By: Lamara Garba

The Jigawa State Pilgrims Welfare Board has secured a strategic partnership with a Makkah-based humanitarian foundation to provide free eye care services to pilgrims from the state currently performing the 2026 Hajj in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The initiative will offer a wide range of eye care interventions, including cataract surgeries, comprehensive eye examinations, and the supply of prescribed medications, all at no cost to beneficiaries.

The programme is designed to improve the health and welfare of Jigawa pilgrims, particularly elderly worshippers and those suffering from vision-related ailments, enabling them to carry out their religious obligations with greater ease and comfort while in the Holy Land.

Speaking on the development, the Director-General of the Jigawa State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Ahmad Umar Labbo, said the collaboration underscores the board’s commitment to prioritising the well-being of pilgrims throughout their spiritual journey.

According to him, the board remains focused on introducing impactful programmes and welfare initiatives that directly enhance the Hajj experience of pilgrims, both before their departure from Nigeria and during their stay in Saudi Arabia.

He explained that the free eye care programme would provide timely medical support to pilgrims with existing eye conditions, helping them overcome health challenges that could hinder the performance of Hajj rites.

Alhaji Labbo further noted that the partnership reflects the board’s determination to strengthen healthcare support services for pilgrims and ensure that they receive the necessary medical attention whenever the need arises.

The initiative has received widespread commendation from Jigawa pilgrims, many of whom described it as a welcome intervention capable of addressing common eye health problems among worshippers, especially the elderly.

Observers have also hailed the programme as a significant step towards improving pilgrims’ welfare, describing it as another milestone in the Jigawa State Pilgrims Welfare Board’s efforts to place the health, comfort and overall well-being of pilgrims at the centre of its operations in the Holy Land.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Oyo State House of Assembly has rejected suggestions and calls that the state government should negotiate with the bandits who abducted teachers and students during the coordinated attack at Ahoro-Esinele in Oriire Local Government Area of the state on Friday, May 15, 2026.

It, however, called for intensified rescue operations to secure the release of victims abducted during the attack.

This resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by the lawmaker representing Oriire State Constituency, Johnson Ogundele, during plenary shortly after the House resumed from the Eid-el-Kabir recess.

Presenting the motion, Ogundele recounted the May 15 attack on Ahoro-Esinele and Yawota communities, where bandits invaded during school hours, killing a teacher, a student and an Okada rider, while abducting dozens of students, pupils and teachers.

The lawmaker expressed concern over recurring attacks in Oriire LGA, noting that the area had witnessed increasing bandit activities since January, including an attack on the National Park Service office at Oloka village, where five forest guards were killed.

He called on Governor Seyi Makinde, to intensify security response, deploy more operatives, and personally engage with affected communities, while urging the establishment of a permanent military base within vulnerable areas and forest corridors.

The Assembly also directed the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and SUBEB to carry out immediate security audits of schools located near forests and border settlements across the state.

Lawmakers further urged the government to install solar-powered security lighting, perimeter fencing and CCTV cameras in vulnerable schools, and to develop a comprehensive Safe School Emergency Response Protocol for both public and private institutions.

They unanimously rejected proposals that the state government should negotiate with the bandits responsible for the abduction.

Seconding the motion, Majority Leader Sanjo Adedoyin (Ogbomoso South) renewed calls for the establishment of state police, arguing that current security arrangements were overstretched and ineffective in difficult terrains.

Other lawmakers, including Olubisi Oluranti (Ogbomoso North), Gbenga Oyekola (Atiba), and Gabriel Babajide (Ibadan North II), called for increased deployment of security personnel, better protection of forest reserves, and broader reforms of Nigeria’s security architecture.

They also raised concerns over increasing kidnapping incidents extending into urban areas and the need to strengthen the Amotekun Corps with better equipment and logistics.

The House subsequently adopted several resolutions, including a call on the federal government to establish a permanent military base in Oriire LGA and strengthen intelligence-driven operations in the area.

Speaker Adebo Ogundoyin, while ruling on the debate, firmly dismissed any suggestion of negotiation with kidnappers, warning that such an approach would embolden criminal elements and worsen insecurity.

He urged continued collaboration with security agencies to ensure the safe rescue of all abducted victims, while reaffirming the Assembly’s commitment to supporting stronger security measures across the state.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to resign from office, accusing him of failing in his constitutional responsibility to safeguard the lives and property of Nigerians amid escalating insecurity across the country.

The opposition party made the demand on Thursday against the backdrop of growing public concern over persistent kidnappings, banditry and violent attacks, including the recent abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo State.

Recall that armed men on May 15 stormed three schools in the Ahoro-Esinle and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area, abducting scores of pupils and teachers and leaving families devastated. The incident sparked widespread outrage and renewed calls for urgent reforms to Nigeria’s security architecture.

In a statement issued on Thursday, PRP National Chairman, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, said the security situation under the Tinubu administration had deteriorated significantly, with criminal groups operating freely across various parts of the country.

According to him, insecurity is no longer confined to specific regions, as Nigerians across the country now live under constant threat.

“It is now beyond any doubt that President Bola Tinubu has failed woefully in discharging his prime responsibility as Nigerian President, which is to secure the Nigerian citizen. Under his watch, old threats have blossomed and mutated, while more and more Nigerians, irrespective of status or age, have fallen victim to violent criminals,” Baba-Ahmed said.

The PRP chairman lamented that the worsening security crisis had exposed even the most vulnerable Nigerians, including schoolchildren, to attacks by criminal elements.

“From generals to toddlers; from Bama to Badagry, no Nigerian is safe under this leadership. It is no longer the case that only parts of the country have been virtually surrendered to criminals. Now, no Nigerian in any part of the country is protected from rampant violent criminals who exploit our major weakness,” he stated.

“School children have joined the long stretch of soft targets, and the nation appears to be at the point of accepting this situation as normal. We must not submit to the weakness of leaders and the exploits of criminals. This is not how Nigerians should live.”

Baba-Ahmed further accused the President of concentrating political power without delivering corresponding improvements in security, arguing that there was little evidence the administration could reverse the trend.

“Our President has failed the nation, and there is no evidence that he can improve on his pathetic record. He has amassed all the power in the country around him, yet he has failed to use it to protect and defend Nigerians,” he said.

The former presidential aide maintained that democratic governance requires accountability and responsibility, insisting that Tinubu’s continued stay in office despite the country’s security challenges was untenable.

“In most other democracies, President Tinubu’s failure to respect the values of accountability and responsibility would not have been tolerated. Nigerians must rise to demand an end to this ineptitude and indifference. President Tinubu should resign, now!” he declared.

The PRP also argued that Nigerians should not be compelled to wait until the 2027 general elections to register their dissatisfaction with the administration’s handling of security matters.

“While he may have the luxury of ignoring our current deteriorating circumstances and awaiting the verdict of rejection by voters in 2027, Nigerians who will continue to fall victim to violent criminals do not have the luxury of waiting to vote him out in 2027,” Baba-Ahmed said.

“There is nothing democratic in insisting that incompetent and uncaring leadership must complete terms. Nigerians should demand, with one voice, that President Tinubu’s failure to secure Nigerians cannot be tolerated any further.”

The latest criticism adds to mounting concerns over recurring incidents of kidnapping, banditry, communal clashes and attacks on communities across the country, which have intensified calls for more effective security measures.

However, the Presidency has consistently maintained that the Tinubu administration inherited deeply rooted security challenges and is deploying military and intelligence resources to combat criminality and restore security nationwide.