Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have reopened the main airport in Ituri Province, the epicentre of the country’s ongoing Ebola outbreak, after a 10-day suspension of commercial flight operations.

The airport in Bunia, the capital of Ituri, resumed operations on Tuesday following the implementation of health and safety measures aimed at containing the spread of the disease.

The DRC is currently battling a major outbreak of Ebola, a highly contagious haemorrhagic fever that is suspected to have claimed at least 246 lives in the country and neighbouring Uganda, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

On May 23, authorities halted all commercial flights to and from Bunia Airport in eastern DRC, a region already affected by armed conflict. During the closure, only humanitarian and medical flights were permitted to operate.

Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba said the temporary shutdown was necessary to allow authorities to introduce measures designed to safeguard travellers and limit the risk of transmission.

Announcing the reopening on Tuesday, the transport ministry said an assessment of the outbreak response and monitoring systems had been conducted.

“Conditions are now in place for a gradual and safe resumption of flights.”

The government said the reopening would be carried out progressively while health authorities continue efforts to contain the outbreak.

Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, has re-assigned all four deputy governors of the institution.

The new responsibilities announced Monday night have seen Philip Ikeazor taking over the policy portfolio from Dr.

Dr.

Emem Nnana Usoro leaves corporate services to supervise operations.

Lamido Yuguda was transferred from Operations to the Financial System Stability Directorate.

The CBN did not state reasons for the redeployment.

The bank said such changes were “to make use of the experience of senior officials in different areas of responsibility and to support evolving institutional priorities.” (NAN)

By Laide Akinboade, Abuja and Ene Asuquo, Calabar

A wave of national concern over worsening insecurity swept across Nigeria on Tuesday as teachers under the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), religious leaders and community stakeholders mounted pressure on government authorities to secure the release of abducted teachers and pupils and take decisive action against kidnappers, bandits and terrorists.

The protests, which took place simultaneously across several states including Edo, Abuja, Benue, Ondo, Cross River and Plateau, were triggered by the abduction of teachers and schoolchildren in Oyo and Borno states, as well as the killing of a teacher during a recent attack in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

Thousands of teachers marched peacefully through major cities, carrying placards and demanding urgent government intervention to rescue their abducted colleagues and students, while condemning what they described as growing insecurity within the nation’s schools.

In Benin City, Edo State NUT Chairman, Lucky Imaruagheru, lamented that some victims had remained in captivity for more than two weeks, accusing authorities of failing to respond decisively to their plight.

The nationwide demonstrations followed reports that families of kidnapped pupils and teachers in Oyo State rejected rice and cash brought by government officials, insisting that only the safe return of their loved ones would be acceptable.

The Baale of Yawota, Emmanuel Alade, disclosed that parents turned down relief materials offered by government representatives, maintaining that rescue efforts should take precedence over humanitarian assistance.

According to community accounts, armed bandits stormed communities in Oriire Local Government Area, killing a teacher and abducting dozens of pupils and school personnel amid sporadic gunfire, deepening fears among residents and raising concerns over security in vulnerable rural communities.

Despite assurances from Governor Seyi Makinde and a high-powered federal delegation led by Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, that all available resources were being deployed to secure the victims’ release, anxiety remains high among affected families.

The protests also reignited broader concerns about the safety of schools nationwide, with teachers warning that continued attacks could undermine education and discourage learning.

NUT leaders across the country called on federal and state governments to strengthen school security through improved surveillance, perimeter fencing, deployment of trained security personnel and enhanced protection for teachers and students.

Adding to the growing calls for urgent action, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on security.

Speaking after the association’s National Church Denominational Leaders Summit in Abuja, CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, said the security situation had deteriorated to a level requiring extraordinary measures, stressing that protecting citizens remained the government’s primary constitutional responsibility.

He also backed international cooperation to combat terrorism and warned that insecurity, once concentrated in parts of Northern Nigeria, was spreading to other regions.

Similarly, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, called for stronger accountability in the nation’s security architecture.

The cleric urged the Federal Government to give security chiefs a 90-day deadline to eliminate terrorists or resign, while also calling for the arrest and prosecution of those financing criminal groups.

Adeboye maintained that ending insecurity would require not only confronting armed groups but also dismantling the networks that sustain them.

The developments reflect mounting public frustration over persistent kidnappings, terrorism and attacks on schools, as pressure grows on authorities to restore security and protect lives across the country.