Category Nigeria News

President Bola Tinubu has pledged his administration’s continuous support to the Nigerian Air Force and other security agencies in the country in the area of fleet modernization, training and welfare of men and women of the Armed Forces.

He made the pledge on Friday at the induction ceremony of two newly acquired Agusta 109S Trekker helicopters into the Nigerian Air Force held at the Presidential Air Fleet of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, President Tinubu underscores the importance of a well-equipped military not just in securing the nation, but also preserving its democracy.

READ ALSO: Tinubu Inducts Two Fighter Aircraft To Tackle Insecurity

“Let me use this opportunity to assure you all that my administration will continue to support the Nigerian Air Force and indeed other security agencies by giving due attention and priority to fleet modernization as well as training and welfare of our men and women in uniform,” he stated.

“As your commander-in-chief, I understand that a well-equipped military is essential not only for securing our nation but also for preserving our democracy.

“A democratically stable Nigeria is fundamental to our national progress and regional peace. And the defence of democracy requires a military that is well-prepared, well-trained and well-equipped. We also recognize that the security of a nation is intrinsically linked to its economic growth and social stability.

“Accordingly, my administration will remain steadfast in modernizing the armed forces. Ensuring that you have the best tools to perform your duties effectively,” President Tinubu said.

He further assured that his government will invest more in defence technologies especially for the Air Force.

“We will continue to invest in cutting-edge defence technologies and provide our military with the resources needed to counter both conventional and assistive weapons.

“This investment in air power allows you to have broader vision to create a buoyant and self-sufficient economy for local and foreign investments to thrive, and for our people to engage in meaningful productive ventures. It is for this reason that strengthening national security for peace and prosperity is a key priority area in the renewed hope agenda,” he said.

The President noted that the Nigerian military is gaining traction in its fight against terrorists, bandits and other non-state actors bent on disrupting the peace of the country.

He commended the men and women in uniform for their sacrifices and commitment to protecting the territorial integrity of the nation.

“Your efforts are finally wrapping up our onslaught against the enemy. You must therefore step up and intensify your efforts at conclusively ending the 19-dimensional security challenges facing our dear country.

“We must also continue to collaborate with our contiguous neighbours in order to checkmate the activities of these criminals across our shared borders. In this regard, the multinational collaboration to bring peace to the Lake Chad region is an example that must be improved upon and replicated wherever necessary.

“For us to retain our relevance in such collaborations, it is critical that we remain professional, continually build our capacity and adequately equip our armed forces and other security agencies.

“Be rest assured that under my leadership, the federal government will continue to report professionalized and equipped security agencies for effective discharge of their constitutional duties to our nation and across the sub-region.

“Globally, conflicts in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa continue to shape international security dynamics. These realities also demand that we remain vigilant, adaptable. And proactive in safeguarding our national interests. The Nigerian armed forces must therefore be prepared not only to address domestic security concerns but also to participate in regional and international peacekeeping efforts that promote stability and collective security.

“This induction ceremony, therefore, is not merely about adding new helicopters to our fleet. It is a strategic statement of intent. A demonstration of our collective resolve to strengthen our armed forces, defend our nation, and reinforce Nigeria’s leadership role in Africa.

Finnish prosecutors on Friday said they had charged a man with inciting terrorism online who a media report identified as Nigerian separatist leader Simon Ekpa.

Finland’s National Prosecution Authority said in a statement that it had charged “a Finnish individual in a case involving suspected public incitement to commit crimes with terrorist intent and participation in the activities of a terrorist group.”

It added that the alleged crimes had been committed in the city of Lahti between 2021 and 2024 and were related to the suspect’s efforts to establish Nigeria’s Biafra region as an independent state.

The prosecution authority did not name the accused but Finnish public broadcaster YLE identified him as separatist leader Simon Ekpa.

READ ALSO: Tinubu Commends Finland For Intervening In Simon Ekpa’s Case

Ekpa — who claims to lead the Biafra Republic’s government in exile — was detained in November.

According to the prosecution authority, the accused remained in custody and denied the charges.

Ekpa is known as a self-proclaimed leader of a faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), which is pushing for the independence of Nigeria’s southeast, where a bloody civil war was fought in the late 1960s.

The dual Finnish-Nigerian national has also been a local representative for Finland’s conservative National Coalition Party in the city of Lahti, north of Helsinki, where he has served on a public transport committee.

When Ekpa was arrested, Finnish authorities also requested that four other people be remanded in custody on suspicion of financing Ekpa’s activities.

On Friday, the prosecution authority said the prosecutor had decided to drop charges against four others in the case due to a lack of evidence.

Ekpa has been the subject of several of AFP’s fact checks in recent years over false claims and disinformation he has made in independence campaigning.

A former presidential spokesman, Laolu Akande, has commended the registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for admitting to errors in the conduct of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Oloyede, in a rare admission, told a news conference in Abuja earlier in the week that there were glitches in the recently-conducted UTME.

His action has split opinions among Nigerians. But Laolu said the JAMB chief deserves commendation for the work he has done so far in the fight against examination malpractice. 

“A lot of cheating is going on. We are having very troubling circumstances and situations where parents are paying for people to sit for their wards. It’s become a pandemic, and Oloyede is moving against that,” the former presidential spokesman said on Friday’s edition of Channels Television’s breakfast show Sunrise Daily.

“And so we have to be careful not to let the people that are on the receiving end of that important reform use this occasion to push back against somebody like Oloyede or even the education minister, who is clearly also reform-minded. So my take is that: Oloyede has come out to say that, ‘Hey, this is, this is an embarrassment. I take responsibility’.

“Not many people would behave that way. So, we need to encourage him to continue to reform, and we need to encourage the minister,” he said.

READ ALSO: [JAMB Error] Responsible Parties Should Be Punished – Ex-Provost

JAMB’s Error

JAMB error: Oloyede did what is uncommon by taking responsibility; not everybody would do it, says ex-presidential spokesman Laolu Akande.

He says those pushing examination malpractice should not be allowed to take advantage of the situation. #CTVTweets@SunriseDailyNow pic.twitter.com/ribbAuzwnW

JAMB’s admission of error in the 2025 results came after a flurry of backlash over the conduct of this year’s UTME – the entrance examination into tertiary institutions in Nigeria. 

Amid claims of glitches, unusually poor scores, and other issues, JAMB called for a review of the examination, after which it admitted to problems in the 2025 UTME. 

Oloyede said that 379,997 candidates affected by the glitches would retake the UTME, beginning from May 16, 2025.

A professor of Political Economy, Pat Utomi, on Friday said he is receiving support from some Nigerians who are planning to mobilise 500 lawyers to defend him against the Department of State Services.

Utomi disclosed this in a post on X.

“It’s energising (that) some want to put together 500 lawyers to defend me against the DSS,” he said.

The DSS had sued Utomi over his alleged plan to establish what he calls “a shadow government” in the country.

According to the suit filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, the DSS prayed the court to declare the move an attack on the Constitution.

The professor of Political Economy, who is the 2007 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), was sued as the sole defendant.

READ ALSO: DSS Sues Pat Utomi Over Alleged Shadow Government Plan

In the suit filed on May 13 by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Akinlolu Kehinde, the agency contended that the move by Utomi was intended to create chaos and destabilise the country.

The DSS had argued that the planned shadow government was not only an aberration but also constituted a grave attack on the Constitution and a threat to the democratically elected government currently in place.

However, Utomi said he was gladened by the solidarity he had received from across the country.

“I am heartened by messages of solidarity from across Nigeria on this shadowy business of chasing shadows of shadow cabinets. Reminds me of the Nigeria I used to know. I want to thank all.”

READ ALSO: I Won’t Seek Public Office Again, Accept Govt Appointment In Nigeria — Pat Utomi

The planned shadow cabinet was greeted by reactions from several Nigerians, including a former presidential candidate and activist, Omoyele Sowore, who said it was an ineffective symbolic gesture that lacked real-world impact on Nigeria’s pressing challenges.

Speaking during an interview on Inside Sources on Channels TV on Sunday, Sowore argued that the idea of a shadow cabinet was futile in a country where the existing government is itself opaque and largely unaccountable.

He said, “Well, how do you replace a shadow government with another set of shadowy governments? I would not begrudge anybody who thinks of solutions that can bring awareness to the people.