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Shell Begins Training for 40 Imo Youths for Gas Project

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From Tayese Mike, Yenagoa

The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) said it has commenced one-year training for 40 youths from its host communities of the Assa North and Ohaji South gas project in Imo.

SPDC’s Media Relations Manager, Mr Bamidele Odugbesan, announced the development yesterday in a statement.

“The aim is to make ready these youths, not only for opportunities in the operations of the Assa North and Ohaji South gas development project but also in the entire Nigerian gas development value chain,” Odugbesan quoted SPDC’s Country Head Corporate Relations, Igo Weli, as saying.

According to the statement, the training is supervised by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), and is taking place at the Mudiame University, Irrua, in Edo.

“The training is part of SPDC JV’s contribution to build the capacity of the people of our host communities of Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo state and is the outcome of a recommendation by the NCDMB to boost the capacity of communities where oil projects are situated,” Weli said,

Weli, who was represented at the induction ceremony last week by SPDC Manager, Projects and Opportunities, Dr. Adebanji Adekoya, said the trainees were selected from the host community cluster development boards.

They include Assa, Ochia, Awarra and Obile in Assa North, and Avu, Obosima, Obuomadike, Umunwaku, Ohoba, Obitti and Umuapu in Ohaji/Egbema in Imo.

The trainees will specialise in project management, welding, fitting, scaffolding, rigging and lifting, electrical installations, electrical engineering, carpentry, building technology, drafting, ICT, surveys, quality and safety training.

It was learnt that the Assa North-Ohaji South Gas Project is the most advanced of the seven critical gas projects by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The project is at the heart of Nigeria’s National Gas Master Plan aspirations to grow indigenous domestic gas market for additional power and industrial projects.

Also speaking at the induction, Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Simbi Wabote commended the training and described it as “part of the country’s aspiration to achieve 70 percent local content retention in the oil and gas sector.”

Wabote, who was represented by the NCDMB Manager, Human Capacity Development, Mrs. Angela Okoro, said, “The agency is passionate about the project and would continue to strengthen human capability development in the sector.”

The training is one of the opportunities offered by the project to the host communities where 60 percent of skilled and semi-skilled workers are from the communities and more than 10 percent of equipment operators are also from the host communities.

The project site is located approximately 25 kilometres outside Owerri, the Imo State capital

According to SPDC, the Assah North-Ohaji South Gas project, on completion, will deliver 300 standard cubic feet of gas per day to the domestic gas market.

It will also sell 20,000 barrels per day of condensate to a nearby Walter Smith Modular refinery.

The oil firm said the project scope includes drilling of six wells, construction of a primary treatment facility and gas evacuation pipeline in a unitised field between SPDC’s Oil Mining Lease (OML) 21 and SEPLAT’s OML 53.

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Police Detain Woman for Alleged Killing of Co-wife in Bauchi

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The police command in Bauchi State, said it has apprehended a housewife over alleged killing of her co-wife following a domestic violence incident in Bauchi metropolis.

This was contained in a statement by the spokesman of the command, SP Nafiu Habib, on Monday in Bauchi.

He said that the command detained the suspect (name withheld) on Sept.

27 for alleged culpable homicide following a domestic incident at Tafawa Balewa Housing Estate in Bauchi.

Habib said that on Sept. 27, at about 4:05 p.m., the Police C-Division, Bauchi, received credible information that there was a domestic incident between two wives residing in the same household belonging to their husband.

He said that preliminary investigation revealed that the 33-year-old suspect, who is the second wife, allegedly acting under hallucinations, struck the first wife with pestle on the forehead, and the victim fell unconscious.

“Upon receipt of the report, detectives attached to C-Division immediately mobilised to the scene.

 “The scene was documented, and the victim was rushed to the Specialist Hospital, Bauchi, where she was certified dead by a medical doctor. The corpse has been deposited at the hospital mortuary for autopsy,” he said.

Habib said that the police recovered the pestle used in committing the offence.

He quoted the Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, as directing the transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for discreet investigation and prosecution.

Aliyu condoled with the bereaved family and cautioned against domestic violence.

The CP also advised husbands to seek timely medical and psycho-social support for members of their families exhibiting mental health challenges. (NAN)

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FRSC Deploys 170 Ambulances Nationwide for Emergency Rescue

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The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has deployed more than 170 ambulances across the country as part of efforts to strengthen emergency response and rescue operations on Nigerian roads.

The Corps Public Education Officer (CPEO), Osondu Ohaeri, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja, while responding to questions on the operational capacity of the corps emergency ambulance network and its response to Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs).

Ohaeri said the FRSC had the largest number of ambulances among emergency response agencies in Nigeria, with more than 170 ambulances and 60 Zebra points across the country.

He said the figure should however not be interpreted as the number of ambulances currently operational or serviceable as of September 2026.

According to him, an accurate current figure of serviceable ambulances will require the latest fleet-status report from the corps medical and rescue office.

He explained that the figures demonstrated the scale of the corps emergency response network, while the availability of individual ambulances was managed operationally based on their location, condition and assignment.

On the adequacy of the ambulances for emergency rescue, he said the corps continued to maintain and deploy its assets as part of its emergency response responsibilities, stressing that the status of individual vehicles could vary depending on their operational condition and assignment.

The CPEO said the corps was also focused on improving its emergency response capacity, particularly by strengthening rescue deployment and collaboration with other relevant agencies.

He also said that the corps had historically recorded an average response time of about 15 minutes under its documented emergency-response programme.

He cautioned against presenting the figure as the current nationwide average without updated operational data.

According to him, response time varies depending on several factors including the location of a crash, traffic congestion, distance from the nearest ambulance point and accessibility of the crash scene.

He added that the accuracy and timeliness of information provided by callers could also affect the speed with which rescue teams reached crash scenes.

Other factors he said include the possibility of emergency teams responding to other incidents simultaneously.

Ohaeri stressed that the corps had identified faster response to road traffic crashes and other emergencies as one of its management priorities in 2026.

He said efforts were therefore ongoing to strengthen rescue deployment and inter-agency collaboration to improve emergency response to road crashes.

He added that the FRSC remained committed to improving emergency rescue operations, strengthening the deployment of its resources and working with relevant stakeholders to ensure better outcomes for road crash victims.

He reiterated that complaints concerning emergency response, evacuation, treatment of victims or other forms of alleged misconduct should be channeled through the appropriate authorities for investigation and necessary action.

The CPEO further assured that the corps would continue to strengthen its emergency response mechanisms as part of broader efforts to reduce the consequences of road traffic crashes and improve the safety of road users nationwide.(NAN)

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NBA Decries Rising Insecurity in Plateau, Urges Urgent Action

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The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has decried the spate of security challenges currently confronting Plateau and other parts of Nigeria.

The Chairman of Jos Branch of the association, Morgan Dung, said this during a joint news conference on Monday in Jos.

Dung spoke on behalf of the Jos, Bukuru and Pankshin branches of the association.

The chairman particularly decried the recent attacks and killings in Mangu, Barkin-Ladi, Riyom, Bokkos, Bassa, Wase and Kanam Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.

Dung, who described the continuous killings of innocent residents as “unfortunate and unacceptable”, called on the Federal Government and the security agencies to tackle the menace.

“The protection of lives and property remain the most fundamental responsibility of government as contained in section 33 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

“NBA frowns at the inability of the government to prevent the continuous loss of lives and property in Plateau and beyond.

“We particularly condemn the recent killing of members of community vigilantes at their duty posts in Mangu, Barkin-Ladi, Riyom, Bokkos and Bassa LGAs

“We call on the government and security agencies to bring the perpetrators to book. This menace must also stop,”he said.

Dung, however, commended president Bola Tinubu over his recent visit to Plateau and the move to establish State Police in the country.

He further called on the government to sponsor an executive bill to fully domicile security issues under the concurrent legislative list.

Dung urged the government to properly and adequately equip security agencies, strengthen border surveillance and secure all forests serving as hideouts for bandits and other criminal elements.

The chairman also commended Gov. Caleb Mutfwang for revamping Operation Rainbow, a state-owned security outfit and training of 2,000 personnel of the neighbourhoods watch.

He, however, called for the licensing of Operation Rainbow to operate with kinetic facilities, implement the anti-land grabbing law and provide structures for police division and forward operation bases in the state.

Dung advised security agencies to deploy more personnel and equipment to flashpoints in the state, insisting that such a move would ensure prompt response to threats.

The chairman, who called on the judiciary to ensure timely dispensation of terrorism cases, advised governors to sign death warrants of convicted terrorists to serve as a deterrent to others.

He pledged NBA’s readiness to promote access to justice, document evidence of atrocities and pursue public interest litigation to ensure accountability (NAN)

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