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‘No Health Worker is Safe’ – Katsina Nurses Threatens Strike Over Insecurity
The Katsina State chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwifery (NANNM) has threatened to withdraw its members from hospitals in frontline Local Government Areas (LGAs) over the state government’s alleged failure to address pressing security and welfare issues.
In a press briefing on Tuesday at the NANNM office in Katsina, the Council Chairman, Nura Mu’azu, announced that the association would embark on a two-day warning strike starting Thursday, January 30, 2025.
If their demands remain unmet, an indefinite strike and withdrawal of services in high-risk areas will follow.
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The affected LGAs include Batsari, Funtua, Malumfashi, Kankara, Kurfi, Danmusa, and Jibia.
The association’s decision follows the abduction of one of its members, Mr. Yusuf Mohammed Mairuwa, a senior nurse at General Hospital Kankara, who was kidnapped on January 15, 2025, while on duty.
Mairuwa and other health workers were taken by gunmen to an unknown location, and their whereabouts remain unknown.
“Mairuwa was patriotically on duty, saving lives, caring for the sick, and providing leadership when he was taken at gunpoint,” Mu’azu said.
“He is a family man with a wife and children whose future has been abruptly truncated. This has aggravated fears among health workers in vulnerable areas, proving that no one is safe, despite our sacrifices to society and humanity.”
Mu’azu highlighted previous incidents involving health workers, including the killing of Mr. Murtala Isah Safana at General Hospital Dutsin-ma in 2022, the permanent injury of Mr. Hamza Saleh in a roadside attack, and the abduction of the wife of another health worker at General Hospital Kurfi in November 2024.
“These cases have left scars that are yet to heal,” Mu’azu said. “The attack in Kankara is just another reminder of the danger we face daily in the line of duty. How can we continue to work under these conditions?”
NANNM revealed it had written to the Katsina State Government on January 15, 2025, demanding urgent security measures in hospitals, especially in vulnerable LGAs.
While the government promised action within three to seven days, no significant steps have been taken as the two-week deadline expires.
The association outlined its demands, including: Immediate security measures to protect hospitals in frontline areas, Safe release of Mr. Mairuwa and other captives, Compensation for health workers who have suffered losses due to insecurity and Better remuneration to attract and retain healthcare professionals.
Mu’azu expressed frustration over the government’s inaction. “General Hospital Kankara is the second hospital to be attacked after General Hospital Kurfi. Health workers have been left on their own while on duty. We can’t take this lightly anymore,” he said.
The association also decried the low hazard allowance of N5,000 and poor salaries, which have led to mass resignations of healthcare workers.
“Many health workers are leaving the state for better opportunities elsewhere. How can anyone be expected to work under these conditions?”
Mu’azu revealed that the kidnappers are demanding a ransom of N270 million for Mairuwa and an equal sum for the other captives.
“Where can his innocent family get this kind of money? Many families are already struggling to put food on the table,” he said.
He added, “The public must understand that this is not just about salaries but about survival. We cannot continue to risk our lives in a system that does not prioritize our safety.”
While acknowledging the government’s investment in security and healthcare infrastructure, Mu’azu urged them to do more. “One must be alive to save others. Insecurity is the biggest threat to humanity and human development today,” he said.
The association appealed to the public to support their demands, emphasizing that their strike is a last resort. “This decision is painful, but it is necessary. We plead with the public to bear with us and help us prevail on the government to act.”
If the government fails to meet their demands, NANNM will withdraw its members from the affected hospitals starting midnight on Thursday, January 30, 2025.
The decision threatens to disrupt healthcare services in some of Katsina State’s most vulnerable areas.
“The safety of healthcare workers must be prioritized,” Mu’azu concluded. “Without it, there can be no healthcare delivery.”
Oil marketers have warned that Nigerians may soon pay as much as ₦1,500 per litre for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, as global oil prices surge following the escalating conflict involving Iran in the Middle East.
The National President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Dr. Billy Gillis-Harry, issued the warning on Tuesday while speaking on a television programme on the impact of the global crisis on fuel prices.
According to him, the current volatility in the international oil market has already pushed petrol prices above ₦1,000 per litre at the depot level, with the ex-depot price from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery now standing at about ₦1,175 per litre.
He explained that once logistics, transportation, and other operational costs are added, the final pump price could rise significantly, possibly reaching ₦1,500 per litre in the near future.
Despite concerns about the rising cost of fuel, Gillis-Harry noted that steady availability of petroleum products from the Dangote Refinery remains a major relief for Nigeria, stressing that consistent supply is better than a nationwide fuel scarcity.
He added that the refinery’s production capacity is helping to stabilize supply across the country at a time when global markets remain highly unstable.
The latest price adjustment by the Dangote Refinery marks the fourth review within two weeks. Petrol prices increased from ₦995 per litre to ₦1,175 per litre, while diesel rose from ₦1,430 to about ₦1,620 per litre.
The development comes amid a sharp spike in international crude oil prices triggered by fears of supply disruptions due to the ongoing Middle East conflict.
Brent crude recently climbed above $102 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose to around $101 per barrel.
Industry analysts say the rising oil prices are already having a ripple effect on Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector, forcing depot operators and fuel marketers to adjust their prices in response to the global market trend.
Meanwhile, the management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery has stated that although Nigeria introduced a crude-for-naira arrangement to support local refineries, the facility still purchases crude oil at international market prices, leaving it exposed to global price fluctuations.
The United Nations has raised the alarm over a dramatic surge in attacks on schools worldwide, reporting a 166% increase between 2021 and 2024.
The rise highlights the escalating dangers faced by children in conflict zones.
United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada Al-Nashif, revealed the figures during the annual meeting of the UN Human Rights Council on the rights of the child on Monday.
The session, themed “Mainstreaming the Rights of Children in Armed Conflict: Prevention and Protection,” focused on protecting children amid global conflicts.
Al-Nashif noted that the attacks were particularly concentrated in Sudan, Ukraine, the Gaza Strip, Myanmar, and Ethiopia, where children remain among the most vulnerable victims.
“In 2024, armed conflict directly affected nearly one in six children globally—about 470 million children,” she said. “Years of lost education, trauma, and lasting mental scars shape societies for generations. Long after the fighting subsides, children continue to face deadly risks.”
She highlighted Gaza as having the world’s highest number of child amputees per capita, warning that the impact of war goes far beyond immediate violence.
In Lebanon, government figures show that more than 450,000 people were displaced in less than a week, with at least 394 fatalities, including 83 children, during the 2024 conflict with Israel.
Al-Nashif also stressed the disproportionate risks for displaced children, who are more likely to die from disease linked to unsafe water and sanitation than from direct violence.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a 2025 cholera outbreak killed 340 children, underscoring the long-term consequences of conflict.
She called on states to uphold their international obligations to protect children, insisting that protecting children is “both a legal obligation and a humanitarian moral imperative.”
Also speaking at the council, Vanessa Frazier, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, warned that violence against children continued at extreme levels in 2025.
She urged mainstreaming child protection across peace, security, humanitarian, human rights, and development efforts, emphasizing that children should actively participate in shaping policies designed to safeguard them.
Frazier highlighted her office’s global campaign, “Prove It Matters,” aimed at amplifying children’s voices in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.
The UN report underscores the urgent need for coordinated international action to protect children and ensure their safety in conflict zones worldwide.
Portugal officially inaugurated its new president, Antonio Jose Seguro, on Monday, pledging to bring stability to a nation shaken by political uncertainty and natural disasters.
Seguro, the centre-left candidate, won last month’s presidential run-off against far-right rival Andre Ventura, following weeks of catastrophic storms that killed at least seven people and caused approximately €4 billion ($4.6 billion) in damage.
Speaking at his swearing-in ceremony in Lisbon’s parliament, Seguro emphasized cooperation with the minority right-wing government and vowed to end the country’s “electoral frenzy.”
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“I will do everything I can to put an end to this electoral frenzy,” he said, pointing to the inability of previous governments to complete their terms.
Amid global crises, including conflicts in the Middle East and a more isolationist US approach under President Donald Trump, Seguro stressed the importance of multilateralism.
“The force of law has been replaced by the power of the strongest,” he remarked.
Seguro succeeds Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, a conservative who leaves office at 77 after serving two five-year terms.
While the Portuguese presidency is largely ceremonial, Seguro’s leadership signals a commitment to political stability and international engagement.
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