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Shock As Minister Suggests Abubakar Shekau’s Alive

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The Minister of Defence, retired Brigadier General Mansur Dan-Ali, yesterday confirmed that the Nigerian armed forces had successfully suppressed Boko Haram insurgency.
Dan-Ali, who had a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja, shocked many when he said the army would soon apprehend the sect’s leader, Abubakar Shekau.
The Army had declared Shekau dead over two years ago.
He was reportedly killed in battle.
Dan-Ali said yesterday: “if you have had the opportunity to go to Sambisa (forest in Borno), you will know that Boko Haram has been defeated, go and see what is happening in Sambisa.
“We have dominated the whole stronghold where they used to be, there is where we call ‘camp zero’ where their spiritual and their strong headquarters that they were using as communication base was destroyed and as at the same time occupied by our men of the armed forces.
“So, I believe it’s just a matter of time, it took America about seven to 10 years to get bin laden so we will get Shekau as soon as possible.
“I told you before now, the spiritual headquarters has been ransacked and vandalized. He (Shekau) is on the run, so he may be hiding in one of the enclaves of Sambisa forest that we are dominating.
‘’We have opened up the place; we are using it as a training area whereby the army engineers will open roads. We shall be patrolling and be ransacking that forest for the whereabouts of Shekau.”
On the outcome of the meeting with Buhari, he said the President was impressed with the operational successes of the armed force.
He said: “Generally, we spoke about the security situation across the nation and I believe we had a fruitful discussion and he was impressed with the performance of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Security situation is something that you cannot get 100 per cent and remember that Nigeria has been having these turbulences for a very long time.
“We are trying to manage it and we are trying to make it solvable whereby every Nigeria will have peace and tranquillity and do his normal business.”
The minister disclosed that Buhari also directed all military establishments to redouble their efforts in consolidating the relative peace and stability achieved in the northeastern part of the country.

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JAMB Registrar resolves over 5,000 pending complaints in five days

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The Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Segun Aina, has resolved more than 5,000 pending complaints within five days, in a bid to improve service delivery to candidates.

?This is disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by the Acting Director, Public Affairs and Protocol, JAMB, Fabian Benjamin.

?Benjamin said the development followed Aina’s decision to strengthen the Board’s Service Compact with All Nigerians (SERVICOM) Unit to ensure the prompt resolution of outstanding complaints.

?He said the Registrar had relocated his seat to the SERVICOM Unit to gain first-hand knowledge of the nature of services being sought by candidates and other clients and to facilitate the resolution of pending cases.

?According to him, the move is in line with the Registrar’s Five Enduring Pillars, particularly the second pillar, “Service at Heart”.

He added that the Registrar’s move was to ensure his commitment to leveraging strategic communication to reposition the Board and deliver services commensurate with the fees paid by candidates.

?He noted that Aina had directed SERVICOM Desk Officers to address complaints holistically and promptly.

?Benjamin said the directive had already begun to yield positive results, with more than 5,000 pending and unresolved complaints addressed within five days.

?He said the complaints covered a wide range of issues, including difficulties in creating profile codes by candidates who had previously registered with telephone numbers to which they no longer had access.

?He added that biometric verification challenges were also addressed, including genuine cases of biometric failures encountered during the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) registration or examination.

?He further said that the Registrar also scrutinised the operations of the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), where issues relating to lost phones and SIM cards, candidates who converted from Direct Entry (DE) to UTME, and candidates omitted from the National Matriculation List after graduation were identified and addressed.

?He also noted that some previously unresolved payment-related issues were swiftly resolved, alongside complaints concerning inappropriate examination venues, e-PINs, technical challenges and difficulties with the uploading of documents.

?According to him, other recurring complaints relating to changes of name, date of birth, state and local government of origin were also addressed.

?The acting director said the initiative underscored the Registrar’s commitment to placing candidates and other clients at the centre of the Board’s operations.

?He said JAMB would continue to strengthen its complaint-resolution mechanisms to ensure that candidates received timely and efficient services.

 

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RIFF 2026: RIFF Takes Film Tourism To Bonny Island

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The Rivers International Film Festival (RIFF) 2026 is set to make a significant impact on Nigeria’s creative and tourism landscape as filmmakers, industry professionals, cultural enthusiasts and international guests converge on the historic and culturally rich Bonny Island, Rivers State, for the fourth edition of the festival.

Scheduled to hold from 29 October to 1 November 2026, RIFF 2026 is expected to bring together creative talents from Nigeria and across the world for four days of film screenings, industry conversations, masterclasses, networking opportunities, cultural experiences and celebrations of cinematic excellence.

The festival is being organised around the theme, “Film Tourism: A Pathway to Economic Development,” highlighting the powerful relationship between the film industry, tourism and the wider creative economy. This is with the view to promote cultural preservation, youth empowerment and economic development.

Speaking on the forthcoming fourth edition of the festival, the founder, Rivers International Film Festival/National Chairman Film Festivals Association of Nigeria, Kate Ezeigbo, said that the efforts of RIFF in conjunction with the Rivers State Government have not gone unnoticed.

According to her, “The growing significance of the Rivers International Film Festival has received commendation from the Honourable Minister for Arts, Entertainment , Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, who acknowledged the important role being played by the Rivers State Government and RIFF in advancing the creative sector.

The Minister stated: “I am aware that the Rivers State Government, backed by the Rivers International Film Festival, partnered with Entertainment Stakeholders, encourages the use of film and art for cultural preservation and youth empowerment. This really will make Nigeria the cultural and creative hub of Africa and Rivers State is taking a huge step in claiming that position.”

The commendation is seen as a major recognition of the festival’s vision and its commitment to using the creative industry as a vehicle for cultural development, youth engagement, tourism promotion and economic growth.

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147 structures to be affected by coastal highway service lane

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A total of 147 structures in Lagos will be affected by the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway service lane.

 

President Bola Tinubu made this known on Sunday at a stakeholder engagement  and flag-off of repair works on Eko Bridge and  Marine Bridge in Lagos, and the flooded section of Lagos- Ibadan Expressway.

 

The president said that, of the 147 structures, five would be cut fully and the others minimally.

Tinubu was represented by Lagos State Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

The President noted that Eko Bridge was one of the oldest bridges constructed after Nigeria’s independence, adding that Marine Bridge  provided access to the seaports in Lagos State.

 

He urged Lagos State Government to remain on a trajectory of irreversible development in every nook and cranny of this state.

”Today, in particular, is a day on which we have had extensive stakeholder engagement. We are truly happy with the turnout,” he said.

 

Tinubu said that the Federal Government had undertaken extensive renovation works in Lagos State.

 

“As a government, we must acknowledge and appreciate the efforts that have been made. This is about recognising the real work on ground.”

He thanked the stakeholders, saying they had always turned out to discuss with the government anytime needed.

 

Tinubu praised the Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, for his efforts in road infrastructure development.

 

“For all of us to enjoy the full benefit of infrastructure, we have to shift a bit, so that it becomes an asset that will outlive all of us.”

 

He said that the stakeholder engagement was aimed at seeking support of the people toward implementation of the projects.

 

He gave the assurance that the Federal Government would make compensations where necessary.

 

“It will be given to you at the right time.

 

” There are days when we accept criticism for us to do better, but there are days when things have been done and they have been done right, and we need to give recognition and support where it is most deserving.

 

“It is my honour to flag off all of these projects to the benefit of mankind, to our citizens in Lagos, to the benefit of all our people across the country,” Tinubu said.

 

 

 

 

 

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