News
Refitting & repainting: Newly acquired presidential jet flown to South Africa
Findings by our correspondents from GovSpend, a civic tech platform that tracks and analyses the Federal Government’s spending, revealed that for 2024, the payouts amounted to N14.15bn, representing 71 per cent of the allocations for the fleet in the 2024 fiscal year.
Most disbursements were labelled ‘Forex Transit Funds,’ usually funds allocated for foreign exchange requirements to facilitate international transactions and engagements.
For the Presidential Air Fleet, such funds cover expenses related to operations abroad, including fuel purchases, maintenance or services in foreign currencies.
“When aircraft on the fleet are abroad, payments are often made in U.S. dollars or another foreign currency to ensure we have uninterrupted operations,” a government official explained.
In July 2023, N1.52bn was disbursed in two tranches of N846m and N675m for ‘Presidential air fleet forex transit funds.’
The following month, N3.1bn was disbursed in three tranches of N388m, N2bn, and N713m for the same item. In November of that year, N1.26bn was released to the Presidential Air Fleet naira transit account.
The first overhead for 2024 was in March, when N1.27bn was disbursed twice, amounting to N2.54bn. The transit account received N6.35bn in April, N4.97bn in May and N210m in July.
In August, N5.60bn was released in six separate disbursements, the highest frequency that year. The monies were paid into the Presidential Air Fleet naira transit account, including a N168m transfer made on September 11 and 19. From December 7 to 24, 2025, N469.72m was released in eight tranches.
In April, the transit account received N5.08bn; this came around the same time the President was on a two-nation tour to the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia.
Although Tinubu arrived in the Netherlands in a state-owned Gulfstream AeroSpace 550 Jet, the aircraft could not proceed to Saudi Arabia due to unspecified technical problems. He reportedly continued his journey on a chartered private plane.
At the time, the President’s Boeing 737 business jet was undergoing maintenance. It was later replaced with an Airbus A330 purchased for $100m in August through the service-wide votes.
The nearly 15-year-old plane, an ACJ330-200, VP-CAC (MSN 1053), is “spacious and furnished with state-of-the-art avionics, customised interior and communications system,” Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, said, adding “it will save Nigeria huge maintenance and fuel costs, running into millions of dollars yearly.”
However, since February 2025, the President has been using a San Marino-registered BBJ (REG: T7-NAS).
Sources who spoke to one of our correspondents confirmed that the primary aircraft had been flown to South Africa to change its livery to reflect the office of the President.
“The last I heard is that they took it abroad, I think to South Africa, to change the body design. You know it doesn’t have the green white green,” one source said, asking to remain anonymous.
“It’s not only the body paint. I learned they are doing some refurbishment on it,” a second official stated.
The new Airbus A330 is just one of several aircraft currently on the Presidential Air Fleet, arguably one of Africa’s largest, with around 11 aircraft of various makes and models.
Until August, it comprised the 19-year-old B737-700 (BBJ) and a 13-year-old Gulfstream Aerospace G550. The BBJ was acquired during the tenure of former President Olusegun Obasanjo at $43m, but became a money guzzler as it aged.
The presidential fixed-wing fleet includes a Gulfstream G500, two Falcon 7Xs, a Hawker 4000, and a Challenger 605. Three of the seven fixed wings are reportedly unserviceable.
The rotor-wing fleet includes two Agusta 139s and two Agusta 101s, all operated by the Nigerian Air Force but supervised by the Office of the National Security Adviser.
In 2018, the fleet’s budget rose significantly by 66.13 per cent to N7.26bn, driven by a substantial increase in capital project allocations while maintaining similar levels for recurrent costs. This upward trajectory continued into 2019, slightly increasing the total allocation to N7.30bn.
The exception came in 2020, when the budget dropped by nearly 7 per cent to N6.79bn, primarily due to decreased overhead costs, a reflection of the global economic impacts of lockdowns and disruptions in operations.
By 2021, however, the budget surged dramatically to N12.55bn—a record increase of 84.83 per cent from the previous year. The 2022, 2023 and 2024 appropriation acts earmarked N12.48bn, N13.07bn and N20.52bn respectively.
On his way to the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit in Samoa, a foreign object damaged the cockpit windscreen of Vice President Kashim Shettima’s Gulf Stream aircraft during a stopover at JFK Airport in New York.
According to Lee Aerospace, manufacturers of Gulfstream jet windshields, these thick, multilayered structures comprise varying layers of glass and transparent acrylic, built to withstand collisions with a 2 kg object.
However, damage to the windshield must have affected its inner layers. While specific prices for replacement can vary based on supplier, labour rates and regional costs, estimates suggest that a single windshield replacement for a G550 can range from $50,000 to $70,000 for part and labour costs.
In an interview with our correspondent, the General Secretary of the Aviation Round Table, Olumide Ohunayo, blamed the meteoric rise in the allocations for the PAF on the age of some of the fleet’s aircraft, the declining value of the naira, and the Nigerian Air Force’s “commercial use” of aircraft.
Ohunayo explained, “The cost will definitely increase over the years because, for one, this issue of the naira against the dollar. As the naira keeps falling to the dollar, we will see a rise in cost because most of the costs of training crew and engineers and replacing aircraft parts are all in dollars.
“Also, some of these aircraft are not new. The older the aircraft, the higher the cost of maintenance and operation. Lastly, during these past years, terrorism and insecurity have increased in Nigeria, which has also affected the cost of insuring the aircraft.”
The Executive Chairman of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran, argued that the administration’s spending habits were contrary to Nigerians’ expectations of frugality.
“What we are getting from this administration is the opposite of our expectations. We thought we would have an administration that would be frugal in spending and very meticulous at implementing its budget. But what we are getting is an administration that has fallen in love with profligacy, that doesn’t see anything wrong in living big in a poverty-stricken nation.
Adeniran further said, “It is a reenactment of the Shagari administration, whereby they bought the biggest Mercedes Benz and made themselves as comfortable as possible without considering how much the masses are suffering.
“So when you look at a Vice President saying he’s not travelling [to Samoa] again because there was a splinter on the windscreen of his private aircraft. Why should that be the case?
“First and foremost, we need to be represented at such an international meeting, where we should be well represented by the first two citizens of this country. He abandoned that, which means we would have lost certain representation that we deserve at that forum. Two, money will have been spent on advance parties that went ahead of the Vice President. But he abandoned the journey altogether.”
The CEO of Centurion Security Limited, John Ojikutu, justified the figure considering all related expenses.
“That’s not a big deal. If they are going to go and repair, particularly for C-checks, it’s always around that range. They will fly it abroad, but fuel, catering, and hotel bills are also involved; pilots will fly it back, and the figure likely includes far more than the direct cost of repairing the aircraft,” Ojikutu explained.
Meanwhile, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, argued that the new Airbus 330 aircraft and the costs of maintaining the air fleet are not for the President’s comfort but in the interest of Nigerians.
“It’s not President Tinubu’s plane; it belongs to the people of Nigeria, it is our property…the President did not buy a new jet; what he has is a refurbished jet – it has been used by somebody else before he got it, but it is a much newer model than the one President Buhari used.
“The one President Buhari used was bought by President Obasanjo some 20 years ago. There was a time when the President went to Saudi Arabia, and the plane developed some problems. The President had to leave the Netherlands with a chartered jet.
“Nigerians should try to prioritise the safety of the President. I’m not sure anybody wishes our President to go and crash in the air. We want his safety so that he can hand it over to whoever wants to take over from him,” Onanuga said.
The presidential aide said he discussed with the NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, on the faulty plane (Boeing 737 jet), and he said the maintenance costs were excessive because of the age of the aircraft, hence the need for another plane.
By Chinedu Sabastine
ENUGU — Umuchigbo Iji Nike Autonomous Community in Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State has fixed Sunday, September 13, 2026, for its annual New Yam Festival.
The cultural celebration, which is scheduled to commence at 3 p.m., is being organised under the leadership of the Executive Chairman of Umuchigbo, Hon. Chief Afam Joseph Ogbene, popularly known as Akirika Chioku 1, Na Nike Kingdom.
The festival is expected to showcase the rich cultural heritage and traditions of the people of Umuchigbo and Umuenwene in Iji Nike Autonomous Community, while promoting unity and communal bonding.
Ogbene, in an invitation to the festival, described the celebration as an opportunity for the people to preserve their cultural heritage, strengthen community ties and give thanks for the year’s harvest.
He said, “Our New Yam Festival is more than a cultural celebration. It is a time for us to come together as one people, appreciate our heritage and give thanks for the blessings of the year.”
According to him, the event will also provide an opportunity for sons and daughters of the community, as well as friends and well-wishers, to reconnect and celebrate together.
“We are inviting everyone to come and celebrate with us. It is a celebration of our culture, our community and thanksgiving for the new yam season,” he added.
According to the invitation, activities will commence at Ogbene’s residence on Akirika Chioku Avenue, Nome Ogba Aniji Road, Umuchigbo, before proceeding to Obodoeze Iji Village Square, Odangene, for the New Yam rites and masquerade display.
The event will also feature traditional cuisine, music and other forms of cultural entertainment.
The organisers urged sons and daughters of Umuchigbo, friends, well-wishers and members of the public to join the community in celebrating the festival.
The Nigerian Army has announced a major reshuffle of senior officers, with several major generals and brigadier generals redeployed to key command, operational and administrative positions.
The changes, approved by the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, are aimed at strengthening the Army’s operational effectiveness.
Major General IA Ajose has been appointed the new Theatre Commander of the Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI. He moves from the Department of Army Operations at Army Headquarters to take charge of military operations against insurgency in the North-East.
Other notable appointments include:
Major General AE Abubakar — Dean, Faculty of Operational Research, Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre.
Major General AM Alechenu — Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre.
Major General RT Utsaha — Commander, Defence Headquarters Garrison.
Major General AM Umar — Commandant, Army War College Nigeria.
Major General UM Alkali — Director, Department of Civil-Military Affairs.
Major General GS Muhammed — Director General, Nigerian Army Finance Corporation.
Major General JE Osifo — Chairman, Military Pension Board.
Major General IE Ekpenyong — Director of Engineering Services, Defence Logistics, Defence Headquarters.
The reshuffle also affects several brigadier generals, including Brigadier General AA Bello, Brigadier General MS Adamu, Brigadier General MS Sule, Brigadier General I Sule, Brigadier General E Azenda and Brigadier General AS Bugaje, who have all been assigned to new command or administrative roles.
The Chief of Army Staff directed the newly posted officers to carry out their responsibilities with professionalism, dedication and a strong sense of duty.
More than 24 feared dead in suspected poisoning incident in Ondo
More than 24 people have reportedly died following a suspected poisoning incident in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The deaths were recorded in Araromi-Obu, Orita New Town and Odigbo communities, while several other residents affected by the incident are receiving treatment at various hospitals.
The Chairman of Odigbo Local Government Area, Taiwo Adegoroye, confirmed the incident but said he could not provide further details until medical experts conduct a professional assessment and determine the cause of the deaths and illnesses.
As a precaution, the local government has restricted the sale and consumption of sachet herbal concoctions and similar drinks being hawked in the affected communities.
Residents have been advised to avoid suspicious herbal mixtures, unverified sachet products and other substances of uncertain origin pending the outcome of medical examinations and laboratory tests.
Authorities are expected to carry out further investigations to establish the source of the suspected poisoning and confirm the exact cause of the deaths.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
Residents of Umudimishi Village, Umuoru, in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State, have petitioned Governor Chukwuma Soludo over the worsening menace of gully erosion allegedly caused by illegal and unregulated sand mining activities in the community.
The villagers said about 120 buildings are currently threatened by the expanding gully, with some residents already making arrangements to relocate for fear of losing their homes to the erosion.
In the petition addressed to Governor Soludo and copied to the state Ministries of Environment and Works, the villagers alleged that the activities of sand miners posed a serious threat to human lives, property and the continued existence of the community.
The petition, signed by the Chairman of Umudimishi Development Union, Nze Ibeabuchi Umeugochukwu, stated that several homes in the area were located only a few metres from the mining sites and had consequently become vulnerable to erosion.
The villagers said: “Many homesteads in Umudimishi are close to and along the line of mining by few metres and, as a result, stand eroded in the course of this ecological problem fueled by unregulated sand mining.”
They further alleged that the erosion menace was largely triggered by human activities, particularly unregulated sand mining along the Aguata-Orumba axis, where they said the soil structure was highly susceptible to erosion.
According to them, “Erosion menace is being triggered by human factor of unregulated sand mining, especially as it is in Aguata-Orumba Axis where the sand structure is prone to erosion, which is the major environmental hazard in the region.”
The community also claimed that sand mining had become the major source of environmental crises affecting Umudimishi Quarter, Umuoru Village and Uga generally.
Beyond the environmental consequences, the villagers expressed concern that the availability of quick money from sand mining was discouraging youths from learning vocational skills.
They said many youths now preferred sand mining to acquiring skills, while the worsening erosion had also discouraged residents and prospective investors from establishing businesses in the area.
The villagers therefore appealed to Governor Soludo to permanently shut down the mining sites in Umudimishi to prevent further deterioration of the already deplorable environmental situation.
They also urged the governor to direct the appropriate agency of the Anambra State Government to conduct an on-the-spot assessment of the erosion sites and produce a comprehensive report with recommendations on how to tackle the problem and reclaim lands already lost to erosion.
The petitioners said urgent intervention by the state government was necessary to protect lives, homes and the remaining land in the community from further destruction.
News
Major Generals to Receive Up to ₦25.91m Yearly as Tinubu Approves New Military Pension Structure
The Federal Government has approved a new pensionable salary structure for personnel of the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy and Nigerian Air Force, effective September 1, 2026.
The approval was communicated in a circular issued on September 3 by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.
Under the new structure, the highest-ranking officers—Generals, Admirals and Air Chief Marshals—have annual pensionable salaries ranging from ₦21.9 million to ₦29.75 million, depending on their salary steps. The highest figure is equivalent to about ₦2.48 million monthly when divided by 12.
Other approved pensionable salary ranges include:
Lieutenant Generals, Vice Admirals and Air Marshals: ₦16.99m–₦25.91m annually.
Major Generals, Rear Admirals and Air Vice Marshals: ₦14.98m–₦23.9m.
Brigadier Generals, Commodores and Air Commodores: ₦13.86m–₦16.39m.
Colonels, Captains and Group Captains: ₦8.31m–₦9.49m.
Lieutenant Colonels, Commanders and Wing Commanders: ₦7.55m–₦8.74m.
Majors, Lieutenant Commanders and Squadron Leaders: ₦5.99m–₦7.01m.
Captains, Lieutenants and Flight Lieutenants: ₦5.28m–₦6.42m.
Second Lieutenants, Midshipmen and Pilot Officers: ₦4.92m–₦5.59m.
The new schedule also covers non-commissioned personnel. Warrant Officers have pensionable salaries ranging from ₦4.53 million to ₦5.17 million annually, while Privates, Ordinary Seamen and Aircraftmen fall within the range of ₦2.28 million to ₦2.49 million.
The government, however, clarified that the figures are pensionable salaries used to calculate retirement benefits and should not be interpreted as the actual monthly salaries or take-home pay of serving military personnel.
-
Crime3 days agoNational Open University Bursar Nasiru Marafa Shot Dead
-
Politics5 days ago2027: SOUTH-EAST — NATIONAL RELEVANCE OR ETHNIC MASSAGING OF EGO?
-
Politics3 days agoPrimate Ayodele Warns Peter Obi, Atiku Over Alleged Assassination Plot Ahead of 2027
-
News3 days ago26 States Depend on FAAC as Wage Bills Exceed IGR
-
News3 days agoAnambra APC Hails Maintenance Work on First Niger Bridge
-
Crime15 hours agoMurder of Aiza Nwosu: Niece, 12 Suspected Cultists Arrested, Nephew at Large
-
Crime2 days agoSarah Khalifa, 11 Others to Death in Major Drug Trafficking Case
-
News15 hours agoAnambra Community Petitions Soludo Over Erosion Caused by Illegal Sand Mining