The National Agricultural Land Development Authority NALDA has commissioned its Achara-Ubo, Emekuku Integrated Farm Estate in Imo State South East Nigeria in line with government’s effort to engage women and youth in the Agriculture sector.

Located in Owerri North local government area, the farm sits on 35 hectares of arable land with six poultry houses, 18 pens that contain about 15,000 birds, three goat houses with 196 goats and three piggeries containing 108 pigs.

It also boasts of three solar-powered boreholes, access roads, drainage and solar-powered street lights on the farm.

Other facilities that are near completion on the farm includes the feed processing facility, the processing and packaging facility and the crop area which is expected to be cultivated in the 2022 Farming season.

NALDA’s Executive Secretary, Prince Paul Ikonne said the project was in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration vision to create jobs for the youth and women to ensure food security.

He added that the farm will give 600 direct engagements to farmers in poultry, piggery and goat rearing while 200 additional farmers will be engaged in the processing, packaging and export.

To ensure its sustainability, Ikonne noted that the project will be handed over to the community to take its ownership for proper management.

He added that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the establishment of three cassava processing plants in Imo State which will engage 1000 women this farming season to enable more garri production and feed for the animals.

The NALDA boss also revealed that the President has approved the rehabilitation of Songhai Farm and more youths are expected to be engaged.

Some of the beneficiaries of the project who spoke to journalists at the farm, applauded the federal government for resuscitating the moribund farm estate.

They said the training has helped them gain firsthand knowledge in animal husbandry.

One of the beneficiaries, 40-year old Agba Kingsley, head of the goat department who left block moulding business to join the farm said he found farming more lucrative.

He called on young Nigerians to embrace farming and said “government is doing well by establishing the farm and the business is profitable.

Similarly, the project coordinator, Emeka Ugwunali expressed hope that the project will help the host community and beneficiaries improve their well-being.

Delivering his speech during the commissioning, Imo State governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma said the project would be sustained through local security and several trainings that would put a larger number of beneficiaries on the track of sustainable animal husbandry.

He said “the partnership with NALDA is to enable the federal government to bring more equipment to enable off-takers to take our products to the appropriate market and thereby make us earn more income and increase our internally generated revenue.”

The governor said the state government in collaboration with the federal government.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has  graduated 650 officers of its Strike Force unit from the Nigerian Army School of Infantry, NASI, Jaji, Kaduna State.

The graduation comes after weeks of rigorous specialised training to scaled up its preparedness to wage relentless war against drug cartels in Nigeria.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohammed Marwa (Retd) told the graduating Strike Force operatives that they  should “ be mindful that today is a milestone in your professional career in the Agency. This specialised training―and the skill acquired thereof―will no doubt enhance your competence in the special role you are playing for the Agency in the war against illicit drugs.”

General Marwa who was represented by his Special Adviser, Colonel Yakubu Bako (Retd) reminded them the Agency scales up its operation against illicit drugs trafficking and their service will become increasingly essential to the successful attainment of the agency’s organisational goals.

He noted that the special nature of their training requires that they serve as force multiplier to the conventional NDLEA staff in the field.

He said, “I have no doubt that you will measure up to the demand of the job because generations of military and paramilitary personnel have passed through this course and have distinguished themselves on the field. More so, the progress report I received, including on-the-spot assessment, confirmed that the objective of the course has been achieved.”

Marwa urged them not to rest on their oars as their competence would be tested from time to time by challenges that will recur in their career as anti-narcotic operatives.

He also reminded the operatives that the Strike Force was one of NDLEA’s tactical creations of 2021 to add strength and purpose to its drug supply reduction effort by providing cover for officers and men of NDLEA who have to work in dangerous terrain while carrying out their duties.

“The merit of having the Strike Force was evident in the month of February when on two occasions the Agency was able to successfully carry out raid, seizure and destruction of a significant amount of psychotropic substance in territories which in the past were hostile and almost out of bounds for narcotic officers,” he stated.

These includes Ondo and Lagos States where 255 hectares of cannabis farms were destroyed and assorted drugs seized.

The Nigerian government is currently undergoing a budget amendment process following the roll back on fuel subsidy, as the global fuel crisis intensifies, according to Zainab Ahmed, Minister of Finance, Budgets and National Planning.

She said this while responding to a question asked on rising share of interest payment as a share of total tax revenues, at a virtual meeting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) with the theme: “The Political Economy of Fiscal Reforms in Africa

The minister said the Federal Government has quietly implemented subsidies in the electricity sector, saying “as we speak, as it is, we do not have subsidies in the electricity sector.”

No fewer than 11 persons mostly elderly women have been abducted by gunmen at Shinfida Village in Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State.

They were abducted on their way to join other residents, who earlier ran to a refugee camp for safety after their village came under attack by a group of gunmen suspected to be bandits.

According to Channels Television, the assailants invaded the village on Friday night.

It was learnt that those kidnapped lacked the capacity to leave at the time most residents fled to safety due to their physical strength and some health conditions.

A villager recounted that having carried out the invasion on Friday night, the assailants planned to set the entire village of Shinfida on fire at about 7am on Saturday.

He called on the relevant authorities to come to the aid of the people, including sending security personnel to the village to protect the residents and salvage what could be left of their properties.

On Friday, seven children were killed, and several others injured in a stampede while residents fled Shinfida Village following an attack by bandits.

Although the police authorities in Katsina have yet to confirm the incident, a resident of the area Abdulrazak Ahmad said the attack occurred on Thursday.

He blamed the incident on the evacuation and withdrawal of soldiers serving in a joint security task force from the area.

The Independent Investigation Panel on EndSARS has made an order directing the NDLEA to produce suspended police deputy commissioner, Abba Kyari before it on March 22.

The panel made the order following the statement of a witness who said Mr Kyari had promised to get back to him on the missing suspects.

The whereabouts of the missing persons have remained unknown following their arrest in 2019 by the Kyari-led unit which made their family members to petition the panel

At the resumed sitting, James Idachaba, counsel to the Police informed the panel that since Kyari was no longer in police custody following his suspension, the police cannot produce Kyari.

Halilu Adamu, the panel’s counsel, told the panel that Mr Kyari was in the custody of the NDLEA.

The Nigerian Police force announced the ban of unapproved uniforms to carry out routine operations.

This was disclosed by Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba in a statement posted by the Nigerian Police Force on Friday evening.

He also ordered the Police X-Squad and Monitoring Unit to ensure the strict enforcement of the directive

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, revealed his irritation at the flagrant violation of the approved Nigeria Police Force dress code by officers on patrol and guard, stop and search, and other routine police operations

He stated that on patrol, Police officers “have formed the habit of wearing t-shirts and face caps with “Special Forces”, “Commando”, “Gallant MOPOL”, “SCORPION”, and other inscriptions while on duty”

The IGP said, based on this, he has ordered an immediate ban on such unapproved apparel.