This contradiction will no longer be tolerated,” the statement said.