Folarin Kehinde

Andrew Okungbowa, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Godwin Obaseki, the Governor of Edo State, has resigned from his position.

Okungbowa cited his dissatisfaction with how he was treated as the reason for his resignation.

Recall that Okungbowa was appointed Chief Press Secretary just five months ago, on July 25, 2023.

In a short three-paragraph letter, dated December 4, 2023, and addressed to Obaseki, he said: “I write to formally inform you of my resignation from my position as CPS to the governor, with immediate effect.

“I am most grateful for the privilege and opportunity to serve the governor and the state. Please, accept my kind felicitation.”

This newspaper gathered that what prompted CPS’s resignation was the fact that the governor rated much higher and treated quite better, social media influencers in Government House in Benin, which he described as unacceptable.

It was also gathered that several high-ranking officials of the Edo government attempted to intervene to avert the resignation, but the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) was determined to quit.

The governor was said to have met with him in Lagos and requested that he join his media team to support his Special Adviser on Media Projects, Crusoe Osagie, in preparation for the crucial September 21, 2024 guber election. The CPS reportedly said that he was later treated with disrespect.

A resident of the Tudun Biri in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Idris Dahiru, says he lost 34 family members during the Nigerian Army’s aerial bombardment on Sunday, December 3.

Over 90 villagers were killed when a Nigerian Army drone struck a gathering of residents commemorating Maulud.

The Army has apologized for the killings saying saying it was targeted at terrorists.

Narrating his experience to BBC Hausa, Idris said: “Our annual Maulud celebration was shattered by unexpected airstrikes. The first bomb exploded without warning, killing innocent people, including women and children, some victims were torn apart by the blast.

“As we rushed to aid the injured, the jet returned, unleashing a second bomb, this time, many of those who had come to help were among the casualties.

“My family alone has lost 34 members in this tragedy. We have 66 loved ones receiving medical care at Barau Dikko hospital,” he added.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has announced the sale of the Falcon 900B aircraft, which is a part of the presidential air fleet.

NAF has also called on interested persons to submit their bids for the purchase of the aircraft.

Details about the sale was contained in a flyer shared on the X page of the NAF on Monday evening.

According to the flier, the aircraft was put up for sale following the approval of the Federal Government.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria has approved the sale of Falcon 900B aircraft owned by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF),” the flier read.

“In compliance with provisions of the public procurement Act 2007, the NAF hereby invites all interested parties to submit bids for purchase of the aircraft. The bids can be submitted by email or physically.

“If submitted by email, the bids are to be password protected and sent to dproc(at)airforce.mil.ng while the password is to be sent separately to d proc2(at)airforce.miI.ng.

“For physical submission, the quotations are to be enclosed in an envelope and sealed while the envelope is to bear the name and address of the interested company/entity as well as the description and reference to the request.

“It should also bear the statement, ‘DO NOT OPEN BEFORE 24 DECEMBER 2023’.

“Please note that the bids would be processed immediately after expiration of the deadline for submission.”

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum and Regulatory Commission has said the Federal Government is planning to revoke unused oil exploration leases that companies were granted but have not been able to carry out any exploration activities on them.

The Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Gbenga Komolafe told Reuters on Monday that only companies with viable technical and financial backup would get to keep their leases.

“Based on PIA (Petroleum Industry Act), the commission is focused on delivering value for the nation so only firms that are technically and financially viable will keep their leases,” Komolafe said.

Komolafe said the commission would initiate reviews of these leases and awards of new leases would be “subject to specific terms and conditions.”

According to latest data from the NUPRC, although about 53 exploration leases were issued from 2003 till date; over 60 per cent of the prospecting licenses issued to local and foreign oil firms had expired.

Out of the 53 licences, 33 have since expired and not renewed, including four which are held down by contract disputes. The leases have not been automatically revoked, but the regulator is no longer willing to let the companies hold on to leases indefinitely.

The PIA enacted in 2021 empowered the regulator to review the technical and financial capabilities of companies holding oil exploration leases.

Investments in oil exploration in the country have been few and far between as oil majors exit onshore and shallow water assets due to rising insecurity and sabotage of oil infrastructure and legal disputes with communities in the Niger Delta.

The sector has since been bogged down by low investments in exploration activities, coupled with low crude oil production as a result of theft from pipeline vandalism.

The Nigerian Army on Monday accepted responsibility for a series of bombings that pummelled villages in Kaduna, leaving scores of civilians dead as part of a protracted operation targeting armed bandits along the country’s northwestern flank.

Many residents of Tundun Biri village in the Igabi Local Government Area were killed in the air raids, with several others injured on Sunday night in what an army chief told state officials was an error.

At least 126 civilians were killed in the attack, Peoples Gazette heard from an army colonel involved in the aftermath containment efforts. The Nigerian Army has not officially disclosed fatality figures, and the state government was reluctant to publicly demand accountability or criticise the military for the tragedy.

“The last information we received gave us 126 bodies. Our men are still searching all the locations to possibly recover more,” the army officer said under anonymity to comment on the ongoing investigation over the incident.

State government spokesman Samuel Aruwan said Valentine Okoro, a major-general leading the Nigerian Army 1 Division headquartered in Kaduna, had admitted at a meeting that the drone operators mistook the villagers for bandits, who have been terrorising the region.

Those bombed had gathered for the Maulud celebration at about 9:00 p.m. Sunday, during which the army said terrorists were also suspected to be moving across the borders between Zamfara and Kaduna.

Mr Aruwan said a meeting was presided over by the deputy governor, Hadiza Balarabe, and had heads of security agencies, religious and traditional leaders, and the Nigerian Army in attendance.

Mr Aruwan said Mr Okoro “explained that the Nigerian Army was on a routine mission against terrorists but inadvertently affected members of the community.

“The deputy governor, at the end of the closed-door meeting, conveyed the condolences of the government and people of Kaduna State to the families that lost their loved ones and prayed for the repose of the victims’ souls,” he added.

“As of the time of this update, search-and-rescue efforts are still ongoing, as dozens of injured victims have been evacuated to Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital by the government,” Mr Aruwa stated.

The state commissioner said the heads of security agencies who attended the meeting included the police commissioner, Musa Yusuf Garba, and the State Security Service (SSS) director in the state, Abdul Eneche.

“The chairman of the Kaduna State chapter of Jam’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), Professor Shafi’u Abdullahi, led other religious leaders.

“Also present at the meeting was the District of Rigasa, Alhaji Aminu Idris, in whose domain the incident occurred,“ Mr Aruwan said.

The airstrikes marked the first public knowledge about the army’s use of unmanned bombers outside the Nigerian Air Force, which had long been associated with repeated bombings of civilians, all of which were promptly attributed to operational mistakes. It was not immediately clear how long the Nigerian Army has been using drones without the knowledge of the Nigerian Air Force, which said it did not conduct any operation in the affected area over the past 24 hours.

“The NAF has not carried out any air operations within Kaduna State and environs in the last 24 hours,” Air Force spokesman Edward Gabkwet said in a statement to The Gazette. “Also, note that the NAF is not the only organisation operating combat armed drones in the North-Western region of Nigeria.”

The General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Pastor Enoch Adeboye has called out those in the habit of dressing indecently to the camp ground.

He warned sanctions are underway for anyone found culpable of defying the rules.

The Redemption Camp is the International campground of the mega Pentecostal church where it holds conferences and special programmes.

The riot act from the leadership of the RCCG was contained in a memo by an Assistant to the General Overseer, Oladele Balogun.

The memo reads in part: “We wish to formally inform all residents of Redemption City that, in our commitment to preserving the city’s sanctity and upholding its esteemed ‘Holy City’ status, the mission authority is implementing stricter measures against indecent dressing throughout the city.

“Henceforth, the mission authority has directed that any individual apprehended for dressing indecently will face significant sanctions, and the same punishment will also be extended to the parent or legal guardian.

“We, therefore, strongly urge all parents/guardians to instil proper Christian and dressing ethics in their wards to prevent unnecessary embarrassment, as the security operatives and Kingsford Security have been instructed to enforce the above directives with immediate effect.

“The security operatives and Kingsford security are hereby further directed not to allow anyone who dresses indecently to enter the Redemption City forthwith. Thank you for your continued cooperation and support.”