NAF personnel arrested for alleged killing in Port Harcourt

By: Zagazola Makama

A Nigerian Air Force officer has been arrested following the death of a man during an incident at NAF Harmony Estate along Eliozu Road in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, sources confirmed on Monday.

According to sources, at about 11:00 p.m. on March 14, LCPL Oton Uba Eli of the Nigerian Air Force, attached to the 115 Special Operations Group, apprehended David Ebuka, a 28-year-old dispatch rider, over possession of suspected hard drugs.

While at the scene, a man believed to be Ebuka’s superior, Joseph Iche Johnson, arrived, prompting a confrontation. During the argument, the Air Force officer reportedly discharged his firearm, fatally wounding Johnson.

The victim was taken to a military hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His body was later deposited at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital Mortuary for autopsy.

Both the dispatch rider and the Air Force officer have been taken into custody by the police as investigations continue.

Police said inquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

NAF personnel arrested for alleged killing in Port Harcourt

EU Parliament calls for release of Niger’s ousted president Bazoum

By: Zagazola Makama

The European Parliament has adopted a resolution calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Niger’s ousted president, Mohamed Bazoum, and his wife, who have remained in detention since the 2023 Niger coup d’état.

Bazoum, who was democratically elected in Niger’s historic transfer of power in 2021, would have completed his first five-year term in April 2026 if he had not been overthrown by members of his presidential guard.

In a resolution adopted almost unanimously on Friday, the European Parliament condemned the continued detention of Bazoum and his wife by the military authorities currently ruling Niger, describing their detention as arbitrary.

The lawmakers urged the military junta to release the former president immediately and restore constitutional order in the country.

The resolution warned that the international community could consider further sanctions and legal measures against members of the military leadership if the situation persists.

Bazoum and his wife have been held in confinement since July 2023 when soldiers led by Abdourahamane Tiani, the former head of the presidential guard, overthrew the government and suspended the constitution.

The coup drew widespread condemnation from the international community, including ECOWAS, which initially threatened military intervention to restore democratic governance.

However, the proposed intervention was never carried out, and Bazoum has remained in detention while the military authorities consolidated power.

Political observers say the failure of regional and international efforts to secure Bazoum’s release has raised concerns about the weakening of democratic norms in parts of the Sahel.

The European Parliament said the continued detention of the former president represents a violation of democratic principles and human rights, warning that silence or indifference toward such actions could encourage unconstitutional changes of government elsewhere.

The resolution also highlighted the deteriorating political and security situation in Niger since the coup, noting that democratic gains and human rights protections have been undermined under military rule.

Meanwhile, critics have also raised questions about the silence of Mahamadou Issoufou, Bazoum’s long-time political ally and predecessor, who some analysts say has not publicly pressed strongly enough for Bazoum’s release despite their decades-long political relationship.

The European Parliament’s move could revive international attention on Bazoum’s detention and increase diplomatic pressure on the junta to release him and return Niger to constitutional governance.

They also urged African governments and institutions to play a more active role in defending democratic norms and supporting the restoration of civilian rule in Niger.

Bazoum’s supporters continue to call for stronger international mobilisation to secure his freedom and restore the democratic mandate given to him by the Nigerien electorate.

EU Parliament calls for release of Niger’s ousted president Bazoum

Northern Nigeria Faces Environmental Crisis as FG Unveils Plans to Revive Dying Rivers, Farmlands

By: Michael Mike

Alarm over worsening desertification and environmental degradation across Northern Nigeria has prompted the Federal Government to move ahead with new strategic plans aimed at restoring damaged ecosystems and safeguarding the livelihoods of millions of rural residents.

The initiative, supported by the World Bank and implemented under the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Project, focuses on the development and validation of nine Strategic Catchment Management Plans intended to tackle land degradation, water scarcity and declining agricultural productivity in vulnerable communities.

The plans are currently being reviewed at a multi-stakeholder workshop in Abuja, where government officials, development partners, environmental experts and community representatives are examining strategies to restore critical watersheds and strengthen climate resilience across the region.

Officials said the intervention has become urgent as environmental pressures continue to threaten food production, water supply and the stability of rural communities in the country’s northern belt.

Director of Hydrology at the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engr. Abohwo Ngozi, who represented the Minister, Joseph Terlumun Utsev, warned that desert encroachment, erratic rainfall and shrinking water bodies are already affecting livelihoods across the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory.

She noted that degraded farmlands and drying rivers have become daily realities for farmers and pastoralists who depend on the region’s fragile ecosystems for survival.

According to Ngozi, the catchment management plans will provide a comprehensive framework for coordinating environmental restoration efforts while improving water and land management practices.

She explained that the strategies would help identify priority intervention areas, mobilise resources and guide long-term investments aimed at reversing environmental decline.

National Coordinator of the ACReSAL Project, Abdulhamid Umar, represented by Shettima Adams, said the nine catchment plans were developed after extensive consultations with communities directly affected by environmental degradation.

He said the catchments include Malenda, Oshin-Oyi, Gurara-Gbako, Aloma-Konshisha, Benue-Mada, Sarkin-Pawa-Kaduna, Zungur-Gongola, Gaji-Lamurde and Hawul-Kilange.

Umar noted that the plans would guide practical interventions such as tree planting, soil conservation, climate-smart agriculture and improved water management aimed at restoring ecosystems and boosting rural livelihoods.

“These plans reflect the voices of communities that are already living with the realities of desertification, shrinking water sources and degraded farmlands. They offer practical solutions designed to rebuild the landscapes and support sustainable livelihoods,” he said.

The catchment areas span several states including Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara, as well as the Federal Capital Territory.

Beyond environmental restoration, experts say improved catchment management could also help reduce tensions linked to competition for land and water resources among farmers, herders and rural communities in parts of Northern Nigeria.

Representing the World Bank Task Team Leader, Joy Iganya Agene, Henrietta Alhassan said the validation process marks an important step toward strengthening sustainable water resource management and climate adaptation efforts in the region.

She stressed that protecting catchment ecosystems is critical not only for environmental sustainability but also for ensuring long-term economic development and the resilience of communities that rely on these natural resources.

Officials involved in the programme said the workshop will complete the validation of the final batch of catchment plans, bringing the total number developed under the ACReSAL project to 20 and paving the way for large-scale environmental restoration and climate resilience interventions across Northern Nigeria.

Northern Nigeria Faces Environmental Crisis as FG Unveils Plans to Revive Dying Rivers, Farmlands