In a drive to enhance healthcare delivery in Kogi East, Senator Isah Jibrin (Echocho) has successfully completed the renovation of the Maternal and Child Health Care Centre in Dekina, Dekina Local Government Area.
His Special Adviser on Media Mikail Ibrahim in a statement indicated that the upgraded facility now features modern medical equipment and a solar-powered energy system, ensuring continuous service to mothers and children in the area.
Explaining further he said the newly refurbished facility is equipped with modern medical equipment and a solar-powered energy system, ensuring uninterrupted power supply for essential medical services.
Accirding to him, the project was initiated to address the pressing challenges of inadequate healthcare for mothers and children, with the ultimate goal of reducing maternal and child mortality rates in the region.
“This upgrade is expected to enhance the quality of healthcare available to residents in Dekina and neighboring communities.”
He quoted Senator Echocho to have highlighted his commitment to extending similar initiatives to other communities across the senatorial district, reaffirming his dedication to improving healthcare infrastructure and reducing maternal and child mortality.

“This renovation marks a step toward ensuring quality healthcare for all,” the Senator remarked, urging constituents to remain patient as more projects are underway.
“This is just the beginning,” Echocho said. “We are dedicated to enhancing healthcare services in every community, ensuring that no mother or child is left behind.”
The project aligned with Echocho’s broader efforts to drive development across Kogi East, complementing other initiatives in education, infrastructure, and community welfare.

By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja

Three middle-aged men have been arraigned before a Lokoja Chief Magistrate Court for allegedly impersonating Kogi State Internal Revenue Service staff and mounting road blocks on the Lokoja-Abuja highway for illegal revenue collection.

The trio of Abba Emmanuel, Umar Abubakar and Kingsley Dan’sebe were arraigned before Lokoja Chief Magistrate Court 1 on Wednesday charged with Criminal Conspiracy, Causing Obstruction of Public Highway and Extortion.

The suspects were alleged to have been arrested by the Vigilante Group of Lokoja Local Government area on Illegal Tax Activity.

The prosecuting Police Officer, Gabriel Otowu Esq. who is also the Officer-In-Charge, Legal matters (OC-Legal) at Kogi Police Command while reading the First Information Report (FIR).

Otowu told the court that on 13th November, the vigilante group of Lokoja LGA brought the suspects to the police having caught them impersonating the Kogi State Internal Revenue Services.

He said the suspects erected a roadblock on Lokoja-Abuja road for their illegal revenue collections operation adding that the offences ran contrary to various sections of the law.

The three accused persons however pleaded not guilty to the charges as they denied the allegations leveled against them.

Counsel to the defendants, Mu’azu Abbas urged the court to grant his clients to bail citing Section 36 (5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 As Amended.

Citing relevant sections of Kogi Criminal Justice Law, Abbas said the offences were triable by the Magistrate Court,

He said that the accused had been in Police custody since November 13, 2024 and urged the court to consider the bail application.

“The defendants will furnish the court with reasonable and reliable sureties to prove they will be available for trial. The court in the overall interest of justice should approve the defendant to bail.”

The Prosecuting Police Officer did not oppose the bail application but urged the court to thread with caution and to “Judicially and Judiciously” look into the case before considering the bail application.

The Chief Magistrate, Abdullahi Musa Mopa, after considering the counsel’s application for bail and the response of the prosecution, granted bail to the three defendants,

Chief Magistrate Mopa said, “Without much ado, that on the circumstances of this application, the interest of justice tilt towards the applicant.

“I hereby grant the defendants bail in the sum of N400,000 and a surety each in like sum. The surety must have a traceable address in Lokoja, and must not be less than a level 14 officer either at the Federal or State parastatal.

Mopa subsequently adjourned the case to December 11, 2024, for further mention. (Ends)

In a significant move to enhance healthcare accessibility, Kogi State Governor Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo has approved the state government’s takeover of the Ogidi Cottage Hospital.
The announcement was conveyed by the Permanent Secretary of the Kogi State Ministry of Health, Mrs. Enehe Dorcas Omeneke, who affirmed the directive for the Ministry to assume full management of the facility.
The government, in the letter expressed appreciation to the community for its contributions to health care delivery to its people and those from neighbouring communities.

It also urged the community to sustain its commitment to improving healthcare delivery to its people.
The construction of the hospital began with a donation of the sum of N5,000,000 million to the community by an illustrious son of Ijumu.
As the community began to face daunting challenges in completing the structure, it approached the Kogi State Community and Social Development Agency which asked the community to pay a counterpart fund to which the agency added funds to complete the facility which was then commissioned by the governor of the state, Captain Idris Wada.

All the ultra modern medical equipment in the hospital were shipped free of charge from the United Kingdom by a non-governmental organisation, Ripples, founded and headed by a daughter of Ogidi, Ms Anne Toba.

The organisation later provided a surgical theatre and matching equipment to enable the facility to handle surgeries.

The hospital was at some point closed down following a dearth of manpower and financial resources to keep it going.

The Ogidi Development Union (ODU) then set up the Ogidi Health Team to raise funds and renovate the hospital ahead of its re-opening.

At an online fundraising event which attracted Ogidi indigenes from Africa, Europe, the United States of America, Canada and Asia, about N11 million was raised with which the structure was renovated and critical paramedical staff hired in addition to part time doctors who visited twice a week.

In his response to the government take over, His Royal Majesty, the Ologidi of Ogidi, Oba Rabiu Oladimeji Sule expressed his and the community’s appreciation to Governor Ododo for this timely intervention in the health of the people of Ogidi.

On his part, the President of the Ogidi Development Union, Mr. Raphael Kayode Eniolorunda said the people of Ogidi were indebted to Governor Ododo for his demonstrable love for the community.