By Tony Obiechina, Abuja

The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa has successfully concluded a strategic three-day working visit to Cotonou, Republic of Benin.

The high-level delegation focused on deepening bilateral defence cooperation, harmonising regional security frameworks, and reinforcing joint strategies to eliminate cross-border security threats across West Africa.

Hosted by his Beninese counterpart, Minister of National Defence Mr. Gildas Agonkan, the visit delivered actionable commitments across sectors.

According to a statement by the minister’s media adviser, Leah Katung Babatunde on Friday, General Musa in separate meetings with Mr Agonkan, the Beninese Minister of National Defence and the high military command urged greater alignment between regional security blocs to confront West Africa’s evolving security landscape.

They all reaffirmed their commitment to safeguarding democratic governance, stabilising land borders, and securing the Gulf of Guinea against piracy and maritime crime.
On enhanced intelligence sharing, the consensus was to establish seamless, real-time intelligence fusion mechanisms. This actionable intelligence pipeline will allow both militaries to track, trace, and neutralise transnational criminal networks and insurgent cells before they execute operations.
Reaffirming the Federal Government’s zero-tolerance stance against terrorism, the Minister charged his host to work with Nigeria to aggressively deny safe havens to violent extremist organisations attempting to exploit shared borderlands and declared that in Nigeria, security forces are showing no mercy to terrorists, bandits, and armed extremists.
To reinforce border security, Nigeria offered Benin an olive branch to allow security personnel wider pursuit range at the borders to prevent insurgent spillover and illegal trafficking.
The Honourable Minister and his delegation were also at the Centre for Post Conflict Demining and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Operations (CPADD) and the Glo-Djigbe Industrial Zone (GDIZ). The aim of the visits to these locations was for local capacity building in line with the operation pillar 3 of the Minister; Intelligence-Driven and Technology-Enabled Defence. The sessions availed both countries the opportunity to exchange ideas aimed at boosting development and industry of both nations in line with ECOWAS protocols on trade and the Africa Continental Free Trade Area.
During the visit, General Musa inspected Nigerian Army troops deployed in Togbin, Cotonou, deployed on the Peace Support Mission in the Republic of Benin under Operation ATILEYIN ALAFIA II.
While boosting the morale of the troops, the Honourable Minister re-echoed his insistence on no mercy for terrorist, “We are going to partner with the troops of the Republic of Benin to ensure that we stop all those bandits, all those criminals that are killing people in our own countries, so that we can deal with them. One of the reasons for my visit is to come here and meet their own Minister of Defence so that we can sit down and see how we can work out our operations together, so that we can stop these people from infiltrating through our borders.”
General Musa assured of the Federal Government’s commitment to improving their welfare and providing necessary support.
“A lot of good things that Mr President is preparing for you, we are following up to ensure that you live very well. We are providing the necessary aspects so that you can do your job. We know our job is very, very difficult, and most times people don’t appreciate what we are doing. But God knows we are doing our best, and we are securing Nigeria,” he said.
The Minister during the visit held diplomatic talks with Nigeria’s Ambassador to Benin, Mrs. Mopelola Ibrahim, reiterating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to military welfare and regional peace.

By Tony Obiechina, Abuja

The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has given the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) a 48-hour ultimatum to dissolve the Host Community Development Trust (HCDT) set up for communities hosting Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company (SEEPCO), as the commission escalated pressure over unmet obligations to oil-producing communities.

The directive came at an investigative hearing held Thursday, August 6, 2026, at RMAFC’s headquarters in Abuja, where the commission’s Investment Monitoring Committee scrutinised SEEPCO’s compliance with the Host Community Development Trust provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

The Committee expressed strong concern over SEEPCO’s repeated failure to honour invitations to appear before it despite previous engagements. Dr. Enefe maintained that the Commission would not tolerate attempts by any operator to evade legitimate oversight.

Addressing the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), chairman of the Investment Monitoring Committee and Federal Commissioner representing Anambra State at RMAFC, Dr. Ekene Enefe maintained that RMAFC’s constitutional mandate requires it to hold every institution within the petroleum value chain accountable for the effective discharge of its statutory responsibilities.

He consequently directed NUPRC to immediately address concerns surrounding the Host Community Development Trust established for the affected communities, declaring: “We are going to give you 48 hours to dissolve that host community development trust.”
RMAFC Chairman, Dr. Mohammed Bello Shehu reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to protecting the interests of host communities, describing the hearing as a critical national responsibility.

He commended the Committee for its diligence and said RMAFC’s constitutional mandate demands firm oversight, transparency and accountability in managing the nation’s revenue assets.

The Chairman commended the committee for its diligence and urged members to remain resolute, noting that RMAFC’s constitutional mandate requires firm oversight, transparency and accountability in the management of national revenue assets.

He expressed confidence that the investigation would strengthen trust in the petroleum sector and ensure that host communities receive the full benefits guaranteed under the Petroleum Industry Act.

He said the committee would conclude its investigation and forward its findings to the appropriate authorities, insisting RMAFC would discharge its oversight role without fear or favour.

Earlier, an NUPRC delegation led by Mrs. Ufondu Ejiro, Director, host communities, told the committee the trust had been duly incorporated, funded and structured in line with the law.

She presented documentation on community consultations, governance structures, funding matrices, Community Development Plans and contributions made into the Trust, maintaining that NUPRC operates within the framework of the PIA and the Host Community Development Regulations.

Responding for the affected communities, Mr. Peter Chukwudi., disputed NUPRC’s submissions, saying the communities did not recognise several of the persons presented as their representatives and that adequate consultations had not taken place before the Trust was constituted.

He questioned the level of development recorded despite years of oil production.

Prof. Charles Ofoegbu, commissioner for Petroleum and Mineral Resources in Anambra State, called for closer collaboration between NUPRC and the State Government in verifying community representation, urging greater transparency in statutory contributions, operational expenditure and project execution.

Federal Commissioner for Rivers State, Amb. Desmond Akawor, noted a disconnect between the regulator and affected state governments and expressed concern over SEEPCO’s absence from the hearing.

Federal Commissioner for Kogi State, Hon. Abdulazeez Idris King, questioned whether reliance on operator-submitted documents alone could establish that genuine community consultations had occurred.

Federal Commissioner for Jigawa State, Hon. Hauwa Umar Aliyu, urged regulators to maintain professionalism and impartiality, stressing that host community interests deserve equal attention alongside operators’.

Also present were Federal Commissioners Aruviere Egharhevwa (Delta), Abdullahi Mukhtar Muhammad, MON (Kaduna), Dr. Nathaniel Adojutelegan (Ondo) and Sen. Marafa Bashir Abba (Taraba); Secretary to the Commission, Comrade Tosin Adeyanju; and Mrs. Zainab Larai Adamu, director, gas and investment, who serves as the committee’s secretary.

Dr. Enefe said every submission and piece of documentary evidence would be carefully examined as the committee continues pursuing its constitutional mandate on behalf of the Federation and the affected communities.

From Attah Ede, Makurdi

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) with support from Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) has renovated four block of classrooms and donated educational materials as well as provision of 250 desks to Benue State government for over 2400 pupils across six Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in the state.

Speaking during the commissioning and handover of the facility and flag-off/ distribution of other educational materials for Accelerated Basic Education Programme (ABEP) in Benue State held at Abagana IDPs camp in Makurdi Local Government Area of the State, Mrs.

Juliet Chiluwe, Chief of UNICEF Enugu Field Office, highlighted the importance of the intervention.

She explained that UNICEF is working closely with the State government to ensure that no child is denied education especially the displaced children and to make sure they catch up with modern education.

Mrs. Chiluwe disclosed that 219 pupils have been admitted into the Accelerated Basic Education Programme (ABEP) in Abagana IDPs camp while others are being admitted in five other camps including; Daudu 1 & 2, Ortese, Mega camp and Naka in Guma and Gwer LGAs respectively.

She further stated that UNICEF in collaboration with its development partner has engaged 62 facilitators as volunteers for the ABEP who would be impacting knowledge on the learners for next nine months.

The UNICEF Chief however appealed for collective collaboration among relevant stakeholders to ensure that the learners read and write in the next 9 months and called for continued leadership to ensure sustainability of the programme in the State.

“So, we believe that no matter where the children are, they have the right to access education. So today we hand over this building with support from our partner Sida. We have renovated the classrooms and provided learning materials to ensure that our children who are in the camps have access to schools.

“In addition to the renovation of the four blocks of classrooms, we have provided tents in the others camps where the pupils would be learning. We have made learning materials available and there will be no room for complaint in the next nine months because all the necessary materials that would enhance teaching skills are available”. Chiluwe stated.

Receiving the items on behalf of the State Government, Commissioner for Education and Knowledge Management Dr. Mrs. Margaret Adamu, expressed gratitude to UNICEF for its continued support to the State, noting that UNICEF effort will help displaced children gain access to education.

“We are happy that UNICEF is intervening in the education system in Benue State and it is a very great milestone of this present administration because it has brought quality access to education and for even those children we can consider as out of schools for now because of their peculiar situation.

“This intervention is not just in this camp, is in other camps and we have over 2000 children and you know that education is very key and important. So, UNICEF is bringing hope and succour to many homes”, she said.

The education commissioner noted that Governor Hyacinth Alia sees education as very important and considers it a heart of human capital development, which is evident in the massive renovation and equipping of public schools in the State.

“Under Governor Alia’s administration, everybody is important. You see the children are very small but there are potentials in them.

“So, what UNICEF has done with the support of Sida, on behalf of Benue State government, we really appreciate them because this is going to bridge the learning gaps that have ever existed and then bringing these children into the mainstream education informally.

“Sustainability is very important in whatever government is doing and that is why teachers were not brought from outside the camps but those that were trained within. I assure that whenever there is going to be recruitment exercise, these teachers will be brought into the mainstream so that there would be sustainability which is very important.

“Once in awhile, we interact with those in the camps particularly the parents. They need to own these facilities and ensure that the place is secured and protected. They must take responsibility of this project to make sure that no theft is happening here and everything is going on well”, Mrs. Adamu maintained.

She charged the beneficiaries to see this gesture as a golden opportunity, to grab it and use it by learning very well and warned against playing truancy and take care of whatever is provided to them.

Speaking on behalf of the 62 facilitators, Festus Azende, thanked UNICEF for providing them with robust training that would aid them to impact positive knowledge on the pupils.

He promised that they would put into use what they have learnt and produce great future leaders from the IDPs camps.