Four states have so far approved the constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police, according to the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Planning and Research, Nnadubem Moghalu.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Moghalu, who also serves as Secretary of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja during a parliamentary lecture organised by the House of Representatives Press Corps.

He identified Edo, Rivers, Osun and Oyo as the four states that have approved the proposed amendment.

The bill requires the endorsement of at least 24 state Houses of Assembly before the constitutional amendment can become effective.

Moghalu explained that the constitutional amendment is separate from the National Policing Bill currently being developed by the Federal Government.

According to him, the constitutional amendment would provide the legal foundation for a dual policing system, while the national legislation would establish the operational framework for implementing the system.

“The required threshold is twenty-four states. The constitutional process continues until that threshold is met.

“The distinction between that constitutional amendment and the national policing bill we are now working on is important. The amendment would create a constitutional basis for the dual policing model,” he said.

Moghalu added that individual states would thereafter be expected to enact relevant laws and establish the institutions required to operate their police systems.

“The national policing bill is intended to provide the operational framework through which that constitutional model can work. State legislation and the practical work of building capable institutions must follow within the resulting legal framework,” he said.

The presidential aide, however, warned against the possibility of state police being abused by political actors.

He cautioned that governors must not deploy state security agencies against political opponents, just as local majorities should not be allowed to use security forces to target minority groups.

Moghalu called for the proposed framework to clearly define the powers of state police authorities and establish appropriate sanctions for abuses.

Speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary of the National Assembly Library Trust Fund, Henry Nwawuba, urged lawmakers to move beyond expressions of sympathy over insecurity and pursue legislative solutions to the problem.

“We can’t keep saying our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of insecurity and we call ourselves legislators,” he said.

Former House of Representatives Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu, also expressed support for the proposed policing reform but called for strong safeguards.

Elumelu said the system must be built around professionalism and accountability, while ensuring respect for human rights and adequate training for personnel.

He also emphasised the need to protect state police from political interference.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the House of Representatives, Akin Rotimi, who represented the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, urged journalists and lawmakers to assess the proposal based on its principles, provisions and potential consequences.

He cautioned against judging the initiative based solely on the identities of those sponsoring or supporting it.

The Chairperson of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in the Federal Capital Territory, Grace Ike, said policing closer to communities could improve responses to local security challenges.

She, however, stressed that the system would require effective oversight, adequate funding and strong accountability measures to prevent abuse.

The Osun State Government is set to hold a security meeting following a rise in security breaches, particularly the recent killings allegedly linked to rival cult groups across the state.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Naija News reports that the meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, will focus on addressing the growing security concerns and finding ways to curb the killings.

Speaking to The PUNCH, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Samuel Ojo, confirmed that the meeting would bring security agencies together to deliberate on the situation.

According to Ojo, the meeting would also examine measures to improve security in forests across the state, particularly following the recent killing of an alleged ISWAP leader in Owo, Ondo State.

“We are holding a security meeting on Wednesday, by the special grace of God, to reassure our people and put our security agencies on their toes.

“What happened in Ondo is a lesson to those criminals hibernating in the forests.

“We will not take it lightly with anyone using the forest as a hideout,” he said.

Ojo further disclosed that the government would use the meeting to address the spate of killings involving rival cult groups in recent weeks.

“Aside from that, we are also using the meeting to address the incessant killings by rival cult groups in the past weeks.

“We need to meet and discuss how to stop these killings by cult groups or any other violent crimes hiding under that canopy,” he added.

The governor’s aide stressed that the government was determined to end the violence in order to protect the image of Osun State.

He warned those involved in violent crimes to desist from such activities or face severe consequences.

“We need to stop it, so as not to give our state a bad name, because nobody knows what they are fighting for or why they are killing themselves,” Ojo said.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) have provided different figures for the number of people aboard the NAF ATR-42 aircraft that crashed in Igbokoda, Ondo State.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

While Keyamo initially reported that 32 people were on board, comprising 25 passengers and seven crew members, the NAF later said the aircraft was carrying 25 people — 20 passengers and five crew members.

The Air Force subsequently released the names of all 25 occupants and confirmed that there were no survivors.

According to Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, Director of Public Relations and Information, all 25 occupants of the aircraft, designated NAF 931, had been accounted for.

The five crew members were identified as Squadron Leader M.I. Aburime, the flight captain; Squadron Leader A.P. Man-Ugwueje, co-pilot; Flight Lieutenant I.S. Bako, co-pilot; Warrant Officer A. Abubakar, aircraft technician; and Corporal H.C. Uguru, aircraft technician.

The 20 passengers were identified as Flight Lieutenant T.L. Lazarus, Flight Lieutenant M. Akinloye, Flying Officer I.M. Adeshina, Master Warrant Officer F. Onwuka, Master Warrant Officer B.A. Matini, Warrant Officer F.S. Nuhu, Flight Sergeant R.B. James, Flight Sergeant A.I. Mohammed, Sergeant A.E. Ani, Sergeant S.I. Izibenikien, Sergeant C. Alafuka, Sergeant A.N. Mbadugha, Lance Corporal F.C. Ugwuba, Lance Corporal G.E. Eledan, Mrs Nneka Ezeh, Godstmine Tarabina, Joy Micheal, Sunday Micheal, Ukeme David and Gideon Omotola.

The NAF said the aircraft was carrying out a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when it crashed in the Igbokoda area.

Following the incident, search-and-rescue operations were immediately launched in collaboration with relevant authorities.

“No survivors have been found,” the NAF stated.

Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, expressed condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of those who lost their lives.

Aneke also ordered a comprehensive investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the crash.

The Air Force urged the public to avoid speculation and the spread of unverified information while respecting the privacy of the victims’ families.

The NAF further announced the opening of a condolence register at its headquarters in Abuja for government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, security chiefs and other sympathisers.

Keyamo Initially Put Number at 32

Keyamo’s initial account of the incident differed from the figure later released by the NAF.

In a statement issued on Monday, the minister said air traffic controllers alerted him at about 9:13am that a military aircraft with tail number NGR 931, travelling from Benin to Lagos, had lost communication.

He said efforts to establish contact with the aircraft initially failed before authorities confirmed that it had crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda.

“The wreckage has been located, and search and rescue operations are ongoing,” Keyamo said.

The minister stated that 32 people were aboard the aircraft, including 25 passengers and seven crew members.

He also clarified that military aircraft regulation and control fall outside the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.

Keyamo said he had spoken with the Chief of the Air Staff and assured the NAF of the ministry’s support for the ongoing search-and-rescue operation.

However, the NAF’s subsequent statement placed the number of occupants at 25, comprising 20 passengers and five crew members, and confirmed that all 25 people died in the crash.