Headline

UK Opens Visa Application Centres In Enugu, Port Harcourt

Published

3 months ago

May 5, 2025

Residents of Enugu and Port Harcourt seeking to travel to the United Kingdom can now access visa services more conveniently, following the opening of new Premium Visa Application Centres by VFS Global in both cities.

According to a statement from the UK Home Office on Monday, the new centres, located at Omedel Luxury Hotel in Enugu and Hotel Presidential in Port Harcourt, are designed to cater to the increasing demand for UK visas from Nigeria, particularly during the summer travel season.

Appointments can be booked online via the VFS Global website.

The statement noted that these additions complement existing UK Visa Application Centres in Abuja, Ikeja, and Victoria Island, Lagos, which have been operational since November 2024.

Nigeria remains one of the top four countries globally for UK visit visa applications, accounting for six percent of the total, the statement added.

The UK Minister of State at the Home Office, Rt. Hon. Lord Hanson noted the significance of the openings. “The government is pleased to be able to reopen the Premium Visa Application Centres in both Port Harcourt and Enugu.

“In 2024 we received more than 230,000 visa applications from Nigerian nationals across all visa routes and these new premium application centres will provide greater convenience for applicants in and around Enugu and Rivers State demonstrating the importance of the UK – Nigeria relationship in these markets as well as Nigeria as a whole,” he said.

The Head of Sub-Saharan Africa at VFS Global, Alok Singhal, emphasised the added convenience. “We are pleased to open the additional, conveniently located touchpoints for our UK visa customers in the form of the recently opened Premium Application Centres in Enugu and Port Harcourt, Nigeria, which help us cater to a larger number of travellers to the UK.

“Our customers will continue to enjoy the same comfort, convenience, and best-in-class services at these locations that they do at our Visa Application Centres in Abuja and Lagos,” he said.

Applicants using the Premium Centres can also take advantage of additional services, including document upload assistance, application status notifications, courier return of documents, and the option to keep their passports while applications are processed.

VFS Global, which began partnering with UK Visas and Immigration in 2003, was awarded the global contract to manage UK visa services in 142 countries in 2023.

The company operates over 3,500 application centres across 158 countries and has processed more than 309 million applications since 2001.

Headline

Medical Plane Crash Kills Six In Kenya

Published

9 hours ago

August 7, 2025

Editor

A medical light aircraft crashed into a small residential block near the Kenyan capital Nairobi, killing at least six people and injuring two seriously, a local official said Thursday.

The plane took off from Nairobi’s Wilson airport at 2:17 pm local time (1100 GMT) and was en route to Somaliland when it came down in Ruiru, Kiambu County, shortly after 3:00 pm (1200 GMT).

“We have lost four people, including the pilot… it was all fatal,” said Kiambu County commissioner Henry Wafula, adding that two people were killed on the ground. He said another two had been “seriously injured”.

AFP

Headline

FULL LIST: Ghana Releases Identities Of Helicopter Crash Victims

Published

18 hours ago

August 7, 2025

Editor

The Ghanaian Government has released the names of individuals who died in Wednesday morning’s military helicopter crash.

The crash involved a Z-9 helicopter belonging to the Ghana Armed Forces, which lost contact during a flight from Accra, the capital, to Obuasi, a gold-mining town in the south, where the crew headed for an official engagement.

In a post via its official X handle on Wednesday, the Ghana Armed Forces said the victims comprise eight people.

The names and portfolios of the victims are listed below:

1. Edward Omane Boamah – Minister for Defence

2. ⁠Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed – Minister for Environment, Science and Technology

3. Muniru Mohammed – Acting deputy, National Security Coordinator and former Minister for Food and Agriculture

4. Samuel Sarpong – Vice- Chairman, National Democratic Congress

5. ⁠Samuel Aboagye – Former parliamentary candidate

6. Peter Baafemi Anala – ⁠Squadron leader

7. ⁠Manaen Twum Ampadu – Flying officer

8. ⁠Ernest Addo – Sergeant

Following the sad development, Ghanaian President John Mahama described the incident as a national tragedy and suspended activities upon receiving the news.

He also directed that flags fly at half-mast to honour the memory of the victims.

Headline

Bodies Of Helicopter Crash Victims Arrive In Accra

Published

18 hours ago

August 7, 2025

Editor

The Ghana Armed Forces on Wednesday confirmed the arrival in Accra of the remains of the victims of the Z-9 military helicopter crash, which claimed the lives of eight personnel.

It stated that the victims’ bodies were transported from the crash site aboard a Ghana Air Force Casa aircraft and received at the Air Force Base in Accra on August 6, 2025.

According to a statement issued by the Acting Director General, Public Relations, Ghana Navy, Captain Veronica Arhin, government officials, military personnel, and sympathisers led by the Chief of Staff at the Presidency, Julius Debrah, were present to receive the bodies.

The statement said the remains have since been deposited at the 37 Military Hospital for preservation and preparations for burial.

It noted that all eight bodies were recovered from the crash site located in the Sikaman area, near Adansi Akrofuom in Ghana’s Ashanti Region.

The Ghana Armed Forces extended its appreciation to the people of Sikaman and the security services for their support during the recovery operations.

“The Deputy Minister for Defence, Hon. Brogya Genfi, and the Military High Command extend their deepest condolences to the families in this difficult national tragedy,” the statement added.