News
Nigerian Army Gets First Professor

The Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna State, has announced the promotion of Lt. Col. Abubakar-Surajo Imam to the rank of a Professor of Mechatronics Engineering.
Imam is said to be the first professor among serving personnel in the history of the Nigerian Army.
The Registrar of the Academy, Brig.-Gen. A.M. Tukur announced the promotion in a statement on Friday in Kaduna.
He said that the promotion was ratified during the NDA Council Meeting in September, and took effect from October 1, 2023.
The registrar said that the council’s decision was a reflection of the confidence and recognition of the contributions of Imam to the Department of Mechatronics Engineering of the Academy.
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He said that the new professor has provided exemplary services and upheld the standard of excellence expected in his field.
“This recognition not only honours Professor Imam but also highlights the commitment of the Nigerian Defence Academy to acknowledging and rewarding outstanding contributions within its academic community,” he added.
Tukur further said, “On behalf of the Commandant and staff of the Academy, I sincerely congratulate you on your well-deserved promotion.
“It is expected that you will continue to work hard to justify the confidence.”
Imam, who hails from Kankia in Katsina State, has a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Bayero University, Kano State.
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He also holds a Master’s Degree in Mechatronics from Newcastle University, United Kingdom, and a Ph.D. in Mechatronics and Robotics from the same university.
Imam joined the Nigerian Army as a member of the Short Service Combatant Course 32 and was assigned to the Nigerian Army Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering.
He later converted to Regular Commission and served in numerous units including 1 Base Workshop, Technical Group EME, HQ Nigerian Army Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Corps, and DICON.
Imam is an Examiner and Member, Central Selection Committee for Master and Ph.D. candidates being sponsored by the Petroleum Technology Development Fund.
He is also a researcher with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria, the Defence Research and Development Bureau, Abuja, Command Engineering Depot, Buffalo Engineering Technology, and the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure.
READ ALSO: Why We Detained NAF Personnel In Kaduna – EFCC
Imam is also a researcher with the Air Force Institute of Technology, Kaduna; Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; and Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology in Wudil, Kano State.
The new professor has attended over 40 international workshops and numerous seminars and presented papers at several conferences in the United Kingdom, Spain, Egypt and the United States of America.
He currently doubles as Head, Department of Mechatronics Engineering and Director, Centre for Innovation and Creativity at the NDA.
At the NDA, Imam has, through his Research and Development efforts, enormously contributed to enhancing the visibility of the Academy among Nigerian universities.
He spearheaded the founding of the NDA Department of Mechatronic Engineering and the establishment of the Centre for Innovation and Creativity.
The centre serves as a platform for the realisation of Nigeria’s Military Industrial Complex through the promotion of innovation and creativity in cutting-edge technologies related to novel military and civil hardware and software solutions, thereby reducing Nigeria’s dependence on foreign technical solutions.
His published books cover Mechatronics; PIC Microcontrollers; Embedded Systems Design; Sensors and Actuators for Embedded Systems; Coding, Robotics and Drone technology for Kids; and Field Manuals for Drone Technology, among others.
NAN
News
Edo NLC Crisis: Caretaker Committee Drags Rival Exco, Govt To Court
The division in the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), took a new dimension on Wednesday as Prof. Monday Monday Lewis Igbafen-led caretaker committee approached the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Benin Judicial Division, seeking to affirm its authority and restrain a rival executive from parading itself as the council’s leadership.
Joined in the suit are the Edo State Government, the Commissioner for Labour and Productivity, and the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.
In a suit marked: NICN/BEN/12/2026, and filed before the court in Benin, the claimant, Igbafen, acting for himself and on behalf of the NLC Caretaker Committee in Edo State, is challenging the continued occupation of the union’s secretariat and control of its assets by members of the Bernard Egwakhide-led factional State Executive Council.
READ ALSO:Edo NLC Divided Over May Day Celebration
The claimants are asking the court to declare that the caretaker committee (Igbafen-led faction), constituted on August 11, 2025, by the NLC national leadership, remains the only lawful authority to administer the affairs of the Edo State Council pending fresh elections.
They further seek a declaration that the continued occupation of the NLC secretariat located at No. 1 Teboga Road, Benin City, as well as the retention of union assets, financial records, and official instruments by the defendants, is illegal and void.
The suit also prays for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from parading themselves as officials of the NLC Edo Council or interfering with the functions of the caretaker committee.
In addition, the claimants are seeking a mandatory order compelling the defendants to immediately hand over the secretariat, vehicles, financial documents, cheque books, and all other properties belonging to the union.
READ ALSO:JUST IN: NLC Begins Meeting With ASUU, Other Unions Over Strike
The caretaker committee further urged the court to restrain the state government and its officials from interfering in the internal affairs of the union, alleging undue support for the dissolved executive.
The claimants further demand N50 million as general and exemplary damages against the defendants for alleged unlawful usurpation of office and acts prejudicial to the administration of the council.
According to court documents made available to our correspondent, the crisis followed the dissolution of the Edo State Council by the NLC National Executive Council on February 27, 2025, over allegations of misconduct, anti-union activities, and constitutional violations.
However, the matter has yet to be assigned a hearing date.
News
Transfer: Premier League Clubs Scramble For Dele-Bashiru
Lazio midfielder, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru is a subject of interest from three Premier League clubs, according to Sky Sports.
Lazio reportedly rejected offers from Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth for the Nigeria international in January.
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La Biancolesti are bracing for more interest in Dele-Bashiru ahead of the summer transfer window, according to Sky Sports.
The 24-year-old has two years left on his contract with the Serie A club.
The attacking midfielder joined the Rome-based club from Turkish Super Lig outfit Hatayspor in 2024.
He has been a regular feature for Lazio this season.
News
Xenophobic Attacks: Nigerian Students To Picket MTN, MultiChoice, Other Businesses
The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS South-West Zone D, has announced plans to picket South African companies in Nigeria following the ongoing xenophobic attacks in the country.
DAILY POST reports that some Nigerians were recently killed in South Africa over the violent attacks.
A statement issued to newsmen by Comrade Adeyemo Josiah Kayode, Coordinator, NANS South-West, Zone D, said that the association is mobilizing to take decisive and lawful action by organizing peaceful picketing and mass advocacy against South African business interests operating in Nigeria.
READ ALSO:Xenophobic Attacks: Oshiomhole Tells FG To Retaliate Against South African Companies In Nigeria
“We categorically state that the continued targeting of Nigerians under any guise is unacceptable and must come to an immediate end.
“This will include major corporations such as MTN Group and MultiChoice Group. It is morally indefensible for businesses to thrive in an environment where the lives of Nigerians are protected, while Nigerians are subjected to fear and violence elsewhere.
“This contradiction will no longer be tolerated,” the statement said.
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