Gafar, who was the sole candidate for the position, secured the confidence of members after no other aspirant indicated interest in contesting the secretaryship, paving the way for his return for another term in office.

His re-election, according to members of the chapel, was a reflection of their confidence in his leadership qualities, commitment to the affairs of the chapel and contributions to the growth and unity of journalists within the fold.

Speaking after his emergence, Gafar expressed appreciation to members of the Federated Chapel for the confidence reposed in him, promising to justify their support through greater commitment, transparency and effective service.

He said his administration would continue to prioritise the welfare of members, unity among journalists and initiatives capable of strengthening the chapel and enhancing the professional development of its members.

Gafar further called for the continued cooperation and support of members, stressing that the task of building a stronger and more vibrant Federated Chapel required collective effort, mutual respect and commitment to the ideals of the NUJ.

Other Executives include Chairman, Orishabuyi Oluwafemi, Vice Chairman Idris Oderinde , Financial Secretary Osoba Olajide, Treasurer Yusuf Adeleke and auditor Fatai Sobande.

Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has commenced the payment of N3.897bn in gratuities to 1,038 local government workers and primary school teachers who retired in 2016.

Aiyedatiwa flagged off the payment on Thursday at the Cocoa Conference Hall of the Governor’s Office in Akure, the state capital.

‎The development was contained in a statement issued by the Director of Information, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Famakinwa Abooulwa, and made available to journalists on Friday.

The governor said the payment was not a favour or political gesture but an obligation to workers who had served the state.

He said the money would be paid directly into the beneficiaries’ bank accounts.

“The payment is intended to put smiles on the faces of our senior citizens who dedicated their most productive years to the development of Ondo State.

“Some senior citizens retired into penury while others died without enjoying the fruits of their labour; I want to assure their surviving families that their sacrifices would not be forgotten,” he said.

The governor said retirees who were not included in the latest batch should remain patient, adding that his administration was committed to clearing the gratuity backlog for both state and local government retirees.

‎“We stand by our unwavering commitment to ensuring that ‘gratuity backlog’ becomes a thing of the past. We are determined like never before to fulfil this promise to all our retirees both in the state and local government,” he stated.

Aiyedatiwa also said the administration’s health insurance initiative, the Ondo State Residents Health Insurance Scheme, known as ORANGHIS, was designed to provide healthcare for senior citizens at no cost.

He urged the retirees to use their gratuities wisely and avoid speculative or high-risk investments.

The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Amidu Takuro, said the payment of gratuities had progressed from retirees from 2010 through 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Takuro said clearing the backlog, which involved billions of naira, was not an easy task.

The Head of Service, Segun Odusanya, also commended the governor for prioritising the welfare of serving and retired public workers.

The Force, in a disclaimer issued on Friday, said the document was not issued or authorised by any of its organs, despite being packaged to bear the letterhead of the Nigeria Police Force and the name of the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu.

The forged statement, which had been making the rounds on WhatsApp and other platforms, was titled, “IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu Directs Commencement Of Training For 50,000 Newly Recruited Police Constables.”

It claimed that the IG had directed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Department of Training and Development to make arrangements for the training of the recruits in line with approved standards, with emphasis on discipline, professionalism, integrity, human rights and effective policing

The fake release further claimed that successful candidates should begin checking the official police recruitment portal from Monday, September 14, 2026, for information on their allocated training institutions and dates of resumption.

It also purportedly quoted the IG as expressing appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for his support in tackling insecurity and strengthening the country’s security architecture.

But debunking the document, the Force said, “The Nigeria Police Force disclaims the purported Press Release titled, ‘IGP OLATUNJI RILWAN DISU DIRECTS COMMENCEMENT OF TRAINING FOR 50,000 NEWLY RECRUITED POLICE CONSTABLES,’ currently in circulation and bearing the name and designation of the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, anipr.”

It stated further, “The document is false and was neither issued nor authorised by the Nigeria Police Force.”

The Force cautioned members of the public, especially candidates seeking to join its ranks, against falling for the document, insisting that only its verified channels should be trusted.

It said, “Members of the public, particularly Police recruitment candidates, are advised to disregard its contents and rely only on information published through the official Police recruitment portal and verified NPF communication channels.”

The Force also revealed that it had commenced a manhunt for those behind the fabrication and distribution of the false statement, warning that they would face legal consequences once apprehended.

It said, “The Force is currently on the trail of the persons responsible for generating and circulating the false document and will take appropriate legal action against those found culpable.”

The disclaimer comes amid a spate of fake recruitment-related statements attributed to security agencies, which have continued to mislead unsuspecting job seekers and members of the public.

Tension gripped parts of Sokoto metropolis on Friday after an Islamic cleric, Malam Musa Lukwa, was stabbed shortly after leading the Juma’at prayer at his mosque in the Mabera area of the city.

The attacker, reportedly a young man among the worshippers, allegedly stabbed the cleric twice in the neck before other worshippers overpowered and killed him.

The incident was reportedly linked to a previous sermon delivered by the cleric, which some Islamic scholars and their followers considered offensive to the parents of Prophet Muhammad.

The sermon had previously generated tension, with a man identified as Mai Barewa allegedly threatening the cleric and one of his senior students.

Mai Barewa was subsequently arrested and arraigned before a court, with the case still ongoing.

The cleric and his followers were also said to have submitted a written complaint to the Sokoto State Government four days before Friday’s attack, raising concerns over the threats against them.

Confirming the incident, the spokesman for the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, said the cleric was receiving treatment at the Specialist Hospital, Sokoto.

According to him, the suspected attacker was killed by the cleric’s followers after the incident.

Rufa’i said, “The cleric was stabbed and has been taken to the Specialist Hospital, Sokoto, where he is receiving treatment and responding to treatment.

“The suspect was killed by the cleric’s followers, and no arrest has been made in connection with the ensuing violence.”

He added that the police had taken measures to prevent the incident from escalating, while an investigation was ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the attack and identify those involved.

Meanwhile, the incident reportedly triggered protests by some youths in parts of the metropolis after news spread that the cleric had survived the attack.

The development heightened tension in areas including Sahara, Bello Way and Aliyu Jodi, forcing several shop owners to close their businesses for fear of possible attacks.

Residents were also seen leaving some commercial areas as security operatives moved into strategic locations to maintain law and order.

The police urged residents to remain calm and avoid taking the law into their own hands as investigation into the incident continues.

The Federal Government has begun moves to decriminalise attempted suicide following the approval by the Federal Executive Council of the position of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare on the matter.

According to Vanguard on Friday, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, disclosed this in Abuja during the 2026 World Suicide Prevention Day commemoration.

Salako, who was represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom, said the matter would now be forwarded to the National Assembly for the necessary legislative process.

He described the proposed reform as both a legal and public health measure, arguing that people experiencing mental health crises required care and support rather than punishment.

“A person experiencing a mental health crisis should be met with care, support and appropriate intervention, rather than punishment.

“Removing the fear of criminal sanctions can help reduce stigma, encourage help-seeking and create greater opportunities for timely intervention,” Salako said.

The minister, however, said decriminalisation alone would not be sufficient to prevent suicide, noting that the government would continue to strengthen mental health services and expand community-based support.

He said the government would also focus on early identification and intervention while promoting more open conversations about mental health.

Salako cited the National Mental Health Act 2021, National Mental Health Policy 2023 and National Suicide Prevention Strategic Framework 2023–2030 as key policy instruments guiding Nigeria’s response to suicide and mental health challenges.

He added that the National Task Force on the Decriminalisation of Attempted Suicide had consulted policymakers and other stakeholders as part of efforts to advance the reform.

Speaking on Nigeria’s mental health data, the National Coordinator, Mental Health Programme, Dr Tunde Ojo, acknowledged gaps in available statistics on suicide and attempted suicide.

Ojo said the ministry was using surveys and other data-gathering methods to produce more accurate and verifiable national statistics within the next year.

The National Coordinator, National Action for Suicide Prevention, Dr Ade Bash, also reaffirmed the ministry’s plans to integrate mental health services into primary healthcare and strengthen community-based interventions.

Stakeholders at the event welcomed the Federal Government’s decision and pledged continued support for the legislative process, as well as efforts to strengthen suicide prevention and mental healthcare in Nigeria.

The Federal Government has commenced the payment of N18bn in outstanding severance benefits to 2,700 former workers of the defunct Nigeria Airways, more than two decades after the national carrier was liquidated.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, disclosed this on Friday during a press briefing at the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja.

Oyedele said 2,100 former workers in batches one to seven had already been paid, while another 600 beneficiaries in batches eight and nine had been cleared for payment.

“Altogether, this represents N18bn in benefits for 2,700 former workers,” he said.

The minister said some of the affected workers had grown old while waiting for their benefits, while others had died, leaving their families to pursue the outstanding entitlements.

“For more than two decades, following the liquidation of Nigeria Airways, many former employees have waited for their outstanding severance benefits. Some have grown old waiting. Some have sadly passed away, leaving their families to pursue what was legitimately due to them,” Oyedele said.

He said the payment followed a directive by President Bola Tinubu to resolve the long-standing obligation.

According to him, although the settlement could not compensate for more than two decades of waiting, the government considered it necessary to resolve inherited obligations rather than allow them to linger.

“We recognise that no payment today can fully compensate for more than two decades of waiting, but it is important that government confronts these long-standing obligations rather than allowing them to remain unresolved for another generation,” he added.

Oyedele said the exercise formed part of the government’s broader efforts to clear verified inherited obligations, including outstanding payments to pensioners and indigenous contractors.

He explained that the payment to the former airline workers followed extensive verification, including biometric capture and validation of personal and banking information, to prevent fraudulent claims.

The minister said the government would undertake further verification to address cases involving outdated information, incorrect bank details and deceased beneficiaries whose next of kin or estates were required to complete the relevant processes.

Responding to questions on whether the payments had been adjusted for inflation after more than 20 years, Oyedele said the government was settling the obligations based on the amounts documented and verified.

He acknowledged that inflation had substantially reduced the value of money over the period but said there was no provision for inflation adjustments in the settlement.

The minister further said payments were being made in batches because the government did not want verified beneficiaries to continue waiting while outstanding claims were being validated.

He said the benefits covered different categories of former Nigeria Airways employees, without distinction between junior and senior workers.

For beneficiaries who died before receiving their entitlements, Oyedele said payments would be made to their documented next of kin or other beneficiaries after the required legal processes had been completed.

Oyedele also disclosed that the Federal Government had paid outstanding obligations to more than 12,000 indigenous contractors as part of efforts to clear accumulated debts.

He said the government initially prioritised smaller contractors owed N50m or less before extending payments to those with verified claims of up to N100m.

According to him, larger claims running into billions of naira could be addressed separately through negotiations and instruments such as promissory notes.

The minister said the approach was intended to prioritise small businesses that required the payments to meet salaries and other immediate obligations.

He warned contractors against paying commissions or inducements to government officials to facilitate payment of verified claims, describing such demands as illegal.

Oyedele added that the government was seeking to prevent another accumulation of unpaid obligations by making the budget more realistic and ensuring that capital expenditure commitments were backed by identifiable funding sources.

He said, “We will do our best to ensure that the accumulated obligations of the past do not repeat themselves.”

The minister apologised to the former Nigeria Airways workers for the prolonged delay, stressing that the payments were entitlements rather than favours from the government.

Monday was arrested in Meiran on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, for allegedly dumping refuse in the drain during rainfall.

The Lagos Waste Management Authority disclosed this in a Thursday statement, saying she was subsequently arraigned before the Magistrate Court sitting at Bolade, Oshodi, where she pleaded guilty to the offence.

The statement read, “Nelly Monday, 53, who was arrested in Meiran on Wednesday, 9 September 2026 for dumping in the drains during the rain has been convicted of the offence.

She was arraigned before the Magistrate Court sitting at Bolade, Oshodi, where she pleaded guilty to the offence and was sentenced to one month in prison.”

LAWMA warned residents against indiscriminate waste disposal, particularly the dumping of refuse in drainage channels and other unauthorised locations.

The authority described such acts as environmental offences that attract sanctions under the law.

It said, “The Authority will continue to work with relevant enforcement agencies to identify and sanction environmental offenders across Lagos.

“Residents are urged to dispose of their waste responsibly and through approved channels.”

The development comes amid renewed efforts by the Lagos State Government and environmental authorities to curb indiscriminate waste disposal, particularly practices that obstruct drainage channels and contribute to flooding.

LAWMA urged residents to comply with approved waste disposal procedures and avoid dumping refuse in drains and other unauthorised locations.

The man’s comments came after an 18-year-old radical Islamist of Chechen origin in 2020 beheaded history and geography teacher Samuel Paty, after he showed his class caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed.

The defendant confronted his son’s teacher in the school car park in the southwestern town of Le Fauga last week, after the nine-year-old was moved to another class because of his behaviour.

The father threatened to decapitate the 58-year-old teacher and also entered the school, where he made threats in front of the headteacher.

A lawyer for the defendant during a hearing on Thursday in the city of Toulouse acknowledged the “serious nature” of the offences, but had called on the court to judge his French client as a father, without “taking his Muslim religious beliefs into account”.

The court sentenced the defendant to six months in prison, without parole, to be served immediately.

The sentence was harsher than that sought by the public prosecutor, who had requested six months under electronic monitoring.

Presiding judge Fabrice Rives said the father’s threats were “extremely disturbing”, and could “only refer to a current event that has, unfortunately, remained in the minds of all French people”.

The father will also need to complete a citizenship course within six months of his release, as well as adhere to a three-year ban on contacting the teacher or entering the school premises.

During the hearing, the father apologised, saying he had not “realised the seriousness” of his remarks.

He described himself as “very, very protective of his children” and “not a violent person by nature”.

The teacher’s lawyer Jocelyn Momasso-Momasso said his “traumatised” client was currently on sick leave and unsure if she would return to the classroom.

“She told me: ‘I didn’t sign up for this’.”

AFP

The Federal Government has clarified that King’s College, Lagos, has not been sold or privatised, stressing that the institution remains publicly owned with legal title retained by the government.

The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, made this known in a statement issued on Friday by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Folasade Boriowo.

Alausa was clarifying the Public-Private Partnership concession involving the King’s College Old Boys’ Association, following concerns over the ownership and management of the 117-year-old institution.

The minister explained that under the concession agreement, KCOBA would be responsible for financing, rehabilitating, modernising, operating and maintaining the school, while the Federal Government would retain legal title and its statutory, regulatory, monitoring, inspection and enforcement powers.

Let me assure Nigerians, particularly the King’s College community, that this concession is not a sale of King’s College. Government has retained legal title to the institution and will continue to exercise its oversight responsibilities.

“The purpose of the arrangement is to mobilise the investment and management capacity required to strengthen this important national institution,” the minister said.

Alausa said the concession was developed under the established PPP framework and subjected to technical, economic, financial, legal, environmental and social assessments, value-for-money analysis, fiscal-impact assessment, risk allocation and commercial structuring before securing the necessary regulatory and Federal Executive Council approvals.

He stressed that the agreement expressly protected the public character and national identity of King’s College and did not transfer ownership or create a proprietary interest in favour of KCOBA.

According to the minister, admissions would continue to comply with applicable Unity Colleges policies and the principles of merit, transparency, fairness and national representation, including equitable representation from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, subject to applicable merit requirements.

He added that JSS1 admission would continue through a rigorous testing and assessment process, with the National Common Entrance Examination central to the prescribed entry framework.

The minister also clarified that the agreement did not prescribe an automatic increase in school fees, while noting that it did not establish a permanent fee freeze.

Alausa said the concession was principally designed to address the significant infrastructure and operational requirements of the 117-year-old institution and secure its long-term sustainability.

Under the agreement, KCOBA is responsible for financing and implementing major rehabilitation and new development covering academic and administrative buildings, hostels, staff quarters, laboratories, libraries, dining facilities, health facilities, utilities, sports and recreational facilities, landscaping, drainage and environmental works.

The programme also provides for new classrooms, laboratories, hostels and specified sports facilities, as well as improved learning resources and digital tools.

King’s College is an institution with a remarkable history, but preserving that history requires us to invest in its future. The concession provides a framework for sustained infrastructure renewal, improved learning facilities and stronger operational capacity,” the minister said.

On concerns regarding teachers and other staff, Alausa said the agreement contained a formal Staff Transition and Protection Framework designed to facilitate an orderly transition while protecting staff welfare and ensuring continuity of teaching, boarding, security and other essential school services.

He explained that existing employment obligations, liabilities, arrears, pensions, gratuities and other staff-related entitlements arising before the transition remained the responsibility of the grantor unless expressly assumed by KCOBA.

Following the transition, KCOBA would assume responsibility for relevant operating expenditure, including salaries, benefits and allowances for personnel engaged under the project, in accordance with applicable contracts and law.

The minister emphasised that the concession did not diminish government oversight.

The agreement provides for measurable Key Performance Indicators, infrastructure and asset-condition standards, academic and student-development measures, reporting requirements, audits, inspections and independent verification.

The government retains corrective and step-in powers in cases of persistent underperformance or serious contractual default.

KCOBA is also restricted from selling, transferring or otherwise disposing of concession assets without the required approvals, while asset stripping and deterioration beyond agreed standards are prohibited.

Alausa further explained that the agreement did not provide for a conventional monetary concession fee.

Instead, KCOBA’s obligations include capital investment, operational funding, infrastructure modernisation, institutional strengthening and measurable performance.

He said the Federal Government welcomed legitimate scrutiny and urged stakeholders to judge the arrangement by its implementation, transparency and measurable results, particularly improvements in infrastructure, academic performance, admissions, staff welfare, student safety and wellbeing, proper utilisation of project funds and compliance with agreed KPIs.

“Our responsibility is to protect the integrity and public purpose of King’s College while ensuring that the institution receives the investment, infrastructure and management capacity required to meet the needs of present and future generations. We will continue to monitor implementation and hold all parties to their contractual obligations,” the minister assured.

The minister called on the King’s College community and the Nigerian public to engage with the substance of the concession agreement and assess the arrangement based on its safeguards, investment obligations, implementation and results.

“King’s College is a national heritage institution. The objective is not merely to preserve its past, but to build an institution worthy of its history, strengthened for the present and equipped for the future,” the statement said.

The government said the decision followed the implementation of precautionary and public health measures to contain reported cases of suspected diphtheria infection in some parts of the state.

Last Saturday, the government had ordered the immediate temporary closure of all public and private primary and secondary schools across the state.

According to Ramnap, the closure takes effect from Monday(tomorrow) and will remain in force “until further notice.”

In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Joyce Ramnap, on Friday, the government said the decision was “in line with the administration’s commitment to safeguarding the health and wellbeing of pupils, students, teachers and other members of the school community while ensuring continuity in the education sector.”

The statement said, “Following the implementation of precautionary and public health measures to contain the reported cases of suspected Diphtheria infection in some parts of the State, the Plateau State Government has directed the resumption of academic activities in all public and private primary and secondary schools across the state with effect from Monday, September 14, 2026.”

It added, “The decision is taken in line with the administration’s commitment to safeguarding the health and wellbeing of pupils, students, teachers and other members of the school community while ensuring continuity in the education sector.”

According to the government, the measures were intended to strengthen health surveillance and response mechanisms.

It said, “The temporary closure of schools, which took effect on September 7, 2026, was a preventive measure designed to provide health authorities with the opportunity to assess the situation and strengthen surveillance and response mechanisms in affected and potentially affected communities.”

The government assured parents, guardians, school proprietors and administrators that measures were being put in place ahead of the resumption.

Government assures parents, guardians, school proprietors and administrators that appropriate health measures are being put in place to combat the disease and minimise the risk of transmission as schools reopen,” the statement said.

It directed school authorities to maintain basic precautions and hygienic environments.

“All school authorities are expected to have basic precautionary measures, maintain a clean and hygienic learning environment, while teachers and school management are encouraged to remain vigilant for symptoms or signs suggestive of Diphtheria and promptly alert the appropriate health authorities,” the statement said.

The government also urged parents and guardians to maintain personal hygiene and take prompt action where symptoms occur.

Parents and guardians are equally urged to take personal hygiene seriously, including regular handwashing, maintaining clean surroundings, avoiding unnecessary close contact with persons showing suspicious symptoms, and seeking medical attention promptly whenever a child or any member of the household develops concerning symptoms,” it said.

The statement further advised that suspected cases should be taken to health facilities for assessment and treatment.

“Any suspected or identified case should be taken immediately to the nearest health centre or appropriate health facility for proper assessment and management,” the government said.

It added, “Members of the public are advised against self-medication or concealing suspected cases, as early detection and appropriate treatment remain critical to preventing further spread.”

The government urged all stakeholders in the education sector to comply with the health advisories as schools resume.

“Parents, guardians, school proprietors, teachers and students are therefore urged to support the government’s efforts by adhering to all health advisories and ensuring that the resumption of academic activities is accompanied by responsible health practices,” the statement said.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has sought a strategic partnership with the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Lagos on the deployment of advanced technology for traffic management and control in the state.

The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, led top management officials of the agency on a high-level working visit to the Chinese Consulate, where they explored areas of collaboration on traffic management, technological innovation and urban mobility.

The delegation was received by the Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Lagos, Yan Yuqing.

Speaking during the visit, Bakare-Oki underscored the need to harness advanced technology, international best practices and institutional knowledge to improve traffic management operations across Lagos.

He said, “Lagos’ burgeoning vehicular population, expanding commercial activities and escalating mobility demands necessitate a sophisticated, technology-driven traffic management architecture capable of addressing congestion, incident management, enforcement, surveillance and road-user engagement with greater efficacy.”

All these wer detailed in a statement signed by the agency’s Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, Taofiq Adebayo, on Friday.

According to the LASTMA general manager, the agency was committed to strengthening its operations through the adoption of Intelligent Transportation Systems, real-time traffic monitoring, smart surveillance, artificial intelligence, data-driven enforcement and automated incident detection.

LASTMA remains resolute in continually recalibrating its operational framework through the adoption of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), real-time traffic monitoring, smart surveillance, artificial intelligence, data-driven enforcement, automated incident detection and other contemporary traffic control technologies,” he said.

Bakare-Oki said the proposed partnership could provide LASTMA with access to international expertise, technological knowledge and innovative solutions that could be adapted to Lagos’ transportation system.

He also stressed the importance of professional development and knowledge transfer alongside technological advancement.

He said technological advancement “must be complemented by sustained professional development, specialised training and knowledge transfer to ensure that personnel possess the requisite competencies to effectively deploy and manage sophisticated traffic technologies.”

Responding, Yan welcomed the visit and acknowledged the importance of strengthening institutional and professional exchanges between relevant authorities in Lagos and their counterparts and stakeholders in China, particularly in transportation, urban mobility and technological innovation.

The discussions covered intelligent transportation systems, traffic data management, road safety, technological capacity building, operational efficiency and innovative solutions to urban mobility challenges.

Bakare-Oki reiterated LASTMA’s commitment to building relationships with local and international institutions with expertise and technological capabilities that could contribute to safer roads, improved traffic flow, efficient incident response and a more orderly transportation environment.

The working visit, according to LASTMA, was aimed at broadening the agency’s international partnerships and accelerating the development of a technology-enabled and data-informed traffic management system in Lagos.

Other senior LASTMA officials at the meeting were Akeem Adeosun, Jimmy Awoyemi, Jubril Oshodi, Folake Ayeni, Afe Babalola, Akinpelu Ayuba, Mohammed Giwa and Adebayo Taofiq.

The State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Seiyefa Brisibe, disclosed this on Friday while speaking on the government’s efforts to improve healthcare delivery at the grassroots during a training organised by the Health Emergency Initiative, under the sponsorship of FIRST E&P, tagged First Respondent Training and Medical Intervention Programme.

Brisibe said, “We are deploying 19 doctors, 210 nurses and midwives, 185 pharmacy technicians and about 50 laboratory medical technicians to strengthen the clinical component of our primary healthcare centres.”

He said the deployment was aimed at strengthening the clinical component of primary healthcare centres, which, according to him, were often largely run by community health extension workers and environmental health officers.

He explained that while the roles of the workers were important, there was a need to strengthen clinical services at primary healthcare centres where residents, particularly those in rural communities, first sought medical attention.

He said, “If you look at the scope, community health workers and environmental health workers will do about public health. So in our primary healthcare centres, where my mother, who stays in the village is going to access first, the clinical component is not strong enough.”

The commissioner said the deployment of doctors, nurses and midwives would make primary healthcare centres more attractive to residents and encourage women to seek professional care during childbirth.

According to him, regular visits by medical doctors to rural facilities would also increase patronage and ensure that patients received appropriate care or referrals when necessary.

He said, “If in a society or a community where there are no doctors and they hear that once in 10 days a medical doctor comes to consult in a place where there is a nurse or a midwife, definitely that day people will come.”

Brisibe said the doctors would be deployed across the state’s 18 local government areas and would cover the 24 constituencies.

He explained that areas with difficult terrain and more constituencies would receive more doctors, citing Southern Ijaw, Brass and Ekeremor, which would each have three doctors, while other areas would receive two each.

He said the state would also deploy 210 nurses and midwives, 185 pharmacy technicians and about 50 laboratory medical technicians, while a smaller number of environmental health officers would also be engaged.

Brisibe said the deployment was expected to improve healthcare outcomes by ensuring that residents had access to qualified medical personnel closer to their communities.

He said, “The whole thing is to strengthen the clinical component of our primary healthcare so that we can still meet demand. And I believe that that is going to give us the desired outcomes.”

The commissioner said the recruitment and deployment process had reached the final stage, with the government having completed the necessary capturing of personnel.

He added that the workers were expected to commence their assignments within the month.

Brisibe said the government would continue to ensure that every health intervention had a clear objective capable of improving healthcare outcomes for Bayelsans.

He said, “For anything we do, we try to see that there must be a reason for doing it so that our health outcomes are going to improve.”

Also speaking at the event, the Executive Director, Corporate Services, FIRST E&P, Emmanuel Etomi, said the initiative was important because timely intervention during emergencies could determine whether a victim survived.

Etomi said, “During a medical emergency, road traffic accident, cardiac arrest, or other life-threatening incident, the difference between life and death can be measured in minutes.”

He said there was a need to equip young people with the knowledge of what to do during emergencies, particularly before professional medical help could be accessed.

According to him, the training would enable the students to respond appropriately when faced with emergencies at school, at home, on the road or within their communities.

He said, “A real challenge exists in ensuring that people within our communities know what to do before professional help arrives.”

Etomi explained that the Health Emergency Initiative was helping to bridge the gap by making timely emergency assistance available and promoting affordable immediate care across the country.

He disclosed that HEI had previously benefited from the 2025 Impact FIRST Grant Programme, a flagship initiative of the NNPC Limited/FIRST E&P Joint Venture.

He said the organisation had utilised the grant to expand its provision of lifesaving medical assistance and emergency-response training.

Etomi further disclosed that HEI was among the five inaugural beneficiaries of Impact FIRST: Heritage, a multi-year funding programme launched by the NNPC Limited/FIRST E&P Joint Venture to provide long-term support to organisations with strong governance, measurable impact and sustainable results.

He said the selection of HEI reflected the confidence of FIRST E&P in the organisation’s leadership and capacity to deliver meaningful impact.

“This marks a transition from grant-making to long-term partnership. It reflects our confidence in HEI’s leadership, delivery model and ability to create meaningful, measurable impact,” he said.

The FIRST E&P executive director said healthcare could not be left entirely to medical professionals, stressing the importance of creating a wider network of people capable of recognising emergencies and taking appropriate first-aid measures.

He described the training of the students as an investment in community resilience, saying the knowledge acquired could help them respond when a fellow student, family member or community resident was in distress.

“The knowledge gained today can turn helplessness into informed action and may make the difference between life and death,” Etomi said.

He urged the students to share the knowledge gained with their colleagues, families and communities, noting that their skills could help ensure that vulnerable people received timely assistance during emergencies.

Etomi commended HEI for bringing the medical outreach and training programme to Bayelsa State and expressed optimism that the partnership under Impact FIRST: Heritage would help deepen and expand its impact.

He also thanked the Bayelsa State Government, health professionals, community stakeholders, volunteers and the HEI team for supporting the programme.

Speaking earlier, the Executive Director and founder of HEI, Paschal Achunine, said the initiative was aimed at changing the attitude of bystanders from recording emergencies on social media to taking proactive steps to save lives.

Achunine said the programme had been implemented in several states, with participants subsequently sharing the knowledge acquired with others in their schools and communities.

“Our expectation is that as opposed to the current practice, where people take pictures and videos and put on social media when an emergency happens, we’ll see more proactive response, a robust response from young people,” he said.

The HEI founder said the participants were trained in basic first aid, CPR and other pre-hospital skills, adding that the intervention could improve the survival chances of accident victims and people suffering cardiovascular emergencies.

He said, “We’ve seen a lot of high-profile people, young persons, adults, who slumped, and some were in their office, some were on the road, and people around were pouring water, doing nothing positive to save them or to offer them CPR. So this is to change that story.”

Achunine noted that road traffic crashes were responsible for a significant number of deaths among young people, stressing that equipping students with emergency-response skills could help reduce preventable deaths.

He also disclosed that more than 30 per cent of deaths in Nigeria occurred during the pre-hospital stage, describing the initiative as a proactive effort to address the challenge.

According to him, HEI has operated a post-crash care programme since 2017 through partnerships with organisations including the Federal Road Safety Corps and hospitals, providing up to N100,000 in deposit support for critically injured crash victims taken to hospitals.

He said the first responders’ training was designed to complement the intervention by ensuring that appropriate lifesaving action was taken before victims reached hospitals.

“This is a further sweetener to ensure that not only when people are critical, but at the early phase of that pre-hospital emergency, more lives can be saved,” Achunine said.

He disclosed that HEI had also partnered with the Nigeria Educational Research and Development Council to integrate emergency health education into the school curriculum.

Achunine said approval had been obtained from the relevant authorities to introduce the programme into composite subjects in primary and secondary schools.

“In the coming months, in the new academic year, we’ll start seeing emergency health education, which is a more robust version of this training conducted in parts and conducted with practical applications in secondary and primary schools,” he said.

Nigeria needs stronger institutional governance and better management practices to overcome mismanagement and corruption that have hindered its development, the Nigerian Institute of Management said.

The institute’s President and Chairman of Council, Abimbola Ayuba, made the comment on Friday in Lagos as the chartered professional body announced its 2026 Annual National Management Conference, which will mark the culmination of activities for its 65th anniversary.

“The Institute will continue its efforts to improve management practices both at the micro corporate level as well as at the macro governmental level,” Ayuba said at a press conference.

“We will neither relent in our quest to bequeath a well-trained and productive workforce to the nation nor will we be tired until mismanagement, maladministration, corruption and other social vices which have hampered Nigeria’s development are exceptions rather than the rule in our country, the executive stated.

The three-day conference, scheduled on Sunday at Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos, is themed “Sixty-Five Years of Management Excellence: Strengthening Institutional Governance in Nigeria.” It will bring together government officials, policymakers, business executives and professional managers.

NIM’s call comes as Nigeria seeks to raise productivity and attract investment while businesses and government institutions contend with infrastructure constraints, regulatory pressures and rising operating costs. Weak institutional capacity can add to those challenges by slowing decision-making, increasing inefficiencies and undermining accountability.

The institute noted that its annual conference is designed to examine major management issues affecting the country and develop recommendations that can be presented to policymakers and other stakeholders.

NIM was established in 1961 by management professionals to address perceived gaps in the management of Nigeria’s public and private sectors. It obtained charter status under Act 14 of 2003, giving it a statutory role in regulating and controlling the management profession in the country.

The institute has grown over six decades as Nigeria’s management profession has expanded alongside the economy. Ayuba disclosed that about 200,000 individuals and 400 corporate organisations have passed through NIM’s membership process.

He declared that the institute’s members are represented across public and private organisations and have contributed to management and leadership in different parts of the economy.

The 65th anniversary conference will also serve as the culmination of activities marking the institute’s sapphire jubilee, which began in March with the unveiling of its anniversary logo.

Former Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Dr Dakuku Peterside, will be the main theme speaker, while the Alara of Ilara Kingdom and Pro-Chancellor of Lagos State University, Oba Olufolarin Ogunsanwo, will deliver the keynote address.

Other speakers include Chairman of Justrite Superstores, Dr Ayodele Aderinwale; former Rector of Katsina State Institute of Technology and Management, Dr Babangida Albaba; and Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Sonny Echono.

Executive Director of Oando Plc, Ayotola Jagun; Principal Procurement Officer at Ahmadu Bello University, Mercy Onuh; and Managing Director of ARM Investment Managers, Kai Orga, are scheduled to participate as panellists.

Ayuba said NIM would continue to focus on developing a skilled and productive workforce while promoting better management practices at both corporate and government levels.

The institute also paid tribute to its founding members and former presidents, director-generals and registrars, whom Ayuba credited with building the organisation over the past 65 years.

The chairman said NIM would continue to work with stakeholders, including the media, to promote management practices that can contribute to a better-functioning Nigerian economy.

“The Institute will continue its efforts to improve management practices both at the micro corporate level as well as at the macro governmental level,” Ayuba said at a press conference.

“We will neither relent in our quest to bequeath a well-trained and productive workforce to the nation nor will we be tired until mismanagement, maladministration, corruption and other social vices which have hampered Nigeria’s development are exceptions rather than the rule in our country, the executive stated.

The three-day conference, scheduled on Sunday at Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos, is themed “Sixty-Five Years of Management Excellence: Strengthening Institutional Governance in Nigeria.” It will bring together government officials, policymakers, business executives and professional managers.

NIM’s call comes as Nigeria seeks to raise productivity and attract investment while businesses and government institutions contend with infrastructure constraints, regulatory pressures and rising operating costs. Weak institutional capacity can add to those challenges by slowing decision-making, increasing inefficiencies and undermining accountability.

The institute noted that its annual conference is designed to examine major management issues affecting the country and develop recommendations that can be presented to policymakers and other stakeholders.

NIM was established in 1961 by management professionals to address perceived gaps in the management of Nigeria’s public and private sectors. It obtained charter status under Act 14 of 2003, giving it a statutory role in regulating and controlling the management profession in the country.

The institute has grown over six decades as Nigeria’s management profession has expanded alongside the economy. Ayuba disclosed that about 200,000 individuals and 400 corporate organisations have passed through NIM’s membership process.

He declared that the institute’s members are represented across public and private organisations and have contributed to management and leadership in different parts of the economy.

The 65th anniversary conference will also serve as the culmination of activities marking the institute’s sapphire jubilee, which began in March with the unveiling of its anniversary logo.

Former Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Dr Dakuku Peterside, will be the main theme speaker, while the Alara of Ilara Kingdom and Pro-Chancellor of Lagos State University, Oba Olufolarin Ogunsanwo, will deliver the keynote address.

Other speakers include Chairman of Justrite Superstores, Dr Ayodele Aderinwale; former Rector of Katsina State Institute of Technology and Management, Dr Babangida Albaba; and Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Sonny Echono.

Executive Director of Oando Plc, Ayotola Jagun; Principal Procurement Officer at Ahmadu Bello University, Mercy Onuh; and Managing Director of ARM Investment Managers, Kai Orga, are scheduled to participate as panellists.

Ayuba said NIM would continue to focus on developing a skilled and productive workforce while promoting better management practices at both corporate and government levels.

The institute also paid tribute to its founding members and former presidents, director-generals and registrars, whom Ayuba credited with building the organisation over the past 65 years.

The chairman said NIM would continue to work with stakeholders, including the media, to promote management practices that can contribute to a better-functioning Nigerian economy.

The Ogun State Government has released N6.75bn for the payment of gratuity and Additional Pension Benefits to retirees in the state.

The Head of Service, Olanrewaju Saka, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, saying the release was part of the government’s efforts to address outstanding pension obligations and improve the welfare of retired workers.

Saka said N2.751bn was released to pay gratuity to 432 beneficiaries, while another N4bn was released for the payment of Additional Pension Benefits to eligible retirees from July 2025 to date.

He said the government remained committed to ensuring that workers who served the state meritoriously received their retirement benefits despite competing demands on the state’s resources.

Explaining the Additional Pension Benefit, Saka said it was introduced to cushion the difference between the pension benefits retirees would have received under the old Defined Benefit Scheme and what they are entitled to under the Contributory Pension Scheme.

He said, “The Additional Pension Benefit was introduced to cushion the difference between the pension benefits retirees would have received under the old Defined Benefit Scheme and what they are entitled to under the Contributory Pension Scheme.”

Saka explained that workers under the CPS have retirement savings in their Retirement Savings Accounts, but some retirees could receive lower benefits than they would have been entitled to under the former scheme.

He said the APB was therefore designed to provide an additional payment from the state government to eligible retirees to bridge part of the gap.

According to him, the benefit was separate from funds in retirees’ Retirement Savings Accounts and did not reduce the savings accumulated in those accounts.

Saka said, “The APB is separate from the funds in retirees’ Retirement Savings Accounts and does not reduce the savings accumulated in those accounts.”

The Head of Service said the latest release demonstrated the administration’s commitment to providing greater financial security and dignity for retirees.

He added that the government would continue to address outstanding pension and gratuity obligations in a systematic and sustainable manner.

Saka assured retirees that the government would maintain transparency and engagement in the administration of retirement benefits.

He also urged serving public officers to ensure that their pension records and documentation were accurate and up to date.

Saka reaffirmed the commitment of the Dapo Abiodun administration to building a pension system that would enable public servants to approach retirement with greater confidence and security.

The OK Movement, a political platform mobilising support for the joint ticket of Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate Peter Obi and his running mate, Dr Rabiu Kwankwaso, has explained why its security personnel did not retaliate when Obi’s convoy was allegedly blocked during his visit to Benue State.

The Director-General and founder of the movement, John Ughulu, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday.

The movement, which brings together supporters drawn from the Obidient movement, Kwankwasiyya, the New Nigeria People’s Party and the African Democratic Congress, condemned the disruption of Obi’s visit and called for an impartial investigation into the incident.

Ughulu said its members deliberately exercised restraint to prevent the incident from escalating into a confrontation, stressing that the decision was based on its commitment to peace and responsible political participation.

He said, “We want to make one point absolutely clear concerning the conduct of the OK Movement Security Team. The fact that our security personnel exercised restraint in the face of provocation should never be interpreted as weakness, fear or lack of capacity.

“Our decision to restrain our people was a deliberate act of leadership and responsibility. We chose peace because we understand that Nigeria belongs to all of us, and we will not allow political provocation to push our supporters into unnecessary confrontation.

“Restraint is not weakness. Restraint is discipline.”

The DG stressed that Obi, as a presidential candidate, had the constitutional right to visit any part of the country for political engagements.

“Let it be clearly understood: Peter Obi, like every other presidential aspirant and political leader, has a legal and constitutional right to visit and campaign in every part of Nigeria.

“No state government, political party or individual has the authority to intimidate, harass or obstruct a legitimate political movement through violence or thuggery,” he stressed.

Ughulu, however, warned that it would take lawful measures to protect its members if what it described as provocation continued.

He said, “However, we will not tolerate a situation where such restraint is repeatedly tested or exploited. The OK Movement has the capacity and organisational structures necessary to protect its members and maintain order within the limits of the law.

“We will continue to act responsibly, but we will also take every lawful and necessary countermeasure available to us whenever the safety of our leaders and members is threatened.

“We therefore issue a clear warning against any further attempt to use political thuggery, intimidation or state-sponsored violence to frustrate the legitimate activities of the OK Movement or any other political movement. This is not the Nigeria we want to build.”

Ughulu urged security agencies to investigate the incident and prosecute anyone found culpable.

He also warned against the use of political thuggery and intimidation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“We call on the security agencies to conduct a thorough, impartial and transparent investigation into the Benue incident and ensure that anyone found responsible is held accountable under the law, regardless of political affiliation or position.

“Democracy cannot survive where political opponents are attacked simply because they choose to visit or campaign in a particular state. Elections should be won through ideas, competence, persuasion and the votes of the people, not through intimidation, violence or political thuggery,” he said.

“We equally call on the international community, diplomatic missions, election observers and democracy monitoring organisations to take note of incidents of political violence and intimidation in Nigeria as we approach the 2027 general elections.’

Ughulu’s concerns came two days after Obi and the Benue State Government traded blame over the disruption of his planned visit to Yelwata, where the former Anambra State governor said he intended to condole with families of victims of a deadly attack on the community.

Obi’s convoy was reportedly stopped on Gboko Road, near the Nigerian Air Force Base and Makurdi Airport, after youths barricaded the road and chanted, “We don’t want Peter Obi.”

The development disrupted traffic in the area and eventually forced Obi’s convoy to return to the airport, from where he travelled back to Abuja.
Obi accused suspected hired thugs, allegedly acting on the instructions of a government aide, of blocking his movement.

The Benue State Government, however, denied involvement, saying Obi did not follow the required protocol by formally notifying the government of his visit. The government also accused the presidential candidate of attempting to create a political controversy from the incident.

The conflicting claims came as the Benue State Police Command confirmed that it was aware of Obi’s visit and had deployed personnel to provide security for his movement.

The police said it was investigating the circumstances surrounding the stoppage of Obi’s convoy and the identity of those responsible.

The OK Movement leader, however, said despite the confrontation, it remained committed to peaceful democratic participation.

He said, “We remain committed to peaceful democratic participation, but our commitment to peace must never be mistaken for surrender.

“We will defend democracy. We will protect our people within the law. We will resist intimidation, and we will never accept political violence as a substitute for democracy. Nigeria belongs to all of us.

“The Federal Government and all relevant authorities must understand that Nigerians and the international community are watching. We strongly hold the government accountable for protecting the constitutional rights, safety and freedom of every political actor and citizen.”

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has arrested six suspected members of an alleged criminal gang and recovered two locally fabricated shotguns, ammunition and six motorcycles suspected to have been stolen in coordinated operations across four local government areas of the state.

The suspects were arrested in Ikono, Ini, Obot Akara and Ikot Ekpene Local Government Areas following intelligence received by the command on September 5, 2026, according to the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John.

In a statement made available to journalists on Friday in Uyo, the state capital, John said the intelligence indicated that the gang, allegedly operating from Ikono Local Government Area, was moving towards Ini to carry out a criminal operation.

The statement read, “The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has recorded a major operational breakthrough in its sustained efforts to dismantle criminal networks terrorising communities across Ikono, Ini, Obot Akara and Ikot Ekpene Local Government Areas, with the arrest of six suspected members of a notorious criminal gang and the recovery of firearms, live and expended cartridges, as well as motorcycles suspected to have been stolen.”

According to the police, operatives launched a pursuit that extended to the Akwa Ibom-Abia State boundary, where three members of the gang, including the alleged ringleader, were intercepted and arrested. One other suspect reportedly escaped.

The police said further investigation and intelligence-led interrogation led to the arrest of three additional suspects, bringing the total number arrested to six.

The suspects were identified as Gideon Udoh, 23, aka “Holy Water Blood”, of Mbiabong Ukana Ikot Etefia Village, Ikono LGA; Martins Udo, 36, of Mbiabong Ikot Etefia Village, Ikono LGA; and Bassey Ukpong, 22, aka “Ekpor”, of Mbiabong Ukana Ikot Etefia Village, Ikono LGA.

Others are Aniebiet Dominic, 25, aka “Two Second”, of Itak Ikot Akpan Ndem Village, Ikono LGA; David Idaha, 32, aka “Black”, of Nung Ukim Village, Ikono LGA; and Joseph Udo, 25, whom the police described as the alleged technical operative of the gang.

The police said preliminary investigation linked the suspects to alleged armed robbery, kidnapping, car snatching, rape, cult-related activities, drug dealing, extortion and attempted murder in parts of Akwa Ibom and neighbouring states.

The items recovered, according to the command, include two locally fabricated shotguns, two live cartridges, three expended cartridges and six serviceable motorcycles suspected to have been stolen.

“Following a determined pursuit, operatives successfully intercepted and apprehended three members of the gang, including the alleged ringleader, at a border community between Akwa Ibom and Abia States. One other suspect reportedly escaped during the operation.

“Items recovered so far in connection with the investigation include: two locally fabricated shotguns; two live cartridges; three expended cartridges and six serviceable motorcycles suspected to have been stolen”, part of the statement said.

The State Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, commended the officers involved in the operation for their professionalism and courage.

Azare reiterated that there would be no haven for armed robbers, kidnappers, cultists, extortionists and other criminal elements in Akwa Ibom State, adding that the command would continue to deploy intelligence-led policing and inter-agency collaboration.

He urged members of the public to remain vigilant and provide timely information on suspicious activities, assuring them that such information would be treated confidentially.

“I commend the officers involved in the operation for their courage and professionalism, and I call on members of the public to remain vigilant and continue to provide timely and credible information on suspicious persons, movements and criminal activities within their communities. Such information will be treated with the necessary confidentiality”, he said.

At 8:46am on September 11, 2001, American Airlines Flight 11 slammed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York.

Seventeen minutes later, another hijacked aircraft struck the South Tower.

By 9:37am, a third plane had crashed into the Pentagon, while a fourth was heading towards Washington before passengers and crew members fought to regain control of the aircraft.

At 10:03am, United Airlines Flight 93 crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

By the end of the day, 2,977 people were dead.

The attacks exposed vulnerabilities in America’s aviation security, intelligence-sharing, emergency-response and national-security systems and triggered a sweeping restructuring of the country’s homeland security architecture.

Twenty-five years later, the US House Committee on Homeland Security has revisited that day, examining the progress made since the attacks and identifying more than 20 areas where it says further action is required.

Here is how the attacks unfolded — and how they changed the United States.

The September 11 attacks were the culmination of years of planning.

According to the House committee’s report, planning began as early as 1999, when Osama bin Laden met with conspirators in Afghanistan to discuss using commercial aircraft as weapons and identify potential targets.

In April 1999, hijackers began obtaining visas to enter the United States, while several prepared for the operation while living in Germany.

Throughout 2001, the hijackers enrolled in flight schools and conducted surveillance of cross-country flights to identify aircraft that could be used in the plot.

Several of the hijackers were cited for traffic violations while in the US, but law enforcement did not observe terrorism-related indications.

On the morning of September 11, the hijackers passed through security screening at airports in Maine, Massachusetts, Virginia and New Jersey.

The committee said eight were selected for random screening and two were flagged as suspicious, but none was prevented from boarding.

The morning of September 11

5:45am: Two hijackers underwent security screening at Portland International Jetport in Maine before travelling to Boston Logan International Airport, where they joined three other hijackers and boarded American Airlines Flight 11.

Five other hijackers later underwent security screening at Washington Dulles International Airport before boarding American Airlines Flight 77.

7:59am: Flight 11 departed Boston Logan International Airport with 11 crew members, 76 passengers and five hijackers aboard.

8:15am: United Airlines Flight 175 departed Boston Logan with nine crew members, 51 passengers and five hijackers.

8:19am: Crew members aboard Flight 11 notified ground personnel that the aircraft had been hijacked.

8:20am: American Airlines Flight 77 departed Washington Dulles with six crew members, 53 passengers and five hijackers.

8:24am: Hijackers aboard Flight 11 inadvertently transmitted a message to air traffic control instead of the aircraft’s public-address system: “We have some planes. Just stay quiet, and you will be okay.”

8:30am: Employees began arriving at the World Trade Center.

8:37am: Boston air traffic control alerted the US Air Force’s Northeast Air Defense Sector after the hijacking transmission. Air National Guard fighter jets at Otis Air Force Base were mobilised to identify and track Flight 11.

8:42am: United Airlines Flight 93 departed Newark International Airport with seven crew members, 33 passengers and four hijackers.

8:46am: Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

First responders immediately began rescue operations.

8:50am: President George W. Bush was informed that a small plane had struck the North Tower. At that point, the crash was believed to have been an accident.

8:52am: Crew members aboard Flight 175 notified a United Airlines operator in San Francisco that their aircraft had been hijacked.

8:55am: The Port Authority declared the South Tower secure.

8:59am: Port Authority police ordered the evacuation of the North and South towers.

9:02am: An evacuation order was broadcast in the South Tower.

9:03am: Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower.

More first responders were mobilised, while a request was made to shut down the airspace over New York City.

9:05am: President Bush was informed that a second plane had crashed into the World Trade Center.

The scale and nature of the attack were becoming clear.

9:12am: Crew and passengers aboard Flight 77 began notifying family members that the aircraft had been hijacked.

9:36am: Vice President Dick Cheney was evacuated to the Presidential Emergency Operations Center.

9:37am: Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon.

9:42am: The Federal Aviation Administration grounded all flights.

9:45am: The White House and US Capitol began evacuations.

9:58am: Passengers aboard Flight 93 began making calls, including a call to 911.

9:59am: The South Tower collapsed.

9:12am: Crew and passengers aboard Flight 77 began notifying family members that the aircraft had been hijacked.

9:36am: Vice President Dick Cheney was evacuated to the Presidential Emergency Operations Center.

9:37am: Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon.

9:42am: The Federal Aviation Administration grounded all flights.

9:45am: The White House and US Capitol began evacuations.

9:58am: Passengers aboard Flight 93 began making calls, including a call to 911.

9:59am: The South Tower collapsed.

The rescue and recovery effort continued.

5:20pm: World Trade Center Building 7 collapsed.

The human cost

The attacks killed 2,977 people.

Of those, 2,753 died at the World Trade Center, 184 at the Pentagon and 40 near Shanksville.

The World Trade Center victims included 343 firefighters and paramedics, 23 New York Police Department officers and 37 Port Authority police officers.

The attacks represented the largest loss of life from a foreign attack on American soil in US history.

But the scale of the emergency response was also unprecedented.

Thousands of personnel from the New York City Fire Department, NYPD and Port Authority Police Department immediately mobilised to rescue and evacuate civilians.

The New York City Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management requested assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which activated its National Urban Search and Rescue Response System to deploy urban search-and-rescue teams to New York.

The operation was complicated by communication failures and the absence of a coordinated incident command and control structure.

The warning from 1993

The World Trade Center had already been attacked eight years earlier.

On February 26, 1993, terrorists detonated a 1,500-pound bomb beneath the complex, killing six people and injuring about 1,000.

That attack had exposed weaknesses in emergency-response and communications systems and prompted investments in security and technology at the World Trade Center.

But on September 11, first responders again faced communication problems and difficulties coordinating the enormous rescue operation.

America begins rebuilding its security system

Eleven days after the attacks, President Bush appointed Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge as the first director of the newly created White House Office of Homeland Security.

Its task was to oversee and coordinate a national strategy to protect the United States against terrorism and respond to future attacks.

A major early reform focused on aviation.

Congress passed the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, creating the Transportation Security Administration.

Before TSA was created, aviation security was a joint responsibility involving the Federal Aviation Administration and airlines, which contracted private security companies to conduct passenger and baggage screening.

That system failed to prevent any of the 19 hijackers from boarding their flights on September 11.

The creation of TSA placed transportation security under a federal entity for the first time, replacing the previous fragmented system with federal oversight and standards.

The birth of Homeland Security

In June 2002, President Bush proposed the creation of the Department of Homeland Security.

His administration argued that no single government agency had homeland security as its primary mission and that the country needed a unified structure capable of responding to known and unknown threats.

Congress passed the Homeland Security Act in November 2002, creating DHS as a Cabinet-level department to coordinate and unify domestic national-security efforts.

The new department brought together all or parts of 22 existing departments and agencies.

Its responsibilities came to cover counterterrorism, intelligence, transportation and maritime security, border security and immigration enforcement, cybersecurity and infrastructure protection, emergency preparedness and management, science and technology, and coordination with state, local, tribal and territorial authorities.

Counterterrorism spreads across government

Post-9/11 reforms also transformed state and local policing.

The New York Police Department established a Counterterrorism Bureau focused on monitoring potential terrorist targets, developing intelligence capabilities, training first responders and specialised units, and preventing attacks.

Law enforcement agencies across the US subsequently expanded and modernised counterterrorism missions in coordination with federal authorities.

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Forces became an important mechanism for sharing information and intelligence with state and local agencies.

The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis also became a key link between federal intelligence and state, local, tribal, territorial and private-sector partners.

The 9/11 Commission

The country also sought to understand how the attacks had been possible.

The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States was established to investigate the attacks and recommend measures to prevent another attack.

Its final report, released in 2004, contained 41 recommendations aimed at addressing vulnerabilities and strengthening US national security.

Some of those recommendations were subsequently enacted through legislation and executive action.

The House also established a Select Committee on Homeland Security before making it a permanent standing committee.

The House Homeland Security Committee is the only standing House committee established in response to the September 11 attacks.

Twenty-five years later

A quarter of a century after the attacks, the committee says the threat facing the United States has changed.

It identifies lone actors and inspired attackers, cyber campaigns conducted by nation states, artificial intelligence, transnational criminal organisations, border vulnerabilities and the changing nature of terrorism among the challenges confronting the country.

Its latest report therefore does not simply look backwards.

It makes more than 20 recommendations for the next phase of homeland security, including improved intelligence-sharing between federal and state and local agencies, updated definitions of security threats, greater awareness of emerging terrorist tactics, stronger cybersecurity coordination, risk-based AI cybersecurity standards, full implementation of biometric entry-exit systems, additional northern-border resources and expanded use of non-intrusive inspection technology.

It also calls for stronger emergency preparedness, continued funding for emergency management, improved biodefence and biodetection capabilities, greater preparedness against agroterrorism and support for the reauthorisation of FirstNet.

The committee has urged Congress and the executive branch to implement the recommendations quickly and on a bipartisan basis.

For Chairman Andrew R. Garbarino, the review is also about ensuring that the lessons of September 11 are not lost as a new generation comes of age.

“Twenty-five years later, significant progress has been made towards strengthening our national security and ensuring we never again allow such an attack to be perpetrated against the United States,” Garbarino said.

“This no-fail mission requires persistent vigilance and adaptation to keep pace with the contemporary threat environment.”

And so, 25 years after four hijacked planes transformed the United States in a single morning, the House committee created in response to that catastrophe is once again asking what must change to prevent the next one.

Chelsea forward João Pedro has been named the EA Sports Premier League Player of the Month for August 2026 after making an impressive start to the new campaign.

The award is the Brazilian striker’s first Premier League Player of the Month honour and makes him the first Chelsea player to claim the prize since Cole Palmer won it in September 2024.

In a post obtained from Chelsea’s website on Friday, Pedro beat Palmer and six other shortlisted players in the public vote to take home the award.

The 2026/27 season began in spectacular fashion for the forward, who recorded four goal contributions in Chelsea’s opening two Premier League matches, helping the Blues secure victories in both games.

Pedro opened his account just 33 seconds into Chelsea’s opening fixture against Fulham before setting up Palmer for the winning goal

He continued his fine form in Chelsea’s first home league match against Brighton & Hove Albion, finding the net with a composed finish before providing another assist for Palmer to seal the decisive goal.

His two goals and two assists across the opening matches quickly established him as one of the standout performers at the start of the Premier League season.

Those performances earned Pedro widespread support from fans around the world, with the public vote ultimately confirming him as August’s Player of the Month.

The Brazilian forward was presented with his award at Chelsea’s Cobham training ground.

It is a landmark individual achievement for João Pedro and another early highlight in what has been an impressive beginning to his Chelsea campaign.

Former Super Eagles striker Obafemi Martins has said he will organise a youth football tournament in support of President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign.

Martins disclosed this during an interview with TVC on Thursday.

He said the tournament, which he referred to as the “Renewed Hope youth tournament”, would be held in November.

“There’s a tournament that I’m doing for His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu that I’m doing for his campaign, the Renewed Hope Youth tournament, and I’m doing it with geopolitical zones, which is six, and I’m adding two to three more teams with it,” Martins said.

The former Inter Milan and Newcastle United forward said the initiative was also intended to create opportunities for young Nigerians.

I’m just happy to do it for the president with all his hard work and all that. And that is not just for the president, it’s for the Nigerians and the Nigerian youth as well; how we can help them,” he said.

Martins said he was funding the tournament himself and confirmed that it would take place in November.

Yes, I’m doing it in November,” he said when asked if he would finance the tournament himself.

“Renewed Hope” was originally the campaign slogan of Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima during the 2023 presidential election.

The phrase has since been repeatedly used by the administration for government programmes and initiatives, while political groups backing Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid have also adopted it in their mobilisation efforts.

The AbdulSamad Rabiu (ASR) initiative has called for applications for its 2026 International Professional Development Program (IPDP).

The ASR Africa International Professional Development Program comprises fully funded internship and volunteer programs that train young Africans and enhance their effective participation in the development sector.

In this post, we will discuss what the program entails, what it requires, and how you can successfully submit your application.

AbdulSamad Rabiu Professional Development Program Summary

• Host Country: Nigeria
• Category: Internships | Training 
• Eligible Countries: African Countries
• Reward: Full Sponsorship | Training | Professional Development | Internship Placement | Networking
• Deadline: September 14, 2026

Details of AbdulSamad Rabiu International Professional Development Program (IPDP):

Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa) invites young Nigerians to apply for the 5th Cohort of the International Professional Development Program (IPDP).

The ASR Africa International Professional Development Program is targeted at young people in the country. This highly competitive placement program comprised of internship and volunteer programs to enhance young people’s effective participation in the development sector.

The program is structured to include intentional learning objectives, guided supervision by the ASR Africa specialist, continuous observation, evaluation and feedback targeted at the growth of the beneficiaries.

Requirements for AbdulSamad Rabiu Professional Development Program 2026

To be considered for the AbdulSamad Rabiu Professional Development Program, you must:

• Be an African
• Have completed a Bachelor’s degree from a recognized tertiary institution.

All ASR IPDP 2026 interns must;

• Show their expectation analysis at the point of registration and how that translates into their future ambition
• make PowerPoint presentations of their assignments at the end of every week.
• be able to identify a grant application and apply for it at the end of the program.

How to Apply for ASR Africa International Professional Development Program 2026 (Step by Step)

To apply for the ASR Africa International Professional Development Program (IPDP), interested and qualified candidates should click the green button below to submit their applications.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Deadline: September 14, 2026

…Caucus 7202 Mobilises 180,000 Members for Adeola, APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State is fully prepared for the 2027 general elections, Governor Dapo Abiodun declared on Thursday, as thousands of party supporters and members of Caucus 7202 converged on the Dipo Dina International Stadium, Ijebu-Ode, for a mega rally in support of the party’s governorship candidate, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi.

The rally, which drew supporters from the 20 local government areas of the state, underscored the growing mobilisation of the APC ahead of the elections and provided a major platform for the party and its support groups to reaffirm their commitment to victory in 2027.

Addressing the gathering, Abiodun said the massive turnout was a clear demonstration of the APC’s strength, unity and readiness for the elections, noting that the party had built a formidable grassroots structure across the state.

He said the achievements of his administration over the past seven years had provided a strong platform for the APC to seek the continued confidence of the people of Ogun State.

The governor also commended the peaceful conduct of the party’s activities, describing the emergence of its candidates, particularly Adeola, as a significant development in the political history of the state.

According to him, the unity and maturity displayed by party members had strengthened the APC and positioned it for victory in the coming elections.

Abiodun expressed confidence in Adeola’s ability to provide effective leadership if elected governor, citing his experience, exposure and years of service in the public sector.

He charged APC members and supporters to intensify grassroots mobilisation, stressing the need to take the party’s message and achievements to every ward and community across the state.

The governor also reaffirmed Ogun’s commitment to delivering two million votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

Adeola, in his remarks, described Abiodun as a “silent achiever,” saying the governor’s seven years in office had witnessed monumental achievements and laid a solid foundation for the future development of the state.

He pledged, if elected, to build on the achievements of the present administration and sustain the development trajectory of the state.

The APC governorship candidate also dismissed claims of any working arrangement between him and opposition political parties ahead of the 2027 elections, urging APC members to remain vigilant and reject what he described as overtures from opposition elements.

Adeola said the APC was fully prepared for the elections, with the structures, organisation and support required to retain power in Ogun State.

He expressed appreciation to various support groups, particularly Caucus 7202, for their commitment to his aspiration and those of other APC candidates.

Adeola noted that more than 90 per cent of members of the group were not affiliated with any political party, describing their mobilisation for the APC as a demonstration of their confidence in the party and its candidates.

He urged Caucus 7202 and other support groups to expand their mobilisation efforts and reach more voters across the state.

Also speaking, the Ogun State APC Chairman, Chief Yemi Sanusi, charged party members to take the APC manifesto to the grassroots and educate voters on the party’s programmes, policies and achievements.

Sanusi said effective voter education, sustained grassroots engagement and disciplined mobilisation would be critical to the party’s success in 2027.

The Director-General of Caucus 7202, Moctar Koiki, said the organisation was an independent political support group established in Ogun State to mobilise support for the APC and its candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.

Koiki disclosed that the group had about 180,000 members across the state, with more than 90 per cent of them being non-partisan.

He said Caucus 7202 was committed to mobilising support for President Tinubu, Governor Abiodun’s senatorial ambition and Adeola’s governorship bid.

Koiki added that the group would deploy its structures across the 20 local government areas to mobilise voters and work for the victory of the APC and its candidates in the 2027 elections.

KADUNA: Troops of Operation Fansan Yamma have arrested a suspected terrorist kingpin, intercepted an ammunition courier with 300 rounds of ammunition and apprehended a suspected terrorist logistics supplier in separate operations in Kaduna State

The Media Information Officer of the operation, Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Danja, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

Danja said troops of Sector 1 conducted a clearance operation in the early hours of September 9, 2026, at Dabar Dabo, described as a suspected terrorist hideout in Kubau Local Government Area of the state.

He said the operation led to the arrest of the suspected terrorist kingpin and two other members of his group.

According to him, the suspects are currently in military custody for further investigation.

He added that troops, acting on intelligence on the movement of terrorist ammunition, arrested a 50-year-old woman in Igabi Local Government Area on the same day.

The suspect was allegedly found with 300 rounds of ammunition concealed in a bag.

Danja said preliminary investigation indicated that the woman had travelled from Zamfara State to Lafia, where she allegedly received the ammunition for onward delivery to terrorists in Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State.

He said the suspect and the recovered ammunition were in military custody for further investigation.

Later the same day, troops of Sector 1, in collaboration with a community vigilante group, also apprehended a suspected terrorist logistics supplier in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area.

Danja said four communication devices suspected to have been used by terrorists were recovered during a search of the suspect.

He said the suspect and the recovered items were also in military custody for further investigation.

Danja described the operations as part of efforts by troops of Operation Fansan Yamma to disrupt terrorist networks, restrict the movement of arms, ammunition and logistics, and deny criminal elements freedom of action within the Joint Operations Area.

He appreciated members of the public for their support and urged them to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities to security agencies.

The Anambra State Police Command has arrested a 36-year-old woman, Anulika Onyeanusia, in connection with an alleged case of child pornography in Onitsha, the commercial centre of the state.

The suspect was arrested following the circulation of a disturbing trending video of a woman allegedly using sex toys on a minor.

In a statement released on Thursday, the spokesperson for the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said that during the arrest, operatives also rescued four children, aged two, three, six and nine years, respectively, as well as recovered sex toys and other items relevant to the ongoing investigation.

The statement read in part, “The Anambra State Police Command on September 10, 2026, acting on open-source intelligence concerning a disturbing trending video of a lady allegedly using sex toys on a minor, has arrested one Anulika Onyeanusia, a 36-year-old woman, in connection with an alleged case of child pornography in Onitsha, Anambra State.

The operation also led to the rescue of four children, aged two, three, six and nine years respectively, as well as the recovery of sex toys and other items relevant to the ongoing investigation.

“The suspect is currently in police custody as the Command intensifies its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the alleged offence and the possible involvement of other persons.

“The husband of the suspect is also undergoing interrogation to determine whether he has any connection with the alleged offence.”

According to Ikenga, the Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Nnanna Oji, who was deeply disturbed by the alleged act, described it as unacceptable, particularly because it involved the exploitation and abuse of children, who were incapable of protecting themselves.

He has therefore directed a thorough and professional investigation while ensuring that the rescued children receive appropriate care and protection.

“To this end, the Command notes that beyond the investigation and prosecution, its priority is the safety, dignity and wellbeing of the rescued children.

“The Command will work with the appropriate child-protection and relevant support agencies to ensure that the victims receive the necessary care, protection, counselling and other support required for their recovery.

“Their identities and privacy will be protected throughout the process, and they will be treated with compassion and sensitivity.

“The Command also commends the vigilante operatives in the area, as well as bloggers and residents who provided information that assisted the investigation and led to the arrest of the suspect,” the statement added.

The children of the late Alhaji Ganiyu Busari and the management of Constancy Farms in Fere Village, Jibowu, Obafemi/Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, have appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun and President Bola Tinubu to intervene in an alleged move by the state government to reallocate their 11-acre poultry farm to a Chinese-owned company.

The family claimed that the proposed takeover had subjected them and their workers to constant threats and intimidation, while alleged attempts to demolish parts of the farm had resulted in damage to their property and losses to their poultry business.

However, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Information and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, told our correspondent that the reallocation of the land housing the poultry farm had the backing of the government and was in accordance with the law.

Akinmade said the government revoked the family’s earlier acquisition of the land because they failed to pay the assessment fee within the stipulated time.

He said the law permitted the government to revoke land under such circumstances and allocate it to another investor willing to pay the required fees.

He explained, “The truth is that the land was acquired by this family some years back, but they failed to pay up the acquisition fees that the government asked them to pay within the stipulated time, and because they have defaulted, the government has the right to revoke their acquisition and give it to an investor who is willing to pay.

“And in this particular case, the new investor who got the land has also, on the grounds of magnanimity, built a new poultry pen for this family to use on the new land that has been re-allocated for them, but they are not willing to move and have rather resorted to the media to blackmail the government.”

Speaking earlier with journalists on Thursday, one of the late Busari’s children, Azeez Busari, alleged that officials of the Ogun State Government and representatives of the Chinese company had been pressuring the family to vacate the property despite what he described as valid documents supporting their ownership and acquisition of the land.

According to him, the dispute dated back to 2023 when representatives of the Chinese firm approached the family seeking four acres and a plot of land to create an access route to another parcel of about 40 acres owned by the company in the area.

He said the family agreed to release the requested portion, leaving them with about 11 acres on which they operate the poultry farm.

However, Busari said the family was informed in 2025 by the Ogun State Surveyor-General, Oladele Ewulo, that the remaining land had been reallocated to the Chinese company and that they were expected to vacate the premises.

“We asked him if the government now does double allocation, but he said nothing,” Busari alleged, adding that the family had documents relating to the land assessment duly signed by the state government and had commenced payment of the assessed fees.

He said the family subsequently requested official documents confirming the alleged reallocation but had yet to receive any.

Busari further alleged that, earlier in 2026, some individuals demolished part of the farm’s perimeter fence.

According to him, the farm represents an investment of more than N1bn, with facilities capable of housing 27,000 laying birds and a 10,000-capacity rearing pen.

He said the business also provides direct and indirect employment to several people whose livelihoods depend on the farm.

“It’s our father’s legacy, it’s a community to us, and we don’t have anything else that we can do apart from this poultry business,” Busari said.

He questioned the alleged decision to favour a foreign investor over a local agricultural business, noting that the Chinese company was also involved in poultry production.

“How can the same government that claims to be encouraging us to go into agriculture be backing foreign investors to undermine local investors and send us packing for no just cause?” he asked.

Busari appealed to Abiodun and Tinubu to intervene, saying the family’s investment was largely financed through loans and that the collapse of the farm could have serious financial consequences for the family.

Another member of the family, Olatunji Busari, corroborated the allegations and appealed to the state government to allow the family to continue operating the farm.

We don’t want any re-allocation. We don’t want anything that will destroy our business,” he said, adding that the farm was a family legacy being operated with borrowed funds.

“So, we beg Governor Abiodun to please come to our rescue because he is the father of all of us in the state,” he said.

Anthropic, the company behind Claude AI, says it identified five cases in which users employed its artificial intelligence models in ways that could support biological weapons development.

The company disclosed this in its latest threat intelligence report published on Thursday, saying the cases were among a range of malicious or potentially harmful activities detected and disrupted on its platform between December 2025 and August 2026.

Anthropic particularly flagged five Claude AI use cases that involved research into areas including chikungunya virus, highly pathogenic avian influenza, orthopoxviruses, venom peptides and toxins.

The company said it had banned the accounts involved and incorporated information from its investigations into its safeguards, enforcement and threat intelligence systems.

However, Anthropic stressed that it was not asserting that the scientists involved intended to cause harm.

“We do not assert that they intended harm, and identifying them or their labs could expose them to harm,” the company said, adding that it would withhold the names of the research institutions, countries and specific biological agents or techniques involved.

Anthropic said the cases demonstrated the difficulty of distinguishing between legitimate scientific research and activities that could be used for harmful purposes.

Biological misuse is one of the most serious risks of frontier AI models,” the company said, warning that AI could potentially be used to make existing pathogens more dangerous or create new ones.

“The same information that can be used to develop a biological weapon could also be used to develop, for example, a vaccine or a cure for a disease,” the AI giant added.

In the first case, Anthropic said its biological safety classifier blocked a request to help prepare a grant application involving gain-of-function research on chikungunya virus.

The company said its subsequent investigation found that a reseller platform was being used to provide access to Claude to researchers in regions where Anthropic does not offer its services.

The platform also allegedly routed requests rejected by Claude to other AI models with more permissive safeguards.

Anthropic said it banned the associated accounts, worked with partners to take down the relay networks and shared its findings with AI companies and government authorities.

In a second case, the company said a researcher outside the US used Claude over several weeks while planning research involving highly pathogenic avian influenza and its adaptation to mammals.

According to Anthropic, the researcher used Claude for study planning, data analysis, interpretation and prioritisation of experiments, as well as editorial assistance.

The company said its safeguards restricted the researcher to weaker Claude models and that the AI’s contribution was primarily limited to clerical assistance, study ideation and design.

Anthropic said the case nevertheless provided evidence of active research programmes involving pathogens with enhanced pandemic potential.

A third case involved a grant application for orthopoxvirus research at a state-associated infectious disease laboratory. Anthropic said a reseller relay serving more than a dozen customers used Claude to draft the application.

The company said the application involved research into how orthopoxviruses interact with the immune system and was produced using Claude Opus 5 in about an hour.

The fourth and fifth cases involved research into venoms and toxins.

Anthropic said one researcher used Claude to develop an atlas of venom toxin peptides and a generative system for optimising toxin characteristics, with the stated goal of developing therapeutic molecules.

In another case, a researcher used Claude in projects involving the computational redesign of toxins under a national public research programme. Anthropic said the researcher deliberately obscured the identities of some toxins and viral proteins in progress reports.

The company said both accounts were banned in May 2026 for violating its Supported Regions Policy.

Anthropic said the cases highlighted the challenge of regulating AI-assisted biological research because many applications are “dual use”, meaning they can have both beneficial and harmful applications.

Anthropic, however, cautioned against interpreting its findings as evidence that Claude was currently enabling imminent biological threats.

“We take these cases as evidence not of the imminence of biological threats currently uplifted by Claude, but rather as evidence that significant dual-use research efforts are associated with state actors of concern,” the company said.

The report is part of a wider disclosure by Anthropic on the misuse of its AI systems.

The company said its investigations over the past eight months also uncovered cyber operations, surveillance, influence operations, scams and fraud, conventional weapons development and attempts to illicitly distil its models.

The report comes shortly after concerns raised publicly by former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon about the risks posed by increasingly capable AI systems.

Online previously reported that Coxon resigned from Anthropic and said “people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade.”

Anthropic’s latest report also said it had identified a Russia-linked cyber espionage operation in which Claude was used to automate parts of attacks against organisations in Ukraine and Europe.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities has threatened to resume its suspended nationwide strike if the federal government and state governments fail to urgently address outstanding issues affecting university lecturers.

ASUU said it could reactivate the strike “without any further notice” over the incomplete implementation of the December 2025 agreement, payment of the remaining 3.5 months of withheld salaries and non-remittance of billions of naira deducted from lecturers’ salaries.

The union’s position was contained in a statement sent to our correspondent in the early hours of Friday by its President, Christopher Piwuna, after an emergency meeting of its National Executive Council held at the University of Abuja.

ASUU said the December 2025 agreement followed more than eight years of negotiations and struggles but had not been fully implemented by the Federal Government and several state governments.

Unless immediate and concrete steps are taken to FULLY and COMPREHENSIVELY address issues bordering the welfare and well-being of Nigerian academics, ASUU-NEC will not accept any blame for calling out its members on a nationwide strike action within the shortest time possible,” the union warned.

It commended Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, and the governments of Bauchi, Ekiti, Ogun, Benue, Yobe, Adamawa, Kebbi, Katsina and Borno for commencing implementation of the agreement.

The union said Kano, Edo, Plateau, Taraba, Gombe and Bayelsa had also pledged to commence implementation in September or October, while warning other states to act before their universities were plunged into an “industrial crisis of monumental proportions.”

On withheld salaries, ASUU acknowledged that the Tinubu administration had paid four of the 7.5 months withheld during the Buhari administration but demanded the immediate release of the outstanding 3.5 months.

“We have consistently acknowledged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for paying four (4) out of the withheld salaries. However, leaving out the unpaid balance does not give his government the full credit of a labour-friendly administration,” it said.

ASUU also alleged that pension contributions, cooperative deductions and union check-off dues running into billions of naira had remained unremitted for several months.

The union warned that the combination of unpaid salaries, unremitted deductions and poor implementation of the agreement was threatening industrial peace in the universities.

“In no mistaken terms, ASUU posits that the non- or haphazard implementation of the 2025 FGN-ASUU Agreement by federal and state governments is a recipe for industrial crisis in Nigeria’s public universities,” it stated.

It urged the Federal Government and state governments to act quickly, insisting that it would not accept responsibility if the suspended strike was reactivated.

“ASUU-NEC resolved to notify all concerned that the Union may activate its suspended strike action without any further notice if the critical issues raised in this release are not speedily addressed,” the union said.

Nigeria has commenced local production of next-generation dual-active ingredient insecticide-treated mosquito nets as part of efforts to strengthen malaria prevention and domestic manufacturing of essential health products.

Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare announced the development in a statement issued Thursday and signed by its Assistant Director, Information and Public Relations, Ado Bako.

The new facility, Health Textiles Nigeria FZE, wholly owned by Vestergaard Sàrl, is the first in Nigeria to manufacture dual-active ingredient insecticide-treated nets, according to the ministry.

The facility will produce PermaNet Dual, a mosquito net manufactured by Vestergaard to address the growing challenge of insecticide resistance and prequalified by the World Health Organisation in 2023.

At full scale, the facility is expected to produce approximately 10 million nets annually and create more than 600 jobs.

“About 80 employees have already been recruited and are undergoing training in manufacturing excellence, product quality, occupational health and safety, and regulatory compliance,” the statement read.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, said the development aligned with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and its focus on unlocking the healthcare value chain through investment, local production and stronger domestic capacity.

This investment demonstrates what is possible when government policy, private-sector investment and technology transfer come together to unlock Nigeria’s healthcare value chain. The commencement of local production also strengthens our capacity to produce essential health products and supports a more resilient health system,” the minister said.

The establishment of Health Textiles Nigeria followed a 2024 Memorandum of Understanding between Vestergaard and the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain to strengthen local production capacity for essential health products.

The development comes as Nigeria continues to bear a substantial share of the global malaria burden.

The World Health Organisation estimates that malaria caused 282 million cases and 610,000 deaths globally in 2024, with the African Region accounting for the overwhelming majority of cases and deaths.

With production now underway, Health Textiles Nigeria is expected to fulfil its first commercial orders in the coming months, expanding Nigeria’s capacity to produce malaria prevention commodities locally, the ministry said.

Chilaka reportedly died on June 14, 2026, in circumstances the family believes may have involved murder at a compound where she lived in Anambra State.

Speaking at a press conference in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, the family’s legal representative, Euphemia Eleonu, expressed dissatisfaction with the handling of the investigation by the Anambra State Police Command.

Eleonu particularly faulted the release from detention of a prime suspect in the case, Ogochukwu Ugoeze, while, according to her, the investigation had yet to be concluded

The family also alleged bias and compromise on the part of the investigating police officer, Supol Nwaije Francis of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Awka, and his immediate superior, CSP Ayorinde David, who is in charge of the Homicide Section of the SCID.

The allegations have not been independently verified.

The family further expressed concern that the police had not invited them to brief them on the progress of the investigation since Chilaka’s death.

Eleonu called for the two officers to recuse themselves from the case and for a new investigation team to be constituted.

She said, “In the interest of justice and to preserve the integrity of the investigation, we respectfully request that the following steps be taken: That in reference to the letter dated July 21, 2026, to the Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, and duly acknowledged on July 27, 2026, the Investigating Police Officer, Supol Francis, based on shown bias and interest in the matter in favour of the suspect, Mr Ogochukwu Ugoeze, should recuse himself and the case be reassigned to another IPO/team.”

The lawyer also asked the police to give the deceased’s immediate family a briefing on the status of the investigation, subject to legitimate investigative confidentiality.

She further urged the authorities to preserve all physical, forensic, documentary and electronic evidence relating to Chilaka’s death in accordance with proper chain-of-custody procedures.

Eleonu stressed that the determination of criminal responsibility should ultimately be made by a competent court based on admissible evidence.

She said, “Ultimately, the question whether any person is criminally responsible for Chiamaka’s death should be determined by a court of competent jurisdiction on admissible evidence and in accordance with the Constitution and not by media trial or administrative body.”

She also called for Ugoeze to be rearrested, arguing that suspects should not be treated as guilty or innocent outside the judicial process.

The lawyer said the family had suffered a devastating loss and deserved answers about the circumstances surrounding Chilaka’s death.

Eleonu said the family wanted to know what happened to their daughter, how she died, who was responsible and whether every reasonable line of investigation had been pursued.

“For this reason, we respectfully urge the Nigeria Police Force, the Anambra State Government, the relevant prosecutorial authorities and the media to approach this matter with restraint, utmost professionalism and humanity,” she said.

Eleonu expressed confidence that the Inspector-General of Police would intervene and direct a fresh investigation.

“We have 99 per cent confidence in the IG to direct that the Police Commissioner of Anambra State Command directs that the IPO recuse himself and disband the entire team investigating this case,” she said.

The deceased’s elder brother, Ikenna Chilaka, said the family had been devastated since her death and appealed to the IGP to intervene and help them secure justice.

He said, “I call on the Inspector-General of Police to come to our aid, to help us find justice for my sister. All suspects should be re-arrested. Every suspect should be in custody.

The court is the only one that has the authority to exonerate or release anybody. I am not happy with the way the investigation has been going.”

Proprietors of private primary and secondary schools have defended increases of up to 30 per cent in school fees ahead of the resumption of schools for the 2026/2027 academic session on Monday.

The school owners attributed the increase to rising operational costs, including fuel, transportation, rent, infrastructure, textbooks and teachers’ salaries.

The development comes as parents across Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states intensify preparations for the new academic session, with the state governments having fixed September 14 for resumption.

Some schools have increased tuition by between 10 and 30 per cent, while others have raised ancillary charges, including fees for textbooks, uniforms and transportation, in a bid to cushion the impact of rising operating expenses.

The proprietors insist that the latest fee increases are necessary to keep their schools running and retain qualified teachers.

A proprietor in Magboro, Ogun State, Bola, said his school increased its fees by about 20 per cent, largely because of the rising cost of transporting pupils and fluctuations in fuel prices.

He said schools were also under pressure to retain teachers, many of whom were demanding better remuneration.

Teachers are looking for better pay. Some schools that don’t pay well may resume and find their teachers gone. Schools that cannot increase teachers’ salaries are closing down,” he said.

Bola added that his school was currently training its teachers ahead of the new session, saying the cost of retaining qualified personnel had become a major concern for proprietors.

Isiaka, who heads an association of private school owners in Ogun State, said schools in his area increased tuition by about 15 per cent.

He attributed the increase to the rising cost of petrol, teachers’ salaries, infrastructure upgrades and procurement, as well as rent for schools operating from leased premises.

He said textbook prices had also risen by about 10 per cent.

According to him, however, the increase in private school fees has not triggered a significant movement of pupils from private to public schools.

In Lagos, some proprietors said they had been forced to make steeper adjustments as operating costs continued to rise.

Aliyu, a school owner in the Satellite area of Lagos, said tuition in his area had increased by between 20 and 30 per cent.

He cited higher expenditure on fuel, transportation, rent and other operational needs, noting that his annual rent had risen from N4m to N9m.

“My rent was increased from N4m to N9m, and I have been told that it will be increased every year. Teachers are asking for double their salaries, and teachers are scarce,” he said.

Aliyu said proprietors were trying to keep tuition increases within manageable limits by adjusting ancillary charges.

What we do is increase those ancillary charges while making minimal increases in school fees. We increase the cost of textbooks, uniforms and other fees to break even,” he explained.

Another proprietor, Ikenna, who operates a school in Surulere, Lagos, said his school increased fees by about 20 per cent to reflect the cost of facilities and services being provided to pupils.

He said the school spent N3m on interactive boards, adding that the investment also brought additional costs for electricity and staff to manage the facilities.

Ikenna said the rising cost of living among staff, higher rents and the difficulty of recruiting quality teachers were also contributing to fee increases.

He noted that schools often faced pressure to adjust their fees when neighbouring schools did the same.

“If a nearby school increases, there is a tendency for neighbouring schools to also increase,” he said.

He added that recruiting quality teachers from outside the immediate environment could also require schools to provide accommodation, further increasing their operating costs.

In Ebutte-Metta, Lagos, another proprietor, Lateef, said his school increased its fees by 30 per cent, blaming the decision largely on a sharp rise in rent.

He said the rent on his school premises had risen from N3m to N5m.

Lateef also said his school was considering stopping its bus service because it had become increasingly difficult to operate profitably amid uncertainty over fuel prices.

Only big schools can keep running bus services at the moment due to fuel price uncertainty. Many small schools struggle to continue running buses, as the buses have become more of a promotional tool for their schools,” he said.

In Ibadan, Oyo State, a school proprietor, Morayo, said her school increased its fees by about 10 per cent.

She said the adjustment was relatively moderate because textbook prices had risen by only about two per cent.

The fee increases come amid preparations by schools and households for Monday’s resumption.

Parents have been visiting bookshops to purchase textbooks and other school materials, while pupils and students who travelled during the holidays have begun returning ahead of the new session.

At schools, head teachers and other administrators have been meeting with teachers to conclude preparations for the session, including reviewing records from the previous term, drawing up timetables and agreeing on organisational plans.

Some schools have also undertaken repairs and infrastructure upgrades ahead of resumption.

The Nigeria Customs Service, Apapa Area Command, said it had seized 13 containers of hard drugs and expired goods with a total duty-paid value of N43.58bn.

Addressing journalists at the command while showcasing the seized containers, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, explained that the contents fell into three categories: “narcotics and controlled pharmaceuticals, security-sensitive equipment, and expired goods intended for human use.”

“The total duty-paid value of the seizures is N43.58bn,” Adeniyi said.

Giving details of the seizure, he said a 40-foot container with registration number HAMU 3086682 was carrying 4,777 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 2,388.5kg, packed in two cartons, 48 jumbo bags and 40 drums, alongside assorted automobile spare parts, one carton of coffee mix, eight cartons of oats and three vehicles.

He added that another 40ft container with registration number FANU 1933352 was carrying 8,287 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 4,145kg, packed in 162 bags and three vehicles.

The CGC pointed out that a 20ft container with registration number MSKU 3941778 was intercepted with 2,181 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 1,090.5kg, packed in five cartons, 148 bags of foreign parboiled rice, assorted automobile spare parts, two boxes of lithium batteries, one carton of PV combiner box, 19 cartons of turmeric, 33 cartons of mangala fish and 11 cartons of butterfly fish.

“Others include a 40ft container with registration number TCKU 7653306 carrying 1,700 cartons containing 169,998 bottles of codeine syrup, concealed under household items.

Another container with registration number MSKU 9282528 was carrying two cartons containing 108 units of high-definition dual-camera drones, extracted from the container. A 40ft container with registration number MRKU 6185100 conveying 425 bales of used clothing. A 40ft container with registration number SEKU 4685299 was carrying 422 bales of used clothing,” he said.

Adeniyi said the command also intercepted five containers loaded with expired tomato ketchup, antiseptic liquid, vaginal tablets and disposable nappies.

He emphasised that the three narcotics containers together were carrying 15,245 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 7,624kg, while the used clothing amounted to 1,282 bales.

Adeniyi warned that the abuse of prohibited substances like codeine among young Nigerians had been a national concern for years, adding that its connection to violent conduct, family breakdown and the loss of productive lives was well documented.

According to him, a single container of this size would have supplied the trade for a considerable period. He said the cannabis interceptions resulted from inter-agency work with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, supported by intelligence from international security partners.

Adeniyi added that the service also extracted 108 units of high-definition dual-camera drones from an intercepted container.

“Drones have lawful uses, and the service has no quarrel with them. But equipment of this kind, in the wrong hands, becomes a means of surveillance, of reconnaissance and of delivery, and our security agencies have already met it in that role in the field,” he stressed.

He maintained that consignments of security-sensitive equipment arriving without necessary documents would be detained. “Our ports will not be a route through which capability reaches those who are working against the security of this country,” Adeniyi warned.

He disclosed that the seized items would be handed over to the relevant narcotics agencies for further action and closure.

The rally, held at the Dipo Dina International Stadium, Ijebu-Ode, also witnessed the endorsement of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid and the candidacies of All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates across Ogun State, as Abiodun and Adeola set a target of two million votes for the President in the state.

The mega rally was attended by an array of political bigwigs including the lawmaker representing Ijebu Central Federal Constituency, Hon. Femi Ogunbanwo, the Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon. Oludaisi Elemide, the Secretary to the Ogun State Government, Tokunbo Talabi, the Ogun APC Deputy Governorship Candidate, Kudirat Adegunwa-Balogun, and the Ogun State Commissioner for Finance, Dapo Okubadejo.

At the gathering, Ogun State APC governorship candidate, Senator Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, said President Tinubu has outperformed all other Presidents in Nigeria’s history and deserves a second term in office. Senator Yayi, while listing President Tinubu’s achievements in Ogun State, cited the ongoing construction of the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, which is expected to pass through the Imeko-Afon local government area, and the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway, which will pass through Ogun Waterside local government area.

Adeola further expressed his satisfaction with the crowd at the rally and urged party members and supporters to ensure a massive turnout at the polls to secure victory for APC candidates in different seats.

Senator Yayi also dismissed speculations of a tactical voting arrangement with any other political party and urged APC members and supporters to vote for the ruling party in all the ballots for the different races.

Governor Abiodun, while reiterating the two million votes target, said the APC’s internal organisational strength and that of external support groups like Caucus 7202 would enable the party to win convincingly in the 2027 elections.

Governor Abiodun, who is the APC Ogun East Senatorial Candidate, touted the “political experience and sagacity” of Senator Yayi, describing the governorship candidate as a politician “who is a good manager of resources and human beings”.

The Ogun State Governor expressed confidence that Senator Yayi, if elected governor, will ensure continuity in governance and completion of inherited projects and programmes.

Governor Abiodun, while noting that he was the first governor in the history of Ogun State to successfully chart his party’s succession plan, said the election of Senator Adeola would bring about “economic stability and advance the cause of the common man”.

Similarly, the Ogun State APC Chairman, Chief Yemi Sanusi, asked the APC members and support groups to deepen and expand their outreach and mobilisation efforts in their respective communities, wards, and local government areas to ensure the party’s victory in the 2027 polls. Chief Sanusi noted that the ruling party, despite its dominance, cannot afford to be complacent or rest on its oars as the general election draws near.

He also set a target for President Tinubu to win at least 80% of the presidential election votes in Ogun State.

The Director-General of Caucus 7202, Hon. Olaseni Koiki, appreciated Governor Abiodun for his administration of the state government over the last 7 years. He noted that Caucus 7202 was the first political group which asked Governor Abiodun to contest for the Senate in 2025, and expressed fulfilment that the call was answered.

Koiki said Caucus 7202, with its 180,000-strong membership, would work for the election victory of all APC candidates, and announced a target for the group to deliver 400,000 votes for the ruling party in the general elections.

Also in attendance at the Caucus 7202 mega rally were former deputy governors of Ogun State, Senator Adegbenga Sefiu Kaka and Chief Yetunde Onanuga; a former lawmaker representing Ogun East Senatorial District, Senator Lekan Mustapha; a former Deputy Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon. Tola Banjo; the APC House of Representatives Candidate for the Ijebu Central Federal Constituency, Hon. Rasaq Daddah, members of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon. Lukman Adeleye and Hon. Bakare Omolola, among other dignitaries.

LAGOS — Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has declared a “state of emergency” on waste management in the state, citing mounting pressure on waste collection and the growing menace of indiscriminate dumping across the metropolis.

The governor, however, unveiled short-, medium- and long-term measures aimed at clearing the current backlog of waste and improving the state’s waste management system.

Sanwo-Olu, who spoke on Wednesday during an inspection tour of the Olusosun dump site in Ojota, Lagos, said the intervention became necessary following weeks of slow waste turnaround and what he described as uncoordinated advocacy.

The governor was accompanied by his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat; Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab; and other senior government officials.

“What we are seeing at Olusosun is a typical sight of the challenge. We are here to see what the problem is and to clearly declare a small state of emergency so that we can get out of this very unpleasant situation,” Sanwo-Olu said.

He disclosed that the state government, in partnership with development partner Zoomlion, was constructing two new 2,400-metric-tonne Transfer Loading Stations at Olusosun and Solu 3 in Alimosho Local Government Area.

According to him, the facilities would receive compacted waste before transferring it to two Material Recovery Sites under construction at Oke Osho in Epe and Erikitte in Badagry.

“Each transfer station is designed to handle about 500 trucks per day. With the transfer loading stations, waste will be compacted and eventually taken to a material recovery site where it will be further sorted and broken into other uses,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu projected that physical development on the facilities would become visible by the end of the year, while full operations were expected between the first and second quarters of 2027.

For immediate relief, he said the state planned to increase the capacity of the Olusosun facility from between 250 and 350 trucks daily to between 350 and 450 trucks by increasing the number of tipping points from two or three to four or five.

He added that road stabilisation work was underway at Solu 3, with grading expected to be completed within two to three weeks to allow continued waste reception.

Similar stabilisation work, he said, was planned for Iwulepe in Ikorodu and Oke Osho in Epe.

“We are hoping that before the end of next month, or in another six weeks, we will have four active dump sites: Olusosun, Solu 3, Iwulepe, and Oke Osho in Epe. And also a fifth one in Badagry, Erikitte,” the governor said

He explained that the additional disposal points would help reduce truck turnaround time, which could currently take as long as 12 hours, to only a few hours by providing closer disposal options.

160 new compactors coming

On waste collection, Sanwo-Olu disclosed that the state government had ordered 160 new compactor trucks, with shipment expected to commence soon.

“Landfill compactors for on-site compaction are also being procured,” he added.

The governor said Zoomlion and Private Sector Participants, PSPs, would also procure additional trucks, while the state government would work with the operators to develop financing models that would enable them to expand their operations sustainably

The Chairman of the PSP Association, who joined the inspection tour, also agreed to a membership audit aimed at identifying inactive operators.

The state government said although about 800 PSPs were registered, only an estimated 400 were effectively operating.

“We don’t want to have 800 PSPs when it is actually only 400 that are effective,” an official said, adding that the exercise would create room for new investors.

Sanwo-Olu also appealed to residents and tenement occupiers to pay for waste collection services.

“Lagosians in particular, we just want service. We don’t want to pay for this service. I think this era has to stop. It’s so unfair to see people rendering service and people are not paying them,” he said.

He said the monthly sanitation exercise, launched four months ago, as well as ongoing advocacy campaigns, would be better coordinated.

According to the governor, the combination of new equipment, additional disposal sites, transfer stations and reforms in the PSP system was designed to address the state’s waste generation, disposal and conversion challenges in the long term.

Indiscriminate dumping

Sanwo-Olu also warned residents against indiscriminate disposal of refuse, announcing tougher enforcement measures against offenders.

He said environmental officers would monitor both PSP operators and residents, adding that offenders could face prosecution before mobile and public courts.

The governor said residents could not justify dumping refuse on roads, highways or drainage channels simply because a PSP operator failed to arrive at their homes within 24 hours.

He also disclosed plans to restructure and reinforce the operations of the Lagos Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, with a view to deploying more personnel to field operations.

“Waste is outside on the street; it’s not in their offices,” Sanwo-Olu said, insisting that the agency must become more operationally responsive.

The governor acknowledged the government’s responsibility for addressing the current challenges but noted that Lagos’ rapid population growth was putting increasing pressure on existing waste management infrastructure.

He said the volume of waste generated in the state continued to rise with its population, stressing that government, residents and waste operators all had roles to play in tackling the problem.

Sanwo-Olu assured residents that the government would continue to monitor the situation and implement measures aimed at restoring a cleaner and more efficient waste management system across Lagos.

The company said the initiative was part of a broader plan to transform its conventional retail outlets into modern energy and mobility hubs offering petrol, electric vehicle charging, liquefied petroleum gas, compressed natural gas and other services.

The Executive Vice President, Downstream, NNPC Limited, Mumuni Dagazau, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja while speaking at the commissioning of a technology-driven service station with an electric vehicle charging facility.

The mega station is located along Bill Clinton Drive, Airport Road, Abuja.

Dagazau said the newly commissioned station was the first of several smart outlets to be introduced nationwide, adding that the concept was aimed at moving beyond traditional petrol retailing to provide customers with multiple energy and mobility services at a single location.

He said, “This is the first of many smart stations that we are going to have around the country. What the whole concept is, we are trying to turn from a filling station to an energy hub, and we are rolling out a lot of stations. I think even in Abuja, for this type of station, we have about four or five. We have another two that we’re launching out in Kano. This sort of smart stations that we’re doing.

“We are hoping to roll out a significant number, probably about 50 to 70 of these types of stations within the next six months. So this is what you’ll be seeing going forward from NNPC.

So what you see here is that we are using all sorts of energy available to us, including EV, electric energy. We are going to be using gas; we are going to be using petrol. So it’s a centre where you can come, and we are going to be calling it our energy hub.”

The new model will allow customers to dispense petrol themselves, including at night, through a digital payment system, although attendants will remain at the stations to assist customers.

Dagazau dismissed concerns that the introduction of self-service pumps would result in job losses, arguing that the expanded services would require more workers to operate and support the technology.

“Well, you saw all of the pumps have attendants. So I really don’t know what they’re talking about when it comes to jobs. What NNPC does is create jobs. What this does is create a job.

“You have an energy hub today. If you look at the average filling station and you look at the energy hub, you’ll find more people in the energy hub than you would find in the filling stations, right? So what we are doing is creating jobs for that. Somebody has to support the integration.

“Somebody has to support the automation. The EVs, we have to be here to support people. So nothing really changes for us. What we’re doing is just what the delivery to the customer is. The guarantee, the comfort of the customer, that’s really what we’re after. That’s what the smart delivery is all about.”

The Executive Director, Retail Operations and Mobility, NNPC Limited, Shettima Baba-Kukawa, said the Abuja station had a storage capacity of 180,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit and 45,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil.

The facility has 16 PMS pumps, two AGO pumps and six electric vehicle charging points installed in partnership with African Motor Works. It is powered entirely by solar energy through a system with a capacity of more than 200 kilowatts.

Baba-Kukawa said the outlet would also feature a quick-service restaurant, coffee shop, automated car wash, modern service bay and LPG dispensing facilities, while CNG and a vehicle conversion centre were also planned.

He said, “The station is going to run 24 hours. And it is fully self-service. So for customers who want to trust themselves and dispense themselves, they can actually do that. Transactions are done on their phone app and concluded by dispensing the exact amount of fuel they purchased into their tanks.”

Despite the digital system, he said customers unable to use the application would not be excluded, as staff would be available to assist them.

Dagazau also disclosed that NNPC had begun plans to modernise its existing stations, stressing that the company was responding to changing customer expectations.

He said, “We’re going to modernise our station. That’s the word that we’re going to say.

“You don’t want to be going into the same station every day, every day, every day. You are demanding, so our modernisation is a demand from what the customer wants. The customer deserves a better quality of service, and we are delivering that quality of service.”

He said the company hoped that most of its stations would eventually adopt the new model, although the pace would depend on customer demand and the investment required.

The Managing Director, NNPC Retail, Huub Stokman, said the transformation was necessary as the downstream petroleum market evolved following deregulation and the commencement of operations at the Dangote Refinery.

He said consumers were increasingly demanding quality products, competitive prices, faster services, digital payments and alternative energy options such as EV charging and CNG.

“Above all, especially the younger generation, they want us to deliver it sustainably, hence the fact that you also see that this station is completely solar-powered,” Stokman said.

In a goodwill message at the commissioning, the Comptroller-General, Nigeria Immigration Service, KN Nandap, commended NNPC for combining conventional fuel retailing with electric vehicle charging and other modern services.

Nandap said the facility reflected Nigeria’s growing adoption of technology, cleaner energy and smart mobility, adding that such investments could create opportunities for employment, skills development and industrial growth.

The development comes as Nigeria’s downstream sector undergoes significant changes, with deregulation, increased domestic refining capacity and the emergence of alternative fuels reshaping how petroleum products are sold and consumed.

NNPC said its smart-station programme was intended to position its retail network for the changing market by combining conventional fuel sales with cleaner energy, digital services and other consumer-focused offerings

Lionel Messi has reached a preliminary agreement to become majority shareholder of Spanish second-tier club Eldense, days after ending his Argentina international career.

According to the BBC, Eldense confirmed the agreement with Messi for the acquisition of shares currently owned by Grupo TH Soluciones, which would make the 39-year-old majority shareholder.

The transaction remains subject to legal and contractual procedures, including due diligence and approval from Spain’s National Sports Council (CSD).

The proposed takeover would make Eldense the second Spanish club Messi has invested in after he acquired fifth-tier Catalan side Cornella in April.

Messi recently retired from international football after Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final, bringing his illustrious career with the national team to an end.

Eldense are currently 20th in La Liga 2 with two points from four matches and parted ways with coach Claudio Barragan earlier this week.

The club, based in Alicante, have risen through Spain’s lower divisions and have competed in the second tier in three of the past four seasons.

Messi left Argentina for Spain at 13 and made his Barcelona first-team debut at 17 in 2004. He went on to score a club-record 672 goals in 778 appearances for the Catalan giants before moving to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 and Inter Miami in 2023.

His move into Spanish club ownership follows a growing trend among high-profile football figures. Former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique’s Kosmos group owns second-tier Andorra, while Real Madrid forwards Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe are part of investment groups holding majority stakes in clubs in Portugal and France.

Messi’s former Real Madrid rival Cristiano Ronaldo also owns a 25% stake in Spanish side Almeria.

ABUJA — The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, has threatened to sanction companies awarded flare gas sites under the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme, NGFCP, if they fail to make significant progress towards developing and utilising the sites.

The Commission Chief Executive, Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, disclosed this in Abuja during a working visit to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo.

A statement by the Commission’s Head of Corporate Communications and Media, Eniola Akinkuotu, said Eyesan presented an update on the implementation of the NGFCP during the visit.

She explained that the Commission evaluates the performance of awardees one year after an award is granted to determine whether sufficient progress has been made towards developing and utilising the flare gas sites.

“One year after an award has been granted, the Commission conducts an evaluation to determine whether there has been considerable progress,” Eyesan said.

“Where there is insufficient progress, the Commission will take appropriate regulatory action, including revocation of the award where necessary,” she added.

Eyesan said the NGFCP had continued to record progress despite initial resistance from some operators.

According to her, 43 flare gas sites were initially identified for award under the programme, with 27 sites successfully awarded and implementation efforts ongoing.

The NGFCP is aimed at commercialising gas currently being flared by oil and gas operators, reducing routine gas flaring and creating economic value from the country’s gas resources.

Eyesan said Nigeria currently had more than 215 trillion cubic feet, TCF, of proven natural gas reserves, with an estimated total reserve base of about 600 TCF.

She said the country’s abundant gas resources provided a strong foundation for power generation, industrialisation, exports and broader economic development.

The NUPRC boss also highlighted progress in implementing the Host Community Development Trust framework established under the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA.

She said the framework was designed to address longstanding concerns in oil-producing communities and ensure that petroleum resources contributed to sustainable development.

According to Eyesan, available data showed that the implementation of the trusts had contributed to reductions in oil theft and oil spills, while improving relationships between oil and gas operators and host communities.

“To date, 173 Host Community Development Trusts have been incorporated, 147 have been funded, over 1,001 projects are currently ongoing, while more than 200 projects have been successfully commissioned across host communities,” she said.

In his remarks, Ekpo called for deliberate and aggressive implementation of the country’s gas commercialisation programme to enable Nigeria meet its 2030 target of ending routine gas flaring.

The minister said the country could no longer afford to waste its gas resources through flaring, urging stakeholders to convert the resources into products and services capable of driving economic development.

“The core objective is to add value to our gas resources by converting them into critical products and services. We must move away from environmental pollution and toward productive resource utilisation,” Ekpo said.

Hafsat Abubakar, the woman arrested over the alleged creation and circulation of a forged document falsely suggesting that fintech company OPay was shutting down its operations, has said she deleted the post and publicly apologised after the company issued a notice describing it as fake.

Abubakar disclosed this while speaking to journalists while being paraded at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, saying she was arrested five days after apologising following a petition by OPay.

She said, “When I saw the notice immediately after they made it, I deleted the post immediately and rendered an apology on the same day. They gave me an hour to take it down and apologise before 11:59pm on August 31, and I did. I took the post down around 8pm and made an apology before 11pm.

“After I apologised, about five days later, which was on September 4, I was arrested by the Nigeria Police at home. When I asked what my offence was, they said OPay had filed a petition against me and that they were also investigating the case, so I had to come to Abuja with them from Zaria, Kaduna State.”

She added, “OPay posted a notice on their official pages. I saw the OPay notice on Twitter, so I saw the post where they mentioned my name and my handle, @HAIFAH_ER_ABBA. That was where they called my attention on Twitter to take it down and render a public apology, which I made the same day.

“I told them that I never knew the information was false. That was why I posted it on my page, and I regretted any inconvenience caused by spreading the false information.”

Asked whether she resisted deleting the post or issuing the apology, Abubakar said, “No, there wasn’t.”

She advised Nigerians to verify information before posting or resharing content on social media.

My advice to the whole of Nigeria is to first verify before posting anything, either posting or resharing. We have to verify it and stop posting,” she stated.

PUNCH Online had reported that the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre arrested Abubakar over the circulation of a fake notice claiming that OPay Digital Services Limited had shut down its operations.

The NPF-NCCC said Abubakar was arrested on September 4, 2026, after its operatives traced the false notice to an X account linked to her.

Speaking during a press briefing on Wednesday in Abuja, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, said operatives of the NPF-NCCC commenced digital forensic analysis and online tracing after the notice was circulated.

The exercise, according to the police spokesperson, was aimed at establishing the source of the notice and identifying those responsible for its dissemination.

He said that the investigation subsequently traced the publication to the X handle @HAIFAH_ER_ABBA, which was linked to Abubakar.

Iniedu stated that Abubakar was subsequently arrested by operatives of the NPF-NCCC.

The Kwara State Government has approved the implementation of the 2025 promotion exercise for workers in the mainstream of the state civil service and the 2024 and 2025 promotion exercises for employees of agencies, parastatals and media houses.

According to a memo issued on Thursday by the Acting Head of Service, Dr Olufunke Shittu, the approvals take effect from September 1, 2026.

Shittu said the decision followed the completion of the necessary processes by the Civil Service Commission and the affected establishments, as well as approval by the state Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

She stated that the approval for workers in agencies, parastatals and media houses covered the 2024 and 2025 promotion exercises, following the conclusion of the required processes and assessment of the financial implications.

The approval provides for the implementation of the 2024 and 2025 promotions for Agencies, Parastatals and Media Houses,” the Acting Head of Service stated.

She added that the government had also approved the implementation of the 2025 promotion exercise for workers in the mainstream of the state civil service.

According to her, the financial benefits arising from the 2025 promotion for mainstream civil servants would be paid with effect from September 1, 2026.

Shittu said the approvals were part of measures by the AbdulRazaq administration to improve the welfare of workers in the state public service.

“The approvals are part of the proactive measures of the present administration towards strengthening the welfare of workers in the employ of the State Government,” she said.

She further said the development would motivate workers, improve productivity and strengthen career progression within the state public service.

The Acting Head of Service appreciated the state government for what she described as its continued commitment to workers’ welfare and career development.

The National Orientation Agency has rejected the allegation by the National Association of Nigerian Students that it is overreaching its mandate by championing the proposed National Learner Identification Number.

The Agency said its involvement in the LIN initiative was limited to communicating government policies and programmes to Nigerians, stressing that it was neither the originator nor the implementing agency of the proposed identification system.

The PUNCH reports that NANS was reacting to a statement by the National Association of Nigerian Students, which rejected the LIN, describing it as an unnecessary duplication of the National Identification Number.

The students’ body, through its President, Akinteye Afeez, had accused the NOA of exceeding its responsibilities, arguing that the agency’s mandate was to promote communication between the government and citizens rather than introduce a new identification system.

The students’ body called on the Federal Government to suspend the introduction and implementation of the LIN, insisting that the NIN already provided a unique means of identification for Nigerians.

However, the Director-General of the NOA, Lanre Issa-Onilu, in a statement on Thursday, said the agency was neither the originator nor the implementing body for the LIN initiative.

Issa-Onilu explained that the agency’s involvement was limited to communicating government policies, programmes and activities to Nigerians, as well as facilitating engagement between the government and citizens.

He said the NOA’s mandate covered government policies and programmes generally and was not restricted to initiatives formulated or implemented by the agency.

“As the primary government agency for public orientation, NOA works across Ministries, Departments and Agencies to ensure that citizens receive accurate and understandable information about government policies, programmes and activities,” he said.

The DG said there was a clear distinction between policy formulation, implementation and communication, stressing that the relevant authorities remained responsible for the LIN initiative.

According to him, the NOA’s role is to explain the policy to Nigerians while providing platforms for citizens to express their views, concerns and reactions.

He said the approach was consistent with the agency’s renewed public engagement strategy, particularly its “Pulse of the Nation” initiative, which collates citizens’ opinions and communicates them to the government.

Issa-Onilu said the agency recognised NANS as a key stakeholder and agreed that students should have a voice in policies affecting them.

He, however, stressed that communicating a government policy did not amount to formulating, imposing or implementing it.

Issa-Onilu, therefore, urged NANS and other stakeholders to properly distinguish between the responsibilities of the institution driving a government policy and that of the Agency mandated to communicate such policies to the public,” the statement added.

The NOA boss said the agency remained open to discussions with NANS and students on the LIN and its relationship with the NIN.

He added that such engagement was part of the NOA’s responsibility as a bridge between the government and citizens and did not constitute an overreach of its mandate.

The Federal Government has announced the removal of data costs for millions of Nigerian students accessing approved educational platforms in a major digital education intervention aimed at making learning resources more accessible to learners across the country.

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Thursday at the launch of the Initiative for Zero-Rated Access to Educational Platforms and Content in Nigeria, saying the intervention would help ensure that the cost of internet connectivity did not determine who could access quality education.

Alausa said the initiative, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, was designed to break one of the barriers limiting the expansion of digital learning in Nigeria.

According to him, “This initiative goes beyond connectivity. It is about putting learning within reach of children who may otherwise be unable to afford the data required to access it.”

The minister said poverty, geography and limited access to conventional educational infrastructure should not prevent Nigerian learners from accessing educational opportunities.

He explained that a mobile phone, tablet or computer could serve as a classroom, library and gateway to opportunities when the cost of accessing educational content was removed.

The intervention comes against the backdrop of Nigeria’s persistent education crisis and a widening digital divide that has left many children and young people without reliable access to learning opportunities.

UNICEF has reported that millions of Nigerian children remain out of school, while access to digital learning is constrained by inadequate connectivity, electricity and digital literacy, particularly in rural communities.

The situation has made the cost and availability of data an important consideration as the government and development partners increasingly turn to digital platforms to supplement conventional classrooms.

Nigeria has previously introduced zero-rated access to some educational content. UNICEF has reported that data costs were removed for users accessing the Nigeria Learning Passport through whitelisting on an Airtel SIM, while connectivity was also extended to schools in hard-to-reach communities.

The Nigeria Learning Passport was developed by the Federal Government, UNICEF and other partners to provide digital curriculum content to learners and teachers and expand access to education beyond the conventional classroom.

Against this background, Alausa said the latest intervention was part of a broader effort to transform the education sector through digitalisation under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative.

He said the Federal Ministry of Education was strengthening the management and delivery of education through initiatives including the Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure, Digital Nigeria Education Management Information System and Learner Identification Number.

However, Alausa stressed that the success of the government’s digital reforms would ultimately be measured by their impact on learners.

The real measure of digital transformation would be its ability to reach the learner and improve the quality of education,” he said.

The minister also announced plans for regulated internet access for children below the age of 16 as part of measures to strengthen child protection online.

Alausa said the increasing use of digital platforms by children made it necessary for the government and other stakeholders to address threats in the online environment, including cyberattacks and other forms of harm.

He said, “At some point, there would be regulated internet access for every child below the age of 16 years as part of measures to strengthen online child protection.”

The announcement adds a child-protection dimension to the government’s digital education agenda, with Alausa stressing that expanding access to technology must be accompanied by measures to safeguard children.

He further called for sustained collaboration among the Federal Ministry of Education, state governments, the Nigerian Communications Commission, telecommunications operators, technology companies, development partners, educational institutions and teachers.

The minister said Nigeria must move beyond producing young people who merely consume technology to developing a generation capable of creating technology, innovating and solving problems.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Communications, Peter Akpatason, commended the initiative, describing the high cost of data as one of the major barriers to learning in the digital age.

Akpatason said the House of Representatives remained committed to policies and legislative measures that would leverage technology to bridge the education gap, particularly for learners in underserved and hard-to-reach communities.

Similarly, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Senator Mohammed Muntari Dandutse, stressed the need to ensure that no Nigerian child was left behind in accessing knowledge and educational opportunities.

Dandutse commended the telecommunications industry for its contributions to education, including corporate social responsibility initiatives aimed at supporting children and expanding access to learning.

The initiative comes as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to digitise Nigeria’s education system, improve learner identification and strengthen the management of education data.

Alausa assured that the Ministry of Education would continue working with the NCC, state governments, telecommunications operators, educational institutions and development partners to ensure that the zero-rated access initiative translated into lasting benefits.

He said the government’s goal was to build an education system where “geography does not determine a child’s future, poverty does not close the door to knowledge,” and every Nigerian learner had an opportunity to realise their full potential.

The commission also confirmed the payment of the naira equivalent of $50,000 to each of the team’s officials.

The accounts of the players and officials were credited on September 9, 2026, with the NSC saying all recipients had confirmed receipt of the funds.

D’Tigress won the FIBA Women’s Afrobasket title for a record fifth consecutive time and seventh overall in 2025.

The commission said the payment completed all components of the rewards promised to members of the team by President Bola Tinubu.

In a statement signed by its Director of Information and Public Relations, Kehinde Ajayi, on Wednesday, the NSC said the Presidential Rewards comprised three-bedroom flats in Abuja, national honours of the Order of the Niger and the cash payments.

“With the payment, the entire presidential rewards promised to each member of the team by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR comprising a 3-Bedroom flat in Abuja, national honours of OON and Naira equivalent of $USD 100,000 to players and $USD 50,000 to officials have been fully redeemed and completed,” the statement said.

The commission recalled that the players and officials received the title documents for their three-bedroom apartments in Abuja and certificates of national honours in February 2026 during the FIBA World Cup qualifiers in Lyon, France.

The NSC said the documents were duly signed by Tinubu.

It added that the cash payment followed the team’s participation in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Germany.

The commission also disclosed that the Super Falcons, who were similarly promised Presidential Rewards, had received title documents for their three-bedroom apartments in Abuja and certificates of national honours.

It said the Falcons received the documents during the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco in July and August 2026, adding that the cash component of their reward was expected to be paid before their next official engagements.

The commission said the Super Falcons were promised the same cash rewards of the naira equivalent of $100,000 for each player and $50,000 for each official.

It said the rewards were part of the Federal Government’s effort to prioritise the welfare of Nigerian athletes.

The statement said, “This unprecedented rewards to the players and athletes by the Federal Government of Nigeria is in alignment with the Renewed Hope initiative and Shared Prosperity agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR which places athletes’ welfare and appropriate rewards top on the priority list.”

The commission thanked Tinubu for his support for Nigerian sports, saying his policies had given impetus to its reform agenda and efforts to develop a sustainable sports economy.

It also appreciated the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, the Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation for their collaboration in implementing the rewards.

The NSC said the collaboration ensured that the Presidential Rewards were implemented “in record time within the due process requirements.”

A stampede after a fire broke out in a school in the eastern DR Congo city of Bukavu has killed at least 14 children, local and health sources said on Thursday.

A blaze of “unknown” origins began near a school in the Bagira district on the city’s northern outskirts early on Thursday “while the children were in the middle of class”, local leader Patrice Buduge told AFP.

“This was followed by a violent stampede that forced students to trample over one another or look for a dangerous way out; many of them fainted and others lost consciousness,” he said.

He said the provisional toll was “more than 500 homes burned and 27 deaths”.

AFP was not able to independently verify the toll with other official sources.

“We received around 50 students, including several teachers, in a critical state of asphyxia,” said Christophe Zigashane, a nurse in a neighbouring clinic.

“Among them, 10 were dead and four others died at the scene. That makes a total of 14 deaths, all under 10 years old,” he said.

He said that 27 people including two teachers had been transferred in a critical state to other hospitals in the city.

Large columns of smoke were still visible around the site of the fire at midday on Thursday, an AFP correspondent saw.

The fire devastated a wide, densely built area on a hillside where residents were making their way through the debris of charred houses, strewn with crumpled sheets of metal.

Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, is controlled by the M23 anti-governmental group, which has seized large swathes of eastern DRC.

The city lies on the shores of Lake Kivu and is known for its wooden plank houses built on hillsides.

AFP

The United States Africa Command disclosed this in a post shared on X on Thursday.

AFRICOM said the equipment was delivered by a US Air Force C-17 aircraft over the weekend under a foreign military sales agreement between the two countries.

The command said the delivery was aimed at further strengthening the partnership between the US and Nigeria and supporting the country’s counter-terrorism efforts.

PARTNERSHIP IN ACTION: A US Air Force C-17 delivers equipment to the Nigerian Air Force this weekend.

“The equipment is part of a foreign military sales agreement that furthers the US-Nigerian partnership and will aid in Nigeria’s efforts to counter terrorism in the region,” AFRICOM stated.

The delivery comes amid ongoing efforts by the Nigerian military to tackle terrorism and other security threats across the country.

The US has continued to support Nigeria’s security efforts through military cooperation, training and the supply of defence equipment.

The Social Democratic Party has said it remains focused and organised ahead of the 2027 general elections, declaring its readiness to contest all elective positions across the country.

The National Chairman of the party, Prof. Sadiq Gombe, stated this at the National Convention in Abuja on Wednesday, saying that the gathering demonstrated the party’s resilience despite the challenges it had faced.

“We have faced obstacles at almost every turn, and we remain focused. Today we demonstrate that the Social Democratic Party remains organised, strong and united,” he said.

Gombe said the party would field candidates for the presidency, 109 Senate seats, 360 House of Representatives seats, 28 governorships and 1,015 state Houses of Assembly seats.

“No individual is bigger than the party,” he added.

He disclosed that party officials were already being trained across the six geopolitical zones to strengthen the SDP’s structures and improve its grassroots mobilisation.

“We must engage Nigerians with humility, integrity and sincerity of purpose. We must mobilize our youth and women,” Gombe stated.

According to him, the party’s alternative agenda was built around four key pillars: security, productive employment, social justice and accountable governance.

Gombe also pointed to the unveiling of the policy document by the party’s presidential ticket of Prince Adewole Adebayo and Dr Usman Bugaje as evidence of the SDP’s preparedness to govern.

Speaking at the convention, Adebayo blamed poor leadership for the country’s persistent poverty despite its abundant natural resources.

“God gave Nigeria wealth, leaders gave poverty,” he said.

The presidential candidate said Nigeria had no justification to remain poor given its oil, gas and mineral resources.

He recalled the SDP’s origin during the Babangida era and its victory in the 1993 presidential election with the late MKO Abiola.

“That mandate was denied. The poverty we set out to defeat has grown and consumed another generation,” he stated.

Adebayo argued that Nigeria was richer in natural resources than many countries combined.

Some countries in Europe and Asia would exchange themselves for Nigeria. We have more oil and gas than entire continents. God did not make a mistake creating Nigeria,” he said.

He said Nigeria’s crisis was not caused by a lack of resources but by poor leadership.

“You can hijack an office without being a leader. What Nigeria needs is leadership that listens and serves,” he noted.

Adebayo further distinguished the SDP from other political parties, saying its primary objective was to fix the country and provide Nigerians with responsible leadership.

“The only thing we share with other parties is INEC. We are here for one reason: to fix the country and give Nigerians a government they can be proud of,” Adebayo said.

He also called for the election of National Assembly members who would work with an SDP-led government and directed party leaders to begin door-to-door campaigns ahead of the 2027 elections.

Our mission is simple: farewell to poverty and insecurity. Let us stamp our generation’s name in history,” he added.

Speaking on behalf of the governorship candidates, former Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, who is also the SDP governorship candidate in Nasarawa State, urged party leaders to take the campaign to the grassroots.

He called on supporters and state chairmen to mobilise voters in their communities ahead of the elections.

“Victory in 2027 will depend on the party’s ability to connect directly with voters at the grassroots and deliver the SDP message of ending poverty and insecurity,” he said.

Also speaking, Oba Olaitan Oladipo, who represented Afenifere at the convention, warned against social class barriers that he said were pushing young Nigerians into desperation.

The monarch said exclusion could fuel crime, noting that young people were taking significant risks to survive.

“If you don’t belong to that class, you become a target. Young men are staking their lives and their families in business just to survive,” he said.

Oba Oladipo urged Nigerians to speak openly about their concerns rather than complain privately.

“If you are talking, someone will listen. When you speak out, they know where you stand,” he stated.

Nigerian businessman and Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Tony Elumelu, has shared an old business card from his early career, recalling the lessons he learnt while working as a photocopier salesperson.

Elumelu shared a photograph of the business card in a post on X on Thursday, saying it brought back memories of his days as a young and ambitious sales representative.

He said his early experience taught him the importance of resilience, negotiation and grit, adding that the lessons continued to influence how he approached business and interacted with customers.

“Stumbled upon my old business card from my early days as a photocopier salesperson

It brought back memories of being a young, hungry sales rep, learning the fundamentals of resilience, negotiation, and grit. Those lessons have stayed with me over the years and continue to shape how I approach business and engage with customers today,” he wrote.

The businessman said the card also reminded him that people’s future selves are often shaped by the foundation they lay in their early years.

It’s also a reminder that who you become tomorrow is often shaped by the foundation you lay today; the discipline, hard work, and consistency you put in when no one is watching,” he added.

Elumelu encouraged his followers to remain committed to learning and execution.

“Keep showing up. Keep learning. Keep executing,” he said.

The business card pictured in the post identifies Elumelu as a “Sales Executive” at Precissa Sales Limited, with an address on Bode Thomas Street, Surulere, Lagos, and a telephone number.

However, joking about the details on the old card, Elumelu noted that the phone number and address were no longer relevant.

“As for the phone number and address on the card? Long gone,” he wrote, followed by a laughing emoji.

Arsenal are closing in on a new long-term contract for manager Mikel Arteta, with negotiations understood to have made significant progress in recent weeks.

As reported by BBC Sport on Thursday, the club are increasingly confident that the Spaniard will extend his stay at the Emirates Stadium, despite his current agreement having just nine months remaining.

Arteta has already made his intentions clear, insisting there is little doubt over his desire to continue in north London.

“Everybody feels comfortable that the timing of the contract is not going to be an issue because my will certainly is to be here and I’m very happy here,” Arteta said.

My feeling from the club is the same one. That’s why everyone is doing things in a very organic way.”

Arsenal chief executive Richard Garlick has also played down concerns over the delay, describing the agreement as a “matter of time”.

Arteta is expected to become one of the highest-paid managers in world football once the new deal is signed. Arsenal are understood to have committed to substantially improving his current package, which is worth around £10 million per season, with a further £5 million available for Champions League qualification.

The Federal Government has said it will soon end the slaughtering of livestock in uncontrolled environments across the country as part of efforts to modernise the red meat industry and position Nigeria for the export market.

The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, disclosed this on Thursday in Kaduna at the official launch of Olam Agri’s TruValue Cattle Feed, a beef and dairy concentrate feed.

Maiha said the government had already commenced the development of modern abattoirs and would require animals destined for the market to pass through feedlots and meet prescribed standards before slaughter.

He said, “We are going to sustain the tempo to ensure that in the not too distant future, we will stop trading in live animals, and every slaughtered animal in this country must be done under the controlled environment of a modern abattoir.”

According to him, the government had already conducted groundbreaking ceremonies for two abattoirs and a mini abattoir in the Offa axis, while another facility under construction in Abuja would have the capacity to process 1,000 bulls and 3,000 small ruminants daily.

He explained that the development of feedlots, modern slaughter facilities, meat processing plants and cold-chain infrastructure would enable Nigeria to produce quality and traceable meat for both domestic consumption and export.

The minister said, “For them to meet the specification, these animals will have to pass through a feedlot—whether it’s a ram, a goat, a pig, a camel, or a bull. Standards have to be introduced, and this will be enforced.”

Maiha described the launch of TruValue as timely, saying availability of quality and affordable feed remained one of the major constraints to livestock productivity and a factor contributing to conflicts involving farmers and herders.

He said adequate feed supply throughout the year, whether through fodder, crop residue or concentrates, was critical to achieving peace, improving animal productivity and making livestock farming commercially viable.

“Feed remains one of the most significant constraints to livestock productivity in Nigeria. It is undoubtedly at the root cause of the current farmer-herder crisis in this country,” he said.

Maiha said balanced feed could improve weight gain, shorten finishing periods and increase profitability for farmers, particularly when combined with quality fodder, clean water and proper animal husbandry.

He also disclosed that Nigeria had potential buyers for its red meat from the Gulf, Middle East and Egypt, adding that the country must take advantage of the opportunity by improving production and quality standards.

“Today we have a lot of offtakers waiting for Nigerian red meat. I have met several potential offtakers from the Gulf, from the Middle East, including Egypt. And I do believe the African market too is going to rely on us ultimately,” he said.

The minister said the National Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy, approved by the National Economic Council, was designed to increase the livestock sector’s contribution from $32bn to $74bn within 10 years.

He added that the forthcoming Nigerian Livestock Economic Advancement Programme, N-LEAP, would create an ecosystem involving producers, financiers, insurers, breeders, aggregators and marketers.

Maiha also sought to dispel concerns over the Federal Government’s Livestock Development Centres, stressing that the initiative was not about taking land from states or communities.

He said states would determine the livestock value chains suitable for their ecological zones and voluntarily allocate land after stakeholder consultations.

“No government, nobody, least of all under this present regime, is going to take land from anybody. The states decide what they want to do,” he said.

Representing Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, the Special Assistant on Land Resources, Umar Ismail, described the launch as a potential turning point for Nigeria’s cattle feed industry.

Ismail said Olam Agri’s intervention in the livestock sector was aligned with the government’s ambition to transform livestock production into a major economic driver.

He said the company had invested $150m in Nigeria since entering the feed business nine years ago, with operations covering poultry and fish feed production.

According to him, the poultry industry had grown significantly since the company’s intervention, while the cattle sector remained largely traditional and was now ripe for transformation.

“But I think it is now ripe for an intervention. It is ripe for taking this big leap forward, organising itself, and becoming a powerhouse for future economic development for a lot of traditional farmers across different parts of the country, especially in Northern Nigeria.”

Earlier in his remarks, The Vice President, Agriculture, Olam Agri, Sameer Wadhera, has said, Nigeria would require 115 per cent more beef and 575 per cent more milk by 2050 to meet the demands of its projected population of nearly 400 million.

Sameer said Nigeria, which has about 24 million cattle, possessed the largest cattle herd in West Africa and the fourth largest in Africa, describing the livestock industry as a “sleeping giant” waiting to be awakened.

According to him, the projected population growth makes increased livestock productivity imperative if the country is to avoid depending increasingly on imports to bridge its protein deficit.

He said, “We are projected to have a population of close to 400 million by 2050. With this population increase, we will need to feed people, and we will need a minimum of 115 per cent more beef in the country, 575 per cent more milk in the country.”

OWERRI — First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has appealed to voters in the South-East to support the re-election of her husband, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in the 2027 presidential election.

The First Lady said she wanted to enjoy a better Nigeria in her old age, adding that both she and the President were working to improve the country.

Mrs Tinubu made the appeal on Wednesday in Owerri, Imo State capital, during her official visit to the South-East to empower women.

“Make una vote for Mr President, we go work for una and Nigeria go better.

“I want to enjoy Nigeria at old age, so I will work for Nigeria, for my old age,” she said.

The First Lady said the empowerment programme was being implemented through the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, and would benefit 18,500 women across the country when completed.

She said 500 women from each of the five South-East states would receive various items, including generators, industrial grinding machines, gas cylinders and ovens, to support their businesses.

However, she disclosed that Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, had provided additional empowerment items for 2,000 women in the state, bringing the total number of beneficiaries in Imo to 2,500.

In response to the governor’s gesture, Tinubu announced an additional N100,000 cash support for each beneficiary of the empowerment programme.

She said the initiative was designed to recognise the role of women in nation-building and economic development.

“Recognising the typical role women play in nation building, this is in line with the agenda of Mr President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which prioritises economic growth and sustainable development for all Nigerians, particularly women,” she said.

Tinubu urged the beneficiaries to use the resources judiciously to improve their livelihoods and support their families.

“Let it serve as a foundation for creating a better life for you and your family,” she said.

In his remarks, Governor Uzodimma commended the First Lady for her contributions to nation-building and her commitment to the welfare of Nigerians.

The governor said the people of Imo State appreciated what he described as the President’s performance and would support his re-election in 2027.

Uzodimma also commended the Federal Government for the empowerment programme, saying it was aimed at promoting the dignity and economic empowerment of women.

He said the people of Imo had observed the Federal Government’s infrastructural and developmental interventions in the state.

“Let him know that Imo people are happy with him, that we are happy with his performance. Let him know that he is doing very well, that we stand with him and that we deeply appreciate his resolute commitment to a stronger, more prosperous, safer and more united Nigeria,” Uzodimma said.

He pledged the support of the people of the state for President Tinubu in the 2027 election.

“I assure you that we will reciprocate this love. We will stand firmly behind our beloved President in January 2027. We will speak with one united, unequivocal voice to stand by those who have consistently stood by us,” he said.

The First Lady was also conferred with the chieftaincy title of Osodieme by the traditional institution in Imo State.

ABUJA — The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, has urged Nigerians to intensify preventive measures against Lassa fever ahead of the dry season, warning that cases typically increase between November and April.

The Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, gave the warning on Wednesday in Abuja at a national health security media briefing, stressing the need for early preparedness before the peak transmission period.

Idris said although Lassa fever occurs throughout the year, cases tend to increase during the dry season, making the period before the peak season critical for prevention and preparedness.

“Lassa fever occurs throughout the year, but cases tend to increase during the dry season, particularly between November and April. We are not yet in that peak period, and that gives us an important opportunity to act now,” he said.

The NCDC said findings from its After Action Review of the last Lassa fever outbreak showed persistent gaps in early care-seeking, infection prevention and control, environmental sanitation, state-level preparedness and the functionality of health facilities.

According to the agency, delays in seeking appropriate medical care, self-treatment and visits to multiple health facilities before Lassa fever was suspected contributed to challenges in managing cases.

It also identified infections among healthcare workers, particularly when health facilities were under pressure, as well as environmental and household risks associated with poor sanitation, unsafe food storage and exposure to rodents.

Idris said the findings underscored the need to strengthen the entire response chain, from prevention and early detection to diagnosis, referral and treatment.

He disclosed that the NCDC had developed an Accelerated Readiness Plan to guide preparedness activities ahead of the peak Lassa fever season.

Our approach during this period will be firmly grounded in One Health. Lassa fever cannot be prevented and controlled by the health sector acting alone. Health, Environment, Agriculture, Livestock, Local Governments and communities have distinct but complementary responsibilities,” he said.

According to him, the plan will focus on measures to be implemented between now and the peak season, with additional attention and resources directed to areas where available data indicate that the burden and risk are highest.

Under the plan, the agency said priority would be given to early detection and reporting of suspected cases, reducing exposure to rodents, promoting prompt care-seeking and ensuring healthcare workers can recognise, report and appropriately refer suspected cases.

It added that efforts would be made to ensure prompt transportation and testing of samples, as well as timely communication of results to healthcare providers.

The NCDC urged households to store food items such as rice, garri, beans and maize in tightly covered containers and avoid leaving food exposed to rodents.

It also advised Nigerians to seal openings through which rodents could enter homes, reduce clutter that provides hiding places for rodents and maintain clean surroundings through proper waste disposal.

The agency cautioned against handling rodents with bare hands or unnecessary contact with their urine, faeces and other body fluids.

It further advised people who develop fever or other symptoms, particularly those living in or travelling to areas where Lassa fever is endemic, to seek medical attention promptly.

“If you have treated what you believe to be malaria and your symptoms persist, please do not continue treating yourself at home. Seek appropriate medical attention,” the agency advised.

The NCDC also called on state and local governments, particularly those with recurrent Lassa fever transmission, to strengthen environmental sanitation, waste management, surveillance, laboratory referral systems and the readiness of designated treatment centres.

It urged health authorities to investigate every Lassa fever infection involving a healthcare worker, appropriately follow up exposed workers and promptly address identified gaps.

The agency urged healthcare workers to remain vigilant, saying: “THINK LASSA. PROTECT. REPORT. REFER.”

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has approved the appointment of Professor Ayodeji Olawunmi Badejo as the new Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University.

The appointment was announced in a statement issued by the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, on Wednesday.

According to the statement, Badejo, a professor of Guidance and Counselling, succeeds Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, whose five-year tenure has expired.

“Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has approved the appointment of Professor BADEJO Ayodeji Olawumi (Nee Faji) as Vice-Chancellor of the Lagos State University (LASU),” the statement said.

The statement added that Badejo was born on August 4, 1962, and obtained a PhD in Guidance and Counselling as well as a Master of Education degree in Guidance and Counselling from the University of Lagos.

“Prof. BADEJO Ayodeji Olawunmi, a Professor of Guidance and Counselling, was born on August 4, 1962.

“She obtained a Ph. D in Guidance and Counseling from the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and M. Ed. (Guidance and Counseling), UNILAG,” it stated.

Badejo takes over from Olatunji-Bello, who assumed office as the university’s Vice-Chancellor in September 2021.

Olatunji-Bello recently bowed out of office after five years, highlighting the achievements of her administration during her final convocation address.

She said LASU recorded a 96 per cent success rate in its first-year accreditation exercise, with 31 of the 37 programmes presented securing full accreditation.

She also disclosed that the university’s internally generated revenue increased from N3bn to N13bn during her tenure.

Olatunji-Bello described her administration’s tenure as one that transformed LASU into “the most subscribed university in Nigeria and the most digitally advanced among our peers.”

She said she was leaving behind “a university of proven excellence” after inheriting “a university of strong potential.”

The new Vice-Chancellor is expected to take charge of the institution following the expiration of Olatunji-Bello’s tenure.

Some residents of Edo State have called for the speedy completion of the Benin-Warri-Sapele road while commending both the federal and state governments for the work done so far.

The road, which deteriorated for over a decade, got the attention it needed after the swearing-in of Governor Monday Okpebholo, who took over the reconstruction of a large portion of the road with the approval of the Federal Government.

Some other parts of the road are also being handled by the Federal Government, which has brought some respite to motorists and commuters who use the road to connect Delta State.

However, due to the hardship experienced on the road in the past, the residents are now calling for the government to speed up the reconstruction to completely alleviate the suffering of road users on this route.

A driver, John Osa, told South-South PUNCHwhen the correspondent visited the bypass section of the road in Ogheghe that the government should put more effort into it so that the transportation of passengers and goods can improve.

He said, “I have been a driver on this road for over 15 years, and I have seen it go bad. I am excited that the road is being reconstructed. But the government must put more effort so that the work can be finished on time.

A motorcycle rider, Aliyu Dahiru, commended the state government for stepping in to save motorists and riders from hardship, saying they spent more money on the repair of their motorcycles and vehicles in the past.

A business owner, who identified herself simply as Joy, noted that if completed, closed shops would re-open and business would boom once again.

“This area used to be good for business, but the gradual decay of the road over the years has forced people to close their shops and relocate to other areas. I only just reopened my shop and the business is picking up gradually.

“I am sure that things will get better as soon as the reconstruction is completed. We thank the government responsible for the reconstruction of the road.”

However, a resident, Francis, who said that the time of travelling on the road has reduced, expressed hope that the inspection of the road by the Minister of Works, David Umahi, recently, would ensure its speedy completion.

“I am happy that the minister was here recently to inspect the road; it means that the federal government is interested in the completion of the road.

During the minister’s inspection, the NDDC announced that it would take over about 15.4 kilometres of the road and promised to work with the Edo and Delta states’ government officials to ensure seamless work for the people.