Category: Top News

Uniform Off, Gratitude Never Fades: CDS Takes Welfare Message to Northeast Veterans

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The Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, has reaffirmed the Defence Headquarters’ commitment to the welfare and dignity of Nigeria’s veterans during an interactive session with retired personnel from the Northeast Zone in Yola, Adamawa State, the second in a series of planned zonal consultations. Addressing concerns over salary increments, Oluyede assured veterans the exercise is fully inclusive, explaining that implementation is ongoing and that adjustments to serving personnel’s pay carry a consequential increase to veterans’ pensions under existing policy. He outlined ongoing welfare initiatives, including a partnership with the Bank of Industry to give serving and retired personnel and their families access to low interest business loans, alongside the construction of a Defence Hospital that will reserve a share of its capacity for veterans. He said both initiatives carry the backing of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Commander in Chief. Veterans used the session to raise other welfare concerns, which the CDS addressed directly, promising continued attention going forward. The engagement drew veteran leaders including RANAO President Major General HA Salihu (rtd), Major General LP Ngubane (rtd) and Air Vice Marshal NE Nzokala (rtd), with the RANAO President thanking the CDS and urging fellow veterans to support the leadership’s welfare efforts. Closing the session, Oluyede paid tribute to the veterans’ sacrifices, saying the nation’s gratitude for those who served will never fade. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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US Praises NDLEA Over Drug War Wins, Signals More Support Ahead

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The International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Bureau has commended the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for its recent operational successes, pledging continued support for the fight against drug trafficking in Nigeria. At a meeting held at NDLEA headquarters in Abuja, INL Nigeria Country Director Derek Tolliver congratulated the agency’s leadership, describing its recent achievements as phenomenal. He said the United States government remains committed to deepening the existing partnership and advancing joint programmes with the NDLEA. NDLEA Chairman, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa, highlighted the impact of vehicles and modern forensic equipment donated by the US, particularly in aiding investigations into illicit drug production across the country. Marwa appealed for further American support, especially in logistics, operational equipment and training, as the agency intensifies its campaign against drug trafficking and illicit drug production nationwide. The exchange underscores the growing role of US backing in Nigeria’s anti-narcotics efforts, as the NDLEA leans on international partnerships to sustain the momentum of its recent operations. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Fixing the Skills Gap: Alausa Launches Overhaul of Nigeria’s Technical Education Board

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Nigeria’s technical and vocational education system is buckling under outdated curricula and thin funding, with more than 55 per cent of assessed programmes described as no longer fit for purpose even as 93 per cent of the workforce operates in informal employment and roughly 12 per cent of young people sit outside education, jobs or training altogether. Against that backdrop, the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, has begun repositioning the Monotechnic and Technical Education Board, known as MBTE, to strengthen its ability to supervise and coordinate polytechnics, monotechnics and other technical institutions across the country. A KPMG led assessment is currently underway to pinpoint institutional gaps and design a functional organisational structure and operational framework for the agency, part of a broader push to turn MBTE into what Alausa calls a fit for purpose body capable of driving practical skills, industry relevance, employability and productivity. Alausa said polytechnic education sits at the heart of the wider TVET ecosystem, pointing to an ongoing curriculum review backed by one billion naira from TETFund that has already produced 27 new National Occupational Standards and revised four existing ones, taking the total to 31. The standards are meant to map out a clearer skills pathway running from artisan level training through National Certificate, OND and HND programmes. KPMG Partner and Head of Tax, Regulatory and People Services, Adewale Ajayi, noted that despite the system’s structural troubles, Nigeria still performs strongly on graduate employability, ranking second only to Singapore among the markets assessed. The reform effort signals growing pressure on Abuja to align technical education with the realities of an economy where formal jobs remain scarce and youth unemployment continues to weigh on national development. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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IGP Tells Vanguard at 40: Police and Press Must Be Partners, Not Just Source and Reporter

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Inspector General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, attended the public presentation of the Vanguard Chronology at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, an event marking the newspaper’s 40th anniversary under the theme Fighting Insecurity in Nigeria, The Need for Media Collaboration. The event drew dignitaries from politics, business, diplomacy, security and media. As guest speaker, the IGP praised Vanguard Media Limited’s enduring legacy, singling out founder and publisher Sam Amuka as a benchmark figure in Nigerian journalism. Disu argued that national security is not the exclusive business of law enforcement but a shared responsibility, insisting the relationship between police and press must grow beyond the traditional source and reporter dynamic into a genuine strategic partnership. He warned against the dangers of misinformation and disinformation in security reporting, calling for credible journalism, media literacy and swift official communication to counter false narratives. The IGP also pressed for accountability and transparency in handling cases of personnel misconduct, noting that a partnership cannot survive if one side demands cooperation while resisting scrutiny. Describing public trust as one of the Force’s most valuable assets, Disu urged media stakeholders to deepen collaboration with the police, framing a secure Nigeria as a victory shared by all. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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No Label, No Sale: FCCPC Fires Warning Shot at Manufacturers Over Fake Product Info

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The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has raised the alarm over a growing wave of consumer goods circulating in the market without proper labelling, warning manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers to clean up their inventories or face enforcement action. Acting under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act of 2018, the Commission said market surveillance and routine inspections have uncovered products carrying misleading claims or missing basic details such as production and expiry dates, batch numbers, manufacturer information, ingredient lists, allergen warnings and country of origin. The Commission said it is empowered to enforce strict compliance with labelling standards set alongside regulators such as the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, stressing that deceptive labelling strips consumers of their right to make informed choices and can expose them to real health, safety and financial risks. It directed all businesses in the supply chain to immediately review their stock and pull any non-compliant goods from shelves, warning that continued distribution of such products would attract regulatory action. Consumers, for their part, were urged to inspect labels carefully before buying and steer clear of products with missing, altered or illegible information, and to report suspected violations through the Commission’s official complaint channels. The FCCPC said it would keep tightening market surveillance and enforcement nationwide in partnership with other regulatory bodies to protect consumers. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Japan Pledges N20bn to Rescue Lagos Power Grid, Apapa Substation Gets Lifeline

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The Japanese Government, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency, has committed N20 billion to expand and rehabilitate Nigeria’s national electricity grid, with the Apapa Transmission Substation in Lagos among the biggest beneficiaries. JICA Chief Representative in Nigeria, Ishigame Keiji, disclosed the funding, valued at 2.35 billion Japanese yen, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos. He said the money would cover construction, equipment procurement, engineering services and operational training. Keiji said the intervention targets critical transmission infrastructure in Lagos, where rising electricity demand and ageing facilities have strained the system, adding that work already done on the Apapa substation has boosted transmission capacity, improved reliability and eased bottlenecks in electricity distribution across the state and its neighbours. Beyond Apapa, Japan is running a separate concessional loan project to upgrade the transmission network spanning Lagos and Ogun states, while JICA continues to provide technical advisers to the Ministry of Power to support broader sector reforms. Keiji said Japanese companies and other investors remain drawn to Nigeria’s large market but called for stronger government support and deeper private sector participation to sustain that interest. He also revealed that JICA is partnering with the World Bank on mini grid development for rural communities, alongside ongoing efforts to strengthen policy and institutional reforms across Nigeria’s power sector. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Bank Access Codes for Sale: Two Nabbed in FCMB Cyber Breach Trial

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The Lagos Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned Gideon Bakpa Aghogho and Oscar Ebere Chukwuebuka before Justice F.N. Ogazi of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, over the alleged unlawful supply of bank access credentials. The duo appeared alongside a third suspect, identified only as Scott, who remains at large, on an eight count charge bordering on the illegal supply of access codes to a bank database, contrary to the Cybercrimes Act of 2015 as amended in 2024. Prosecutors allege that between July 24 and July 26, 2026, the trio conspired to supply Aghogho’s administrative access code to the FCMB system, credentials capable of unlocking the bank’s Virtual Centre Platform, with intent to commit an offence. A separate count claims Aghogho had earlier, between April and May 2025, disclosed the bank’s server IP and domain credentials without authority in exchange for fifteen thousand dollars. Aghogho pleaded not guilty, while Chukwuebuka entered a guilty plea when the charges were read. Prosecuting counsel Bilkisu Buhari asked the court to fix a trial date for the first defendant and to remand him in custody, while seeking to review the facts of the case against the second defendant following his admission. Justice Ogazi adjourned the matter to August 27, 2026 for further proceedings and ordered that both men be held at a correctional centre in the interim. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Dawn Raid in Anambra: Troops Crush Three IPOB/ESN Camps, Seize Arms and Explosives

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Troops of the newly established 15 Brigade Nigerian Army, working under Joint Task Force South East, Operation UDO KA, have dismantled three suspected IPOB/ESN camps in Anambra State, recovering arms, explosives and other logistics in a coordinated dawn operation. Acting on credible intelligence about camps located at Osuakwa, along the boundary between Ihiala and Ogbaru Local Government Areas, troops teamed up with the Department of State Services and the Agunechemba Vigilante Group for the raid in the early hours of Saturday, August 15, 2026. The joint force met hostile fire from the terrorists but pushed back decisively, overwhelming them after a fierce exchange. Three suspected IPOB/ESN members were neutralised and all three camps destroyed to deny future use as operational bases. Items recovered included an FN rifle with 10 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, a pump action shotgun with five cartridges, 15 sticks of dynamite, four motorcycles, a gas cylinder, hybrid and car batteries, handheld radio chargers and other logistics believed to support the group’s activities. Further searches led to the arrest of one suspected IPOB/ESN member identified as Mr Chijioke, along with a male and female accomplice who were found with six children in their company. The Brigade Commander praised the troops, DSS personnel and vigilante group for their courage and cooperation, describing the operation as another blow to criminal and terrorist elements in the South East, with the Army vowing to sustain intelligence led operations across the region. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Behind Every Soldier, a Home Front Holding Steady, Says Army Commander

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The General Officer Commanding 6 Division Nigerian Army, Major General Everest Okoro, has said family support remains central to the career and duties of military personnel, speaking when he received the Nigerian Army Officers Wives Association, 6 Division Chapter, in Port Harcourt. The Chairperson of the association, Engineer Mrs Jane Mma Okoro, led members on a courtesy visit to Headquarters 6 Division, Port Harcourt Barracks, Rivers State, on August 18, 2026. Major General Okoro said military spouses carry a heavy share of the responsibility of running the home front while personnel are away on duty, allowing troops to stay focused on their assignments. He commended their sacrifices and pledged his support for the welfare of troops and the wider barracks community. Mrs Okoro congratulated the GOC on his new appointment and said the visit was meant to familiarise the association with Headquarters 6 Division and build a working relationship with its new leadership. She said NAOWA would keep engaging the Division’s leadership on matters affecting the welfare of military families and personnel, noting the association’s programmes are built around supporting the wellbeing of troops and their households. The visit closed with the signing of the visitors book, an exchange of souvenirs and a group photograph. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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EFCC Uncorks 2.3 Million Litre Diesel Scandal, Recovers N4.4bn From Lagos Oil Baron

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The Lagos Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has recovered 2.3 million litres of Automotive Gas Oil valued at N4.485 billion from Mamemo Ibru of Ibafon Oil and Gas, following an investigation into alleged stealing and criminal conversion. The recovery traces back to a petition filed by Prudent Energy and Services Limited, which accused Ibafon Oil and Gas of unlawfully converting petroleum products entrusted to it for storage, leaving a gaping shortfall in the company’s stock. The petitioner claimed periodic withdrawals had been made from its reserves until the outstanding balance climbed to 2,574,031 litres. A physical measurement and reconciliation exercise later found only 206,761 litres left in the storage tanks, a deficit of 2,367,270 litres. Investigators found that Ibafon Oil and Gas both trades in AGO and stores its own products at the same depot alongside stock belonging to its customers, a setup that allegedly gave Ibru room to exploit the arrangement. The Commission’s findings suggest Ibru used his position as owner of Ibafon Oil and Gas to truck out petroleum products beyond what the company actually owned, effectively helping himself to the petitioner’s reserves. Following EFCC’s intervention, the suspect has handed over the recovered products to Prudent Energy and Services Limited. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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