PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu, has approved the expansion of the Nigerian Army’s structure from eight to 12 divisions.

A statement by the presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said that the approval underscores the president’s unwavering commitment to equipping the Armed Forces to address Nigeria’s evolving security challenges effectively and to strengthen national defence capabilities further.

According to Onanuga, the expansion builds on the Administration’s sustained investments in the Armed Forces, including approval for the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel, acquisition of critical military platforms and equipment, improvements in troop welfare, and ongoing support for operational readiness and force modernisation.

He explained that under the new structure, the Nigerian Army will operate twelve divisions, strategically positioned across the country .

“The establishment of the new Divisions in Makurdi, Ilorin, Jalingo and Benin City will significantly improve command and control, decentralise operational decision-making, strengthen border security, enhance the protection of critical national infrastructure, improve counter-insurgency and internal security operations, and ensure faster military response to emerging threats nationwide,” said the statement.

Sixty-eight passengers narrowly escaped death when an Enugu Air aircraft crash-landed at the Benin Airport on Thursday.

The aircraft, with Registration Number 5N-ENR, reportedly had 68 passengers on board, apart from the crew members.

The aircraft was on an Enugu-Benin-Lagos commercial flight when the incident occurred.

The aircraft overshot the runway and entered the nearby bush.

Following this, the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), immediately swung into action and all the passengers were evacuated. No casualty was recorded.

Further details of the crash emerged later, indicating that some of the passengers sustained injuries.

The flight was said to have originated from Lagos to Benin and had reportedly been cleared to land but overshot the runway, apparently due to heavy rainfall.

• Oduko Soludo

Oduko, the third daughter of Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has graduated with a First-Class Honours degree in Neuroscience from the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom.

Her mother, the Anambra State First Lady, Dr Nonye Soludo, celebrated her for achieving the feat, describing it as the result of hard work, sacrifice and faith in God.

In a congratulatory message she personally signed and released on Thursday, Mrs Soludo expressed gratitude to God for her daughter’s academic achievement, describing it as a testament to hard work, sacrifice, and unwavering faith.

She said Oduko’s success showed that true achievement was not a product of chance but of diligence, perseverance and steadfast faith in God.