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Tag: NEMA

  • NEMA suspends fertilisers distribution in Benue

    NEMA suspends fertilisers distribution in Benue

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has suspended the ongoing distribution of fertilisers to the 2018 flood and herders crises victims in Benue.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NEMA had on Oct. 3, commenced the distribution of 226 trucks of fertilisers to the disasters victims in Benue.

    NAN reports that the fertilisers are part of the Federal Government Agricultural Emergency Intervention Programme aimed at assisting 2018 flood and herders crisis victims across the country.

    Speaking during the joint press briefing in Makurdi, the head of NEMA team in Benue, Dr Martins Ejike said the Federal Government suspended the distribution across the 18 benefiting states.

    Ejike, a deputy director in the agency said that the agency through the collaboration of SEMA and security agencies had successfully distributed fertilisers to beneficiaries in five out of the 23 local governments in the state.

    “It is a national directive that for now we should suspend the distribution. When government says suspend it has a lot of implications or interpretations, it could be for a review of the programme.

    “For now, nobody can predict what the government wants to do.

    “So far, we covered five local governments before the suspension order out of the 23 councils. So we have outstanding 18 councils. We have distributed a total of 39,927 bags and we have a balance of 74, 709 bags.”

    Ejike said the people were so much appreciative of the intervention and were eager to benefit from the distribution.

    NAN reports that each of the enumerated beneficiaries was going home with five bags of the fertiliser.

    Mr Emmanuel Shior, the Executive Secretary, Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), appealed to the Federal Government to reconsider its decision to suspend the distribution of fertiliser to disaster victims in the state.

    Shior said it would only be fair for all enumerated victims to benefit from the intervention programme.

    He said that state acknowledged the importance of the intervention programme, especially because of the huge humanitarian challenge it faced as a result of the disasters.

    “The Federal Government agricultural emergency intervention programme in the state is very useful and the victims themselves have attested to this fact.

    “So, we are saying that since they have started distribution and some local governments have already benefited, it will only be fair if the distribution is completed.”

    He said that the Benue government had directed his agency to put a plane in place for the closure of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps and return them to their homes.

    “Gov. Ortom has directed us to put a plane in place to close the camps and return the IDPs to their communities but you see, most of these communities were badly affected, houses and farmlands are destroyed.

    “So if we close the camps now, where will the IDPs go and if we don’t close the camps, are we as a government going to continue keeping them?

    “It is a big problem and we appeal to the Federal Government for intervention,’’ Shior said.

  • 158 Nigerians return from Libya

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Thursday morning received another batch of 158 Nigerians from Libya.

    Alhaji Idris Muhammed, the Head of NEMA Territorial Office in Lagos, told newsmen that the agency received the returnees on behalf of the Federal Government.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that these returnees from Libya arrived in the country few hours after 187 Nigerians returned from South Africa.

    Muhammed said the Libya returnees were brought back in a chartered flight, Al Buraq Air aircraft, which landed at the cargo wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos at about 12:55 a.m.

    According to him, the evacuation of this batch of Nigerians from Libya was facilitated by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the European Union (EU) under the Assisted Voluntary Returnees Programme.

    “The breakdown of the returnees after profiling indicates that they are 56 adult female including eight pregnant women, three female children and five female infants.

    “It also includes 84 male adult, five male children and five male infants, while seven returnees have minor medical cases.”

    Other agencies involved in the reception of the returnees were the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Nigeria Immigration Service and the Federal Airports Authourity of Nigeria.

  • NEMA receives 171 Nigerians from Libya

    NEMA receives 171 Nigerians from Libya

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Friday received another batch of 171 stranded Nigerians from Libya.
    Alhaji Idris Muhammed, Coordinator, Lagos Territorial Office of NEMA, who was represented by Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, Public Information Officer, said the returnees arrived the Cargo Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport about 1.10 a.m. on Friday.
    He said that they arrived aboard an Al Buraq Airline aircraft with registration number 5A-DMG and flight number UZ 196/25.
    According to him, the returnees were brought back by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and European Union, under the Assisted Voluntary Returnees (AVR) Programme.
    Muhammed said the figure comprised 61 female adults, one female child and five female infants, as well as 98 adult males, one male child and five male infants.
    He advised Nigerian youths to be wary of overseas love advances from strangers, noting that this was now one of the tactics being used by human traffickers, to lure them outside the country.
    The coordinator said the traffickers were now contacting ladies via social media apps, especially Facebook and WhatsApp, and making fake marriage proposals to them, to deceive them into traveling outside Nigeria.
    He cited a particular case when a lady sought advice about a man who simply called himself Ali, who claimed to be living in Sudan.
    “Upon critical observation, the code number of the caller indicated that it belongs to Libyan code, and the man that makes video calls was an Arab; but he was not making statements for the lady to hear him.
    “It was understood that the man cannot communicate in English, but someone behind the scene was responsible for the chatting with the lady,” Muhammed said.
    He urged them to put behind their experiences in the volatile North African country and take advantage of the opportunities being put in place by the Federal Government, IOM and other development partners, to forge a better future for themselves.
    Muhammed advised young Nigerians planning to leave the country to make use of the Migrant Resource Centres, jointly set up by the government and the IOM, to know more about their destination countries.
    NAN reports that NEMA said as at March 15, 12,574 Nigerians have so far returned from Libya under the Assisted Voluntary Returnees Programme, which began in April 2017.
    NAN reports that NEMA said over 4,900 of the returnees have also been trained on various skill acquisition and empowerment training by IOM through special funding facilitated by the EU.

  • Fire destroys 140 shelters in Borno IDPs camp

    Fire destroys 140 shelters in Borno IDPs camp

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) says 140 shelters were destroyed by fire in two Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps at Monguno Local Government Area of Borno.

    NEMA Northeast Information Officer, Malam Abdulkadir Ibrahim, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Maiduguri.

    Ibrahim said the fire incidents were recorded at Flatari and Nguro camps in Monguno on Saturday.

    He disclosed that 28 shelters were destroyed at Flatari camp, affecting 20 households while 120 shelters were razed and 77 households displaced at Nguro in the fire disaster.

    He added that about 371 persons were displaced in the fire outbreaks recorded in the two camps.

    Ibrahim said that the agency was conducting investigation to identifying the cause of the fire and appraise the needs of the victims.

    According to him, the agency in collaboration with the Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) had scaled up activities to support the victims.

  • Alleged N54.3m Fraud: Court fixes date for trial of NEMA director

    Alleged N54.3m Fraud: Court fixes date for trial of NEMA director

    An FCT High Court in Maitama on Tuesday fixed June 27 to begin the trial of an Acting Director, Special Duties in the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Emenike Umesi, charged with misappropriating N54.3 million.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged Mr Umesi with four counts of misappropriation of public funds.

    Justice Jude Okeke granted an adjournment after the new EFCC counsel, N.M. Tertsua, told the court that Deborah Ademu-Etteh, who was handling the case, has been transferred to Kaduna.

    Mr Okeke said that he allowed the adjournment because the prosecution prayed for it for the first time.

    Mrs Tertsua prayed for an adjournment to enable her to produce documents which would be tendered as exhibit.

    Objecting to the application, Japh Njikonye, defendant’s counsel, said the excuse given was “frivolous” according to Section 396 (6) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2019. He, therefore, asked for a cost.

    He said the section stated that ‘in all circumstances, the court should award reasonable cost to discourage application for adjournments’ and asked for a cost of N50, 000.

    NAN reports that the EFCC alleged that on December 30, 2014, Mr Umesi while serving as the Acting Director, Special Duty in NEMA, misappropriated N12.8 million meant for the agency’s operations.

    EFFC said the offence contravened the provisions of Section 19 of Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act.

    The anti-graft agency alleged that the defendant, serving as deputy director in charge of the South-South Zone of NEMA on Feb. 29, 2012, converted the sum of N7 .5 million meant for the agency ‘s operations to his personal use.

    The EFCC also accused Mr Umesi of converting N17.9 million and N16.1 million in March 2012 and October 14, 2013 respectively to his personal use.

    The defendant pleaded not guilty to the allegations.

  • 12,974 Nigerians voluntarily returned from Libya in 2 years – NEMA

    12,974 Nigerians voluntarily returned from Libya in 2 years – NEMA

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) says 12,974 Nigerians have voluntarily returned from Libya in two years.

    The agency said the returnees were assisted back from the volatile North African country by the European Union (EU) and International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Voluntary Assisted Returnees Programme which began in April 2017.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Coordinator, NEMA Lagos Territorial Office, Alhaji Idris Muhammed, made this known while receiving a fresh batch of 132 Nigerians from Libya on Tuesday night.

    The Nigerians arrived the Cargo Wing of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos aboard a chartered Buraq Air aircraft with registration number 5A-DMG at about 7.30p.m.

    They arrived barely 24 hours after another batch of 180 of their compatriots returned to Nigeria from the same country.

    Muhammed said they comprised of 58 female adults, two female children and four female infants as well as 59 male adults, five male children and six male infants.

    According to him, the returnees came back from four major cities in Libya – Alkrarim , Misursta, Benghazi and Ghanfoda, where they had been stranded en route Europe via the Mediterranean Sea.

    Muhammed thanked IOM and EU for facilitating the return of the Nigerians and assured them that the Federal Government was ready to work with development partners to create a conducive environment for young Nigerians.

    He noted that this would help to curb the scourge of irregular migrations and the desperation of young people to fend for themselves.

    Muhammed said the support and cooperation towards the programme by all levels of government in the country showed that all hands were on desk to find a lasting solution to the issue.

    Also speaking, the EU Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Ketil Karlsen , who witnessed the 65th flight since the programme started, said migration should be aspiration but not desperation.

    Karlsen said: ” Migration, mobility and curiosity to know new places are as old as human kind itself and are natural.

    “What is not natural is the kind of irregular migrations that leads to wrong purposes and put people’s lives at risk.”

    The ambassador commended all the national and international partners who had been participating in the success story of the exercise.

    He lauded the excellent tasks of IOM in the process of identifying, locating mobilising and convincing the stranded Nigerians to voluntarily return home.

    Karlsen further praised the UN Migration Agency for initiating the reintegration attractions like the start-up capitals, vocational training and psychological services that had added value to the returnees.

    The envoy, however, observed that the root causes of irregular migrations must be addressed.

  • 12,574 Nigerians voluntarily returned from Libya in 23 months – NEMA

    12,574 Nigerians voluntarily returned from Libya in 23 months – NEMA

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Friday said 12,574 Nigerians have so far returned from Libya under the Assisted Voluntary Returnees Programme, which began in April 2017.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the the Coordinator, NEMA Lagos Territorial Office, Malam Idris Muhammed made this while receiving a fresh batch of 174 Nigerians who arrived from Libya on Thursday night.

    Muhammed lauded the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the European Union (EU) for facilitating the return of Nigerians stranded in the volatile North African country.

    According to him, over 4,900 of the returnees have also been trained on various skill acquisition and empowerment training by IOM through special funding facilitated by the EU.

    He added that most of these returnees had set up various businesses in their choice of occupation and were contributing their quota to national development.

    Muhammed assured the returnees of the Federal Government’s readiness to continue to support and collaborate with other development partners in providing enabling environment for young Nigerians to actualise their potential.

    He said the new returnees arrived on the 64th flight facilitated by the IOM and EU.

    Muhammed said: “The returnees were brought back aboard an Al Buraq Airline Boeing 737-800 aircraft with flight number UZ 389-390 and registration number 5A-DMG.

    “The aircraft arrived at the Cargo Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport , Lagos at about 9.45 p.m.

    “At the end of profiling, the breakdown of the returnees shows that they were 62 female adults , 11 female children and 11 female infants making a total of 84 females.

    “The males were composed of 74 male adults, 12 male children and four male infants making a total of 90 males,” the NEMA coordinator said.

  • 12,574 Nigerians voluntarily returned from Libya in 23 months – NEMA

    12,574 Nigerians voluntarily returned from Libya in 23 months – NEMA

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Friday said 12,574 Nigerians have so far returned from Libya under the Assisted Voluntary Returnees Programme, which began in April 2017.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the the Coordinator, NEMA Lagos Territorial Office, Mallam Idris Muhammed made this while receiving a fresh batch of 174 Nigerians who arrived from Libya on Thursday night.

    Muhammed lauded the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the European Union (EU) for facilitating the return of Nigerians stranded in the volatile North African country.

    According to him, over 4,900 of the returnees have also been trained on various skill acquisition and empowerment training by IOM through special funding facilitated by the EU.

    He added that most of these returnees had set up various businesses in their choice of occupation and were contributing their quota to national development.

    Muhammed assured the returnees of the Federal Government’s readiness to continue to support and collaborate with other development partners in providing enabling environment for young Nigerians to actualise their potential.

    He said the new returnees arrived on the 64th flight facilitated by the IOM and EU.

    Muhammed said: “The returnees were brought back aboard an Al Buraq Airline Boeing 737-800 aircraft with flight number UZ 389-390 and registration number 5A-DMG.

    “The aircraft arrived at the Cargo Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport , Lagos at about 9.45 p.m.

    “At the end of profiling, the breakdown of the returnees shows that they were 62 female adults , 11 female children and 11 female infants making a total of 84 females.

    “The males were composed of 74 male adults, 12 male children and four male infants making a total of 90 males,” the NEMA coordinator said.

  • NEMA receives 326 Nigerians from Libya

    NEMA receives 326 Nigerians from Libya

    At least, 326 stranded Nigerians in Libya have arrived Nigeria, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has said.

    Alhaji Idris Muhammed, Coordinator, Lagos Territorial Office of NEMA, who confirmed the development to newsmen on Friday in Lagos, said the returnees were received in two batches.

    Muhammed said the Nigerians arrived the Cargo Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos via two different flights.

    He said the first flight arrived Nigeria with 143 returnees aboard Al Buraq Air Boeing 737-800 aircraft, with registration number 5A-DMG which landed at 10. 20p.m on Thursday.

    He said the second flight, a Nouvelair aircraft, with registration number TS-INA, arrived with 183 returnees aboard at about 1.20 a.m on Friday.

    Muhammed said the Nigerians were brought back by International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the European Union (EU) under the Assisted Voluntary Returnees (AVR) programme.

    He said officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) were on ground to welcome the Nigerian returnees.

    “At the end of profiling, the breakdown of the returnees shows 148 female adults; six female children, 15 female infants, making a total of 169 females.

    “The males are143 male adults, two male children and 12 male infants, making a total of 157 males,” the NEMA coordinator said.
    He enjoined the returnees to join the government in working assiduously toward making Nigeria a prosperous nation.

    Muhammed said: “The country of our dream is unfolding. As you are struggling to travel outside the country, many foreign nationals are struggling to come into Nigeria as well.

    “Movement of people is naturally divine and no one is saying you should not travel but travelling across the desert is not worth it.

    “The Federal government is desirous to make every Nigerian contribute his or her quota in developing the country to the level we want it to be.

    “Let us all stay back and support the government in its efforts at refocusing the country.

    “We all have trust and confidence in this government that it will lead us to the promise land with the present leadership, but youths are the engine room in building a virile and developed nation.

    “Traveling out for greener pastures outside will not enable our needed collective efforts that are very vital at this stage of the country’s progressive history.”

    He advised the returnees to be ready for reintegration process that would follow the arrival stage that had just been completed.

    Mr Daniel Atokolo, Commander, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) Lagos Zone, assured Nigerians that any information provided, that could lead to the arrest of traffickers, would be treated with utmost secrecy.

    He also assured that government was ready to protect the identity of informants, adding that the task of eradicating human trafficking in Nigeria required the efforts of all and sundry.

  • NEMA lauds President Buhari over road construction nationwide

    Alhaji Mustapha Maihaja, Director General, National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA), has lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for roads construction across the country.
    Maihaja made the commendation during the flag off of 2018 Operation Eagle Eye, Safety Above All initiated by the agency on Saturday in Yola.
    He said the several roads construction embarked upon by the present administration had drastically reduced the rate of accident.
    Maihaja,who was represented by Abani Garki, the Yola head of operation of the agency, said that the aim of the programme was to compliment and support the effort of Federal Roads Safety Commission.
    ” The Agency commends the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari for constructing many high ways nationwide which has drastically reduced the rate of accidents.
    ” And the core objective of flagging off this programme is to sensitise and create awareness for road users to obey rules and regulations of roads, ” Maihaja said.
    He said from now up to 2019, the officers of the agency would be patrolling and sensitising road users to ensure hitch-free Christmas and other festivities.
    Malam Idris Fika, the Head of Operation, Adamawa Sector Command of the FRSC, thanked the agency for the compliment.
    Fika said the command would collaborate and give maximum support to any agency towards ensuring safety use of the roads and protection .
    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that among the participants at the occasion include Nigerian Civil Defense and Nigeria Red Cross