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Airport e-gates for international passengers to begin next week – Minister

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Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo yesterday test ran the electronic gates (e-gates) mounted at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, asserting that the job is 99 per cent done.

The e-gates, he said, would be deployed for operations by next week. The infrastructure is capable of screening a passenger within a minute on the application of the passenger’s data page on its scanner.

Tunji-Ojo was accompanied on the exercise by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr Aishetu Ndayako and the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nanna Nandap amongst other top government officials.

He said the e-gates are being deployed to eliminate human interfaces, reduce bureaucracy and make movements of passengers in and out of the country seamless.

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The Minister said 29 of the e-gates would be deployed in Lagos Airport, four in Enugu and Kano while Portharcourt would have five.

He disclosed that the airport infrastructures and command and control centres have been subjected to different tests with fake and expired passports, and they were all rejected, while genuine passports were cleared.

Tunji-Ojo said: ”With these massive infrastructures, we believe that no unwanted persons or persons of interests can find their way into Nigeria. Our security, through the airports and in the airport domains is guaranteed.

“It is a testimony to what Mr President told us from day one on his Renewed Hope Agenda. He asked us to change the narratives and make passengers’ movements in and out of the country seamless.

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“You can see that we have all our team here working in synergy with the authorities of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, (FAAN) the Nigeria Customs Service and other stakeholders.

“I must at this point commend the Minister of Aviation, Hon Festus Keyamo (SAN) and other critical stakeholders who have made this transformation possible”.

The Minister reiterated the commitment of the present administration to make life easier for the citizens in all spheres of life, insisting that the ongoing reforms in the Nigeria Immigration Service were meant to ensure the safety and security of the citizens.

He also praised President Bola Tinubu for the support he gave regarding the ongoing reforms, describing the infrastructures provided for the reforms as massive and unprecedented.

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BREAKING! Senate invites DSS, NSA, other, over alleged funding of Boko Haram by USAID

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Nigerian Senate reacting to the alleged funding of terrorism in Nigeria by the United States Agency for International Development USAID, Wednesday invited Security Intelligence Chiefs for investigation and veracity of the allegation by Perry Scott of the United States parliament.

The resolution followed an Order of Urgent National Security through Order 41 by Senator representing Borno South Senatorial District, Mohammed Ali Ndume.

Ndume urged the Senate to consider the revelation as too weighty to gloss over, given the devastation that terrorists have done to the country, particularly the Boko Haram fighters, stressing that the investigation would put paid to speculations on how the non-state actors have been surviving over the years.

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The heads of security intelligence agencies summoned by the Senate are, National Intelligence Agency, NIA, Directorate of Intelligence Agency, DIA, Department of State Services, DSS, and the National Security Adviser, NIA.

Senate President, Godswill in sustaining the resolution remarked that security issues should not be discussed in the market, noting that the head of security intelligence will offer the Senate better perspective in a close door meeting with them.

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UK’s inflation leapfrogs than expected three percent in January

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The U.K.’s inflation rate rose sharply to 3 per cent in January, coming in above analysts projections according to data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Wednesday.

Economists polled by Reuters had expected a reading of 2.8 per cent in the twelve months to January.

Britain’s consumer price index (CPI) fell to a lower-than-expected 2.5 per cent in December, with core price growth also slowing further.

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Core inflation, which excludes more volatile energy, food, alcohol and tobacco prices, rose by 3.7 per cent in the 12 months to January, which was up from 3.2 per cent in the previous month.

Notably, the core services annual rate rose from 4.4 per cent to 5.0 per cent, the ONS said.

“Inflation increased sharply this month to its highest annual rate since March last year. The rise was driven by air fares not falling as much as we usually see at this time of year, partly impacted by the timing of flights over Christmas and New Year. This was the weakest January dip since 2020,” Grant Fitzner, the ONS’ chief economist, commented Wednesday.

After falling this time last year, the cost of food and non-alcoholic drinks increased, particularly meat, bread and cereals. Private school fees were another factor, as new VAT [a sales tax] rules meant prices rose nearly 13 per cent this month,” he said, in comments on the X social media platform.

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Responding to the latest data, U.K. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said that delivering economic growth and “getting more money in people’s pockets” were her priorities, while acknowledging that “millions of families are still struggling to make ends meet.”

The British pound was little changed against the dollar following the data release, trading at $1.2615.

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SAD! Bandits k!ll 2 abductees over delayed ransom

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Two people, Mohammed Danladi and Nasiru Yusuf, have been shot dead by their abductors in Gwargwada, Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) due to a delay in the payment of their ransom.

The victims, both natives of Gwargwada village, were abducted along with a herder and a woman at Gwombe junction on the Gwargwada-Rubochi road on Wednesday.

The kidnappers demanded N500,000 each for the two victims, but the families could only raise N500,000 in total.

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According to Shuaibu Abdullahi, a family member of the deceased, the kidnappers’ leader called on Friday, and the family explained they could not meet the full ransom demand. Tragically, this delay in payment led to the killing of the two men.

Tragically, this delay in payment led to the killing of the two men.

The abductors eventually released the herder and woman after collecting N3 million in ransom at their hideout in Kotonkarfe forest, Kogi State.

Gwargwada’s traditional ruler, Ugbada Alhaji Hussaini Agabi Mam, confirmed the deaths, stating that the victims were traveling from Rubochi when they were abducted. He lamented that the two young men lost their lives simply because of the delay in ransom payment.

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The FCT Police Command is yet to provide a statement on the incident.

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