SR SahelReporters

By Aviashima Toom, Abuja The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, has attributed accommodation challenges in some orientation camps across the country to the increasing number of graduates mobilised annually for the national service programme. Nafiu disclosed that the Scheme mobilised about 400,000 prospective Corps Members in 2025, while the figure increased to approximately 450,000 in 2026, representing an additional 50,000 graduates. He warned that the annual mobilisation figure could rise to between 500,000 and 600,000 within the next three to five years, putting further pressure on existing facilities and resources. The NYSC Director-General made this known while addressing the 2026 Batch 'C' Stream II Corps Members at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Sagamu, Ogun State. He explained that the growing number of graduates participating in the scheme had overstretched available infrastruct...

By Aviashima Toom, Abuja The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, has intercepted a live Olive Ridley Sea Turtle along the Nigeria-Benin border in a renewed effort to combat wildlife trafficking and protect endangered species. The interception occurred on Thursday, November 12, 2026, at about 10:30 p.m. during a routine patrol by Customs officers along a footpath linking Nigeria and the Republic of Benin. The officers reportedly sighted a suspicious individual carrying a sack who abandoned it and fled into a nearby bush upon noticing the patrol team. Efforts to apprehend the suspect were unsuccessful. A statement issued on Friday by the Command's Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Customs John Tunde Ayagbalo, disclosed that a search of the abandoned sack revealed a live Pacific Ridley Sea Turtle, also known as the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea). According to the statement, the animal was immediately secured and subseque...

By Aviashima Toom, Abuja The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has concluded its Second Half 2026 Route March in Abuja, reaffirming the importance of physical fitness, discipline and endurance in maintaining an effective and combat-ready Armed Forces of Nigeria. The exercise brought together officers and personnel from various departments and units of the Defence Headquarters as part of efforts to promote healthy living, strengthen esprit de corps and enhance the physical and mental alertness required for effective military service. Speaking on behalf of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, the Director-General, Joint Doctrine and Warfare Centre, Major General AE Edet, congratulated personnel on the successful completion of the exercise. He commended their commitment, determination and enthusiasm, stressing that regular physical exercise and a healthy lifestyle remain essential components of military professionalism and operational effectiveness. Edet urged personn...

By Aviashima Toom, Abuja The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has commissioned 120 newly completed three-bedroom housing units in Abuja under the Nigerian Army’s Affordable Home Ownership Option for All Soldiers (AHOOAS), reaffirming the military’s commitment to improving personnel welfare during and after service. The housing units, located at Idu, Abuja, were commissioned on Friday, November 13, 2026, under Phase 2 of the project, bringing the total number of homes delivered through the scheme nationwide to 700. Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Lieutenant General Shaibu said the Army’s ongoing transformation agenda goes beyond operational readiness to include improved accommodation, healthcare facilities and sustainable housing opportunities for serving and retired personnel. He stressed that the welfare of soldiers and their families remains central to his administration's Soldier-First Culture, noting that investments i...

By Aviashima Toom, Abuja The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, has pledged to sustain and build on the achievements of his predecessors, describing their contributions as fundamental to the Scheme's growth and national relevance. Nafiu gave the assurance during a courtesy visit to the Acting Corps Commander of the Nigerian Army Education Corps (NAEC), Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed, in Lagos. The NYSC Director-General said recognising and engaging former Directors-General to appreciate their contributions, seek their counsel and benefit from their wealth of experience had remained a deliberate part of his administration's approach since assuming office on March 6, 2025. He described the visit as an opportunity to express gratitude to his predecessor for his contributions to the development of the Scheme, noting that the achievements recorded by the NYSC were built on the commitment, vision and dedication o...

By Aviashima Toom, Abuja Nigeria and the European Union (EU) have moved closer to the implementation of a €20 million defence support package aimed at strengthening the operational capabilities of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and enhancing the country's counterterrorism efforts. The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd), disclosed this during a strategic meeting with a delegation of the European External Action Service (EEAS), led by Ms. Claire Gaudin, at the Ministry of Defence Headquarters, Ship House, Abuja. The meeting focused on finalising the delivery arrangements for the support package approved for Nigeria under the European Peace Facility (EPF), marking the EU's first-ever bilateral defence assistance package to the country. General Musa welcomed the initiative, which was sealed in October 2026, describing it as a significant boost to Nigeria's ongoing security operations, particularly counterterrorism efforts within the Lake Chad Ba...