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Tinubu Reduces Entourage On Foreign Trips To 20 Officials

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President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday approved “cost-cutting” measures that involve slashing, by 60%, official entourage on local and international travels.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, revealed this while briefing State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Tuesday.

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Ngelale said the directive applied to the Offices of the President, Vice President, First Lady, Wife of the Vice President and all Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

He said, “President Bola Tinubu has approved that anywhere he travels within this country he will no longer accept or allow huge security delegations to be following him from Abuja, which attracts massive bills with respect to estacode and duty allowances from now on.

“He has approved a massive cost-cutting exercise that will cut across the entire Federal Government of Nigeria and the Offices of the President himself, the Vice President and the Office of the First Lady. It will be conducted in the following fashion.

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“On international trips, the President has directed that no more than 20 individuals be allowed to travel with him. That number will be cut down to five in the case of the First Lady. Additionally, the number in the entourage on official international trips for the Vice President will be cut to five. The number that will be placed as a limit on the wife of the Vice President is also five.”

READ ALSO: JUST IN: Suspended Minister, Betta Edu Yet To Formally Handover

This decision came five weeks after Nigerians criticised the Tinubu administration for participating in the United Nation’s annual climate summit, COP28, in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates with 1,114 delegates.

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Although the Presidency said it sponsored only 422 delegates, reports say it spent N2.78bn on airfares and estacodes.

In their first seven months in office, Tinubu and Shettima visited 16 countries, collectively spending 91 days in foreign engagements, The PUNCH observed.

Checks revealed that Tinubu has so far visited Paris, France (twice); London, the United Kingdom; Bissau, Guinea-Bissau (twice); Nairobi, Kenya; Porto Norvo, Benin Republic; New Delhi, India; Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the United Arab Emirates; New York, the United States of America, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Berlin, German, spending 55 days.

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Meanwhile, VP Shettima represented him in Italy, Russia, South Africa, Cuba, China and the US, logging 36 days abroad in 2023.

READ ALSO: Lawmakers Budget Fresh N30bn For N’Assembly Renovation

While the Presidency defended these trips as vital for attracting foreign direct investment into Nigeria, critics question the economic impact, particularly the size of the entourage.

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But the President’s spokesperson told journalists that Tinubu is “determined to bring total sanity and prudence to the management of the commonwealth of our people.

“Henceforth, the President is insistent that the notion of government wastage and the notion that government officials will be allowed to conduct their affairs in a way that is different from what we are asking of Nigerian citizens with respect to prudence and cost management, those days are over.

“The President is insistent that the prudence of government officials must reflect the prudence of the Nigerian citizens.”

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Revealing more details about the directive, Ngelale said, “The President has approved a new limit of 25 staff members to accompany him on domestic trips.

“The Office of the First Lady is now limited to 10 staff members to accompany her on official trips within the country.

READ ALSO: BBC Investigation Reveals TB Joshua Raped, Tortured Members

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“The Vice President will be limited to 15 members of staff on official trips within the country, while his wife will be limited to 10 members of staff on officials within the country.”

On the issue of the President travelling with an army of security personnel across states, Ngelale said henceforth, “the security outfits within states, be it police, the DSS or branches of the military, will frontline his protective detail when he travels to those states.” This also applies to the Office of the VP, the First Lady, and the VP’s wife.

He explained that the number of persons allowed to accompany each officer on international trips is less than those allowed on domestic trips because “international trips are far more expensive across the board.”

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For the MDAs, Ngelale said ministers are now limited to four persons for foreign trips, while agency heads can only travel with two persons.

By this directive, every minister will be limited to having not more than four staff members going with them to any event anywhere in the world. In the case of CEOs of agencies, they will be limited to two staff going with them to anywhere in the world,” he explained.

Asked what sanctions await those who defy this directive, the presidential aide replied, “I believe we do not need to convince the officers of the Federal Government of Nigeria of the seriousness of the President with respect to how he will implement his directives.

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“If there is anybody who feels that the directive of the President is not binding on them, who feels that the President will not uphold this directive in implementation and seeks to test it, they will do so at their peril.”

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JUST IN: Kenya Airways Pays NCAA Sanction Fee For Passenger’s Rights Violations

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Kenya Airways has paid the sanction fee imposed by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority over passenger rights violations, including the case involving Nigerian traveller Gloria Omisore.

According to a post by the Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, on his official X account on Thursday, the airline settled the penalty on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, following a series of meetings that included the Kenyan High Commissioner to Nigeria, airline representatives, and officials from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

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Kenya Airways has, on Wednesday 17/09/2025, paid the sanction fee as a penalty for the Gloria Omisore and other consumer protection-related infractions,” Achimugu confirmed.

READ ALSO:NCAA Slams Penalty On Kenya Airways Over Gloria Omisore, Others

He stressed that NCAA sanctions are not designed to punish operators but to strengthen compliance with safety and passenger-handling standards.

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As always, NCAA sanctions are not to punish operators, but to help improve their flight operations, especially with regard to safety and passenger handling protocols,” he said.

While commending Kenya Airways for complying, Achimugu noted that payment of fines does not conclude the matter, as the timeframe for resolving the cases has already elapsed. “The payment of sanction fines does not conclude the issues. The NCAA will follow through and is assuring both passengers and airlines of its commitment to protecting their rights and responsibilities,” he added.

Achimugu also emphasised the airline’s long-standing partnership with Nigeria, noting that the penalty was case-specific and does not diminish the positive aspects of its operations.

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The NCAA said it would continue to enforce regulations to safeguard passenger rights and ensure airlines adhere to international aviation standards.

READ ALSO:NCAA Petitions IGP Over KWAM 1’s Unruly Conduct In Abuja Airport

In February, Nigerian passenger Gloria Omisore accused Kenya Airways of mishandling her during a disrupted trip that left her stranded at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Omisore, who had been denied boarding on her connecting flight to Paris due to a missing Schengen transit visa, claimed the airline had earlier assured her she was eligible to travel. The visa issue resulted in a 17-hour layover, followed by an additional 10-hour delay for an alternative London route offered by the airline.

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During the long wait, Omisore requested accommodation and care, citing exhaustion and health concerns, but Kenya Airways declined, arguing that such provisions do not apply in visa-related denied boardings. The situation escalated into a confrontation, captured on video, where Omisore allegedly threw used sanitary pads at staff.

In response, the NCAA launched an investigation, finding Kenya Airways guilty of breaching consumer protection regulations and misleading the public in its initial statements.

On May 7, 2025, the NCAA sanctioned the airline, ordering compensation of 1,000 Special Drawing Rights for each of the three affected passengers, including Omisore, and demanding a public apology.

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Flood: Residents Chide Edo Govt Over Failure To Show Concern

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Residents of Ekpoma in Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State have lambasted the Governor Monday Okpehbolo-led state government over failure to show concern on the tragic incident where a cocoa merchant, Frank Omoruyi, was swept away by flood.

Recall that it was reported on Tuesday that flood swept away a man earlier identified as motorcyclist.

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The residents, while expressing displeasure over the state government’s failure to send any rescue team to help recover the corpse, said they paid what they termed ‘good money’ to divers from Benue State to recover Omoruyi’s corpse from a burrow pit at Uwenbo area after two days of intense search.

READ ALSO:Okpebholo Warns Companies Against Fuelling Edo–Delta Boundary Dispute

The residents who lamented that no state government or local government official joined in the rescue operation, threatened to protest and stop further construction work of the Benin-Auchi highway.

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A resident, Samuel Osarenkhoe said: “Two Benue boys were hired to get the body out. We paid them handsomely. He was a cocoa merchant. He was our member and a good friend.

Another resident, Luis Ebabulu, said: “They were saddened that no government official visited the community two days after the incident occurred.

READ ALSO:Edo PDP Knocks Okpebholo Over ₦2.5b Donation To UBTH

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No government official has been here since the incident occurred. We have been contributing money to pay people to search for the body. We are coming out tomorrow to protest to stop the project. They cannot be doing roads and be killing us.

“Flooding and erosion problems have been worsened by the construction of the Benin-Auchi highway. The contractor channeled flood water to the borrowed pit.”

Edo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Hon. Paul Ohonbamu, said Governor l has desilted drainages across the state.

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Police Disown Viral Recruitment Notice, Warn Against Fraud

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The Nigeria Police Force has disowned a recruitment notice circulating on social media, describing it as fake and warning Nigerians not to fall victim to fraudulent schemes.

The document, titled “Nigeria Police Force Recruitment Exercise 2025”, had invited applications from SSCE, OND, HND, and B.Sc. holders, listing requirements such as age limits, fitness standards, and academic qualifications. It also outlined an alleged application process through a supposed police recruitment portal scheduled to open on September 23, 2025.

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The notice claimed that candidates were expected to be Nigerian citizens by birth, hold a valid National Identification Number, and meet minimum height and academic criteria. It also warned against membership of secret societies and directed applicants to submit various documents, including birth certificates and guarantor declarations.

READ ALSO:Police Vows To Arrest Killers of NSCDC Officers In Edo

In a post on its verified X handle on Thursday, the Nigeria Police Force dismissed the claims and stamped the document “FAKE” to alert the public.

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The Police Service Commission (PSC) had earlier issued a similar warning. On August 30, PSC spokesperson Ikechukwu Ani clarified that no recruitment exercise had been announced for 2025.

The advertorial currently in circulation is fictitious and diversionary,” Ani said. “The Commission has repeatedly urged young Nigerians eager to join the police to be patient and await the official process.”

READ ALSO:Police Vows To Arrest Killers of NSCDC Officers In Edo

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He added that the forged documents being circulated bear no resemblance to the Commission’s official communication.

The police authorities reiterated that any official recruitment exercise would be publicly announced through verified government platforms.

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