
News
Gov Mbah flags off distribution of N4.6bn worth of Agro inputs, MSMEs grants
In continuation of his food security, agro-industrialisation, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) development drive, the governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has flagged off the distribution of inputs and grants worth over N4.6bn to farmers, communities, and IT startups in the state.
Performing the symbolic flag-off at Okpara Square, Enugu, on Thursday, Mbah said that it was imperative to nurture small scale entrepreneurs for sustainable growth through the provision of the key enablers since they remain the lifeblood of economic development.
“Consequently, 12,000 small-holder farmers would each receive one bag of fertiliser, which the federal government had graciously donated to all states.
“In addition, we would be giving out 51 power tillers worth N2m each to farmers from across farming clusters in Enugu State.
“We are also flagging off today the distribution of agricultural inputs to 1,251 beneficiaries across the 17 local government areas. These inputs include rice and bean seedlings, cassava stems, organic fertilisers, herbicides, among others,” Mbah stated

In addition, he said that the administration would be carrying out an extensive revamp of a number of rural roads to facilitate a better road network and ensure that the farming clusters springing up across the rural belt of the state did not exist as isolated units.
Mbah put the support to MSMEs at N1bn with women-owned enterprises getting 80 per cent of the entire sum.
“The value of our entrepreneurship intervention programme being flagged off today is N1bn. This includes the disbursement of N60,000 to over 16,000 beneficiaries, mostly comprising owners of nano-enterprises on a ratio of 80:20 in favour of women.
“Some may indeed wonder why this wide discrepancy. We recognise that much of the brunt of poverty is borne by women. That explains the extra efforts we put into expanding opportunities for the girl-child and women, especially in our rural communities.
“Still under our MSMEs intervention, we are disbursing N400,000 to 187 beneficiaries. Other initiatives in this regard for flag-off include N7.5m each to 10 tech startups, operational grant for solar equipment to 256 beneficiaries, while items, including laptop computers and POS terminals, will be given out to 269 beneficiaries,” he stated.
The governor added that the state was also waging war against open defecation with a view to ending the menace by the end of 2024.
“We are launching, as well, a water provision and sanitation-enhancing initiative worth N15m across 135 communities. The total value translates to over Two Billion Naira.
“This involves the construction of ultra-modern boreholes, toilet facilities, and provision of power generators. These would be sited in locations like town halls, markets, and schools.”
Earlier in his address, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, Patrick Ubru, enjoined the farmers and other beneficiaries to reciprocate government’s massive support through prudent application of the inputs and grants to create jobs, trigger revolution in the agricultural industry, and boost the state’s economy.
In his address, the Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Enugu State Chapter, Romanus Eze, assured the governor that the farmers and other beneficiaries would not disappoint the government.
“We have never had it so good. Therefore, we will not disappoint you. We promise you concrete results, for to whom much is given, much is also expected,” he assured.
News
NCDC Identifies Two Suspected Ebola Cases In North-East
Two suspected cases of Ebola disease have been identified in the North-East region of the country.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) disclosed this in a post via its official X handle on Saturday, adding that both individuals had been isolated.
It also said contact identification and listing are ongoing, and laboratory testing is underway.
According to the agency, confirmation is subject to laboratory results.
Two suspected cases of Ebola disease have been identified in Nigeria’s North-East region. Both individuals have been isolated, contact identification and listing is ongoing, and laboratory testing is being conducted,” the NCDC said.
“Being classified as suspected cases does not mean they are confirmed Ebola cases; confirmation is subject to laboratory results.
“The public is advised to maintain good hand hygiene, practise enhanced sanitation and follow guidance from public health authorities. Further updates will be provided as verified information becomes available.”

The latest update by the NCDC came days after it said it identified another contact, an e-hailing driver, linked to the confirmed case of the recent Ebola outbreak in Nigeria, increasing the number of primary contacts to 54.
The NCDC Director-General, Dr. Jide Idris, told Channels Television on October 26 that efforts were ongoing to identify the secondary contacts.
“So we are not out of the woods yet until we are sure that we have all the contacts, and they have been followed up. So we are still not out of the woods; because the index case is out doesn’t mean that we don’t have that,” he said.
The Federal Government had announced Nigeria’s first confirmed case of the Bundibugyo strain in Abuja on October 20, 2026, identifying the patient as a woman with a recent travel history to Uganda, who returned to Nigeria with symptoms on October 7, but the Ugandan authorities denied reports of an Ebola outbreak in the East African country.
The index patient was later flown to Switzerland along with her husband.
News
Troops kill 71 terrorists in Borno, Yobe offensive
Nigerian troops have neutralised no fewer than 71 terrorists in coordinated ground and air operations across Borno and Yobe, while recovering weapons and ammunition and disrupting terrorist logistics networks.
The operations include a five-hour counter-offensive at Buni Yadi, Yobe, which reportedly accounted for 48 ISWAP fighters, as well as separate air and maritime strikes that neutralised 23 terrorists.
An operational report made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday, said the Buni Yadi operation followed an attack on troops at the North-East Theatre Training School in Gujba Local Government Area.
The report said the troops repelled the assault and neutralised 48 terrorists during the ensuing counter-offensives, recovering 42 AK-47 rifles, five PKT machine guns, four general-purpose machine guns and one 60mm mortar.
It added that other recovered items include 105 AK-47 magazines, two video cameras and thousands of rounds of ammunition of different calibres.

The report said one soldier was killed during the engagements, while two others sustained minor injuries.
According to the report, the maritime component, supported by an armed unmanned aerial vehicle, had in another operation on Oct. 28, struck terrorist targets across Lake Chad.
“Preliminary battle damage assessment indicates that eight terrorists were neutralised, while 10 others sustained injuries.
“Similarly, an air operation near Ngirmishi settlement, north of Kerenoa, reportedly neutralised about 15 terrorists.
“The operation followed the sighting of suspected terrorists around a structure believed to be a logistics base, which was subsequently struck in a precision attack.”
The report said that in Borno, army troops of 5 Brigade arrested seven suspected terrorist collaborators, informants and logistics suppliers at Damasak, Mobbar Local Government Area, on Oct. 28.
Items recovered, according to the report include mobile phones, food supplies, drinks, blankets, cooking oil and other household materials, alongside N483,550.
It added that troops of 112 Task Force Battalion, working with Hybrid Forces, also ambushed suspected terrorists attempting to cross the Mafa-Ajiri road at Kassasewa, Mafa Local Government Area, on Oct. 27.
The report revealed that the suspected terrorists fled, abandoning five rocket-propelled grenade bombs and 175 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.
The report added that in another development, troops of 202 Battalion apprehended a suspected terrorist informant and logistics supplier attempting to infiltrate Bama town.
“The troops also intercepted a suspected member of Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) who reportedly escaped from a terrorist enclave in Bama and was on his way to surrender.
“Meanwhile, troops of 403 Amphibious Brigade, working with the Multinational Joint Task Force and Civilian Joint Task Force, discovered an improvised explosive device along the Baga-Cross road in Kukawa Local Government Area on Oct. 29,” it said.
In Plateau, the report said troops of Operation Enduring Peace foiled a kidnapping attempt at the ECWA Staff Quarters in Jos North Local Government Area in the early hours of Friday.
It said that the troops responded to a distress call and forced the suspected kidnappers to abandon their operation and flee.
According to the report, troops also arrested a suspected kidnapper at Akwaba, Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area of Nasarawa, during a joint operation with the Department of State Services.
“The suspect and N200,000 recovered during the operation were handed over to the DSS for further investigation.
“In Ondo, troops of 322 Artillery Regiment, working with the Nigeria Police, raided a suspected criminal and ritualists’ hideout at Kajola Camp.
“Three suspects were arrested, while counterfeit United States dollars and other foreign currencies were recovered.
“The suspects and recovered items were handed over to the police in Ore for further action,” it also said. (NAN)
News
29-Year-Old Nigerian Man Dies After Tree Crushes Car in London
A 29-year-old Nigerian man, James Abiwon, has died after a tree fell on his car during Storm Boelo in Mill Hill, north London.
According to Metro UK, Abiwon was driving along Dollis Road at about 12:30 p.m. on Sunday when the tree fell amid strong winds.
Emergency services, including police officers, firefighters, paramedics and an air ambulance, rushed to the scene. However, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Abiwon’s cousin, Tyrrell Okolo, described him as “a master of everything” and a devoted family man.
The deceased worked as a technology sales executive and held a degree from the University of Essex. He was also a semi-professional footballer who played for Aldershot, a musician whose YouTube channel had about 40,000 viewers, and a mentor to many people, according to his cousin.

Abiwon had been preparing to celebrate his 30th birthday with a padel tournament. Following his death, the event will go ahead in his memory, with proceeds expected to support his family.
His close friend, 29-year-old Kwame Affum, said they had played padel together just two days before the fatal incident.
“I’m trying hard to get my head around this,” Affum told Metro UK.
He said a friend had messaged Abiwon shortly before the accident about money owed to him for the court booking, but he did not respond, prompting concern.
Affum described Abiwon as a sports enthusiast, a talented footballer and an Arsenal supporter. He also said the deceased had graduated with a first-class degree and recently received an award at work.
“He was full of energy and talent,” Affum said.
“He was going to celebrate his 30th birthday in two weeks. It just seems impossible this has happened.”
A witness who laid flowers at the scene told Metro UK that she heard a helicopter and went outside to discover that a fallen tree had blocked the road, with a car trapped beneath it.
According to the witness, Abiwon’s girlfriend and best friend arrived while rescue operations were still underway. They were reportedly shaking as they waited, hoping he would be rescued alive.
The witness said his aunts and other relatives arrived later and were inconsolable over his death.
She described Abiwon as someone who was clearly loved by many, adding that the community had lost one of its own.
Traffic on Dollis Road was reportedly heavy at the time of the incident, as roadworks on a nearby street had diverted more vehicles onto the road.
A neighbour whose home overlooks the scene expressed concern about the circumstances, saying: “If it had been 10 minutes later, it could have been me.”
The Metropolitan Police said officers were called to Dollis Road at about 12:40 p.m. on Sunday following reports that a tree had fallen onto a moving car.
The police said they were working with the local authority and coroner to establish the circumstances surrounding Abiwon’s death.
Storm Boelo brought wind gusts of up to 84 mph across parts of the United Kingdom over the weekend.
A 60-year-old man was also killed by a falling tree in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, while other people were injured in incidents linked to the storm.
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