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NAF to take delivery of 18 attack helicopters – Chief of Air Staff

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The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar says the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) will soon take delivery of 18 attack helicopters to boost its fleet of aircraft.

 

Abubakar said this at a one-day tour of formations and units under the NAF 115 Special Operations Group (SOG) in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.

 

He said that 12 attack helicopters would be supplied by the United States while another six helicopters would be provided by the Turkish government in September.

 

“We are not deterred by recent developments as the Federal Government has approved the acquisition of 12 AH1 Zulu Cobra and six T129 Helicopters from the United States and Turkey respectively.

 

“The first two T129 helicopters are scheduled to come into operation by September, to enhance our operational capabilities.

 

“So, yes, we are saddened by the recent loss of our airplane (MI 171 helicopter) but then, we have a lot more (aircraft) coming in and our capabilities are increasing,” he said.

 

Abubakar said he visited the state to commiserate with families of the NAF pilots and crew that died in the ill-fated helicopter crash in Niger on Aug. 14.

 

“So, we came here to express our deepest condolences to the immediate family members of the crew that we lost.

 

“The 115 special operations group is the home base for the airplane and all the crew that were onboard the unfortunate crash of our MI-171 helicopter.

 

“Aside this, we are also here to interact with the officers and men of the unit to encourage and assure them of our support in Operation Delta Safe,” he added.

 

The air force chief said the deceased crew onboard the crashed aircraft included the pilot, co-pilot and two airmen – who oversaw the cabin.

 

He said the air force was currently putting measures in place to put an end to crashes of military aircraft in the country.

 

According to him, the measures included the setting up of an air crash investigation board to detect the probable causes of the crash to mitigate future recurrence.

 

“NAF has a target innovation of zero accidents, but the truth is that as long as we keep operating, there will be incidents because it is human beings that operate the aircraft.

 

“We have also established and empowered our NAF Institute of Safety – where we train our pilots and technicians in the fundamentals of safety to improve safety culture in the air force.

 

“The overall aim is that in the nearest future, we will have a well engraved safety culture in realisation of our target of zero accidents and incidents in NAF,” he said.

 

Abubakar said the air force would continue to intensify the deployment of its attack helicopters in clamping down on illegal refineries in the Niger Delta.

 

He said that joint operations with sister security agencies had led to the destruction of several illegal refining sites and confiscation of vessels used in stealing crude oil from the region.

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Nigerian Navy arrests Motor Tanker VINNALARIS 1 Lagos for crude oil theft

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The Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base, IGBOKODA in Ondo State, has arrested 77-meter-long Motor Tanker (MT) VINNALARIS 1 LAGOS in the early hours of Thursday 7 December 2023 at about 3.00am.

 

A Statement by the Nigerian Navy spokeperson Commodore Ayo Vaughn said the vessel had 17 crew members onboard at the time of arrest and was caught engaging in illegal siphoning of crude oil from one of the well heads at EBESAN oil field about 7 nautical miles off the coast of Awoye riverine community in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.

 

He said the apprehension of the vessel was based on credible intelligence received by the Base on the illegal activities of crude oil thieves at the location which informed the swift deployment of FOB IGBOKODA personnel to enforce the arrest of the vessel and her crew.

 

The vessel, MT VINNALARIS 1 LAGOS, has a storage capacity of about 15,000 metric tonnes and as at the time of arrest had loaded about 500 Metric tonnes of crude oil.

 

The statement further added, “it is believed that Tantita Security Service TSS is involved in the illegalities because Awoye riverine area which is close to the place of arrest is covered by TSS.” Vaughan noted that it was upon the arrest of the vessel by the Nigerian Navy that TSS began to raise false alarm, which the Navy described as totally unfounded and mischievous.

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NJC RECOMENDS ELEVEN SUPREME COURT JUSTICES, ONE COURT OF APPEAL JUSTICE, HEADS OF COURT 

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The National Judicial Commision has recommended the appointment of 11 Supreme Court Justices, one Justice of Court of Appeal, 6 Heads of Courts and 26 other Judicial Officers.

 

This was the consencus at the Councils 104 Meeting after considering the list of candidates presented by its Interview Committee

 

 

According to a statement signed by the Director Of Information, Soji Oye, the council after much deliberations, recommended Justice Hannatu Sankey, Justice Chidiebere Uwa, Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme, Justice Haruna Tsammani and

Justice Aseimo Adumein as Supreme court Justices.

 

Others are Justice Obande Ogbuinya, Justice Stephen Adah, Justice Habeeb Abiru, Justice Jamilu Tukur, Justice Abubakar Umar, and Justice Mohammed Idris.

 

The NJC also recommended Justice Mohammed Ramat as a Justice of the Court of Appeal.

 

Some heads of court nominated are Justice Joel Agya, as the Chief Judge Taraba State,

Justice Umar Abubakar, Chief Judge of Taraba State amongst others.

 

The Council has said that all recommended candidates to the Supreme Court Bench would be sworn-in after the approval of their recommendation by President Bola Tinubu and the subsequent confirmation of their appointment by the Senate.

 

NJC has also noted that the various Heads of Court recommended would also be sworn-in upon the approval of their appointment by their various State Governors and subsequent confirmation of same by their respective State Houses of Assembly.

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EFCC denies comments on 70 percent Nigerian Youths involvement in internet fraud

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EFCC denies comments on 70 percent Nigerian Youths involvement in internet fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has denied comments by it’s Executive Chairman, Ola Olukoyede which labelled seventy percent of Nigerian Students as internet fraudsters.

 

 

 

While stating this in a Statement by the Head, Media and Publicity Dele Oyewale, the Commission says it is a misrepresentation of the concerns of the Chairman of the EFCC to the rising incidences of internet- related crimes involving Youths across the Country.

 

 

 

It explains that its Chairman had called for wider media enlightenment of youths as a counter- measure against the menace of internet fraud at a meeting with Representatives of the Civil Society Organizations, CSOs that paid him a visit in Abuja.

 

 

 

Olukoyede says that reports and intelligence available to him indicated that, unless the trajectory of youth involvement in internet fraud is addressed and reversed, the future of their leadership of Nigeria may be threatened and if it continues in the next ten years, seven out ten of the youths may be getting involved in cybercrimes.

 

 

The EFCC says that at no time did its Chairman mentioned that “seven out of ten” Nigerian students are criminals” as widely reported.

 

 

 

The Commission assures the public that its Chairman is doubly committed to the progress of Nigerian Youths and underscores his calls for collaborative interventions in offering them more productive and sustainable alternatives.

 

 

The Statement added that the concerns of the EFCC Chairman bothers on breaking the jinx of mass indulgence of youths in cybercrimes.

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