Tag: Taraba State

IDPs Seek Welfare Assistance From Taraba, Nasarawa State Govts

IDPs, Bama, Humanitarians, BornoInternally Displaced Persons (IDPs), from Wukari Local government area of Taraba state who are taking refuge in Nasarawa state, are seeking assistance from the government of both states and well meaning individuals to cater for their welfare.

They made their needs known when Channels Television visited the camp where they are residing.

The IDP’s who have been in Nasarawa state since June, 2014, said they depend on menial jobs around their vicinity for survival.

They also lamented over the fact that their children have been forced to leave school and that many of their relatives have starved to death.

“We are facing food and health challenges and our children do not go to school. We are appealing to the government and individuals to intervene immediately.

“They should help us with food and other things because what we are facing is not good. We will not stop appealing to them until something is done”

The people who are over 200 in number are currently taking solace at the ‘Almajiri’ school built by the Goodluck Jonathan administration in 2012, which has never been put to use since completion.

Just recently, the Nasarawa state government had asked the IDP’s to vacate the school and return to their state, but they have remained, as a result of not having where to return to.

Speaking on their behalf, one of the IDPs therefore appealed to the governor to allow them start their lives afresh if no other place would be provided for them.

“In terms of the vacation from here, if we would be leaving this place as the governor says, he should please create another environment for us and if there is an arrangement as such we would be happy; but if there is nothing, the governor should please leave us here because we don’t have anywhere to go even in our home in Wukari where we left before coming here, we have no home we have nothing there so it is here that will calm us down that we will be able to start our lives afresh” he said.

Court Strikes Out Appeal Against Taraba Governor

Darius Ishaku
Governor of Taraba State, Mr Darius Ishaku.

The Court of Appeal sitting in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, today struck out the appeal of a governorship candidate, Mr. David Kente, against the governor of Taraba State, Mr Darius Ishaku.

The petitioner had gone to the appeal court to challenge the eligibility of the Taraba Governor to contest the 2015 elections, on the grounds that he did not contest the primary election.

Mr. Kente, who was a PDP aspirant, contested the primary in December 2014 and lost but later defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), to contest the same governorship election in 2015.

In her ruling, Justice Jummai Sanchi of the Appeal Court, Yola, struck out the case, stating that Mr. Kente has no locus standi.

19-Year-Old Apprehended For Possessing Firearms In Taraba

Firearms, TarabaThe Taraba State Police Command, has apprehended a 19-year-old suspect in possession of ammunition and dangerous weapons.

Police Commissioner in the state, Shaba Alkali, while briefing journalists in his office stated that a special squad involved in mopping up of firearms in the state arrested the suspect.

He said that suspects involved in several crimes ranging from armed robbery, kidnapping, cattle rustling as well as unlawful possession of firearms were also arrested.

The Police Commissioner, speaking on the command’s achievement in fighting crime explained that suspects currently in Police custody for various offences would be charged to court..

He said that the success rate of crime fighting in the state has increased following the introduction of the special squad in collaboration with the vigilante group and the public.

He went ahead to read the riot act to criminal elements still operating in the state.

He said further that maintaining the tempo in ridding the state of criminal elements requires the combined efforts of security agents and the public.

Two Killed In Taraba Violence

Taraba ViolenceTwo people have been killed and properties destroyed after fresh violence erupted in Taraba State, northeast Nigeria.

The incident occurred on Saturday in Bornon Kuku village in Bali Local Government Area of the state.

The Special Adviser to the Taraba State Governor on Media, Mr Sylvanus Giwa, confirmed the killing to Channels Television on telephone.

He said that the incident was an off-shoot of a foiled robbery attack by herdsmen on the village, on Friday.

Governor Darius Ishaku’s aide noted that the armed men later re-grouped to attack the unsuspecting villagers.

He asked the Federal Government to take the issue of security seriously, in order to prevent the situation from getting out of hand.

Taraba Killings: Perpetrators Will Be Brought To Book – Gov Ishaku

Herdsmen AttackThe Taraba State Governor, Mr Darius Ishaku, on Wednesday said he will leave no stone unturned in bringing those responsible for an attack in the state to justice.

He also urged residents, with useful information on the perpetrators of the recent killings to come forward.

Speaking through his Senior Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Sylvanus Giwa, he urged residents to “report any suspicious character” to the authorities.

Mr Giwa also confirmed the deployment of police officers to the troubled area, adding that “the whole place is now calm.

“One of the suspects was paraded by the State’s Police Commissioner”, adding that it was in the house of the paraded suspect that the plan to carry out the attack was hatched.

He also noted that the “governor will not leave any stone unturned to ensure that the perpetrators of this heinous crime are brought to book.

“The place has been cordoned off and serious security checks are going on in those villages”, he said.

The media aide, however, disagreed with the police authorities who reported that 15 people were killed, maintaining that “the information we got was about 44 people.

“You cannot count the number of the corpses that were burnt unless you go there and see the visuals”, he added.

The Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, on Tuesday, dispatched a detachment of Police officers to central Taraba State, where cattle rustlers allegedly killed 15 people.

Speaking to journalists at the Police command’s headquarters in Jalingo, the Commissioner of Police, Shaba Alkali, said that the herdsmen launched coordinated attacks on the affected communities.

He explained that they burnt some thatch houses forcing the villagers to flee into the villages of Mayo-Selbe and Sabon Gida for safety.

Mr Alkali called on residents in the state to report suspicious activities in their communities to security operatives.

Taraba Governorship: Supreme Court Gives Reasons For Upholding PDP’s Victory

Supreme courtThe Supreme Court on Monday gave reasons why it upheld the election of Mr Darius Ishaku as the duly elected governor of Taraba State.

Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour who dismissed the petition of Mrs Aishat Alhassan of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on February 11, 2016 said she lacked the locus standi to complain about the primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that produced Mr Ishaku as its governorship candidate since she did not participate in the said primaries.

The apex court further holds that all the issues raised by Mrs Alhassan in her petition have been settled by the court as no person is allowed by law to call for the cancellation of an election he/she did not participate in.

Lawyer to Governor Darius Ishaku applauded the reasons given by the court‎, while counsel to the APC candidate said the reasons will further expand the frontiers of electoral law in Nigeria.

The Supreme Court had earlier dismissed the appeal filed by Alhassan without giving reasons.

The Apex Court upheld the Appellate Court’s verdict which had earlier dismissed the petition on the grounds that the APC and its governorship candidate cannot question the nomination of Governor Darius Ishaku as the candidate of the PDP.

Supreme Court Dismisses Aisha Al-Hassan’s Appeal

Supreme courtThe Supreme Court has dismissed the appeal filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Aisha Al-Hassan.

In a judgment delivered by Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, the Apex Court held that the appeal lacked merit and substance.

The Apex Court upheld the Appellate Court’s verdict which had earlier dismissed the petition on the grounds that the APC and its governorship candidate cannot question the nomination of Governor Darius Ishaku as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Al-Hassan had filed the appeal questioning the nomination of Darius Ishaku as the candidate of the PDP.

According to her, the PDP did not conduct primary elections to nominate its candidate as required by the law.

The Supreme Court says it will give reasons for the judgment on February 22, 2016.

 

Gunmen Kidnap Taraba Deputy Governor’s Mother

tarabaThe mother of Taraba State Deputy Governor, Beli Manu, has been kidnapped by unknown gunmen on Monday.

Mrs Manu was kidnapped at her residence in Bakin Kasuwa area of Mtum Biyu, Taraba State.

Taraba State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Joseph Kwaji, told Channels Television that four armed men stormed the home of the Deputy Governor on motorcycles at about 10:30 pm on Monday and abducted Mrs Manu.

The Police spokesman added, “The Police rescue operations headed by the State Police Commissioner, Shaba Alkali, has launched a rescue mission with the aim of rescuing the victim and apprehend the culprits, believing that the perpetrators are still within the state.”

Reacting to the incident, the Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor, Lawal Sani, also confirmed that no contact has been established with the abductors.

He added that the issue of ransom does not arise as security operatives have waded into the matter.

Lassa Fever: Rivers Health Commissioner Says No Need For Panic

Lassa feverThe Commissioner for Health in Rivers State, Dr. Odagine Theophilus, says there is nothing to worry about regarding the reported outbreak of Lassa fever in the state.

He was on the Friday edition of Sunrise Daily to discuss the outbreak of Lassa Fever and the efforts by the state government to curb its spread.

He said that the state government was “taking care” of the primary health centre where the first case was managed and had finished burying the victims according to guidelines for managing the bodies of those who died from Lassa fever and other haemorrhage diseases.

“The hospital and the morgue have been decontaminated, the family house of the patient has been decontaminated, the secondary centre where the patient had chemo-dialysis and finally passed on, we have finished the process of starting decontamination,” he said.

Speaking via the telephone from Port Harcourt, the Commissioner said that the state government was still expecting the arrival of personal protective equipment from the Federal Ministry of Health.

Dr. Theophilus emphasized the efforts being made at enlightening the public. This campaign has engaged health workers at different levels of access to the public to provide sensitization on how to prevent the spread of Lassa fever.

There had been questions as to how the disease could have spread to Rivers State considering its distance to Taraba State where the case was last reported, but Dr. Theophilus said that all efforts to link the Rivers case to Taraba was not successful.

“The family had insisted that the patient never travelled during pregnancy to Taraba State or the north. So we could not really link it to travel,” he explained, adding that the patients had died before the confirmatory test results were out.

He admitted that this was not the first case of Lassa fever in the state as two case were recorded same time in the previous year. He, however allayed fears that there might be more cases yet to be discovered.

Since the discovery of what is expected to be Lassa fever in Taraba State in December 2015, there has been apprehension among citizens on how and where the disease that broke out four years earlier resurfaced.

The state government embarked on a facility tour of the Federal Medical Centre, Jalingo to see how the hospital was handling the cases of suspected victims and just like his Rivers State counterpart, the Taraba State Health Commissioner also assured citizens that the government would do all things possible to reduce the risk.

Death Toll Of Suspected Lassa Fever Rises To 5 In Taraba

Lassa-FeverThe death toll of suspected cases of Lassa Fever outbreak in Taraba State may have risen to five as additional suspected cases were reported at the Specialist Hospital in Jalingo, the state capital. 

Though yet to be confirmed that the cases are the rodent transferred disease, the Taraba State Specialist Hospital received three patients suffering from symptoms of the dreaded disease with two dead in the cause of treatment.

With the blood samples of suspected patients taken to Irrua Specialist Hospital in Edo State are yet to arrive in the state, Chief Medical Director of Taraba State Specialist Hospital, Dr Rimande Joel, confirmed that patients suspected to be suffering from the scourge were brought into the hospital in which two of them died late Wednesday.

The State Commissioner for Health, Mr Innocent Vakai, however reinstated the believe that there are diseases that have similar symptoms with Lassa Fever, insisting that only the confirmation or otherwise from the Specialist Hospital will determine if the state is facing an outbreak of the disease.

At the Federal Medical Centre, Jalingo, the Chief Medial Director, Dr Inusa Wuza, said the infected patients are responding to treatment in an isolated ward with drugs made available by the state government and the Federal Ministry of Health while medical personnel have been equipped with protective gadgets to guide against contamination.

As the state government awaits the result of blood samples from the specialists hospital for confirmation the government is expected to intensify its campaign on preventive measures as well as educating the citizens on the dangers of bush burning while proper hygienic conditions should be maintained by all and sundry.

Taraba Government Embarks On Sensitisation On Lassa Fever Scourge

lassa feverHealth workers have been deployed across Taraba State to sensitise citizens on symptoms of the dreaded Lassa fever and ways of preventing the disease.

The government on Wednesday  purchased drugs for treatment of patients and protective equipment for medical personnel on.

Taraba State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Innocent Vakkai, embarked on a visit to the Federal Medical Centre in Jalingo, Taraba State capital, where he was taken round the wards by the Medical Directors to see the facility on ground and how the hospital is handling the patients, pending the outcome of blood samples taken for clarification.

Dr. Vakkai also asked members of the public not to panic, as the state government had responded swiftly to tackling the disease with the provision of drugs and equipment for medical personnel.

A Medical Director at the Federal Medical Centre, Wiza Inusa, told reporters that it has not been ascertained if the affected patients are suffering from Lassa fever since blood samples have been taken to a specialist hospital for further confirmation.

As the state awaits the result of the blood samples taken for verification, there is need for the citizens to improve on their hygienic conditions by taking necessary measures in preventing rodents from contaminating their food stuffs while a clean environment is maintained for a healthy living.

On Monday, January 4, Taraba State Commissioner of Health said that one person was confirmed dead, while two others were being observed.

Taraba Government Confirms Lassa Fever Outbreak

Lassa-FeverThe Taraba State Government says it is trying to contain the outbreak of Lassa fever.

The state’s Commissioner of Health, Dr. Innocent Vakkai, said one person has been confirmed dead, while two others are being observed.

He added that their blood samples have been taken to the Irrua Specialists’ Hospital in Edo State for further confirmation.

The Information Commissioner has also asked members of the public not to panic, as the state government has responded swiftly to the outbreak.

Lassa fever outbreak occurred in Taraba State in February 2012, causing the death of 10 people, including a doctor and two nurses who attended to the patients.