Weapons looted during Libyan conflict found with extremist groups in Nigeria – UN

The United Nations says some weapons looted during the Libyan conflict in 2011 have ended up in the hands of extremist groups in Nigeria.

Izumi Nakamitsu, the UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, stated this at the UN Headquarters in New York on Tuesday as delegates gathered to tackle the global spread of illicit firearms.

The UN’s top disarmament official expressed regret that weapons continue to fuel violence in communities long after wars end, causing devastation across one-time peaceful communities.

She cited “Libya, where weapons looted or diverted during and after the 2011 conflict which ended the rule of Muammar Gadaffi later surfaced across the wider Sahel region, including in Niger, Burkina Faso, and Nigeria.”

“Some were subsequently found in the hands of extremist groups, illustrating how arms from one conflict can destabilise neighbouring countries years later.

“The end of the conflict does not mean the end of the circulation of those weapons; it stays and it continues to harm people,” Nakamitsu said.

In parts of sub-Saharan Africa, the UN says proliferation of small arms can undermine peacebuilding efforts long after fighting subsides.

Weapons retained by armed groups, militias or communities for self-protection can contribute to renewed violence and instability, she stressed.

According to her, illicit weapons are also linked to human rights abuses, terrorism and sexual and gender-based violence.

“It is not just a security issue. It is also about peacebuilding. It is about human rights. It is also about development,” Nakamitsu said.

She said years after conflicts fade from the headlines, the weapons used to fight them often continue to circulate, crossing borders, fuelling crime and undermining an often-fragile peace.

“Wars end, but unfortunately, the weapons that are used in that particular conflict would not be under full control,” Nakamitsu said.

“They continue to circulate. They are sometimes hidden. They are brought across borders.”

She expressed concerns that the emergence of ghost guns, 3D-printed firearms and increasingly sophisticated trafficking networks are creating new challenges for governments worldwide.

“Those weapons or weapon parts, if they are disassembled and then trafficked, are more difficult to trace,” Nakamitsu said.

UN member states adopted an action programme in 2001, committing to strengthen national legislation, improve stockpile security, combat illicit trafficking, and expand international cooperation.

A major milestone followed in 2005 with the adoption of the International Tracing Instrument, which established global standards for marking, recording, and tracing the illegal weaponry.

The framework helps investigators identify where illicit weapons originated and how they entered illegal markets, while reducing the risk of diversion from legal stockpiles.

The UN supports implementation through technical assistance, policy guidance, and capacity-building programmes aimed at helping governments secure weapons stockpiles, improve tracing systems and strengthen border controls. (NAN)

Federal Govt intensifies Ebola preparedness, strengthens surveillance measures

The Federal Government has intensified national preparedness and response measures against the possible introduction of the Bundibugyo Ebola Virus Disease (BEBOV), currently reported in parts of East and Central Africa.

This is vontained in a statement issued by Mr Ado Bako, Assistant Director of Press and Public Relations in the ministry, on Wednesday in Abuja.

According to him, the move is aimed at safeguarding Nigeria from cross-border disease transmission and strengthening the country’s overall health security architecture against emerging threats.

Bako reassured Nigerians that there was presently no confirmed case of Ebola Virus Disease in the country.

“However, in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening national health security and preventing cross-border disease transmission, heightened preparedness measures have been activated nationwide.

“As part of ongoing response readiness efforts, official preparedness protocols, advisories, and technical guidance documents have been uploaded to the Ministry’s website to support public awareness, stakeholder sensitisation, and institutional compliance,” he said.

According to him, strict border control and Point of Entry protocols are already operational across the country to strengthen surveillance and early detection of suspected cases.

He said the measures included universal temperature screening using infrared thermal scanners and handheld thermometers, mandatory health declaration forms and travel history assessments for arriving passengers.

Bako added that enhanced traveller risk assessments, secondary screening, isolation and referral mechanisms for symptomatic individuals, as well as strengthened coordination with border management agencies, had also been activated.

The spokesman said surveillance activities had equally been intensified through the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response system, alongside strengthened community-based and event-based monitoring mechanisms nationwide.

He said public health authorities were actively monitoring, verifying and investigating alerts and rumours while conducting continuous national risk assessments and epidemiological surveillance.

Bako further said laboratory readiness, specimen collection and transportation systems for viral haemorrhhagic diseases had been strengthened to ensure prompt diagnosis and response when necessary.

He noted that Public Health Emergency Operation Centers had been placed on alert, while Rapid Response Teams at national and sub-national levels remained deployment-ready for any eventuality.

According to him, infection prevention and control measures have also been reinforced in health facilities, with ongoing preparedness training and sensitisation programmes for healthcare workers and frontline personnel.

He said healthcare facilities nationwide had been advised to maintain a high index of suspicion for viral haemorrhagic fevers, strengthen triage systems and promptly isolate suspected cases.

Bako said health institutions were also directed to adhere strictly to established reporting protocols to facilitate rapid response and containment should any suspected case emerge.

He urged Nigerians to remain calm, avoid misinformation and unverified rumours, and rely solely on official information issued by recognised public health authorities.

The spokesman advised members of the public to maintain regular hand hygiene, avoid direct contact with bodily fluids of symptomatic persons and promptly report unusual illnesses or deaths.

He also cautioned against contact with dead animals or bushmeat from unknown sources, describing such exposures as potential public health risks requiring vigilance.

Bako said the ministry would continue to monitor developments closely and provide timely updates, while all Ebola preparedness advisories and technical guidance remained accessible on the ministry’s website: www.health.gov.ng

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nigeria has previously recorded and successfully contained Ebola outbreaks through rapid surveillance, contact tracing and coordinated emergency responses, earning global recognition for its disease containment efforts. (NAN)

Cholera linked death toll increases to 39 as over 4,200 suspected cases recorded

Borno State health authorities have confirmed that 39 people have died from a cholera outbreak that has affected several communities across the state, with more than 4,200 suspected cases recorded so far.

The Incident Manager of the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, Dr. Jacob Thlizer, disclosed the figures on Tuesday during a sensitisation meeting on the prevention and treatment of acute watery diarrhoea in Maiduguri.

The meeting brought together representatives from the state’s 27 local government areas and other health stakeholders as authorities intensified efforts to contain the outbreak.

According to Thlizer, the disease continues to spread, with 274 new suspected cases reported within the last 24 hours.

“New suspected cases in the last 24 hours are 274, while the total suspected cases line-listed are 4,204 from 36 wards in the affected local government areas. In total, we now have 39 deaths,” he said.

He listed the affected local government areas as Jere, Bama, Kaga, Mafa, Kwaya Kusar, Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, Konduga, Monguno, Magumeri and Ngala.

Data presented at the meeting showed that Maiduguri Metropolitan Council accounted for the highest number of suspected infections with 2,404 cases, followed by Jere with 1,214 cases. Konduga recorded 275 cases, Mafa 184, Monguno 90, Kaga 18, while Bama and Kwaya Kusar reported eight cases each. Ngala and Magumeri recorded two and one case respectively.

Health officials said the state government has activated emergency measures to curb the outbreak, including the deployment of the Incident Management System, coordination with development partners, public sensitisation campaigns and the procurement of medical supplies.

Speaking at the meeting, Permanent Secretary of the Borno State Ministry of Health and Human Services, Shetima Muhammad, said treatment centres had been established to handle the increasing number of patients.

He disclosed that the Emergency and Infectious Disease Centre in Njimtilo and an infectious disease camp in Ngarannam with over 1,000 bed spaces had been designated for cholera treatment.

Muhammad also revealed that Governor Babagana Umara Zulum had approved the distribution of drugs and medical consumables to facilities managing infected persons.

He urged residents to maintain proper hygiene and seek immediate medical attention whenever symptoms linked to cholera are observed.

Also addressing stakeholders, the Secretary to the Borno State Government, Bukar Tijani, pledged continued government support for efforts aimed at containing the outbreak.

“I want to thank you and commend your efforts. If there are any issues anywhere, please let us know so that we can confront this menace,” he said.

Tijani expressed confidence that ongoing public awareness campaigns and coordinated interventions would help slow the spread of the disease and improve response efforts across affected communities.