Security
CAS Urges Information Officers to Take Advantage of DOPRI Media Workshop on Strategic Crisis Management
CAS Urges Information Officers to Take Advantage of DOPRI Media Workshop on Strategic Crisis Management
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, has charged Nigerian Air Force (NAF) public relations and information personnel to strengthen their strategic communication capabilities, describing effective media engagement and crisis communication as critical to modern military operations.
Eereporter.com
The CAS gave the charge while declaring open the 2026 Directorate of Public Relations and Information (DOPRI) Annual Media Workshop and Meeting with Information Officers at the Headquarters of the Nigerian Air Force, Abuja.
The workshop, themed “Enhancing Strategic Media Operations of Nigerian Air Force Public Relations and Information Personnel Through Capacity Building in Crisis Management Skills,” brought together NAF information officers, senior military officers, media practitioners and communication experts to examine emerging challenges in the information environment.
Represented by the Chief of Policy and Plans, Air Vice Marshal Abubakar Abdullahi, the CAS said the contemporary information space had become increasingly complex and contested, with misinformation, disinformation and hostile narratives capable of undermining military operations and eroding public confidence.
According to Aneke, strategic communication has evolved beyond a support function to become an operational necessity that directly contributes to mission success.
“As Information Officers, you represent the voice and image of the Nigerian Air Force. Your responsibilities extend beyond issuing press releases and organising media engagements. You are strategic communicators entrusted with shaping public understanding of our operations, projecting professionalism, preserving institutional credibility and strengthening public trust in the Service,” he said.
Aneke stressed that every communication, engagement and crisis response must reflect accuracy, professionalism, integrity and timeliness.
Effective Strategic Communication
The CAS linked effective strategic communication to his command philosophy of enhancing and sustaining a highly motivated, professional and mission-ready force capable of delivering decisive airpower in synergy with surface forces to achieve national security objectives.
Aneke urged participants to take full advantage of the workshop, which he said was designed to expose them to contemporary trends in strategic communication, crisis communication, media relations, digital engagement and information management.
He also commended the Director of Public Relations and Information and members of the organising committee for sustaining the annual capacity-building initiative, describing it as a vital platform for professional development, innovation and institutional learning.
Earlier, the Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, highlighted the growing importance of information operations in modern warfare, noting that military campaigns are now contested not only on the battlefield but also within the information environment.
He said public relations and information personnel must recognise their role as strategic communicators whose work directly supports operational and strategic objectives.
“Whether we are photographers, videographers, reporters, graphic designers, social media managers or public relations officers, we are primarily strategic communicators. Our role is to synchronise and maximise communication activities in support of operational and strategic objectives,” Ejodame stated.
He emphasised that credibility remained the most valuable asset of any information officer, warning that while it takes years to build trust, it can be lost in moments through careless communication.
The workshop featured a keynote lecture by the Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mallam Jibrin Baba Ndace, titled “Maintaining Strategic Media Relationship: Best Practices for NAF Public Relations and Information Officers.”
Ndace described the media as a strategic partner in contemporary security operations and urged military information officers to cultivate professional relationships with journalists before crises emerge.
According to him, military operations now unfold simultaneously in both physical and information domains, making effective communication indispensable to operational success.
Need for Transparency
Drawing lessons from previous NAF operational experiences, including crisis management responses to airstrike investigations and aviation incidents, Ndace stressed the need for transparency, stakeholder engagement and timely communication.
He outlined 10 key principles for effective media relations, including building relationships before crises, prioritising credibility over publicity, balancing speed with accuracy, understanding media requirements, ensuring spokesperson accessibility, strengthening internal communication, monitoring narratives, avoiding unnecessary confrontation with the media, and balancing transparency with operational security.
Practical Communication Framework
The VON Director-General also introduced a practical communication framework built around the “5Cs” of crisis communication — Clarity, Credibility, Consistency, Compassion and Continuity.
He warned that emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, had increased the risks posed by misinformation and fabricated content, making credible and timely official communication more important than ever.
Strategic Crisis Management
The workshop also featured panel discussions by retired senior officers and former NAF spokespersons, who shared practical experiences and lessons from managing military-media relations during various operational and crisis situations.
Participants are expected to develop strategies for improving public engagement, countering misinformation and enhancing the effectiveness of NAF communication efforts in support of national security objectives.
The annual workshop forms part of the Nigerian Air Force’s broader efforts to strengthen institutional communication capacity and reinforce public confidence in its operations across the country.
Eereporter.com
Navy Dismantles Illegal Refining Capacity, Destroys Site With 3 Storage Tanks in Rivers
The Nigerian Navy, through FOB BONNY, has dismantled an illegal refining site discovered in Promise Land Community along Nanabie Creek, Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State, further denying criminal operators the infrastructure required to process stolen crude oil.
Eereporter.com
The site was discovered on 30 September 2026 following credible intelligence and comprised one large cooking pot and 3 large storage tanks intended for illegal refining activities. On 2 October 2026, the Commanding Officer, FOB BONNY, Captain SMC Umeh, led a team to the location, where the illegal refining site and associated equipment were destroyed in accordance with established regulations.
The intervention represents a further disruption of illegal refining capacity within the Bonny area, particularly by removing infrastructure that could be used to process and store stolen crude oil. It also follows recent operations by FOB BONNY under Operation DELTA SENTINEL that uncovered substantial volumes of suspected stolen crude oil and associated illegal refining infrastructure within its Area of Operations
Oil
The Nigerian Navy has continued to strengthen surveillance and monitoring across the area to prevent the establishment or reactivation of illegal refining sites and deny criminal operators the infrastructure required to sustain crude oil theft and related activities.
ABIODUN FOLORUNSHO
Navy Captain
Director Naval Information
Nigerian Navy
Eereporter.com
President Tinubu Tells EFCC: You Have Justified my Confidence in You
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has applauded the efforts and performance of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in tackling economic and financial crimes and other acts of corruption in the country, stressing that it has justified the confidence reposed on it.
Eereporter.com
He gave this commendation on Friday, October 2, 2026 in Awka, Anambra State at the commissioning of a new Zonal Directorate of the EFCC. The President pointed out that there are evidential proofs of the success of the Commission in convictions, recoveries and other landmark achievements
Represented by Honourable Tajudeen Abbas, Speaker, House of Representatives, Tinubu noted that “supporting the EFCC is not particularly difficult. The agency has consistently demonstrated that the confidence reposed on it is well founded. Without mincing words, the evidential proof of the EFCC’s success speaks loudly in convictions secured, assets and properties recovered”
He affirmed that the strides of the Commission are in tandem with the Renewed Hope Agenda of his administration.
“When we came in three years ago, I highlighted nine major focal areas of my administration. Two of which are reforming the economy for sustained and inclusive growth and promotion of good governance. The anti-graft agency compliments this agenda as they are focused on accountability and transparency and appropriate deployment of resources”, he said.
At the commissioning, the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede restated the commitment of the Commission to preventive frameworks in tackling economic and financial crimes and other acts of corruption in the country.
According to him, the Commission will continue its focus on making corrupt practices difficult by blocking avenues through which they may happen.
“This new Directorate will not only enforce the law professionally and courageously, it will be high on corruption prevention. It will engage government institutions, businesses, financial institutions, professional bodies, schools, markets, civil society organisations, traditional institutions, religious bodies and communities. It will educate stakeholders, build relationships and mobilise the people to own the fight against all forms of corrupt practices in the zone”, he said
He assured Nigerians that the EFCC would not relent in the pursuit of its mandate, recalling the achievements of the Commission in the last 34 months and describing them as impressive progress.
“The pursuit of our mandate has been our dominant engagement and in the past few years, we have made impressive progress. Between October 2023 and July 2026, the Commission received 49, 673 petitions, investigated 39, 615 cases, filed 14, 476 cases in court and secured 10, 872 convictions. This gives a conviction-to-filing ratio of 75.1 percent. In the first half of 2026 alone, we recorded 1, 370 convictions from 1, 889 filings. The Commission also recorded recoveries of N1, 233, 612, 040, 411. 11, $684, 478, 457. 32, £373, 905. 78, €9, 343, 803. 66 inn addition to recoveries in other currencies”, he said.
He noted that at the institutional level, the Commission has made radical reforms that have been yielding optimal results as there are consequential improvements in the agency’s processes and procedures, which partly explains the impacts the EFCC has made and will continue to make in all the matrices of law enforcement.
“Reforms that have strengthened the Commission during the period include new guidelines on arrest and bail, a review of sting operations, the establishment of the Department of Fraud Risk Assessment and Control, the Security Department, the Immigration and Visa Section and the Cybercrime Rapid Response Centre”, he said.
While charging Ndi Anambra on whistleblowing, the anti-graft czar said that the Commission has established channels through which members of the public can submit petitions and provide information. He noted that the Commission’s Eagle Eye App allows citizens to provide details of suspected wrongdoing and makes the provision of an informant’s personal details optional. “However, whistleblowing must be responsible and based on facts. It must not become an instrument for settling scores”, he said.
EFCC
He thereafter said that Anambra and Imo States deserve effective and responsive institutional presence as they are renowned for enterprise, innovation, commerce and an extraordinary culture of industry, adding that these legitimate activities must be protected from fraud, cybercrime, money laundering, investment fraud, diversion of public resources and other forms of economic and financial crimes. “Therefore, our coming to Awka is beyond geographical expansion. It is about taking the mandate of the EFCC closer to the people and closer to the economic activities we are meant to protect”, he said.
In their remarks, His Excellencies, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, Governor of Anambra State and Senator Hope Uzodinma, Governor of Imo State said that they were pleased with the activities and management of the EFCC under the leadership of Olukoyede. They pledged their support to the Commission as it opened a new Zonal Directorate in their domain.
The commissioning of the new Directorate witnessed massive turn out of distinguished Nigerians, including members of the National Assembly, civil society organisations, community leaders, students, media among others.
Eereporter.com
Nigerian Air Force Celebrates Nigeria’s 66th Independence Day with Families in Lagos
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) marked Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary with a family-centred celebration at the ATO Field, NAF Base Ikeja, Lagos, bringing together children and families of personnel in an atmosphere of patriotism, unity and camaraderie.
Eereporter.com
The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, represented by the Air Officer Commanding Logistics Command, Air Vice Marshal AA Suleh, joined the celebration and presented gift items to the children. The event, facilitated by the Commander, 651 Base Services Group, Air Commodore MA Imam, featured games, music, cultural displays and other recreational activities.
Nigerian Air Force
The celebration reinforced the NAF’s commitment to personnel and family welfare as a key enabler of morale and operational effectiveness, in line with the CAS Command Philosophy, while reaffirming the NAF’s commitment to standing with Nigerians and contributing to a stronger, safer and more prosperous Nigeria.
Eereporter.com
-
Crime1 year agoKogi Assembly Considers Law To Regulate Rent, Establish Control Board: Tenancy Law
-
News2 years agoAtiku Reveals Why He Failed To Pick Wike As Running Mate In 2023
-
Akwa Ibom2 years agoThe Apostolic Church Gets New Territorial Chairman, Exco
-
Crime2 years agoFederal High Court Jails 2 For Vandalizing Transformer, Telecom Mast In Kogi
-
News2 years agoThe Apostolic Church Gets New National President, Executive
-
Akwa Ibom2 years agoUmo Eno Commences Payment Of 80,000 Naira Minimum Wage With Arrears
-
News2 years agoSenator Natasha Returns To Senate With Husband Amid Seat Dispute
-
Economy1 year agoKiyosaki: Is Tinubu’s Government Afraid Of Ibrahim Traore?