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FG signs concession agreement for Enugu Airport

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Akanu Ibiam International airport Enugu
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The Federal Government has formally signed the concession agreement for the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, marking a significant milestone in its efforts to modernise Nigeria’s aviation infrastructure through public-private partnerships.

The agreement was signed on Wednesday at the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development in Abuja by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, SAN.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday, January 23, by Mr Tunde Moshood, Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the minister.

The signing ceremony was attended by officials of the Enugu State Government and representatives of Aero Alliance, the concessionaire. The Enugu State delegation was led by the Commissioner for Transport, Dr Obi Ozor, while the Aero Alliance team included Engr Chuks Aniekwe, Barrister Oyiwodu Okibe-Oga, Onyedikachi Nwachukwu, Kester Enwereonu, and Barrister Michael Nwaechie of Ivy Solicitors.

Also present were the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Dr Yakubu Adams Kofarmata; the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs Olubunmi Kuku; FAAN’s Director of Legal Services, Mrs Bridget Iwinose Gold; and other senior officials of the ministry and FAAN.

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Speaking at the event, Keyamo described the signing as the culmination of a long and transparent process that began several years ago.

“Today marks the end of a very long and tedious process regarding the concession of the Enugu Airport. The process culminated on July 31, 2025, when the Federal Executive Council approved the proposal to concession the Enugu Airport, subject to contract,” he said.

The minister explained that following the approval, the ministry, FAAN and Aero Alliance engaged in extensive negotiations, including consultations with aviation unions, to safeguard workers’ welfare.

“We entered into these agreements with the rights and privileges of workers uppermost in our minds. I want to state clearly that we have fully respected and preserved the rights of aviation workers. They have not been retrenched, their terms and conditions of employment remain unchanged, and they continue as employees of the Federal Government and FAAN,” Keyamo stated.

He emphasised that job security and staff welfare were central to the concession framework.

“The workers have not been short-changed in any way. Their jobs are safe and protected. Having addressed workers’ rights, we proceeded to resolve other critical issues and covered virtually all areas before signing this agreement,” he added.

Keyamo noted that while the main concession agreement has been concluded, two operational matters—security charges and the airport’s financial model—will be resolved in the coming weeks to ensure smooth implementation.

“There are two outstanding issues relating to the operationalisation of the agreement, namely security charges and the financial model of the airport. These will be resolved in the next few weeks. However, as far as the main concession is concerned, the Federal Government has agreed to concession the Enugu Airport to Aero Alliance,” he said.

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Two Suspected Bandits Killed in Kano Ransom Collection Ambush, ₦10m Recovered

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Two suspected bandits have been killed and ₦10 million recovered after local hunters intercepted a gang allegedly involved in a kidnapping operation in Falgore Forest, Doguwa Local Government Area of Kano State.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday, shortly after three suspected bandits collected the ransom demanded for the release of a 45-year-old man, Kabiru Aliyu.

Aliyu, a resident of Falgore Village, was abducted on September 11, 2026.

According to the Kano State Police Command, the suspects were intercepted by local hunters, popularly known as Yan Bula, while returning to their hideout after collecting the ransom.

Two of the suspects reportedly died during the confrontation, while the third escaped with injuries. The hunters recovered the entire ₦10 million ransom.

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The police spokesperson, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, said preliminary investigations identified one of the deceased suspects as Dogo Isah, a commercial motorcycle operator from Maigwanda Village in Kubau Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The operation was carried out under Operation Kukan Kura, a security initiative aimed at tackling kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes in Kano State.

The Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, commended the hunters for their intervention and directed security operatives to intensify efforts to apprehend the fleeing suspect and recover any weapons used by the gang.

The rescued victim was subsequently debriefed, medically examined and reunited with his family.

The incident highlights the role of local hunters in intelligence gathering and rural security, particularly in areas where difficult terrain poses challenges to conventional security operations.

However, the escape of one of the suspects leaves security operatives with the task of tracking him down and determining whether the gang was involved in other kidnapping incidents in the region.

The police urged residents to provide credible information that could assist ongoing efforts to apprehend fleeing suspects and prevent further criminal activities.

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2027: Atiku’s Son Pledges 10 Buses for Tinubu’s Re-election Campaign

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Abba Atiku Abubakar speaks during a visit to the APC National Secretariat in Abuja, where he pledged 10 buses for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign. Photo: Hon Yusi Buba/Facebook
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Abba Atiku Abubakar, son of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has pledged 10 buses to support mobilisation for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Abba made the pledge during a visit to the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Secretariat in Abuja on Friday, according to a statement issued by Yusi Buba, Senior Special Assistant on Youth Mobilisation to the party’s Deputy National Chairman.

He was received by the APC Deputy National Chairman (North), Bukar Dalori.

Buba said Abba commended the party’s leadership and Tinubu’s administration, expressing support for the President’s continued stay in office.

“In a demonstration of his commitment to the political engagement ahead of the 2027 general elections, Hon. Abba Atiku Abubakar announced the donation of ten buses to support activities aimed at mobilising support for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima in 2027,” the statement said.

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The APC aide said Dalori welcomed Abba and acknowledged his pledge, describing it as support for the party’s mobilisation efforts ahead of the elections.

The development followed Abba’s announcement of a nationwide mobilisation campaign for Tinubu’s re-election and the unveiling of the Haske Bola Tinubu Organisation, a political support group established to advance the President’s second-term ambition.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, Abba said the organisation would commence activities in the Federal Capital Territory before expanding to other parts of the country.

He also announced plans for a two-million-man mobilisation march across the six geopolitical zones, with the exercise scheduled to begin in Abuja.

Abba defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC in January, declaring his support for Tinubu’s re-election bid.

His father, Atiku Abubakar, is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 general election.

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NCDC Identifies Two Suspected Ebola Cases In North-East

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Two suspected cases of Ebola disease have been identified in the North-East region of the country.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) disclosed this in a post via its official X handle on Saturday, adding that both individuals had been isolated.
It also said contact identification and listing are ongoing, and laboratory testing is underway.

According to the agency, confirmation is subject to laboratory results.
Two suspected cases of Ebola disease have been identified in Nigeria’s North-East region. Both individuals have been isolated, contact identification and listing is ongoing, and laboratory testing is being conducted,” the NCDC said.

“Being classified as suspected cases does not mean they are confirmed Ebola cases; confirmation is subject to laboratory results.

“The public is advised to maintain good hand hygiene, practise enhanced sanitation and follow guidance from public health authorities. Further updates will be provided as verified information becomes available.”

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The latest update by the NCDC came days after it said it identified another contact, an e-hailing driver, linked to the confirmed case of the recent Ebola outbreak in Nigeria, increasing the number of primary contacts to 54.

The NCDC Director-General, Dr. Jide Idris, told Channels Television on October 26 that efforts were ongoing to identify the secondary contacts.

“So we are not out of the woods yet until we are sure that we have all the contacts, and they have been followed up. So we are still not out of the woods; because the index case is out doesn’t mean that we don’t have that,” he said.

The Federal Government had announced Nigeria’s first confirmed case of the Bundibugyo strain in Abuja on October 20, 2026, identifying the patient as a woman with a recent travel history to Uganda, who returned to Nigeria with symptoms on October 7, but the Ugandan authorities denied reports of an Ebola outbreak in the East African country.

The index patient was later flown to Switzerland along with her husband.

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