A former Director-General of the State Security Service and pioneer Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Albert Horsfall, has passed on.

Horsfall’s death was announced in a statement released on Friday, signed by his son, Donald Horsfall, and obtained by our correspondent.

According to the statement, the transition of the elder statesman and great son of Rivers State occurred peacefully, describing him as a “beloved patriarch.”

While the family mourns his death, the statement said they would be comforted by the extraordinary life he lived and the indelible mark he left on the sands of time.

“Details of funeral arrangements and other related activities will be communicated in due course,” it added.

The United States has delivered military equipment to the Nigerian Air Force in Lagos and Kainji, Niger State, to support counterterrorism operations.

The US Africa Command (AFRICOM), in a statement on its website on Thursday, said the equipment was delivered in September through a US Air Force C-17 aircraft.

According to the command, the delivery was part of a foreign military sales agreement between the United States and Nigerian militaries.

“The delivery furthers the strategic partnership between the two nations in order to enhance Nigerian-led efforts to counter terrorism in the region.

U.S. military support to the Armed Forces of Nigeria is by its invitation and rooted in respect for Nigerian sovereignty,” AFRICOM said.

The Federal Ministry of Education on Thursday announced the removal of data costs to allow millions of Nigerian students to access approved educational platforms without paying for internet data.

It also disclosed plans to regulate internet access for children below 16 years.

The initiatives were unveiled by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, under the Initiative for Zero-Rated Access to Educational Platforms and Content in Nigeria.

The minister, who spoke at the launch of the initiative, said the initiative formed part of the digital transformation component of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, being implemented through the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative.

According to him, government was determined to ensure that the cost of internet connectivity no longer determined which Nigerian child could access quality educational resources.

He explained that the initiative was not merely about providing connectivity but about ensuring that learning remained within the reach of children who could otherwise be shut out because of the cost of data

Regarding the planned regulation of internet access for every child below 16 years, the minister cited growing concerns over cyberattacks and other threats associated with children’s increasing exposure to digital platforms.

“At some point, there would be regulated internet access for every child below the age of 16 years as part of measures to strengthen online child protection,” the minister said.