POLICE DEPLOYED TO SOUTHERN KADUNA LAMENTS FOR LACK OF WEAPONS AND WELFARE

Members of Nigeria’s police special forces on deployment in Southern Kaduna have accused police authorities of neglecting them, and failing to provide needed equipment as they confront skirmishes that have killed hundreds in the area.
Members of the unit, trained in Belarus, were drafted to check the persistent clashes between herdsmen and residents of Southern Kaduna communities.
But many told PREMIUM TIMES exclusively that their operational condition had become so unbearable that they now rely on extorting motorists in the area to survive.
“Before we eat now, we need to be tapping vehicles for N50 and N100,” one of them said. “Imagine, we special forces that are not supposed to be seen anyhow.”
Asides the poor living conditions they are subjected to, the officers, who spoke on the condition of strict anonymity, also alleged being poorly equipped to bring the situation in the restive Southern Kaduna under control.

21 DIES OF MENINGITIIS IN SOKOTO

The death toll as a result of the meningitis epidemic in Sokoto State has now risen to 21.
The State Health Commissioner, Balarabe Kakale, confirmed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Sokoto on Sunday.
Mr. Kakale also provided an update on the state of high alert declared by the ministry since March 20.
The deaths were recorded in the seven local governments of Kebbe, Bodinga, Rabah, Wamakko, Gada, Dange/Shuni and Tureta, which are mostly affected by the meningitis outbreak.
“The state government had since Monday deployed no fewer than fifteen medical teams, comprising of over one hundred and fifty medical personnel,” the commissioner said.
“They were deployed across the 23 local governments of the state, fully equipped with ambulances and provided with free drugs, as well as medicament.
“The emergency response teams were conducting house to house search, definition and management, both at home and the hospitals.
“They had so far treated no fewer than 330 mixed cases of severe malaria and meningitis across the seven top-hit local governments.

SENATOR DINO MELAYE'S CERTIFICATE SCANDAL

The Publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, has said he is ready put his life on the line to ensure those he described as “drug dealers, certificate forgers, money launderers, political manipulators, and assassins” are named and shamed.
Sowore stated this via a post he made on his Facebook page in response to a statement made by Senator Dino Melaye that he would ensure he (Sowore) is sent to jail for alleged libel.

Soccer-Nigeria v Burkina Faso friendly called off due to visa muddle

March 26 (Reuters) - Nigeria’s friendly against Burkina Faso in London on Monday has been called off because seven of the Burkinabe players were unable to secure visas to Britain.
“The match in question is called off due to no fault of either the organizers or the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF),” said NFF technical committee chairman Chris Green.

Ambode decries over-dependence on federal allocations by govs

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, at the weekend, decried the over-dependence of state governments on allocations from the Federation Account, for running their affairs.
Rather, Amode urged his counterparts to concentrate on their comparative advantages for self-sustainability.
The governor made the assertion while delivering a convocation lecture entitled “Recession: Challenges and Recovery  Prospects” at the Wellspring University, Benin City, Edo State capital.

EARTH HOUR

The United Nations, on Saturday evening, switched off the lights at its headquarters complex in New York and other facilities around the world in observance of the 10th annual ‘Earth Hour’.
The global event was meant to put the spotlight on the issues facing the planet and to inspire millions across the world to live in a more sustainable manner.
In a message, Secretary-General António Guterres, said: “Climate change continues to imperil lives and livelihoods around the world.

PMB'S ADMINISTRATION RELEASES N1TRILLON FOR 2016 CAPITAL PROJECT SETS NEW RECORD

Money released for capital projects to federal ministries, departments and agencies, MDAs, from the 2016 budget, have surpassed a record N1 trillion, the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, has disclosed.
Mrs. Adeosun described the achievement as the highest ever budgetary release in Nigeria’s annual funding for capital projects.
“So far, N1trillion has been released on capital allocations. This is the highest so far in the history of this country,” the minister said.

FORMER PRESIDENT OF EGYPT FREE AFTER SIX YEARS

Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president overthrown in 2011 and the first leader to face trial after the Arab Spring uprisings that swept the region, walked free on Friday for the first time in six years, his lawyer said.
He left the Maadi Military Hospital where he had been detained, heading to his home in Heliopolis.
A top appeals court cleared Mr. Mubarak earlier this month on charges of killing protesters in the 2011 uprising that ended his 30 year rule.