Borno
Tears of Joy in Biu as Zulum Empowers 400 Women With N40m Grants
Tears of Joy in Biu as Zulum Empowers 400 Women With N40m Grants
By Tada Jutha, Maiduguri
It was not the harsh realities of Nigeria’s economy that drew tears from the hundreds of women and girls gathered in Biu last Friday. It was the overwhelming joy of witnessing a long-awaited transformation — the inauguration of the Women and Girls Skills Acquisition Centre (WGSAC), a project many described as nothing short of miraculous.
For years, empowerment programmes for women in Borno South Senatorial District, covering nine local government areas, felt like distant promises. But last weekend, those dreams finally took shape, offering second chances to girls who dropped out of school and women struggling to rebuild their lives.
During the inauguration ceremony, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum stunned the crowd after announcing a ₦40 million economic support grant for 400 women selected from eight LGAs of the zone, a moment that triggered gasps, tears, and outright disbelief among the beneficiaries.
“These 400 women are vocational trainees drawn from eight local governments,” Zulum explained. “They include women and girls previously blocked by circumstance from completing their education.”
According to him, each trainee will receive ₦100,000 in two instalments, supporting their transition into small-scale enterprises such as tailoring, catering, knitting, crocheting, and bead-making. The initiative, he noted, is designed to restore livelihoods and reduce economic vulnerability across southern Borno communities.
Just when the applause began to settle, Zulum threw in another unexpected announcement.
“Who among you has qualifications for higher education?” he asked.
Dozens of hands shot up tentatively — and in response, the governor approved instant scholarships for selected trainees to study nursing and midwifery in the state.
What followed was a wave of raw emotion. Women sobbed, some smiled through tears, and others pinched themselves in disbelief, unsure whether the grants and scholarships were real. Even after the governor’s convoy departed, the vocational centre remained filled with jubilation, prayers, and gratitude.
Friday’s event formed part of Zulum’s intensive five-day tour of Southern Borno, during which he commissioned projects, interacted with health workers and teachers, and rolled out new support initiatives targeting youth, the sick, and the vulnerable.
For the women of Borno South, however, the inauguration of WGSAC was more than an official ceremony — it was the opening of a new chapter.
As one elderly beneficiary whispered amid the crowd, “God has remembered Borno’s daughters.”
Many joined her in praying that the Almighty continues to grant the governor strength, good health, and wisdom to sustain people-focused programmes that improve living conditions and restore dignity in communities once left behind.
Terrorists Kill Resident, Rustle 1,400 Sheep in Borno Community
By Tada Jutha, Maiduguri
Maiduguri, Borno State – Suspected Boko Haram terrorists have killed a resident and rustled about 1,400 sheep during an attack on a nomadic settlement in Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday at Wuturo community, a settlement near Konduga town along the 75-kilometre Maiduguri–Bama road.
Confirming the attack, the Borno State Police Command said the assailants stormed the settlement on motorcycles, killing one person and carting away livestock belonging to local herders.
In a statement issued in Maiduguri on Wednesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Nahum Daso, said the command strongly condemned the attack allegedly carried out by suspected Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) insurgents.
According to him, the incident was reported to the Konduga Police Divisional Headquarters by the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) on March 10, 2026, at about 10:30 p.m.
Daso explained that the attackers, who arrived on five motorcycles, invaded the settlement and made away with a large number of sheep after opening fire on residents.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that during the attack, a 40-year-old resident, Ahmadu Baida, sustained fatal gunshot wounds, while another victim, Mohammadu Baida, 30, was shot in the left leg,” the statement said.
He added that the gunmen also rustled approximately 1,400 sheep belonging to herders in the community.
Security operatives quickly responded to the distress call, deploying a joint team comprising the Police, the Military, members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), and local hunters to the affected settlement.
“The victims were evacuated to the hospital, where Ahmadu Baida was confirmed dead on arrival by a medical doctor, while the injured victim is currently receiving treatment and responding positively,” Daso stated.
Reacting to the incident, the Commissioner of Police in Borno State, Naziru Abdulmajid, condemned the killing and expressed condolences to the bereaved family and the affected community.
He reassured residents of the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property across the state.
The police spokesperson said coordinated security operations have been activated to track down the perpetrators, prevent further attacks, and recover the rustled livestock.
“Tactical teams and intelligence assets have been strategically deployed in the affected area and surrounding communities to strengthen security presence and ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice,” Daso added.
Terror Alarm in Borno: Insurgents Establish New Fortress Near NNPC Exploration Site
By Tada Jutha, Maiduguri
Fresh security concerns have emerged in Jere Local Government Area following reports that fighters linked to Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province have established new hideouts in the Tuba settlement close to facilities of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
Local sources, including farmers and community leaders, said the insurgents have constructed what they described as a fortified base around Tuba, located within the outskirts of Jere council area in Maiduguri. According to the sources, about 200 motorcycles belonging to the fighters were sighted around the area, raising fears of renewed attacks in parts of northern Borno.
A resident, Modu Isami, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns, said the insurgents appear to be monitoring strategic locations around the oil exploration site.
“The terrorists have positioned themselves around communities close to the NNPC exploration site,” he said. “They are watching settlements such as Dusuman, Ngom, Jabarman, Gongulong Lawanti and Koshebe, as well as areas around Muna Garage, which is about 20 kilometres east of Maiduguri.”
Isami added that other locations believed to be under surveillance by the armed groups include Madinatu, the Maiduguri cattle market, and motorists travelling along the Maiduguri–Monguno and Maiduguri–Mafa highways.
According to him, the insurgents often move in small units of about five motorcycles at a time, advancing toward Ngom community along the Maiduguri–Dikwa road before crossing into the Maiduguri–Mafa axis and sometimes heading toward Konduga Local Government Area.
Security observers say such movements could enable the fighters to reach areas bordering the notorious Sambisa Forest, long known as a major hideout for extremist groups operating in the Northeast.
A 65-year-old local hunter, Konto Aliyu, described the development as alarming, warning that the newly established fortress could threaten both nearby communities and oil exploration infrastructure.
“The presence of this fortress in our council area is dangerous,” Aliyu said. “It could endanger residents and the drilling facilities of NNPC, which were inaugurated in 2023 by former President Muhammadu Buhari.”
Aliyu also warned that military installations in Jere, Konduga and Maiduguri could become targets if the insurgents intensify their movements across forest corridors sometimes referred to locally as the “Timbuktu Triangle”.
He further suggested that the insurgents’ frequent movement on motorcycles might be a diversionary tactic aimed at distracting security forces while preparing coordinated attacks on several communities across northern Borno.
Communities that could face potential threats include Gajiganna, Gajiram, Mafa, Dikwa, Konduga and Bama — towns that previously suffered devastating attacks during the peak of the insurgency between 2014 and 2016.
The hunter called on the Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, to intensify operations around the Tuba axis to dismantle the suspected hideouts.
He also urged security authorities to collaborate with local hunters and vigilante groups to strengthen patrols and establish additional checkpoints along the major highways leading into Maiduguri in order to prevent possible attacks and protect surrounding communities.
Zulum Declares 10-Day Prayers, Fasting to End Terror, Kidnappings in Borno
By Tada Jutha, Maiduguri
Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has called for a sustained 10-day period of prayers and fasting aimed at seeking divine intervention to end the wave of kidnappings and terrorist attacks ravaging parts of the state.
The governor urged Muslims to take advantage of the last ten days of Ramadan to intensify prayers, particularly the night supplication known as Tahajjud prayer, for peace and stability in the troubled state.
Zulum made the call in a statement issued in Maiduguri by his Special Adviser on Media, Dauda Iliya, while the governor is currently in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, performing the lesser pilgrimage, Umrah.
According to the governor, the renewed attacks by insurgent groups must not weaken the resolve of residents to remain united in confronting insecurity.
“The recent coordinated attacks by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province terrorists should not dampen the spirit of resilience and unity of purpose needed to confront our common enemy,” Zulum said.
He stressed that the final days of Ramadan represent a sacred period for supplication and urged citizens to dedicate the period to seeking God’s mercy and intervention.
“As we usher in the last ten days of the holy month, let us intensify our prayers to the Almighty God and beseech Him through acts of worship so that we may attract His mercies, blessings and rewards,” the governor said.
Zulum disclosed that he had already joined other Muslim faithful in Mecca to hold special prayers for lasting peace in Borno State and across Nigeria.
Beyond the Muslim community, the governor also appealed to Christians observing the Lenten season to join in prayers for an end to the violence.
“I also want to call on the Christian community who are observing Lent to join in special prayers to end this madness of killings and abductions,” he added.
The governor described the resurgence of attacks as a temporary challenge, expressing confidence that unity among citizens and divine intervention would help overcome the crisis.
While sympathising with families who lost loved ones in recent attacks, Zulum reassured residents that his administration would continue to support the military and other security agencies in their efforts to defeat insurgency.
Borno State has endured more than a decade of insurgency linked to Boko Haram and ISWAP, a conflict that has destroyed communities, displaced millions and claimed thousands of lives across the region.
Zulum reaffirmed that the state government remains committed to working with security forces and communities to restore lasting peace and stability.
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