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COVID-19 Palliative: Over three hundred people beseech Igala Chief for Palliative meant for thirty people
The inconveniences and even death caused by imposed lockdown as a result of the brutal and rampaging novel coronavirus aka COVID-19 is no longer news, but what is new and alarming now is the growing suffering of the general masses. adsbygoogle || []).push({}); js"> Over five hundred people beseech the Igala chief palace for Palliative meant for thirty people today, May 1, 2020.
Some people were crying, cursing just to get one and a half mudu of rice, while others got one mudu of rice. Some got two spaghetti, two semovita, three to five sachet of tomatoes and one sachet of oil. It was pathetic!
Alhaji Muhammed Saliu said, “according to what government is saying about lockdown, we agreed it is for our own interest because by associating with different different people, you can easily contract the virus.
“So by staying at home is for our safety. I think government should do the right thing to give people tangible palliative because people are hungry, people are really hungry.
“Like what this our royal highness is doing now, you can see the people that troop here. Even if they say one-one bag of semo, if it reach everybody at least peoples mind will go down, compared to what they are giving out today. What they are giving out today is not in order at all, honestly speaking. You too can see what is going on here now.
“With this hunger, you invite people here to give them; how many cups of gari, one mudu of gari and one semo and people have being staying indoor for over six weeks, it is not proper, honestly.
“We agreed that staying at home is for our own safety but the people are suffering because government is not doing well and the people they are fronting to share the thing are not doing well as well, honestly speaking people are suffering. That is just it.
The pandemic has thrown a lot of issue to the front burner. If the government must be effective in it social responsibility, accurate and up to date data of the inhabitant of the FCT must be maintained at all time.
Chairman, Igala Cultural Development Association, ICDA, Karu-Jikwoyi, Comrade Kabir Ebiojo Shuaib said, “We thank God as it is not very easy and it is not easy and we pray this thing should not affect our members, and you know the lockdown has affected everybody, not even the widows alone but it affect everybody. But with the wisdom of our chief, he tried his own possible best to get little thing to share for priviledge people and that is what we are doing. We thank God at least one or two person has little thing to take home at least for a day.
“I hereby implore the federal government that this thing they are sharing is a welcome development but we still need more. The one they are sharing is too meagre and cannot even go round everybody because people have sit down at home for the past one month. It is not easy, no work, no food, no money, so we need the federal government to add more. They have tried a lot. The FCT minister have tried and we need the federal government to add more.
“As at around twelve o clock, we have over five hundred people here and the food items giving to us is only seventy. We have to share the seventy so that it can go round everybody. Those who have semo would not have rice, those who have rice would not have maggi.
“We have to share it for everybody so that everybody would have to take one or two things home; so that they would not be disappointed.”, he concluded.
HRH. Alhaji Abdulsalam Tijani Musa the Ogah Attah of Igala, and the Onu of Igala, Karu Jikwoyi, FCT., said, “Truly, I am also a COVID-19 Palliative Committee member in AMAC, precisely Karu Ward.
“We were partially part of the people that were distributing the palliative materials that was donated to the vulnerable people of FCT by the honourable minister of FCT, Honourable Musa Muhammad Bello. And it happened to be that the number of the items given were too small to the number of the vulnerable people that came out for collection.
“But by and large, we have to still thank the government for what they have done but we are still expecting more because some of us could be able to scratch up and down to be able to satisfy people a little which we know we can never satisfy them in totality.
“Even the government himself said that we should start, may be as time goes on, more may come on the way and that is how I have been able to go up and down to see how I can be able to reach out to people.
“Though in my own ward, the palliative was distributed through the traditional ruler; that is tribal community leader, and Dagachi as well as Hakimi of the community.
“So, what came to me as the tribal chief of Igala people, Karu-jikwoyi was a condiment, thirty pieces and rice thirty pieces. That is just thirty pieces, let me call it thirty pieces because one condiment and one rice (goes together) is to be given to one person.
“Invariably, people that gathered in my palace are over two hundred. I don’t have a choice than to go extra mile to make sure I give the little I can do which is still not yet okay and I have to equally beg others to go and wait when next have been provided or I have made by myself, I would still call on them, I would still give to them again.
“That is how I was able to manage. But that is the material that was given to me as confirmed by Esu of Jikwoyi whom I collected the material from.
HRH Abdulsallam confirmed that people are really suffering under the hammering head of the lockdown.
He said, “The HungerVirus is more serious in Jikwoyi than the Coronavirus. That is the reality, the hungervirus is more serious in Jikwoyi, Karu ward, in fact in AMAC as a whole in FCT more than the COVID-19, the coronavirus that we are talking about.
“That is the reality. Because if person has to come out just for the purpose of two and half mudu of rice to trek from a long distance which amounted to, even if you enter Okada (bike) is about twho hundred to three hundred naira and they don’t even have. They have to trek to come and take this palliative. You can imagine what it is. So, people are suffering, that is the reality, people are suffering.” he concluded.
The authority at
all levels must do something urgently serious to tackle the looming hunger as we
continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, as the threat of starvation is
also around the corner.
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Ajia: Tunji Disu’s Leadership Offers Hope for Tackling Insecurity
By AbdulRahman Obaje
The Dan Amanan Fune Emirate of Yobe State and Nwanne Ukwu Di Na Mba of Amaba-Ukwu Item in Abia State, Alhaji Ibrahim Mohammed Ajia, Ph.D, has congratulated the newly appointed Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, describing his appointment as well deserved and timely for Nigeria’s security challenges.
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Ajia also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what he called a bold and thoughtful decision in appointing a highly experienced and celebrated police officer to lead the nation’s police force.
In a statement signed by his Director of Communications, Mallam Abdulrahman Aliagan, and made available to journalists in Abuja on Monday , Ajia praised Disu’s impressive educational background, professional training and operational experience, noting that Nigeria and Nigerians are fortunate to have him at the helm of the Nigeria Police Force at this critical time.
According to Ajia, the new IGP has built a reputation for professionalism, discipline and dedication to duty, qualities he said are necessary to reposition the police and strengthen internal security across the country.
He noted that the appointment has raised renewed hope that the country can decisively confront insecurity, insurgency, kidnapping and banditry if the police leadership fully deploys its experience, training and operational capacity.
Ajia, a celebrated retired Police Officer, however, advised the new police chief to prioritise the welfare and concerns of officers and men particularly the rank and file who carry out the bulk of policing duties across the country. He stressed that listening to their “yearnings and cries” would significantly improve their morale and operational effectiveness.
He urged the new IGP to see to the end of final exit from the Pencom system to an improved police pension system . Also to address structural imbalances within the force, particularly the growing disparity between senior officers and the rank-and-file personnel who are responsible for frontline policing.
According to him, the police system must return to a proper pyramidal structure that allows for balanced growth, professionalism and efficiency.
The security expert further called for the recruitment of more rank-and-file officers to strengthen community-level policing, noting that the current structure has too many officers in higher ranks while the operational base remains understaffed. He encouraged the new police boss to ensure that recruitment becomes a real and transparent exercise rather than routine announcements.
On welfare, Ajia urged the police leadership to work towards the realignment of police salaries with those of other internal security agencies. He recalled that approval had been granted during the administration of president Goodluck Jonathan but requires only full implementation.
He also advised the new IGP to work closely with the Nigeria Police Trust Fund to ensure that projects and interventions are based strictly on the operational needs assessment of the force . According to him, the National Assembly should also strengthen the legal framework guiding the Trust Fund so that it functions purely as a professional support institution rather than a political structure.
Fune Emirate title holder emphasised that with the establishment of the Trust Fund, funding for policing in Nigeria should no longer be a major challenge if properly managed.
Speaking on insecurity, he expressed confidence that Nigeria can significantly reduce insurgency, kidnapping and banditry if the police rise fully to the responsibility of internal security. He urged Disu to deploy his experience, networks and training to confront criminality decisively.
He also recommended the establishment of a special force counter-terrorism unit within the police, stressing that the Nigeria Police already possesses a model that can be strengthened into an effective national response unit for violent crimes
Ajia concluded that Nigerians are optimistic about the future of policing under Disu’s leadership and expressed confidence that with courage, strategic reforms and commitment to officers’ welfare, the new Inspector-General of police will leave a lasting legacy in the nation’s security system.
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Rev. Fr. Barkindo of the Kukah Centres highlights 2 points to tackle insecurity, at the Ashraaf Islamic Foundation Centre Ramadan Lecture
By AbdulRahman Obaje
The Rev. Fr. Atta Barkindo, Executive Director of The Kukah Centre (TKC), and Head of Secretariat for the National Peace Committee has identified two cogent points to tackle insecurity in Nigeria.
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He revealed this during the 9th Annual Ramadan Lecture and Prayer for the Nation, presented by Ashraaf Islamic Foundation in Abuja, Nigeria.
While answering questions from journalists at the event, Rev Fr. Barkindo highlights misrepresentation of religion as the first problem.
He said, “I think for me, the first thing is to understand where is this problem coming from? Number one, we cannot keep denying that this thing has nothing to do with Islam or has nothing to do with Christianity. I think if you make this denial, you have not understand.
“If you have ten children and one of them becomes a thief, are you saying that that thief is no longer your child, is your child.”
“So, the first thing is that people are exploiting religion, they are misrepresenting religion and we need to get religious leader who understand the situation, who have the influence, the respect in order to proffer solutions and to help us to stop the exploitation and the misrepresentation of religion.
He further revealed that education is the second key element in the equation.
“And the second element for me actually is education. People are really not very educated and it is difficult for you to practice democracy in a context of illiteracy. So there has to be proper education that can offer jobs, meaningful jobs to people. And I think once people have this job they are likely going to leave atrocities and concentrate on their work.”, he continued.
While reacting to questions on why he is part of Muslim gathering, he said, “God is God, where are the human beings trying to make distinction, God has absolutely no problem.”
“The Christians are fasting, Muslims are fasting, there is nothing wrong for me to come and grow from the Islamic perspective. If I get to heaven and there is no Christianity, I have Islam, I will enter heaven; If I get to heaven and there is no Islam, I have Christianity, I will enter heaven; so, I am pretty very much okay with it.”
“My biggest interest was actually to look at the Islamic jurisprudence, either supporting or making illegitimate terrorist activities in this country. Does Islam support terrorism through jihad or does Islam prohibit terrorism and condemn jihad rather than personal effort and I think for me this is really an interesting aspect and I think this will afford the government in developing some very strong strategic policies recommendation from lectures of this nature.”
“To see how they can work with religious leaders particularly Islamic groups in supporting the justice system, the judicial processes that will hold perpetrators of atrocities accountable.”
“And at the same time, what sort of mediation, conflict resolution, reconciliation platform can communities create in their local area in order to mitigate the violence across this country.”
“We don’t have to wait for another country to come into Nigeria and tell us what is happening. We can all see for ourselves. It’s not Christians, it’s not Muslims, Nigerians are dying literally from every part of this country; in Sokoto, in Zamfara, in Katsina, in Benue, in Plateau, in Adamawa, Christians, Muslims, atheist; at the end of the day, Nigerians are dying.”
“And I think for me we should look at it from that perspective. Death is about Christians or Muslims. It is about the fact that Nigerian citizens are being killed and what can we do to stop the killing together?”.
The Ashraaf Islamic Foundation is always striving to tackle the socio-economic problem bedeviling the nation with its Annual Ramadan Lecture and Maolid Nabiyy. This year edition of the Annual Ramadan Lecture had gathered notable Nigerians focusing on the Islamic perspective on banditry and terrorism with theme “Faith & Justice, The Islamic Judicial Perspective on Terrorism, and Banditry in Nigeria.”
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PoliticsMarch 5, 2026Ajia Congratulates Kwara APC Exco , Gov. AbdulRaham Others Over Successful State CongressNewsMarch 3, 2026Ajia: Tunji Disu’s Leadership Offers Hope for Tackling InsecurityNewsMarch 3, 2026Rev. Fr. Barkindo of the Kukah Centres highlights 2 points to tackle insecurity, at the Ashraaf Islamic Foundation Centre Ramadan LectureNewsMarch 3, 2026Ashraaf Islamic Foundation Tackles Insecurity with 9th Annual Ramadan Lecture
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Ashraaf Islamic Foundation Tackles Insecurity with 9th Annual Ramadan Lecture
By AbdulRahman Obaje
Many people, especially Nigerians were not happy when on October 31st, 2025, the United States of America led by Donald Trump had again designated Nigeria a country of particular Concern (CPC), citing severe systemic and ongoing violation of religious freedom.
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This is because Nigeria insiders know that impact of insecurity in Nigeria does not only affect a particular religion or sect or tribe or state as claimed by outsiders. The version of insecurity that Nigeria as a nation is currently experiencing has recorded significant blow to properties and loss of lives to Christians, Muslims, traditionalists and atheists alike; from the northern, southern, eastern, western and even the middle-belt parts of the country. So, concluding that a particular religion, sect or tribe is being targeted at might revealed that such does not actually understand the true nature of insecurity in Nigeria.
Notable among those that truly understand the real calculus of insecurity in Nigeria is the Founder/Chairman, Ashraaf Islamic Foundation, Imam (Dr) Sharafudeen Abdulsalam Aliagan. So, it is not surprising that the 9th edition of Ashraaf Islamic Foundation’s Annual Ramadan Lecture and Prayer for The Nation focused on assisting the government in tackling insecurity by bringing stakeholders together under one roof of discussion so as to channel a course of action for the nation.
This year Ramadan Lecture which theme is “Faith & Justice, The Islamic Judicial Perspective on Terrorism, and Banditry in Nigeria” gathered stakeholders from across the board; the judiciary, the executive and the legislative arms of government; religious leaders, politicians, business moguls among other notable Nigerians.
Those that speak with journalists among guest speakers at the event expressed enthusiasm hoping that outcome of the event will boost the fight against terrorism and banditry in no small measure.
Salisu Abubakar representing the grand cardy of the sharia court of appeal of FCT, Abuja while interacting with journalists at the event said, “the grand cardy had wanted to attend however, other engagement prevented him from doing so. And he sends his appreciation and congratulations to the organizer, Ashraaf Islamic Foundation, especially for coming up with a very timely topic on the issue of Islamic judicial perspective on terrorism and banditry in Nigeria.”
“This topic could not have come at a better time than now especially considering what the country is with lately presenting, Nigeria has been designated as a country of a particular concern by the United State of America.”, he continued.
“It is our belief that Islam has provided solution and prescription on how to fight terrorism and banditry. Allah clearly says in the Holy Quran in chapter 5, verse 33 on how bandits and terrorists should be dealt with. Incidentally and fortunately the terrorism prohibition acts in Nigeria has borrowed a leaf from most of the punishment prescribed in the Quran. So, what is left is the will to prosecute bandits and terrorists.”
“All hands must be on deck, the judiciary, the executive and the legislature to see to the end of banditry and terrorism in Nigeria.”, he charges.
“Fortunately, the organizer is able to empanel the right stakeholders to this program, the representative of Mr. president, the person of honourable minister of state for health and social welfare was here; a senator of the federal republic of Nigeria is here and the judiciary is represented by us.”
“So, all the three arms of government are here and we hope that this program will come up with solutions on how to implement the laws that we already have; both in the Quran and the Nigeria constitution and other relevant legislation
Also, a security expert and politician, Dr. Muhammad Ibrahim Ajia commending the organizer of the Annual Ramadan Lecture event while emphasizing its importance to the modern-day challenges bedeviling us as a nation said, “I must say to you that this Ramadan Lecture is a very unique one, the topic borders about typical issue that is confronting our nation.”
“The guest lecturers and all the speakers are looking at the perspective on how to assist the country in tackling the problems of insurgence, kidnapping and all sort of senseless killing that is going on across Nigeria. And from here today, we are going to deduce that if you go back to faith, if you go back to Islamic perspective on dealing with high level of crime, I can tell you the society will be free of such heinous crimes.”
While proffering solutions to the insecurity, Rev. Fr. Atta Barkindo, Executive Director of the Kukah Centre (TKC), and Head of Secretariat for the national Peace Committee highlights two cogent points as a take-home if we must get it right about the insecurity.
Fr. Barkindo said, “I think for me, the first thing is to understand where is this problem coming from? Number one, we cannot keep denying that this thing has nothing to do with Islam or has nothing to do with Christianity. I think if you make this denial, you have not understand.
“if you have ten children and one of them becomes a thief, are you saying that that thief is no longer your child, is your child.”
“So, the first thing is that people are exploiting religion, they are misrepresenting religion and we need to get religious leader who understand the situation, who have the influence, the respect in order to proffer solutions and to help us to stop the exploitation and the misrepresentation of religion.
“And the second element for me actually is education. People are really not very educated and it is difficult for you to practice democracy in a context of illiteracy. So there has to be proper education that can offer jobs, meaningful jobs to people. And I think once people have this job, they are likely going to leave atrocities and concentrate on their work.”
All hands must be on deck so as to see to the end of banditry and terrorism in Nigeria.
Imam Aliagan, the visionary founder of Ashraaf Islamic Foundation, has continuously worked towards educating and awakening the consciousness of Muslims and non-Muslims alike on topical issues of national concern. For years, his efforts have been showcased during the Annual celebration of his Foundation’s Maolid Nabiyy and Special Ramadan lectures and prayers.
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PoliticsMarch 5, 2026Ajia Congratulates Kwara APC Exco , Gov. AbdulRaham Others Over Successful State CongressNewsMarch 3, 2026Ajia: Tunji Disu’s Leadership Offers Hope for Tackling InsecurityNewsMarch 3, 2026Rev. Fr. Barkindo of the Kukah Centres highlights 2 points to tackle insecurity, at the Ashraaf Islamic Foundation Centre Ramadan LectureNewsMarch 3, 2026Ashraaf Islamic Foundation Tackles Insecurity with 9th Annual Ramadan Lecture