Cloned Nigerian Anchor

Category: News

  • We’re Revitalising Nigerian Army’s Air Wing For Enhanced Operations -COAS

    We’re Revitalising Nigerian Army’s Air Wing For Enhanced Operations -COAS

    The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has announced the Army’s plans to revitalize its Air wing to enhance its operational capabilities and alleviate the burden on the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).

     Lagbaja made this revelation during a press briefing on Tuesday after addressing participants of Senior Course 46 at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC) Jaji.

    The COAS highlighted the need for the Nigerian Army to acquire helicopters that would support troops during patrols and various operations, enabling them to effectively combat adversaries.

    This strategic move would also allow the NAF to focus more on delivering high operational and strategic requirements.

    Furthermore, Lagbaja emphasized that the newly established air wing would empower the Army to handle tactical requirements, including air interdictions.

    He clarified that both the Army and the NAF would continue to collaborate effectively to address the security challenges facing the nation.

    In explaining the rationale behind acquiring helicopters, Lt.-Gen. Lagbaja mentioned that it aligns with global military practices for the Army to possess integral helicopter units while delegating strategic demands to the Air Force.

    The helicopters would provide critical functions such as intelligence surveillance, reconnaissance reports, and air interdiction. However, for large-scale strategic offensives, the NAF would remain the primary force.

    Discussing his command philosophy, the COAS shared that he aims to transform the Nigerian Army into a highly trained, well-equipped, and motivated force, capable of fulfilling its constitutional responsibilities.

    He stressed the importance of joint efforts among various military services and commanders at all levels to achieve a more effective Nigerian Army.

    The Commandant of AFCSC, AVM Hassan Alhaji, expressed his gratitude to Lt.-Gen. Lagbaja for personally delivering the lecture and providing valuable insights into the direction of the Nigerian Army.

    He encouraged the officers to embrace the leadership qualities advocated by the COAS to enhance their command capabilities and fulfill their assigned tasks effectively.

  • Gunmen Kill 7 Imo JTF Operatives, Set 2 Patrol Vans Ablaze

    Gunmen Kill 7 Imo JTF Operatives, Set 2 Patrol Vans Ablaze

    Unidentified gunmen, on Tuesday, killed at least seven Joint Task Force (JTF) operatives in an ambush at Umualumaku settlement in Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of Imo.

    The incident occurred at about midday, when the operatives arrived at the spot and getting set to mount a checkpoint.

    The deceased operatives comprised personnel from the Nigeria Army, Police and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

    An eyewitness account said that the assailants also set the two patrol vans belonging to the task force ablaze, together with the remains of the operatives.

    “I heard gunshots for some minutes but didn’t know what was actually happening.

    “Another driver told us that soldiers and policemen were killed and burnt in two Hilux Vans just a few meters ahead of us,” a commuter bus operator said.

    He further said on the condition of anonymity that motorists, who were plying the route, immediately began to make U-turn and diverted to other roads.

    The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, ASP Henry Okoye, confirmed the incident but pleaded for time to get the full details of the gruesome murder. 

  • Youths Hold Rally, Storm Late Mohbad’s Ikorodu Home

    Youths Hold Rally, Storm Late Mohbad’s Ikorodu Home

    Numbering in their hundreds, youths on Tuesday, gathered at the Okeletu Bus-stop, Ikorodu, to demand justice over the death of singer, Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad.

    The singer died on Sept.12, at 27, and the occurrence has continued to generate controversy, following which the Lagos State Police Command has set up a 19-man special investigation team to investigate the incident.

    Youths, carrying placards with photos of MohBad, chanting, “We need justice for MohBad” and singing songs, marched on streets and sought investigation to unravel any foul play, and justice on the occurrence.

    According to reports, the former residence of the popular musician in Ikorodu at Okeletu reports the youths marched from the area toward Ijede Road.

    Kazeem Ayinde, one of the youths, said that the rally was organised to show their last respect to the late musician.

    Ayinde said there would be a candlelight event for the deceased later in the day because he died a week ago.

    During the visit, Mrs Felicia Adedara, the grandmother of the deceased, said that they would not discuss any matter relating to the death with anybody until investigation was completed.

    Adedara said Mohbad’s father had gone to the police to help them in their investigation.

    “I am the only woman left as mother to the dad, I came in from Ekiti immediately I heard about the incident.

    “Right now, we have been instructed by the police not to talk to anybody until they complete their investigation,” she said.

    Sympathisers at the residence commended the Nigeria Police for their timely intervention and urged them to unravel the mystery behind the death without delay.

    “We will all miss MohBad in this community, just of recent he distributed palliatives to residents of this community.

    “Some of us who were not around during the period went to the dad and he gave us our packages.

    “We are calling on the police to unravel those behind his death, because everybody in this community will miss him because he is so generous,” one of the sympathisers who declined to give his name said.

  • Diphtheria: Kano Records 5,800 Cases– UNICEF

    Diphtheria: Kano Records 5,800 Cases– UNICEF

    The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), on Tuesday, said that Kano State has recorded 5,800 suspected cases of Diphtheria from January to date.

    The UN Agency said the cases were recorded in 39 local government areas of the state.

    The Head, UNICEF Field Office, Kano, Mr Rahama Mohammned-Farah, stated this in Kano during a one-day media orientation on Diphtheria outbreak.

    According to him, Kano State has the highest number of recorded cases in the country, adding that Diphtheria was a highly contagious and infectious disease that could cause death.

    Mohammned-Farah stressed that proactive measures were necessary to stem the outbreak.

    “Recently, we have seen a surge in the number of reported Diphtheria cases in Nigeria, and Nigeria is currently facing an outbreak that needs to be stopped and prevented.

    “As of July, Diphtheria cases have been on the rise. As of last week, over 400 suspected cases with 11 deaths have been reported in Kano.

    “Out of the 39 LGAs affected, eight are the most affected, including Ungogo with 2,651 cases; Dala 989, Fagge 943, Gwale 714, Kumbotso 713, Nasarawa 538, Kano Municipal 506 and Tarauni 269,” he said.

    He said that 60.8 per cent of the suspected cases had been reported in children not vaccinated, which reinforced the critical need to address the issue of zero doses, especially in Kano State.

    “UNICEF delivered 1.2 million vaccines to the Kano State Government in our continuing support to the government response to Diphtheria outbreak.

    “Diphtheria outbreak is a threat to child survival, health and the wellbeing of children. UNICEF is collaborating with government and partners to respond to the emergency to save the lives of children affected.

    “In Kano state, UNICEF supported Tetanus-Diphtheria reactive vaccination campaigns in February, April and August, vaccinating 23,200 children in round one.

    “While 277,796 children vaccinated in round two and 29,500 others in round-3 of the exercise.

    “We engaged 150 traditional leaders on Diphtheria outbreak and distribution of Diphtheria IEC materials, and deployed 1,500 VCMs to the worst affected LGAs to conduct house-to-house sensitisations and referral of suspected cases to health facilities.

    “Media has a key role to play particularly in infection prevention, and risk communication and community engagement,” he said.

    Also speaking, Dr Muhammad Nasir-Mahmoud, the Director-General, Kano State Primary Healthcare Management Board, said the state government had adopted drastic measures to curtail spread of the disease.

    “We are committed towards educating the public about what is happening and the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) has promised that Kano will be accorded priority in terms of vaccine distribution,” he said.

    While describing the media as partners in the fight against Diphtheria, Nasir-Mahmoud urged them to support the campaign against the disease.

  • Looming Strike: NLC Criticises FG’s Lack of Progress on CNG Buses, Cash Transfers, Others

    Looming Strike: NLC Criticises FG’s Lack of Progress on CNG Buses, Cash Transfers, Others

    Amid the economic hardships triggered by the removal of fuel subsidies, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed deep dissatisfaction with the apparent lack of commitment from the Federal Government to address its demands.

    Following an unsuccessful meeting with government officials on Monday, where both sides failed to reach an agreement to avert an indefinite strike, the NLC President Joe Ajaero spoke out about the government’s reluctance to address several critical issues during an appearance on Channels Television’s which was monitored by NIGERIAN ANCHOR.

    Among the NLC’s key demands are the need to mitigate the consequences of petrol price hikes, review the minimum wage, establish a viable roadmap for the adoption of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as an alternative fuel, rehabilitate the country’s refineries, and settle lecturers’ salary arrears.

    Ajaero expressed frustration, saying, “Even the issue as simple as cash transfer or bringing buses on the road, nothing has happened to them. So, it’s a lack of willingness, and we can’t muddle up all these issues. Then you call a minimum wage as wage award. If anybody is looking at the issue of wage award as minimum wage, then there’s confusion within that class of people.”

    He referenced a 2021 agreement on CNG vehicles reached with the then Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, highlighting that it was evident a million vehicles could be converted to CNG within three months.

    Ajaero criticized the Federal Government’s 2024 projection to deploy CNG buses for a more affordable mass transit system, questioning the delay, saying, “What is so peculiar about next year when these processes will start? Is it that there are no CNG vehicles that can hit the road, or we can’t have some stations, even with IPMAN saying that their filling stations are available?”

    Ajaero also criticized the Federal Government for its failure to meet the union’s demands despite having over four months to do so. The NLC is now preparing for an indefinite strike due to the ongoing economic difficulties in the country.

    “We agree that the Federal Government has had more than enough time for the past four months, and that even if there is a commitment, between now and the next four days, issues will be resolved,” Ajaero said.

    “And we hope that the minister [Simon Lalong] will work with us within these next few days to make sure we resolve the problem.”

    Regarding the possibility of resuming negotiations on Tuesday, Ajaero stated that if invited, the NLC would participate in the discussions.

  • More Retirements Loom As NNPCL Makes Organisational Changes

    More Retirements Loom As NNPCL Makes Organisational Changes

    Following the recent retirement of three Executive Vice Presidents, the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) is implementing further organizational changes.

    The NNPCL management has issued a directive for management staff members with less than 15 months left until retirement to proceed with their retirement plans.

    The retired Executive Vice Presidents include Abdulkabir Ahmed (Gas, Power and New Energies), Engr. Adokiye Tombomieye (Upstream), and Adeyemi Adetunji (Downstream), who were originally scheduled for retirement in 2014.

    They have been replaced by Olalekan Ogunleye, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, and Adedapo Segun, who will now assume the roles of EVP for Gas, Power and New Energies, Upstream, and Downstream, respectively.

    According to a statement on its X (formerly Twitter) verified handle on Tuesday morning, the company’s management said the new exercise is part of an effort to achieve its strategic business objectives.   

    “In our bid to pursue effective organisational renewal to support the delivery of our strategic business objectives, it has become imperative to rejuvenate our workforce.

    “Consequently, in addition to the recent exit of three (3) Executive Vice Presidents, other Management Staff with less than fifteen (15) months to statutory retirement will be exiting the Company effective 19th September 2023.

    “This is in line with our commitment to scale up NNPC Ltd.’s capabilities through targeted talent management and equal opportunity for all Nigerians,” the statement seen by NIGERIAN ANCHOR said. 

  • Nigeria’s Active Phone Users Drop In H1 2023

    Nigeria’s Active Phone Users Drop In H1 2023

    The total number of active subscribers for telephone services fell by 2.71 per cent in the first half (H1) of 2023 following a decline in the subscriber base of MTN Nigeria and Airtel Nigeria.

    According to data obtained from the Nigerian Communications Commission, the total number of mobile subscriptions in the country fell to 219.77 million as of the end of June 2023, from 225.82 million recorded in January 2023.

    The loss in subscriber base was attributed to MTN Nigeria (84.66m), while still retaining its spot as the largest telco, lost 7.28 million users million mobile subscriptions in the quarter under review to end the period with 84.66 million, from 91.95 million.

    Similarly, the subscribers of Airtel decreased from 60.56 million to 60.19 million, indicating a decline of 373,035 users in the customer base of the telecommunications company.

    However, Globacom and 9mobile saw their subscriber base increase as those of MTN and Airtel were dropping in the first half, according to data obtained from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

    Surprisingly, 9mobile recorded the highest growth in subscriber base after reporting 546,846 telephony users joined its base, which represents a 4.19 percent increase.

    9mobile’s total telephony subscriber base rose to 13.57 million during the review period, up from 13.03 million, the NCC data reported.

    Globacom also contributed to the subscriber base, reporting it recorded 61.33 million users at the end of June, compared to the 60.33 million subscribers posted in January – this shows Glo’s base rose by 998,994 users.

    Teledensity, the number of active telephone connections per 100 inhabitants living within an area, continued its free fall and declined to 115.30 per cent in the second quarter from 118.48 per cent in the first quarter.

    The decline in mobile subscriptions has been blamed on the impact of the country’s economic crisis, naira scarcity, and the decline in purchasing power.

    Meanwhile, MTN and Airtel had stated, in its second quarter financial report, that it lost N485.69 billion to the recent fall in the naira’s value.

  • Ogun: Fatal Cultists’ Clash Leaves Four Dead, 7 in Police Custody

    Ogun: Fatal Cultists’ Clash Leaves Four Dead, 7 in Police Custody

    A violent clash among suspected cult members in Ogun State has resulted in four casualties and the arrest of seven individuals.

    According to Omolola Odutola, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, the suspects were apprehended during a police raid led by an assistant commissioner of police.

    Nigerian Anchor gathered upon receiving information about the confrontation, the Area Commander swiftly dispatched additional personnel to the scene to prevent the escalation of violence and apprehend the involved cultists.

    As a result, seven individuals believed to be cultists were arrested, and a subsequent investigation led to the recovery of a firearm and three live cartridges, all linked to the Sunday incident.

    The arrested suspects have been identified as Asaiye Omolaja, Azeez Nofiu, Mathew Adewale, and Bolaji Ogunkemaya.

    Notably, Bolaji Ogunkemaya was found in the same room as the four deceased individuals when the killings occurred, while one individual, Wasiu, managed to escape before the authorities arrived.

    During the raid, Bolaji Ogunkemaya provided crucial information, revealing that their leader, known as Azubuike, alias “Better,” had been apprehended by the Area Commander two weeks prior. This information underscores the police’s commitment to dismantling criminal networks and maintaining law and order in the region.

    In response to the incident, Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Alamutu Abiodun, visited Sagamu to assess the situation and profile the arrested suspects.

    During his visit, Commissioner Abiodun issued a stern warning to cultists in Ogun State, declaring a zero-tolerance policy toward senseless killings and stating that their activities would no longer be tolerated.

    Following the intervention of law enforcement, normalcy has been restored to the affected area, with efforts ongoing to address the underlying issues contributing to such conflicts in the region.

  • Edo: Shaibu Locked Out Of Office Amidst Unresolved Tensions With Obaseki

    Edo: Shaibu Locked Out Of Office Amidst Unresolved Tensions With Obaseki

    Philip Shaibu, the Deputy Governor of Edo State, encountered an unexpected hurdle on Monday morning when he arrived at the Government House. The gate leading to his office was firmly locked, leaving him in a state of puzzlement.

    He expressed his confusion, emphasizing that he had not received any formal communication from the governor’s office instructing him to relocate his office. According to him, receiving an official letter would be the proper channel for transmitting such a directive.

    In his own words, he stated, “Up till now, I don’t have any official communication that I should relocate. The only people that have official communication are my civil servants. The civil servants have official communication but I don’t. As I am speaking to you now, I am standing by the gate.”

    The Edo State Governor has not provided any official response to this development.

    However, sources close to the governor have revealed that Shaibu had already relocated his office to a new location outside the Government House, and his presence at the old office was not expected.

    They further clarified that no meeting had been scheduled for Monday, and if there had been, appropriate arrangements would have been made to allow the Deputy Governor to attend.

    Last week, reports emerged of a letter purportedly from the office of the Head of Service, Anthony Okungbowa, directing Shaibu to relocate to a new office situated at No 7, Dennis Osadebey Avenue, GRA, Benin City. However, insiders close to Edo’s Deputy Governor claimed that the new office was abandoned and urgently needed rehabilitation.

    This development is the latest chapter in the ongoing tension between Governor Obaseki and his deputy. While rumors of plans to impeach Shaibu have circulated, the Edo Assembly has denied any such intentions.

    Governor Obaseki has also accused his deputy of plotting against him, but Shaibu, at a recent event commemorating the state’s anniversary, reaffirmed his loyalty to Obaseki, describing him as a brother and pledging his unwavering support.

    He stated, “My loyalty to the governor remains absolute. I see that everybody is doing solidarity. I am also in solidarity with the governor. I am also declaring my unalloyed solidarity and loyalty to the governor and nothing more.”

    *Channelstv.com

  • FG Extends Invitation To NLC Amid Planned Indefinite Strike

    FG Extends Invitation To NLC Amid Planned Indefinite Strike

    In a bid to address the looming threat of an indefinite strike, the Federal Government has extended an invitation to the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) for yet another round of discussions.

    This development was communicated through a statement released by Mr. Simon Lalong, the Minister of Labour and Employment.

    It’s worth noting that earlier on September 4, Mr. Lalong had invited both the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) for a meeting to forestall a two-day nationwide warning strike. However, only the TUC attended the meeting.

    Mr. Lalong has now directed the Department of Trade Unions Services and Industrial Relations to organize a meeting with the leadership of the NLC scheduled for Monday. He emphasized the importance of dialogue between the government and the labor unions to resolve pending issues and prevent further disruptions to the economy.

    Lalong stressed the government’s commitment to engaging with organized labour, addressing their concerns through consultations and negotiations. This approach aims to ensure industrial harmony, a critical component of the Renewed Hope Agenda under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

    In a related development, the NLC National Executive Council had issued a communique on September 1, threatening to initiate an indefinite strike within 21 days of the communique’s issuance.

    Their demands include wage awards, the implementation of palliatives, tax exemptions, and allowances for public sector workers, as well as a review of the minimum wage.

    Despite the Federal Government’s commitment to restructuring the engagement framework with organized labour on palliatives, the eight-week timeframe set for the conclusion of the process elapsed in August with no tangible progress. The sub-committees responsible for implementing the palliative package have yet to meet or fulfill their mandates.

    President Tinubu had established the Presidential Steering Committee and various sub-committees on June 19 to discuss the palliative framework.

    These sub-committees were created to oversee the implementation of the government’s palliative measures in areas such as Cash Transfers, Social Investment Programs, Cost of Governance, Energy, Mass Transit, and Housing.

    These initiatives resulted from discussions held during a nationwide protest by organized labour, highlighting the government’s commitment to addressing their concerns.