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The federal government in collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other partners have inaugurated four inter-sectoral Technical Working Groups (TWGs) on food and feed safety yesterday in Abuja.

The launch was part of activities making the 2024 World Food Safety Day.

The TWGs will provide expertise to drive effective communication, capacity building and strategic partnerships among stakeholders to strengthen and harmonize Nigeria’s regulatory environment and risk-based food safety systems.

The goal is to scale up industry engagement in the national regulatory processes and compliance with international food safety standards.

Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Mohammed Ali Pate, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Daju Kachollom,  said that the federal government, with partners, has meticulously revised the National Policy on Food Safety and Quality and its Implementation Plan.

“As we gather to mark the 2024 World Food Safety Day, we are reminded of the delicate balance that sustains this vital aspect of our lives. This year’s theme, ‘Food safety: prepare for the unexpected,’ is a clarion call to action, a reminder that vigilance is the guardian of our sustenance and unforeseen events that can compromise the integrity of our food supply.

“In the face of daunting challenges, our resolve remains unshaken. Preparedness is not just a watchword but our shield against the unpredictable tides of adversity,” he said.

In her remarks, Programme Manager, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA-FAS), Kelly Scavella, said the “USDA-FAS is partnering with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and other Nigerian stakeholders to help build food safety systems that are relevant to consumers, producers and regulators.

The event brought together many key stakeholders in the food and feed industries as well as donor agencies.

After over a week siege on the popular Banex Plaza in Wuse 2 area of Abuja, the military has reopened the market for business.

Correspondent who visited the market on Monday evening learnt that the plaza resumed operations around 2:30pm.

Recall that the market was sealed by military authorities on May 18, following a violent clash between traders and military personnel.

Trouble started when thugs beat up some soldiers who had a disagreement with a trader in the plaza.

The trader had reportedly sold a bad phone to someone who invited soldiers. Rather than resolve the issue amicably, the trader reportedly invited thugs who assaulted the uniform men.

They descended on at least two soldiers and another man in mufti. The thugs who broke into groups slapped, kicked and beat up the soldiers.

Although the police stepped in to resolve the situation, soldiers later stormed the plaza, forcing traders to shut down immediately.

Human rights activists, including Femi Falana, SAN, Civil Society Organisations, among others had condemned the military action.

They had said while what the trader involved did was bad, shutting down of the entire business place was not solution.

But the army said the market would remain temporarily closed until those behind the attacks were fished out.

Kwamishinan rundunar ‘yan sanda jihar Kano, Mohammed Hussein Gumel ya ce jami’an tsaro sun sami bayannan sirri masu karfi wadanda suka yi zargin cewa bata-gari na kokarin tayar da tarzoma a birnin kanon ta hanyar kai hare -hare a wasu muhiman wurare ciki har da Majalisar dokokin Jihar.

Mohammed Hussein Gumel ya shaida wa manema labarai cewa tuni suka dauki matakan dakile yunkurin:

”Ina son na sanar da ku cewa mun kamala shirye-shiryen inganta sintirin tsaro tare da tsaurara matakan tsaro a wuraren da ake son a kai wa hari tare da zuba ido maboyarsu”, in ji shi.

Game da umarnin da kotu ta bayar inda ta nemi a dakatar da matakin da gwamnatin jihar Kano ta dauka na rushe masarautu biyar, CP Gumel ya dage da cewa dukannin hukukomin tsaron jihar suna mutuntunta umarnin kotu:

”Duk wani abu da ya dabaibaye al’amuran masarautu muna kallonsa a matsayin wani bangare na doka da kuma bangaren umarnin kotu”

”A matsayinmu na hukumar da ke tilasta bin doka da oda idan kotu ta bada umarni, ko da daidai ne ko akasin haka, to zamu bi shi sau da kafa har zuwa lokacin da kotun ta yanke hukuncin kan al’amarin” in ji shi.

Ita ma rundunar sojin Najeriya ta ce ba bu hannunta a rikicin masarautar Kano kuma ba bu ruwanta wajan aiwatar da umarnin kotu.

A cikin sanarwa da ke dauke da sa hannun daraktan hulda da jama’a na rundunar sojin kasar, Manjo Janarar Onyema Nwachukwu ya ce sun dauki ‘matakin dakile masu kokarin tayar da zaune tsaye ne ’

Sojojin Najeriya na maida martani ne kan zargin da kungiyar lauyoyi ta kasa reshen jihar Kano ta yi a kan cewa sojojin na da hannu a rikicin masarautar Kano .

Bayyanai sun ce hakimai 40 ne suka hallarci zaman fadacin da Sarkin Kano Muhammad Sanusi na biyu ya yi a ranar Lahadi kuma a ciki akwai tsoffafin hakiman masarautun da aka rushe.

Sai dai masu ruwa da tsaki a masauratar Karaye da ita ma aka rushe sun yi watsi da matakin da Majalisar dokokin Jihar ta dauka.

Sun yi zargin cewa Majalisar dokokin Jihar ta dauki wannan mataki ne ba tare da tuntubar mazauna yankin ba.

A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted the former commander of the Force Intelligence Response Team, DCP Abba Kyari, two weeks’ bail after 27 months in detention.

Abba Kyari is expected to conclude his mother, Yachilla Kyari’s burial rites.

The court subsequently set Friday, May 31, for the determination of his bail application in the trial over drug-related charges filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency following his arrest over two years ago on February 14, 2022.

It could be recalled that the mother died in the early hours of Sunday, May 5, 2024, and was survived by 10 children (five males and five females), including Abba, who is the eldest son.

While Abba Kyari was not able to attend his mother’s burial, residents of Borno State turned out in large numbers to pay their respects to Yachilla, who was buried according to Islamic rites the same day.

In 2022, the Police Service Commission suspended Kyari and two senior police officers — Sunday Ubua and James Bawa — named in a cocaine deal involving the suspended deputy commissioner of police.

“The Police Service Commission has suspended assistant commissioner of police, ACP Sunday Ubua and assistant superintendent of police, ASP James Bawa from the exercise of the powers and functions of their respective Offices with effect from Monday, 14th February 2022,” the PSC said in a statement.

The NDLEA had also declared Kyari wanted over alleged links with an international drug cartel.

Femi Babalola, spokesperson for the NDLEA, had alleged that Kyari and his Intelligence Response Team arrested some drug traffickers who arrived in the country from Ethiopia with 25kg of cocaine but took 15kg of the seized substance for themselves.

Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of dilapidation of the Gidan Murtala offices complex.

In an unscheduled visit to the historic building on Tuesday, with the aim to assess the working conditions of the civil servants, the governor lamented the poor working environment and lack of functional materials.

“I am not happy with what I saw, the total dilapidation and lackadaisical attitude of civil servants is alarming.”

Gov Yusuf noted that “Ninety-five percent of the offices are in a total mess, and is affecting the morale and efficiency of the workforce.

“How do you expect civil servants to work when there is no serene environment?” he questioned.

Governor Yusuf assured that the government is committed to providing a good and beautiful environment that will motivate employees.

“I have taken it upon myself to reconstruct and rehabilitate this edifice,” he stated.

The governor announced that the government will soon award contracts for comprehensive renovations and rehabilitation of the Gidan Murtala office complex.

This initiative will include not only structural repairs but also the installation of a solar power system to ensure a reliable energy supply.

“Very soon, we will award contracts for general renovations and rehabilitation,” Governor Yusuf explained.

“We will install a solar system to address power issues, ensuring that our civil servants have a dependable source of energy.”

Governor Yusuf’s pledge to overhaul the Gidan Murtala office complex marks a significant step towards revitalizing the public sector infrastructure in Kano State.

Gidan Murtala complex, named after Nigeria’s former head of state, Late General Murtala Mohammed houses many ministries, agencies and a number of magistrate courts.

The Nigerian Army says the closure of the popular Banex Plaza in Wuse Abuja was in response to the unfortunate brutal attack on some Nigerian Army personnel by some hoodlums at the plaza.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that there was unrest at the plaza on May 18 when some army personnel were attacked by yet-to-be-identified hoodlums, following a disagreement over the phone.

The Director, Army Public Relations, Maj.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, in a statement on Tuesday, said the closure followed a meeting convened with the management of Banex Plaza to identify and apprehend the perpetrators of the heinous act.

Nwachukwu said it was agreed that activities in the plaza be temporarily shut to ensure that the hoodlums who had been using the Banex neighbourhood as a sanctuary to pose a security threat to the Federal Capital Territory were apprehended.

He said that a swift intervention by soldiers and policemen on internal security duties salvaged the situation and rescued the attacked personnel from being lynched by the hoodlums.

According to Nwachukwu, it is important to note that the soldiers attacked were unarmed, did not engage in any form of aggression, and posed no threat to anyone.

“The cruel treatment meted out to them was entirely unwarranted and unjustifiable.

“There Is need for an extensive investigation to be conducted at the scene to determine both the immediate and underlying causes of this mayhem.

“This investigation ultimately aims at ensuring the security of the Federal Capital Territory and to prevent such unwarranted attacks on our personnel and other security operatives, as has been observed in other areas, such as the unfortunate attack in Okuama,” he said.