Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has stated his administration’s commitment to support the Nigerian Army and other security agencies to sustain the prevailing peace and protect critical national assets in the State.
He stated this on Monday in Government House, Yenagoa, when he received the General Officer Commanding (GOC), Nigerian Army 6 Division, Major General Everest Okoro, and other senior military officers who paid him a courtesy visit after their official posting to the State.
Other military officers that visited the Governor included: the Flag Officer Commanding, Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Suleiman Ibrahim; Commander, Joint Task Force, Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), Rear Admiral Olugbenga Oladipo; and the Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Mobility Command of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Air Vice Marshal Michael Onyebashi.
The Governor applauded the military for their collaboration with the State Government, noting that the synergy had contributed to the existing peace and stability in Bayelsa.
“We appreciate you and commend the synergy you have established with other security agencies. The presence of personnel from various paramilitary and security agencies, alongside the military, demonstrates the importance of collaboration.
“By working together, you can provide sound advice to both the Federal Government and State Governments on security matters”, he said.
The State Chief Executive, however, appealed to the military authorities to reconsider Bayelsa State’s alignment from the 6th 83 Division, which now has Delta and Bayelsa headquartered in Benin, Edo State.

Division, headquartered in Port Harcourt, to the 83 Division, which now has Delta and Bayelsa headquartered in Benin, Edo State.
He stressed that the State’s proximity to Port Harcourt would make coordination and logistics easier, welcoming the proposed establishment of additional Army formations in Oporoma (Southern Ijaw Local Government Area), Ekeremor (Ekeremor LGA), and Nembe (Nembe LGA), as well as an artillery regiment and a Forward Operating Base in Sampou, Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA of the State.
He described proposed new formations as a welcome development, saying it will boost security across the State’s three senatorial districts.
While addressing the FOC CNC, Rear Admiral Ibrahim, the Bayelsa Governor noted that the presence of the Navy in Brass would not only enhance security in the State, but also in the country, given the strategic importance of Bayelsa in oil and gas and maritime activities.
According to Diri, Bayelsa is one of the safest States in Nigeria, with no reported cases of sea piracy in several security council meetings, a feat attributed largely to the collaborative efforts of the Nigerian Navy.
Responding to the FOC’s requests, Diri directed the Ministry of Lands and Survey to provide land in Brass for the construction al jetty, to enable relocation of five warships to Bayelsa, as the move would assist in protecting offshore resources and ensure prompt response to security threats of a naval jetty, to enable relocation of five warships to Bayelsa, as the move would assist in protecting offshore resources and ensure prompt response to security threats.
Also, the Governor directed the same ministry to immediately make land available for the construction of the Nigerian Navy Referral Hospital at Elebele.
While reacting to remarks of the Commander, OPDS, Rear Admiral Oladipo, he described the JTF as a stabilising task force that has helped to achieve lasting security and increased oil production in the Niger Delta region.
“The history of the Joint Task Force is well known to us. For us in Bayelsa, it was a stabilising task force that came in when security and oil production were under threat. Today, the story is different. Oil production, which was declining, has started increasing, and you are doing well by working with the people and the government.
“Bayelsa is the nerve centre of the oil and gas industry, where oil was first struck in commercial quantity and made Nigeria an oil-producing country. It is no coincidence that the JTF headquarters is located here”, he added.
Also, responding to the NAF AOC Mobility Command, AVM Michael Onyebashi, Diri promised to look into the command’s requests for more operational vehicles, furnishing of its primary schools among others with a view to addressing them.
In separate remarks, Major Gen. Everest Okoro thanked the communities.

Governor for supporting the Army, particularly the 16 Brigade, and attributed its operational successes to cooperation among the military, other security agencies, the State Government and local communities.
The GOC pledged to sustain the existing partnership with the government, traditional institutions, community leaders, and other stakeholders to maintain peace and protect critical national assets.
Also speaking, the Flag Officer Commanding, Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Suleiman Ibrahim, commended the Governor for the monumental development achieved under his administration.
The Naval Chief, who disclosed that he had 11 warships under his command, said the ships were currently stationed in Delta and Rivers states because Bayelsa does not have a port to host them.
Also, the JTF Commander, Rear Admiral Olugbenga Oladipo, attributed increased oil production in the Niger Delta to improved security, noting that Nigeria exceeded its OPEC quota for the first time in over five years.
He also revealed that the command’s mediation centre resolved over 300 cases in the preceding month, urging oil operators and host communities to seek peaceful resolutions rather than disrupt production.
Oladipo projected that national oil production could surpass three million barrels per day by next year.

Ariwera Ibibo-Howells,
Yenagoa

Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE), Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt, has ranked seventh in Google Scholar Profile Submission in the 2026 Ranking of Universities.

The ranking was based on staff Google Scholar Profile submissions by various institutions.

Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Okechuku Onuchuku, disclosed this at the Senate meeting held on Wednesday at the Postgraduate Hall of the university.

Onuchuku commended academic staff whose scholarly articles and publications were cited on Google Scholar, describing their contributions as instrumental to the university’s improved visibility and ranking.

He urged them to sustain the tempo in research, publication and academic engagement.

The Vice-Chancellor also expressed appreciation to the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, for approving the implementation of the agreement reached with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which, he said, had resulted in the new salary structure now being received by members of staff.

He further commended the IAUE ASUU Chairman, Professor Obinna Prince Ikechi, for his efforts towards ensuring the implementation of the agreement, as well as members of the University Bursary who worked to facilitate the process.

In another development, the National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved five new programmes for the university at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

The programmes include Special Needs Education, Human Kinetics and Sports Management, Environmental Management and Toxicology, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, and Cyber Security.

The approval followed the NUC’s visit to the university on September 8, to assess the readiness of the institution for the newly introduced programmes.

The Vice-Chancellor said plans were underway to appoint and announce qualified academic staff to head the new departments.

Meanwhile, the University Senate has expelled a final-year student of the Department of English and Literary Studies, over what the institution described as damaging content creation.

The Senate’s decision followed an interview by the student which went viral, during which she reportedly claimed that her project topic was “Citizenship”, although the university said there was no such topic in the Department of English and Literary Studies.

She was also reported to have claimed that her supervisor wrote the project for her.

According to the university, the Senate’s decision was intended to serve as a deterrent to other students who may engage in similar conducts capable of damaging the image of the institution.

Senate also approved the graduating results for the 2024/2025 academic session from the university’s faculties and affiliated institutions, including Peaceland University, Enugu, and the College of Education, Warri, as presented by the Postgraduate School through its Dean, Professor Helen Okujagu.

The Senate also approved the 2026/2027 academic calendar as presented by the Director of the Academic Planning Unit, Professor Joseph Kinanee.

Returning students, according to the calendar, are expected to resume on Monday, November 9, 2026, while registration for Year One students is ongoing.

 Lectures are scheduled to commence for returning students on Monday, November 23, and for fresh students on Monday, November 30, with the Christmas break beginning on Friday, December 18, 2026.

Academic activities are expected to resume on Monday, January 4, 2027 after the Christmas break.

King Onunwor

Prevention for HIV has taken yet another more advanced dimension with the introduction of the Lenacapavir (LEN) Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) into the stable of HIV prevention.

This was disclosed to Journalists assembled from across Nigeria in a two-day training programme on Lenacapavir in Lagos State.

In his presentation, the Lead Facilitator, and Principal Partner, Kent Consult Limited, Abuja, Dr. Segun Oyedeji, said unlike the earlier Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), which is taken to prevent HIV infection after exposure, the Lenacapavir PrEP is taken by non-infected persons.

Such targeted persons are usually those exposed to vulnerable behaviours capable of exposing them to HIV infection.

“PrEP is taken before you are exposed to HIV, and comes in three forms: the daily oral PrEP, Truvada pill; the two-months interval injectible, Cabotegravir; and the long-acting bi-annually (six months interval) injectible, Lenacapavir. There’s also the Dapivrine Vaginal Ring, which women wear for one month”, he said.

Dr. Oyedeji explained that PrEP is meant for people who are exposed by their risk profile to HIV infection.

Risk profile, he explained, “is the kind of risk behaviours they exhibit in their lifestyle.”

Such people include people with a partner who has HIV, people who don’t always use condoms, sex workers, etc.

PrEP, according to Dr. Oyedeji, “builds up protection in your body so that if HIV enters your body, the medicine stops it from multiplying.”

Also, within the period the person is taking it, the person must get tested for HIV every three months interval.

So far, among the four options of PrEP, Adedeji, continued, “the Lenacapavir is the game-changer everyone is talking about.”

The reason is that it is a Capsid inhibitor, first of its class, that attacks the protein shell that HIV uses to copy itself, which is different from old drugs, and is just two injections per year, plus small starter tablets at the beginning. Not daily pills.

He, however, noted that before any of the PrEP options can be used, the person has to go through an eligibility test to ascertain which of the options would be suitable for the person, based on the person’s risky behaviour, and that all the person needs to do is to go to any health facility close to them to seek for the service, or the State Agency for the Control of AIDS (SACA) to get the right direction.

On his part, the Senior Prevention Manager, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), Mr. Adeleye Taofeek, who spoke on condom use as part of preventive measures for both HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), encouraged the use of condoms, especially where abstinence from sex is inevitable.

He said, “We are canvassing that as much as you use PrEP, you can also use condoms to prevent other STIs, beside HIV.

“We want the media to engage in demand creation for use of the various HIV prevention options: whether it is condom, PrEP, or change of behaviour, staying with an uninfected partner, we want the media to support the national response by creating demand for HIV prevention options.”

Earlier in her welcome address to participating Journalists at the two-day training, organised by the NACA and the Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria (IHVN), the Director-General, National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Dr. Temitope Ilori, emphsised the importance of the media in awareness creation.

She said: “PrEP is an effective HIV prevention for people who are HIV-negative and may be at risk of acquiring HIV. However, the availability of a prevention intervention is only one part of the equation. People must also have access to the right information, understand their prevention options, know where services are available, and feel confident seeking those services. This is where you, our media professionals, become indispensable partners.

“The media has the power to shape public understanding. A well researched story can dispel a misconception, encourage someone to seek a prevention service and potentially change a life. On the contrary, inaccurate or sensational reporting can create fear, reinforce stigma and discourage people from accessing HIV services.

“We, therefore, count on you to report PrEP and HIV prevention accurately, responsibly, and without stigma.”

The NACA D-G, who was represented by the Head, Public Relations and Protocol, NACA, Toyin Aderibigbe, charged the participants at the training, saying, “your reporting should make these issues understandable to ordinary Nigerians.”

Research shows that so far there have been no infections among all the people who have received the LEN PrEP, showing almost 100% protection.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) adopted it in July 2025 as an additional PrEP option.

In Nigeria, NAFDAC approved it in the late 2025 and received regulatory clearance, with the country receiving its first batch of doses in March 2026, and subsequently distributed it to 8 pilot states.

The states are: Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Benue, Cross River, Ebonyi, FCT, Gombe, and Kwara.

Investigation revealed that since May 2026, all the pilot states are accessing the LEN, and the demand is very high, especially among sex workers who want privacy and no daily pills.

In Rivers State, although the Lenacapavir is expected to arrive soon, the daily oral PrEP (Truvada pill), and the two-months interval injectible (Cabotegravir) are available, and the relevant authorities are encouraging people to access the drug.

Sogbeba Dokubo