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Boko Haram Kills 22 Health Workers, Destroys 60 Hospitals In Yobe …150 Rustlers Attack Sokoto Villages, Cart Away Cows
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.
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has stated that the State Security Council takes all decisions in the prosecution of the COVID-19 pandemic in the State.
Governor Wike who stated this on Tuesday when the Executive of the Nigeria Hotel Association, Rivers State Chapter paid him a courtesy visit at Government House, Port Harcourt pointed out that he has never taken any unilateral decision.
The State Chief Executive noted that all decisions taken by the State Government are for the overall good and interest of the Rivers people as no right thinking government would deliberately take decisions that would negatively affect the lives of the people.
“I don’t take decisions alone in the fight against COVID-19. All decisions are taken by the State Security Council and they are for the overall interest of Rivers people.
” You know people applaud government decisions when it suits them but when it does not favour them they say it is politically motivated.
“Rivers State Government does not have anything against hoteliers in the state, but decided to shutdown their activities because some cases of COVID-19 were recorded in hotels,” he stated.
Governor Wike also blamed the hoteliers for failing to assist government in providing relevant information regarding those that test positive of the coronavirus in their hotels.
According to him, adequate information would have helped the State Ministry of Health and other relevant agencies to carry out proper contact tracing.
“Its not possible that the State Government will intentionally close down hotels. But what I see is that people play politics with everything.
“The demolition of Prodest Hotel and Etemeteh Hotel in Eleme Local Government Area by the State Government became necessary because the owners failed to comply with Executive Order 7,” he said.
The State Chief Executive stated that he is more pained than any other person in the state that churches and mosques are not holding their full religious activities because of COVID-19.
“I can’t believe that I will be sitting here as a Governor and take a painful decision that will make churches and mosques not to hold full religious activities, ” he said.
The Governor lauded members of the State Chapter of Nigeria Hotel Association for identifying with government efforts in the fight against COVID- 19.
Earlier, the State Chairman, Nigeria Hotel Association, Mr. Eugene Nwauzi commended Governor Wike for leading the fight against coronavirus in the country.
Mr. Nwauzi noted that but for the efforts put in place by the Governor, the spread of COVID-19 would have taken a dangerous dimension in the state.
? Imposes state-wide curfew 8p.m to 6a.m from June 2, 2020 till further notice
? Uncovers plan by one Bobosky to instigate violence in 6 LGAs
? Investigating alleged outbreak of coronavirus in Bonny LGA
Rivers State Government has cancelled the proposed lockdown of Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt Local Government Areas scheduled to resume tomorrow.
Governor Nyesom Wike who stated this in a state-wide broadcast also announced the imposition of 8p.m to 6am curfew in the 23 Local Government Areas of the State with effect from June 2,2020 till further notice.
The Governor also revealed that government has uncovered plans by some criminal elements led by one Bobosky to cause security breaches in Khana, Eleme,Gokana, Tai, Oyigbo and Ikwerre Local Government Areas.
“After a comprehensive review of the measures taken and further considerations placed before us by well-meaning members of the public, the State Security Council has decided to cancel the proposed lockdown on Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt Local Government Areas of the State.
“In essence, no part of Rivers State is or will be under any lockdown from this moment and this will be so, except where it becomes necessary again.
“As we all know, the regular washing of hands, religious wearing of face masks, keeping effective physical and social distance of between 1.5 to 2 meters from other people, completely avoiding touching of faces with unwashed hands, and cleaning of surfaces we regularly touch have been identified as some of the most effective measures against contracting this virus in the absence of vaccine, ” he said.
According to the Governor, government would re-enforce the decisions on the continuous implementation of the following measures throughout the State:
(i) All land borders, including all exit and entry routes into Rivers State shall remain closed to human and vehicular traffic, except those on essential services and duly exempted.
(ii) All residents must wear face masks or covering into any public space, including our roads, banks, shopping malls, shops, hotels and in any lawful social gathering.
(iii) The State task force and the security agencies have been directed to arrest and summarily prosecute any person seen on our streets or any other public place without wearing face masks.
(iv) All banks, motor parks, hotels, restaurants, shops, business centres, shopping malls, and offices must maintain social distancing and enforce the wearing of face masks in their premises.
(v) The State task force and security agencies have been directed to seal up, prosecute and confiscate to the State any bank, shopping mall, restaurant, shop, business place or office that fails to enforce social distancing and the wearing of face masks in its premises.
(vi) In addition to providing daily guest list to the Police and the Department of State Security, hoteliers must not host large gatherings, including parties and receptions. Defaulting hotels will be sealed-up and the owners summarily prosecuted.
(vii) All bars, beer palours, or drinking joints, night-clubs, viewing centres, open markets and cinemas shall remain closed until further notice;
(viii) Oil mill market in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area shall remain closed until further notice;
(ix) Oginigba Slaughter market in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area shall similarly remain closed until further notice.
(x) Mbiama market in Ahoada West Local Government Area shall also remain closed until further notice;
(xi) All public weddings, burials and large social gatherings shall remain banned.
(xii) Churches and other religious gatherings should continue to comply with the existing advisory on social distancing, initiate temperature checks and enforce the wearing of face masks during their activities;
(xiii) Dealers in Ikoku Spare Parts markets are warned for the last time to stop converting public roads to mechanic workshops or risk final closure.
(xiv) Similarly, no mechanic workshop should be found along Ikwerre road as Government will prosecute defaulters and confiscate any vehicle being repaired on any public road.
(xv) Private and commercial vehicles, including tricycles must continue to limit their passengers to the number earlier established and enforce the wearing of face masks by all passengers. Defaulters will be prosecuted and their vehicles confiscated by the Task force.
These measures, he said, are in the best interest of our State, to protect our lives, businesses, and jobs as well as, to prevent our troubled economy from suffering irreparable damage.
“This also means that, residents now bear much greater responsibility to stop and prevent our State from suffering the exponential and potentially devastating spread of the virus being experienced across the
“As 60% of the positive cases recorded in the State are connected with oil company workers, we have initiated a meeting with all the major oil companies to work out strategies on how we can stop this trend and stop the risk this category of workers now pose to the State.
“Government is also investigating the rumored or suspected outbreak of the coronavirus at Bonny Island.
“Our team of medical personnel led by the Commissioner for Health has visited Bonny Island and collected samples from suspected cases for analysis and immediate intervention should the results indicate the outbreak of the virus in the area, “the governor said.
The State Chief Executive also revealed that intelligence has intercepted a clandestine plan by some criminal elements led by Bobosky to cause security breaches in the State by instigating violence and burning down churches in Khana, Eleme, Gokana, Tai and Oyigbo Local Government Areas of the State.
He assured all residents that the State Government is fully ready and prepared to deal with the situation and continue to guarantee the protection of lives and property throughout the State.
The Governor implored all residents to be vigilant and report all suspicious characters and movements in their neighbourhoods to security agencies.
“Leaders and vigilante groups in our communities are to work with the security agencies to enforce curfew in their localities and arrest and prosecute anyone that violates the curfew order.
“We urge our people to stop the fake news on social media; stop the baseless bickering, the needless blame game, and the seditious rumours that does no good to our image or provide any solution to the common challenges that we face.
“Rather, we should all come together, put our fate in our own hands and work for the common good of all, whether as individuals, families or as communities,” he stated.
The Governor commended all health workers who have continued to put their lives at risk in the forefront in the battle against COVID-19.
Also speaking one of the beneficiaries Mr Minamiango Romeo who sustained gunshot injuries expressed gratitude to Governor Wike for not abandoning them in their time of need and promised to continue to support his Administration and the leaders of the Local Government Area.
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