The Nigerian Armed Forces’ Operation Fansan Yamma reported that troops from the Joint Task Force North West successfully carried out a fighting patrol in response to a distress call from residents and vigilantes in Yar Galadima village, Maru Local Government Area, Zamfara State.
In a statement by Lieutenant Colonel Abubakar Abdullahi, Coordinator of the Joint Media Coordination Centre, the operation took place in the early hours of December 1, 2024. At approximately 5 a.m., troops from the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Hanutara received an alert about a terrorist attack on the village.
“The troops responded promptly to provide assistance and restore peace to the affected area. During the patrol, the troops encountered terrorists who laid ambush at 2 different locations on the approach to the village.”
“The ambush sites were cleared by the troops and some of the terrorists neutralised while others fled. Additionally, the Air Component Operation Fansan Yamma promptly dispatched aircraft to provide close air support to the troops as they continued their advance to the village while the fleeing terrorists were equally engaged by the aircraft leading to scores of terrorists being neutralised.”
He added that Operation Fansan Yamma remained committed to eliminating any terrorist threats in the North Western part of the country and Niger StateThe Director of Immunisation and Disease Control, Kebbi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Junaidu Haliru Gwandu said the state targets 595,000 children in the first phase of the malaria vaccination rollout exercise.
Dr. Walter Mulombo, WHO Representative in Nigeria, said, “We are confident that this vaccine, in combination with other preventive measures, will drastically reduce the burden of malaria in Nigeria and help us move closer to achieving the goal of a malaria-free Africa.”
The R21 malaria vaccine, developed by scientists at Oxford University and produced by the Serum Institute of India and Novavax, has received early endorsement from Nigeria, making it one of the first countries globally to approve its use. This vaccine is specifically designed to prevent malaria in children, not adults.
Malaria remains one of the deadliest diseases in Nigeria and across Africa, claiming the lives of hundreds of thousands of children under five annually. Nigeria bears approximately 27% of the global malaria burden and accounts for 31% of malaria-related deaths worldwide.