The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), has charged the newly promoted officers of the academy to imbibe the core principles of Command, Leadership and Management as foundational pillars for effective military service.
The commandant of the academy, Maj.-Gen. Olatoye Oluyemi, gave the charge in a statement issued by its Public Relations Officer , Maj. Reuben Kovangiya, on Tuesday in Kaduna.
Olatoye gave the charge during an investiture ceremony held in honour of the promoted officers on Monday at the NDA Officers’ Mess Afaka Kaduna.
He said Olatoye congratulated them on their well-deserved elevation, reminding the officers that promotion signified the beginning of higher responsibilities.
He stated that their advancement was a testament to their dedication, consistency, loyalty and adherence to the core values of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
The commandant emphasised the need for a deliberate balance among the three pillars of command, leadership and management, explaining that effective military service required more than the exercise of authority.
He further stressed that excellent character, teamwork, professionalism and sound decision-making remain indispensable qualities for senior military officers.
Olatoye urged the officers to demonstrate leadership through integrity, mentorship and the development of their subordinates, stating that true leaders correct, guide and inspire growth.
He reiterated the importance of effective management in the utilisation of men and resources, encouraging the officers to adopt emotional intelligence, reflected in self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills, as essential leadership competencies.
Kovangiya said the commandant placed particular emphasis on empathy, describing it as a critical tool for strengthening unity, morale and cohesion within the military environment.
He urged the officers to remain worthy ambassadors of the Nigerian Defence Academy and continue to uphold the enduring ideals of professionalism, discipline, and excellence.
The spokesperson said delivering the vote of thanks on behalf of the newly promoted officers, Brig.-Gen. MA Maina, expressed profound gratitude to the Service Chiefs for finding them worthy to be promoted.
He appreciated the commandant for his exemplary leadership and consistent support.
Maina also acknowledged the guidance of the Deputy Commandant, AVM AK Bello, as well as the mentorship provided by senior officers of the Academy.
He said Maina extended heartfelt appreciation to their families, particularly their spouses, for their sacrifices, encouragement and unwavering support.
He equally thanked principal staff officers, officers, civilian staff, families and well-wishers who graced the ceremony.
Kovangiya disclosed that the officers decorated with their new ranks included Brig-Gen. MA Maina, Commodore MT Suleiman, Captain (NN) OO Kolawole and Lt.-Commander SA Makka.
Others were: Lieut. (NN) AS Ashava and Lieut. (NN) CN Ejike.
NDA Commandant Charges Promoted Officers To Embrace Command, Leadership, Management
Global Atrocities Rising, UN Adviser On Genocide Prevention Warns
The United Nations’ Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Chaloka Beyani says conflicts are increasingly targeting civilians and heightening the risk of atrocity crimes globally.
Beyani gave the warning ahead of the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime on December 9.
The UN official also warned that the world is witnessing an alarming erosion of respect for international law amidst the rise in global atrocity.
The Office on the Prevention of Genocide and the Responsibility to Protect functions as an early warning system within the UN.
It alerts the Secretary-General, the Security Council and the wider UN system, in that order, when the risk of atrocity crimes, including genocide, is detected.
The Office draws on the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and legal opinions on genocide-related court cases.
The Office also monitors and analyses 14 factors, ranging from armed conflict involving ethnic or religious groups, to hate speech, and the collapse of the rule of law, among others.
Genocide is coined from the Greek prefix genos (meaning, people, race or tribe) and Latin suffix cide (meaning, killing).
According to international law, genocide means any of the acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.
These include killing members of a group or causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of a group.
It also includes deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.
The other is imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group or forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
When these risks show a violent pattern, Beyani issues advisories and coordinates responses with UN officials, maintaining close links with regional organisations like the AU, the EU and other international mechanisms.
“Once our Office sounds the alarm, it signals that the threshold is about to be crossed,” he said.
“Our role is not to determine genocide but to prevent it,”
The adviser noted that indigenous communities, often targeted in disputes over land and natural resources, are among the groups most in need of protection.
“Extraction industries and deliberate actions against them put them at enormous risk,” he said.
“Their identity and way of life make them particularly vulnerable, Beyani emphasised, stressing that his Office defers to international courts to determine whether the crime has been committed.
The Special Adviser also underscored the important role of courts and justice in the protection of vulnerable people.
“The one thing that you want to do in the context of dealing with atrocities is to make aware those who are participating in conflicts that they’re being watched and monitored,” Beyani said.
“Prevention includes accountability,” the Special Adviser said.
Among emerging threats which Beyani’s Office monitors are misinformation and hate speech.
His Office works with technology companies like Meta and Google to address online incitement and with religious and community leaders to counter hate narratives at the local level.
In spite of the gravity of his mandate, the Special Adviser remains focused on diplomacy and prevention over public condemnation.
“This Office was designed to engage quietly, to advise the Secretary-General and the Security Council, and to make public statements when necessary,” he explained.
“States see it as threatening in some respects.”
The Special Adviser emphasised that prevention requires memory as much as action.
“Commemoration of past genocides reminds us of the UN’s founding promise of ‘never again,’ and the basis upon which the Genocide Convention stands” he said.
He noted the preparations for the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime on December 9.
“But remembrance alone is not enough. We must strengthen our tools, build trust, and act early,” he stressed.
MWAN Launches nationwide Drive To Boost Health Workers’ Response To Gender Based Violence
Dr. Zainab Muhammad-Idris, National President of the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN), has announced the launch of a nationwide health-sector initiative aimed at strengthening the response of health workers to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Nigeria.
Muhammad- Idris, disclosed this in a statement issued to newsmen on Tuesday in Kaduna.
She said the initiative, supported by the French Embassy in Nigeria, was being implemented as part of the global 16 Days of Activism Against GBV, with the theme “Unite! Invest to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls.”
Muhammad-Idris said the campaign focuses on enhancing the knowledge, capacity and responsiveness of health workers to identify, manage and support survivors of GBV across the country.
She described GBV as a major public health emergency in Nigeria, noting that women and girls are disproportionately affected.
According to her, in spite of the existence of national legal and policy frameworks such as the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP, 2015) and the National Guidelines for Health Sector Response to GBV (Federal Ministry of Health, 2019), many health facilities continue to face challenges
These include inadequate knowledge, weak referral systems and insufficient survivor-centred care.
To bridge these gaps, MWAN was conducting a national assessment of GBV knowledge and management practices among Doctors, Nurses, Midwives and allied health professionals in selected health facilities across the six geopolitical zones.
She explained that the findings would be used to strengthen policies, design targeted training programmes and improve referral pathways and survivor-centred services within the health sector.
The MWAN president said the project aligns with the 2025 global theme, “Unite! Invest to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls,” and expands the association’s ongoing advocacy for safer communities, stronger institutions and improved national accountability for GBV response.
She outlined the key messages of the campaign, stressing that health workers are vital to ending GBV and that informed action saves lives.
She added that every survivor deserves dignity, confidentiality and professional care, and that investing in knowledge is investing in prevention.
Muhammad-Idris called on all health workers across Nigeria to remain vigilant, informed and compassionate in their daily practice.
“As frontline responders, our actions can break cycles of silence, prevent further harm and restore dignity to survivors. Together, we can build a safer, more just Nigeria where women and girls live free from violence,” she said.
Tinubu–Fubara Secret Meeting Sparks Defection Rumours and Fresh Power Shifts in Rivers Politics
Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara on Monday held a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, amid intensifying political drama in the state.
Our correspondent sighted the governor around 5:01 p.m., walking toward the President’s office in a deep-blue long-sleeve shirt, black trousers, and a black flat cap. Minutes earlier, Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru had also been ushered in for a separate engagement.
Although details of the two meetings remain undisclosed, the timing has fueled fresh speculation about the next major political shifts in Rivers State and beyond.
Fubara’s visit comes as talk grows louder that he may be preparing to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC). The speculation intensified on Friday, December 5, after 17 lawmakers loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule defected from the PDP to the APC, ostensibly at the behest of the minister of the FCT, whose stranglehold on the lawmakers is widely known. Most political analysts and observers believe it is just a matter of time before the remaining 10 lawmakers join the colleagues in the APC.
With only three lawmakers still seen as loyal to Fubara and who have not resumed sitting since the lifting of the six-month emergency rule on September 18 — analysts say the governor may be weighing several political options. These include forging a new alliance with the Presidency, consolidating his base within the PDP, or making a bold move to the APC to survive deepening hostilities at home.
Sources close to both camps suggest that if Fubara senses an imminent impeachment plot, crossing over to the ruling party could offer him stronger political cover. Others, however, believe he may be seeking Tinubu’s backing to neutralize the Wike-aligned lawmakers while retaining his position within the PDP.
Friday’s mass defection has also raised questions about whether the crisis in Rivers could trigger another round of federal intervention after the March 18 emergency rule that temporarily removed Fubara from office before his reinstatement.
For now, all eyes remain on the Tinubu–Fubara meeting, whose outcome could determine the next major political moves in Rivers State’s escalating power struggle.
Tackle Insecurity Like You Foiled Benin Coup — ADC Tells FG
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has praised the Federal Government for its swift and decisive intervention in quelling the attempted coup in Benin Republic, but called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to demonstrate the same level of urgency in tackling Nigeria’s worsening insecurity.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said the government’s rapid response in Benin starkly contrasts with what it described as the “slow, inconsistent, and often haphazard” approach to combating banditry, terrorism, and violent crime within Nigeria.
According to Abdullahi, while the decisive intervention helped safeguard democracy in a neighbouring country, it has raised pressing questions at home.
“Many Nigerians are asking why the government could move so swiftly in Benin but has failed to respond with similar urgency to the banditry and violent crimes that continue to ravage communities across our country,” he said.
The ADC also queried Nigeria’s hesitation during the Guinea-Bissau crisis — particularly when a former Nigerian President was caught in the instability — saying it exposed inconsistencies in the nation’s foreign intervention strategy. Abdullahi added that such contradictions fuel suspicions that external influence may have shaped the rapid response in Benin.
While acknowledging the importance of defending democracy in the region, the party stressed that true leadership begins at home.
“A government that can act promptly abroad must also act decisively within its own borders,” the statement read. “The protection of Nigerian lives and the restoration of security must take precedence.”
The party further urged the Federal Government to ensure that the President’s unilateral military deployment to Benin is subjected to National Assembly ratification in accordance with constitutional provisions.
Reiterating its stance against unconstitutional power grabs, the ADC said the most effective barrier against military interventions remains good governance, one that improves citizens’ lives, tolerates dissent, and strengthens democratic institutions.
Headline: NSA Hands Over 100 Rescued Niger Schoolchildren as Hope Rises for Others
Niger State Governor Mohammed Umar Bago has officially received 100 rescued students of St. Mary’s Catholic School, abducted on November 21, 2025. The children were handed over at Government House, Minna, by Wing Commander Abdullahi Idi Hong, who represented the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
Delivering the students, the NSA reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to securing communities nationwide, pledging continued policies aimed at protecting every Nigerian child.
Governor Bago described the successful rescue as a landmark moment in the history of Niger State. He expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu, the NSA, and all security partners involved in the operation.
He also urged Nigerians to keep praying for the safe return of the remaining abducted students and their teachers still in captivity, assuring families that efforts are ongoing to reunite them soon.
Following the handover ceremony, buses transported the rescued children to Kontagora, where they were reunited with their parents and loved ones.
AFCON Warm Up: FIFA Rule Shifts Nigeria vs Egypt Friendly To Dec 16
A new FIFA release-date regulation for players has forced a shift in Nigeria’s pre-Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) friendly against Egypt to Dec. 16.
A statement by Ademola Olajire, NFF’s Director of Communications on Monday, said the game, originally fixed for December 14 in Cairo, was affected by the directive, allowing clubs to keep players until December 15.
“Officials confirmed that the match will now be held at Cairo Stadium, 8 p.m. local time (7 p.m. Nigeria time), as a practice encounter.
The change means both teams can make more than five substitutions during the warm-up fixture ahead of the AFCON in Morocco,” Olajire said.
Nigeria will play in Group C alongside Tunisia, Uganda, and Tanzania, beginning their campaign on Dec. 23 in Fez.
They face Tunisia on Dec. 27 and Uganda on Dec. 30, both at the same venue during the group stage.
Seven-time champions Egypt are placed in Group B with South Africa, Angola, and Zimbabwe, with matches scheduled at Stade d’Agadir.
Navy Offers Free Healthcare To Bayelsa Community
The Nigerian Navy Ship SOROH (NNS SOROH), under the Central Naval Command, has offered free medical outreach to the Zarama community in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
Speaking during the commencement ceremony on Monday, the Commander of NNS SOROH, Commodore Omobamidele Akinbami, said the exercise was aimed at strengthening cooperation with the host community.
The residents received free medical checkups, consultations, health education, insecticide-treated nets, medications and other services.
Represented by Capt. Jerry Ayim-Odu, Executive Officer of NNS SOROH, the Commander said the outreach was designed to provide quality healthcare to residents and promote a healthier, more resilient population.
He emphasised the importance of good health and reaffirmed the Nigerian Navy’s commitment to extending its medical services beyond naval personnel to surrounding communities.
Akinbami noted that the medical outreach formed part of the Navy’s Corporate Social Responsibility efforts.
He urged Zarama residents to take advantage of the free services, stressing that prioritising their health would contribute to a more prosperous and vibrant community.
“The Nigerian Navy Ship is here to conduct a free medical outreach as part of our yearly activities.
“This programme is designed to offer free medical services, deepen medical awareness and strengthen civil-military relations between the Navy and the host community.
“We encourage everyone in this community to participate so we can protect our future and that of our children.
“Beyond providing maritime security, the Navy also deploys non-kinetic measures like this outreach to discourage involvement in maritime crime and show that the Federal Government and the Navy care about your wellbeing,” he said.
A beneficiary, Mrs Beauty Ebiba, commended the Nigerian Navy for bringing the outreach to her community and appealed for similar initiatives in other areas.
Chief Moses Etekpe also expressed appreciation to NNS SOROH for remembering the community, saying the free medical services had uplifted residents and their families.
He urged community members to come out en masse to check their health status and seek timely medical care.
Anambra Church Attack: Police Vows To Hunt Down Perpetrators
The Police Command in Anambra has condemned the attack on a Church carried out by armed criminals which resulted in the death of one person and leaving several others injured.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the development in a statement on Monday in Awka.
Ikenga said that the incident happened in the early hours of Sunday in Lilu, Ihiala Local Government Area of the state.
He disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, had condemned the heinous and abominable act.
“This abominable act, committed against innocent worshippers, was not only an assault on the community but a grave affront to our shared values of peace, sanctity of life, and freedom of worship.
“The Command extends its deepest sympathies to the families of the victims and to the entire Lilu community and assures the public that the Police shall relentlessly hunt down the perpetrators of this crime.
“Our community should not be subjected to such brutality as the command will not allow criminals to instill fear or destabilize the peace we are working tirelessly to maintain”, the commissioner said.
Orutugu urged residents to remain calm and cooperate with the joint security team investigating the matter by providing useful information that can assist ongoing investigations for justice to be served.
He said that the command remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting lives and property across Ihiala and the entire state.
Tinubu Urges Accountability, As NDDC Boss Bags Excellence Award
President Bola Tinubu has called on public servants to uphold accountability in service to build trust, as he conferred the Distinguished Award for Excellence in Infrastructure Delivery and Sustainable Regional Growth on the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, and other outstanding leaders.
Speaking at the third edition of the Nigeria Excellence Awards in Public Service, NEAPS, held at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, the President warned that weak sanction systems and lax oversight often fuel cynicism about governance.
President Tinubu, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator George Akume, said the excellence award initiative would challenge officials to raise standards because “they know the people are monitoring them.”
He observed, “The unsystematic enforcement of law and institutional mechanisms for holding civil servants and public officials accountable will always lead to a negative impression on the citizens.
“I wish that leaders would arise and stand up to be counted among leaders who have distinguished themselves to do the right thing and leave their footprints on the sands of time.”
The President argued that public service is a trust that must be exercised with “responsibility, integrity, loyalty and efficiency,” adding that officers are expected to think creatively to solve citizens’ problems.
He observed that the excellence award organised by The Best Strategic Media in collaboration with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation “relies on performance indices, not politics, to select honourees.”
The President said: “These awards are born out of empirical evidence of performance and not politics,” he said, commending recipients drawn from federal and state institutions, including some governors and ministers.
Speaking on the award, the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Ogbuku, remarked that it showed that Nigerians appreciated the work the NDDC was doing in Nigeria’s oil-rich region.
He thanked President Tinubu and the NEAPS award committee for the honour, reaffirming his commitment to sustaining the pace of development and transforming the Niger Delta region.
Ogbuku noted: “This award serves as a motivation to continue driving the sustainable development of our region. We will continue to serve the needs of the people and enhance the quality of life for them.”
“This honour calls for more hard work, and we will not rest on our oars until we satisfy the yearnings of the people of the Niger Delta region and take development to the nooks and crannies of the region as part of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu’s administration.”
In a congratulatory message, the Chairman of the NDDC Governing Board, Mr. Chiedu Ebie, described the award conferred on Ogbuku as a testament to the innovations and progress he brought into the management of the Commission.
He stated that Ogbuku was rightly chosen for the prestigious award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to nation-building, dedication to fostering progress and unrelenting pursuit of excellence.
Ebie noted: “The activities of the current Board and Management of the NDDC now resonate with the people of the Niger Delta region and beyond.”
The Chairman of the NEAPS Advisory Committee and a retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Justice Mary Odili, observed that service excellence must never be taken for granted, stating: “Excellence in public service is a value we must continue to uphold.”
The NEAPS 2025 awards were presented to 44 distinguished Nigerians, in categories that include excellence in infrastructure service delivery, urban renewal, financial innovation, digital innovation, outstanding reform initiative, security management, transparency and open governance.