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Nigerian Air Force Assures Families of NAF 931 Crash Victims of Continued Saraly Payments Until Death Benefits are Fully Paid

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Nigerian Air Force

Nigerian Air Force Assures Families of NAF 931 Crash Victims of Continued Saraly Payments Until Death Benefits are Fully Paid

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has reaffirmed its commitment to the welfare of families affected by the 5 October 2026 accident involving its ATR 42-500 aircraft, NAF 931, at Igbokoda, Ondo State. The assurance was given during an engagement with the bereaved families on 28 October 2026, as part of ongoing efforts to provide support, address concerns and keep them informed about the recovery operation and investigation.
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Representing the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, the Chief of Civil-Military Relations, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, conveyed the CAS’s heartfelt condolences and reaffirmed the Service’s solidarity with the families. He emphasised that the NAF’s responsibility extends beyond the immediate response to the tragedy, assuring them of the Service’s continued support. “The Nigerian Air Force stands with you, and our thoughts and prayers remain with every family affected by this tragedy,” he said.

As a practical demonstration of this commitment, the CAS has directed that the salaries of the deceased personnel will continue to be paid until their death benefits are fully paid to their next of kin (NOK). The measure, in line with a welfare policy initiated by the CAS, is designed to provide financial stability for dependants while the applicable benefits are being processed. It also reflects the CAS’s emphasis on personnel welfare as a critical pillar of operational effectiveness, recognising that the well-being of personnel and the security of their families remain integral to sustaining morale, commitment and mission readiness.

The engagement also provided an opportunity to update the families on the ongoing recovery operation and investigation. AVM Gabkwet explained that the swampy, waterlogged terrain and difficult access to the crash site had presented significant technical and logistical challenges, necessitating dewatering, engineering support and site stabilisation. He assured the families that the NAF would sustain recovery efforts in collaboration with relevant agencies and support a thorough, evidence-based investigation, stressing that the Service would not speculate on the cause of the accident until the relevant evidence had been properly examined.

Recognising the profound emotional and spiritual impact of the tragedy, the NAF facilitated engagements between the bereaved families and its religious leaders, including Christian chaplains and Muslim imams, to provide spiritual guidance, prayers and pastoral support during this difficult period. In addition, renowned consultant psychologist, Professor Ehize Odigie-Okpataku, provided psychological support through individual interactions and counselling sessions.

The families were also given the opportunity to air their views, express personal concerns and make direct enquiries regarding the accident, recovery efforts and welfare arrangements. These engagements underscored the NAF’s commitment to addressing the families’ emotional, spiritual and practical needs with compassion and sensitivity.

Nigerian Air Force

NAF

Reaffirming the importance of accountability and sustained engagement, the CAS assured the families that “your grief matters, your questions matter, and the dignity of your loved ones will remain central to our response to this tragedy.” The NAF further pledged to maintain open communication and provide guidance on welfare and administrative matters through designated liaison channels, including the Office of the Directorate of Veterans Affairs.

The Service remains committed to supporting the bereaved families, sustaining recovery efforts and facilitating a credible investigation, while ensuring that the memory of the fallen personnel is honoured with dignity, compassion and concrete action.

Ehimen Ejodame
Air Commodore
Director of Public Relations and Information
Headquarters, Nigerian Air Force

28 October 2026
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How Governor Eno Connects Akwa Ibom Communities with Dualized Roads

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Akwa Ibom

How Governor Eno Connects Akwa Ibom Communities with Dualized Roads

The infrastructural development plan of the Akwa Ibom State Government includes the linking up of all the 31 LGAs with dualized roads from Uyo, the state capital.
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With the addition of Nsit Atai and Okobo, we now have about 18 LGAs linked with dualized roads from Uyo.

The dualization of Ibesikpo Asutan-Nsit Ibom-Nsit Ubium roads to link up with the Eket-Etinan-Uyo dualized road is ongoing right now and scheduled for completion in 2027.

Also ongoing is the dualization of the Okobo-Udung Uko – Mbo road to the site of the Ibom Deep Seaport.

The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno had expressed the readiness of his administration to dualize the road from Ikot Ekpene to Ikono and Ini LGAs in his 2nd term.

Hopefully, at the end of the tenure of the current administration in 2031, the number of dualized roads linking the 31 LGAs may increase to 24.

With this number, Gov Umo Eno will hold the record of constructing the highest number of dualized roads (8 LGAs) from Uyo to the 31 LGAs in the State.

Akwa Ibom

Akwa Ibom

This is aside the construction and dualization of other roads in the state capital like the Uyo Village road and Section 4 of Ring Road 3 which is scheduled for commissioning this November.

The combined tenure of Obong Victor Attah, Godswill Akpabio and Udom Emmanuel linked up 16 LGAs with dualized roads from Uyo the state capital.
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Customs Strengthens Inter-Agency Collaboration with Six Agencies to Tackle Money Laundering

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Nigerian Customs

Customs Strengthens Inter-Agency Collaboration with Six Agencies to Tackle Money Laundering

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has engaged six federal government agencies to strengthen inter-agency collaboration in tackling cross-border illicit financial flows, money laundering, corruption, drug trafficking, terrorism financing, and other related offences.
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The three-day visit, held from 27 to 29 October 2026, was led by the Assistant Comptroller-General in charge of Headquarters, Muhammad Shuaibu. It focused on deepening strategic cooperation and intelligence sharing among the agencies to combat financial crimes and other illicit activities.

The agencies include the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), and the National Counter-Terrorism Centre under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

Speaking during the engagements, Shuaibu expressed that the initiative was aimed at enhancing inter-agency coordination in addressing threats to Nigeria’s economy and national security. “The sole objective of this mission is to effectively detect and disrupt cross-border illicit financial flows. The measures include field visits to selected border stations to assess practical Customs control measures and engage with relevant agencies.” Shuaibu Said.

In his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of the NFIU, represented by the Chief Operating Officer, Intelligence Security Service Sector, Muhammed-Mustapha, commended the Nigeria Customs Service for its efforts in combating smuggling and reinforcing border security. He also noted the longstanding relationship between the two institutions. “When NFIU was created, NCS was the first to collaborate with us. No particular agency understands things better than how Customs does globally,” Mustapha said.

Meanwhile, the World Customs Organisation (WCO) Mentoring Team, led by Shahiduzzaman Sarkar, interacted with the agencies on approaches to addressing Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT). The team also called for stronger collaboration with the NCS to ensure the success of the initiative.

Nigerian Customs

Nigerian Customs9

During the engagements, participants identified communication gaps, bureaucracy and database privacy concerns, among others, as impediments to effective inter-agency collaboration. The discussions also explored measures to address these challenges and strengthen institutional synergy.

The engagements also featured the presentation of NCS awards and WCO certificates to the agencies, demonstrating the Service’s commitment to enhance collaboration in tackling threats to Nigeria’s economy and national security.
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Nigeria Customs Move to Neutralise Online Scams, Fake News with AI Data Tracking

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Nigeria Customs

Nigeria Customs Move to Neutralise Online Scams, Fake News with AI Data Tracking

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has begun efforts to neutralise rampant fake news and online scams that damage the Service’s image by integrating new-age digital data-tracking intelligence tools.
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The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, represented by the National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Abdullahi Maiwada, disclosed this on Friday, 30 October 2026, at the just concluded Neccipr Roundtable ’26 Edition held in Lagos, with the Theme: Algorithm Influence & Public Relations.

Maiwada explained that as a communicator, it is important to ensure the general public understands and accepts why officers carry out their duties.

“The role of AI cannot be over emphasized especially within our operations. Over the years AI has been deployed in our core operational duties as well as strategic communication. AI has also been deployed to aid risk management, which involves assessment of the risks in imported items so that they can be categorised according to their different levels of risk to enable appropriate customs interventions,” he said.

Maiwada explained that artificial intelligence can also analyse sentiment and understand how people perceive Customs activities. He added that the Service is using every available platform to establish facts while working with other agencies to arrest those behind misleading information.

Earlier, the convener of the Neccipr Roundtable ’26, Nkechi Ali-Balogun, said the program began with a simple conviction: public relations professionals must not only manage messages but also lead national discourse.

Nigeria Customs

Nigeria Customs

“This year, we confront a question that touches every one of us. When machines decide what we see, who is really shaping the Nigerian mind? Who now controls the flow of information that shapes what Nigerians believe? We live in a rapidly changing world, powered by AI, where a single algorithm can shape political narratives, throw out conspiracy theories, and dictate what millions read, believe, and share,” she said.

The event also included keynote addresses from the President and Chairman of the Governing Council, the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Ike Neliaku, and former Federal Minister of Education, Obiageli Ezekwesili, among other invited dignitaries, showing professional readiness to sustain the standard of credible information
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