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NAF To Intensify Surveillance, Precision Attacks -CAS
The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, says future air warfare in the country will revolve around intelligence gathering, surveillance, rapid mobility, precision attack and use of unarmed aircrafts.
Abubakar stated this to newsmen shortly after presenting a lecture to participants of Senior Course 46 of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC) Jaji, yesterday.
The Tide source reports that the lecture was on “The Future of Air Warfare in the Nigerian Air Force – My Command Philosophy”.
The CAS said that the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) would deploy all assets and personnel to counter internal and external threats to national security.
He added that the NAF would intensify collaboration with other security services and engage in strategic alliance with other countries.
Abubakar said that strategic alliance was critical in achieving the set objectives of ensuring the security of the country.
“There is no service or nation that can do everything all by itself. There are a lot of strategies that can be derived from collaboration, joint operations and cooperation,” he added.
Abubakar noted that the armed forces had in the past not taken the advantages of the opportunities in jointness.
“The armed forces have woken up to realise the critical need for jointness in achieving set objectives of securing the country against adversaries,” he added.
The CAS said as part of strategic alliance, Nigeria would work with the Czheck Republic in the training of NAF personnel.
“Last week, we were in Czheck Republic in the effort to establish strategic alliances.
“Part of the results of the visit is that we will have the Czheck Air Force to train some of our pilots and also to establish high level maintenance facilities for us in Kano.
“We have also started such alliances with other countries such as Pakistan, China, Egypt and many other countries.
“I think that is the way, going forward, because there are several advantages to be derived from such collaborations and cooperations,” he said.
Abubakar believes that going forward, Nigeria would benefit immensely from such alliances.
The CAS said he had conducted assessment of the NAF operating environment, procedures, theatres of operations and establishments across the country.
He said that this enabled him to develop his command philosophy anchored on repositioning NAF to effectively meet the air power demand of national security in all operational environments.
“We also identified five key enablers that will drive the command philosophy which included optimisation of our force structure and establishments for enhanced operational effectiveness.”
Cross section of participants of Senior Course 46 at the AFCSC Jaji , yesterday.
The Air Chief added that other important key enablers of his command philosophy was the focus on research and development and use of technology.
He stressed that the NAF as a very technical force, needed to intensify research and development activities to not only maintain its facilities, but also fabricate appropriate ones to enhance national security.
“We realised that continous depending on foreign vendors for our defense needs, is bad for us, we therefore established a robust research and development organisation for us to go off the dependence.
“We have gone very far and achieved alot in terms of research and development and some of the products we have been able to come up with have been in use.
“We now have ownership of our technologies and we even produce and sell them commercially.
“We are in advanced stage of completely having a UAV that is fully produced and operated by NAF, among others. It is a work in progress.”
The CAS appreciated the AFCSC for providing world class training for officers of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
Abubakar said he would continue to give priority to the training of NAF personnel so as to have a very efficient mission oriented force focused on protecting the country.
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Defamation: Court Grants Natasha N50m Bail

The FCT High Court in Abuja, yesterday, granted the suspended Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, bail in the sum of N50 million and one surety who must be a person of reasonable integrity resident in F.C.T Abuja and owns a landed property within the Abuja Municipal Area Council.
The trial judge, Justice Chizoba Orji, made the declaration in a ruling after taking arguments for and against the bail application from the parties in the suit.
The Attorney General of the Federation, in a three-count criminal charge marked CR/297/25, accused Akpoti-Uduaghan, the sole defendant, of making defamatory statements against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, during a live television broadcast.
The charge, which lists Akpabio and the former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, as nominal complainants, alleged that Akpoti-Uduaghan claimed Bello had conspired with Akpabio to orchestrate her assassination outside Abuja, disguising it as a mob or local attack.
According to the Federal Government, these allegations were made during a live broadcast on Channels Television’s Politics Today on April 3, 2025.
The Federal Government claimed that Akpoti-Uduaghan knowingly or recklessly made these imputations, fully aware that they could harm the reputation of the individuals involved.
The charge alleged that she said, “Let’s ask the Senate President, why in the first instance did he withdraw my security, if not to make me vulnerable to attacks? He then emphasised that I should be killed, but I should be killed in Kogi. What is important to me is to stay alive, because dead men tell no tales. Who is going to get justice for me?”
The charge also cites her statements during the programme as saying, “That you, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, on or about the 3rd day of April 2025, during the same Politics Today programme on Channels Television in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, made the following imputation concerning Yahaya Adoza Bello, former Governor of Kogi State.
“It was part of the meeting, the discussions that Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello that night, to eliminate me. When he met with him, he then emphasised that I should be killed, but I should be killed in Kogi. You knew or had reason to believe that such imputations would harm the reputation of Yahaya Adoza Bello, former Governor of Kogi State.”
The senator is also accused of making defamatory statements about Akpabio during a telephone conversation with Sandra C. Duru in Abuja on March 27, 2025.
The alleged statement is as follows, “That girl that was killed, what’s her name, umm…. Imoren Iniubong, her organs were actually used for the wife, because the wife was really ill… when they killed the girl, and her organs were used for the wife.”
The Federal Government contends that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan knew or ought to have known that this claim would harm the reputation of Senator Godswill Akpabio.
Meanwhile, the Senate President, Bello, and four others have been listed as witnesses in the trial.
The arraignment of Akpoti-Uduaghan was initially scheduled for June 3, 2025. However, the strike action of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria stalled the arraignment.
Meanwhile, a similar matter is also lodged before Justice Muhammed Umar, of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
While Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was slated for arraignment before Justice Umar, she, however, did not appear for the arraignment since the prosecution had not been able to serve her as stated in court.
The prosecution, however, applied for a bench warrant to be issued on the suspended senator, which the court refused.
At the commencement of the hearing, the counsel to the Attorney General of the Federation, David Kaswe, told the Court that the matter is for arraignment of the defendant (Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan).
Natasha was docked, and the three-count read to her. She pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team, led by Professor Roland Otaru (SAN), afterwards informed the Court that a bail application filed on May 27 has been submitted to the court.
Kaswe, however, informed the court that the Federal Government is opposing the bail application and called the attention of the judge to a counter-affidavit filed before the court to this effect.
He proceeded to ask the court to remand the Kogi Senator in prison as she poses a flight risk.
He said, “In view of the charge, we will be asking for a remand in a correctional facility.
The defence counsel, however, interjected, stating, “We already filed an application for bail. We are in a court of law for Justice. We have a motion on Notice dated May 27, 2025. You represent the Ministry of Justice, not the Ministry of Injustice.
“If your lordship graciously will, we urge your lordship to grant the bail application. This is a case where your lordship has the discretion to grant bail, and nobody can query it, not even the president can query it. Even on self-recognition because it is not a case of murder.”
Referencing the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, Otaru added that anybody who is charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed innocent until proven guilty. “And she pleaded not guilty. As she is standing there, she is innocent until proven otherwise,” he added.
Justice Chizoba Orji, after listening to both arguments, however, granted Natasha bail in the sum of N50 million, with one surety who must be a person of reasonable integrity resident in F.C.T Abuja and owns a landed property within the Abuja Municipal Area Council.
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Benin Monarch Receives 119 Stolen Artefacts From Netherlands

Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, has received 119 stolen artefacts from the Netherlands.
The Oba who disclosed this on Wednesday in Benin, the Edo State capital, said plans by some international cartel to re-loot the artefacts were thwarted after he prayed to God and the ancestors.
He said, “I thank President Bola Tinubu for supporting and committing to the efforts former President Buhari put in place to ensure the artifacts are not re-looted because there were groups in this country believed to be an international cartel that had all sorts of conspiracy to re-loot our artifacts.
“They stole and burnt our Kingdom. They killed my people and tried to kill their spirit and their morale. Today, the boldness, courage, and bravery of the Benin people are still there. Events of 1897 reduced that to a significant level that Sometimes when I see my people, they are afraid of the unknown.
“The return of these objects has reawakened the courage we had in our people. We do not want modern-day politics and partisan politics to diminish the courage of our people.
“The Director General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments has been doing wonderful work. His predecessor was part of the conspiracy to re-loot our artefacts. We had a running battle in this hall.
“I addressed my Chiefs in Benin language, and I said these artefacts belong to my ancestors, and I will not sit on the ancient throne and watch the artefacts re-looted. They would rather remain where they are than be re-looted. I thank the government of the Netherlands for working with us. This is part of the efforts to reawaken the morale and spirit of my people.
“After 1897, the kingdom was reduced. There was a government in this state that wanted to reduce the kingdom more and scatter it. I am angry when I speak about it. Why would anybody want to scatter the kingdom.
“The youths were courageous like the youths of those days. They were not afraid of anybody. I vowed that it would not happen. Not in my reign. Not while I am sitting on this throne. God heard my prayers. My ancestors heard my prayers. This throne is not partisan, but I should support what is good for my people.
“I urge the youths to be tough and strong in the face of adversity. This is not for anybody else. It is for my ancestors.”
The Benin Monarch further prayed for the return of more artefacts.
The NCMM DG, Olugbile Holloway, said the commission and the Benin Royal Palace were working hard to ensure more artefacts were returned.
Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, who was represented by the Secretary to State Government, Barr. Musa Ikhilor said his administration would continue to build necessary infrastructure to preserve the returned artefacts as well as collaborate with the Federal Government to improve the storage system for the artefacts.
The General Director of the Wereld Museum, Marieke Van Bommel, said, “The artefacts are looted, and we have a policy in the Netherlands to bring them back. We are bringing back 119 artefacts. We don’t have more. These are the collections in the Netherlands. There are more collections in Europe, but that is not up to us. They have been with us for over 100 years.”
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