General News
Sirika Applauds, As NCAA Certifies Murtala Muhammed Airport
Senator Hadi Sirika, the honourable minister of State, Aviation, has applauded the collaborative effort of aviation agencies that resulted in the issuance of an aerodrome certificate to the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
The Honourable Minister, while receiving the certificate from Engr Saleh Dunoma, the managing director of FAAN, noted that the issuance of this certificate is a testimony to the strong commitment of the Federal Government of Nigeria to safety and security at airports across the nation.
It will be recalled that Capt Usman Mouktar, the director general of NCAA, presented the certificate to the Authority at a presentation ceremony, held on Monday, 18th September, 2017, at the headquarters of NCAA.
The DG of the regulatory agency, while speaking at the ceremony noted that the event is historic, as for the first time in the history of aviation in Nigeria, an aerodrome certificate of operational safety will be issued to an airport, in line with the conventions of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Stating further that the successful completion of the certification exercise was contingent on the team work involving seasoned officials from FAAN, NCAA, the certification team and other stakeholders, the DG advised FAAN to not only ensure total compliance with all operational standards, in other to ensure sustainability of the certification, but also gear up to certify other airports in Nigeria.
In his speech, Mr Odunowo Mohammed Tayyib, NCAA’s director of Aerodromes and Airspace Standards, noted that there are five key phases to the certification of any airport, which are; expression of interest by an intending applicant for an aerodrome certificate, assessment of the formal application including evaluation of Aerodrome Manual, assessment of the aerodrome facilities and equipment, issuance or refusal of an aerodrome certificate and publication of the certified status of an aerodrome and the required details in the AIP.
Odunowo noted with joy that the Murtala Muhammed Airport has scaled all the hurdles and consequently, the issuance/presentation of the certificate.
The event climaxed with the presentation of the certificate to the Managing Director of FAAN, Engr Saleh Dunoma by the Director General of NCAA, Captain Usman Mouktar.
The Managing Director of FAAN in his acceptance speech, thanked the NCAA, MMA Management, the Airlines and the Certification team for their cooperation, towards making the entire process a success.
Expressing his delight at this achievement, he noted that lots of time and resources has been put into the process and the experiences gathered will surely assist in speeding up the certification process of other airports in Nigeria.
Stating that the Authority will cherish the certificate and do everything possible to sustain it, he noted that airline operators will be the ultimate beneficiaries of the process.
In his final words, Engr Dunoma reassured the DG, NCAA that the Authority will not only ensure the sustainance of this certificate, but will also work very hard to collect more certificates from the regulatory agency.
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Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has detained Tunde Ayeni, former chairman of defunct Skye Bank Plc, for alleged fraud involving N36.5 billion and $30 million.
Tunde Ayeni, former chairman of defunct Skye Bank Plc,
This follows the probe of alleged diversion of N36.5 billion and $30 million secured as loans from Polaris Bank Plc through companies linked to Ayeni.
He was arrested by EFCC operatives in Abuja on April 23, 2026, and is still been held in custody as at the time of filling the report.
Dele Oyewale, spokesperson, EFCC, confirmed the arrest on Friday but declined to provide further details.
Ayeni is under investigation for diverting funds obtained for marine security, electricity distribution, and real estate projects into other unknown projects.
Investigators allege the loans were instead channelled into telecom investments tied to NITEL/MTEL assets via a NATCOM account.
About 12 firms believed to be connected to Ayeni are also under investigation for their role in securing the loans.
The EFCC is expected to file charges once the investigation is concluded.
Summit Household Solutions Limited has opened its ultra-modern manufacturing facility in Ota, Ogun State, as part of its efforts to scale production of home and personal care products in Nigeria.
The plant, which started operations in April 2025, produces items such as dishwashing liquids, handwash, sanitisers and multipurpose liquid soaps, with an annual capacity estimated at 7,000 tonnes.
Commissioning the facility on behalf of Governor Dapo Abiodun, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Investment, Mr Kehinde Akintomide, said the investment reflects growing confidence in Ogun State’s business environment.
He noted that the state hosts over 6,000 manufacturing firms and described the development as consistent with ongoing efforts to promote industrialisation, attract investment and reduce reliance on imports under the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope initiative.
Akintomide disclosed that the factory has already employed more than 50 Nigerians, with projections to exceed 250 jobs as operations expand.
In his remarks, the General Manager of the company, Mr Sadiq Ali, said the facility represents a major step in Summit’s growth plans, adding that its flagship brand, 2Sure, currently leads production at the plant.
He also revealed that the company is preparing to introduce new home and personal care products later this year.
Summit Household Solutions manufactures the 2Sure brand and has expanded into the personal care segment with Lewar, a premium beauty soap line positioned for quality and affordability.
Among dignitaries present were the Onikotun of Otun, Ota, Oba Abdulakeem Odunaro, representing the Olota of Ota, Prof. Adeyemi Abdulkabir Obalanlege; the Agba Akin of Ota, Chief Dada Olusola; Director of Investment, Ms Yemisi Folarin; Director of Industrial Promotion, Mr Femi Adeboye; former Managing Director of 7Up Bottling Company, Mr Ziad Maalouf; and the Chief Executive Officer of OmniRetail, Mr Deepanker Rustagi.
Speaking at the event, Maalouf, who conceived the 2Sure brand during his time at 7Up Bottling Company, expressed satisfaction with its growth and commended Summit Solutions Limited for advancing the brand.
The special guests were conducted around the facility, and the programme was concluded with a luncheon.
The administration of Donald Trump has frozen $344 million in cryptocurrency allegedly linked to Iran, marking a sharp escalation in financial pressure on Tehran.
The move comes amid stalled diplomatic efforts and a fragile ceasefire in the region.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that authorities are sanctioning multiple crypto wallets tied to Iran. “We will follow the money that Tehran is desperately attempting to move outside of the country and target all financial lifelines tied to the regime,” he said.
Tether, which facilitated the transactions, said it worked with U.S. authorities to freeze the funds across two wallet addresses after receiving intelligence linked to unlawful activity.
A U.S. official said blockchain analysis revealed “material links” to the Iranian regime, including transactions routed through intermediary addresses connected to wallets associated with the Central Bank of Iran.
Responding to the development, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said the company does not tolerate illicit use of its stablecoin. “USD₮ is not a safe haven for illegal activity. When there is credible linkage to sanctioned entities or criminal networks, we act immediately,” he stated.
The crackdown underscores the growing reliance of sanctioned states on digital assets to bypass traditional banking restrictions. Data from Chainalysis shows Iran’s cryptocurrency holdings reached $7.8 billion in 2025, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reportedly controlling about half.
Analysts say while the freeze is significant, Iran has historically adapted to sanctions. Daniel Tannebaum of the Atlantic Council noted that targeting third-party actors enabling such transactions may be key to increasing pressure.
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