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JTF Raids Militants’ Camps, Rescues 19 Kidnap Victims

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15 years ago

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In a major onslaught against criminal elements in Rivers State, the Joint Military Taskforce (JTF) last Wednesday swooped on militants camps and rescued 19 kidnapped victims with oil companies in the Niger Delta region.

The rescued victims who were abducted from different locations in the region include four Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) staff, eight Exxon-Mobil staff and 7 foreign nationals working with Petroleum Pipeline Installation Company, the foreign nationals include two Americans, two Indonesians and one Canadian.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Akin Fakorede who briefed newsmen on the outcome of the raid said the victims were rescued in the militants camps in the creeks around the New Calabar River through a sea and air raid by the security operatives.

He said those earlier taken hostage from ExxonMobil oil in Akwa Ibom State and PPI, were among the rescued victims, and noting that the victims were presently secured at the Nigerian Airform Base, Port Harcourt, but would soon be released to their families.

The PPRO said that the operation by security agencies to root out all criminal elements in the region was a continuous exercise, adding that the police and other security operatives would vigorously pursue their objectives of creating a secure and peaceful environment with unrelenting commitment.

He assured members of the public of their safety and protection throughout the Yuletide season.

Mr Fakorede appealed to members of the public to always assist security operatives with accurate and timely information that would enable them get rid of all criminal activities in the state.

Earlier last Sunday, men of the JTF had arrested one Thankgod Deezia and four others suspected to be perpetrating kidnapping incidents in the Gokana Local Government area of the state.

The arrest was made possible when the Joint Military Taskforce and Anti-Kidnapping raided the kidnappers’ camps at Deken community in Gokana Local Government Area at about 2.00pm.

The Rivers State Public Relations Officer, Mr Akin Fakorede who confirmed the story said the suspects who are from Beeri Community in Khana Local Government area were said to have been involved in the kidnap of a 55 year-old woman in July this year at her residence at Nyo Kuru in Khana Local Government Area.

The PPRO said the suspects who were arrested in their hideout at Deken community in Gokana confessed to have been involved in several other kidnap cases in the state.

He told newsmen that the arrested hoodlums were being interrogated by police detectives.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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3 days ago

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September 22, 2025

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Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.

Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.

The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.

Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.

“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.

“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”

Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.

In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.

Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.

Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.

 

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NIS Ends Decentralised Passport Production After 62 Years

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3 days ago

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September 22, 2025

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The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the disclosure during an inspection of the Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja, last Thursday.
He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.
“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.
He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.
According to him, the centralised production system aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for improved service delivery.
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FG To Roll Out Digital Public Infrastructure, Data Exchange, Next Year 

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3 days ago

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September 22, 2025

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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has announced plans to roll out Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the Nigerian Data Exchange (NGDX) platforms across key sectors of the economy, starting in early 2026.
Director of E-Government and Digital Economy at NITDA, Dr. Salisu Kaka, made the disclosure in Abuja during a stakeholder review session of the DPI and NGDX drafts at the Digital Public Infrastructure Live Event.
The forum, themed “Advancing Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure through Standards, Data Exchange and e-Government Transformation,” brought together regulators, state governments, and private sector stakeholders to harmonise inputs for building inclusive, secure, and interoperable systems for governance and service delivery.
According to Kaka, Nigeria already has several foundational elements in place, including national identity systems and digital payment platforms.
What remains is the establishment of the data exchange framework, which he said would be finalised by the end of 2025.
“Before the end of this year and by next year we will be fully ready with the foundational element, and we start dropping the use cases across sectors,” Kaka explained.
He stressed that the federal government recognises the autonomy of states urging them to align with national standards.
“If the states can model and reflect what happens at the national level, then we can have a 360-degree view of the whole data exchange across the country and drive all-of-government processes,” he added.
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