The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, has tasked all safety officers of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to ensure an enhanced safety culture in all NAF activities or operations.

Abubakar gave the charge at the NAF Safety Review Board Meeting on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said that the actions or inactions of all NAF personnel could either help to propel or break the accident chain sometimes experienced in the course of NAF activities or operations.

The Air Chief also called for the emplacement of appropriate actions to break the accident chain, so as to enshrine a good safety culture that transcends all levels in the NAF.

According to him, it is vital that they thoroughly examine all the safety issues arising from this meeting and come up with objective and innovative ideas that would enhance safety in the NAF.

In his words, “While we all know that safety is a collective responsibility, this board is primarily accountable for safety administration in the NAF.

“Accidents are the results of a sequence of events, beginning with deliberate decisions taken and NAF cannot afford to pay lip service to issues relating to safety.”

Abubakar said that the NAF regarded safety as one of its core functions and reiterated its commitment to developing, implementing, and reviewing policies to ensure that all activities were conducted in a safe and conducive environment.

According to him, NAF will intensify efforts to enhance safety as it continues its transformation into, “an agile and resilient force that effectively meets the airpower demands of national security in all operational environments”.

He gave assurance that more interesting and auspicious days were ahead for the NAF in view of the Federal Government’s commitment to equipping it with modern platforms.

According to him, the need for a proactive and enhanced safety culture is thus critical in ensuring that their usage is maximised.

(NAN)

FEMD Rescues Three from Collapsed Building in Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Department (FEMD) rescued three individuals from the rubble of a collapsed four-story building in Abuja on Monday.

Mrs Florence Wenegieme, the acting Director-General of FEMD, announced in a statement on Tuesday that no lives were lost in the incident.

The building, located at 23 Nkwere Street, off Ahmadu Bello Way, Area 11, Garki, collapsed while undergoing renovations. Wenegieme reported that the rescued victims were taken to the hospital, treated, and discharged.

FEMD received a distress call around 8:20 p.m. on Monday via their 112 emergency toll-free number, alerting them to the building’s collapse. The department swiftly activated the Department of Development Control, FCT Fire Service, Federal Fire Service, Julius Berger Fire Service, and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for immediate response. CGC Construction Company also provided support, and the Garki Divisional Police Command was present at the scene.

Wenegieme emphasized the importance of adhering to building codes and engaging professional builders and engineers. “Developers should also carry out integrity tests on existing buildings before carrying out renovations and use only standard building materials,” she stated.

Reacting to the incident, Mr Mukhtar Galadima, Director of Development Control, ordered the demolition of the remaining structure and sealed the premises. He also announced that the Nigerian Buildings and Roads Research Institute would be engaged to conduct integrity tests on other buildings in the area.

NIS Foils Trafficking Attempt, Arrests Suspect at Sokoto Border

Operatives of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) at the Ilela border command in Sokoto have arrested Rukaya Hassan, 25, for attempting to traffic two underage girls to the Niger Republic.

The Command Public Relations Officer (CPRO), Mohammed Abdullahi, who disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, noted that the victims have been handed over to the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for further investigations.

Abdullahi added that the operation was a swift response to the morale-boosting charge of the new Comptroller General of Immigration (CGI), Mrs. Kemi Nandap.

During interrogation, Hassan, a resident of the Giribshi area of Sokoto, confessed that she did not know the two girls she was travelling with to Niger. “She claimed they were handed over to her by one woman in Sokoto, named Maman Adnan, who paid for their transport to Niger,” Abdullahi said. “She also claimed the woman requested her to help take the two girls to another woman in Niger, named Amina Yunusa, who will give them jobs in her restaurant in Niamey.”

Further examination revealed that the two teenagers, Nabila Ibrahim, 17, and her sister, Zainab Ibrahim, 15, hailed from Zuru LGA in Kebbi State. “According to them, they were going to Niger to resume work in a certain restaurant which they didn’t know the owner, but that their parents approved of their trip.”

Reacting to the incident, the Comptroller of Immigration, Ilela Command, Tony Akuneme, who conducted the interviews, invited NAPTIP, Sokoto State, to take charge of the two victims and the suspected trafficker. This move aims to aid further investigation and possible prosecution.

Akuneme reiterated his commitment to sustaining the campaign against the Smuggling of Migrants (SOM) and Trafficking in Persons (TIP), aligning with the efforts of the CGI. He also quoted the CGI, thanking the officers and men of the Ilela border command for their diligence and promising to reward outstanding personnel.