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Customs Raises Breast Cancer Awareness, Secures N50m Pledge in Abuja

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By Aviashima Toom, Abuja  The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intensified its campaign against breast cancer, urging officers and stakeholders to prioritise early detection, regular screening and timely medical attention. The Service made the call on Tuesday, during a breast cancer awareness and sensitisation programme held at its headquarters in Maitama, Abuja. The programme, organised to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month, was themed “Inspect, Detect, Protect” and brought together Customs officers, medical professionals and other stakeholders to promote awareness and prevention of the disease. Representing the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Information and Communication Technology and Modernisation, Oluyomi Adebakin, said cancer should not be viewed as a stigma or a death sentence. Adebakin urged officers to take their health seriously, stressing that continuous education and sensitisation rem...
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Breaking: Police Rescue 20 Prospective NYSC Corps Members Abducted in Imo

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By Aviashima Toom, Abuja  The Nigeria Police Force, in collaboration with sister security agencies, has rescued 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted in Imo State on October 1, 2026. The victims were rescued at about 4:28 p.m. on Wednesday, October 7, at Amakohia Ubi Village, Imo State, following sustained and coordinated search-and-rescue operations by security agencies. The Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), in a statement, said the rescued victims had been taken for medical examination and necessary treatment as part of the post-rescue process. According to the statement, the successful operation was achieved through sustained operational coordination and collaboration among the security agencies involved in the search for the abducted prospective corps members. The Police said efforts were ongoing to apprehend the suspects responsible for the abduction, adding that security agencies had intensified operations to bring th...
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Nigeria’s Disappearing Forests

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Nigeria is losing its forests at a pace that is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Across the country, trees are being felled for charcoal and firewood, forests are being cleared for farming, and once-protected landscapes are coming under increasing pressure from settlement, logging and other human activities. The consequences go far beyond the disappearance of trees. Forest loss affects soil fertility, water systems, biodiversity, local livelihoods and the climatic conditions on which millions of Nigerians, particularly farmers, depend. Recent Global Forest Watch data estimates that Nigeria lost about 1.6 million hectares of tree cover between 2001 and 2025, representing roughly 15 per cent of the country's tree-cover area in 2000. The data indicates that permanent agriculture accounted for about 1.3 million hectares of the recorded tree-cover loss. Behind these figures are communities where the forest is no longer what it used to be. Fo...
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Africa Climate Forum 2026 to Focus on Turning Climate Commitments into Action

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By Aviashima Toom, Abuja  Policymakers, business leaders, climate experts and development institutions are expected to converge in Abuja next week for the fourth edition of the Africa Climate Forum (ACF), with a focus on translating the continent’s climate commitments into measurable action. The two-day forum, scheduled for October 13 and 14 at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, will be held under the theme, “Implementing in Lockstep: Public-Private Action for Green Outcomes.” The event is being organised by the Global Centre for Law, Business and Economy (GCLBE) and will bring together stakeholders from across Africa and beyond, both physically and virtually, to examine how governments, businesses, investors and institutions can collaborate more effectively to accelerate climate action. Among those expected at the forum are Ambassador Philbert Abaka Johnson, Director and UNIDO Representative in Nigeria and ECOWAS; Olasupo Shasore, SAN, Senior Partner at Africa Law ...
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DECAN Mourns 25 Victims of NAF Aircraft Crash in Ondo

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By Aviashima Toom, Abuja  The Defence Correspondents Association of Nigeria (DECAN) has expressed deep sadness over the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft crash in Ondo State, which reportedly claimed the lives of 25 people. In a statement signed by its President, Odita Sunday, on Wednesday, the association described the incident as a tragic loss to the victims' families, the Nigerian Air Force and the nation. DECAN extended its condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of the deceased, noting that no words could adequately capture the pain of losing loved ones in such sudden and tragic circumstances. The association also commiserated with the Chief of the Air Staff, officers and airmen of the Nigerian Air Force and the entire Armed Forces of Nigeria over the loss. According to DECAN, the incident underscores the sacrifices routinely made by military personnel in the service of the country, often while operating under difficult and hazardous conditions. The ass...
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Defence Correspondents Must Report Troops’ Successes, Sacrifices — Kana

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By Aviashima Toom, Abuja  The Permanent Secretary, General Services Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Dr Abubakar Ibrahim Kana, has urged defence correspondents to give adequate attention to the successes and sacrifices of Nigerian troops in their coverage of the nation’s security operations. Kana, a former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, made the call on Tuesday in Abuja when he received the leadership of the Defence Correspondents Association of Nigeria (DECAN), ahead of the association’s annual conference scheduled for Monday at the Army Officers’ Mess 1, Asokoro. He said journalists who had accompanied troops into operational theatres had witnessed first-hand the difficult conditions under which military personnel operate and should reflect such experiences in their reports. According to him, defence reporting should not focus solely on casualties suffered by the military without highlighting t...
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Cross River Police Intensify Maritime Security, Urge Riverine Communities to Report Suspicious Activities

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By Aviashima Toom, Abuja  The Cross River State Police Command has intensified security operations along the state’s waterways as part of efforts to curb maritime crimes and protect lives and livelihoods in riverine communities. This was contained in a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer For: Commissioner of Police, Cross River State Command, ASP, Eitokpah Sunday Akata in Calabar. According to him, the initiative is being implemented under Operation Velvet Marine, with the command stepping up engagement with fishing communities and other maritime stakeholders to strengthen intelligence gathering and community-based vigilance. The command, under the leadership of Commissioner of Police, CP Ajo Geoffrey Ordue, said the latest efforts included a stakeholders’ engagement organised by the State Marine Police on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Dolphin Marine Base, Calabar. The meeting brought together 21 representatives from fishing settlements, inclu...
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