The Department of State Service (DSS) has reportedly invited the leadership of Cattle and Foodstuff dealers under the aegis of Amalgamated Union of Foodstuff and Cattle Dealers of Nigeria (AUFCDN) for blocking food transportation to the Southern region of the country.

General Secretary of the AUFCDN, Ahmed Alaramma who disclosed this at a press briefing at Labour House in Abuja on Monday March 1, said the President of the Association, Mohammed Tahir is with the DSS.

Alaramma accused military personnel of intimidating members and task force of the union, and also urged the government to avert looming chaos by stopping the intimidation of their members.

The Airports Council International (ACI) Africa has awarded Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja the 2020 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) award for Best Airport by Size and Region (5 to 15 million passengers per year in Africa).

Moi International Airport, Mombasa, Kenya won the Best African Airport under 2 million passengers per year.

Kotoka International Airport, Kotoka, Accra, Ghana won the Best African Airport 2 to 5 million passengers per year.

The African Airport with Best Hygiene Measures was won by Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport, Mauritius.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) MD/CEO, Captain Rabiu Yadudu accepted the award on behalf of the organisation and restated FAAN’s commitment to ensuring the safety, security and comfort of passengers at all airports across the country.

Yadudu said; 

“This award represents FAAN’s commitment to continuously improving customer’s experience across all our airports.

“The recognition comes at a time when we are geared towards ensuring seamless airport facilitation with the opening of new terminals and upgrading of our current infrastructures across board.”

Chinese owned electronics and media company, StarTimes, has refuted reports that it is subject to a winding-up court order, following a petition filed in a Hong Kong court against the company by a sports and entertainment network, beIN Media Group.

According to a report in February by Sports market intelligence platform, GlobalData, StarTimes signed a deal in 2018 with beIN Media Group which holds international Ligue 1 rights from 2018-19 to 2023-24 to broadcast English- and local-language Ligue 1 in sub-Saharan Africa.

The pay-TV operator is reported to now owe beIN $11m, including interest.

The Public Relations Manager, StarTimes Nigeria, Lazarus Ibeabuchi, on Monday, in a statement titled ‘No Wind-up Court Order on StarTimes’, said the court proceeding was ongoing and that the eventual decision of the Hong Kong court would not impact the company’s operations in Nigeria.

It read, “Following articles published by some Nigerian media over an alleged dispute between StarTimes and beIN Media Group, StarTimes wants to clarify the following points:

“StarTimes has not been subjected to any court order, in Nigeria or anywhere else, in relation to a dispute with beIN Media Group.

“Though in Hong Kong, a legal proceeding is ongoing to resolve the differences between both aggrieved parties, it’s an ongoing court proceeding and not a court order. A court in Hong Kong has no jurisdiction over Nigeria.

“Whatever decision reached is binding on both parties in that country only, and would have no consequences on StarTimes’ operations in Nigeria.”

Ibeabuchi added that StarTimes had been in constant communication with beIN Media Group, saying it was confident that the two parties will resolve the issue in an amicable manner.

According to StarTimes, for several years, it has been the official broadcaster of premium sports events in Sub-Saharan Africa, including La Liga, Bundesliga and UEFA Europa football leagues, Spain’s Copa del Rey and Supercopa de España, England’s FA Cup and Italy’s Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana.

The Federal Government has ordered the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, to immediately develop a plan for the protection of schools across the country in order to ensure the safety of children, especially within the school environs, from the incessant attacks by kidnappers and armed men.

The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, gave the directive in his office in Abuja, on Monday, while decorating Ahmed Audi as the new Commandant- General of the NSCDC.

According to him, “Children are a specially protected social category. They are innocent and at the same time vulnerable. They are as vulnerable to external circumstances as to their own wiles.”

This was contained in a statement by the Ministry of Interior spokesman, Mohammed Manga, titled, ‘FG tasks NSCDC on school security.’

Aregbesola expressed sadness over the spate of violations and kidnappings in schools urged the NSCDC to continue to work in synergy with other security agencies with a view to immediately restore peace and security in the country, particularly within the school environment.

In his speech titled “Your moment to be a hero”, the minister reminded the new Commandant-General that he is mounting the saddle “of this great organization at a very critical time in our dear nation with challenging security situations.”

He, therefore, informed him that it is going to be rough but that, as a motivational speaker once wrote, it is great challenges that produce heroes and men of history and thus advised him that he should continue to navigate diligently and triumphantly taking cognisance of the rigorous selection process that brought him into office, so as to ensure that he delivers on the mandate of the NSCDC in line with the policy thrust of the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).

The statement read, “Aregbeslola further charged the leadership of the corps to develop a robust scheme that would not only check the menace in the schools but also ensure the protection of critical national assets, such as pipelines, electricity pylons, stations and cables, telecommunication mast, cables and installations.”

“Another scheme, like the Agro Rangers, should also be developed to cover full agriculture and offer protection to all categories of farmers. Protecting crop farmers and pastoralists is a matter of national food security”, he noted.

Speaking at the national headquarters of the Corps, the CG promised to establish a Women Corps to help stem the tide of insecurity across the country.

Audi who spoke shortly after taking over from the acting Commandant-General, Hillary Madu, also hinted of plans to fortify the agro rangers corps.

The Anambra State Police Command arrested a man who was disguising as an Okada rider in other to kidnap a four-months-old baby.

The man, Ikecgukwu Odom, 25, attempted to kidnap a four-months-old baby from the mother.

According to the statement released by Mohammed Haruna, spokesperson of the state police command, says on Sunday, February 28, the police received a distress call at Okpunoeze Uruagu, Nnewi that a 25-year-old man, Ikechukwu Odoh, who pretended to be an okada rider allegedly went into a compound in the area and attempted to snatch a 
four months old baby girl named Success Odeh from her mother.

”The mother resisted and screamed for help which attracted the attention of the neighbours who in conjunction with local vigilante assisted the police in arresting the suspect.”Haruna said

The police spokesperson added that the case is currently under investigation to ascertain the motive behind such act, after which the suspect will be brought to justice.