Folarin Kehinde

The federal government has relocated the headquarters of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria to Lagos.

This was revealed in a memo signed by the Managing Director of FAAN, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku.

The memo read:

”The Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development has directed that the Headquarters of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) should be relocated from Abuja to Lagos.

”Consequent upon the above, you are requested to provide the implication of the relocation to the management.”

The memo was dated 15th of January, 2024.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, yesterday cautioned the public against the practice of paying ransom to bandits and kidnappers, warning that such actions will encourage the scourge.

The warning against ransom payment followed reports that Nigerians had raised over N50 million through crowdfunding to pay the ransom for the release of five daughters of Abuja resident Mansoor Al-Kadriya.

Six siblings had been abducted from their father’s house in Bwari Council, Abuja, on December 26, 2023, alongside their father.

Although their father was later released to go and raise the ransom, the kidnappers killed one of his daughters, Nabeeha, last Friday for failing to raise the said ransom, leaving five in captivity.

Wike made the plea yesterday at a town hall meeting on insecurity held at Bwari Area Council.

The meeting was attended by heads of security agencies in the territory, led by FCT Commissioner of Police, Garba Haruna; the Sarkin-Bwari, Alhaji Awwal Musa Ijakoro; and Chairman of Bwari Area Council, John Gabaya.

Gabaya said the council was planning to mobilise 50 hunters and 50 vigilantes into a joint security task force and support them with logistics to complement the efforts of the security agencies in protecting the 90 villages and 16 districts that constitute Bwari Council.

Wike said: “We have to stop this idea of going to the radio to say we are ready to raise money. When you do that, those criminals are happy. They are happy when the people that are concerned, you people, want to raise money.

“No. I know it is painful that your wife, your children, and your husband have been kidnapped. All we want is to stop it, not to encourage it.

“Journalists should also help us. We need the support of everybody. The kind of news you write also will encourage them.”

He promised to go on hot pursuit of bandits, constituting a nuisance for the residents of FCT and making life miserable for them.

He stated, “It is no longer going to be business as usual. Everything has to be done to protect lives and property. Without protection of lives and property, then we have no business in government.

“My coming here today is to assure you that we are very serious. All those criminals, bandits, enough is enough! We will do everything in our power to make sure that we will not allow this to happen again.”

The minister said he got the president’s approval yesterday morning to provide all the logistics required to support the security agencies.

He said the security agencies would no longer give any excuse of being underequipped, as they would be provided with all necessary logistics.

The minister also condemned the activities of terrorists and kidnappers wreaking havoc across the country and noted that kidnapping in the FCT was high within the area councils.

He said, “We are aware that Mr. President called us and all the service chiefs to discuss this issue. So, concerted efforts are being made by security agencies to stop it immediately.

“These kidnappings happen around the suburbs, around locations that are bordering Kaduna and Niger. And this is as a result of the current operations going on in the North-west and some parts of North-central.

“The bandits are fleeing, and they are getting shelters around these areas, and the security agencies are working very hard to push them out, block the movement and finish this thing once and for all.

“The president has given us the marching order and all the support that we need and what the security agencies need to end this thing.”

A Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified the National Broadcasting Commission’s (NBC) power to impose fines on broadcast stations for alleged breaches of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.

The court declared as null and void the provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, authorising the NBA to impose fines.

The Media Rights Agenda (MRA), a human rights organisation, had filed a lawsuit against NBC after the Commission fined four media platforms a total of N20 million in August 2022 for airing documentaries about the security situation in Zamfara State. MRA argued that the NBC’s action overstepped its authority and violated the right to free speech.

The four media platforms are Multichoice Nigeria Limited (DSTV), TelCom Satellite Limited (TSTV), Trust-TV Network Limited, and NTA Startimes Limited.

Giving judgment on Wednesday, Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, who presided over the case, agreed with MRA’s arguments, stating that the NBC “acted above its powers” by imposing fines. She noted that the Commission, not being a court of law, lacks the authority to adjudicate and punish alleged offences.

The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.), Mr. Mele Kyari has said that the NNPC Ltd’s Command-and-Control Centre
has aided the detection and destruction of illegal refinery sites, removal of illegal connections, thereby addressing vandalism across operating corridors since 2021.

Kyari while speaking as a Guest Lecturer during the 2024 Faculty Lecture titled, “Energy Security, Sustainability and Profitability in Nigeria: Advances, Challenges and Opportunities,” organized by the Faculty of Science of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, on Wednesday noted that the centre provides livestreaming of surveillance data to security forces, contributing to the detection and destruction of over 5,686 Illegal Refinery (IR) sites and the removal of 4,480 Illegal Connections (ICs) from 2021 to the present.

Acknowledging the severity of vandalism and oil theft, Kyari hinted at a strategic shift, focusing on increased products trucking and storage in underground tankages at NNPC filling stations nationwide.

He highlighted NNPC Ltd.’s expanded retail assets, making it the largest single downstream company in sub-Saharan Africa after acquiring OVH retail stations and associated downstream infrastructure in 2021.

While underscoring NNPC Ltd.’s transformation into a fully commercial limited liability energy company following the passage of the Petroleum Industry Act in 2021, Kyari said the removal of fuel subsidies has allowed the Company to play a more active commercial role, ensuring profitability and delivering greater value to Nigeria’s growing population.

He however call for collaboration between the academia and the Oil & Gas Industry towards addressing the challenges of energy sufficiency and sustainability.

Kyari highlighted the important role academic communities, such as the prestigious OAU, play in safeguarding national energy security through research and collaboration with the industry.

While pointing out the challenges hindering energy security in Nigeria to include rapid population growth, pipeline vandalism, and crude oil theft, Kyari identified energy conservation, diversification, and efficiency measures as major avenues for enhancing energy security.

Addressing the projected rapid population growth, Kyari harped on the importance of finding solutions to ensure sustainable energy security for the benefit of current and future generations.

He underscored the intensified competition for vital resources and urbanization drive, which would lead to a doubling of Nigeria’s energy demand by 2050.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has vowed to tackle rising incidents of kidnapping in the federal capital.

Wike said this on Wednesday during a town hall meeting with residents of the Bwari Area Council of the FCT in the wake of recent kidnapping and killings in the area.

The minister said it would no longer be business as usual as President Bola Tinubu had instructed him to provide all that the security agencies would need to keep the federal capital safe.

Wike noted that there was an influx of bandits into Abuja from the North East region as well as Niger, Kaduna and Nasarawa states.

He said, “Security is one of the key priorities of Mr. President’s administration. Yesterday, Mr President summoned a high-level security meeting, which includes all the Service Chiefs, the Minister of Defence, and my humble self, because of recent attacks, particularly in Bwari. And so, currently, it is one of the key priorities, that Mr. President’s Renewed Hope Agenda will want to face squarely.

“It is no longer going to be business as usual. Everything has to be done to protect lives and property. Without protection of lives and property, we have no business in government. My coming here today is to assure you that we are very serious.

“All those criminals, bandits, enough is enough. We will do everything in our power to make sure that we will not allow this to happen again. That is why just this morning, Mr. President has given me approval, to provide everything required to the security agencies. And just like what Etsu-Bwari and Sarkin-Bwari said, it is not by merely talking, we are serious.

“Security agencies will not have any reason to say that they are not equipped; we will provide everything required. I know how big Bwari is, I know that you have boundaries with three states: Niger State, Kaduna State and Nasarawa State. I know because these bandits were chased away from the Northeast, so they are making their way here, we will make it hot for them”, he added.

On his part, the Chairman of Bwari Area Council, John Gabaya, said the size and difficult terrain of the Council made the security challenges more difficult.

He requested the provision of at least a vehicle and 7 motorcycles in each district for effective patrol and surveillance, while also appealing for training and retraining of hunters and villagers, engaged by the Council for their security.

The town hall meeting was attended by former Senator representing the FCT, Philip Aduda, the Etsu-Bwari and Sarkin-Bwari.

The Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency has cautioned consumers of fried plantains popularly called “plantain chips” to be wary of any unwholesome practices in the processing of the plantains for sale.

This is in response to a viral report on social media where the author claimed to have witnessed a woman melt polythene, also known as rubber or nylons, into the hot oil used for frying plantain for sale to harden the chips.

According to a statement posted on the official X handle of the Lagos State Government late Tuesday, LASCOPA urged consumers to exercise caution when purchasing plantain chips to avoid health implications.

The statement read, “A statement issued by the Agency today stated that the advice was necessary given the viral online picture posted by an eye witness showing a “plantain chips” seller allegedly adding Polythene known as “Rubber” into the hot vegetable oil used for frying the plantain.

The Kaduna State Fire Service on Wednesday, confirmed a fire incident at the popular Panteka market in Kaduna.

Mr Paul Aboi, Director, Kaduna State Fire Service, told the News Agency of Nigeria that the fire incident affected the timber section of the market.

Aboi said that the fire department received the first distress call from one Sadiq Mohammed, who rushed to the fire department at 1 a.m. on Wednesday.

Aboi, however, said the fire incident did not result in any loss of life or injuries to the traders.

According to him, the cause of the fire is still unknown as investigations is ongoing.

He said that the fire was put out in a collaborative effort by men of the state and the Federal Fire Services.

Mohammed Abubakar, Chairman of the wood section of the market, said the fire incident started by 1:10 am and commended the fire service for the prompt response.

His words: “The Fire Service did well in putting out the fire and after the fire was put off, the firemen still remained behind to assist traders’ salvage what was left until the early hours of 8am.”

Abubakar said that the estimated total loss to the fire had yet to be ascertained, adding that a committee had been set up to determine the exact lost in monetary terms to the fire incident.

“We are appealing to government agencies and well-meaning Nigerians to come to our aid,’’ he added.

The Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, has launched a special intervention squad for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, to curb the menace of insecurity in the Nigerian capital.

Abuja has, in recent weeks, witnessed an upsurge in abductions and attacks by bandits infiltrating the FCT from neighbouring states.

In response to the incidents, IGP Egbetokun launched the special squad, urging the officers to root out criminal elements in Abuja.

He also stated that the squad has the full support of the Nigerian government and some foreign governments.

He said: These men are going to be given special training. Don’t get me wrong, they are already well trained, but they are going to have additional training, and that training is not going to stop; they will continue to train regularly.

”The days of those terrorising Nigeria are numbered. I want to appeal to everyone to support this initiative, and please cooperate with these officers when they are out.”

The Head of Operations of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Fire Service, Amiola Adebayo, has confirmed three separate fire incidences that occurred in the FTC between 7:30 pm on Tuesday evening and 4am on Wednesday morning.

Adebayo stated that men of the Fire Service had first responded to a distress call at a residential building behind the First Forty hotel in Wuse 2, before they were alerted to a fire outbreak at the Karmo market at about midnight, and then the I.C World Emporium at 4am in the Gwarinpa Estate

He said: “It is true. The exact time, I will get it across to you. They happened midnight. There is one that happened around 7:30 pm yesterday, that was behind First Forty Hotel, in Wuse 2. That one is a building being used as a commercial. Then we came back from that place, in the midnight, early in the morning today, another one happened in Karmo, from there we went to I.C mall again.”

Two separate videos posted on X (formerly Twitter) by @gistreel and @danielK2465, showed the moment the fire engulfed the IC World Shopping mall in Gwarimpa, and first responders trying to quench the fire in the Karmo market.

No casualty has yet been confirmed, as of the time of filing this report.

Details shortly…