Headline

Nigerians Recruited As UK Prison Officers Sleep In Cars, Camp Near Jails

Published

5 months ago

January 17, 2025

Jails in the United Kingdom have turned to recruiting prison officers from Nigeria and other countries to address staffing shortages.

However, many of these new recruits, including Nigerians, are facing accommodation challenges, with some sleeping in their cars or camping to save on housing costs, The Telegraph reports on Thursday.

According to the report, this marks the first time the UK prison service is sponsoring skilled worker visas for international recruits, following a 2023 rule change that added prison officers to the list of eligible professions.

Many of these new recruits are Nigerians, including some who switched to the prison service from other visa routes.

The Prison Officers Association has revealed cases of Nigerian recruits arriving at UK prisons with the assumption that accommodation would be provided.

The president of the POA, Mark Fairhurst, described a case where a recruit commuted 70 miles daily from Huddersfield to Nottingham before deciding it was cheaper to sleep in his car outside the prison.

At another location, some officers reportedly set up a camp in a wooded area near the prison after discovering they had to arrange housing independently.

“We have got problems with people who turn up at the gates with cases in tow and with their families saying to the staff: ‘Where is the accommodation?’,” Fairhurst said.

The country’s Ministry of Justice sources indicate that about 250 foreign nationals have so far been recruited into the UK prison service after Zoom interviews and vetting.

In 2023, a significant portion of the 3,500 monthly applicants were reportedly from Africa.

The president of the Prison Governors Association, Tom Wheatley, attributed the surge to word-of-mouth promotion by Nigerians already working in the UK.

“It’s turned into an approach that has been promoted online by the expat Nigerian community,” Wheatley said.

However, he acknowledged challenges, including language barriers and difficulties integrating foreign recruits into rural communities.

Despite these issues, the UK prison service insists its recruitment and training processes are robust.

A Prison Service spokesman told The Telegraph that “all staff – regardless of nationality – undergo robust assessments and training before they work in prisons. Our strengthened vetting process roots out those who fall below our high standards.”

Meanwhile, the reliance on virtual interviews has also drawn criticism, with some questioning the suitability of officers recruited this way.

Fairhurst has urged the prison service to return to face-to-face interviews, arguing that six weeks of training is insufficient for recruits to manage prisoners effectively.

Headline

We Would Have Killed Iran’s Supreme Leader If Given Opportunity – Israel

Published

28 minutes ago

June 27, 2025

Editor

Defence Minister Israel Katz told media that Israel would have killed Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the war between the two countries if the opportunity had presented itself.

“If he had been in our sights, we would have taken him out,” Katz told Israel’s public radio station Kan Thursday evening, adding that the military had “searched a lot”.

“Khamenei understood this, went very deep underground, broke off contact with the commanders… so in the end it wasn’t realistic,” Katz told Kan.

He told Israeli television Channel 13 Thursday that Israel would cease its assassination attempts because “there is a difference between before the ceasefire and after the ceasefire”.

Katz had said during the war that Khamenei “can no longer be allowed to exist”, just days after reports that Washington vetoed Israeli plans to assassinate him.

But on Kan, Katz advised Khamenei to remain inside a bunker.

“He should learn from the late Nasrallah, who sat for a long time deep in the bunker”, he said, referring to Lebanese militant group Hezbollah’s former leader Hassan Nasrallah, who Israel killed in a Beirut air strike in September 2024.

The movements of the supreme leader, who has not left Iran since he took power, are subject to the tightest security and secrecy.

Katz said Thursday that Israel maintained its aerial superiority over Iran and that it was ready to strike again.

“We won’t let Iran develop nuclear weapons and threaten (Israel) with long-range missiles”, he said.

In his Channel 12 interview, Katz admitted that Israel does not know the location of all of Iran’s enriched uranium, but that its air strikes had destroyed the Islamic republic’s uranium enrichment capabilities.

“The material itself was not something that was supposed to be neutralised,” he said of the enriched uranium.

The impact of Israeli and US strikes on Iran’s nuclear programme has been a subject to debate.

A leaked US intelligence assessment estimated the programme to have set Iran back a few months, while Katz and other Israeli and US public figures said the damage would take years to rebuild.

Israel and Iran each claimed victory in a 12-day war that ended with a ceasefire on June 24.

The war erupted on June 13 when Israel launched a bombing campaign that it said aimed to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon — an ambition Iran has consistently denied.

Headline

10 African Countries With Highest Military Spending In 2025

Published

1 day ago

June 26, 2025

Editor

The reality of African military spending in 2025 is shaped by geography, political dynamics, economic capability and regional threats.

Defence budgets across Africa are telling a story of evolving priorities. While some countries are pouring resources into modernising their armed forces, others are focusing on stabilising fragile internal structures or managing limited resources in the face of growing security threats. The top military spenders on the continent this year reflect this diversity in strategy and circumstance.

At the top of the list is Algeria, with a defence allocation of around $25 billion. This comes as little surprise given the country’s longstanding military tradition and its interest in maintaining regional dominance. Algeria has been particularly focused on modernising its air defence and acquiring advanced military hardware. With ongoing tensions involving its neighbour Morocco and instability in nearby Sahel countries, Algeria’s military investment is not only about deterrence but also about preparedness.

Morocco comes in second, spending approximately $13.4 billion on its defence sector. Much of Morocco’s budget is believed to go toward upgrading its air force and surveillance capabilities. The ongoing situation in Western Sahara continues to influence the country’s military posture, and Morocco has increasingly turned to Western suppliers for equipment. Its investment strategy also reflects a broader ambition to assert influence and ensure national security amid rising regional instability.

Egypt remains a heavyweight in African military affairs, with nearly $6 billion dedicated to defence this year. The country maintains one of the largest and most experienced armed forces in Africa. Egypt’s strategic location and ties to global powers play a major role in shaping its military spending. Its focus areas include naval strength in the Red Sea, border protection, and counterterrorism operations in the Sinai region. A significant portion of Egypt’s budget also supports joint military exercises and maintaining long-term partnerships with Western allies.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, is allocating around $3.1 billion to its military in 2025. Faced with persistent insurgencies in the northeast, rising cases of banditry, and threats to oil infrastructure, Nigeria is investing more in surveillance, tactical response, and mobility. However, despite the budget size, questions persist about how effectively these resources are managed. Internal inefficiencies and corruption have often limited the impact of military spending, although reforms are slowly gaining traction.

Libya, despite enduring years of political fragmentation and conflict, ranks fifth with $3 billion in defence expenditure. The country’s spending is shaped largely by the need to rebuild military institutions and secure borders that have long been porous. Though rival factions still hold sway in different regions, recent moves toward unification have led to increased central oversight of defence funding. Libya’s military priorities include stabilising key infrastructure, reducing foreign military involvement, and restoring national cohesion.

South Africa, with a budget of roughly $2.3 billion, is the highest spender in Sub-Saharan Africa after Nigeria. The country faces fewer direct security threats than others on this list, but it maintains a capable and relatively advanced defence sector. Budget limitations in recent years have led to ageing equipment and recruitment challenges. Even so, South Africa continues to contribute to regional peacekeeping missions and has been increasing its focus on cyber defence and modernisation through strategic planning.

Ethiopia’s military spending stands at about $2.1 billion this year. Following recent internal conflicts, the country is focused on rebuilding and restructuring its military forces. Spending is expected to go toward restocking supplies, increasing professionalism in the ranks, and improving border security, particularly with Sudan and Eritrea. Given its geographic location and history of regional involvement, Ethiopia’s defence capabilities are considered crucial not only for internal stability but also for regional balance.

Tanzania is allocating approximately 1.4 billion dollars to its defence sector in 2025. Though not frequently in the headlines for security concerns, Tanzania quietly invests in protecting its borders, maintaining internal stability, and supporting African Union peacekeeping operations. Its military also contributes to anti-narcotics efforts and maritime safety, given its coastal location. Recent moves show a growing interest in enhancing training programs and building stronger ties with foreign partners for logistics and support.

Tunisia matches Tanzania’s budget with a similar figure of 1.4 billion dollars. In Tunisia’s case, much of the defence spending is directed toward counterterrorism and intelligence operations. The country has faced several security incidents over the past decade and has prioritised preventing extremist activities, particularly in remote border areas. Efforts have also been made to modernise internal security structures and improve cybersecurity, often with the support of international partners who view Tunisia as a strategic bridge between Africa and Europe.

Kenya closes the list with a defence budget of $1.3 billion. The country has played a consistent role in regional peacekeeping, especially in Somalia. Its military priorities include border security, maritime surveillance, and improving response to terrorism-related threats in the northeastern regions. Kenya has been working to modernise its force structure, with growing investments in technology, training, and partnerships with countries that support its regional security mission.

Country Budget Military Rank in Africa

1 Algeria $25.0 billion 1st

2 Morocco $13.4 billion 4th

3 Egypt $5.9 billion 2nd

4 Nigeria $3.1 billion 3rd

5 Libya $3.0 billion 9th

6 South Africa $2.3 billion 5th

7 Ethiopia $2.1 billion 6th

8 Tanzania $1.4 billion 10th

9 Tunisia $1.4 billion 8th

10 Kenya $1.3 billion 7th

Headline

Africa Loses $7bn Annually On Medical Tourism – Afreximbank

Published

1 day ago

June 26, 2025

Editor

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) says Nigeria and other African nations are losing billions of dollars annually to medical tourism.

Afreximbank’s Export Development Managing Director, Mrs Oluranti Doherty, made the assertion while speaking at the 32nd Afreximbank Annual Meetings (AAM2025) in Abuja on Thursday.

Doherty said the trend was hindering economic development and local healthcare infrastructure.

She identified the soaring costs of medical tourism as a major drain on African economies.

According to her, Nigeria alone loses an estimated $1.1 billion annually to medical tourism, while the entire African continent collectively forfeits approximately $7 billion yearly.

“We had our member countries losing a lot of foreign exchange to medical tourism.

“We just talked about Nigeria, where our medical tourism annually is about $1.1 billion.

“The entire continent is about $7 billion just because we can’t help ourselves with ourselves when we come up with chronic diseases.

“ That’s money that’s going to other economies, building up their institutions,” she said.

She noted that the capital outflow diverts funds that could be invested in local healthcare.

Doherty added that the development contributes to a “brain drain” of skilled medical professionals from the continent.

“Another thing we noted was a great way we were losing a lot of our good talents.
“The best of talents in the health sector were going out of the continent, working in places such as India, Asia, Middle East, America, and that often was an issue,” she said.

Doherty said the bank launched its Health and Medical Tourism Programme in 2012 long before the broader recognition of healthcare’s connection to economic security in response to the challenge.

“Afreximbank was innovative. I call us the innovative financier, innovative investors.

“We recognised this part since 2012 and we set about doing something about it.

“A key initiative borne from this foresight is the Africa Medical Center of Excellence (AMCE) in Abuja, a 170-bed facility boasting state-of-the-art equipment, including an 18 MeV cyclotron, a three-Tesla MRI, and a 20-bed ICU.

“Afreximbank has invested over $450 million to establish and scale up this project,” she said.

The official praised the leadership behind the AMCE, noting, “Afreximbank had to go where no one has gone before; Afreximbank’s leaders adhered to the dreamers.

“The AMCE aims to provide healthcare services comparable to global standards, not just African standards.

“I’m talking about global standard. I’m talking about Africans coming up with solutions to challenge,” she said.

She, however, stressed the need to build trust in local healthcare facilities and ensure access for all to stem medical tourism.