Burkina Faso has released 11 Nigerian Air Force (NAF) pilots and crew members, nine days after their detention, following intensive diplomatic efforts by the Nigerian government. The release came shortly after a high-level Nigerian delegation, led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, met with Burkinabè authorities in Ouagadougou, including President Ibrahim Traoré. The team included senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defence, and NAF Headquarters, tasked with resolving the situation peacefully through dialogue. Speaking after the meeting, the minister said Nigeria and Burkina Faso shared longstanding ties and common security concerns, noting that the engagement was aimed at reinforcing mutual understanding and neighbourly relations. “We exchanged views on cooperation in several sectors. We also discussed the Nigerian aircraft that made an emergency landing in Burkina Faso,” Tuggar said. He acknowledged procedural irre...
President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday night held a meeting with the leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) as part of last-minute efforts to stop plans by the Labour union to embark on a strike action over the growing insecurity across the country. Last week, the congress declared a nationwide protest for December 17 over the “degenerating security situation” across the country. The meeting, which was held at the State House, Abuja, started at about 11:27pm and had Joe Ajaero, NLC president, Imo state governor Hope Uzodimma, Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi state, Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo state and the Minister of Labour and EMployment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha in attendance. The NLC had on Tuesday evening raised the alarm over an alleged plot by “unscrupulous agencies and desperate political hirelings” to infiltrate and violently disrupt its planned nationwide protest. Speaking with State House correspondents after the meeting, the NLC president said the labour union...