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Benue Boat Mishap Leaves 11 Persons Dead

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Boat Mishap

By Akinwale Kasali

 

Six children, a pregnant Woman and four others have been confirmed dead following a boat mishap in River Benue, Makurdi Local Government, Benue State.

 

It was gathered that the Boat was conveying them from a burial ceremony before it capsized leaving 11 persons dead.

 

The sad incident occured  Saturday night, as disclosed by a local source who simply identified himself as Daniel.

 

Daniel stated the victims were returning to Daududawadawa community, an Island settlement behind the Nigerian Army School of Military Engineering Barracks located in the North Bank area of the State Capital, before the

ill-fated boat capsized, with about 40 people on board.

 

It capsized in the middle of the river between 7pm and 8pm during a downpour accompanied by a windstorm.

 

The Commander of a local vigilante group, Operation Shara (Sweep), in North Bank, Nura Umar, who confirmed the incident, said the victims were returning from the burial of a woman from their community at Wadata.

 

Umar said: “The deceased woman had been taken to a private hospital in North Bank on Saturday morning where she later died, and the relatives and sympathisers from the Island community decided to take the remains to Wadata for her burial.

 

“After the burial, they boarded a boat to cross back to Daududawadawa community. At about 7pm, heavy rain and strong winds started and the boat capsized halfway into the journey.

 

“There were over 40 passengers aboard the boat, but 11 were feared dead. We have recovered four bodies so far and buried them, while divers are still searching for the remaining victims.”

 

It was also gathered that one of the survivors had a baby strapped to her back but lost the child in the accident.

 

The Benue State State Police Command’s Spokesperson, DSP Udeme Edet, said she was yet to receive any report about the incident.

 

The Chairman of Makurdi Local Government, Joseph Keffi, is yet to comment on this development.

 

It would be recalled that six months ago, the state government pledged to enforce rigorous safety measures to address frequent boat mishaps across the state’s waterways.

 

The state government had: in January, through  the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security and Internal Affairs, Joseph Har, launched a comprehensive enforcement initiative, under the new safety guidelines, in which the government emphasized the use of life jackets for all passengers and boat operators among others.

General Abubakar’s Death: Defining Moment In Battle Against Terrorism – Tinubu, Forecloses Negotiation With Bandits

By
Ayodele Oni
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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

By Ayodele Oni 

 

Aftermath of the death of retired Major-General Abubakar Rabe, in captivity two weeks after he was abducted by terrorists, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has foreclosed any possible negotiation with terrorists.

 

The president has also vowed that none of those suspected terrorists currently in detention would be released, saying the terrorists have done their worst.

 

Reacting in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu said his administration would not bow to the demands of terrorists or release their detained members.

 

“While the terrorists have done their worst, the President wants them to know that the government will never bow to their demand to release their members,” the statement read.

 

Tinubu pointed out that bandits, kidnappers and sponsors of terrorism must either surrender or face the full force of the Nigerian State.

 

“As I said on June 12, bandits, kidnappers, and sponsors of terror should now surrender or face the full force of the Nigerian State. 

 

“These windows of surrender will not remain open forever. And no mercy will be shown to those who trade in the blood of Nigerians.”

 

The president expressed shock over the death of retired Major-General Abubakar Rabe, who died in captivity two weeks after he was abducted by terrorists.

Major -General Rabe Abubakar
Major -General Rabe Abubakar

Rabe was reportedly kidnapped alongside his wife while travelling to his hometown. 

 

In a video released about a week after the abduction, the terrorists demanded the release of three of their members in government custody as a condition for freeing the retired general and his wife.

 

The demand came amid similar reports that terrorists holding schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oyo State had also demanded the release of their members before the victims would regain freedom.

 

The President urged Nigerians to remain united, assuring them that the country would overcome terrorism and continue its path toward peace and prosperity.

 

“As Nigerians, we must stand united and be assured that the enemies of our nation shall soon be history. 

 

“We will triumph over terror and continue to build a more prosperous nation,” he added.

 

Tinubu described the death of the retired general as a defining moment in the fight against terrorism, stressing that the government must not negotiate with terrorists on any terms.

 

“General Abubakar’s death should further serve as a defining moment in our battle against terrorists and insurgents, never to negotiate with them on any terms, but to continue to treat them as the greatest enemies of our dear nation, who should never be spared,” the President said.

 

He commiserated with the family of the late retired general, especially his wife, who is still being held against her will.

 

The President also extended his condolences to the Katsina State Government and the Nigerian Armed Forces over the death of the retired senior military officer.

Odumegwu Ojukwu University Dismisses Two Professors, Others Over Se*ual Harassment, Extortion

By
Suleiman Anyalewechi
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Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

 

Two Professors were among five teaching and non-teaching staff dismissed by the Governing Council of the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University  over acts of gross misconducts, including sexual harassment, abuse of office, extortion and intimidation of students ,as well as other ethical violations.

 

A statement from the University’s spokesperson, Dr Harrison Madubueze, at the weekend, informed that the action was part of the outcome of the 122nd meeting of the 8th Governing Council held on Friday, June 12, 2026.

 

According to him, the disciplinary action is in.line with the University authorities’ avowed commitment towards enthroning a regime of discipline, accountability, and examplary ethical standards in the institution.

 

The statement listed those axed to include,the immediate past Dean of the Faculty of Law, Prof C C Nwabachili, Prof Chike Osegbue of the Department of Political Science, Dr I H Iheukwumere, Mr Emeka Nwabunnia, and Mrs Ifeoma Kakulu, a principal Assistant Registrar in-charge of examination at the institution’s Faculty of Law at the Igbariam Campus .

 

The duo of Iheukwumere and Nwabunnia of the Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, were found guilty of offences bordering on extortion, intimidation and se*ual abuse and harassment, as well as other gross acts of misconduct.

 

While reaffirming its  determination to sustaining  and promoting discipline, integrity, and accountability  within the University system, the Governing Council warned that it will not hesitate to appropriately sanction erring members of staff.

Kenneth Okonkwo’s Problems Multiply As Fmr. Gov. Udenwa Demands N5bn, Public Apology

By
Suleiman Anyalewechi
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Kenneth Okonkwo

By Suleiman Anyalewechi 

 

Actor-turned politician, Kenneth Okonkwo may have inadvertently booked a date with trouble with his now infamous Channels Television Interview. 

 

Since the interview, not only has Okonkwo been under a barrage of attacks by shocked members of the public, with a couple of them revealing why Peter Obi, Presidential Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, has become his punch bag, but he now has a N10 billion debt hanging on his neck, plus  public apologies.

 

Still grappling with Obi’s anger for which the NDC Presidential Candidate has asked for, among other things, N5bn and a public apology, a former Governor  of Imo State, Chief Achike Udenwa has also towed Obi’s path. He was one of those Okonkwo mentioned in his infamous interview who allegedly took bribes from South East NDC aspirants to positions.

 

Embarrassed by what he described as completely false, Udenwa has  issued  a seven day dateline for the retraction of the damaging remarks against him ,as well as pay the sum of N5 billion or be prepared to face legal actions 

 

Udenwa, who presided over the affairs of Imo state between 1999 and 2007,  through his legal team headed by Soronnadi Njoku, SAN described Okonkwo’s television interview as false , malicious and defamatory to his hard earned reputation.

 

The former Governor is also demanding a written undertaking from Okonkwo not to make any further defamatory publications against his person.

 

Soronnadi: “As Counsel to His Excellency, Chief Achike Udenwa of Civic Centre Layout, Owerri, Imo State, your comments on ,of ,and concerning him which you made in your Channels Television Live interview in the course of your speech in the program ” SUNRISE DAILY” on the 8th day of June ,2026 has been brought to our attention .

 

“In the said interview, you stated thus: That is why the NDC has released a statement that its only the South East caucus of the party that was involved in such problems. Onyema Ugochukwu , Achike Udenwa , Peter Obi ,and other leaders of South East caucus were busy extorting the South East aspirants .

 

” As a legal practitioner which you claim to be, you know or ought to know the meaning of the word ” EXTORT” ,and its derivative : EXTORTING” (see THE CHAMBERS DICTIONARY,10TH EDITION PAGE 532) .

 

“Our client, Chief Achike Udenwa was the Executive Governor of Imo state for TWO TERMS of FOUR YEARS EACH . 

 

“Thereafter, he served as an HONOURABLE MINISTER of the Federal Government of Nigeria. .

 

“Throughout his many years of public service, he has never been accused of corruption, or any other crimes of any sort, including embezzlement of public funds or extortion .

 

“He has the distinction of being one of the very few former Governors and Ministers who DO NOT HAVE ANY CORRUPTION CASE pending against them anywhere in Nigeria or even abroad.

 

“Most regrettably, your defamatory statements against him, accusing him of illegally securing money from aspirants by compulsion and violence or wrongly from those aspirants by compulsion or violence, a statement you made during a LIVE TELEVISION PROGRAMME broadcast both nationally and Internationally ,and which statement was subsequently published by numerous media houses , including Daily post, Point-blank, News Igbere TV ,and several online.platforms like Phoenix, has greatly injured our client in his credit ,and reputation and portrayed him as a common criminal who abuses his position for personal monetary gains.”

 

Consequently, the former Imo state Governor, and Chieftain of the NDC issued a 7-day ultimatum for Okonkwo to publish an apology in widely read national dailies ,and other media outfits including Channels Television or face legal actions.

 

“In the circumstances ,we do hereby ,on his ( Udenwa’s) instructions give you SEVEN (7) DAYS from the date of this letter to WRITE A STRONGLY WORDED LETTER OF APOLOGY TO HIM , published in FIVE (5) NATIONAL DAILIES ,as well as aired on PRIME TIME in CHANNELS TELEVISION , wherein you will clearly ,in unmistakable terms , retract your said publication against him ,and giving an undertaking never to defame him again” the letter added.

 

How Okonkwo will wriggle out of the anger of these statesmen is a decision only he and the Courts can take.

Peter Obi In Washington: ‘I Will Listen To All Agitators, Make Sacrifices For Unity’

By
The Source
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Peter Obi in Washington

The Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has stated that if he becomes President, he will listen to every section. Obi made the declaration during an interaction with Nigerians during his recent visit to Washington, USA.

To achieve the aim of unifying the country,  Obi said;  ‘I will listen to all agitators, harmonise them and make some sacrifices with a view to bringing the country together.’

In stating that he would “listen to all agitators with a view to uniting Nigerians,” he offered a significant shift from the conventional, iron-fist approach to state security and national cohesion. This philosophy positions dialogue, social justice, and inclusion as the primary mechanisms for healing Nigeria’s deep-seated geopolitical fractures. Unfortunately, his position has been misconstrued by some people who singled out Nnamdi Kanu as one of the agitators and ran with it just to attach Obi to their ethnic motives.

For decades, Nigeria has leaned heavily on military and security interventions to suppress regional grievances, whether in the Southeast, the Niger Delta, the Middle Belt or the North. Obi’s proposal, being twisted by opponents, suggests that agitation is often a symptom, not the root cause.

By shifting the strategy from active combat to active listening, Obi plans to treat agitators not just as security threats but as citizens with grievances — many of which stem from economic marginalisation, perceived injustice, and institutional neglect.

 

True national unity cannot be coerced; it must be built. The core argument for Obi’s dialogue-first model rests on three main pillars: Many regional agitations are driven by poverty, high youth unemployment, and uneven development. Listening allows the government to identify the socio-economic disparities driving the anger.

Agitation frequently flares up when a region feels entirely excluded from the federal power structure. A conversational approach signals that every region has a legitimate seat at the table. And democracy, which our principal plans to practise realistically, will encourage structured dialogue to restore faith in democratic institutions and to demonstrate that the state values civic engagement over intimidation.

“True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.”

This timeless principle underpins the concept of engaging aggrieved factions to find a common, workable middle ground for a fractured nation.

 

Peter Obi’s Media Office, therefore, believes that his stance of listening to agitators is a pragmatic recognition that gun barrel diplomacy has its limits. For a multi-ethnic, multi-religious state like Nigeria, unity cannot be enforced by decree. It must be negotiated through shared prosperity, fairness, and mutual respect. A New Nigeria is Possible.

Enough Is Enough, We Must Play A Decisive Role In Recruiting Rivers State Next Leaders In 2027 – PFN Vows

By
Suleiman Anyalewechi
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Rev. Dr. Minaibi Dagogo-Jack
Rev. Dr. Minaibi Dagogo-Jack

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

 

The organized body of Christians in Rivers State under the aegis of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, says it is paying more than a cursory attention to the 2027 polls.

 

The body has vowed to mobilise no fewer than 600,000 votes in its determination to influence the emergence of leaders  who can positively impact the lives of the people ,as well as promote the overall interests of the State.

 

At an interactive session with the media at the end of its Three-day Summit, the Rivers State Chairman of the PFN, Rev. Dr. Minaibi Dagogo-Jack, informed that the Church has resolved to play an active role in the recruitment processes of the next set of political leaders of the state.

 

According to him, Christians are set to carry out a coordinated mobilisation campaign across the 23 Local Council of the State, with a target of delivering at least 20,000 votes per Local Government during the general elections.

 

He emphasized that the PFN has projected to deliver 40 ,000 votes from two cosmopolitan Local Councils of the state , while 20,000 votes each will come from the rest of the 21 Councils, including those in the riverine areas.

 

” We, the pentecostals in Rivers State, are not joking. We decided to convoke this programme to create awareness, to seek the face of God in order to chart a way forward through a peaceful electioneering process.

 

“And, also, to tell our people to prepare their minds that we are looking at producing the next set of political leaders in Rivers state come 2027.

 

“Rivers State has 23 Local Councils ,and we are looking at producing more than 20,000 votes from each of 21 of them, and more than 40,000 votes in two Local Government Areas within the metropolis. We are mobilising in order to have more than 600,000 votes during the elections” Dagogo-Jack stated.

 

He expressed serious concern that the number of votes from Rivers state, as well as the outcome of the 2023  polls, did not reflect the actual voting strength of the Christian Community, and the electorate.

 

According to him, with about 3.5 million registered voters, Rivers State is supposed to be a swing state during elections.

 

Dagogo-Jack maintained that the PFN has the numerical strength to significantly, and even decisively influence electoral outcomes in Rivers state, and hold leaders accountable.

 

“The pentecostal Churches in particular are large enough. We have the numerical strength to tell these politicians that there is Balm in Gilead.

 

“Like I have always said, the so-called politicians were not able to produce more than 10 percent of the President’s votes, and yet they are busy causing trouble here and there in Rivers state.

 

“The Church can not continue to sleep and allow our children to die. We have, therefore, resolved to be more involved in the processes leading up to the production of the next leaders in Rivers State, and at the Federal level”, the PFN chairman added.

How General Bamaiyi And I Were Locked Up Day Abacha Died – Abdulsalami Abubakar Fmr. Head Of State

By
Adesina Soyooye
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Abdusalami Abubakar


By Adesina Soyooye 

 

 A former Nigerian Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, has revealed the intrigues that took place in the Aso Rock Villa the  day General Sani Abacha, former Head of State died. One: He and then Chief of Army Staff, Lt-General Ishaya Bamaiyi were locked up in a room.

 

General Abubakar, who  succeeded Abacha, and finally, handed over power to a democratic Government, headed by President Olusegun Obasanjo, in 1999, has narrated how he was called to the Villa, on the pretex that the Head of State, General Abacha wanted to see him.

 

At the time the phone call came, Abubakar narrated in his autobiography, *’Call To Duty*’, which was launched Saturday, June 13, in Abuja, he had not taken his bath. It was early in the morning. He said he thought Abacha wanted to send him to Togo to represent him since Abacha’s second in Command, Lt. General Oladipo Diya was in jail  over an alleged Coup D’etat. He said he was tired of traveling to represent Abacha, and complained to his wife. 

 

However, he entered the bathroom for his bath. But while there, another call came relaying the same message. In a hurry, therefore, he had no time to wear his uniform. So, he quickly wore a tracksuit and a pair of slippers, left to see Abacha, and asked that his bag be packed in case he would be traveling to Togo.

 

His first shock on arrival Abacha’s residence came when he was told the Head of State was in the office. So he went there and was ushered to the reception. After a long wait, he got worried and wondered why he was being kept for that long. Then, in walked the Chief of Army Staff, General Ishaya Bamaiyi.

 

The wait was still on. Agitated, he stood up meaning to usher himself into Abacha’s office by all means as he had never been kept for that long before, no matter who the Head of State was with.

 

That was when the second shock hit him. The door had been locked against him and Bamaiyi. They waited, worried, agitated. He said it dawned on him that something was amiss but he could not place his fingers on what. After about a 90- minute wait, the then Inspector General of Police, IGP, Ibrahim Coomassie came and opened the door for them. He asked them to follow him. It was on their way back to Abacha’s residence that Coomassie broke the news of Abacha’s death. General Abubakar said it sounded unbelievable to him until he saw Abacha’s body.

 

His words: “On Monday, 8 June, 1993, I received a call very early in the morning that he (Abacha) wanted to see me. I quietly prayed that he would not send me to Togo where there was going to be an ECOWAS summit. 

I was tired of going everywhere.

 

“By this time, Lt-General Diya, his No 2, was in detention (over an alleged coup plot). I was effectively the No 2 man in government and I was always representing him at events. I told my wife I was not happy with the call because I didn’t want to travel to Togo. I told my orderly to pack my travelling bag and other personal effects.

 

“As I entered the bathroom, there was another call. I was told again that the Head of State wanted to see me. Out of frustration, I asked if I was travelling to Togo and the caller replied that it was on another issue. Because of the urgency, I didn’t wear my uniform. I wore a tracksuit and slippers and proceeded to the Presidential Villa.

 

“On getting to his residence, I was told he was in the office. I wondered why he would be that early in the office. As I was climbing the stairs, one of the guards informed me that Abacha said I should stay in the waiting room. What struck me was that anytime I went to see him, regardless of who was with him, I would still go in.

 

“After waiting for about half an hour, I reasoned that it was odd. Major-General Ishaya Bamaiyi joined me shortly after. We waited for about an hour. I decided to go and see Abacha by any means because I could not understand why I should be kept that long. To my greatest surprise, the door of the waiting room had been locked. I asked Bamaiyi if he was aware that we had been locked inside. Something kept telling me that something was wrong but I could not place a finger on it.

 

“After some time, the door was opened and the Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Coomassie, came in. He said: ‘Let’s go.’ We walked towards the residence and I informed him that I was told Abacha was at the office. It was at this stage that he informed me that Abacha was dead. I was shocked. I asked him what happened and he insisted we proceed first. He did not tell me anything else.

 

“When we got to the residence, I asked to see Abacha’s body. I was told it was inside. I entered the room and removed the covering. I was in shock at the sudden development. I prayed for him and left the room.”

 

General Abubakar did not, however,  disclose who ordered the door of the waiting room to be locked. He only hinted that some military officers had “other plans” as events unfolded.

 

Immediately Abacha died, his Chief Security Officer, CSO, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha was effectively in-charge, and was, allegedly, the one who summoned all the Senior Military Officers and the IGP to Aso Rock.

One senior Military Officer at the time, now retired, had remarked: “If Major Al-Mustapha so desired, he had the opportunity to shoot all of us and taken over the Government. But he had no such ambition.”

Major Gen Abubakar: Death Without Answers, And A Government’s Reckless Words For A Reckless Death

By
The Source
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Major -General Rabe Abubakar
Major -General Rabe Abubakar

By Suleiman Usman Yusuf 

 

Yesterday, in marking Democracy Day with a piece titled “Inside Out and Upside Down,” I referenced retired Major General Rabe Abubakar, then still in the hands of his abductors, as an example of how unsafe even our most decorated citizens have become.

 

Today, barely a day later, the Katsina State Government has announced his death while in captivity.

 

The Katsina State Government announced that retired Major General Rabe Abubakar died “a natural death from complications of diabetes and hypertension” while in the custody of his abductors.

 

I have one question. What is natural about a man with known health conditions being denied his medication for two weeks? What is natural about a 70 year old retired General, who served this nation with distinction, being dragged through forests, deprived of rest, dignity, and care, until his body simply gave way? Why should we normalize a situation where a man dies in the custody of his abductors, as though he passed away peacefully in his own home, surrounded by family and proper care?

 

And beyond the question of what is “natural,” there is a more basic one: how does the Katsina State Government even know what killed him? Did the state have access to his body? Was an autopsy conducted to determine the actual cause of death? Or is this account based on information relayed by the very bandits holding him captive? For a government to issue such a definitive medical conclusion, without indicating any of this, is not just insensitive. It is reckless, and it reveals a troubling level of communication incapacitation at the highest levels of state government.

 

There is nothing natural about dying in agony, in captivity, at the mercy of men who reduced a General of the Nigerian Army to a bargaining chip for livestock and detained associates.

 

If anything killed General Rabe, it was not diabetes. It was the system that allowed him to be taken in the first place, and the weeks of negotiation, video demands, and “advanced stage” rescue efforts that came to nothing while his body broke down.

 

Call it what it is. Not a natural death. A death of neglect, abandonment, and a state that has normalized the suffering of its citizens, even its decorated ones, to the point where dying slowly in a bandit’s camp can be filed away as “natural causes,” based on an account no one has bothered to verify.

 

May he rest in peace. But let us not insult his memory by pretending this was anything but preventable, and let us not allow careless, unverified official statements to become the final word on how he died.

 

Because that, after all, may be exactly what this press release was designed to achieve: a quick, tidy conclusion, no coroner’s report, no criminal investigation findings, no official inquiry, just a “natural” diagnosis announced within a day of his death, closing the file before it was ever truly opened. No consequences. No answers. No justice. Just another name filed away, until the next tragedy gives us cause to remember it.

 

We owe General Rabe more than that. And frankly, we owe ourselves more than that too.

Yusuf writes from Abuja. He could be reached via [email protected]

“Every Operational Resource Was Deployed To Secure Release Of Late Maj Gen Abubakar” – DHQ

By
Ayodele Oni
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0
Major -General Rabe Abubakar
Major -General Rabe Abubakar

By Ayodele Oni

 

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has revealed that every operational resource was deployed in the hope of securing the release of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar, who died in captivity after being abducted by criminals.

 

Expressing deep sorrow over the death of the officer in a statement issued on Saturday, the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, described the late senior officer as a distinguished military professional whose contributions to national security and the development of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) remain invaluable.

 

“The Armed Forces of Nigeria convey its deepest sympathies to the Abubakar family, his colleagues and all Nigerians.

 

“Maj Gen Abubakar served the nation with distinction and held many appointments including spokesperson of various military formations as well as spokesman for the AFN as Director Defence Information.

 

“He made immense contributions to counter-insurgency operations, professional development of the AFN and numerous other commendable and outstanding impacts.

 

“His commitment to duty and to the unity of Nigeria remains a shining example for all personnel of the AFN,” the statement said.

 

The Defence Headquarters disclosed that it deliberately refrained from making public comments on the retired General’s abduction in order not to jeopardize ongoing efforts aimed at securing his release.

 

“The Defence Headquarters withheld public comment on his abduction in deference to ongoing rescue efforts by the AFN and sister security agencies. Every operational resource was deployed in the hope of securing his safe return,” Uba stated

 

Describing the development as a painful loss, the military said the incident has further strengthened its determination to eliminate terrorism, banditry and other violent crimes threatening the nation’s peace and security.

 

“This sad loss further strengthens the resolve of the AFN. We will remain resolute in the discharge of our constitutional mandate to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Nigeria and to protect all citizens,” the statement added.

 

The Defence Headquarters noted that ongoing military operations across the country have been intensified in response to the growing incidents of abduction and terrorism, including the kidnapping of the late retired general.

 

“In response to series of unfortunate abductions across Nigeria including that of Maj Gen Abubakar, ongoing operations have since been further intensified to bring perpetrators to justice and to dismantle all terrorist networks threatening our nation.

 

“We assure Nigerians that the Armed Forces will not relent until peace and security are restored and those responsible for terrorist activities across the nation are held to account,” Uba said.

 

The military reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding the nation and ensuring that those responsible for acts of terrorism and criminality face justice

Education, Healthcare Remain Surest Path to National Development – Obi

By
The Source
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0
Peter Obi
Mr Peter Obi

The Presidential Candidate  of Nigeria Democratic Party (NDC),  Mr. Peter Obi, has reiterated that education and healthcare remain the most reliable pathways to national development, stressing that Nigeria cannot transition from a consumption-driven economy to a productive one without substantial investment in human capital.

 

Obi made the assertion at the Maiden Convocation and Third Matriculation Ceremony of the Central Washington College (CWC) of Nursing Sciences and Health Technology, Enugu,  on Saturday, where he was represented by Prof. Patrick Obi.

 

According to Obi, higher education should go beyond the acquisition of certificates and focus on nurturing critical thinking, integrity, professional discipline, and character. He noted that universities, colleges, and technical institutions must become centres of innovation and ethical leadership if Nigeria is to compete effectively in the global economy.

 

He warned that any nation that neglects education and healthcare risks deepening poverty among its citizens, adding that sustainable development can only be achieved through deliberate investment in knowledge and human capacity development.

 

The event marked a significant milestone for the institution as it graduated its first set of 236 healthcare professionals, comprising 200 graduates from the College of Nursing Sciences and 36 from the College of Health Sciences. The college also matriculated 128 new students, including 65 admitted into Nursing Sciences and 63 into Health Sciences and Technology programmes.

 

Speaking at the ceremony, the President and Founder of the institution, Prof. Augustine Uchenna Akubue, highlighted the college’s growth since its establishment on November 3, 2020. He noted that the institution has secured approval from the National Board for Technical Education and relevant professional regulatory bodies, positioning it as a centre of excellence in healthcare education.

 

Obi commended the vision and commitment of the college’s management, faculty, and governing council for providing quality training and infrastructure aimed at producing globally competitive healthcare professionals.

 

Addressing the pioneer graduating class, he urged them to uphold the values of compassion, competence, and ethical responsibility as they begin their professional careers.

 

The ceremony was chaired by Chief Nnia Nwodo, while Prof. Joseph Nwazi served as Chairman of the Governing Board and delivered the keynote address. Also in attendance were the Provost of the college, Dr. Mrs. Veronica Chijioke Chiegeiro, parents, guardians, and other stakeholders in the education and healthcare sectors.

 

Obi reaffirmed his commitment to supporting initiatives that promote education and healthcare, describing investment in the nation’s youth as the most effective route to building a productive and prosperous Nigeria.

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