The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, has approved the appointment of Air Commodore Olusola Akinboyewa as the new Director of Public Relations and Information (DOPRI) and spokesman of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).

According to a statement by Deputy Director Public Relations and Information, Group Captain Kabiru, on Tuesday, October 8, Air Commodore Akinboyewa would take over from Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, who has been redeployed to NAF’s Civil-Military Relations Branch, as Director of Coordination and Cooperation.

The statement said: “This strategic realignment is part of the NAF’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its public and community engagement functions, while also ensuring a more robust and effective interface with the general public and stakeholders.

“As the new Spokesperson, Air Commodore Akinboyewa is expected to continue in the footsteps of his predecessor by overseeing NAF’s media engagements, strategic communications, and information dissemination, while building perception, maintaining transparency and further enhancing public trust and confidence.”

Air Commodore Akinboyewa is a member of the 43rd Regular Combatant Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the NDA, and a Masters Degree in Security and Strategic Studies from the same institution.

Until his appointment he was the Commandant of NAF’s Air Traffic Services Training Centre, Kaduna.

The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered the immediate withdrawal of police personnel previously deployed to seal off the 23 local government areas of Rivers State.

This directive was announced on Monday in a statement by Grace Iringe-Koko, the Public Relations Officer of the Rivers State Command.

According to the statement, the order follows recent political developments in Rivers State.

“The newly deployed State Commissioner of Police, Bala Mustapha, conveyed the directives of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, for the immediate withdrawal of all police personnel previously deployed to seal and safeguard the Local Government Secretariats in the state.”

The statement emphasized that the decision “is in line with the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to ensure neutrality and the smooth functioning of democratic institutions.”

It further clarified that personnel will only be redeployed to those areas if there was a crisis or breakdown of law and order, at which point emergency measures would be swiftly implemented to restore normalcy.

The Rivers State Command assured the public of its continued commitment to maintaining peace and order across the state, while reiterating its professional conduct in carrying out its duties.

Residents and stakeholders were urged to remain calm and law-abiding as the situation unfolds.

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama has issued a public summon against immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello.

The court ordered Bello to attend court and answer to a fresh 16-count charge pending against him.

By the summons, Bello is to attend court on October 24 for his arraignment alongside two other defendants.

Justice Maryanne Anenih issued the order for public summons in a ruling on Thursday, following an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Justice Anenih ordered the EFCC to publish the public summons in a widely circulating newspaper

She also ordered the EFCC to paste copies of the public summons on Bello’s last known address and in conspicuous places in the court premises.

The EFCC had claimed that it has been unable to serve Bello with the charge filed on September 24, in which the ex-governor and two others were charged with criminal breach of trust to the tune of N110.4billion.

The other two defendants in the charge are Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu.

Bello’s absence stalled the arraignment earlier scheduled for Thursday.