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South-East Christian Youth Leaders Back Self-defense Call, Decry Ritual, Cult Killings

Published

3 years ago

June 29, 2022

South-East Christian youths have called on Ndigbo and Nigerians in general to devise means of securing themselves against all manners of criminals.

This formed part of the communique issued by the youth wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, YOWICAN, after their meeting in Abia State.

The communique was signed by Revd. Oluchukwu Onuigwe, Chairman YOWICAN South-East.

The group said the meeting was convened “to check the deteriorating security situation in the zone, address mass unemployment which undoubtedly contributes to increase in insecurity, and the need for free, fair, credible and transparent election in 2023.”

They said some of the recent security breaches, including the abduction of the Prelate, Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence, Most Reverend Samuel Kanu-Uche, the Owo- Ondo attack, attacks in Churches in Kaduna, Benue and others, were clear indications that the entire nation was no more safe.

“It also points to the fact that the zone has been infiltrated by terrorist elements. Insecurity situation is gradually crippling businesses in the South-East region and if we keep quiet we will be overrun by criminal violence,” YOWICAN said.

The Christian youth leaders, drawn from all Christian denominations in the South-East, called on the five Eastern State Governors “to formulate and restructure a workable security outfit that will be more effective than what we have today. And to immediately mobilize the security operatives to comb all the forest in the zone where these criminal elements are camping to carry out their nefarious activities and fish them out.

“We call on Nigerians and Ndigbo to rise and defend ourselves. Enough is enough. The citizens have endured enough hardship, misrule, poor leadership and bad Governance. The power belongs to us the youths and not to the very few in the corridors of power.

“We condemn the growing trend of ritual and cult killings in the South-East. Things that are alien to our culture and Christian traditions are now the order of the day. Individuals are being kidnapped and beheaded by unidentified elements. We call on security operatives to rise to the occasion and arrest the situation.

“We equally appealed to various town unions, churches in the southeast to revive and equip their vigilante and church security formations like the boys scout, MOD, Boys’ brigade, Royal Rangers, Armies of Salvation etc to defend the citizens.”

While urging eligible Nigerians of voting age to take advantage of the extended Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) to acquire their Permanent Voters Cards (PVC), they equally called on the INEC to deploy more PVC machines to South-East States.

The communique read further: “We urge H.E President Muhammadu Buhari to leave a legacy of free and fair election, while urging the National Orientation Agency (NOA)and other government agencies and parastatals to cooperate with YOWICAN to mobilize the people. It’s time this agency justified the large funds being budgeted to it annually. We also call on the electoral umpire INEC to maintain neutrality in next year’s general election.

“We call on the government to resolve their issues with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other unions in our tertiary institutions so that our brothers and sisters can go back to school. We equally called on the governors of the South-East to improve the welfare of primary school teachers and pay them better salaries.

“We call for a new spirit of leadership. Christian youths will not vote for parties and structures in 2023, they have failed us, we will vote for individuals with a people oriented leadership, equity and justice, who will give us back our Nigeria.

“While we call for sustained prayers to check kidnapping, and attacks on religious places, we want to state that if these calls and pleas fall on deaf ears as usual, all the Christian Youth leaders in the South-East will take any youthful measure that is available to us to press home our demands. Enough is Enough, our gentleness is not Cowardice.”

News

JAMB Releases Results Of Mop-up Examination

Published

7 hours ago

July 6, 2025

Editor

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released the results of the mop-up Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) held on Saturday, June 28, 2025.
According to a statement issued on Sunday evening by JAMB’s spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, results have been released for 11,161 candidates who sat for the exam out of the 96,838 candidates scheduled for the mop-up exercise.

The board, however, noted that some candidates who are unable to access their results failed to comply with the prescribed instructions.

“Candidates who are not able to access their results have been found not to have fully complied with the instruction to send ‘UTMERESULT’ (as one word text) to 55019 or 66019 using the same phone number (SIM) used during registration for the UTME,” the statement read.

JAMB urged all affected candidates to follow the correct procedure in order to access their results.

News

FG Lists Two Presidential Jet For Sale In Switzerland

Published

7 hours ago

July 6, 2025

Editor

The Federal Government has place on sale about two-decade-old Boeing 737‑700 Business Jet (BBJ) with the listing hosted by AMAC Aerospace in Basel, Switzerland.

The Presidency source said with over 19 years in service, the BBJ has become increasingly expensive to maintain and subject to safety scrutiny, particularly after a mechanical incident during an official trip to Saudi Arabia in April 2024.

This disclosure for the sale of the Boeing 737‑700 Business Jet (BBJ) was made via a US-based aircraft listing site, The Controller: https://www.controller.com/listing/for-sale/244434099/2005-boeing-bbj-jet-aircraft

The aircraft, used during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and acquired for $43m in 2005, is being sold months after President Bola Tinubu transitioned to a refurbished Airbus A330-200 last August amid economic concerns and public scrutiny.

The plane had undergone inspections and maintenance in preparation for sale, according to aviation marketplace Controller.com.

Nigeria’s presidential air fleet, overseen by the Nigerian Air Force and the Office of the National Security Adviser, has about 10 aircraft.

These include fixed wings such as a 13-year-old Gulfstream Aerospace G550, Gulfstream G500, two Falcon 7Xs, a Hawker 4000, and a Challenger 605.

Three of the seven fixed wings are reportedly unserviceable.

The rotor-wing fleet includes two Agusta 139s and two Agusta 101s, all operated by the Nigerian Air Force but supervised by the Office of the National Security Adviser.

Both the Muhammadu Buhari and Tinubu administrations had earlier pledged to streamline the PAF for cost-efficiency.

Until August 2024, the BBJ-737 with tail number 5N-FGT, ferried the President until the administration acquired the refurbished Airbus A330-200, registered 5N‑FGA.

The aircraft, acquired for roughly $100 million (approx. ₦150bn) from a repossessed German bank asset, arrived in France for initial maintenance and reconfiguration in mid-2024.

However, since February 2025, the President has been using a San Marino-registered BBJ (REG: T7-NAS).

Sources in early May 2025 confirmed that the new A330-200 had been flown to South Africa to change its livery to reflect the Nigerian colours and the office of the President.

“The last I heard is that they took it abroad, I think to South Africa, to change the body design. You know it doesn’t have the green white green,” one source had said, asking to remain anonymous.

“It’s not only the body paint. I learned they are doing some refurbishment on it,” a second official stated.

The Swiss private aviation firm which facilitated the acquisition of the Airbus A330, it was gathered is also preparing the BBJ-737 for sale.

With over 19 years in service, the Presidency said the BBJ became increasingly expensive to maintain and subject to safety scrutiny, particularly after a mechanical incident during an official trip to Saudi Arabia in April 2024.

Despite a partial refurbishment in July 2024, including upgrades to its first-class seating, new carpeting, and completion of C1-C2 inspections, the presidency is retiring the jet and listing it for sale.

Also, the aircraft is not enrolled in any engine maintenance programme, while both of its CFM56-7BE engines remain “on condition” that is, they are not subject to guaranteed performance coverage.

According to the listing, interested buyers may contact AMAC Aerospace for the asking price privately.

Configured to carry 33 passengers and 8 crew, the listing said the aircraft offers a 5-zone seating layout.

Zone 1 is dedicated to crew rest, including two crew rest seats and two cabin attendant seats. Zone 2 features a VIP stateroom equipped with a bed, a two-place divan, and a private lavatory. Zone 3 includes a VIP lounge configured as a four-seat conference room.

In Zone 4, passengers will find nine forward-facing first-class seats. Finally, Zone 5 offers eighteen forward-facing business-class seats.

The aircraft underwent a partial interior refurbishment in July 2024, including new carpeting through 90 per cent of the cabin and a full refurbishment of the first-class seating area.

Full-service galleys are located both forward and aft, featuring a steam oven, microwave, chilled compartments, storage areas, and warming drawers.

Other features include four enclosed lavatories—one for crew use, one within the VIP stateroom, one serving the first-class cabin, and another in the business-class section.

Connectivity is provided via Ka-Band Wi-Fi powered by the Honeywell MCS-7000 system.

Entertainment options include a 32-inch monitor in the master bedroom, another in the VIP lounge, one more in the first-class cabin, and two 21-inch monitors in the business-class cabin.

The BBJ is equipped with cutting-edge avionics systems. It includes three VHF communication radios by Gables Engineering, two VHF navigation radios by Rockwell Collins, and two HF transceivers. Safety and situational awareness are enhanced by an L3 Comms DFDR, a CVR, and Honeywell’s EGPWS.

The aircraft is fitted with two ATC transponders, a pair of DME units, and Rockwell Collins radio altimeters.

Additional avionics include three Thales ADC/ADM units, two Honeywell ADIRUs, and Rockwell Collins weather radar and TCAS systems.

Emergency equipment includes an Artex ELT with interface unit. The flight control and guidance systems comprise two Rockwell Collins FCCs, a Flight Dynamics HGS computer, and two Smith Industries FMS units.

Navigation aids include two ADFs and two Rockwell Collins MMR(GLU) units. Cabin pressurisation is managed by two Nord-Micro CPCs.

The aircraft also carries integrated flight and engine monitoring systems, with components by BAE Systems, Hamilton Sundstrand, Oeco, Honeywell, Teledyne Controls, Vibro-Meter, and Avtech.

Controller.com says the aircraft is fully compliant with ADS-B, CPDLC, FANS-1/A, and RVSM requirements.

The Boeing BBJ is powered by two CFM56-7BE engines, each with 3,821 hours since new and 1,881 cycles.

The engines are on-condition and not enrolled in a maintenance programme.

The auxiliary power unit, a Honeywell 131-9B, has logged 5,982 hours and 3,622 cycles.

It says the aircraft is capable of intercontinental range, thanks to eight auxiliary fuel tanks that boost total capacity to 70,000 pounds.

This includes standard tanks of 45,000 pounds, plus auxiliary tanks split between the left wing (8,500 lbs), right wing (8,500 lbs), center (28,000 lbs), forward aux (10,000 lbs), and aft aux (15,000 lbs).

Currently, the BBJ is undergoing B1-B2 inspections at AMAC Aerospace in Basel.

The C1-C2 inspections were completed in July 2024. Maintenance is tracked using the Veyron system.

On the outside, the aircraft retains its original 2005 exterior paint scheme, featuring a white base accented with green highlights to portray the Nigerian colours.
(VANGUARD)

News

NDPC Fines MultiChoice ₦766m For Data Privacy Violations

Published

8 hours ago

July 6, 2025

Editor

The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has fined MultiChoice Nigeria ₦766,242,500 for breaching the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA).

NDPC is a public institution that processes data in furtherance of its mandate as Nigeria’s data protection authority and relies on recognised lawful bases for data processing, such as consent, legal obligation, and contract.

The commission’s Head of Legal, Enforcement and Regulations, Mr Babatunde Bamigboye, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja.

According to Bamigboye, the fine followed an investigation launched in the second quarter of 2024 into suspected violations of subscribers’ privacy rights and the unlawful cross-border transfer of Nigerians’ data.

“NDPC found, among other things, that MultiChoice violated the data privacy rights of its subscribers and individuals associated with them who are not necessarily subscribers.

“The commission also discovered that MultiChoice engaged in the illegal cross-border transfer of personal data belonging to Nigerian data subjects.

“The depth of data processing by Multichoice is patently intrusive, unfair, unnecessary and disproportionate.

“This is a grave affront to fundamental right to privacy as enshrined in section 37 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Bamigboye said.

According to him, Nigeria is entitled to protect its citizens and data sovereignty under both international and existing municipal laws, as these have far-reaching implications for the rule of law, national security, and economic growth.

Bamigboye added that, in the course of the investigation, in line with the NDPA standard remediation procedure, the commission directed Multichoice to undertake appropriate remedial measures.

“However, the commission found the measures undertaken by Multichoice in this regard unsatisfactory.

“For want of cooperation, the commission has directed multichoice to pay N766,242,500 for violating the Nigeria Data Protection Act.l,” he added.

The NDPC’s National Commissioner, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, was also quoted as directing that all channels through which Multichoice collects the personal data of Nigerian citizens be investigated for non-compliance.

According to him, any outlet that processes personal data in violation of the NDPA is liable to a penalty under the Act.

NDPC is a public institution that processes data in furtherance of its mandate as Nigeria’s Data Protection Authority and relies on recognised lawful bases for data processing, such as consent, legal obligation, and contract.
(VANGUARD)