The Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abass, has directed that retired Commodore Bethel Chukwuma Adogu be accorded full military burial honours in recognition of his contributions to the Nigerian Navy.   The burial is scheduled to take place in his hometown in Anambra State on October 16, following his death at the age of 69 after a brief illness in early June. The directive was announced during a night of tribute held in Abuja on Thursday, where senior naval officers, former colleagues and family members honoured the late officer for his professionalism, technical expertise and commitment to mentoring younger personnel. Represented by the Director of Veteran Affairs at Naval Headquarters, Rear Admiral Raheem Taofeek, Abass described Adogu’s death as a shock to the Nigerian Navy. He said the naval chief had ensured that preparations were underway for a befitting burial in recognition of the deceased’s meritorious service. According to Abass, Adogu was a highly professional naval engineer who devoted himself to his duties and helped younger officers develop the skills needed to maintain Nigerian Navy vessels and other platforms. He added that the late officer’s legacy would endure through the many engineers who benefited from his experience and mentorship. Colleagues Recall Adogu’s Service Speaking on behalf of the Direct Short Service Commission 84 set, retired Commodore Aminatare Kpou recalled that Adogu was the first officer on their course’s nominal roll and was affectionately known as “DO-1”, meaning Direct Officer Number One. Kpou disclosed that 25 of the 52 officers who joined the Navy together had died, with Adogu being the 15th member of the course to pass away. He described the late commodore as a strong, athletic officer who stood firmly by his convictions and was never afraid to express his views. Kpou also praised Adogu’s generosity and selflessness, saying he often put the comfort of others ahead of his own. He recalled that Adogu served as a weapons electrical officer aboard naval ships before being selected for defence training in Pakistan. The retired officer subsequently served as Director of Weapons Electrical at Naval Headquarters and worked at the Nigerian Navy Dockyard, where naval vessels are built and maintained. Kpou said Adogu continued to show concern for others during his illness, recalling that the deceased had expressed gratitude for the support he received towards his treatment shortly before his death. He said the Navy community would miss Adogu’s professionalism, friendship, camaraderie and faith. Daughter Remembers His Discipline and Kindness Adogu’s daughter, Brittany Chidiebere Adogu, described her father as a kind, generous and disciplined man whose values continued to influence his children. She said she would particularly miss his voice, kindness and presence, adding that his military background shaped the discipline he instilled in the family. According to her, although her father was strict while raising his children, he was never harsh. She said he taught them to respect everyone, show kindness regardless of social status and conduct themselves with discipline and dignity. Adogu’s 27-Year Naval Career Born on March 23, 1957, in Uffa Community, Aguluzigbo, in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State, Adogu was the son of Pa Benson and Mrs Isabella Adogu. He joined the Nigerian Navy in February 1984 and was commissioned as a sub-lieutenant. During his 27-year naval career, he served in several capacities, including General Manager, Plans, at the Nigerian Navy Dockyard and Director of Weapons Engineering at Naval Headquarters. He is survived by his wife and four children.

A mother and her 14-year-old daughter have died after a three-storey building under construction collapsed on their home in Okpoko, Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State.   The victims, identified as Happiness Ugoagu and her daughter, Chikaima, were reportedly asleep in their bedroom when the incident occurred at about 9.45 pm on Thursday. According to a report by Channels Television, the collapse happened in the Anata Anaba area of Okpoko, leaving the family devastated. The woman’s son, Chimobi Ugoagu, said he was outside the house while his siblings were in the sitting room when the building collapsed. He alleged that residents had previously warned the builder about the dangers posed by the structure, but their concerns were ignored. Chimobi also claimed that an engineer had advised that the building should not exceed two storeys because the land was waterlogged. Anambra Government Alleges Use of Substandard Materials The Anambra State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Chijioke Ojukwu, visited the scene and described the incident as unfortunate. Ojukwu alleged that substandard materials had been used in constructing the building. He further disclosed that the authorities had previously issued a stop-work notice on the structure, which he described as illegal. The commissioner ordered the demolition of the collapsed building’s remains and other unapproved buildings under construction in the area. Ogbaru Council Chairman Calls for Investigation The Chairman of Ogbaru Local Government Area, Nnamdi Ifejika, expressed sadness over the deaths and extended his condolences to the bereaved family. He described the incident as a painful tragedy for the community, saying the loss of a mother and her daughter was heartbreaking. Ifejika urged residents to report concerns about potentially unsafe buildings to the relevant authorities before they result in loss of life. He also directed that the situation be closely monitored and called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collapse. The council chairman assured the bereaved family and the Okpoko community of the local government’s support. He further urged residents to cooperate with emergency personnel and relevant authorities. The incident has renewed concerns about building safety, construction standards and compliance with development regulations.

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has called on the Federal Government to review the ₦70,000 national minimum wage, citing higher wage payments by several state governments.   Ajaero said some states were paying workers more than the Federal Government, raising questions about the continued retention of the current federal minimum wage. Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, October 9, 2026, the NLC president recalled that organised labour accepted the ₦70,000 minimum wage partly because President Bola Tinubu had raised concerns about the financial capacity of state governments. According to Ajaero, Tinubu indicated during negotiations that the Federal Government could afford to pay ₦150,000 but urged labour to consider what state governments could afford. He said negotiations between labour and the government had initially stalled at ₦60,000 before direct discussions with the President resulted in the ₦70,000 agreement. “That was a negotiation between us and the president directly, not the minimum wage committee,” Ajaero said. However, he argued that subsequent wage decisions by state governments had weakened the affordability concerns that influenced the negotiations. Ajaero cited Imo State as paying ₦104,000, while other states were reportedly paying ₦100,000, ₦85,000, ₦84,000 and ₦75,000. He maintained that the Federal Government should reconsider its position in light of the figures. The NLC president said the lowest amount should be around ₦72,000 or higher, arguing that state governments were now paying more than the Federal Government. The ₦70,000 national minimum wage became law on July 29, 2024, after President Tinubu signed the National Minimum Wage Act. NLC Rejects 30-Day Fuel Discount as ‘Panicky Measure’ Ajaero also criticised the Federal Government’s 30-day petrol discount initiative, describing it as a “panicky measure” that had not changed organised labour’s demands. He said the announcement had not altered the two-week ultimatum issued by the NLC over minimum wage negotiations, petrol pricing and measures to ease workers’ economic hardship. The labour leader questioned how the proposed discount at Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited outlets would affect prices charged by other fuel marketers. He called on the government to clarify whether other marketers would offer similar discounts and explain what would happen after the 30-day period expired. Ajaero noted that petrol sold for between ₦650 and ₦750 per litre when labour agreed to the ₦70,000 minimum wage, arguing that the government needed to explain how its latest intervention would address workers’ declining purchasing power. NLC Lists Demands in Two-Week Ultimatum Clarifying labour’s demands, Ajaero said the NLC was seeking renewed minimum wage negotiations, an interim wage award to cushion workers’ hardship and appropriate pricing for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol. He explained that the proposed wage award would serve as a temporary intervention while negotiations on the minimum wage continued. The NLC president also called for tax relief, saying it was part of the agreement reached between organised labour and the Federal Government in 2023 but had yet to be implemented. Ajaero further accused the government of failing to maintain meaningful dialogue with the NLC, alleging that labour’s letters had gone unanswered and discussions had been absent for two to three years. His comments come amid renewed pressure from organised labour for the Federal Government to address rising living costs and improve workers’ purchasing power.

At least 30 people have been killed after two passenger buses were struck by a Russian glide bomb in Kramatorsk, a frontline city in eastern Ukraine, prompting President Volodymyr Zelensky to vow that the attack would not go unanswered.   Ukrainian authorities accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilians in Thursday’s attack, October 8, describing it as one of the deadliest single strikes in recent weeks. Photographs released by local authorities showed the burnt-out remains of the buses, with debris and bodies scattered across the road. Zelensky warned that the death toll could rise and called on the international community to respond to the attack. “Russia is trying to destroy all life in (the) Donbas (region) and the world must respond to this,” he wrote on Telegram. Police said the buses were hit by a glide bomb, while emergency services reported that three additional people were killed in shelling in a nearby village. The attack came a day after a Russian missile strike destroyed a five-storey apartment building in Pryluky, in northern Ukraine’s Chernihiv region. The earlier strike reportedly killed 22 people, including five children. Ukraine Accuses Russia of Targeting Civilians Donetsk Governor Vadym Filashkin accused Russian forces of deliberately targeting civilians and disregarding international humanitarian law. Kramatorsk City Council also condemned the attack, describing it as another crime against the civilian population. The council said the location had no military targets, although the city has served as an important logistics and supply hub for Ukraine’s military throughout the conflict. Kramatorsk, which had a pre-war population of approximately 150,000, remains one of the key cities in the eastern Donetsk region that Russian forces have yet to capture. The city forms part of Ukraine’s so-called fortress belt, a network of strategically important locations that Ukrainian troops are fighting to retain. Civilian Deaths Mount as Attacks Intensify The latest casualties have renewed concerns about the growing toll on civilians as Russia and Ukraine intensify long-range attacks during the conflict, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. The United Nations has verified more than 17,000 civilian deaths since the invasion, while warning that the actual figure is considerably higher. British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, who visited the site of the Pryluky attack on Thursday, accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of pursuing a strategy of terrorising civilians. His remarks came as the United Kingdom announced additional sanctions against Moscow. Zelensky also urged the United States to increase pressure on Russia, including by supplying Ukraine with improved air defence systems, to push Putin towards negotiations. Kyiv Faces Worsening Security Situation Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, has also experienced increasingly intense attacks, including a barrage of Russian ballistic and cruise missiles and fast-moving, jet-powered drones on Wednesday. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said three people were killed and 14 injured in the capital on Thursday. Key transport bridges, railway infrastructure and parts of the energy network have also come under attack. Klitschko warned that Kyiv, which had been relatively spared from the destruction experienced in frontline areas during the early years of the war, needed to prepare for worsening security conditions. Meanwhile, Russian forces have advanced towards the eastern outskirts of Kramatorsk, prompting calls for civilians remaining in the area to relocate to safer parts of Ukraine. Following Thursday’s attack, Filashkin ordered the suspension of public transport in Kramatorsk and neighbouring Sloviansk, citing a sharp deterioration in security. Ukraine launched a counter-offensive against Russian forces around Lyman, north of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, last month. Ukrainian authorities reported some success in regaining pockets of territory.