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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.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it has now received a total of 129 applications from associations seeking registration as political parties.
The update was provided during the commission’s regular weekly meeting held in Abuja, yesterday.
According to a statement signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, seven new applications were submitted within the past week, adding to the previous number.
“At its regular weekly meeting held today, Thursday 10th July 2025, the commission received a further update on additional requests from associations seeking registration as political parties.
“Since last week, seven more applications have been received, bringing the total number so far to 129. All the requests are being processed,” the commission stated.
The commission revealed the introduction of a new digital platform for political party registration. The platform is part of the Party Financial Reporting and Auditing System and aims to streamline the registration process.
Olumekun disclosed that final testing of the portal would be completed within the next week.
“INEC also plans to release comprehensive guidelines to help associations file their applications using the new system.
“Unlike the manual method used in previous registration, the Commission is introducing a political party registration portal, which is a module in our Party Financial Reporting and Auditing System.
“This will make the process faster and seamless. In the next week, the commission will conclude the final testing of the portal before deployment.
“Thereafter, the next step for associations that meet the requirements to proceed to the application stage will be announced. The commission will also issue guidelines to facilitate the filing of applications using the PFRAS,” the statement added.
In the meantime, the list of new associations that have submitted applications has been made available to the public on INEC’s website and other official platforms.
President Bola Tinubu yesterday signed into law four tax reform bills aimed at transforming Nigeria’s fiscal and revenue framework.
The four bills include: the Nigeria Tax Bill, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill.
They were passed by the National Assembly after months of consultations with various interest groups and stakeholders.
The ceremony took place at the Presidential Villa, yesterday.
The ceremony was witnessed by the leadership of the National Assembly and some legislators, governors, ministers, and aides of the President.
The presidency had earlier stated that the laws would transform tax administration in the country, increase revenue generation, improve the business environment, and give a boost to domestic and foreign investments.
“When the new tax laws become operational, they are expected to significantly transform tax administration in the country, leading to increased revenue generation, improved business environment, and a boost in domestic and foreign investments,” Special Adviser to the President on Media, Bayo Onanuga said on Wednesday.
Before the signing of the four bills, President Tinubu had earlier yesterday, said the tax reform bills will reset Nigeria’s economic trajectory and simplify its complex fiscal landscape.
Announcing the development via his official X handle, yesterday, the President declared, “In a few hours, I will sign four landmark tax reform bills into law, ushering in a bold new era of economic governance in our country.”
Tinubu made a call to investors and citizens alike, saying, “Let the world know that Nigeria is open for business, and this time, everyone has a fair shot.”
He described the bills as not just technical adjustments but a direct intervention to ease burdens on struggling Nigerians.
“These reforms go beyond streamlining tax codes. They deliver the first major, pro-people tax cuts in a generation, targeted relief for low-income earners, small businesses, and families working hard to make ends meet,” Tinubu wrote.
According to the President, “They will unify our fragmented tax system, eliminate wasteful duplications, cut red tape, restore investor confidence, and entrench transparency and coordination at every level.”
He added that the long-standing burden of Nigeria’s tax structure had unfairly weighed down the vulnerable while enabling inefficiency.
The tax reforms, first introduced in October 2024, were part of Tinubu’s post-subsidy-removal recovery plan, aimed at expanding revenue without stifling productivity.
However, the bills faced turbulence at the National Assembly and amongst some state governors who rejected its passing in 2024.
At the NASS, the bills sparked heated debate, particularly around the revenue-sharing structure, which governors from the North opposed.
They warned that a shift toward derivation-based allocations, especially with VAT, could tilt fiscal balance in favour of southern states with stronger consumption bases.
After prolonged dialogue, the VAT rate remained at 7.5 per cent, and a new exemption was introduced to shield minimum wage earners from personal income tax.
By May 2025, the National Assembly passed the harmonised versions with broad support, driven in part by pressure from economic stakeholders and international observers who welcomed the clarity and efficiency the reforms promised.
In his tweet, Tinubu stressed that this is just the beginning of Nigeria’s tax evolution.
“We are laying the foundation for a tax regime that is fair, transparent, and fit for a modern, ambitious Nigeria.
“A tax regime that rewards enterprise, protects the vulnerable, and mobilises revenue without punishing productivity,” he stated.
He further acknowledged the contributions of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform Committee, the National Assembly, and Nigeria’s subnational governments.
The President added, “We are not just signing tax bills but rewriting the social contract.
“We are not there yet, but we are firmly on the road.”
The Senate has issued a 10-day ultimatum to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) over its failure to appear before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts probing alleged financial discrepancies amounting to over ?210 trillion in its audited reports from 2017 to 2023.
Despite being summoned, no officials or external auditors from NNPCL showed up yesterday.
However, representatives from the representatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and Department of State Services were present.
Angered by the NNPCL’s absence, the committee, yesterday, issued a 10-day ultimatum, demanding the company’s top executives to appear before the panel by July 10 or face constitutional sanctions.
A letter from NNPCL’s Chief Financial Officer, Dapo Segun, dated June 25, was read at the session.
It cited an ongoing management retreat and requested a two-month extension to prepare necessary documents and responses.
The letter partly read, “Having carefully reviewed your request, we hereby request your kind consideration to reschedule the engagement for a period of two months from now to enable us to collate the requested information and documentation.
“Furthermore, members of the Board and the senior management team of NNPC Limited are currently out of the office for a retreat, which makes it difficult to attend the rescheduled session on Thursday, 26th June, 2025.
“While appreciating the opportunity provided and the importance of this engagement, we reassure you of our commitment to the success of this exercise. Please accept the assurances of our highest regards.”
But lawmakers rejected the request.
The Committee Chairman, Senator Aliyu Wadada, said NNPCL was not expected to submit documents, but rather provide verbal responses to 11 key questions previously sent.
“For an institution like NNPCL to ask for two months to respond to questions from its own audited records is unacceptable,” Wadada stated.
“If they fail to show up by July 10, we will invoke our constitutional powers. The Nigerian people deserve answers,” he warned.
Other lawmakers echoed similar frustrations.
Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) insisted that NNPCL’s Group CEO, Bayo Ojulari, must personally lead the delegation at the next hearing.
The Tide reports that Ojulari took over from Mele Kyari on April 2, 2025.
Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi (Ebonyi North) said the two-month request suggested the company had no answers, but the committee would still grant a fair hearing by reconvening on July 10.
Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) warned the NNPCL against undermining the Senate, saying, “If they fail to appear again, Nigerians will know the Senate is not a toothless bulldog.”
Last week, the Senate panel grilled Segun and other top executives over what they described as “mind-boggling” irregularities in NNPCL’s financial statements.
The Senate flagged ?103 trillion in accrued expenses, including ?600 billion in retention fees, legal, and auditing costs—without supporting documentation.
Also questioned was another ?103 trillion listed under receivables. Just before the hearing, NNPCL submitted a revised report contradicting the previously published figures, raising more concerns.
The committee has demanded detailed answers to 11 specific queries and warned that failure to comply could trigger legislative consequences.