Seyi Tinubu, Yinka Tinubu, Noella Foundation, and Associates Lead Humanitarian Response to Maiduguri Flooding Crisis

In response to the recent devastating floods in Maiduguri, Borno State, two of President Bola Tinubu’s children, Seyi Tinubu and Yinka Tinubu, in collaboration with the Noella Foundation, their associates, and some private sector partners, mobilised significant humanitarian aid to support those affected. This was made known during their visit to Borno state where they met the Governor of the State and the Shehu of Borno. The ST Noella Relief initiative, spearheaded by Seyi and Yinka Tinubu, alongside Seyi’s wife, Layal Tinubu, and their Noella Foundation, aims to bring much-needed assistance to displaced persons and flood victims.

Following President Bola Tinubu’s visit to Maiduguri earlier this week, where he called for private sector involvement in flood relief efforts, Seyi Tinubu and his family quickly rallied friends, associates, and organisations within their private circle to mobilise substantial resources to deliver vital food, non-food, and medical supplies to thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) affected by the floods.

Seyi Tinubu, speaking on behalf of the team, said: “We are here today, united in the belief that when our people are in need, we respond with action. These contributions are just the beginning, and we will continue to support Maiduguri and Borno State as they recover from this tragedy.”

Further speaking, Seyi Tinubu said that this initiative is a sustained effort, with more aid and resources expected in the coming weeks to ensure that no family is left behind in the recovery process. The relief drive is part of a larger commitment by the Noella Foundation to strengthen communities and provide relief in times of crisis.

Governor Babagana Zulum expressed his gratitude for the swift response and assured that the resources would be distributed efficiently to meet the needs of the affected populations.

The generous donation includes 1,000 cartons each of spaghetti, tomato paste, and groundnut oil, along with 200 bags of maize flour and 500 bags of 25kg rice, to provide essential sustenance. Additionally, 10,000 loaves of bread were donated to help address basic food needs. The donation also includes seasoning, such as 200 cartons of Maggi, 1,000 bags of salt, and 100 cartons of sugar, to enhance the nutritional value of the meals.
Beyond food, the relief package included essential non-food items to help displaced families maintain dignity and improve their living conditions. These items include 5,000 mosquito nets to prevent the spread of malaria, 1,000 mattresses for comfort, and 4,000 blankets for warmth. Personal hygiene was also addressed with the distribution of 4,000 wash kits and buckets, sanitary wares, along with 4,000 kettles for daily use. Furthermore, 4,000 wrappers and 10,000 mats were provided, ensuring that families have basic provisions to cover their needs.

The medical aspect of this intervention was equally robust, with a range of medications and supplies aimed at addressing the immediate health concerns of the displaced population. The donated medical items include 26,000 packs of antimalarial drugs, 3,500 boxes of analgesics, 3,000 boxes of anti-ulcer medications, and 35,000 packs of antihypertensive drugs. Additional items include 50 cartons of antidiabetic medication, 110 cartons of antidiarrheal drugs, and 9,650 boxes of antibiotics and antifungal treatments. To further bolster health care efforts, 3,500 cartons of antiparasitic drugs, 1,500 cartons of medical infusions, and 4,500 boxes of medical consumables were donated.

In addition to these, 50medical doctors within the network of friends were mobilised and are already on ground to provide additional support to the State Ministry of Health for the next few days under this initiative.

Police Confirm Arrest Of Man tying lover in Abuja hotel

A yet-to-be-identified man has been arrested for tying the hands and legs of his lover in a hotel in the Wuse area of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The man was accused of attempting to use her for ritual purposes before luck ran out of him.

A video of the incident, seen by our correspondent on Thursday, showed people ordering the man to untie her.

Reacting to the incident, the FCT Police Command said it was aware of the video.

The command’s spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, in a statement, said the man in the video is a suspected internet fraudster.

She noted that the command’s investigation revealed that operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps had arrested the suspect but had yet to hand him over to the police.

Adeh said, “The FCT Police Command is aware of the video footage making the rounds about a lady who was criminally confined at Top View Hotel, Wuse, Abuja, on 17th September 2024, by an alleged internet fraudster, allegedly for a money ritual.

“Findings revealed that the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has taken the suspect into custody and is yet to hand him over to the police for a diligent investigation.

“The FCT Police Command awaits the NSCDC to hand over all parties for the commencement of a diligent and discreet investigation.”

Real Reasons Nigerians patronise ‘night buses’ despite dangers

Despite the high level of insecurity across the country, more Nigerians now embark on what is  popularly known in street parlance as “night travels” or  trips. The reason for this is not far to seek: the spike in transport fares and other related factors.

With petrol price rising to N1,000 per litre in most filling stations, and unavailable too, most travellers are looking for the cheapest fares to their various destinations which can only be available with luxury buses that operate at night.

For instance, a journey from Lagos to any part of the South-Eastern states costs between N35,000 and N40,000 with a mini-bus. It’s about N23,000 on the same route with a luxury bus.

A visit to some of the garages and parks at night revealed that most travellers prefer to travel by night, not minding the dangers. Some of the transport companies are The Young Shall Grow, Chisco Transport, Okeyson Transport, ABC Transport, and GUO Transport.

A necessity

A young man, who simply identified himself as Chinedu at the Mazamaza bus station, told Vanguard: “These days, people don’t mind the risk of travelling at night any longer because of the high fares charged by transport companies for trips on mini-buses.”

He noted that with N40,000, one can travel from Lagos to the South-East and back, which is what you would use for a one-way trip if you have to travel with small buses for the same distance.

According to him: ”Nobody likes to travel by night given the high security risk, but given the present situation in the country, we have no choice but to take the risk if we must catch up with our appointments.”

He further noted that some of the luxury bus operators can charge as low as N10,000 for some seats, which they call ‘Obere Oche’ (meaning small attachment seats), which he described as not being quite comfortable for a long distance trip.

‘No traffic, no checkpoints’

At the Alafia bus station, where other notable luxury bus companies operate from, the passengers also disclosed that, beyond high fares resulting from the high price of petrol and its scarcity, their preference is derived from the fact that it is more convenient to travel at night because the checkpoints are few and there is hardly gridlock on the roads at night.

According to one of the travellers, Mr Uchenna Njoku: “Travelling at night is faster than doing so in the day; it’s like goodbye to Lagos and welcome to Owerri in the morning. “This is because you won’t have to worry about traffic gridlock, police harassment or extortion by other law enforcement agencies and local government officials while on the trip.

“I always have a full night rest and wake up and go to my home in the morning.”

This is also the thinking of most the passengers at Jibowu and even Iddo bus stations.

“Usually the stations boom as from 8 p.m., when the bus operators are loading and getting ready for the trips at night till around 10:30 p.m. when they leave from their various parks to their destinations across the country.

The bus stations are usually very busy with hawkers who sell snacks and other types of food, soft drinks, medicine and various items to the travellers.