
News
Ebonyi Airport ready, test flight to commence 7 days time
Ebonyi State International Cargo Airport is billed for test flight operation in seven days time.
While on tour of the ongoing Airport with Daily Independent State Correspondent yesterday, Site Manager of the project, Engr. Frank Ngwu said that the Airport was ready for flight operations, “continuous flight “.
Ngwu, Special Assistant to the Governor David Umahi On Infrastructural Development explained that, “We are ready for the test flight, as you can see, we are here at the runway, and you can see the level of the marking of the runway. We can say that 95 percent of the runway has been marked and it will be concluded in the next 3 days.
“The level of infrastructure that has been put in this place, you will be amazed at the level of modern equipment here, they are all made in Europe and the best and latest equipment in the aviation industry.
“You can see also that the terminal building that we have here is the single largest terminal building in Nigeria, our apron is also the single biggest apron in Nigeria, 133 thousand square meters. The International wing is 60, 000 square meters, the domestic wing apron is 60,000 square meters”.

He stated that ”everything has been put in place like the Emergency Operation Center(EOC), the police post, and Immigration office has been fully completed. other buildings within the airport like substations, halls, the switch rooms they are all completed. The metrology equipment both those within and outside the airport have been installed”.
“I really commend the vision bearer of this project which is being constructed to be the best, and biggest in Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. Governor David Umahi has big heart, his quest for speedy development of his State and people as demonstrated here and around us is unprecedented.
“There are a lot of things that are to be justified above others in Ebonyi International Cargo Airport such as; our runway is the only rigid concrete runway in Nigeria, the thickness is 65cm, what it means is that even the biggest cargo aircraft can land here, there is this biggest cargo aircraft that has only landed in Nigeria once and it was banned from landing in Nigeria because it destroys the runways in the country which are on flexible pavement.
“With what we have here in terms of the size, and strength of our runway we can receive the biggest aircraft in the world”.
Ngwu said that with such big aircraft landing at the Ebonyi Airport, “it will make the price of goods to be cheaper here because what five or six aircrafts can carry it carries it at once utilizing the same amount of aviation fuel. We have a lot to show to the world when we start”.
As to why they are painting the runway which already on rigid pavement, he said ‘We are painting the runway with black beggar acrylic, the essence is to make the lines to be more visibility to the pilots and also it is a way of making the life span of the concrete more durable”.
“Though the airport is not 100 percent completed, it is still a project under construction and that does not mean that we are not ready to start. There are still other facilities for expansion that are ongoing like the taxiway that we are setting out now to commence which is just a surplusage. But because we are hopeful that with the level of infrastructure that we are putting in place, this place is going to be a beehive, it is going to be a subway where other African countries will be coming to land.”
News
NDC secretariat attacked in Edo
Suspected political thugs have attacked the secretariat of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State, destroying property at the facility.
The attack, reported on Wednesday, October 14, comes barely a week after NDC complained of a similar incident in Enugu.
A video circulating on social media showed damage to property within the Edo secretariat, although no casualties had been reported as of the time of filing this report.
In the footage, a woman accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of being responsible for the attack, linking the incident to the earlier violence in Enugu, which is being investigated by the police.
“The last one happened in Enugu, where one person allegedly died. Now they have brought it to Edo. APC, your end is here,” she said.

Her allegation against the APC has not been independently verified, while the identities of those responsible for the attack remain unknown.
The reported incident follows growing concerns over political violence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The earlier incident in Enugu had prompted Governor Peter Mbah to demand an impartial police investigation, warning that anyone found responsible would face prosecution regardless of political connections.
It was not immediately clear whether security agencies had commenced an investigation into the Edo attack or identified any suspects.
News
2027: Why I wont attend every campaign rally – Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu has explained why he will not accompany members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council to every campaign event ahead of the 2027 general election, saying he must balance the demands of the re-election campaign with the responsibilities of governance.
Tinubu spoke on Wednesday in Abuja during the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, where he charged members to take the party’s message to Nigerians across the states and local government areas while he concentrated on running the country.
The President said he agreed with concerns that the rigours of campaigning should not distract him from governance, insisting that Nigeria required his attention at a time when the administration was managing economic responsibilities and international financial obligations.
“You’ve warned me not to allow the rigour of the campaign to distract me from governance, I hear you. I am in full agreement with your decision. Nigeria needs more attention now,” he said.
Explaining further, Tinubu asked campaign council members to excuse him from attending every campaign event, pointing to the need to meet the country’s financial obligations.

“So, you will excuse me from going everywhere with you, we have bills to pay. The American creditors cannot wait,” the President said.
He also emphasised the importance of attracting investors willing to make long-term commitments to Nigeria, arguing that investment was necessary to secure a better future for the country’s children.
“We want those investors to come in, be here to stay, to invest for the future of our children,” he said.
Tinubu, however, assured Nigerians that his decision not to attend every campaign event would not prevent him from engaging directly with voters.
“However, I will still make time to speak directly with Nigerians, even as you lead the campaign in the states and local government areas,” he added.
Describing the inauguration as more than a routine political gathering, the President said the council represented a renewed commitment to Nigerians and the responsibilities entrusted to the APC as the governing party.
“We have not gathered merely to inaugurate a council. We have gathered to renew a covenant. A covenant with Nigerian people and the historic responsibility they have entrusted to us as Nigeria’s governing party,” he said.
He charged council members to communicate the administration’s vision, record and agenda to Nigerians nationwide, expressing confidence in their ability to take the party’s message to every ward.
“This council will carry our vision, our records and our agenda to every Nigerian, and it will carry them to victory every ward of this country,” Tinubu said.
The President also commended APC members for successfully completing the party’s congresses, recalling predictions that the exercise would trigger an internal crisis.
According to him, the party had overcome the challenges and emerged united, with members participating in the process from the ward level to the national leadership.
“They said there will be implosion. We passed through it. We did not fail. You didn’t let us down. We got here together,” he said.
Tinubu’s remarks place governance and economic management at the centre of his stated approach to the coming campaign, while assigning the campaign council the responsibility of coordinating the party’s nationwide mobilisation ahead of the 2027 election.
News
EFCC probes Atiku over alleged corruption committed as Vice President
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reopened an investigation into allegations involving former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar following a petition by a former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma.
The commission acknowledged receipt of the petition, dated August 27, 2026, and received on September 1, 2026, confirming that investigation has commenced.
The former lawmaker through his lawyer, Chief Hannibal Uwaifo (SAN), is seeking a review of the allegations arising from an earlier investigation involving the former vice-president.
As part of the process, the EFCC invited Agbonayinma to its headquarters in Jabi, Abuja, on October 12, where he adopted his petition and responded to questions from investigators.
He arrived at about 9:58 a.m. and left at approximately 4:07 p.m. after the interview.

The commission’s acknowledgement letter, referenced CR:3000/EFCC/HQ/SDC-2/VOL.3/398, forms part of the ongoing investigative process.
He told newsmen that his petition sought to revisit an investigation conducted by the former EFCC chairman, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, involving Atiku.
He argued that the matter deserved renewed attention in the interest of accountability and the rule of law.
“I want to thank Nigerians, the EFCC and those praying for me in this struggle. The laws are meant for both the rich and the poor. After the EFCC has done a fantastic job, it should not be kept under the table,” he said.
Agbonayinma added that he considered reporting alleged wrongdoing a constitutional responsibility, insisting that nobody was above the law.
He also disclosed that he had written a petition on the matter to United States President Donald Trump, calling for attention to the allegations.
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