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May 30: WAEC Exams hold in Enugu despite IPOB’s threat

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• Don’t destroy our future – Students

The General Mathematics papers in the ongoing Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination being conducted by the West African Examination Council, WAEC, held successfully across Enugu State on Thursday despite threats by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.

Visits to several examination centres and checks across the state showed that the examination was held peacefully across the state.

This was even as several students, who spoke to newsmen, frowned at the earlier attempt to scuttle the General Mathematics papers and appealed that no one should destroy their future.

Recall that the Enugu State Government had on Wednesday deplored the statement credited to IPOB demanding the postponement of the examinations and asking students not to venture out on May 30th designated by the body as “Biafra Heroes Day”.

The government in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, said “the consequences of candidates of the state and the entire South East region not sitting for their General Mathematics papers were massive and held nothing but gloom for the future, contrary to what their forebears fought for the region.” It urged WAEC and students to go ahead with the examination, as it would ensure adequate security.

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The story was the same at Ideal Comprehensive College, Ugbo Odogwu, Enugu, where the principal, Chidera Nnaji and a student, who spoke to reporters after the second paper, Jennifer Eze, said the security arrangements put in place by the governor worked “as usual”.

Miss Eze urged every group in the state to respect the students’ rights to a bright future, which she said was also the future of Ndigbo.

“I am appealing to everybody to not destroy our future because we are the future generation. There should be no need for war or terrorism in this country. Everyone should live in peace and unity; and also be your brother’s keeper,” she stressed.

At Girls Secondary School, Trans Ekulu, Enugu, the principal, Mrs. Ada Onunze said the examination was held peacefully.

“Regardless of the instruction to sit-at-home, we were actually encouraged by the government pronouncement that we shouldn’t fear anybody; that we should just come out; and that there would be no problem anywhere.

“On our part, we listened to the government. Every student registered for this examination is present. They are 203 students in all. No single challenge occurred. We also had a group of security operatives from the Enugu East local government.

One of the candidates in the school, Christabel Chimzurum, said, “We are sitting for our General Mathematics Exam, being the 30th May, 2024. We have written the first paper, the theory part of the exam, and now we are writing the objective part.

“I am also telling the students that there is nothing like sit-at-home, this country is our own, and we have control of it.”

At Akpugo High School, Akpugo, in Nkanu West LGA, the principal, Mrs. Matter Ifeyinwa, said there was no breach of peace.

“By God’s grace our examination has been going on well. We started at exactly 9.30am and God has been so faithful helping us. The examination has been going on free and fair. Nobody has harassed us. The vigilantes from the village are also helping us because you keep seeing them coming to check on us from time to time, asking if there is any challenge.”

The WAEC Supervisor for Government Technical College, Enugu, Felix Nwatuke, also said that the examination was hitch-free.

“The examination is okay. I came in the morning and brought the essay. We don’t have any security challenges. No one came, nobody disrupted us. The students came on time and the examination went on well,” he stated.

A student of Divine Love Comprehensive College, who simply identified himself as Chidubem, said, “So far, so good. Earlier yesterday, there was an announcement that there would be a sit-at-home today and the governor said ‘no’ and assured that there would be adequate security. I thank the governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah. He has been doing absolutely well. In terms of security, it is very tight,” he said.

Chibudem said “sit-at-home is really destroying our future, and I urge everybody, both our parents and other citizens out there not to adhere to this.”

On her part, the principal of Model Comprehensive Secondary School, Agbani in Nkanu West LGA, where the students were almost done with their second paper at time newsmen arrived, also affirmed the examination at the centre went and thanked Governor Mbah “for providing security in the state.”

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Enugu Air Launches New Website

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…moves online services to www.enuguairlines.ng

Enugu Air has announced the launch of its new official website, enuguairlines.ng, as part of efforts to provide passengers and customers with a better, safer and more convenient digital experience.

The airline said the migration to the new website is designed to improve how passengers connect with Enugu Air and access its services online, including flight bookings, schedules and the latest updates.

Announcing the development, the airline said: “We’ve moved! We’re innovating! We’ve migrated to a better, safer and convenient website to connect you to the world.”

Passengers can now access Enugu Air’s online services through its new web address, enuguairlines.ng, which the airline described as its new digital home.

The airline urged passengers and prospective travellers to save the new web address and use it for flight bookings, checking schedules and obtaining the latest information about its operations.

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“Same Enugu Air. New web address,” the airline stated, emphasising that the change represents an improvement in its digital platform while retaining the Enugu Air brand and services.

The airline further encouraged customers to visit, www.enuguairlines.ng for all flight-related information and online services.

It further stated that the old website, enuguairlines•com has been discarded and no longer in use.

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Kidnapped female Police officer found dead in Ebonyi

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A kidnapped female police officer has been found dead in Ebonyi State after a suspected member of a kidnapping syndicate was arrested and led police operatives to the scene where her remains were recovered.

The Nigeria Police Force disclosed this in its state-by-state operational update issued by Force Public Relations Officer
Force Headquarters, Ani Iniedu on Monday, detailing several arrests, rescues and recoveries recorded across the country between September 19 and 20, 2026.

According to the police, the suspect was arrested following a sustained intelligence-led and technology-based investigation into the kidnapping of the female officer.

The suspect reportedly led combined police teams to the crime scene, where the remains of the officer were recovered.

The police said the case is being investigated by the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Abakaliki.

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In a separate operation in Adamawa State, police operatives rescued two kidnapped victims from a suspected kidnappers’ hideout in Shako Forest, Toungo Local Government Area.

The operation, carried out on September 20 following actionable intelligence, also led to the recovery of two magazines containing 10 rounds of 7.62×39mm live ammunition.

A National Identification Number (NIN) card, mobile phone, passport and chain were also recovered from the suspected hideout.

In the Federal Capital Territory, police arrested 334 suspects during coordinated raids on criminal hotspots, black spots and uncompleted buildings across several locations.

The operation, conducted on September 19, also resulted in the recovery of various quantities of substances suspected to be illicit drugs.

Meanwhile, police in Anambra State arrested a suspected child trafficker who was allegedly intercepted while travelling with a six-month-old baby boy.

The baby was recovered and handed over to the appropriate authorities for necessary action, according to the police.

In Kaduna State, four suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate were arrested following intelligence-led operations.

Police said the suspects confessed to their alleged involvement in kidnapping and provided information about fleeing accomplices. A locally made Dane gun was recovered.

Another suspected kidnapping syndicate member was arrested at Soba Market in the state. Police said the suspect also confessed and gave information implicating five fleeing accomplices.

In Ogun State, police arrested a suspect linked to a fatal shooting incident in Isara, Remo North Local Government Area.

One single-barrel gun, one live cartridge and one expended shell were recovered during the operation.

In Imo State, a suspect was arrested during a raid on a suspected criminal gathering at Nekede, Owerri West Local Government Area, with police recovering a locally made cut-to-size single-barrel gun.

Police in Ekiti State also arrested two suspects linked to multiple shop-breaking and stealing incidents in Ado-Ekiti and recovered suspected stolen iron rods.

In another operation in Ado-Ekiti, police recovered an abandoned white sack containing a pump-action gun loaded with two live cartridges and a locally made single-barrel gun from a farmland.

In Benue State, police tactical teams, supported by personnel of the Police Mobile Force and military, intervened in a renewed communal conflict at Akpa-Mbakor Community in Tarka Local Government Area.

The security teams dispersed the rampaging youths and restored normalcy in the area, according to the police.

In Oyo State, police arrested a truck driver allegedly involved in a fatal road traffic incident along the Ijebu-Ode/Idi Ayunre Road.

The truck was impounded for further inspection and investigation.

The police said all the cases remain under investigation by the respective State Criminal Investigation Departments.

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UK excludes Nigerian, Ghanaian-trained teachers from teaching qualification list

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Teachers trained in Nigeria and Ghana are no longer eligible to apply for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in England under the United Kingdom’s overseas-trained teacher application route.

The change took effect on September 9 and means teachers trained in the two West African countries can no longer use the route to obtain QTS, a status recognised by many schools in England.

The UK Department for Education said countries included in the scheme must meet specific requirements to ensure that applicants’ qualifications, professional standing and teaching experience can be properly verified. One of the requirements is that a country must have a national regulator capable of confirming a teacher’s professional status and providing authenticated references.

According to the department, Nigeria and Ghana did not meet the reference-verification requirement.

“Our data shows that more than 70% of applications from teachers in Ghana and Nigeria include work history references that use public email addresses, such as Gmail or Hotmail, rather than a school’s official email domain. This means assessors spend additional time and resources trying to verify information provided in applications,” the department said.

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The UK department said about 90 percent of applications are assessed within 12 months.

India was also removed from the eligible list because it does not have a national regulator capable of confirming teachers’ professional standing.

South Africa is now the only African country remaining on the list of countries whose teachers can use the QTS application route.

The department said the verification process was necessary to ensure that information provided by applicants was genuine and that teachers awarded QTS possessed the required skills and experience to teach in England.

To apply for QTS, overseas-trained teachers must have a valid passport, an undergraduate degree equivalent to a UK bachelor’s degree and professional recognition as a teacher in the country where they trained.

Applicants must also have completed any mandatory induction requirements needed for full teacher registration in their country of qualification.

They are required to demonstrate that they are qualified to teach children aged between five and 16 and have at least nine months of teaching experience gained after qualifying as a teacher.

Applicants must also provide employment references that verify their work history and use an email address linked to the school’s official domain.

Depending on the country where a teacher trained, additional requirements may include qualifications to teach pupils aged between 11 and 16 and a specialism in subjects such as mathematics, science, biology, chemistry, physics, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Mandarin, Russian or Spanish.

However, because teachers in England are employed by individual schools rather than the Department for Education, schools may consider alternative routes into teaching.

The department said teachers who are no longer eligible to use the QTS application service can explore other routes into teaching in England.

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