Category: Armed Forces - Page 5 - African News Today

Missing Fighter Jet May Have Crashed, Two Pilots Unaccounted for – Air Force

2Apr

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Armed Forces, News, Nigeria, Safety, Science, Transportation

Missing Fighter Jet May Have Crashed, Two Pilots Unaccounted for – Air Force

The Nigerian Air Force Alpha Jet which went off the radar during a Boko Haram operation in the North-East on Wednesday may have crashed. Intelligence report gathered by the Nigerian Air Force on Friday said the jet might have crashed although the whereabouts of the jet or the two pilots on board remain unknown. According to SaharaReporters, military sources said the jet crashed in the Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State, although the NAF has not confirmed any location. Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, the Chief of Air Staff, arrived in Maiduguri, Borno State, on Thursday to coordinate the ongoing search and rescue mission for the Alpha Jet which got lost during the Boko Haram combat mission in the North-East. Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, NAF Director of Public Relations and Informat...

Abuja Air Crash Victims to be Buried on Thursday

24Feb

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Armed Forces, Aviation, News, Nigeria, Safety, Transportation

Abuja Air Crash Victims to be Buried on Thursday

The Nigerian Air Force, NAF, has announced that the Seven officers who died in the air crash that took place in Abuja on Sunday will be buried at the National Cemetery, Lugbe, Airport Road, Abuja, on Thursday. This was disclosed by NAF on Wednesday in an invitation to journalists. The officers were victims of the fatal Beechcraft King Air B250i crash that occurred close to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, after reporting engine failure. Among the deceased were the Captain, Fl. Lt. Haruna Gadzama; Fl. Lt. Henry Piyo (Co-Pilot); Flying Officer Micheal Okpara (Airborne Tactical Observation System Specialist); Warrant Officer Bassey Etim (ATOS Specialist); Fl. Sgt. Olasunkanmi Olawunmi (ATOS Specialist); Sgt. Ugochukwu Oluka (ATOS Specialist) and Aircraftman Adewale Jo...

We Lack Soldiers, Military Equipment to Fight Insecurity says El-Rufai

20Feb

By Obiajulu Joel Nwolu1 Comment

Armed Forces, News, Nigeria

We Lack Soldiers, Military Equipment to Fight Insecurity says El-Rufai

Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has attributed the failure in effective policing to uncoordinated and ineffective national level security response in dealing with security threats across the country. This was contained in his speech during the live broadcast on Friday tagged, ‘The Fierce Urgency of Now: Tactics and Strategies to Pull Nigeria from the Brink.’ He said, “None of the military services nor other security agencies has been suitably expanded in numbers and equipment for over a decade since the insurgency in the North-East pushed things to a new level. “This country does not have enough soldiers, uniformed police, or secret police to project state power across its vast swaths, particularly the forests. The limited number of boots on the ground are not well-equipp...

FG Deploys Police, Others to Lekki Tollgate Ahead of Today’s Protests

13Feb

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Armed Forces, Human Rights, Justice, Law Enforcement, News, Nigeria, Safety, Security

FG Deploys Police, Others to Lekki Tollgate Ahead of Today’s Protests

The Federal Government has deployed policemen and over 150 operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, to preempt the breakdown of law and order and possibly forestall the protest tagged #OccupyLekkiProtest at the Lekki tollgate in Lagos on Saturday (today). This comes as some individuals under the auspices of #DefendLagos have also promised to organise a counter-march against the #OccupyLekkiProtest demonstrators. Earlier, the Federal Government and the police had warned youths who planned to protest at the Lekki tollgate on Saturday to have a rethink and shelve the protests. However, the protesters under the auspices of #EndSARS Season 2, vowed to remain steadfast. According to them, the planned protest was necessitated by the decision of the Lagos Stat...

Presidency Defends Nomination of Ex-service Chiefs as Ambassadors

7Feb

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Armed Forces, News, Nigeria, Security

Presidency Defends Nomination of Ex-service Chiefs as Ambassadors

Presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, has defended the decision to nominate ex-service chiefs as non-career ambassadors-designate. President Muhammadu Buhari had forwarded their names to the senate for confirmation urging expeditious consideration. In its reaction, the main opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, had criticised the move, accusing Buhari of trying “to shield the immediate past service chiefs from investigation over alleged killing of innocent Nigerians and crimes against humanity”. However, Shehu in his reaction said the ex-service chiefs were nominated as a reward for their hard work and sacrifice. He said the transition is “normal in decent democratic societies” and asked the PDP to stop defaming the former service chiefs. Shehu said, “The P...

Buhari Grants IGP Three Months Tenure Extension – Dingyadi

4Feb

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Armed Forces, News, Nigeria, Security

Buhari Grants IGP Three Months Tenure Extension – Dingyadi

President Muhammadu Buhari has extended the tenure of Mohammed Adamu as the Inspector-General of Police for three months, the Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammad Dingyadi has disclosed. Dingyadi said this in an interview with State correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Thursday. The Minister said the extension was informed by the need to pave way for proper selection of a successor. Details later…

20 Generals Face Retirement as Buhari Names New Service Chiefs

27Jan

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Armed Forces, News, Nigeria, Security

20 Generals Face Retirement as Buhari Names New Service Chiefs

At least 20 members of courses 34 and 35 may proceed on retirement as President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday announced a change of the country’s service chiefs. The reshuffling of the officers was disclosed by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, in a statement titled, ‘President Buhari appoints new service chiefs,’ named officers who would head the nation’s armed forces. Adesina listed the new security heads to include Chief of Defence Staff, Major-General Lucky Irabor; Chief of Army Staff, Major-General I. Attahiru; Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral A.Z Gambo, and the Chief of Air Staff, Air-Vice Marshal Isiaka Amao. Reports have emerged that the development might lead to the retirement of some military personnel as sources in the Nigerian ...

BREAKING: Buhari Bows to Pressure, Sacks Service Chiefs, Appoints New Hands

26Jan

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Armed Forces, Breaking News, News, Nigeria, Security

BREAKING: Buhari Bows to Pressure, Sacks Service Chiefs, Appoints New Hands

President Muhammadu Buhari has sacked the service chiefs in the country, African News Today has gathered. Buhari appointed new officers to head the country’s security architecture and combat the security challenges in the country. This was disclosed by the Special Adviser On Media and Publicity To the President, Femi Adesina, in a tweet on Tuesday. Adesina wrote, “PMB appoints new Service Chiefs. Maj Gen LEO Irabor, CDS (Chief of Defence Staff), Maj Gen I Attahiru, Army, Rear Adm AZ Gambo, Navy, AVM IO Amao, Air Force. “He congratulates outgoing Service Chiefs on efforts to bring enduring peace to the country.” The development follows several agitations from different quarters for the change of service chiefs for fresh ideas on effective fight against varying security challenges confr...

Uganda: Court Orders Soldiers to Vacate Bobi Wine’s Home

25Jan

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Armed Forces, Elections, Human Rights, Judiciary, Justice, News, Uganda

Uganda: Court Orders Soldiers to Vacate Bobi Wine’s Home

A court in Uganda has order security operatives to vacate the home of opposition leader, Bobi Wine, whose house arrest since the recent presidential poll has drawn international pressure, his lawyer said on Monday. Security forces have laid siege on the home of the 38-year-old musician turned politician, preventing him from leaving his home in Kampala since he cast his vote in the January 14 election where he contested against the long-serving incumbent, President Yoweri Museveni. The opposition leaders counsel, George Musisi told Reuters, "The judge ordered that the state and its agencies should immediately vacate his property and his right to personal liberty should immediately be reinstated." The 76-year-old Museveni has been in power for 35 years prior to winning a new term in...

Reflections From A Wreath Laying Ceremony – Femi Adesina

22Jan

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Armed Forces, News, Nigeria, Security

Reflections From A Wreath Laying Ceremony – Femi Adesina

There’s no year I attend the Wreath Laying Ceremony marking the Armed Forces Remembrance Day Celebration that I don’t shed a tear or two. Secret tears. Yes, secret, as men don’t want to be seen giving way to emotions in public. But why not? Charles Dickens wrote: “Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of the earth, overlying our hard hearts.” So brothers, when you need to shed a tear or two, do it. When rainfall needs to come from your eyes, let it come, let the rain of blessings fall, as they are “rain upon the blinding dust of the earth, overlying our hard hearts.” Why do I usually give way to emotions at the wreath laying ceremony, as it also happened last Friday, at the event commemorating the 2021 Armed Forces Remembrance...