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NAF denies receiving any calls for rescue regarding attack on Borno village

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The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has refuted a publication in an online platform, which alleged that it did not respond to calls for support when suspected insurgents attacked Takulashi Village, Chibok Local Government Area of Borno.

The Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF Headquarters, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

NAF wishes to state that there is absolutely no iota of truth in the spurious allegations that it failed to respond to calls for support following information allegedly obtained by the online platform, which said it received the report on Sunday, Nov. 1, he said.

“Indeed, we ordinarily would not have responded to such baseless, unfounded allegations but for the need to set the record straight and reaffirm NAF’s commitment to ensure the security of Nigeria and Nigerians, wherever they may reside.

“For the avoidance of doubt, it must be stated that NAF did not receive any call for support regarding an attack on the Village.

“Had any such report been received, NAF, in its characteristic responsiveness, would have certainly taken appropriate action,” he said.

Daramola said that the report rightly remarked that if air support came on time, one or two air strikes would have decimated them.

He, however, said that no request regarding that was made to the Air Task Force of operation ‘LAFIYA DOLE’ (ATF OPLD) on the said date.

Accordingly, it was wrong of the report to state, without any basis, that NAF ignored rescue calls.

“It is pertinent to highlight that NAF, through the ATF OPLD, has flown over 26,000 hours of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and air interdiction missions, as well as close air support missions in the last five years.

“NAF has been working ‘hand-in-glove’ with other security agencies and has a crop of well-trained, highly-motivated young pilots who are ever ready and willing to respond to emergencies, whenever called upon.

“It is utterly ludicrous to insinuate that NAF would fail to respond to any such situation, if called upon. The general public is therefore enjoined to discountenance the evidently false report.”

According to him, “It is equally disingenuous of the online medium to refer to an isolated incident that had its peculiar nuances of pre-disposition to collateral damage as a basis for justifying their blatantly false claims.

Daramola described the development as smacks of gross unprofessionalism and obvious deliberate intent at mischief.

He said, as a professional and disciplined force, NAF has and will continue to do its utmost best to ensure the security of Nigeria and Nigerians across the country.

“We remain resolute in performing our function and will continue to work in synergy with other security agencies to rid the country of insurgents. We will not be distracted by such evidently orchestrated attempts to tarnish the hard-earned and good image of the Service.

Our correspondent, reports that on Nov. 1, insurgents launched an attack on Takulashi village, located in the Chibok Local Government Area of Borno, killing at least nine people, abducted seven others, looted scores of houses for food supplies and other items and subsequently burnt them.

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities chapter at Taraba State University has issued a final warning to the Taraba State Government, calling on Governor Agbu Kefas to immediately implement the 2025 Federal Government–ASUU agreement or risk an indefinite strike.

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In a statement signed by the chapter chairman, Joshua Garba Mbaver, the union accused the state government of repeatedly failing to honour agreements reached with its members, describing the situation as a threat to staff welfare and the future of the institution.

Declaring that lecturers had exhausted their patience, the union stated:

“Enough of empty promises is enough.”

ASUU said its outstanding demands include the implementation of the 2025 Federal Government–ASUU negotiated agreement, payment of the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA), Professorial Allowance, Earned Academic Allowance (EAA), and all outstanding arrears owed to academic staff.

According to the union, these issues have been discussed and documented through several engagements with the state government, but no concrete action has been taken.

“Instead of taking concrete action, our union has been met with silence and neglect by the Taraba State Government,” the statement said.

The union argued that the 2025 agreement was designed to improve staff welfare, strengthen university funding, revitalize public universities, and enhance conditions of service.

It described the government’s continued failure to implement the agreement as “unacceptable, provocative and dangerous,” warning that it undermines collective bargaining and demonstrates a lack of commitment to the survival of the university.

ASUU emphasized that it was not seeking preferential treatment but simply demanding the implementation of agreements already reached.

“We are demanding what is due to our members. We demand respect for labour, fairness, and the comprehensive implementation of the 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement.”

The union further warned that unless the Taraba State Government addresses its demands within the shortest possible time, it will have no option but to embark on an indefinite strike, a move that could significantly disrupt academic activities at Taraba State University.

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Ex- AGF Aondoakaa, SAN condemns killings in Benue

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for the 2027 Benue State election, Chief Michael Aondoakaa,SAN on Wednesday strongly condemned the current wave of attacks in parts of the state, which have led to the killing of many innocent people and the displacement of thousands of others.

Aondoakaa, in a statement signed by his Media Assistant, James Ian, and made available to Our correspondent in Abuja said one of the unfortunate incidents was the recent killing of the Benue State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Ardo Risku Muhammed, describing the murder as reprehensible and unacceptable.

He urged security agencies to find the killers of the MACBAN leader.

Similarly, the former Attorney General and Minister of Justice condemned today’s attack on Saai Community in Mbajir Ward of Katsina-Ala Local Government Area, which claimed the lives of scores of innocent people and left many others with varying degrees of injuries.

Chief Aondoakaa SAN said he received the tragic news with immense shock and deep sorrow, describing the massacre as another painful reminder of the worsening security situation in Benue State.

He extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, the people of Saai Community, Mbajir Ward and the entire Katsina-Ala Local Government Area, while praying for the speedy recovery of those injured in the attack.

He also condemned similar attacks on Benue communities in Agatu, Guma, Gwer West, Kwande and other parts of the state.

While condemning the barbaric assault in Katsina-Ala, Chief Aondoakaa, SAN insisted that the primary responsibility of every government is the protection of lives and property, as clearly provided under Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He therefore called on the Benue State Government to rise to its constitutional responsibility by taking proactive and practical measures to secure the lives of the people instead of allowing communities to remain vulnerable to terrorists, bandits and armed invaders.

He noted that the Benue State Government has no justification whatsoever for failing the people on security, especially when unprecedented funds have been accruing to it following the removal of the fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu to enable states to have the necessary support and resources to confront security challenges within their territories.

According to him, it is both unfortunate and unacceptable that despite the enormous resources available to the present government, many Benue communities have continued to suffer relentless attacks with little evidence of a coordinated state response.

He demanded that the Benue State Government explain what it is doing with the huge monthly security votes appropriated for the protection of lives and property when communities are repeatedly attacked, thousands of people are displaced from their ancestral homes, and innocent men, women and children continue to lose their lives.

He maintained that security votes must translate into visible support for security agencies, improved intelligence gathering, rapid emergency response and concrete measures capable of preventing attacks, rather than becoming mere budgetary figures without corresponding results.

He urged security agencies to carry out a thorough investigation, apprehend those responsible and ensure they are prosecuted in accordance with the law, stressing that every life is sacred and that justice must be served irrespective of the identity of the victim.

He further expressed concern over the deplorable condition and abandonment of rural roads across Benue State, warning that the collapse of critical road infrastructure has continued to undermine security operations by delaying the movement of troops and emergency responders to distressed communities.

According to him, accessible rural roads are not merely development projects but strategic security assets that enable security personnel to respond swiftly to distress calls, pursue criminal elements and protect vulnerable populations.

He called on the military, the police, the Department of State Services (DSS) and all other security agencies to intensify ongoing operations, bring the perpetrators of the Katsina-Ala massacre and other violent crimes to justice, and ensure that no part of Benue State remains under the control or threat of criminal elements.

Aondoakaa prayed for the peaceful repose of the souls of those who lost their lives in the attacks, including the MACBAN Chairman, Alhaji Ardo Risku Muhammed, those who were killed in Saai, as well as all other victims of attacks in the state, asking that God grant comfort to their families and healing to the injured.

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RMAFC Chairman Faces Scrutiny Over Alleged Corrupt Enrichment

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The Coalition of Civil Society Groups on Transparency and Accountability (CCGTA) has accused the Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Dr. Mohammed Bello Shehu, OFR of corrupt enrichment

The coalition, an umbrella body of Nigerian civil society organisations focused on anti-corruption and good governance, has written to the RMAFC chairman seeking clarification over what it describes as discrepancies between the assets he declared in his 2020 Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) asset declaration and his current traceable wealth.

In a letter dated 29th June 2026 and signed by its Coordinator, Comrade Bashir Kurfi, a copy of which seen by our correspondent, the coalition stated that it was concerned about an “inexplicable gap” between the financial assets, personal properties and other interests declared by Dr. Shehu upon his appointment as Secretary of the Commission in 2020 and his present wealth profile.

According to the letter, “we are first of all genuinely concerned with the inconsistencies observed in the 2020 asset declaration. However, that is not our immediate focus at the moment. What’s paramount at the moment is the sudden unexplained wealth.

“Our action is not vindictive but a standard accountability procedure employed by CCGTA, which gives public individuals the opportunity to respond to allegations before further steps are taken.

“Any further action by us, including the decision to organise public protests, petition anti-corruption agencies, institute legal proceedings or publicly campaign on the matter would depend on the outcome of the clarification sought from the Chairman”

The coalition gave Dr. Shehu three days ultimatum to respond to the issues raised and threatened” “to invoke all legal means within its power to pursue the matter to logical conclusion if their request is not adequately addressed”.

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