Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Saturday empowered more than 800 women in Kogi State and commissioned two major public projects during a one-day working visit to the state.

The projects inaugurated were the Kogi State Treasury House and a newly completed Primary Healthcare Centre located at Lokongoma Phase I in Lokoja, the state capital.

Speaking during the commissioning ceremony, the First Lady described the projects as important investments that would strengthen public service delivery and improve access to quality healthcare for the people of Kogi State.

She commended Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for prioritising infrastructure development and social welfare, noting that such projects would have a lasting impact on the lives of residents.

Tinubu also urged the people of the state to take ownership of the facilities by protecting and maintaining them for future generations.

“Quality healthcare and efficient public institutions are essential to national development. Residents should protect and make good use of these facilities,” she said.

At the Government House in Lokoja, the First Lady flagged off the distribution of empowerment materials and start-up grants to more than 800 women under the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), her social investment programme.

She explained that the initiative is aimed at promoting economic empowerment, improving household incomes and supporting women, youths, children and persons with disabilities through targeted interventions.

Tinubu encouraged the beneficiaries to make productive use of the support by expanding their businesses, becoming financially independent and contributing to the economic development of their communities.

She also praised the wife of the Kogi State Governor, Hajia Sefinat Ododo, for her commitment to improving the welfare of women and other vulnerable groups across the state.

In his remarks, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo expressed appreciation to the First Lady for choosing Kogi State for the empowerment programme and for supporting initiatives that improve the lives of Nigerians.

He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to investing in healthcare, infrastructure and other critical sectors to improve the wellbeing of the people.

The governor also assured that the newly commissioned Treasury House and Primary Healthcare Centre would be properly maintained to ensure they continue to provide quality services to residents.

The visit ended with interactions between the First Lady, community leaders, women groups and beneficiaries of the empowerment programme, many of whom expressed gratitude for the support and described the intervention as timely and impactful.

The Nigerian Army has announced that the 44 pupils and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on May 15 have been released unconditionally following a sustained, intelligence-driven joint security operation.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the Army said the successful operation was coordinated by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Ibadan, Major General C.R. Nnebeife, in collaboration with multiple security and intelligence agencies.

According to the statement, the operation brought together special units from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), particularly the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), the Defence Headquarters, Special Forces of the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Navy, the Nigerian Air Force, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and other security agencies.

The Army disclosed that the operation, which lasted for more than one month, focused on identifying and dismantling the terrorist network responsible for the abduction.

It said security operatives successfully tracked the kidnappers’ logistics chain, informants, and hideouts located within the Old Oyo National Park Forest and carried out coordinated operations that led to multiple arrests in Oyo State and several other parts of the country.

According to the military, the sustained pressure mounted on the criminal syndicate completely disrupted its operations and forced the terrorists to release the abducted pupils and teachers without any conditions.

“These arrests completely disorganized the group, exerted overwhelming pressure on them and ultimately led the terrorist group to unconditionally release the pupils and teachers. Further operations are to be conducted,” the statement said.

The Army added that the operation was carefully planned and professionally executed to avoid collateral damage while ensuring the safe rescue of all the victims.

It, however, disclosed that some security personnel sustained casualties during the operation, without providing further details.

The military said the rescued pupils and teachers are currently receiving medical attention at an undisclosed hospital before they are handed over to the Oyo State Government for reunification with their families.

The Army reaffirmed its commitment, alongside other security agencies, to sustaining ongoing operations aimed at dismantling terrorist networks and ensuring the safety and security of lives and property across the country.

The Kano State Fire Service has said that one person died and three others were rescued after a building under construction collapsed

The collapsed building is on Sultan Road, by Sazo Restaurant in the Nasarawa Local Government Area of Kano.

“We received a distress call at about 10:14 a.m. from one Musa Yau, reporting that a building had collapsed,” the public relations officer of the Kano State Fire Service, Saminu Abdullahi, told journalists in Kano on Friday.

“We immediately deployed our firemen to the scene at about 10:24 a.m. The victims were taken to Sir Muhammadu Sanusi Specialist Hospital for treatment, while one person was confirmed dead,” Mr Abdullahi confirmed.

He added that rescue operations were still ongoing at the site.

The PRO attributed the collapse to the use of poor and substandard building materials.

Mr Abdullahi urged engineers and developers to use standard building materials during construction to avert such unforeseen circumstances.