Television Nigerian

Concerned by the rising cases of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Nigeria, the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), has concluded plans to initiate what it described as a community-led movement to eliminate the practice in five Nigerian states.

The five states which are said to have the highest prevalence of FGM include Ebonyi, Ekiti, Imo, Osun, and Oyo.

In a statement to commemorate the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM, UNICEF revealed that nearly 3 million girls and women would have undergone FGM in these States in the last five years.

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According to UNICEF, “The Movement for Good” will reach 5 million adolescent girls and boys, women – including especially pregnant and lactating mothers – men, grandparents, and traditional, community and religious leaders, legislators, justice sector actors, and state officials through an online pledge to ‘say no’ to FGM.

The movement, it further explained, will mobilize affected communities for concrete action at the household level to protect girls at risk of FGM and will challenge misconceptions on FGM and the discriminatory reasons it is practiced and break the silence around the practice together with communities.

The UNICEF further noted that FGM is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women. It reflects deep-rooted inequality between the sexes and is an extreme form of discrimination against girls and women.

It is nearly always carried out on children and is a violation of children’s rights. The practice also violates a person’s rights to health, security, and physical integrity; the right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment; and the right to life, in instances when the procedure results in death.

According to the UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Peter Hawkins: “Millions of girls are being robbed of their childhoods, health, education, and aspirations every day by harmful practices such as FGM.

“The practice of FGM not only has no health benefits – it is deeply harmful to girls and women, both physically and psychologically. It is a practice that has no place in our society today and must be ended, as many Nigerian communities have already pledged to do.”

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He further said that: “The International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM reminds us that we are not alone in this work and that we need to accelerate efforts – especially with families and communities – to achieve a Nigeria safe for girls and women and finally free of FGM.”

The UNICEF disclosed that FGM remains widespread in Nigeria. With an estimated 19.9 million survivors, Nigeria accounts for the third highest number of women and girls who have undergone FGM worldwide.

While the national prevalence of FGM among women in Nigeria aged 15-49 dropped from 25 percent in 2013 to 20 percent in 2018, prevalence among girls aged 0-14 increased from 16.9 percent to 19.2 percent in the same period, according to NDHS figures.

An estimated 86 percent of females were cut before the age of 5, while 8 percent were cut between ages 5 and 14.

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As the world today commemorates the International Day of Zero Tolerance of FGM, 68 million girls worldwide were estimated to be at risk of female genital mutilation between 2015 and 2030.

As COVID-19 continues to close schools and disrupt programs that help protect girls from this harmful practice, an additional 2 million additional cases of FGM may occur over the next decade.

The Federal Government has promised that the newly approved Biosecurity Policy and Action Plan 2022-2026 will be implemented 70% of the time.

Chief Sharon Ikeazor, Minister of State for Environment, stated this at the unveiling and public presentation of Nigena’s 5-year National Biosecurity Policy and Action Plan in Abuja.

She stated that carrying out the action plan would ensure Nigeria’s environmental and biological security.
“We are expected as a nation to have significantly improved our national biosecurity system by the end of 2026 through the sincere and efficient implementation of the National Biosecurity Policy and Action Plan,” she said.

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To that end, we’ve set a 70% success rate as a goal, and I’m confident that we’ll be able to meet it.
“On our part as a ministry through the National Biosafety Management Agency, we will immediately liaise with the national planning team to develop an evaluation template and as well put in motion a facilitation mechanism for the implementation of the policy and its action plans.”

Ikeazor explained that in a bid to secure the health of Nigerians and their immediate environments from biological threats, and sustain socio-economic development, the government conceived the framework for the policy.
She said this was through a legal mandate to ensure the prevention, detection and rapid response to bio-threats, adding that in 2019 the President assented to the bill amending the National Biosafety Management Agency Act (2015).

She said the amendment include putting measures in place to ensure biosecurity in Nigeria, mandating the NBMA to coordinate issues of biosecurity in Nigeria.

“Biosecurity is a strategic and integrated approach that encompasses the policy and regulatory frameworks (including instruments and activities) that analyse and manage risks in the sectors of food safety, animal life and health, plant life and health, including associated environmental risk,” Ikeazor stated.

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She added, “It focuses not only on preventing the loss, theft, misuse, diversion, or intentional release of pathogens, toxins, and other related assets against humans, animals, plants, and the environment, but also include putting measures in place to mitigate naturally occurring and emerging infectious diseases.”

In a Goodwill message, the Acting High Commissioner of Canada in Nigeria, Kevin Toker said his government has invested about $8 million to strengthen Nigena’s capacity to prevent, detect and respond to biological threats.
This was carried out through the construction, operation and maintenance of biocontainment laboratones in Lagos and the National Veterinary Research Institute Vom, Plateau State.

He was optimistic that the Canadian-supported laboratones have played a vital role in supporting Nigena’s COVID 19 response throughout the pandemic, especially by enhancing testing capacity.

Toker said that Canada’s continued commitment to strengthen biosecunty and health secunty in Africa was reflected in its ‘Signature initiative to Mitigate Biological Threats in Africa, which is currently implemented by the G7-led Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction.

According to him, “The aim of the initiative, which is being delivered in close collaboration with the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and other African partners including the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is to reduce bio-threats by aligning the activities of the Global Partnership and African countries in order to achieve shared objectives.”

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He was confident that Nigena’s National Biosecurity Policy and Acton Plan would support the evolution and impact of the Signature initiative as well as encourage Nigerian stakeholders to play an active part in brainstorming on biosafety and biosecuriity; national governance structures, surveillance and epidemic inteligence, and non-proliferation.

Toker stated that Canada is proud of its longstanding partnership with Nigena to strengthen national and regional biosecurity capabilites, saying that both countries’ partnership that dates back to over a decade, was strengthened by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier in his welcome address, the director-general, National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), Dr. Rufus Ebegba, said the NBP & AP was developed to improve the issues of biosecurity specifically to put measures in place to ensure that biological agents are contained and prevented from being used to cause harm to the environment and human health.

He pointed out that the new document is the first in Africa to cover all the four thematic areas of biosafety and biosecurity, national governance structures, surveillance and epidemic intelligence and non-proliferation, adding that it will serve as a guideline for other countries to model their framework in biosecurity.

In his remarks, the World Health Organisation (WHO), emergency preparedness and response cluster coordinator, Rex Mpazanje, commended the Nigerian government through the environment minister for being one of the pioneering countries in implementing an integrated OneHealth approach to biosecurity through the establishment of the National Biosafety Management Agency, the formulation of the policy and plan through a multi-stakeholder engagement process and clearly articulated the responsibilities of all relevant sectoral ministries, departments and agencies of government.

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“WHO feels privileged to have supported in the development of these important documents. We consider the policy and associated plan as being very important to Nigeria towards the protection of human, animal and plant life and health in an integrated manner. We look forward to continuing to support the NBMA to facilitate its implementation especially knowing that achieving such will require strong multi-sectoral accountability mechanisms,” he added.

Nigerian Air Force fighter jets have killed at least 37 bandit leaders and terrorists in Niger State.

The late fighters are believed to be among those that launched violent attacks at several communities in Kontagora, Mariga and Rijau Local Government Areas of the State.

PRNigeria sources said that several children were killed by the criminals, who looted shops, razed many houses and rustled over a thousand cattle.

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Pursuit of the criminals by troops was initially hindered by ‘disruptive’ weather condition.

PRNigeria said that the Air Component of Operation Gama Aiki on Wednesday dispatched an Alpha jet and helicopter gunship to the locations to take out the targets as the ground troops with local volunteers were moving in.
Credible intelligence from locals as well as land forces had indicated the movement of several armed bandits with rustled herds of cattle along Shadadi-Maundu axis.

An intelligence source involved in the operation said: “At Maundu, several armed bandits in black clothes were sighted running to take cover at nearby clusters of trees. Consequently, the aircraft took turns in engaging the targets.

“Additionally, at Shadadi, radio contact was established with the ground troops who reported movement of armed bandits and rustled herds of cattle towards Farin Doka – Bangi – Konam Dutse axis.

“Accordingly, the crew proceeded to the location to take out the targets. At Farin Doka, several armed bandits dressed in black clothes were sighted with large number of about 1000+ rustled herds of cattle and were engaged with rockets. Fleeing bandits after the initial rocket strikes were mopped up with cannons.”

Local sources supporting the troops in the area confirmed the elimination of some of the bandit-terrorists.

“After the bombing by two aircraft one firing from far in the air and another that came later firing close to the ground, the surviving bandits were running away leaving their dead colleagues and the cattle

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“This morning we have counted at least 37 bodies including some suspected to be their leaders,” one of the local vigilantes said.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency intercepted 40,250 kilograms of codeine-based syrup imported from India at the Apapa seaport in Lagos.

This comes just a week after the DEA seized 14,080kg of the prohibited substance at the same port.

Femi Babafemi, Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, announced this in a statement on Thursday.

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“The drug bust follows a similar seizure of 14,080 kilograms of codeine syrup and 4,352.43 kilograms of cold caps used to conceal the former in a 40-foot container imported from India on Wednesday, February 2nd, 2022, at the Apapa port,” he said. Both seizures were made as a result of intelligence from foreign partners and cooperation from other port stakeholders such as Customs, the Department of Homeland Security, the Navy, and others.
“The latest consignments intercepted on Tuesday 8th February were brought into the country in two containers marked HLBU 2239792 with 1,125 cartons of the drug and HLBU 1067338 with 1,751 cartons, with a market value of N2,012,500,000 (Two Billion, Twelve Million and Five Hundred Thousand Naira).

“The consignments were seized at the Port Express Bonded Terminal, Berger-Apapa after they were discovered concealed behind cartons of hypergra 200mg and deluxe chilly cutters, after which the Agency’s sniffer dogs were brought in to identify the illegal substance.”
Reacting, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended officers and men of the Apapa Port Special Area Command of the Agency for their vigilance. He expressed gratitude to foreign partners for sharing timely intelligence and other port stakeholders for their cooperation.

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Marwa said the Agency remains poised to deal decisive blows to drug cartels this year by ensuring that no gram of illicit drug is allowed to come into or pass through Nigeria to other countries.

After a patient’s son assaulted one of its members, the Association of Resident Doctors at the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital, UNIMEDTH, in Ondo State, has begun a two-day warning strike.

Residents of doctors protested peacefully in Ondo and Akure at the same time, demanding adequate security in hospital environments to prevent further attacks by patients or their relatives.

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On Wednesday, a doctor was assaulted while on duty by a patient’s relative.

According to UNIMETH ARD President John Matthew, the attack was unnecessary.

One of the protesting doctors, Dr. Ibidapo Bolayemi, claimed that over 100 doctors had left the hospital, leaving only 45 doctors to care for patients.
“It’s unfortunate that we’ve ended up in this precarious position. Over 100 employees have departed the hospital, putting a strain on us.

“To solve the problem, we ask the state government to hire additional doctors. We also want the government to ensure that the facility is adequately secured,” he said.

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Meanwhile, the hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Dr. Oluwole Ige, has criticized the resident doctors’ decision to go on a two-day warning strike in response to the attack on their colleague.

Dr. Ige, who criticized the doctor’s assault, said the strike was uncalled for because the situation had been settled.