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Democracy Day address: Terror financiers will pay dearly, says Tinubu

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Rising cost of living: We’re almost on the way to Venezuela – PDP Govs
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
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…issues ultimatum to bandits, kidnappers,  their sponsors to surrender or…

President Bola Tinubu has vowed that no mercy will be shown to terror purveyors who enable the killing and kidnapping of innocent Nigerians.

He also issued an ultimatum to bandits, kidnappers and sponsors of terrorism to surrender or face the full force of the Nigerian state, disclosing that his administration had already neutralised over 13,000 terrorists in the past year alone.

Tinubu gave the warning in his national address delivered on the occasion of the country’s 27th consecutive Democracy Day celebration, his fourth as President since 2023.

According to him, although terror-related deaths had declined by 81 per cent since 2015, Friday’s Democracy Day celebration was subdued by the continued captivity of schoolchildren abducted in Oyo and Borno states.

He declared, “To bandits, kidnappers, and sponsors of terror: Surrender or face the full force of the Nigerian State.

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“These windows of surrender will not remain open forever. No mercy will be shown to those who trade in the blood of Nigerians.”

The Nigerian leader said his administration had moved beyond training with allies to precision operations on the ground.

“We have moved from training with our allies, the United States, France and other European countries, to precision targeting.

“In Arege, Borno State, we degraded ISWAP’s command centre.

Terror-related deaths are down by 81 per cent since 2015.

“Over 13,000 terrorists have been neutralised in the past year,” he stated.

Tinubu added that despite the neutralisation of terrorists, the door of rehabilitation remained open alongside the door of force.

“Over 124,000 fighters and dependents have laid down their arms since 2023 through Operation Safe Corridor,” he said.

The N5.41tn security allocation in the 2026 budget, Tinubu said, was a statement of national will to crush the current wave of terrorism, which has raged since 2009.

Beyond the budget, he said his administration had approved the recruitment of more than 50,000 new police officers and thousands of military recruits, which, he revealed, was designed to address the persistent gap between the number of security personnel and the security demands of over 230 million Nigerians.

Tinubu acknowledged that even as the country celebrates 27 years of steady democracy, this year’s festive spirit of Democracy Day was weighed down by the continued hostage situation involving school children and teachers kidnapped in Oyo and Borno states, which has now entered its fourth week.

“Though this year’s mood is dampened by the abduction of our children in Oyo and Borno, we remain hopeful for their safe return. Democracy without security is a mirage.

“That is why this administration declared a security emergency and approved the recruitment of more than 50,000 new police officers and thousands of military recruits.

“Our 2026 budget commits N5.41tn, our largest ever, to defence and security. Our administration is ever ready to do much more to secure our people,” he stated.

He called for national unity in the face of the security challenge, rejecting ethnic or religious framing of criminality and urging Nigerians to do the same.

“At a time like this, let us not assign blame or point fingers. Crime has no ethnicity.

“We must stand united and be assured that the enemies of our nation shall soon be history.

“We will triumph over terror and continue to build a more prosperous nation,” he declared.

On the intermittent power crisis of the past three years, the President explained the scale of the challenge he inherited and his response so far.

He said by 2023, the sector was “characterised by chronic generation shortfalls, an unreliable gas supply, and transmission infrastructure so fragile that it could not evacuate available power. Distribution companies were burdened by massive losses and a metering deficit of over four million.

“The result was a sector that generated less than the 13,500 megawatts installed capacity, a sector that transmitted less than it generated, distributed less than it transmitted, and collected revenue far below what it needed to sustain itself,” he added.

Tinubu said in response, he signed the Electricity Act, granting states authority to generate, transmit and distribute power, authorised the Presidential Power Sector Task Force to raise a N4tn bond to settle verified legacy debts, and directed the Rural Electrification Agency, supported by the World Bank and the African Development Bank, to deploy off-grid and mini-grid power to underserved communities, universities, markets and hospitals.

He explained, “To address the problems besetting the sector, I signed the Electricity Act, which grants states authority to generate, transmit, and distribute power.

“The Presidential Power Sector Task Force is working hard to reduce the metering deficit. It has also been authorised to raise N4tn bond to settle verified legacy debts.

“The Rural Electrification Agency, supported by the World Bank and the African Development Bank, has deployed off-grid and mini-grid power to underserved communities, universities, markets, and hospitals.

“Electricity is a democratic dividend we owe every Nigerian. We intend to deliver it.”

On the broader economy, Tinubu said federation revenues had risen, providing states and local governments with more resources, fiscal transparency had improved, and investor confidence had returned across agriculture, energy, manufacturing, technology, mining, transportation and the creative industries.

He said non-oil exports grew by 21 per cent last year, over 1,000 small and medium enterprises had been certified for export, and the National Agricultural Development Fund was deploying 10,000 tractors over five years.

However, he acknowledged that hardship persists.

“Yet, many Nigerians still face economic hardship. We remain focused on reducing inflation, expanding food production, creating jobs, improving living standards, rebuilding confidence in our economy, and creating conditions for sustainable prosperity.

“We are moving from uncertainty to stability. The next phase is about accelerating growth and ensuring the benefits are felt in every home, every community, and every region. We believe that Democracy must be felt in the pocket,” he stated.

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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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