Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II who ruled for seven decades is dead, according to Buckingham Palace.

The Queen was last seen publicly when she received new British Prime Minister, Liz Truss.

Before the news of her death was broken, Royal Biographer, Christopher Wilson, had said the queen’s life is likely “coming to an end”.

“I’ve been speaking to people in Scotland and I think that we can take it that the queen’s life is coming to an end. I think what is remarkable about this sovereign is that she has clung to the throne and to her job until the very last moment,” Wilson told Al Jazeera.

“I think that we can see that her powers have been declining for the last year at the very least. And she has done a very good job in managing what she’s able to do and … what she wasn’t able to do. She’s gone on far longer than anybody would expect her to.

“She’s 96 years old and she has done all that she can possibly can to retain the strings of power, and the very idea that she was able to stand upright a couple of days ago and greet the new prime minister [shows] an iron will and determination to show that she is still sovereign until the moment she dies.”

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says the Federal Government has spent the sum of N21 billion on the mapping of the country into enumeration areas for the 2023 census.

Osinbajo disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja at a breakfast meeting with partners on the 2023 Population and Housing Census.

The theme of the breakfast meeting organised by the National Population Commission (NPC) in collaboration with UNFPA is “Supporting a Transformational Census Process in Nigeria.’’

Osinbajo was represented by Laolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President.

He said the federal government had so far approved the sum of N198 billion in the 2022 Appropriation Act and had released about 60 per cent of the funds for the exercise.

“By 2050, Nigeria is projected to have 400 million people; the government must continue to provide quality basic education, nutrition and healthcare for them; improve on security and create more job opportunities for our young people who currently make up more than half of our country’s population.

“Thus, the work of NPC and its partners is even more crucial at this point—adequate planning, data and structure are vital factors in creating sustainable growth and national development.

“The Federal Government had demonstrated tangible commitment to the conduct of the 2023 Population and Housing Census as evidenced in the provision of funds for the implementation of important preliminary activities.

“Specifically, the Federal Government has spent about N21 billion for the mapping of the country into enumeration areas for the census.

“The government, so far, has now approved the sum of N198 billion in the 2022 Appropriation Act, of which about 60 per cent has since been released,’’ he said.

More than 90,000 vulnerable male and female residents as well as community groups on Wednesday in Bama, received combine sum of about N400 million alongside thousands of bags of food and textiles as humanitarian support and social protection on the second day of the visit of Borno Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum.

Zulum arrived Bama on Monday as he approaches his third day of undertaking humanitarian and developmental activities.

According to a 2016 assessment report co-authored by the World Bank, the EU, United Nations and Nigerian Government, Bama is identified as the worst affected by Boko Haram’s destructions and displacement, hence Borno Government’s special attention on areas of reconstruction and humanitarian aid.

Governor Zulum flagged off the distribution in front of the Shehu of Bama’s palace amidst the gathering of thousands of beneficiaries.

More than 60,000 male residents each received two bags of rice and maize while 30,000 women each received a wrapper and N5,000 cash.

About 90,000 vulnerable residents made up of 60,000 men and 30,000 women were given bags of food, textiles and cash sum of N5,000 each.

Cash and food distributions took place at four locations. Three of these were in Bama town and one at Gurusoye, a village on the outskirt of the town.

Governor Zulum was directly involved in coordinating the aid distribution to ensure substantial reach and transparency.

The governor also met and approved cash and food support to numerous groups including those of volunteers, elders, different levels of traditional rulers who help in intelligence gathering.

Various sums of money were released to the groups depending on their numbers in order to enhance access to livelihoods as residents gradually return to farming and other businesses, which were hitherto hampered by violent activities of insurgents.

Governor of yobe state, Mai Mala Buni has approved the appointment of Abdulmumin Liman as Senior Special Assistant (SSA), which makes him the youngest SSA.

At 22 years, Liman was the president of Yobe State Students Union both home and diaspora.

Gov. Mai Mala Buni has recently approved the appointment of youths within Yobe state which makes him the governor with high numbers of youths in his cabinet.

During a phone call interview, Liman, when asked about his age and the task ahead of him, he said “I can deliver. I’ve done huge when i was the students president and i was 22 as of then.” Age is just a number he added.

Liman also added that, he became the first president of the union to have trained 500 secondary schools girls on entrepreneurship in other to be self reliant.

According to source, Liman secured 18 seater bus for the union during his year as the President of the Yobe State Students.

A large group of special police constabularies stormed the streets of Osogbo, Osun state capital today, Wednesday, protesting non-payment of their salaries for 18 months.

A video making rounds on the internet showed the protesters dressed in police uniform holding placards and flyers with inscriptions that read “pay us now”, “we are hungry”, and “we are dying”.

The protesters marched through Oke-fia down to Olaiya junction while chanting for their remuneration to be paid.

In the viral video, one protester was heard saying: “We are dying. We spent so much at the college. I have children but it’s 18 months now since I have not been paid. Four of us have been killed by armed robbers during attacks on banks in Ikire, Iragbiji, and others. We want our money.”

In November 2020, the Nigerian Police Force recruited over 25000 Special Constabulary Police, to assist in community policing. Police Affairs minister Mohammed Dingyadi said the constabularies are to supplement regular police officers who were being overwhelmed by rising insecurity across the country.

The protest by the constabularies in Osun comes weeks after their counterparts in Kwara staged similar demonstration.

Force Spokesman Muyiwa Adejobi had however then explained that members of the special constabulary scheme are mere volunteers and not regular police officers due for remuneration.