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FG Disburses N130m Grant To 6,511 Vulnerable People In Katsina

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The federal government on Thursday began the disbursement of a N130 million grant to 6,511 vulnerable persons in the 34 local government areas of Katsina State.

Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar-Farouq, flagged off the disbursement.

She said beneficiaries were selected through the Grant for Vulnerable Groups (GVG) program of the Federal Government, NAN reported.

“GVG was first introduced in 2020 as Grant for Rural Women to sustain the social inclusion agenda of President Muhammad Buhari’s administration for the poor and the vulnerable,” she said.

“The project is consistent with the president’s agenda of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.

“GVG provides a one-off grant of N20,000 to some of the poorest and most vulnerable Nigerians, especially in the rural and semi-urban areas in the 36 states of the Federation and the FCT.

“This is to empower beneficiaries to improve their productivity and grow their commercial activities to ease them out of poverty.”

The minister stressed that Katsina State’s grant is one of the highest in the country taking into account the impact of insurgency, banditry, and a large number of Internally Displaced Persons in the state.

“The president directed that 70 percent of beneficiaries must be women, while the remaining 30 must be youths.

“He also directed that a minimum of 15 percent of the beneficiaries must be citizens with special needs, including Persons with disabilities and senior citizens.

“It is expected that beneficiaries will use the grant judiciously to improve their productivity, create wealth, generate employment and improve their standards of living,’’ the minister said.

Umar-Farouq said she was also in Katsina State for the rollout of the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP 2.0).

“The program is designed to create more opportunities and loans for the poor, the vulnerable, and low-income Nigerians involved in viable informal productive activities with limited financial requirements.

“It gives priority to the most vulnerable, especially widows, youths, the disabled, and the displaced.

“GEEP has three unique products: `TraderMoni loan’, `MarketMoni loan’ and `FarmerMoni loan.

“TraderMoni loan is N50,000 and is targeted at uplifting underprivileged and marginalized youths between the ages of 18 years and 40 years.

“MarketMoni loan, also of N50,000 targets underprivileged and marginalized women, especially widows and divorcees, among other vulnerable groups.

“FarmerMoni loan ranges between N50,000 and N300,000 and is designed for small-scale farmers to improve their productivity and to graduate into commercial agriculture,’’ she said.

She added that 353,316 beneficiaries were targeted to benefit in the first phase of GEEP implementation nationwide.

“So far 1,142,783 potential beneficiaries have been registered for the program in the 774 local government areas of the federation.

“In Katsina State alone, 59,161 potential beneficiaries were registered out of whom 13,000 have been verified to benefit,’’ Umar-Farouq said.

BIG STORY

Defence HQ Declares ‘9 Lakurawas Lerrorists’ Wanted

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The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has declared nine suspected members of the “Lakurawas” terrorist group wanted.

They are Abu Khadijah, Abdurrahman, Dadi Gumba a.k.a “Abu Muhammed,” Usman Shehu, Abu Yusuf, Musa Wa’a, Ibrahim Suyeka, Ba Sulhu, and Idris Taklakse.

Edward Buba, director of defence media operations, disclosed this while speaking to journalists in Abuja on Thursday.

Buba noted that the new terror group emerged from the “Niger Republic” following the coup, which disrupted military cooperation between Nigeria and the country.

He said the terrorists began infiltrating northern parts of Sokoto and Kebbi states from “Niger Republic” and “Mali.”

Buba added that prior to the coup, joint border operations with Nigerien security forces had kept the terrorists away.

He said the group continues to use the vast under-governed areas to evade troops and harass local populations.

“The terrorists took advantage of the gaps in cooperation between both countries and exploited the difficult terrains to make incursions in remote areas in some North Western states to spread their ideology,” he said.

Buba added that the group was initially welcomed by locals who believed they had good intentions.

He noted that the locals failed to inform military and security agencies of the terrorists’ movements.

He assured Nigerians that troops have sustained intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) efforts to weaken the terrorists.

He said the troops are “actively locating the terrorists to neutralise their threats.”

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Equitorial Guinea Sacks Senior Government Official, Baltasar Engonga Over “Sexcapade”

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The Director General of the National Financial Investigation Agency in Equatorial Guinea, Baltasar Engonga, has been dismissed following the discovery of over 400 explicit videos involving him with high-profile women across the country.

The dismissal, ordered by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, was confirmed by Real Equatorial Guinea, which referenced Decree No. 118/2024, issued on November 4.

According to the decree, Engonga’s removal was due to alleged professional misconduct and personal behavior deemed incompatible with his public position.

The scandal surfaced during a fraud investigation involving the 54-year-old economist, leading to a surprise search of his house and office by ANIF officials.

During the search, they uncovered several CDs containing explicit videos that revealed his sexual encounters with different married women.

One of the women involved has since committed suicide. It has not been confirmed whether Engonga will face prosecution for his actions.

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Kaduna Government Gifts N100,000, Smartphones To 39 Released #EndBadGovernance Protesters

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The Kaduna State government has provided N100,000 in cash, new smartphones, and additional support to 39 #EndBadGovernance protesters who were recently released from detention.

The government facilitated their reunion with their families on Wednesday, following their release from detention.

The reunion ceremony took place at the Children Homes along Kauru Road in Kaduna, where Governor Uba Sani offered support to the protesters, promising to assist them in reintegrating into society.

He assured them of opportunities for empowerment, contingent upon their commitment to lawful and responsible conduct.

Speaking to journalists after the release of the protesters, the Secretary to the Kaduna State Government, Abdulkadir Meyere, who represented the governor, revealed that Sani had instructed him to gather the credentials of those who have completed their tertiary education.

‘’The governor promised that some of them will be given start-up capital to begin trading, others will be taught skills, and some will be offered employment,’’ he said.

However, the SSG emphasized that the activities and conduct of the released protesters would be monitored to ensure they maintain good behavior, “before these benefits will be extended to them.”

Meyere also noted that the state government had taken the details of the released detainees, including their contact information, telephone numbers, and the names of their Next of Kins, to facilitate tracking and monitoring.

He further explained that the protesters underwent medical evaluations and received psycho-social counseling to encourage them to make positive changes and become productive members of society.

“Both Islamic and Christian religious leaders preached to them to embrace the teachings of their faiths and avoid bad company, so as to benefit from God’s blessings here and in the hereafter,” he said.

Meyere added that the detainees were each given a phone because they had lost theirs during detention, and ‘’the Governor has graciously given each of them N100,000 as a measure of goodwill.”

The state Commissioner for Human Services and Social Development, Hajiya Rabi Salisu, also addressed the protesters during the reunion, emphasizing the government’s commitment to their welfare.

She stated that the 39 protesters, including two minors aged 16 and 17, had received various forms of support from the government.

“We want you to be ambassadors of peace and preach peace within your peer groups, so you won’t be involved in any unlawful protests.

“We want you to return to a more peaceful environment with your families, and then we can invite you back for further training,” she said to the released protesters.

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