By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Nigerian Army has immortalised its late former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, by naming a newly constructed complex at the Nigerian Army College of Logistics and Management (NACOLM), Lagos, after him.

Speaking at the commissioning of the facility in Lagos on Friday, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to strengthening institutional capacity through modern infrastructure that promotes professional military education, efficient administration and improved personnel welfare in support of national security.

According to a statement by the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, the complex, named in honour of the late Lieutenant General Lagbaja, is designed to enhance the College’s training, administrative and welfare functions by providing a conducive environment for developing highly skilled logistics professionals capable of supporting operational effectiveness across the Nigerian Army.

Shaibu described the late Army Chief as an outstanding military leader whose professionalism, integrity, selfless service and unwavering commitment to national service continue to inspire officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army.

He said naming the complex after the late General reflected the institution’s enduring appreciation of his immense contributions to force development, leadership and operational excellence.

The Army Chief also urged officers, instructors and students of the College to uphold the values exemplified by the late General Lagbaja by remaining disciplined, professional and committed to excellence in the discharge of their responsibilities.

He reiterated that sustained investment in training institutions, modern infrastructure and personnel welfare remains central to his command philosophy of transforming the Nigerian Army into a more professional, adaptive, combat-ready and resilient force capable of effectively discharging its constitutional responsibilities within a joint and multi-agency environment.

In a separate development, troops of the 65 Battalion apprehended 24 foreign nationals during a coordinated operation in Epe Local Government Area of Lagos State as part of ongoing efforts to rid the 81 Division Area of Responsibility of criminal elements, illegal immigrants and other security threats.

According to a statement by the Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, 81 Division Nigerian Army, Lieutenant Colonel Musa Yahaya, the operation followed credible intelligence on the presence of undocumented foreign nationals within the Battalion’s area of responsibility.

Acting on the intelligence, troops, in collaboration with members of the Vigilante Group, raided a secluded fenced compound at Imokun in the Odo-Noforija/Poka axis of Epe, where they apprehended 24 foreign nationals comprising 15 males and nine females.

Preliminary profiling showed that the suspects are nationals of several West and Central African countries, including Cameroon, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, the Republic of Benin, Burkina Faso and Guinea-Bissau.

Initial investigations were conducted to determine their immigration status, the purpose of their stay in Nigeria and any possible involvement in unlawful activities.

Efforts are also ongoing to identify and question the owner of the premises to establish the circumstances surrounding their residence and activities at the location.

The statement added that the suspects were handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service, Lagos State Command, on 16 July 2026 for further investigation, profiling and appropriate administrative action in line with extant immigration laws and regulations.

Commending the troops for their professionalism and vigilance, the General Officer Commanding 81 Division, Major General Adebayo Babalola, directed personnel to sustain ongoing operations and intensify efforts to deny criminal elements, illegal immigrants and other security threats any operating space within the Division’s area of responsibility.

He also reaffirmed the Division’s commitment to supporting relevant security agencies in maintaining peace, security and public safety across the area.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, says it has released N7.61 billion to nine Pension Fund Administrators, PFAs, for the payment of retirement benefits to 4,237 retirees.

The Comptroller-General of NCS, Bashir Adeniyi, disclosed this during a dialogue with retirees, where he reaffirmed the service’s commitment to improving the welfare of its retired personnel.

NCS’s Spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, in a statement on Friday in Abuja said the C-G announced that the funds had been disbursed to the PFAs for onward payment into the retirees’ individual accounts.

Mr Maiwada said the meeting followed ongoing efforts to improve pension of retirees following the Federal Government’s decision to review the statutory provisions governing pensions.

This is includes Section 15(4) of the Pension Reform Act 2014, in line with Section 173(3) of the 1999 constitution, as amended.

He said that according to the breakdown presented at the meeting, Access-ARM Pension Managers accounted for 1,223 beneficiaries, Premium Pension 2,268, Leadway Pensions 403, TrustFund Pensions 156 and FCMB Pensions 144.

Others are Veritas Glanvills Pensions 28, Norrenberger Pensions 11 and Fidelity Pension Managers four, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to 4,237.

Addressing the retirees, Mr Adeniyi underscored the need for the service to remain strong and financially capable of meeting its obligations to serving officers and retirees.

He emphasised that the welfare of officers who had dedicated decades to the NCS was integral to the institution’s future.

The NCS boss urged the retirees to sustain constructive engagement with the service, describing it as necessary to foster mutual understanding.

“I acknowledged your (retirees) concerns and suggestions raised and it is in view of this we called for this dialogue.

“This is to promote better understanding and reduce the effect of rumours and unofficial information on the relationship between the service and its retired personnel,” he said.

The retirees thanked the C-G and his management team for creating a platform for direct engagement.

They also urged the service to sustain the dialogue as part of efforts to strengthen the relationship between serving officers and retired personnel.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Thursday, set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/517/2026, which nullified parts of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s electoral guidelines for the conduct of the 2027 general elections.

The appellate court, in a unanimous judgment, held that the Youth Party, which instituted the suit challenging the guidelines, lacked the locus standi to do so.

The lead judgment, prepared by Justice Adebukola Banjoko and read by Justice Okon Abang, held that the party failed to demonstrate how the guidelines affected it or its members in the conduct of its primary election or the submission of names of its candidates for the 2027 polls.

Justice Banjoko held that the Youth Party did not establish any injury arising from the guidelines to justify the institution of the suit.

The three-member panel further held that Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court erred when, on May 20, he nullified the guidelines on the grounds that they were inconsistent with some provisions of the Electoral Act, adding that the decision occasioned a miscarriage of justice.

In the May 20 judgment, Justice Umar had ruled that INEC lacked the constitutional and statutory powers to compel political parties to conduct their primaries within timelines fixed by the commission.

The trial court also nullified aspects of INEC’s timetable requiring parties to submit their membership registers and candidates’ particulars ahead of the timelines prescribed by the Electoral Act, holding that the commission could not lawfully abridge statutory timelines.

Dissatisfied with the decision, INEC appealed, arguing through its counsel, Dr Alex Izinyom, that the Federal High Court failed to determine its preliminary objection that the suit was hypothetical and academic, thereby denying the commission fair hearing.

The Court of Appeal upheld the appeal, and vacated the Federal High Court’s judgment, thereby restoring the validity of INEC’s electoral guidelines for the 2027 elections.