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Boko Haram Kills 22 Health Workers, Destroys 60 Hospitals In Yobe …150 Rustlers Attack Sokoto Villages, Cart Away Cows

Published

7 years ago

October 9, 2019

The Director Public Health at the Yobe State Ministry of Health, Dr. Hauwa Larai Goni, has disclosed that a total of 22 health workers lost their lives with 60 health facilities destroyed during the peak of Boko Haram insurgency.
The director made the disclosure at a one day workshop on improving access to healthcare services in post conflicts setting leads to building a resilient health system in Yobe State held, yesterday in Damaturu, the state capital.
She added that, over 300 health were also displaced during the period.
“A total of 90 health workers were attacked, 22 were killed, over 300 were displaced while 60 facilities were completely destroyed during the insurgency”, Goni said.
She noted that curfews, ban on motorcycles and GSM services cut-off for 6 months among others hindered access to healthcare delivery in the state.
The director, however, pointed out that responsive policies, resources flow, developing institutional and individual capacities, livelihood support as well as community coercion were some the resilience and recovery methods adopted in reversing the ugly trend.
The state deputy governor, who is also the Chairman of the Task Force on Immunization and Primary Healthcare, Idi Barde Guban, represented by Alhaji Baba Ali, said the activities of the insurgents have resulted in the destruction of 1098 of public buildings and private properties including healthcare facilities in the state.
The workshop has a theme: “improving access to healthcare services in post-conflict setting: a case of Yobe State health system resilience.”
But in Sokoto State, unknown gunmen numbering about 150 reportedly stormed Tarana Mahuta and Bagurba villages, Tureta Local Government Area, and made away with undisclosed number of cows at gunpoint.
The Sokoto State Police Command confirmed the attack and the rustling of the cows, but refused to mention the number of those alleged to have been killed in Tureta.
The confirmation came from the Sokoto Command PPRO, ASP Muhammad Abubakar Sadiq, in a two-paragraph statement issued, yesterday, 24 hours after the attack that took place in the early hours of last Monday.
According to the statement, “Unknown gunmen numbering about 150 stormed Tarana Mahuta and Bagurba villages of Tureta Local Government Area, carted away undisclosed number of cows from the villagers at gunpoint.
“The state command has intensified patrols along the axis, and deployed special trailing forces with a view to retrieving all that was made away with.”
Information gathered, however, indicated that the bandits ransacked villages in Tureta, killed the villagers after stealing foodstuffs and cows.
However, a civil rights group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has condemned the reported gruesome killing of nine soldiers by suspected armed bandits in Zamfara State.
HURIWA charged Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, to pay the sum of N900million compensation for the soldiers killed by the bandits in the state.
The rights group gave the call while reasserting its rejection to the negotiations by Northern governors with armed bandits in Zamfara, Katsina and Niger states.
It would be recalled that armed bandits killed nine soldiers in an attack last weekend in an area reportedly wracked by cattle rustling and kidnappings.
However, HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko directly linked the “killings of soldiers by armed bandits to the atmosphere of illegality, anarchy and impunity created by the negotiations and decision to grant amnesty to armed mass killers by some Northern state governors.
In a statement made available to newsmen, yesterday, Onwubiko said it was “absolutely wrong to permit a situation whereby armed freelance hoodlums are treated like sacred cows which has now snowballed into the mindless slaughter of our armed soldiers trained professionally with huge public and taxpayers’ fund.”
The rights group insisted that such killings must never be swept under the carpet.
Describing the negotiations and granting of amnesty to armed bandits as an affront to the Nigerian constitution, the rights group condemned the killing of soldiers by armed bandits.
It tasked the Zamfara State governor and Federal Government to arrest, prosecute and punish the killers of the soldiers.
“Negotiating with criminals under any guise by state governors is tantamount to defecating openly on top of the Nigerian constitution and the fact that the cocktails of coordinated mass killings by armed bandits in parts of Zamfara State and other northern states have continued unabated shows that it is foolhardy for elected officials to fail to enforce relevant laws against terrorism and mass murders.”
The right group also called on Nigerians of goodwill to speak up in rejection of the “institutionalization of impunity and official recklessness exhibited in the ongoing negotiations with armed bandits by northern governors.
“We demand that the Zamfara State Government be compelled to pay N100million compensation each to all the soldiers killed by armed bandits in Zamfara State.”
Meanwhile, troops of 7 Division Nigeria Army have rescued 27 persons displaced by insurgents in Borno State.
A statement by the Nigerian Army Operations Media Coordinator, Colonel Aminu Iliyasu, yesterday, said that the first clearance was carried out by Operation Lafiya Dole Theatre, troops of 7 Division Garrison in conjunction with troops of Sector 1 Operation Lafiya Dole and elements of Nigerian Army Super Camp 4 along Goni Gambomi, Kadamari, Melim, Gondori and Jantilu in Kaga LGA of Borno State.
Iliyasu stated that the troops rescued 15 persons, comprising eight adult males, one adult female, and six children.
He said after interrogation, they revealed that they spent three days wandering in the bush, trying to link up with any community where they could find succour.
“Preliminary investigation reveals that they spent three days wandering in the bush trying to link up with any community where they could find succour.
“They were promptly evacuated and the adult females and children were handed over to NYSC IDP Camp while the adult males were handed over to 7 Military Intelligence Brigade for profiling and subsequent integration into the IDP Camp.”
Similarly, troops of 82 Division Task Force Battalion at Strong Response Area while conducting clearance operations.
The statement added that in Ngoshe and Pulka general area in Gwoza LGA of Borno State troops also rescued 12 locals.
They were later screened, documented and handed over to officials of the International Organization for Migrants at Pulka IDP Camp.

Featured

RSG Floats MNET Culture Content Promo

Published

7 days ago

November 6, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Ministry of Culture and Tourism has floated a culture content platform in collaboration with digital television group, Multichoice.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Freddy Ndigbara, disclosed this after a meeting with MultiChoice Head of Content Acquisition, Don Dotun Ojon, in Port Harcourt.

He assured that content entrepreneurs and film makers would enjoy the platform by promoting culture and other contents to sell the states tourism potentials.

He said MultiChoice M-net was now open to increase its patronage for content shots on locations in Rivers State, describing the State as one that has numerous potentials for film tourism.

“We were privileged to have Don Ojon with us at the Rivers International Film Festival (RIFF) at the weekend in Bonny and he saw, first hand, the numerous sites and opportunities that are open to creatives in the State. After that, we felt it was important to deepen the conversation and he obliged. This is a cheering news for the sector in the State,” he said.

Ndigbara stated that “Rivers State has many more untold stories to tell, many more contents to reel out and the assurances from the M-net Acquisition Manager is an indication that the industry in the state will soon enjoy a new lease of life”.

The Permanent Secretary thanked Ojon for the visit and assured that creatives in the State would grap this opportunity and show the world that Rivers State is a major hub for film tourism in Nigeria.

On his part, Ojon said the visit was to discuss on ways of promoting tourism in the State using creatives and film.

Ojon said although the company has recently been acquired by canal+ France and is undergoing restructuring, he would promote the chances of Rivers State to host the MultiChoice talent factory in the State.

With Asaba, capital of Delta State, being saturated, Ojon said the next port is Rivers State, which he said is capable of building fresh crop of creatives, new locations, new story lines and concepts.

He, therefore, called for collaboration from stakeholders in the State.

Kevin Nengia

Featured

APC Presidential Campaign Storms PH, ‘Morrow

Published

7 days ago

November 6, 2026

The Tide

Barring last minute changes, the presidential campaign train of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will storm Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, tomorrow.

This is according to a campaign timetable released by the APC Campaign Council last month.

The Tide reports that the APC presidential campaign kicked off in Kaduna on October 24 with President Bola Tinubu in attendance.

The campaign train later moved to Cross River, Gombe, Nasarawa, and Ekiti on November 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively with the Vice President, Kashim Shettima representing the President at the rallies.

President Tinubu is personally scheduled to attend 12 states including Rivers, Kaduna, Plateau, Oyo, Borno, Enugu, Bauchi, Sokoto, Delta, Kano, Adamawa and Lagos.

The Rivers State rally, scheduled to hold at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt, is expected to witness a large crowd of party supporters drawn from a coalition of political parties in the State.

The party is expected to round off its presidential campaign in Lagos State on January 9, 2027.

The Tide reports that Tinubu has not visited Rivers State as President since he assumed office in May 2023. His last physical visit to the State was before his inauguration on Wednesday, May 3 – Thursday, May 4, 2023, when he was hosted by then Governor Nyesom Wike in Port Harcourt to commission the Rumuola/Rumuokwuta Flyover and the Magistrates’ Court Complex.

Tomorrow’s visit will be his first to the State since assuming office.

Featured

2027: Be Politically Neutral, Fubara Tasks Traditional Rulers

Published

2 weeks ago

October 30, 2026

The Tide

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has charged traditional rulers in the State to maintain neutrality, ensure fairness and uphold peace in their domains as the country prepares for the 2027 general elections.

Fubara gave the charge on Wednesday while declaring open the 126th, 127th and 128th Combined Quarterly Meeting of the Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council, in Port Harcourt.

The governor said the primary function of traditional rulers is to administer justice and ensure fairness, saying their conduct must not lead to division and unmanageable crises.

“Let me therefore, request, if that is the right word to use, that please, as we are entering into this political season actively, everyone should ensure that your conduct promoted peace in your place. Your actions should not be what would lead to the division and multiple crisis that we cannot manage as a government.

“I think with that, we can all live as one and we can also continue to make this progress that we are trying with all our mind, our body and our soul, to ensure that we deliver to our dear State,” he said.

Fubara urged the royal fathers to abide by the oath and constitution they swore to before ascending their respective stools, in the interest of stability and progress of the State.

He also enjoined them to set aside individual sentiments and place the interest of Rivers State above personal considerations, noting that this principle has guided his own day-to-day governance of the State.

“I want to enjoin everyone to keep aside issues of individual sentiments and ensure that the interest of our state supersedes whatever thing that we have in our mind. This is not just what I’m saying here, it is what I’ve also practiced and displayed in my day-to-day life in the governance of our dear State,” he said.

On the appeal for improved welfare for traditional rulers, the governor clarified that the delay in actualising some of the requests they made in the past was not from the government but from the inability of the Council to put its house in order.

Fubara explained that the issue of stipends paid to the traditional rulers by the local government councils, was a statutory benefit provided for in the constitution and not what a state governor can change by mere verbal pronouncements.

He assured that he remains a man of his word and will fulfill his promises to the traditional rulers before leaving office, next year.

He reaffirmed his respect for the traditional institution as custodians of culture and the closest link to the people, thanking them for their prayers and support.

The governor urged the royal fathers to ensure that the combined quarterly meeting featured fruitful deliberations that will strengthen peace and development in the State.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers and Paramount Ruler of Apara Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Eze Chike Amadi Worlu Wodo, expressed profound gratitude to the State Government for its efforts in maintaining a cordial relationship with the traditional institution.

Wodo highlighted the importance of traditional rulers in conflict resolution, noting that their closeness to the people places them in a strategic position to mediate in disputes involving chieftaincy matters, family disputes and land ownership in their respective communities.

The royal father drew the attention of the State Government to some challenges affecting the performance of the traditional institution, particularly the lack of official utility vehicles and logistical support needed to discharge its responsibilities effectively.

He also appealed for improved monthly stipends and better welfare provisions to reflect prevailing economic realities.