General News
Tinubu Swears in Disu as IGP, Presides Over First FEC Meeting of 2026
Nigeria’s newly appointed Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has disclosed that the Nigeria Police Force is closely monitoring possible security implications stemming from the escalating crisis in the Middle East.
Disu made the remarks shortly after taking the oath of office before President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where the President also presided over the first Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting for 2026.
The new IGP said intelligence-led policing efforts are already underway, with officers deployed on strategic patrols across the country to forestall any spillover effects from the foreign conflict.
According to him, security agencies are aware of certain groups within Nigeria that pay allegiance to actors in the eastern part of the world. He cautioned that external developments could trigger local tensions if not properly managed.
Disu, however, assured Nigerians that the Force is engaging such groups proactively to ensure that no individual or organisation takes the law into their own hands.
On the issue of state policing, the IGP announced the establishment of a committee to examine the framework from the Nigeria Police perspective. He maintained that the concept of state police “has come to stay” and should not be viewed as a threat to federal officers.
Rather, he described it as a collaborative security model designed to strengthen policing architecture and improve safety nationwide.
President Tinubu congratulated the new police chief and charged him with consolidating ongoing reforms within the Force to enhance professionalism, accountability, and national security.
Iran is set to hold a multi-day farewell ceremony for its late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, beginning Wednesday night in the capital, Tehran, according to state media.
Hojjatoleslam Mahmoudi, head of the Islamic Propagation Council, announced that the public memorial will last three days, while details of the funeral procession will be disclosed at a later time.
Citizens will be allowed to pay their respects at the Imam Khomeini Prayer Hall, also known as the Mosalla, starting from 10 p.m. (1830 GMT). Officials encouraged large public participation, describing the ceremony as an opportunity for Iranians to once again demonstrate unity and national presence.
Khamenei, who led Iran for decades and anchored his leadership on strong opposition to the United States and Israel, was reportedly killed on Saturday at the age of 86 in airstrikes carried out by Israeli and U.S. forces, according to Iranian state media.
His death marks a significant turning point in Iran’s political and religious leadership, with authorities yet to formally announce further details regarding succession and burial arrangements.
The United States military on Tuesday released the identities of four of the first American service members killed in the escalating war with Iran, as officials warned that further casualties are likely amid intensifying hostilities.
The four soldiers were members of the U.S. Army Reserve and served with the 103rd Sustainment Command, based in Des Moines. They were among six U.S. military personnel confirmed dead so far in the conflict.
According to the Pentagon, the soldiers were killed on Sunday when a drone struck a U.S. military installation in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait. The victims ranged in age from 20 to 42 and were part of the Army’s global logistics and supply operations.
The military identified the fallen soldiers as:
Captain Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven
Sergeant 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue
Sergeant 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake
Sergeant Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines
Coady, who enlisted in 2023, was posthumously promoted from specialist.
In a statement, Major General Todd Erskine, commander of the 79th Theater Sustainment Command, expressed his condolences, extending “my deepest sympathy and my respect” to the families and fellow service members of the deceased.
Most of the soldiers had prior overseas deployments. Khork had served in Saudi Arabia in 2018, at Guantanamo Bay in 2021, and in Poland in 2024. Amor previously deployed to Kuwait and Iraq in 2019. Tietjens had earlier deployments to Kuwait in 2009 and 2019.
President Donald Trump and other senior officials have cautioned that additional American military deaths could occur as Iran continues retaliatory strikes following joint U.S.-Israeli operations.
The U.S. Central Command reported Tuesday that Iran has launched more than 500 ballistic missiles and over 2,000 drones across the Middle East in response to the strikes, significantly widening the scope of the conflict.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the immediate suspension of the newly introduced cashless payment system at Nigerian airports following widespread complaints of traffic congestion and missed flights.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, announced the directive on Wednesday while briefing State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja.
According to Keyamo, the cashless policy introduced by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) was designed to curb corruption and boost government revenue by ending decades of cash collections at airport toll gates and parking points.
However, within days of its rollout, the system triggered severe traffic build-up around major airports, particularly in Lagos and Abuja, leaving many travellers stranded and causing several to miss their flights.
“The President was very concerned about the welfare of Nigerians,” Keyamo said. “Many passengers were missing their flights due to the gridlock created by the new system.”
He explained that Tinubu directed the immediate suspension of the policy to ease the hardship faced by airport users.
Under the new directive, FAAN will temporarily revert to the previous payment arrangement while authorities work on a more efficient electronic platform.
A hybrid system will also be introduced in the interim, allowing cash payments alongside the use of prepaid FAAN cards already purchased by motorists.
“For those who have bought FAAN cards, we will allow them to continue using them. At the same time, we will temporarily accept cash to reduce congestion,” the minister stated.
Keyamo stressed that the suspension does not signal a permanent return to cash transactions. Instead, it is a temporary measure aimed at restoring order and ensuring smoother access to airports.
The Federal Government, he added, will collaborate with private sector partners to redesign the electronic payment framework to eliminate delays while maintaining transparency and accountability. He noted that private operators may be engaged to manage the system, even if commissions must be paid.
“If we have to pay commission, we will. The priority is to create a system that works efficiently without causing gridlock,” he said.
Tinubu, according to the minister, remains committed to a fully cashless revenue collection system but one that does not inconvenience Nigerians.
“The major reason for this decision is to eliminate the current gridlock, especially at the Lagos and Abuja airport toll gates,” Keyamo said.
The ministry is expected to hold further consultations with FAAN and provide updates as work begins on a seamless and more reliable electronic payment solution for airport users.