•50 set-top box installers and technicians in Ibadan

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has commenced nationwide capacity-building exercise to prepare installers for the rollout of the country’s renewed Digital Switchover (DSO) programme.

The Head of the DSO Unit and Deputy Director of Public Affairs at the Commission, Mrs. Clementine Usman-Wamba, announced the development during training of more than 50 set-top box installers and technicians in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

According to her, broadcasters would be shut out of analogue broadcasting transmission by 2028, hence the need for the training of installers that are professionals to assist in the process.

She said, “We are actually here in Ibadan to train installers specifically to be part of the Digital Switch Over process.We are doing it in conjunction with Nigeria Communication Satellite Limited, (NigComSat). It is a joint outreach that we are doing here today.”

” We are doing it to ensure that they can properly track the NigComsat signal. We found out that installers are very critical to the success of the DSO project because we recently launched the DTH project. We are going DTT. We are going DTH. We are doing mobile App.”

She said that the installation of Free TV is to enable Nigerians to have access to many channels without subscription, noting that the NBC has embarked on the training of the installers of decoders and dishes nationwide for effective take off of the project.

The Jigawa State Government has confirmed the recovery of six bodies following a boat mishap in Malamawar Yan Dutse community, Ringim Local Government Area of the state.

The State Commissioner for Special Duties and Humanitarian Affairs, Auwalu Sankara, confirmed the incident during a visit to the community.

Sankara said that the accident happened at about 1pm on Sunday when a canoe carrying between 30 and 40 passengers capsized while crossing the river.

He attributed the accident to overloading, saying the number of passengers exceeded the canoe’s capacity.

Search and rescue operations are still ongoing to locate the remaining missing passengers, while the recovered victims would be buried in accordance with Islamic rites.

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A Federal High Court has sentenced Mahmud Usman and Abubakar Abba commanders of Ansaru, an Al-Qaeda-affiliated terror group, to d life Imprisonments for terrorism. ‎‎

Both men arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) were handed the sentence after pleading guilty to the 32-count terrorism charge brought against them by the agency on behalf of the federal government. ‎‎

The two convicts were sentenced to life in prison in counts 30 and 31 while they were sentenced to 20 years in the rest of the charges. ‎‎

The Judge ordered that the jail term on the other counts should commence from the date of their arrest.

‎‎Usman (1st defendant) had previously pleaded guilty to one count of illegal mining used to fund terrorism and arms procurement. He was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment but pleaded not guilty to the remaining 31 counts.

Abba (2nd defendant) pleaded not guilty to all 32 counts.‎‎

The case stalled the last time the matter came up on July 9 as the 2nd defendant Abba expressed willingness first to change his plea to admit guilt but later expressed reservations about taking that road.

‎‎They both eventually admitted guilt on all counts with a sentence of life behind bars being the consequence. ‎‎

The convicts were arrested in separate operations between May and July 2025 by the DSS.

‎‎The charges against them include acts of terrorism, kidnapping for ransom, illegal mining to fund terrorism, fabrication of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), terrorism financing, and other related offences. ‎‎

They are also accused of coordinating sleeper cells, multiple attacks, and maintaining operational ties with terrorist groups across the Sahel and Maghreb regions.‎‎