Author: Lawan

The Federal Government has begun the process of certifying China’s C919 aircraft for use by Nigerian airlines, a move that could see the homegrown Chinese jet operating on domestic routes in the country. Capt. Chris Ona Najomo, Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), confirmed the development in an interview with Reuters on the sidelines of the UN aviation agency’s assembly in Montreal. “We’re looking at the certification of the airplane. First of all, that is where we have to start,” Najomo said, noting that the process would take months to complete. The C919, built by state-owned Chinese…

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) says it has not taken any decision on the zoning of its 2027 presidential ticket, dismissing claims of broken promises as false and misleading. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, made the clarification on Sunday, September 28, stressing that no commitment had been made to any coalition partner or group on zoning. “You cannot break any promise you have not made,” Abdullahi said in response to a statement by Dr. Yunusa Tanko, National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, who had accused the ADC of reneging on agreements within the coalition. The Obidient Movement is…

Graduating students intending to embark on the mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps will now provide their projects and thesis before mobilization can be effected. This is coming after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved a reform linking the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) mobilisation process to the National Policy for the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD). By invoking Sections 2(4)(4) and 16(1)(C) of the NYSC Act, Tinubu directed that no graduate — whether from a Nigerian or foreign institution — will be mobilised for or exempted from NYSC without proof of compliance with the NERD policy. The directive, conveyed…

By Taiwo Akanji Senator Saliu Mustapha is a man with a helmsman’s steady hand, steering Kwara Central through the tides of challenge toward prosperity. As the Turaki of Ilorin Emirate and Aare Atunluse of Oro-Ago Kingdom, he charts a course with care, guiding his people with roads that connect communities, boreholes that bring clean water, and scholarships that open doors to education. On his 53rd birthday, September 26, 2025, his constituents celebrate a leader whose vision navigates their dreams to reality, setting a path for a brighter future. In the Senate chambers, where Nigeria’s course is plotted, Mustapha doesn’t chase…

By Aminu Kaita Imagine a young Gbenga Komolafe stepping into the labyrinthine world of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) over three decades ago, his heart alight with a quiet resolve to serve his nation. Today, as Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), this 62-year-old engineer stands as a towering figure, a visionary whose transformative leadership has turned the oil and gas sector into a beacon of hope and progress. On his birthday, the story of a man whose multifaceted brilliance—part goal-getter, part social crusader, part disciplined innovator is unravelled. The remarkable life of a man…

US President Donald Trump stated on Thursday night, September 25, that he will not allow Israel to annex the occupied West Bank, drawing a rare red line over Israeli actions in the Palestinian territory. Trump made his comments in the Oval Office following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s arrival in New York for the United Nations General Assembly and a meeting with the president. Trump’s remarks signal an alignment with many Western and Arab nations, which have warned that any Israeli annexation would effectively kill the idea of a Palestinian state. The Trump administration has faced increasing international isolation, even…

Operatives of the Ondo State Police Command have rescued a missing four-year-old girl and uncovered a child trafficking syndicate operating across Ondo, Delta and Anambra States. The case began on February 3, 2025, when Sunday Kingsley of Alagbaka Extension, Akure, reported that his daughter, Jesinta, went missing while staying with her mother, Sunday Happiness. Spokesman of the State Police Command, Olusola Ayanlade, disclosed this in a statement issued and made available to journalists in Akure on Thursday, September 25, 2025. “The case began on 3rd February, 2025, when one Sunday Kingsley ‘m’ of Alagbaka Extension, Akure, reported that his 4-year-old…

Russia is banning fuel exports until the end of the year as gas pumps across the country and in Russian-occupied areas are increasingly running dry due to escalated Ukrainian drone attacks. Kyiv first ramped up drone attacks on Russian refineries, pumping stations, and fuel trains over the summer, targeting supply chains during a period of high traditional demand. While Russian officials initially blamed the shortages on “logistical reasons,” the situation has only worsened in recent weeks. The Ukrainian Air Force reported striking multiple Russian fuel production sites and pumping stations this week, including a major Gazprom-operated oil refinery in Bashkortostan…

Amazon will pay a historic $2.5 billion settlement to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the agency announced Thursday, ending a two-year dispute over allegations that the tech giant tricked consumers into subscribing to its Prime membership service and then made the cancellation process excessively difficult. The agreement requires Amazon to pay a $1 billion civil penalty and provide $1.5 billion in refunds to an estimated 35 million customers who were “harmed by their deceptive Prime enrollment practices.” The FTC noted that this is the largest civil penalty in a case involving an FTC rule violation and the second-highest restitution award…

By Iliasu Idris The recent invasion of our beloved town by notorious bandits that reverberates through the streets of Birnin Kebbi has become an interesting focus of national security. Nigeria is witnessing an unfortunate realization where political machinations have not merely collided with public safety but have precipitated a catastrophe of unprecedented magnitude. The rumors of violence and insecurity in Kebbi state, in particular, open cans of questions that go beyond just governance; questions that demand the swift re-examination of the very nature of political power and the deadly relationship it has with terrorism. This surge in insecurity has been…