Year: 2025

Stop de-marketing your country, Umahi tells Nigerians

 

 

Minister of Works, David Umahi, has called on Nigerians at home and abroad to stop de-marketing the country, urging them to promote national unity, optimism, and patriotism.

 

Umahi, who stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Sunday, decried what he described as a growing culture of negativity and public condemnation of Nigeria.

 

“I feel so sad when people demarket the country both outside and inside Nigeria, cursing without knowledge.

 

“This is because a job is very easy when you are not the one doing it. Let there be a rethink.

“We are all journeying through this life, and there is a need to have lasting treasures beyond this life by putting Nigeria first, by being your brother’s keeper, by doing things with the fear of God.

 

“I wonder that when our people go outside the country, they suffer more; they pass through all kinds of humiliations and oppressions; they work sometimes for 19 hours, and they obey all the rules.

 

“But when they come here, they break all the rules. That is not good; let us have hope here. This is the only country you can make 100 per cent doing a job, whereas you can’t make more than 10 per cent outside the country,” he said.

 

According to him, there are lots of opportunities in Nigeria, stressing, however, that people would not see the light if they decided to close their eyes.

 

He urged Nigerians to be optimistic, forward-looking and have love for themselves because approaching issues with bitterness and being unappreciative would not do anybody any good.

 

“There is a saying that ‘forgiveness sets the captive free’, and when you are forgiven, you will find out that you were the captive.

 

“So let us work with the fear of God and support our government, and of course, engage in constructive criticism. Nigeria is great again.”

 

Umahi praised President Bola Tinubu’s resilience and commitment in the face of what he described as a terrible economic situation inherited from the previous administration.

He said that the president’s refusal to complain publicly was a mark of leadership courage.

 

Umahi said as a governor, he knew what the Tinubu administration inherited, explaining that everything became a priority for him, and the burden of debt became so terrible.

“In fact, when I saw the capital projects, I never knew that the debt servicing is drawn from the capital projects, and that is where the problem is.

 

“So there have been a lot of debts that are kept, and these debts were not used for infrastructure development; otherwise, it would have been a catalyst for development. So it is very important to know that what we inherited was so terrible.

 

“Everything became a priority, but we shall overcome this. Even our fuel was sold in advance, but it is a matter of courage, and that is why the president is not complaining, but we shall overcome it,” the minister said.

 

According to him, all the indices show that the reforms are ‘breathing very well,’ noting that inflation has dropped and that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth is over 4.23 per cent, while the foreign reserve has climbed over 42 per cent.

 

“So all the indices are breathing well, and the worst is over, by the words of the president, and the darkest part of the morning is the dawn. The macroeconomy is doing very well.

 

“Also, the commitment and infrastructure development are going to cure the seeming hunger because it is going to trickle down to macroeconomy, and that will be a win-win for this nation.

 

“For me, the president has taken back the nation for us. So forget about the noisemakers. They will always be people making noise, and I will suggest that our generation should also try to work even harder than our forefathers.

 

“Hard work pays; it is very, very important. Even the Bible professes that he that doesn’t work should not eat,” the minister stated.

 

(NAN)

Super Eagles arrive Uyo after aircraft scare

 

 

Nigeria’s Super Eagles have arrived safely in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, following an unexpected delay to their flight from South Africa caused by a technical fault, PUNCH Online reports.

 

The team, who are preparing for their decisive 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Benin Republic on Tuesday, touched down at the Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo, at 8:05 am on Sunday, according to team media officer Promise Efoghe.

 

“Finally, Super Eagles arrive in Uyo, Akwa Ibom. The team touched down at 8.05 a.m. Sunday morning,” Efoghe confirmed in a statement issued to the media.

 

A video later released by the team’s media department showed players and officials disembarking from the ValueJet aircraft, signalling the end of a tense and delayed journey that had begun in Polokwane, South Africa.

The Super Eagles had departed Polokwane late on Saturday, shortly after their match preparations in South Africa. However, what was meant to be a routine journey turned anxious when the ValueJet aircraft, which had earlier stopped in Luanda, Angola, for refuelling, developed a technical fault mid-air.

 

About 25 minutes after take-off, the pilot made an emergency U-turn back to Luanda after a loud crack appeared on the aircraft’s windscreen.

 

The Nigeria Football Federation confirmed in an official statement that the cracked windscreen forced the flight to return to Luanda, where all players, officials, and accompanying government delegates safely disembarked.

The federation noted that the incident occurred after a routine refuelling stop, with the pilot “guiding the airplane safely back to the airport in Luanda”.

 

Following the incident, the NFF disclosed that ValueJet Airline worked closely with relevant Nigerian government authorities, including the Ministers of Aviation and Foreign Affairs, and the Chief of Staff to the President, to secure flight permits for a replacement aircraft to continue the journey to Nigeria.

 

“The ValueJet Airline and the relevant Federal Government of Nigeria authorities are working assiduously to get the necessary overflying and landing permits for another aircraft to fly from Lagos, pick the delegation in Luanda, and fly them to Uyo,” the statement read.

 

The replacement aircraft eventually completed the journey on Sunday morning, ending nearly 12 hours of travel disruption for the team.

 

Eric Chelle’s men will now turn their attention to the all-important World Cup qualifier against the Benin Republic.

 

The match, scheduled for Tuesday at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, is a crucial one for Nigeria, who are aiming to seal qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a challenging qualifying campaign.

Trump, Al-Sisi to chair Gaza peace summit in Egypt

 

 

 

US President Donald Trump and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will on Monday chair a Gaza peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, also attended by world leaders, including the UN chief.

 

The gathering in the Red Sea resort town will bring together “leaders from more than 20 countries”, Sisi’s office said.

 

It will aim “to end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East, and usher in a new era of regional security and stability”.

 

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he will attend, as will Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni and Pedro Sanchez of Spain.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will also travel to Sharm el-Sheikh, according to their offices.

 

The European Council will be represented by its president, Antonio Costa, a spokesperson said.

“The plan offers a real chance to build a just and sustainable peace, and the EU is fully committed to supporting these efforts and contributing to its implementation,” the spokesperson added.

 

Jordan’s King Abdullah II is also expected to attend, according to state media.

 

There was no immediate word on whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would participate, while Hamas has said it will not take part.

 

Hossam Badran, a Hamas political bureau member, told AFP in an interview that the Palestinian militant group “will not be involved”.

 

Hamas “acted principally through… Qatari and Egyptian mediators” during previous talks on Gaza, he said.

 

AFP

Cameroon holds presidential poll with Biya poised for 8th term

 

 

Voting began Sunday as Cameroon holds presidential elections, which 92-year-old Paul Biya, the world’s oldest serving head of state, is expected to win, extending his already 43-year grip on power.

 

Biya faces 11 opponents, including former employment minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary, 79, who has generated unexpected enthusiasm among voters in the central African nation, where half the population is under 20.

 

Polling stations opened at 8:00 am and will close at 6:00 pm (0700 to 1700 GMT).

 

The eight million Cameroonians who are eligible to vote in the one-round election have, for the most part, only known one ruler in their lifetime.

Biya has been in power since 1982 and has won every election in the past 20 years by more than 70 percent of the ballot.

 

“We shouldn’t be naive. We know full well the ruling system has ample means at its disposal to get results in its favour,” Cameroonian political scientist Stephane Akoa told AFP.

 

But he said that the campaign in recent days had been “much livelier” than was usually the case at that stage.

 

“This poll is therefore more likely to throw up surprises,” he said.

 

Biya has kept his customary low profile during the campaign, appearing in public on Tuesday for the first time since May, looking visibly fit.

 

He held a rally in Maroua in the strategic Far North region, which has 1.2 million eligible voters and makes up the second largest voting bloc in the country.

 

For years, it was considered a Biya stronghold, but several former allies from the area are now running against him.

 

Youth vote

 

The 11 rival candidates have made numerous public appearances in recent weeks, each promising a new dawn for Cameroon in place of Biya’s entrenched hold on public life.

 

The president’s main rival, Bakary, also campaigned in the regional capital, Maroua, this week.

In stark contrast to Biya, whose appearance attracted a sparse crowd of just a few hundred people, Bakary was welcomed in the streets of his home region by thousands of supporters waving placards that hailed “Tchiroma the Saviour”.

 

Bakary—who resigned from the government in June to join the opposition after 20 years at Biya’s side—is the leading challenger after top opponent Maurice Kamto was barred from the race.

Kamto came second in the 2018 presidential election but was banned from standing this year by the Constitutional Council, a move that rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, said undermined the credibility of the electoral process.

 

Biya is only the second president Cameroon has had since its independence from France in 1960.

 

It is Central Africa’s most diversified economy, with an abundance of natural and agricultural resources.

 

However, around 40 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line, according to World Bank figures for 2024, and unemployment stands at 35 per cent in the major cities.

 

Young people hunger for change, Akoa said, but not yet to the point where they will take the risk of protesting en masse as in other countries in Africa and Asia.

 

‘Sign of change’

 

Cameroonians complain about the high cost of living, a lack of clean drinking water, healthcare and quality education.

 

But their frustrations remain confined to social media for the time being.

 

“Many young people intend to vote,” Akoa said.

 

“There is a positive sign of change, but perhaps not strong enough to bring young people out onto the streets, as we saw in Madagascar, Tunisia, and elsewhere.”

 

The government has authorised 55,000 local and international observers to monitor the vote, including representatives of the African Union.

 

The Constitutional Council has until October 26 to announce the final results.

But several internet platforms say they will compile the results independently, drawing criticism from the government, which says they are attempting to manipulate public opinion.

 

The vote takes place in the shadow of a conflict between separatist forces and the government that has plagued the English-speaking regions since 2016.

 

Turnout was particularly low in these areas in 2018.

 

AFP

Australian airline Qantas confirms data breach, 5.7 million customers affected

 

 

Australian airline Qantas said Sunday that data from 5.7 million customers stolen in a major cyberattack this year had been shared online, part of a leak affecting dozens of firms.

 

Disney, Google, IKEA, Toyota, McDonald’s, and fellow airlines Air France and KLM are also reported to have had data stolen in a cyberattack targeting software firm Salesforce, with the information now being held to ransom.

 

Salesforce said this month it was “aware of recent extortion attempts by threat actors”.

 

Qantas confirmed in July that hackers had targeted one of its customer contact centres, breaching a computer system used by a third party now known to have been Salesforce.

They secured access to sensitive information such as customer names, email addresses, phone numbers and birthdays, the blue-chip Australian company said.

 

No further breaches have taken place since, and the company is cooperating with Australian security services.

 

“Qantas is one of a number of companies globally that have had data released by cyber criminals following the airline’s cyber incident in early July, where customer data was stolen via a third-party platform,” the company said in a statement.

 

Most of the data leaked was names, email addresses and frequent flyer details, the firm said.

 

But some of the data included customers’ “business or home address, date of birth, phone number, gender and meal preferences”.

 

“No credit card details, personal financial information or passport details were impacted,” Qantas said.

 

It also said it had obtained a legal injunction with the Supreme Court of New South Wales, where the firm is headquartered, to prevent the stolen data from being “accessed, viewed, released, used, transmitted or published”.

 

Cybersecurity expert Troy Hunt told AFP that it would do little to prevent the spread of the data.

 

“It’s frankly ridiculous,” he said.

 

“It obviously doesn’t stop criminals at all anywhere, and it also really doesn’t have any effect on people outside of Australia.”

In response to questions about the leak, tech giant Google pointed AFP to an August statement in which it said one of its corporate Salesforce servers had been targeted. It did not confirm if the data had been leaked.

 

“Google responded to the activity, performed an impact analysis and has completed email notifications to the potentially affected businesses,” Melanie Lombardi, head of Google Cloud Security Communications, said.

 

Cybersecurity analysts have linked the hack to individuals with ties to an alliance of cybercriminals called Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters.

 

Research group Unit 42 said in a note that the group had “asserted responsibility for laying siege to customer Salesforce tenants as part of a coordinated effort to steal data and hold it for ransom”.

 

The hackers had reportedly set an October 10 deadline for ransom payment.

 

The hackers stole the sensitive data using a social engineering technique, referring to a tactic of manipulating victims by pretending to be a company representative or other trusted person, experts said.

 

The FBI last month issued a warning about such attacks targeting Salesforce.

 

The agency said hackers posing as IT workers had tricked customer support employees into granting them access to sensitive data.

 

“They have been very effective,” expert Hunt said.

 

“And it hasn’t been using any sophisticated technical exploits… they have exploited really the oldest tricks in the books.”

 

The hack of data from Australia’s biggest airline comes as a string of major cyberattacks in the country has raised concerns about the protection of personal data.

 

Qantas apologised last year after a glitch with its mobile app exposed some passengers’ names and travel details.

 

And major ports handling 40 per cent of Australia’s freight trade ground to a halt in 2023 after hackers infiltrated computers belonging to operator DP World.

 

AFP

Security officials trying to fly with $6m arrested at Lagos airport

 

Security operatives attempting to board a flight with over $6.1 million in cash were intercepted and arrested on Saturday at the domestic wing of Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2 in Lagos.

 

The suspects, whose exact number was not disclosed, were reportedly caught during routine checks while trying to board an Aero Contractors flight.

 

Sources who pleaded anonymity to prevent official sanctions at the airport because they were not empowered to speak on the matter, confirm that the passengers were found with multiple boxes loaded with undeclared U.S dollars.

 

PUNCH Online gathered that the personnel had initially passed through airport security units before they were apprehended at the foot of the aircraft after Aero Contractors security noticed the heavy luggage.

The matter was then escalated and was reported to Aviation Security, who later handed it over to the Department of State Services.

 

A senior FAAN official who spoke under the condition of anonymity said the DSS later transferred the suspects to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, where they are currently being held for further investigation.

 

Another airport source told The PUNCH that the suspects had claimed to be security agents escorting a suspect and exhibits, but failed to declare the cash or follow due procedures for transporting suspects on commercial flights.

 

Meanwhile, the source said this claim may have helped the suspects bypass the initial security screening. However, their activities raised suspicion at the boarding gate when AVSEC officers noticed the oversized boxes.

Speaking with our correspondent over the phone, the Managing Director of Aero Contractors, Ado Sanusi, confirmed the incident, saying his airline’s security team grew suspicious after the individuals refused to check in their heavy bags.

 

Sanusi explained that the bags contained money, and when asked if it had been declared, the suspects said no.

 

He explained, “What happened was that our security noticed some passengers trying to board our aircraft with bags that were quite heavy. Our security team advised them to check the bags in, as they could not be carried into the cabin.

 

They refused to check the bags, and later they said it was money. When asked if the money had been declared, they said no. At that point, our security personnel discovered that the individuals were either police officers or some form of security agents, who claimed they were escorting a suspect along with exhibits. That was why they resisted checking in the bags.

 

“We then informed them that if they were transporting a suspect, they were required to notify us in advance. There are standard procedures for moving suspects; we don’t mix them with regular passengers. There are boarding, deboarding, and in-flight protocols that must be followed in such cases. Since they failed to follow these procedures, they were not allowed to board, and they eventually left.”

 

Repeated calls and messages to the spokesperson of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, Henry Agbebire, and the Director of Aviation Security, Igbafe Afegbai, were unsuccessful, as they neither replied to the messages nor picked up their calls.

The same for the Head of Corporate Communications, Ajoke Yinka-Olawuyi, of Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, operators of the MM2.

Cop killed as soldiers, police clash in Bauchi

 

 

 

A tragic clash between soldiers and operatives of the Nigeria Police Force in Bauchi State has led to the death of a police operative, Constable Ukasha Muhammed.

 

The Bauchi State Police Command confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Saturday by its spokesperson, SP Ahmed Wakil.

 

According to the statement, the confrontation occurred on October 10, 2025, in the Bayan Gari area of Bauchi metropolis.

 

Wakil explained that the command received a distress report concerning a serious altercation involving a patrol team led by Inspector Hussaini Samaila during a routine operation.

“The patrol team encountered an assault on one of its members, Constable Ukasha Muhammed (F/No 533164), by two individuals in front of Padimo Hotel. The remaining members of the team responded swiftly, resulting in the apprehension of one suspect while the other escaped,” the statement read.

 

The apprehended suspect was later identified as Private Usman Mubarak (23NA/84/5346), a soldier attached to the Joint Task Force, Operation Safe Haven, in Jos, Plateau State.

 

Wakil further revealed that the situation escalated when two other soldiers — Private Yakubu Yahuza (23NA/85/10185) and Private Godspower Gabriel (23NA/84/5654) — arrived at the scene armed and partially dressed in military uniforms.

“They approached the team and fatally shot Constable Ukasha Muhammed in the left chest before fleeing the vicinity,” Wakil said.

 

The injured officer was immediately rushed to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, where he was pronounced dead by medical personnel. His remains have since been deposited at the hospital’s mortuary.

 

The police spokesperson added that the command has taken the detained soldiers into custody and launched a full-scale homicide investigation.

 

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Sani-Omolori Aliyu, has constituted a team of seasoned homicide detectives to conduct a professional, diligent, and timely investigation aimed at ensuring that justice is served,” Wakil stated.

 

He also called for calm among officers and men of the command while urging restraint pending the outcome of the investigation.

 

The Commissioner of Police extended his condolences to the family of the deceased officer, praying for the repose of his soul.

 

“May his soul rest in peace, and may Aljannatul Firdausi be his final abode. May Almighty Allah grant his family the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss,” the statement concluded.

 

FRSC warns motorists of gully erosion on Onitsha-Owerri road

 

 

The Federal Road Safety Corps has alerted motorists plying the Onitsha-Owerri Road to be wary of a gully erosion that has eaten up the entire lane of the Ozubulu end, Ekwusigo LGA of Anambra State, axis of the ever-busy road.

 

It was gathered that the erosion, which started near the Sea Horse section of the road some months ago, has totally collapsed one lane of the road following the heavy rainfall recorded in the area on Tuesday, thereby posing danger to motorists.

 

A video circulating on social media showed the road totally taken over by the gully erosion, with the voice-over in the video calling the attention of motorists to be careful while driving on the road, especially at night.

 

However, reacting to the development in a press statement released on Saturday, the Sector Public Education Officer, FRSC Anambra State Command, Margaret Onabe, urged the motoring public to drive cautiously on the road.

Onabe said the road alert became necessary to ensure the safety of road users and prevent crashes while emphasising FRSC’s commitment to safety on the road.

 

According to her, the FRSC team, including the federal controller, the chairman of Ekwusigo LGA and a construction company, had visited the site to ensure safety and smooth flow of traffic.

 

She urged motorists to cooperate with safety officers and drive cautiously by following the laid-down guidelines, especially at the erosion site, adding that the construction company is helping to adjust barricades to prevent accidents.

 

The statement read in part, “The Federal Road Safety Corps RS5.36 Oraifite Unit Command has responded quickly to a distress call regarding the worsening condition of the erosion site in Ozubulu.

 

“Following directives from the Sector Commander, the Unit Commander and her team took immediate action to alert road users and key stakeholders.

 

“As of the time of this report, the FRSC team, in collaboration with Tamaic Construction Company Ozubulu, the Chairman, Ekwusigo LGA, and his team, are on-site to ensure safety and facilitate the smooth flow of traffic.

“The construction company is helping to adjust barricades to prevent further accidents.

 

“The Federal Comptroller of Works, Dr Emeka Okpara, is also present with his field office team to conduct an on-the-spot assessment of the situation.

 

“The state Sector Commander, Bridget Asekhaauno, emphasised the Command’s commitment to ensuring the safety of road users and preventing crashes.

“We appreciate the collaborative efforts of Tamaic Construction Company Ozubulu, the Ekwusigo Mayor and his team, as well as the Federal Comptroller of Works, for their prompt response to this emergency. We will continue to monitor the situation and work towards finding a lasting solution to this erosion issue.

 

“The motoring public is urged to pay attention to the ongoing road development. They should cooperate with safety officers and drive cautiously, especially at the erosion site. Following these guidelines is essential for everyone’s safety.”

 

Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State, on October 9 2025, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to addressing erosion and flooding challenges affecting vulnerable communities across the state.

 

He pledged to intensify intervention efforts, particularly in flood-prone areas such as Ogidi in Idemili North Local Government Area, where residents continue to face severe environmental risks.

Soludo underscored the importance of comprehensive drainage and erosion control systems to safeguard lives, farmlands, and infrastructure from further damage. He noted that his administration remains focused on implementing practical, long-term solutions while collaborating with the Federal Government and development partners to scale up erosion mitigation projects across Anambra.

Why Macaulay, Vatsa, Saro-Wiwa, others were granted pardons — Presidency

 

 

The Presidency on Saturday said President Bola Tinubu’s decision to grant presidential pardon and clemency to 175 Nigerians and foreigners, including late environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, Major General Mamman Vatsa, and other members of the “Ogoni Nine”, was part of efforts to promote fairness, justice, and national unity.

 

The Presidency also revealed that the President corrected a historical injustice committed by British colonial authorities against Sir Herbert Macaulay, one of Nigeria’s foremost nationalists, who was banned from public office in 1913 after being convicted of misappropriation of funds.

 

PUNCH Online reports that Tinubu had signed off on pardons for Sir Herbert Macaulay and 174 others.

 

This marked one of the most expansive uses of the presidential prerogative of mercy, touching on high-profile historical cases.

In a statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, the Presidency explained that the exercise was guided by the recommendations of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, chaired by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).

 

According to Onanuga, Tinubu’s gesture was extended to individuals who had either demonstrated remorse, exhibited good conduct, acquired vocational skills, or shown evidence of reformation during incarceration. Others, he said, benefited due to old age, ill health, or historical injustice.

 

“Illegal miners, white-collar convicts, remorseful drug offenders, foreigners, Major General Mamman Vatsa, Major Akubo, Professor Magaji Garba, capital offenders such as Maryam Sanda, Ken Saro Wiwa, and the other Ogoni Eight were among the 175 convicts and former convicts who received President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s mercy on Thursday.

 

“President Tinubu granted clemency to most of them based on the reports that the convicts had shown remorse and good conduct. He forgave some due to old age, the acquisition of new vocational skills, or enrolment in the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). President Tinubu also corrected the historic injustice committed by British colonialists against Sir Herbert Macaulay, one of Nigeria’s foremost nationalists,” the statement read.

 

Among the beneficiaries of the presidential pardon were Major General Mamman Vatsa, executed in 1986 for alleged coup plotting, and Ken Saro-Wiwa alongside eight other Ogoni activists who were executed in 1995 under the Abacha regime. Their posthumous pardon, Onanuga said, was part of Tinubu’s effort to “heal old wounds and promote national unity.”

A total of 175 convicts and former convicts benefited from the President’s mercy. These included two inmates and 15 former convicts (11 of whom are deceased) granted full pardon, 82 inmates granted clemency, 65 who had their sentences commuted, and seven inmates whose death sentences were reduced to life imprisonment.

 

Prominent among the living beneficiaries are Farouk Lawan, former lawmaker convicted for corruption; Professor Magaji Garba, former Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Gusau; and Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death in 2014 for killing her husband.

 

Sanda’s clemency, according to the Presidency, followed appeals citing her remorse, good behaviour, and the need to care for her two children.

 

Others pardoned or granted sentence reduction include convicted drug traffickers, illegal miners, and persons convicted of white-collar crimes, several of whom demonstrated good conduct or enrolled in rehabilitation and educational programmes while serving their terms.

 

The committee’s report, presented during Thursday’s Council of State meeting chaired by President Tinubu, also recommended that the sentences of some death row inmates be commuted to life imprisonment due to their remorse and long periods in confinement.

Onanuga said the exercise was consistent with Section 175 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which empowers the President to grant pardons and reprieves after consultation with the Council of State.

 

The Presidency emphasised that the decision was not taken lightly but was a product of extensive review and recommendations.

 

Previous reports had indicated that the move was part of a broader effort by the Tinubu administration to decongest custodial centres across the country and promote humane justice reforms.

 

The full list of beneficiaries, released by the Presidency, includes inmates convicted of drug trafficking, illegal mining, fraud, manslaughter, and other offences. Senator Ikra Aliyu Bilbis has also undertaken to oversee the rehabilitation and empowerment of all pardoned illegal miners.

Ekiti airport will be a ‘critical economic gateway’ – Engineer

 

 

Chartered engineer and founder of Tite Knox Pty Limited, Olaoluwa Dawodu, has said that the commencement of commercial operations at the Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport will enhance commerce, tourism, and job creation across the state.

 

Dawodu, reacting to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority’s approval for the start of commercial flights, said the development had “set the state’s economic landscape for transformation.”

 

The Australia-based engineer, in a statement made available in Ado Ekiti on Saturday, described the approval as “a laudable development that will open up the state to various economic growth elements.”

 

He said, “Inter-state and eventual international access to the numerous economic potentials of a state can only be optimally explored via safe air access. The approval will not only boost commerce and tourism but also stimulate job creation, enhance connectivity, and position Ekiti among Nigerian states with viable air transport infrastructure.”

Dawodu noted that, like other airports in developed nations, the Ekiti facility would contribute significantly to the state’s gross domestic product, create employment opportunities, and attract trade and tourism.

“The Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport has the potential to become a critical economic gateway for the state, serving as a catalyst for agricultural exports, investment inflows, and industrial development,” he added.

 

He commended Governor Biodun Oyebanji and his administration for their vision and commitment to sustainable infrastructure development and urged Ekiti indigenes both at home and abroad “to heed the call, return home, add value, and support the governor on everything that will help Ekiti to progress as the state ushers in a new era of air connectivity and economic expansion.”

 

The NCAA, in a letter to Governor Oyebanji dated October 3, 2025, approved the airport to commence commercial operations from October 4, 2025, for an initial period of six months.

 

The letter stated that a validation inspection conducted between June 16 and 19, 2025, revealed that the airport had “significantly complied with the basic operational requirements for scheduled flight operations,” while the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency’s flight check validation report showed “satisfactory compliance with regulatory requirements.”

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