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The Federal Government has concluded payment of outstanding severance benefits to 2,100 former workers of Nigeria Airways Limited, more than two decades after the national carrier was liquidated.

The payment, covering beneficiaries in Batches 1 to 7 represents severance benefits due to the affected former employees.

Batches 8 and 9, comprising 600 beneficiaries are being finalised with the beneficiaries scheduled to receive their payments in a matter of days. This brings the number of former Nigeria Airways workers covered by the payment to 2,700, with total benefits of ₦18 billion across the nine batches.

For the beneficiaries and their families, the development brings long awaited relief after years of waiting for an entitlement that, for many, had remained uncertain.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had earlier approved the settlement of the outstanding severance obligations to former Nigeria Airways workers, directing that the long standing matter be brought to a conclusion. The President’s intervention provided the necessary impetus for the Federal Government to move towards resolving the outstanding obligation and bringing relief to the affected former workers.

Under the direction of the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, the relevant processes for identifying eligible beneficiaries, validating records and establishing the financial obligations were pursued, resulting in the commencement of payment to the first seven batches and the readiness of Batches 8 and 9 for immediate payment.

Commenting on the development, Oyedele said the payment reflects the Federal Government’s determination to address legitimate outstanding obligations and ensure that the welfare of average Nigerians is prioritised.

“Behind these figures are people and families who have waited for years to receive what is legitimately due to them. Our responsibility is to confront outstanding obligations, complete the necessary processes and, once the resources are secured, ensure that the people affected feel the impact of government positively,” he said.

The Minister said the exercise demonstrates what can be achieved when government institutions work together to resolve longstanding issues, adding that the objective is to ensure that legitimate beneficiaries receive their approved entitlements while maintaining the necessary safeguards around public funds.

The Federal Ministry of Finance appreciates the important collaboration of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, whose engagement with the Finance Ministry helped sustain the matter and advance efforts towards its resolution.

The National Assembly Joint Committees on Aviation also played an important role through their oversight and engagement on the outstanding benefits. The Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, and Chairman, House Committee on Aviation, Hon. Abdullahi Idris Garba, were actively engaged in advancing the case of former Nigeria Airways workers and supporting efforts towards settlement.

The payment process has involved extensive verification of beneficiary records, including biometric capture and validation of personal and banking information, to ensure that funds are paid to the rightful beneficiaries.

According to the Director in charge of the Presidential Initiative and Continuous Audit (PICA) Department, Seldam Dangin, the Ministry is preparing a second phase, a mop up exercise, to capture beneficiaries whose records could not be processed during the first phase.

He said the exercise will focus on updating inaccurate or outdated information, additional biometric verification where necessary and correction of banking details. It will also address cases involving deceased beneficiaries, with next of kin or estates required to complete the necessary verification and legal processes before payment.

The mop up exercise is expected to commence by the end of September or early October, subject to final arrangements.

The commencement of payment to the first seven batches, alongside the readiness of Batches 8 and 9, marks a major step towards resolving the longstanding severance obligation to former Nigeria Airways workers, while the planned mop up will provide an opportunity to resolve outstanding cases and bring more eligible beneficiaries into the payment process.

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Alleged armed herdsmen have reportedly killed four Mobile Policemen and eight residents in a fresh attack on Ayilamo, Tombola Ward of Logo Local Government Area of Benue State.

Ayilamo, located along the Abinsi-Tyulen-Anyii-Wukari axis, is a farming community that has come under regular attacks by armed bandits.

A resident, Tyolumu Ugande, said armed bandits numbering more than 200 invaded Ayilamo from Alufu Road in Taraba State and advanced towards the community, shooting sporadically and setting houses on fire.

The armed bandits, who were reportedly carrying sophisticated weapons, were confronted by a detachment of Mobile Policemen deployed to Ayilamo.

Ugande said that after several hours of an exchange of gunfire, the bandits retreated, but four bodies of Mobile Policemen killed in the attack were discovered in the bush on Friday morning.

He said, “We also discovered eight bodies of residents of Ayilamo who were killed by the bandits.”

The incident was confirmed by the Secretary of the Ayilamo Security Committee, who said the community had requested reinforcement from security agencies.

A resident, James Ugah, said this was the second time in one month that Mobile Policemen deployed to Ayilamo had been killed.

The bandits have been trying to set the whole Ayilamo ablaze for more than two years now. We called on security personnel, Benue and the federal government to help secure our land and lives.

“We learnt that the series of attacks on Ayilamo may not be unconnected with rumours that there are huge mineral deposits within and around Ayilamo,” he said.

Efforts to confirm the incident from the spokesperson of the Benue State Police Command, DSP Orchia Aondogwu, were unsuccessful as at the time of filing this report.

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Residents of Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State on Friday took to the streets to protest the worsening wave of kidnappings, attacks and insecurity ravaging their communities.

The protest, which reportedly attracted residents from different parts of the local government, was fueled by growing concerns over repeated attacks and abductions allegedly carried out by armed criminals operating in vulnerable communities.

The demonstrators expressed frustration over the deteriorating security situation, saying persistent attacks had left residents living in fear and severely disrupted farming, trading and other economic activities.

They called on the Federal Government and the Sokoto State Government to urgently deploy additional security personnel and operational equipment to communities considered vulnerable to attacks.

The protesters also demanded increased patrols, surveillance and intelligence-driven operations, urging security agencies to identify, track and apprehend those responsible for the attacks.

According to residents, the insecurity has become a major threat to their livelihoods, particularly as farmers struggle to access their farmlands without fear of being attacked or kidnapped.

They warned that unless urgent action was taken, continued attacks could force more residents to abandon their homes and farms, further worsening food production and economic hardship in the area.

The protesters also called for closer coordination among the military, police and other security agencies to strengthen the fight against banditry and kidnapping.

Confirming the development, the Sokoto State Police Command said it was aware of the situation and assured residents that security operatives were “on top of the situation.”

The Police Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Ahmad Rufai, said the command was monitoring developments and had taken necessary measures to safeguard lives and property in the affected area.

The police assurance came as anxiety remained high among residents, who insisted that more visible and sustained security operations were needed to restore confidence and prevent further attacks.

The protest underscores the growing security concerns across parts of Nigeria’s North-West, where banditry and kidnapping have continued to threaten rural communities, disrupt agricultural activities and inflict significant social and economic hardship.

Residents are now demanding concrete action rather than assurances, saying they want to return to their farms, markets and businesses without fear of being attacked or abducted.

They further urged authorities to strengthen intelligence gathering, community-based security initiatives and coordination among security agencies to prevent Tambuwal and surrounding communities from becoming increasingly exposed to criminal attacks.

Vanguard