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Police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are investigating three youths residing in the Gwagwa community of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) over a robbery attack that recently took place in the area.

Many residents, who spoke to our reporter yesterday, lamented how a gang of youths went on a rampage from house to house in the Unguwar Kiriya area of the community, robbing them of their valuables.

The village head of Kiriya, Muhammad Sani, while speaking on the incident said some of the attacked residents were injured by the gang, including one who sustained a gun injury.

Sani explained that the attackers used various tools, including heavy hammers and saws, to destroy the gates and burglary proofs of some residences, robbing the owners of valuables such as cash, phones, and one motorcycle.

‘Fortunately, one of the attackers was identified and assisted in locating about three of his accomplices so far, who were handed over to the police,’ Sani said.

He added that members of the vigilante group were able to trace and locate two suspects initially on the following day, with residents insisting the suspects be handed over to them.

‘So, the police in Gwagwa division were informed about the development, and they used their wisdom to be able to take the suspects to their office,’ Sani concluded.

When contacted, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Gwagwa, CSP Muktar Adamu, confirmed the incident, adding that three suspects were handed over to the FCT Police Command for further investigation.

The FCT Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has commiserated with the management of Arise TV and the family of the late anchor/presenter, Somtochukwu Christelle Maduagwu, who died during a robbery attack at her Katampe residence in Abuja.

Secretary of the FCT NUJ, Comrade Jide Oyekunle, called for a thorough forensic investigation into the circumstances that led to the journalist’s demise.

He said the FCT Council of the NUJ is deeply saddened by the tragic and untimely death of the Arise Television news anchor, who passed away on Monday, September 29, 2025, as a result of a violent armed robbery attack at her residence.

He described Maduagwu’s passing as a devastating loss not only to her immediate family and Arise News but to the entire Nigerian media industry.

‘Somtochukwu was a brilliant, passionate, and dedicated broadcaster whose professionalism and poise endeared her to colleagues and viewers alike. She represented the best of a new generation of Nigerian journalists-bold, ethical, and committed to the truth,’ he said.

According to him, the sudden death of the late journalist is a painful reminder of the increasing security challenges in the country and the urgent need for accountability.

With the Monday announcement by the federal government that it had cancelled the parade earlier scheduled as part of activities to celebrate the country’s 65th independence anniversary, it became glaring that this year’s Independence Day celebration was going to be different.

Since 1960 when the first ceremony held at the Race Course now Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos, the military parade has become a significant aspect of the Independence Day celebration with heads of government at the various tiers of government taking the salute as the armed forces, para military outfits, school children march past.

The parade, where all the components of the armed forces, para military outfits, voluntary organisations, school children and others march past affords the president the opportunity to salute the citizens and forms the high point of activities marking the day.

Yesterday, however, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was not at the nation’s capital Abuja, to engage in the usual activities marking the day, but was in Lagos, his home state where he commissioned the renovated National Arts Theatre, Iganmu, which has now been renamed the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts.

The celebration was low key in Abuja and was driven mainly by private concerns as most people focussed on what the president would be doing in Lagos.

Before the seat of government was moved to Abuja, all the celebrations except in the few instances it wasn’t held, were all done in Lagos, but since 1993, the venue followed the president to Abuja.

This would mark the first time a head of government would stay outside the nation’s capital on a day the nation is supposed to be celebrating independence.

Professor of Political Science, Steve Odion, in a chat with Daily Trust said marking the day is significant since Africa was colonised by the Europeans.

He said, ‘Given that many countries in Africa went through liberation struggle, there’s a basis to celebrate political freedom from the erstwhile colonial masters.’

An analyst who prefers not to be named said celebrating the day is important because it forges a sense of unity among the populace.

‘People look forward to seeing the president address them, take the salute and physically acknowledge the populace,’ he stated.

Between 1960 and 1966, October 1 became a very significant day as it serves to mark two epochs at the same time. It was celebrated as the day Nigeria attained independence from colonial rule and a day to mark the anniversary of the central government. It was also the only politically inspired public holiday making many to look forward to it.

It was highly regarded as a day that brings all parts of the country, irrespective of cultures or beliefs to stand together in unison.

Olusegun Obasanjo, who became head of state in 1976, added to the significance of the day when he chose October 1, 1979 as the day to hand over to a civilian administration. That action reinstated the day’s relevance as both a day to mark independence and the anniversary of the administration at the national and state levels giving the 19 state governors more reason to celebrate the day.

After the Nigerian civil war, the federal military government continued to celebrate October 1 as a national holiday to mark independence only as the day did not coincide with when the Yakubu Gowon regime or the subsequent regimes of Murtala Muhammad and Obasanjo that succeeded it came to power.

The civilian administration of president Shehu Shagari continued to celebrate the day as both Independence Day and the anniversary of the inauguration of his administration. The tradition continued through the various military regimes.

Then head of state, General Sani Abacha, added to the relevance of the day when he announced the creation of the six new states of Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Gombe, Nasarawa, and Zamfara on October 1, 1996, a pronouncement that brought the number of states in Nigeria to the current number of 36. The six states have since then been celebrating the day as the anniversary of their creation.

Years without celebration

Though October 1 became a significant date in the nation’s history, there are instances when it could not be celebrated.

There was no Independence Day celebration in the official sense during the years the Nigerian civil war lasted, hence the 1st of October that fell in the years 1966; 1967; 1968 and 1969 were not celebrated as the country was at war over the secessionist bid by a section of the country to form Biafra.

In 1992, then military president, Ibrahim Babangida cancelled the October 1 celebration in honour of the victims of the Nigerian Air Force Lock heed C-130 Hercules plane which crashed in Ejigbo, Lagos in which 159 persons mainly military officers lost their lives.

In 2010, the celebration was nearly marred due to an explosion from two cars parked near the venue that took the lives of a dozen and injured many around the Eagle Square.

Due to that scare, there was no celebration in the following years, but in 2014 the red carpet rolled again.

Due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the day was marked low key in subsequent years in the Villa by then president, Muhammadu Buhari.

Changes that reduced the significance

When Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar as head of state chose a different day to hand over power to a civilian administration, he inadvertently introduced another politically inspired public holiday

By handing over on May 29, the nation added another public politically influenced public holiday to its calendar.

With the pressure to accord June 12, 1993, the day presidential elections held but was annulled by a military government, a place in the national history, the Muhammadu Buhari administration succumbed and declared the day as Democracy Day, hence giving the nation three politically induced public holidays with May 29 standing as inauguration anniversary, June 12 as Democracy Day and October 1 as Independence Day,

Leaders privileged to celebrate

Of the 14 persons that ruled in Nigeria since 1960, only General Johnson Aguiyi Ironsi did not have the privilege of celebrating Independence Day as head of state as his regime which came to power in January 1966 was overthrown by July of the same year, three clear months before October.

The three other heads of government whose reign lasted less then a year, Murtala, Ernest Shonekan and Abdulsalami were lucky to have their tenure spread over the date, hence were able to celebrate it.

Obasanjo was privileged to take the independence salute a record 11 times, three times as Nigeria’s head of state and eight times as president.

At least 188 public schools have been shut down due to insecurity in Northern Nigeria.

A search carried out by our reporters showed that many schools in the region had been shut due to attacks on the villages by bandits just as some of them are now serving as camps for people displaced by insecurity. Our correspondents mentioned at least 39 in Zamfara; 30 in Niger; six each in Sokoto and Kaduna in addition to the reported 52 and 55 schools in Katsina and Benue states respectively which have been shut. This figure may be higher than this as some areas cannot be accessed to get the true picture of things.

The investigation did not also include Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states that have peculiar challenges occasioned by Boko Haram attacks in the last 15 years.

In some cases, schools had been opened at IDPs camps, thereby giving some children the opportunity to learn. Also, many displaced communities have been rebuilt, a development that led to the relocation of the IDPs to their ancestral homes alongside their children.

However, sources said still there are hard -to-reach communities in the affected states.

Situation in North West

Of the 39 identified schools in Zamfara, 20 are primary schools, while 19 are secondary schools.

In Niger, 18 primary schools, one secondary school, and 11 nomadic designated schools are shut.

Three secondary schools, two technical colleges and one primary school have been shut in Sokoto State.

This is happening despite a report showing that some of the states have highest number of out-of-school children in Nigeria.

The ICIR reports that Nigeria has one of the highest numbers of out-of-school children in the world, with estimates ranging between 10 and 20 million, according to 2024 UNICEF report.

Specifically, the country’s education system faces an alarming crisis, with 10.2 million children of primary school age, and another 8.1 million of junior secondary school age out of school.

According to data from the National Mass Education Programme Initiative (NMPI), the number of out-of-school children stands at 1.4 million in Katsina, representing 45.9 per cent of its school aged population.

Kebbi State has 67.6 per cent of its school-age population out of school, recording over 1.06 million children outside the classroom.

Sokoto has 1.25 million out of school children. This means Katsina, Sokoto, and Kebbi lead the ranking of out of school children in Nigeria.

Zamfara, Kaduna, and Niger sit in the top 15 of the ranking.

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at a school in Gwer West LGA of Benue State

According to Statista, Katsina had 3,375 primary schools in the 2018/2019 school year.

Many public schools across Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Niger, Kaduna, Kebbi, Benue and Kwara states have remained closed for years, others for months or weeks after they were shut down owing to attacks by Boko Haram, ISWAP, Ansaru, Lakurawa, Mahmuda terrorists and bandits.

Findings by Daily Trust revealed that the closures have forced thousands of children out of school, with some classrooms turned into shelters for displaced persons and camps for security operatives.

While some students have been relocated to urban centres and merged into existing schools, others have dropped out.

This is just as educationists warn that prolonged closure of rural schools will deepen illiteracy and poverty.

6 identified schools shut in Sokoto

In Sokoto State, key boarding schools, including the Federal Government Technical College, Wurno; Government Girls’ Secondary School, Rabah; Government Girls’ Science Secondary School, Illela; Olusegun Obasanjo Technical College, Bafarawa (Isa LGA); and Adamu Mu’azu Science Secondary School, Goronyo remain shut years after closure by the administration of former Governor Aminu Tambuwal.

In Sabon Birni LGA, displaced villagers now occupy school buildings by night and vacate them during the day for classes. In Manawa community, Isa LGA, the only primary school has been taken over by bandits who use it as a resting point, Daily Trust gathered.

‘This is a serious blow to the future of our children. The government must take decisive and urgent action to restore security and return children to school,’ said a former Sole Administrator of Goronyo LGA, Alhaji Zakari Shinaka.

‘There are many schools in Sabon Birni that have stopped functioning because entire communities have been displaced by bandits,’ a local resident, who requested anonymity, told Daily Trust.

He added: ‘The displaced now live in the LGA headquarters, occupying school buildings at night. They vacate the premises in the morning so that classes can resume, only returning at dusk.’

The state’s Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Professor Ahmad Ladan Ala, was unreachable; while other government officials declined to comment.

Zamfara: 20 primary schools, 19 secondary schools abandoned

In Zamfara State, many schools have remained shut for over six years in bandits-prone LGAs such as Anka, Tsafe, and Kaura Namoda. Only a handful in Anka town remains functional under military protection.

The affected schools include: Kawaye Primary School, Dawangiye Primary School, Tubuki Primary School, Tungar Ku-da-ku Primary School, Duza Primary School, Tungar Mata Primary School, Tamani Primary School, Makakari Primary School, and Sunke Primary School.

Others are: Sabon Birni GDSS, Sabon Birni Primary School, Jar Kuka Primary School, Abare Primary School, Duhuwa Primary School, Mayanchi Primary School, Fangaltama Primary School, and Dareta Primary School.

A resident of Anka town, Malam Hassan Isa, said: ‘Many of our children have stopped going to school in this area for the past seven years. Only a few of them were transferred to other schools in the relatively peaceful towns. We are in a serious situation.’

In Tsafe, schools like GSS Danjibga, GSS Yankuzo, Makera Primary School, GSS Wanzamai and Sugawa Primary School are now occupied by troops.

Ali Yusuf Mai Goro, a resident of Tsafe, told Daily Trust that some of the affected schools were turned into accommodation for security operatives, including soldiers and mobile policemen.

‘Danjibga, Yankuzo, and Wamzamai secondary schools have been taken over by soldiers. But Makera and Sungawa were left empty for this long. Our children, especially the primary school pupils, have stopped going to school, while only a few secondary school students were able to continue with their studies in other places,’ he said.

A resident of the Dan Isa town, Muhammad Shehu Mai Taya, said the two primary schools and 12 secondary schools in the district have been closed since 2023.

He said children in the area had abandoned schools due to banditry. ‘In the whole of Dan Isa District, no single primary or secondary school is functioning at present. Our main concern is not school but peace because without it, we cannot do anything. Peace first before anything else. So, our children have stopped going to school for their safety,’ he said.

School destroyed by bandits in Kagara, Niger State

Dozens of schools closed in Katsina

Katsina State has also recorded closures. A 2024 study by Oxford Policy Management, supported by UNICEF, revealed that 52 schools were shut in Batsari, Faskari, and Kankara LGAs, with only nine reopened. Between 2020 and 2025, at least 330 students were abducted, 14 teachers kidnapped, and five killed in these LGAs.

The most infamous case was the 2020 Kankara abduction where over 200 pupils were kidnapped.

Daily Trust had reported a school at Marabar Dan Ali in Danmusa Local Government Area which was converted to a military camp, forcing pupils to either relocate to a neighbouring village school and study inside an unroofed, uncompleted mud house or abandon their studies completely.

Governor Dikko Radda recently admitted that insecurity has crippled schools, markets, and farmlands in at least eight LGAs including Jibia, Danmusa, Safana, and Sabuwa.

Speaking at the launch of an 18-month European Union-funded programme on Conflict Prevention, Crisis Response, and Resilience, the governor had said his administration was pursuing dialogue and negotiation to curb insecurity. He noted that community-led peace agreements had yielded results in Jibia, Batsari, Danmusa, and Kurfi LGAs, while discussions were ongoing in Kankara and Safana.

18 pry, 1 sec, 11 nomadic designated school deserted in Niger

In Niger State, schools like the Government Science College, Kagara-where 27 students and staff were abducted in 2021-have been shut and converted to military camps.

Other affected schools are Teacher’s Professional Development Institute, Dandaudu, Munya LGA and Mamman Kontagora Technical College, Pandogari in Rafi LGA.

Across Rafi, Shiroro, and Mariga LGAs, over 20 schools are deserted, including Central Primary School, Allawa; Gurmana Primary School; and Kwaki Primary School. In Allawa, three schools have remained empty since 2024 when soldiers withdrew.

Teachers say children sometimes spend three to five weeks at home whenever bandits are sighted in surrounding areas.

Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago has promised to relocate vulnerable schools into ‘mega schools’ in Minna and other safer zones, but the plan is yet to take off.

Residents said 11 nomadic designated schools in Rafi LGA had been forced to shut down by bandits, while most of the pupils had dropped out.

In Shiroro LGA, Central Primary School, Allawa; Government Secondary School, Allawa; Model Primary School, Allawa; Gyaramiya Primary School; UBE Primary School, Samunaka; Gurmana Primary School; UBE Primary School, Plalali; Bassa Primary School; Kwaki Primary School; Chukuba Primary School and UBE Primary School, Rumace, have been abandoned.

In Mariga LGA, the schools forced to shut down due to insecurity include Central Primary, Ragada; L.E.A Primary School, Kadago-Gari; L. E. A Primary School, Faransi; Central Primary School, Mazame-Gari and L.E.A Primary School, Masawaci, among others.

‘All these schools have been shut for a long time due to the fear of bandits. Among the listed schools, only Central Primary, Ragada, and the other primary schools in Ukari have been reopened, and even in the two schools, learning has not been stable because each time there’s movement of bandits around our area, they can spend three to five weeks without attending classrooms,’ one of the teachers told Daily Trust on telephone.

When contacted, Director, Test and Measurement, Niger State Ministry of Education, Asab Abdullahi, said he needed a directive from the permanent secretary to speak on the issue.

Kaduna: Villages deserted, schools abandoned

In Kajuru LGA, villages such as Karimai and Cibiya are deserted, leaving at least six schools empty. In Chikun and Birnin Gwari LGAs, pupils from abandoned schools have been relocated to towns like Udawa, with some squeezed into overcrowded classrooms.

A youth leader, Yuhana Kufana, said there are villages like Karimai and Cibiya in Maro district of Kajuru where schooling has stopped because the residents of those communities have all fled due to insecurity.

He said, ‘Yet, all the schools there are government-owned. About six schools in that district are not functioning because the parents and families who once lived in those areas have all been displaced. Most of the residents have relocated to Mararaban Kajuru town and Kufana town to settle. In the Kujeni area, too, their school is empty because the residents have fled. This means that wherever the parents relocate to, their children cannot continue schooling.

‘However, up to now, we do not know what is happening with the teachers who were assigned to those abandoned schools. Whether the education authorities have transferred them to other schools, we do not know. It is important to note that the state government has not officially declared the closure of those schools because of insecurity.

‘But since there are no students left in the communities, the schools have been deserted by default. The government did not say it shut them down, but the reality is that with no residents left in the villages, the schools are no longer functioning. This is the situation we are facing at the moment.’

A community Leader in Udawa Town under Chikun LGA, Imam Muhammadu Udawa, said there are LEA schools in Labi, Anguwar Yako, Manini, Gwarso, Mil Biyu, Hayin Mato-all villages located under Birnin Gwari LGA-whose residents have now relocated to Udawa Town with their children to continue their education.

According to him, most of the villages have been deserted years back due to insecurity, and since then, the schools located in those communities remained empty. He said most of the students were scattered across other communities.

The Kaduna State Commissioner for Information, Ahmed Maiyaki, neither answered phone calls nor replied to text and WhatsApp messages sent to his mobile line by Daily Trust for comment.

Kebbi: Fear after Birnin Yauri abduction

In Kebbi South, particularly Danko Wasagu, schools remain closed after the abduction of 96 students from Federal Government Girls College, Birnin Yauri, in 2021.

Parents now prefer enrolling children in schools closer to towns. ‘We had to stop them from school for eight months. It’s safer than letting them fall into the hands of bandits,’ said Yahaya Abdullahi, a father of three near Rijau.

Kabiru Diri, a farmer in the Kanya community area of the state, also said many of their children had been denied access to their schools.

He said, ‘Some of them were recently relocated to schools in more secure areas of Mahuta and other communities in Zuru Emirate. Some parents had even moved their children to schools in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital.’

IDPs at Central Primary School, Gwada Shiroro LGA, Niger State

55 schools closed in Benue in 2024, turned into IDP shelters

In Benue, schooling has collapsed in 11 LGAs including Guma, Logo, Agatu, Kwande, and Gwer West. Many classrooms now host displaced families.

At RCM Primary School, Agagbe, pupils share space with IDPs, while in Logo LGA, children sit idle as classrooms remain shut.

Amnesty International reported that 55 schools were destroyed or closed in Benue in 2024 alone, alongside the killing of at least 540 people within two months.

Our correspondent reports that learning has been interrupted across many of the 23 local government areas affected by recurring invasions.

The hardest-hit LGAs include Guma, Logo, Agatu, Kwande, Gwer West, Apa, Gwer East, Ukum, Katsina-Ala, Otukpo, and Makurdi where most schools have either been closed or taken over by displaced families.

At NKST Primary School, Anyiin in Logo LGA, education has been suspended after displaced villagers occupied the classrooms, while in Gwer West and Guma, most council wards no longer have functioning schools as residents have fled and armed groups have taken over their communities.

For instance, the RCM Primary School in Agagbe remains the only surviving school in Mbaakpa district of Gwer West even as it now struggles to operate with IDPs occupying half of its facilities.

A nine-year-old Ukeryima Emmanuella, who fled Tse Adekule village in Mbachohon ward with her parents, said: ‘The government should find a place for IDPs to stay so our school can run properly.’

Similarly, 12-year-old Orhena Terkuma, displaced from Tse Kpar in Sengev ward, said he wished to continue his education but could not as his school at Mbahungwa had been closed for a long time.

While the state’s Ministry of Education has yet to comment, the State Emergency Management Agency said it was working with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the European Union (EU) and other partners to find durable solutions.

Radio lessons for Kwara students

Though less affected, Kwara State has seen disruptions in Patigi LGA where schools like Nyamikpan LGEA Primary School were shut after recent attacks. Attendance in some reopened schools has dropped. This is despite the fact that the government has not announced the closure of any school.

In Matokun, Patigi LGA, residents recounted how parents hurriedly withdrew their children from classrooms following the latest attack. Schools that had resumed after the holiday were forced to close around 11:30 am on Tuesday following information about the latest attacks.

While most schools within the town remained open, fear and uncertainty reduced turnout drastically. At Nyamikpan LGEA Primary School, located along Ilorin Road in Patigi, the gates were shut when our correspondent visited, with only a handful of children seen returning home.

A teacher said attendance across schools in the area had dropped to about 30 per cent.

‘The primary school in Matokun was the most affected. Parents have withdrawn their children and are afraid to allow them out. Even those of us who are teachers are scared. One of my students was shot during the attack and is still in the hospital. How can we go to class with this kind of fear,’ a teacher, Matthew Ahmed, told Daily Trust.

A resident, who simply identified himself as Abubakar, said ‘Our children are just sitting at home doing nothing. It is very painful because this is the time they are supposed to be learning.’

The state’s Commissioner for Tertiary Education and Human Capital Development, Lawal Olohungbe, said the government was considering radio lessons for children in affected communities.

He said the government considered online learning but quickly realised that poor network connectivity in rural communities would limit its effectiveness.

‘As good and desirable as online classes would have been, many of the core areas in Kwara North and other affected communities have network issues. This brings us to the second option, which is radio classes where we just make an announcement for children to be granted access to the radio for some specific hours. The state government is working on improving this situation,’ he said.

‘Situation may lead to poverty, crime’

Michael Banda from the UNICEF’s Kano Field Office underscored the devastating impact of insecurity on education, pointing to rising out-of-school numbers, learning losses, trauma among pupils and declining community trust in the education system.

He said the crisis had left children traumatised and worsened Nigeria’s learning poverty.

‘Every year of lost schooling risks locking millions of children into a cycle of violence, poverty, and hopelessness,’ he said.

Aliyu Abdullahi, a school teacher, said unless urgent steps are taken to address the rising insecurity, a whole generation will miss out of formal education.

‘The fact is that children and youths who do not have the opportunity to go to school will be left behind by their counterparts who live in safer locations. We would only get to realise the damage in the next two decades or thereabouts,’ he said.

A security expert, Lamin Ismail Daba, said the end result of missing school is criminality.

‘Many of the children that have been denied access to their schools will take to crime. The boys, especially, would join bandit groups and other sundry crimes. On the other hand, the girls might take to prostitution or hawking while a few of them would be married off by their parents,’ he said.

He urged the government to do more to address the issue.

Several efforts made to get official reactions on Wednesday from both the army Headquarters and the Defence Headquarters were unsuccessful.

When contacted, the spokesperson of the Nigerian Army, Appolonia Anele, a Lieutenant-Colonel, directed one of correspondents to the Defence Headquarters.

The Director, Defence Information, Tukur Gusau, a Brigadier-General told Daily Trust that official reaction would be better offered by the Defence Media Operations because it is an operational issue.

‘Honestly, I don’t have any information regarding that. Kindly reach out to General Kangye for better reaction,’ the senior military officer said in a telephone conversation with Daily Trust.

However, repeated phone calls to the Director, Defence Media Operations, Markus Kangye, a Major-General rang out unanswered.

Both WhatsApp and text messages sent to him were yet to be responded to as at the time of filing this report last night.

By Yusha’u A. Ibrahim, Abubakar Auwal (Sokoto), Tijjani Ibrahim (Katsina), Abubakar Akote (Minna), Mohammed Ibrahim Yaba (Kaduna), Ismail Adebayo (Birnin Kebbi), Hope Abah (Makurdi) Mumini Abdulkareem (Ilorin) and Idowu Isamotu

The police command in Enugu State says it will commence the enforcement of Vehicle Tinted Glass Permit regulations from October 2, 2025, in the state. The command stated that the exercise, which is in line with existing laws and directives, would be carried out professionally and would apply to all vehicles with tinted glasses, whether factory or non-factory fitted.

This was contained in a statement issued to newsmen on Wednesday in Enugu by the command’s spokesman, SP Daniel Ndukwe.

Ndukwe advised motorists yet to register their vehicles with tinted glasses to complete the process at www.possap.gov.ng. Following registration, he said, they should proceed to the State Intelligence Department (SID) at the State Command Headquarters, Enugu, for physical verification. (NAN)

He added, ‘Those who are not desirous of obtaining the Tinted Glass Permit are advised to remove such tints or replace the factory-fitted glasses with transparent ones, as legally required.

‘In addition, the command will enforce the subsisting ban on the unauthorized use of sirens, revolving lights, Police SPY and unallocated official number plates as well as the use of unregistered vehicles.’

The spokesman said that the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mamman Giwa, had directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in-charge of the Department of Operations to oversee the enforcement.

A medical practitioner, Dr. Abib Olamitoye, has urged operators of medical facilities in Nigeria to always attend to victims of gunshots and robbery before demanding a police report.

Speaking during an interview with newsmen in Ibadan on Tuesday, Olamitoye noted that prioritizing treatment would save many victims from preventable deaths that often occur while waiting for clearance from the police.

Olamitoye, Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ibadan Central Hospital, suggested that all medical facilities should establish a good working relationship and have the contact phone numbers of police divisions within their jurisdictions for such emergencies.

‘We need to start attending to the victims first, then demand a police report. If a victim or a relative cannot provide a police report in the process of treatment, then hospitals can call the attention of the police, since the victim is under their care and cannot escape in such a condition.

‘The patient must be kept alive first; then we can now talk about the police report, price, hospital card, and other necessary things,’ he said.

Gael Monfils says he feels ‘stupidly lucky’ to have played in a golden era of tennis after announcing he will retire at the end of the 2026 season.

The 39-year-old has won 13 titles in his career and became the oldest ATP Tour champion at the age of 38 and four months when he won the Auckland Open in January.

Monfils’ athleticism and all-action displays made him one of the most popular players on tour.

However, the world number 53 has struggled with injuries in recent years and he was forced to retire from last month’s Chengdu Open with an ankle problem.

‘Life is too short. Believe me when I say that I have no regrets,’ Monfils wrote on Instagram.

The BRICS Russian Women’s Business Alliance has announced plans to open a regional office in Nigeria.

The disclosure was made by the BRICS Women Business Alliance Russian delegation during a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.

The team had earlier met with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, at the State House.

Briefing the press at the end of their two-day visit to Nigeria, BRICS Russia WBA Chairperson, Ms Anna Nesterova, said the five-member delegation is in Nigeria to express their readiness to do business in the country.

She said the team met with some private businesses in critical sectors like health and education.

She also noted that the BRICS WBA is a separate body and its programmes are purely for business.

Nesterova said: ‘This was the first meeting, so we introduced ourselves, and expressed our readiness to open the regional office in Nigeria, because we need to be smart about this new region for our business needs, and we need to process the new market.

‘So, we expressed our willingness to move forward, to bring more Russian women to Nigeria, to present our different spheres, especially technology, agriculture, healthcare, education, and labour mobility.’

Earlier, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Odumegwu-Ojukwu, expressed the willingness of both countries to strengthen bilateral ties using the platform of the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance (WBA).

She described the meeting as timely, noting that it afforded a platform for both countries to explore investment opportunities between them.

The massive explosion that recently rocked the premises of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) in Kaduna was preventable, and therefore, unacceptable. The blast which occurred on Saturday, September 20, 2025, reportedly detonated during the controlled disposal of expired gunpowder materials at the factory’s ordnance disposal pit in Kurmin Gwari.

The incidence, which left one person dead and several others injured including DICON’s civilian workers shook the surrounding buildings and sent residents scampering for safety.

An official statement later issued by DICON stated that the explosion occurred while specialists were disposing of expired ordnance materials stored at the factory. The affected items included Ammonia Nitrates, Primer Caps, Propellants, and other raw materials that had long exceeded their shelf life. A statement signed by the corporation’s Public Relations Officer, Maria Sambo, explained that DICON had since July 2025 began disposing of the expired items; adding that the unfortunate accident occurred while experts were concluding the destruction of the remaining stock.

Meanwhile, the military high command has ordered an immediate investigation into the explosion. The Director of Defence Information, Brigadier-General Tukur Gusau, affirmed in a statement that the Defence Headquarters deeply regrets the ordnance explosion. Also, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Christopher Musa extended condolences to the families and friends of the deceased; pledging to conduct a thorough investigation to prevent future incidents.

While this is the second incident in the country this year alone, it is a repeat of history at DICON. Earlier this year, residents of Maiduguri and its environs were at about 11.35pm on Wednesday April 30, 2025 rattled when several bomb explosions rang through the city from the Giwa Military Barracks’ armoury. The deafening explosions, which reportedly lasted for more than two hours, were followed by large balls of flames in the direction of the Giwa Barracks.

Officials attributed the Giwa Barracks’ explosions to a fire outbreak around the armoury section of the barracks. Speaking through Reuben Kovangiya, the Theatre Command Operation, HADIN KAI, said high temperatures in Maiduguri might have triggered the explosion of some ammunitions; a claim later corroborated by authorities of the Borno State Fire Service.

It would also be recalled that on Tuesday November 3, 2009, explosions which DICON authorities at that time described as a minor industrial accident rocked DICON factory when the General Manager was on an inspection tour of the factory. The six victims affected in the incident were DICON staff members working in the capping section of the factory.

The armoury detonations of Sunday, January 27, 2002 that hit the Ikeja military cantonment is another gory experience Nigerians would forever hate to remember. The explosion of ‘high calibre bombs’ believed to have been caused by a fire that started from a nearby street market and thereafter spread to the armoury terribly affected areas up to 50 kilometres away from the cantonment; leaving over 1,000 people dead, hundreds injured, and about 20,000 displaced from the immediate community. It also caused severe damage to a number of buildings in and around Ikeja.

Given the nature of previous incidents in which ordnance explosions were ascribed to expired substances and weather, repeated occurrences clearly point to sheer negligence on the part of military authorities. Their failure to learn from past incidents is also professionally indicting. DICON’s mandates include the operation, maintenance and control of ordnance factories for the manufacture, storage and disposal of weapons and ancillary stores and materials intended for or capable of being used by the armed forces.

Within the context of their mandate, DICON and heads of armoury sections in military barracks lack any excuses for not adhering to safety protocols in ordnance storage or disposal measures. Were storage facilities closely monitored in Giwa barracks; and were expiring munitions in DICON not left in stock until they became moribund, the two separate explosions would have been averted.

Similarly, had military authorities relocated DICON out of Kurmi Gwari neighbourhood in Kaduna and the armoury out of Ikeja ever since physical development caught up with the two sites that were considered outskirts in the past, the loss of lives and property witnessed in the Ikeja blasts and the recent DICON explosions would both have been forestalled.

We urge the CDS not to allow the report of the probe into the last DICON explosions go the way of previous investigations. It should be made public and persons responsible for operational failures sanctioned appropriately.

Daily Trust also calls on the Nigerian military to demonstrate value for human life by institutionalising operational safety in the warehousing and discarding of weapons and ammunitions.

Relocating weapons’ storage facilities from densely populated areas of cities would further prevent recurrence of ordnance explosions with its associated damages. DICON’s recent incident should be the last to be heard in the country. Nigeria has had enough of ordnance detonations.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) yesterday said aviation in Nigeria directly employs 39,500 people, contributing $2.5 billion, which represents 0.7% of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The association also observed that Europe is the largest international market for passenger flows from Nigeria, followed by Africa and North America, saying the international air traffic accounted for 23% of total origin-destination (O-D) departures for Nigeria in 2023, equivalent to 2.1 million passenger departures.

This was contained in the report released by IATA on the Value of Air Transport to Nigeria’s economy. The report is based on data collected in 2023/24.

Daily Trust reports that the $2.5bn contribution is an improvement on the previous $1.7bn as of 2023 even though the sector has continued to contract in the GDP index.

IATA which is the clearing house for over 300 global airlines stated that 195,700 tonnes of air cargo were transported through airports in Nigeria in 2023, supporting the country’s total import and export volumes.

IATA statistics indicated that almost 780,700 passengers departed from Nigeria to a country in Europe (38% of the total), 485,400 to another country in Africa (23% of the total), and 373,000 to North America (18% of the total).

The report stated that there are different ways of measuring air transport’s performance in the economy including the number of jobs and the contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) generated by the aviation sector, including airlines, airport operators and onsite businesses, air navigation service providers (ANSPs), and manufacturers (‘direct’ aviation players).

‘In Nigeria, 39,500 people are directly employed in aviation, generating USD 702.0 million of economic output, equal to 0.2% of total GDP,’ the report said.

Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East, Kamil Alawadhi commenting on the report said, ‘Aviation is a powerful engine for economic and social development. Nigeria’s National Day is a good opportunity to reflect on the immense value aviation brings to the country.’

‘Air transport supports over 217,000 jobs and contributes $2.5 billion to Nigeria’s GDP. With one of the fastest-growing populations in Africa and the world, and a predominantly young demographic, there is immense opportunity for future economic growth’, he added.

The IATA chief explained that there are different ways of measuring air transport’s impact on an economy.

Tourism supported by aviation, he noted, contributes $454.1 million to the country’s GDP and employs 66,600 people, stressing that international tourists to Nigeria are estimated to contribute $760.2 million annually to the economy through the purchase of goods and services from local businesses.

According to Alawadhi, aviation creates a range of social benefits and contributes significantly to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including using air transport to enhance access to education, connecting friends and families, facilitating cultural exchange, and driving socio-economic development.

Acting together, these forces, he reiterated, enable a country to expand its productive potential, delivering long-term economic growth and supporting the reduction in poverty and improvement in living standards for all of the nation’s citizens.

‘Average Nigeria to work 37.6 days to afford flight ticket’

He said, ‘The cost of flying impacts the magnitude of the benefits that can be generated by air travel. In the past 50 years, flight costs have decreased by 70% globally, making air transport more accessible. The average real airfare in Nigeria decreased by 43%6 between 2011 and 2023, with the local population now needing to work 37.6 days to afford a plane ticket. Overall, 40 flights per 1,000 population were taken in 2023.’

‘Aviation stimulates global trade and investment, enables labour and capital productivity improvements, boosts innovation, and fosters knowledge exchange. The movement of goods, enabled by the air transport industry, brings about improved economic outcomes via catalytic collaboration, specialisation, and more efficient allocation of resources across all sectors of the local and world economy.’