Nairaland

NPFL: Bendel Insurance Vs Barau FC (2 - 1) - Live

2026-10-04T17:39:59Z

Inform Barau fc owned by Senator Barau from Kano state take their unbeaten run to the ancient city of Benin where they face my darling club Bendel insurance fc who have not really impressed me this season as they only win at home and lose away..
This encounter will be a tough one for them as Barau fc have not yet tasted defeat both home and away.
The Kennedy Boboye tutored boys will be banking on talented Alex Oyeweieifa ably assisted by the mercurial Kayode Oke and also a rising star on Christopher Nwosu while Barau fc have their own Joseph Atule who has been banging in goals left and right this season.
It will be a cracker at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium later today.
If I am to stick my neck on this one ,I think it may be a slim win for Insurance or a draw match.

Tinubu’s Lawyers Admit Errors In U.S. Court Filing Over 1990s Drug Investigation

2026-10-04T17:09:12Z

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's lawyers have acknowledged errors in an earlier filing before a United States federal court and asked permission to replace it with an amended version.

The lawyers said the earlier filing contained incorrect references concerning the year 1993, Tinubu's public office and a comparison involving student enrolment.

The request was contained in a motion filed on October 1, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in the ongoing Freedom of Information Act case brought by American transparency activist Aaron Greenspan.

The case, Greenspan v. Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys et al., Civil Action No. 23-1816 (BAH), concerns Greenspan's efforts to obtain records from U.S. government agencies concerning Tinubu and others.

In the motion, titled “Motion to Amend Response Brief [DE 98],” Tinubu's lawyers asked the court to allow them to file an amended response to Greenspan's motion for summary judgment.

They said the corrections were needed specifically in Part 1.c of their earlier response.

“The point of part 1.c is that the underlying investigative events that transpired in 1988-1992 occurred decades before the Intervenor was elected to the Presidency of Nigeria,” the lawyers said.

However, they acknowledged that the point had been expressed “inadequately and incorrectly” regarding public office and 1993.

They also acknowledged a separate error involving a comparison between the age of the investigative records and student enrolment.

The lawyers said the comparison was incorrect because the student-enrolment event occurred even before the decades-old events being discussed.

“Both issues occurred during the drafting and revising process by the undersigned counsel, occurred unintendedly, and were not found and edited prior to filing,” they said.

They added that Greenspan subsequently identified both errors in his reply.

Despite the corrections, Tinubu's lawyers stressed that they were not changing the substance of their legal argument.

“In the proposed amended response, the substance of the argument in part 1.c remains unchanged,” they said.

The amended argument maintains that Tinubu's privacy interests in records relating to events from decades ago should not disappear simply because he later became President of Nigeria.

The lawyers also said they had discussed the proposed correction with Greenspan and his lawyers before filing the motion.

“Plaintiff indicated that he does not oppose the correction of the brief,” the filing states.

Tinubu's lawyers therefore asked the court to allow the amended response to replace their earlier filing, identified as Document 98.

They also attached a proposed order for the judge to grant the request.

The attached document is expressly labelled “[Proposed] ORDER” and contains a blank space for the United States District Judge's signature. Therefore, the documents supplied do not by themselves establish that the judge had already granted the motion.

The amended filing itself contains Tinubu's substantive arguments against Greenspan's request for additional FBI and DEA records.

Among other things, the lawyers argue that the disputed information is protected by FOIA's law-enforcement privacy exemption and the Privacy Act.

They also argue that the records concern events that occurred before Tinubu became president and that his current office does not remove his privacy rights.

The correction motion does not amount to an admission of wrongdoing by Tinubu. Rather, it is an acknowledgment by his lawyers that portions of their earlier legal filing contained drafting or factual errors which they want to correct while maintaining the same underlying legal position.

Greenspan has asked a federal court in Washington, D.C., to order the FBI, DEA and Executive Office for US Attorneys to release without redaction records relating to a 1990s narcotics investigation that he says identified Nigeria's President Tinubu as a subject.

The case also involves records from a 1993 U.S. civil forfeiture proceeding concerning about $460,000 linked to Tinubu.

Tinubu has denied any wrongdoing.

Greenspan, an American researcher, IT expert and founder of the legal transparency platform PlainSite, made the request in a series of filings in his Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the US agencies.

https://saharareporters.com/2026/10/04/breaking-tinubus-lawyers-admit-errors-us-court-filing-over-records-1990s-drug-probe

APC Slams Rotimi Amaechi Over His Inability To Procure His Mother's Medication

2026-10-04T17:08:17Z

The APC has described ADC vice presidential candidate, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (CRA), as a freeloader in political office and as a loafer outside politics for claiming he could not afford his mother's medications.

The APC also asked the Ikwerre people to find a job for Rotimi Amaechi.

PRESS STATEMENT

ROTIMI AMAECHI, YOU ARE A LOAFER OUTSIDE THE PUBLIC OFFICE

The All Progressives Congress (APC) prays that the soul of Dame Ezinne Mary Oduah Amaechi continues to rest in perfect peace. Amen.

We also pray for excellent health of mind and body for her son, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, a former two-term Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, two-term Governor, two-term Minister of Transportation, former presidential aspirant, and currently the vice-presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), who could not afford medications for his mother’s treatment.

It is our sincere wish that employers of labour in his hometown of Ubima in Ikwere Local Government Area of Rivers State may find him suitable for a job that pays wages sufficient for him to feed and buy medications for himself and his beloved family for the rest of his retirement. Amen.

Rotimi Amaechi’s uncanny confessions must not be missed. First, he howled that he had become so broke and hungry that his wife was now feeding him. Now, he has stated that his inability to afford medications killed his mother at 89.

For four decades, Rotimi Amaechi freeloaded at the highest levels of public office. He was never hungry and could afford medications for himself and his family. Just three years out of office, he has become destitute, unable to fend for himself and his loved ones. If Amaechi is not struggling with some kind of Peter Pan syndrome, then he must be a loafer, aimless and irresponsible for his inability to be productive and earn a living outside the patronage of public office.

The same Rotimi Amaechi now asks Nigerians to make him vice president come 2027 so he can continue leeching on the public treasury and keep the predatory lifestyle he has grown accustomed to.

The presidency is not a soup kitchen and will not be a soup kitchen for Rotimi Amaechi.

No one can speak more to Rotimi Amaechi’s unfitness for the office of Vice President than Rotimi Amaechi himself.

Signed:

Felix Morka, CON
National Publicity Secretary
All Progressives Congress (APC)
ABUJA, FCT, OCTOBER 4, 2026

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/914401-apc-slams-amaechi-over-claims-on-mothers-medication.html?tztc=1

Israel Pushes To Kill All Hamas Commanders Before October 7th Anniversary

2026-10-04T17:01:19Z

●Israel’s push to kill Hamas commanders before Oct 7 anniversary

●Benjamin Netanyahu says assassinations will prevent any future attacks

Israel’s military is ramping up its campaign to kill Hamas commanders ahead of the third anniversary of the Oct 7 attacks.

Israeli strikes have killed more than 100 terrorists in recent weeks, including senior leaders and perpetrators of the massacre, Benjamin Netanyahu has said.

That represents a sharp increase compared with earlier months. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told The Telegraph it had killed 500 members of terrorist groups since the ceasefire took effect last October, most of them from Hamas.

At least 1,400 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in Israeli strikes since the US-brokered ceasefire, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

An Israeli air strike killed Izz al-Din Al-Beik, the head of Hamas’s armed wing in north Gaza on Tuesday. He was a leader of the Oct 7 attacks and was involved in planning attacks and recruitment, the IDF said.

A day earlier, Saher Nidal Latfi Sakr, who abducted Israeli civilians – including Noa Argamani – from the Nova music festival on a motorbike, was assassinated in an airstrike in Gaza.

The IDF also killed Adi Adli Abd Al-Aaser, a sniper in Hamas’s military wing, on Sunday, saying that he had “advanced attacks” against Israeli troops and civilians and “operated to restore” Hamas’s capabilities “in systematic violation of the ceasefire”.

The ceasefire, announced by Donald Trump last year, requires Israel to end its strikes and withdraw from Gaza and for Hamas to agree to disarm.

Little progress has been made, with Israel saying everything hinges on Hamas disarming and Hamas accusing Israel of violating the agreement by occupying the strip and continuing to carry out regular strikes on Gaza.

Mr Netanyahu claimed Israel’s enemies could attack before this month’s parliamentary elections as he stood in front of a fighter jet at a military base.

The Israeli prime minister, who is in a close race to retain power according to opinion polls, has said the assassinations of commanders are intended to prevent Hamas from regrouping and carrying out further attacks against Israel.

Giora Eiland, the former head of the Israeli National Security Council, said assassinations are “very effective” as they force Hamas commanders to be more concerned about their own security and less about planning the next attack against Israel.

Others, however, have argued that the assassinated Hamas commanders are often replaced by even more extreme individuals.

Dr Michael Milshtein, the head of the Forum for Palestinian Studies at Tel Aviv University, agreed that assassinations are an effective tool but said it won’t cause a “total collapse”.

The last four senior Hamas commanders killed in recent weeks were lower level just a few years ago but rose quickly through the ranks because Israel killed between 80pc-90pc of the commanders during the war, Dr Milshtein said.

“Hamas is able to immediately nominate the deputy or another figure, but of course they don’t have the same capacities. Those who were killed had a lot of experience and were much more sophisticated and professional from a military point of view,” Dr Milshtein told the Telegraph.

“But organisations like Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis in Yemen are flexible and can adapt quickly to all kinds of new conditions,” he added.

Yair Lapid, the Israeli opposition leader, accused Mr Netanyahu of fear-mongering over his claims that Israel’s enemies may attack before the elections on Oct 27.

Mr Netanyahu has issued warnings in recent weeks to Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah and even the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, vowing retaliation in case of an attack.

Mr Lapid, speaking after a security briefing he’d demanded with the prime minister, said he was certain elections will take place on time and that “there is no reason to panic the public”.

He again accused Mr Netanyahu of failing to heed warnings of the Hamas attack on Oct 7, 2023 – the deadliest ever against Israel.

Palestinian authorities say more than 74,000 people have been killed in Israel’s war on Gaza following the terror attack.

“Netanyahu ignored every warning before Oct 7 and now, 28 days before the election, he’s suddenly busy fear-mongering,” Mr Lapid said.

“I of course will not violate the confidentiality of the security briefing, but it must be said - security threats must be handled professionally and responsibly.”

Israeli military bases “are not the setting for election videos”, Mr Lapid added.

In addition to targeted killings the IDF has also embarked on a different campaign in the past year: destroying as many Hamas tunnels as possible in the area it controls in Gaza.

The IDF told the Telegraph that it estimates at least 80 per cent of the tunnels have been destroyed on the Israeli-controlled side of the Yellow Line.

But this still leaves dozens of tunnels on the Hamas-controlled side, an estimate the IDF has difficulty making as it is not operating there.

Dr Milshtein claimed Hamas’s lack of response to Israel’s assassination campaign is that they lack proper military capabilities.

“They are trying to buy time,” Dr Milshtein said, adding that Hamas is attempting to rearm and regroup.

“They manufacture weapons, such as explosive devices, by taking apart all kinds of unexploded bombs left by the IDF and creating new devices,” he said.

Another way Hamas is trying to rearm is by smuggling weapons via drones from both the Israeli and Egyptian sides of the border, Dr Milshtein added.

Mr Eiland also believes that Hamas is trying to build its own drones given how inexpensive and relatively easy it is: “You buy the components and you can assemble them yourself. I’m afraid that they are capable of doing it sooner or later.”

So far Israel has assassinated Hamas and Islamic Jihad commanders in Gaza over the past year while arresting numerous members in the West Bank.

But Israel Katz, the defence minister, said on Monday that Hamas leaders abroad “are also in the crosshairs”.

“None of these despicable murderers, who played a central role in the October 7 massacre, may be allowed to die peacefully,” Mr Katz said.

Mr Katz took over as political leader of the IDF in November 2024. He has since advocated hawkish positions, including the widespread demolition of civilian homes in Gaza and southern Lebanon on the basis, he said, of destroying terrorist infrastructure.

Most recently, he has suggested that he will order the evacuation of one of the major West Bank refugee camps.

Mr Eiland believes the defence minister’s threat to kill Hamas commanders abroad is just part of the government election campaign. He pointed to how Hamas’s leaders are mainly based in Qatar and Turkey, two countries Israel would be wise not to attack.

“We are very reluctant to operate in these two countries,” he said.

Dr Milshtein is less convinced that this is just election talk as the Israeli government is “not very balanced” these days.

“I will not be totally surprised if, for example, Israel decides to attack again in Doha (Qatar). But of course consequences will be catastrophic, mainly because of the American response,” he said, referring to Israel’s assassination attempt on Hamas leaders in Doha last year, which led to a harsh rebuke from Mr Trump.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/04/israels-push-to-kill-hamas-leaders-before-oct-7-anniversary/

Ijaw Group Hails Otuaro On Deployment Of 150 Niger Delta Students Abroad

2026-10-04T17:00:56Z

Ijaw Group Hails Otuaro Over Deployment of 150 Niger Delta Scholars To UK Varsities

The Ijaw Youth Network (IYN) has commended the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr Dennis Brutu Otuaro, for deploying 150 Niger Delta youths to universities across the United Kingdom for postgraduate studies.

In a statement issued on Sunday by its President, Frank Ebikabo, and Secretary, Federal Ebiaridor, the group described the deployment as a demonstration of visionary and purposeful leadership.

The IYN also praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his steadfast support for the PAP, saying the President’s backing remained the driving force behind what it described as the programme’s unprecedented achievements under the current administration.

According to the group, the latest batch of 150 beneficiaries participated in a pre-departure briefing led by Otuaro at the PAP headquarters in Abuja.

The deployment is part of the programme’s 2026 offshore scholarship scheme and brings the total number of postgraduate scholars sent abroad this year to 243.

The figure follows the earlier deployment of 93 students in January and May.

The beneficiaries are expected to pursue specialised master’s degree programmes in various fields, including software engineering, cybersecurity, global public health, oil and gas engineering, law, fintech analytics, construction engineering management, forensic audit and data science analytics.

The IYN also noted that across Nigeria, the PAP office had granted scholarships to 8,700 students, while an additional 4,300 had been approved for the 2026/2027 academic calendar.

This, according to the group, brings the total number of postgraduate students covered by the scholarship initiative to 13,000.

“Dr Otuaro has shown what purposeful leadership can achieve.

“These young men and women will return as engineers, lawyers, analysts, health experts and technology professionals, ready to contribute to the growth and development of the Niger Delta and the nation,” the group said.

The organisation described the scholarship scheme as a critical intervention aimed at bridging the human capital development deficit in the Niger Delta, sustaining peace and stability in the region and equipping young people with globally competitive skills.

“As key observers in the Niger Delta, we have noted the tremendous support this programme enjoys from the Federal Government under President Tinubu and ably supervised by the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu,” the statement added.

The IYN further disclosed that the scholars received brand-new laptops during their orientation to support their academic work while studying abroad.

The group, however, called on the people of the Niger Delta to reciprocate what it described as President Tinubu’s commitment to the region with electoral support for him in the 2027 general elections.

“The President has stood firmly with the Niger Delta and with the Presidential Amnesty Programme, and he has stood by the Administrator as he delivers these wonderful results.

“It is only proper that the people of the region repay this steadfastness with their support at the polls in 2027. We pledge to mobilise for him,” the IYN said.

The organisation described sustained investment in education and skills development under the PAP as a critical pathway to achieving lasting peace and economic empowerment in the oil-producing region.

https://www.arewareportersng.com/ijaw-group-hails-otuaro-over-deployment-of-150-niger-delta-scholars-to-uk-varsities/

'Northerners Should Allow Tinubu Complete His Eight-Year Tenure’ – Yari

2026-10-04T16:53:54Z

The Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Abdul’Aziz Abubakar Yari, has appealed to northerners to allow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to complete his eight-year tenure as a way of respecting the established principle of rotational presidency in Nigeria.

Yari, who spoke to journalists at the Kano Government House after holding a closed-door meeting with Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf on Saturday, said the only viable option now was for the North to be gentlemanly in the arrangement and allow Tinubu to complete his eight-year tenure.

The former Zamfara State governor said the North should understand and respect the political arrangement that brought the presidency to the South in 2023, arguing that the presidency had been held by a northerner for several years before the emergence of Tinubu.

Yari said, “66 years ago since independence, the country was led by northerners for 47 years,” adding that Nigerians should recognise the importance of maintaining unity and understanding how the country’s political system operates.

According to him, Nigeria remains a country that all citizens must work together to protect, regardless of regional or political differences.

“As we love this country, we don’t have any country other than Nigeria. Nigerians should understand how this country works. It is also better than many nations,” Yari said.

The APC chieftain explained that his role as Director-General of the campaign council was not limited to promoting President Tinubu but also included promoting national unity and understanding among Nigerians.

Yari said the current political arrangement should be respected, noting that former President Muhammadu Buhari, a northerner, governed the country between 2015 and 2023 before power shifted to Tinubu from the South in 2023.

“Having said this, this country, Nigeria, from 2015 to 2023 was led by a northerner, and now from 2023 to 2026 it is led by a southerner,” he said.

He appealed to northerners not to seek to overturn the existing zoning arrangement on the basis of the region’s population, saying the political understanding was important for national stability.

“If we say we want to uproot the zoning arrangement because of our numbers, then my call for northerners is to understand how it works. They even understand more than I do,” Yari said.

He acknowledged that President Tinubu’s administration, like every government, was not perfect, but argued that the challenges facing Nigeria should not solely be attributed to the administration.

“Nobody is perfect. The southerners have also experienced what we are complaining about today when President Buhari was in power,” he said.

Yari also argued that insecurity was not peculiar to Nigeria, saying countries across the world, including the United States, continue to grapple with security challenges despite their level of development.

“No problem of a country is solved by any government, including even in the United States. They are managing insecurity as we are managing it,” he said.

The APC campaign council Director-General further cited gun violence in Chicago as an example of the security challenges faced by other countries, stressing that every nation has its own problems that require continuous efforts to address.

Turning to the economy, Yari said Nigerians should assess the Tinubu administration based on economic indicators and compare the situation when the President assumed office in 2023 with the current position.

“When you look at when Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu came to power in 2023, go and check what was the state of our reserves and what it is today, and what was the rate of inflation in 2023 and what it is today,” he said.

Yari maintained that the administration was making efforts to address the country’s economic and security challenges, while acknowledging that governments at both federal and state levels were working to improve the situation.

He urged Nigerians, particularly those in the North, to give the political arrangement time, arguing that the presidency would return to the region after Tinubu’s tenure if the existing rotation principle was maintained.

“I am calling on northerners to note that by the time Bola Ahmed Tinubu finishes in 2031, it will definitely come back to the North. This is how the arrangement is,” Yari said

https://dailypost.ng/2026/10/03/northerners-should-allow-tinubu-complete-his-eight-year-tenure-yari/

2027: Gbenga Hashim, Adebayo's Economic Policies Deserve Public Attention — NLC

2026-10-04T16:53:18Z

2027: Gbenga Hashim, Adebayo economic policies deserve public attention— NLC

•Ajaero carpets Atiku, Obi, Tinubu as ‘far-right’ market politicians

President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, has said the economic positions of Accord Party and Social Democratic Party presidential candidates, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim and Adewole Adebayo deserve serious public attention ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7692695563426516245?_r=1&_t=ZS-9AHGSZarlTQ

Ajaero made the remarks during an interview, at the weekend , with Seun Okinbaloye on Mic On, where he was asked about the economic policy of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.

Rather than focusing on Atiku's proposal, the NLC president said he had examined the positions of Hashim and Adebayo and found their approach sufficiently different to warrant engagement.

“I have looked at Gbenga Hashim's position and I think he's an expert to an extent. I also looked at Adebayo. I may listen to them.”

Ajaero contrasted their positions with those of Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom he described as sharing broadly similar economic thinking.

“Peter Obi, Atiku and Asiwaju, they all have the same position and they have shown that they are market people from far right.”

He said Hashim and Adebayo, by contrast, were bringing “new ideas worthy of engagement.”

Ajaero’s comments have drawn attention to Hashim's economic platform, particularly his Energy First agenda, which places affordable energy, increased domestic production, industrialisation and productive capacity at the centre of his proposed economic transformation.

Hashim has proposed a ₦605 per litre starting petrol price, with a longer-term target of ₦200–₦300 through lower production costs, domestic refining, increased crude production and improved efficiency.

He has also pledged to raise Nigeria's crude production to at least four million barrels per day within 24 months, while expanding domestic refining and energy infrastructure as part of a broader plan to make Nigeria a major global energy power.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1HsWFoKkjE/

Flydubai Co-Pilot Planned “Terrorist Act”, Attacked Captain With Cockpit Axe

2026-10-04T15:55:20Z

UAE investigators have said the co-pilot of a flydubai flight to Israel earlier this week was planning a “terrorist act” when he attacked the captain with the cockpit’s emergency axe. They did not disclose a motive.
Initial findings from the investigation, reported on Saturday by the state news agency WAM, did not confirm the suspect’s nationality. A Saudi source, however, told AFP he was Omani.

WAM quoted UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi as saying the co-pilot “attempted to carry out a terrorist act” and tried to take control of the aircraft after attacking the captain in the cockpit. The suspect remains in custody in the UAE.

Several media outlets have identified him as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami and reported that he had been barred from flying in Oman over concerns about his extremist views.

The plane’s Indian captain was assaulted but managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to overpower the attacker. The aircraft made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. Passengers described rushing the cockpit and a struggle for control after the plane lost about 17,000 feet in a minute, according to Flightradar24.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the suspect had undergone “Islamist radical indoctrination” and tried to crash the plane.

The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, reported on Friday that Omani authorities had barred the pilot from flying over fears he had embraced radical views. CNN, citing two sources, said he was removed from a job at Oman’s national airline last year for the same reason. Al Arabiya, also citing an informed source, reported that Omani authorities concluded he held extremist views, and said he had spent time in Syria, raising concerns he may have been influenced by radical groups there. ABC News, citing senior intelligence and law enforcement officials, reported that he was allegedly found with extremist materials while a trainee.

US President Donald Trump warned on Thursday that Iran would be “hit very hard” if it were found to be linked to the attack.

Netanyahu said Israel would examine how the suspect was cleared to work on flights to the country. “We have constraints that say that you can’t have pilots from countries that don’t have diplomatic relations with Israel. Obviously he was able to go through that,” he told Fox News.

https://applesbite.com/uae-investigators-say-flydubai-co-pilot-planned-terrorist-act-attacked-captain-with-cockpit-axe/

Bandit Spotted Using RPG Launcher To Turn Semo In A Forest (Photos, Video)

2026-10-04T15:20:35Z

A short video is circulating showing a man believed to be a bandit sitting in a forested area, casually using an RPG launcher to stir a pot of semo.

He is dressed in camouflage pants and a head wrap, holding the rocket-propelled grenade tube and using the warhead end to mash and turn the white food in a metal pot on the ground. Steam is rising from the pot. Another man sits nearby watching. The clip is only about 20 seconds long but has already drawn thousands of views.

The poster captioned it simply: “Bandit using RPG to turn semo in the forest.”

Reactions range from dark laughter to shock, with many saying it captures how far things have gone in some of the ungoverned forest areas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BGwggEGA4E?si=7EIvpwc6JeEx9RgL

North-East Governors To Launch Regional Airline

2026-10-04T15:16:27Z

Governors of Nigeria’s six North-East states have resolved to establish the North-East Air Shuttle, a regional airline aimed at boosting transportation, economic integration, and connectivity across the subregion.

The decision was contained in an 11-point communiqué issued on Saturday at the end of the 13th regular meeting of the North-East Governors Forum (NEGF), held in Maiduguri, Borno State, and chaired by Borno State Governor and forum Chairman, Babagana Umara Zulum.

Reading the communiqué, Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri said the forum had made significant progress since its inaugural meeting in Gombe in March 2020, crediting unity among member states for tangible gains in infrastructure and regional development.

The governors welcomed the Federal Government’s renewed focus on the Port Harcourt–Jos–Bauchi–Gombe–Maiduguri rail corridor, frontier oil exploration at Kolmani, and the Akwanga–Jos–Bauchi–Gombe–Biu–Maiduguri highway. They also urged the Federal Government to revive oil exploration activities that began but were later stalled in Magumeri and Gubio Local Government Areas of Borno State.

On electricity, the forum said member states had shifted from isolated power initiatives to a regional energy agenda. It noted that the Dadinkowa Hydropower Plant now feeds the national grid and urged states to leverage the new electricity law, solar resources, and mini-grid solutions to expand supply. The governors renewed calls for accelerated completion of the Mambila Hydropower Plant following the resolution of the legal dispute surrounding the project.

The forum also called for increased investment in education, including the release of long-awaited scholarships for indigent students, stronger efforts to reduce out-of-school children, and coordinated support for Tsangaya education.

To reduce transportation costs and improve logistics, the governors agreed to partner with Green Ville Energy to establish additional compressed natural gas and liquefied natural gas stations across the region. They acknowledged Federal Government support through the North East Development Commission (NEDC) for 10,000 electric tricycles, 10 electric buses, and 300 electric taxis, expected to be launched in October.

On security, the governors acknowledged progress in the fight against insurgency but said the region still faces humanitarian and infrastructure challenges. They pledged continued support for security agencies, improved intelligence sharing, stronger inter-state cooperation, and community engagement, alongside measures to address socio-economic conditions that make young people vulnerable to criminal and extremist groups.

The forum described the region’s youthful population as both an opportunity and a responsibility, stressing the need to expand access to quality education, vocational training, entrepreneurship, technology, and employment.

The governors also expressed concern over deforestation and its environmental impact, resolving to partner with the Institute of Forest Research to train forest experts in the region.

The next NEGF meeting is scheduled for December 18 and 19, 2026, in Gombe State.

https://applesbite.com/north-east-governors-to-launch-regional-airline/

Ohanaeze Ndigbo At 50 Celebrated In Lagos

2026-10-04T15:03:52Z

It was a roll call of eminent Igbo sons and daughters at Dover Hotel, Ikeja, during the week as traditional rulers, political leaders, business captains, and cultural icons all gathered for a different kind of golden jubilee.

For its 50th anniversary, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation founded in 1976, chose intellectual engagement and sober reflection over the usual drums and dances.

Present were Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti; Chairman of the occasion, Elder U.K. Eke; His Royal Majesty, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe; Eze Kalu Kalu Ogbu IV, Enachioken of Abiriba; former Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi; Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe; Prof. Okey Anueyiagu, who reviewed the book; Prof. Anya O. Anya; Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin; Chief Emeka Mba; Chief Dr. Ifeanyichukwu Odii, chief launcher; Ada Agina-Ude; Kanayo O. Kanayo; and many others.

The high point of the convergence was the unveiling of a 602-page book, “Ohanaeze at 50: The Burden of Memory, The Politics of Relevance,” written by Agbeze Ireke Kalu Onuma, Executive Director of the Ndigbo Lagos Foundation.

The book is a critical biographical reflection on the history, evolution, challenges and continuing relevance of Ohanaeze to the socio-political development of Ndigbo.

Its significance is even deeper because the author witnessed the birth of the organisation and has followed its trajectory for five decades.

Welcoming guests on behalf of the President-General of Ndigbo Lagos, Chief David Ogbodo said the event celebrates “ideas, knowledge, creativity, perseverance and the power of the written word.”

He described the book as more than a collection of pages, but a moment to ask hard questions: Have the objectives of the founding fathers been achieved? How does Ohanaeze compare with similar groups like Afenifere and the Arewa Consultative Forum?

He commended the author for “his courage, discipline and commitment, noting that the book “promises to stimulate discussion among readers.”

In his remarks, Chairman of the occasion, Elder U.K. Eke, said the book was driven by “an urgent need for institutional renewal.”

"After 50 years, Ohanaeze stands at a historic crossroads. The author did not write to flatter our ego, but to provide a diagnostic mirror that challenges us to move from reactive agitation to structured, proactive and strategic regional governance,” Eke said

Delivering a speech titled Ohanaeze at 50: A Book That Holds Up the Mirror, Special Guest of Honour, Governor Alex Otti, said the book goes beyond the story of Ohanaeze.

“It is often said that a people who do not remember where they came from may struggle to determine where they are headed. This book is much more than a book about Ohanaeze. It is a book about memory, identity, leadership, responsibility and the future of a people,” he said.

At 50, an institution deserves celebration, but it also deserves reflection. Rather than merely recounting 50 years of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the author invites us to confront a more difficult question: What has Ohanaeze become, what should it be, and what must it do to remain relevant to generations of Ndigbo yet unborn?”

According to Otti, the book examines Ohanaeze’s triumphs and disappointments, leadership transitions, internal disagreements, relationship with political authority, and its struggle to define its place in a changing Nigeria.

“But perhaps the most important contribution is that it refuses to merely celebrate the past,” he noted.

“An institution cannot live indefinitely on the strength of its history. Heritage gives an organisation legitimacy, but relevance must be earned continuously.”

Otti said the book raises fundamental questions about institutional renewal, generational transition, and the bond between leadership and the people, with a strong message for younger Igbo.

“The future of Ndigbo cannot be secured by nostalgia alone. It must be built through institutions that understand the aspirations of young people, embrace technology and innovation, engage the global Igbo diaspora, and translate cultural identity into economic, intellectual and political strength.

"As Ohanaeze turns 50, we should reflect on renewal — a point where an institution looks honestly at its past, learns from it, and summons the courage to imagine something greater,” Otti stated.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2026/09/ohanaeze-at-50-celebrating-five-decades-with-ideas-sober-reflection

Umuoba-Anam/Aguleri Crisis: Peter Obi Appeals For Peace

2026-10-04T15:02:07Z

Peter Obi @PeterObi

Umuoba-Anam/Aguleri Crisis: Passionate Appeal for Peace.

I am deeply pained by the reports of hostilities between the good people of Umuoba-Anam and Aguleri in Anambra East LGA of Anambra State.

Hostilities of the kind we are witnessing between the two communities achieve nothing but destruction. At a time when people are already finding it increasingly difficult to survive, adding the devastation of conflict is like adding fuel to the fire.

I appeal to both communities to immediately cease hostilities and embrace peace. No grievance, however serious, is worth the loss of lives, the destruction of homes and livelihoods, or the pain inflicted on families.

Let us choose dialogue over violence, reconciliation over revenge, and peace over destruction. There is always a better way to resolve our differences.

May God grant wisdom to our leaders and peace to Umuoba-Anam and Aguleri.

Nigeria will be OK. -PO

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