The Katsina Command of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has called for collective effort to address drug abuse in the state.

The NDLEA Commander in the state, Mr Muhammad Aminu-Abubakar, made the call on Thursday in Katsina during a sensitisation and advocacy for women and youth on drug abuse awareness and prevention.

Aminu-Abubakar expressed the need for the people of the state to contribute their quota in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse

The NDLEA commander explained that the fight against drug trafficking and abuse was a collective effort of stakeholders, noting that “all hands must be on deck to fight the menace”.

According to him, combating drug trafficking and abuse requires effort and critical role from families, communities, religion and traditional leaders.

He also called on the state government to continue to give the command the needed support in tackling drug trafficking and abuse.

Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has defended U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to relocate Palestinians from Gaza, brushing aside international criticism of the proposal.

Netanyahu called Trump’s plan, which would involve relocating hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, “the first good idea’’ he has heard, during an interview with Fox News late on Wednesday.

He framed the plan as a temporary relocation for the benefit of the residents, in spite of critics arguing that it could lead to the permanent displacement of around two million people.

Netanyahu backed the idea of allowing Gazans who want to leave to leave.

“I mean, what’s wrong with that? They can leave, and they can then come back, they can relocate and come back. But you have to rebuild Gaza.’’

Trump’s proposal offers the chance to “create a different future for everyone.’’

Following a meeting with Netanyahu at the White House on Tuesday, Trump left many observers stunned by saying the U.S. would take over the Gaza Strip.

That he supports that the Palestinians living in the territory should be relocated to other countries.

Trump added that Gaza could become the Riviera of the Middle East where anyone, including Palestinians, could live.

The devastating war in Gaza was triggered by the attacks led by the Palestinian militant organisation Hamas on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

In the attack, 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 abducted.

The coastal strip is in ruins and experiencing a humanitarian catastrophe.

More than 47,400 people have been killed, according to the Hamas-controlled health authority.

The number does not distinguish between civilians and fighters.

A delegation of Yobe Government officials led by Alhaji Baba Wali, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), is in Morocco to explore partnerships in fertilizer production and other critical sectors.

This is contained in a statement by Alhaji Mamman Mohammed, Gov. Mai Mala Buni’s Director-General, Press and Media Affairs in Damaturu on Thursday.

He said that the visit to the North African country was part of efforts by the state government to resuscitate its fertilizer blending plant in Gujba Local Government Area.

Mohammed said that the delegation had so far visited OCP/Jorf Lasfar fertilizer complex in Morocco, and was conducted round the facility by its spokesperson, Amine Jamaleddine,

“The OCP/Jorf Lasfar fertilizer complex is the biggest fertilizer company in the world with an all-year round production capacity of 15 million tons of fertilizer annually.

“The complex has about 20,000 staff with the company producing fertilizer supplying all parts of the World,” Jamaleddine said.

In his remarks, Wali expressed satisfaction with the commitment of the factory and its consultants to partner the state in resuscitating the fertilizer blending plant in Gujba.

“Gov. Buni administration has strong commitment to revive the factory to meet the fertilizer needs of farmers in the state, generate employment and export to improve revenue of the state,” the SSG said.

The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Alhaji Mustapha Goniri, said that the resuscitation of the fertilizer blending plant in Gujba would support the Buni-led administration’s agricultural revolution.

“Last year, the state government launched a massive agricultural empowerment programme with 100 tractors, solar pumps and irrigation facilities.”

“Other farm inputs were also doled out like fertilizer, improved seeds, herbicides and pesticides, among others, and distributed to farmers free.

“Again, last month, additional 40 tractors were procured by the state government to boost crop production to enhance food security and for exports to improve the revenue of the state,” he said.

Mohammed said that the consulting firm, the African Network Centre, had expressed optimism that the partnership would be beneficial to Yobe and the Moroccan firm.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Buni is expected to arrive Morocco on Thursday to sign more partnerships in Education, direct investments in local government areas, among others.

Other members of the delegation are Prof. Bello Kawuwa, Commissioner, Higher Education, Alhaji Ibrahim Jajere, Commissioner, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and Alhaji Bukar Adamu, Chairman, Damaturu Local government Council.