Category: Daily Trust

The Controller General of the Federal Fire Service, Samuel Olumode Adeyemi, has vowed to reposition the service in line with global best practices.

The CG stated this during a working visit to the Metropolitan Fire Station in Kubwa, Abuja, on Thursday.

The visit, which included the inspection of Wuse Fire Station, was to strengthen operational readiness, improve service delivery, and engage with frontline officers to enhance fire safety and emergency response in the Federal Capital Territory.

Olumode warned that negligence or failure to discharge responsibilities by staff would not be tolerated.

‘Absenteeism and negligence of duty will not be tolerated. The Federal Fire Service should not be seen as fighting fire alone. Our work is to save lives and property.

‘We will provide ambulances so that people can take their families and loved ones to the hospital without any delay.

‘Many people are willing to join this job. Therefore, we should wear our badge and uniform with pride. Any staff found guilty of job racketeering will be dismissed.’

The Controller General said that he has mapped out the major challenges facing the service, saying each of them would be dealt with accordingly.

He stated, ‘We are working with relevant stakeholders to ease the structural challenges facing the service. I am determined to change the narratives at the Federal Fire Service.

‘When I came in, I made it clear that staff welfare is my priority. This will ensure effective service delivery. Firemen must be motivated to achieve our targeted goal. It is through this that they can put in their best,’ he said.

The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has urged President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly to reject ongoing calls for the creation of state police in Nigeria.

The Forum, made up of APC stakeholders from the North-Central region, made its position known in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja by its Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, who is also a member of the APC campaign council in the 2023 elections.

The intervention follows Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang’s recent call for the establishment of state police. Speaking at a special court session in Jos to mark the commencement of the 2025/2026 legal year, Mutfwang said the time had come for Nigeria to adopt state policing as part of efforts to tackle insecurity.

However, the North-Central APC Forum disagreed, arguing that the creation of state police could have unintended consequences for Nigeria’s security and governance.

According to the group, introducing state police might undermine national cohesion, create conflicts of interest between federal and state security agencies, and increase political interference in law enforcement.

‘We believe that state police, rather than solving insecurity, may create new challenges in our democratic system,’ the statement said. ‘There is a risk that it could be misused in ways that do not serve the collective interest of Nigerians.’

The Forum further noted that Nigeria’s diversity requires careful handling of security structures to avoid marginalization or misuse of power. It urged the federal government and lawmakers to focus instead on strengthening the existing federal police through reforms, better training, and improved welfare for officers.

The group concluded by calling on civil society organizations and stakeholders to join in opposing the proposal for state police, describing it as ‘a policy option that could prove counterproductive.’

Jigawa State Governor, Mallam Umar Namadi, has emerged as one of the standout leaders to be honoured at the forthcoming Nigeria GovTech Conference and Awards 2025, holding on October 9-10 at the Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Governor Namadi is being recognised with the Federal Government’s GovTech Public Service Award for his groundbreaking reforms and consistent push to digitise governance, modernise service delivery, and prepare Jigawa’s youth for the digital economy.

Since assuming office, the governor has championed ICT as a driver of socio-economic growth, establishing the Jigawa State ICT and Digital Economy Agency as a central hub for innovation and digital policy.

Through this institution, Jigawa has rolled out forward-looking initiatives that place the state at the forefront of Nigeria’s digital transformation journey.

A major highlight of his administration is the training of nearly 30,000 teachers in digital literacy, a deliberate investment in education designed to empower the next generation with 21st-century skills.

In addition, his flagship JIGAWA COMPETE Initiative has introduced tools such as the Educational Management Information System (EMIS) software, which captures real-time data on schools, teachers, students, and infrastructure – a game-changer for evidence-based planning.

Governor Namadi has also pushed Jigawa into the global tech conversation by partnering with Gluwa and the Office of the Vice President to launch a Blockchain and AI Training Program.

The scheme has equipped hundreds of Jigawa youths with skills in blockchain fundamentals, AI data annotation, and digital marketing, giving them opportunities to compete in the fast-growing Web3 and AI markets.

Beyond education and youth empowerment, his administration has embraced e-governance and data-driven strategies to strengthen service delivery in critical sectors such as health, agriculture and finance.

These reforms reflect a clear commitment to digital transformation, transparency, and efficient governance

The recognition comes as part of the third edition of the Nigeria GovTech Public Service Awards, organised by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR).

This year’s theme, ‘Redefining Possibilities: Harnessing Emerging Technologies for Public Service Delivery and Socio-Economic Development,’ aligns perfectly with the Namadi administration’s vision of a digital-first Jigawa.

Governor Namadi will receive the award alongside other distinguished leaders, including Governors Alex Otti (Abia), Douye Diri (Bayelsa), Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (Adamawa), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), and Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), as well as several federal ministers and heads of key government agencies.

For Jigawa State, the honour is both a national endorsement of Namadi’s digital governance model and a clear signal that the state is charting a bold path into Nigeria’s tech-enabled future.

Malam Garba Shehu, who served as spokesman of President Muhammadu Buhari till he died in July, has countered ex-President Goodluck Jonathan who said the insurgents nominated Buhari as a mediator.

Speaking at the launch of ‘Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum’, a book authored by former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor (rtd), Jonathan had said Boko Haram insurgents once chose Buhari to represent them in negotiations with the Federal Government.

Reflecting on the insurgency that defined much of his presidency, Jonathan said his administration had established several committees to explore options for peace with Boko Haram.

But responding after the story went viral, Shehu dismissed Jonathan’s claim, accusing the former President of targeting 2027 votes.

‘We are compelled to make a response to a terrible statement made on the late President Muhammadu Buhari by his predecessor in office, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, to the effect that Boko Haram had nominated him to represent them in a dialogue with government.

‘If this is a campaign statement towards his bid for the presidency in 2027, we want to say to him that ‘Mr. Jonathan, you are making a false start.’

‘Muhammed Yusuf or Abubakar Shekau, the deceased leaders of the Boko Haram terrorist group, never nominated Muhammadu Buhari for any such role. In fact, Shekau routinely denounced and threatened Buhari, and their ideologies were in direct opposition.

‘In 2014, Muhammadu Buhari escaped a bomb attack on his life by Boko Haram in Kaduna, in which his personal staff suffered various degrees of injury. Buhari’s campaigns focused on fighting Boko Haram and restoring security to Nigeria whenever he became president, putting him in direct opposition to the terrorist group’s leader.

‘Contrary to the news making the rounds in those years that the radical Islamist extremist -Boko Haram had nominated General Muhammadu Buhari as the mediator between them and the Federal Government of Nigeria in the proposed peace talk, the retired Military General denied knowledge of his nomination.

‘In a statement issued by the then National Secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Engr Buba Galadima, Buhari, the national leader of the CPC said he not aware of the appointment: ‘As at 10pm yesterday (Thursday) when I spoke with him, he said he has not even heard about it,’ Galadima said.

‘Continuing, the party secretary told reporters the ‘he (Buhari) said the whole thing to him, is just speculation. And since nobody has contacted him as a person for him to even know who is behind what, and what the motives of the whole exercise are, he would not speak to the press.’ He revealed that Buhari, the 2011 presidential candidate of the CPC, further told him that as an elder statesman and a patriotic Nigerian, he will continue to pray until peace and tranquillity return to Nigeria.’

Shehu explained that the claim which he described as ‘misleading information’ started after a faction of the terrorist group, possibly sponsored by Buhari’s opponents, staged a press conference in Maiduguri, Borno State, through a certain Abu Mohammed Ibn Abdulaziz, who claimed to be the Boko Haram commander in charge of Southern and Northern Borno.

According to Shehu Abdulaziz had claimed that the sect would prefer Buhari; the late Bukar Abba Ibrahim; first Nigerian Minister of Petroleum; Shettima Ali Monguno, also late, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Insecurity in the North-East, Ambassador Gaji Gatimari, and other prominent members of the Borno Emirate to mediate between them and the federal government.

‘Abdulaziz was roundly condemned by the leaders of Boko Haram who claimed that he had ‘no mandate of their leader, Imam Abubakar Shekau,’ Shehu said.

Shehu ended by saying, ‘To win in 2027, Dr. Jonathan should look for a better story to tell Nigerians.’

Gunmen, suspected to be kidnappers, have struck Kungabokun, a remote community located near Byazhin-Across on the outskirts of Kubwa, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The attackers, said to have arrived in the early hours of Thursday, repotedly killed a veterinary doctor, identified as Dr. Ifeanyi Ogbo, after forcing their way into his home.

Three of the victim’s children were initially missing and feared to have been abducted along with him.

The attack is coming days after the death of Somtochukwu Christelle Maduagwu, a presenter with ARISE News, during a robbery attack at her residence in Katampe, Abuja.

The FCT Police Commissioner, Ajao Adewale, confirmed that she died in the early hours of Monday after attempting to escape armed robbers by jumping from her third-floor apartment balcony

Speaking on the latest attack, the village head of the community, Ishaya Jagaba, told Abuja Metro, that the deceased’s remains were discovered by villagers while heading to their farms near a river just outside the village.

He noted that the victim had a gunshot injury near his armpit.

‘So, I immediately reported the matter to the police at the Byazhin division,’ the chief noted, adding that there were reports of gunshots in the night.

Also speaking, Rotimi Amos, a poultry farm owner next to the victim’s home, said after arriving at his farm in the morning, he discovered that the three children were missing, suspected to have been abducted by the gunmen.

He said residents had seen the victim’s wife leaving the area with her two-month-old newborn baby after the incident.

It is suspected that the doctor may have attempted to resist the abduction or possibly tried to run, which ultimately led to his killing by the attackers.

Our reporter, who later visited the Kubwa Police Area Command, sighted a team of policemen, including some Divisional Police Officers under the command, leaving in full uniform.

Our reporter also learnt that the police led by the Police Area Commander in Kubwa, Fatima Gimba, had earlier visited the community.

The Area Commander, however, declined to comment on the matter when contacted by our reporter yesterday, referring him to the FCT Police Command.

Several efforts to reach the spokeswoman of the FCT Police Command yielded no result as at press time as her number was not connecting.

Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, met the governor of Diffa Region in the Niger Republic, discussed transborder security challenges in the Lake Chad general area, and a way forward.

Zulum, who was received by his Nigerien counterpart, Brig-Gen Mahamadou Ibrahim Bagadoma, in Diffa on Wednesday, also discussed ways to strengthen the existing security collaboration between the troops of the two nations in fighting terrorism.

Diffa town is located 17km from Damasak, the headquarters of Mobbar LGA in northern Borno, where thousands of Nigerians displaced by Boko Haram insurgency are currently taking refuge.

The two leaders held closed-door meetings, which centred around joint patrols, intelligence sharing, and sustaining the recent gains that have pushed insurgents out of many of their former strongholds.

Zulum outlined a plan to leverage the improved security situation to facilitate the return of thousands of displaced farmers to the vast and fertile agricultural lands around Dutchi town within the Lake Chad basin.

Authorities of the Nigerian Navy, on Thursday, said the threats being experienced on maritime domains are often asymmetrical, fluid, and transnational in nature.

It also stressed that Nigeria, like many other nations in the Global South, stands at a critical crossroads, adding that Nigeria’s national security landscape is rapidly evolving.

The Chief of Naval Staff, Emmanuel Ogalla, stated this at Naval Headquarters, Abuja, during a seminar on research and development for senior officers.

Daily Trust reports that the seminar, with the theme: ‘Utilizing Emerging Technology for Enhanced Operational Effectiveness,’ was organised by the Transformation Branch of the maritime force.

Speaking before the main lecture was held, Ogalla, who was represented by the Chief of Communications and Information Technology, Rear Admiral Hamza Kaoje, said it is important to adequately support the personnel of the force with the latest technology in order to meet the demands of 21st-century naval operations.

‘Nigeria, like many other nations in the Global South, stands at a critical crossroads.

‘Our national security landscape is rapidly evolving, driven by a complex interplay of threats ranging from maritime crimes such as piracy, illegal bunkering, smuggling, and sea robbery, to onshore insecurities that continue to threaten critical infrastructure and economic lifelines.

‘In our vast maritime domain, which plays host to critical oil and gas infrastructure, the threats are often asymmetrical, fluid, and transnational in nature.

‘Notably, the adversaries we confront are increasingly leveraging modern technologies, including unmanned platforms, encrypted communications, and advanced navigation systems, he said.

‘It is, therefore, becoming abundantly clear that the battle for maritime security and dominance will no longer be won by numerical superiority alone.

‘Rather, our success will depend on superior innovation, intelligence, adaptability, and technological sophistication. In essence, the NN must remain ahead of the curve through proactiveness and innovation,’ the naval chief explained.

Ogalla added that globally, technology has become the cornerstone of modern naval operations.

Team Brady has declared its determination to defend the title at the sixth series of the second edition of the UIM E1 World Championship, scheduled for Saturday, October 4-5 in Lagos.

The highly anticipated event, presented by FirstBank, marks the first-ever African debut of the championship and will feature nine elite global racing teams, promising a thrilling contest on water.

Going into the Lagos series, Team Brady leads the standings with 135 points, narrowly ahead of Team Rafa (134 points), followed by Team Aoki (125 points) and Team Blue Rising (114 points)-a setup that heightens the intensity at the top of the leaderboard.

In a joint interview with newsmen after the unveiling of the team’s pilots, Sam Coleman and Emma Kimiläinen expressed confidence in maintaining their dominance. The duo vowed to give ‘no breathing space’ to rivals in their quest to stay ahead.

Coleman, however, admitted the pressure of the moment, describing the Lagos contest as a crucial decider before the penultimate series in Miami on November 7, which will ultimately shape their championship ambitions.

‘It’s a challenge. But we are working very hard to just do our own job, take as many points as we can and then hopefully at the end of this race, but especially after the Miami race when the season is over, we hope to be on the top.

‘But, we need to, it’s a team sport, so we have plenty of guys working on the boat, being on the break wall as a strategic team,’ he said.

Kimiläinen added that E1 racing is unpredictable, hoping her and co-pilot plans yield remarkable results.

‘We’re actually not probably doing anything differently, so we trust ourselves, we definitely know what we’re doing, but everything just needs to go as planned and that’s what E1 is all about, it never goes as planned.

‘It’s just super difficult, quite stressful, a lot of things happening, there’s super many other great talents around, we have competitive teams, drivers, and yeah, so it’s always a challenge, but we love it,’ she said.

The Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) has declared an operating profit of N30.47 billion for 2024, more than double the N13.75 billion recorded in the previous year.

The bank also secured a Bbb+ rating from Agusto and Co., a leading credit rating agency, which said the grade reflected NEXIM’s satisfactory financial condition and strong capacity to meet obligations compared with other development finance institutions.

Managing Director of the Bank, Mr. Abba Bello, said the performance was as a result of intensified interventions in the non-oil export sector.

‘We disbursed over N495 billion to support Nigerian exporters, and this has led to the creation and sustenance of more than 36,000 direct and indirect jobs,’ he said.

He added that NEXIM’s loan book grew significantly in key areas such as manufacturing, agriculture, solid minerals, and services, sectors the Federal Government has identified as critical to its diversification agenda.

Bello further noted that the bank was driving initiatives such as the Regional Sealink Project, a public-private partnership aimed at improving maritime logistics across West and Central Africa.

‘We are also promoting factoring services to expand export financing options for SMEs, while our Joint Project Preparation Fund with Afreximbank is enhancing the bankability of projects,’ he explained.

He added that NEXIM was developing tailored financing schemes for the mining sector, including contract mining, equipment leasing, and buyers’ credit, to unlock export potential and boost foreign exchange inflows.

Seplat Energy Plc, leading Nigerian independent energy company, has recorded unprecedented growth since it was founded by acquiring divested assets, unlocking value from them, improving efficiency and safety performance of the assets, whilst driving the entire growth process with a world-class and resilient people (workforce).

Similarly, the company stated that it had raised more than $4bn in debt to develop and grow operations whilst continuing to maintain a low leverage threshold of below 1.5x through the cycle.

Roger Brown, Chief Executive Officer, Seplat Energy Plc, who spoke at the 2025 Africa Energy Week (AEW) Conference and Exhibition in Cape Town, South Africa during a Fireside Chat titled ‘Assets Acquisition Success Strategies: Seplat Energy’, said the company has successfully integrated major acquisitions in the last decade, each time improving efficiency and safety performance, while at the same time reducing routine emissions.

It would be recalled that Seplat Energy Offshore Limited acquired the Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited.

Speaking on its most recent acquisition of Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited assets, Brown said the goal had been to move quickly to re-engage wells and facilities – resulting in the delivery of immediate results; investing early in integrity and reliability – thus reducing downtime while setting a foundation for future growth; and integrating not isn’t just systems, but people.

‘We found strong cultural alignment with our new colleagues, and that’s been key to seamless performance. We’ve welcomed their expertise and insights and the entire Group is benefiting from them,’ Brown hinted.

According to the Seplat CEO, by combining Seplat’s onshore experience with decades of offshore know-how from new colleagues, the company has built a stronger operation from day one, which is already delivering higher cash flow.

‘The recent reserves upgrade shows we have acquired a high-quality asset with significant production potential in both oil and gas, and much of this is within easy reach, close to export infrastructure that we control. We are confident we can increase production and that aligns with the Government’s target to increase liquids production to 3.0 MMbbl, and to increase gas production for both domestic energy and export markets,’ he added.

Eleanor Adaralegbe, Chief Financial Officer, Seplat Energy Plc, who spoke during a panel discussion titled ‘Financing Upstream Projects for Domestic Energy Security’, said since inception, the company has continued to blaze the trail with a highly successful capital raising history.

According to him, the company had raised more than $4bn in debt to develop and grow operations whilst continuing to maintain a low leverage threshold of below 1.5x through the cycle.

On the various financing options the company had leveraged since inception, Adaralegbe identified the Initial Public Offer (IPO), Revolving Credit Facility (RCF), Bonds, Advance Payment Facility, as well as other financings like taking over the $110m RBL, which is currently being refinanced (on Eland acquisition of 2019; and putting in place a $320m project financing for ANOH, Seplat’s 50/50 JV with the Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company (a 100% wholly owned subsidiary of NNPC).

Speaking on financing challenges and what Seplat Energy had done to overcome them, she said: ‘Corporates are always looking to access low-cost financing for development and growth, more so, Nigerian energy companies, as Nigerian banks have a high USD cost of borrowing. As such, we knew that we had to become a first mover and shape our credit profile to appeal to a wider group of banks and investors. We are the first and only dual listed Nigerian oil and gas company.’