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FAAN Sends N15m Cheque to Edo

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George Uriesi, managing director of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), has described the authority as a responsible government organisation alive to its responsibility to and to its host communities.

Uriesi made this declaration in Benin, the Edo State capital during a courtesy visit on the Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, and described the situation that led to the closure of the airport as regrettable and avoidable, promising closer collaboration to avoid future occurrence.

Yakubu Dati, general manager, Corporate Communications in a statement forwarded to Nigeria CommunicationWeek said that FAAN has resolved the issue of outstanding tax payment with the Edo State Government.

He said: “The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria wishes to inform the public, especially aviation stakeholders, that it has resolved the issue of outstanding tax payment with the Edo State Government, following a courtesy call on the State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole by FAAN’s Managing Director, Mr. George Uriesi, in Benin yesterday (Wednesday), July 31, 2013.

“Records clearly showed that FAAN is up-to-date with its payment of PAYE taxes for Benin Airport up to June, 2013 as the Authority makes month-by-month payment to the Edo State Government, direct from Benin Airport, as soon as salaries are paid. Receipts for such monthly payments were made available for verification. Payment for July, 2013 will be ready for payment by August 6, 2013 since FAAN pays salaries between the 24th and 25th of every month.

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“What the Edo State Government sends annually for payment is the total of shortfalls in such monthly payments, arrived at after reconciliation of accounts with our consultants. The only outstanding payment of such annual bills is that of 2011, amounting to about N15 million, a cheque for which is now ready for release.

“To date, the Authority has not received the outstanding annual bill for shortfalls in 2012 from the Edo State Government. That bill will be paid as soon as it is received by FAAN.

“We also wish to clarify that our MD/CEO did not apologise to the Governor of Edo State over the tax issue during his courtesy visit to him, contrary to some news reports, but to find the cause of what led to the closure of the airport and to resolve the issue with him.

We believe that it is the responsibility of the Head of Edo State’s Inland Revenue Service to exploit all available official avenue for resolving the issue of taxes before taking such drastic action that caused a lot of inconvenience to airlines, their passengers and other airport users. It was in this regard that our MD has instructed the Benin Airport Manager to ensure that payment of tax bills are paid as and when due.

“Finally, we wish to restate that no State Government, agency or individual has the right to shut down an airport over any issue whatsoever as airports constitute security zones, under the jurisdiction of the Federal Government, as enshrined in the Act establishing the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria.

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Earlier during the MD’s visit, Governor Oshiomhole commended the FAAN team for its maturity, but however stated that the state was pursuing the remittances of the PAYE taxes as owed the state government.

He described the MD as a worthy son of the soil who was doing the state proud.

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General News

Court Remands Akujobi, Ex Access over alleged Theft of N294.5m

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Chinonso Akujobi, former staff of Access Bank in Lagos, has been remanded in Ikoyi prison after she was arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on stealing to the tune of N294.5m.

Court Remands Akujobi, Ex Access over alleged Theft of N294.5m

Akujobi who is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was arraigned before Justice I.O. Ijelu of the State High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.

EFCC alleged that Akujobi stole the money between January and December 2025 while under the employment of Access Bank Plc.

As stated in one the charges, the defendant stole the money through unauthorized payments from the general ledger of Access Bank to her account number 0036668871 with the name Chinonso A., Uchechi A. and Florence A., thereby committing an offence of stealing, contrary to Section 280 and punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

‎The defendant pleaded “not guilty“ to the charges when they were read to her.

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‎In view of this, S.M.Yabo, prosecution counsel, asked the court for a trial date and also prayed for the remand of the defendant in a Correctional centre.

Justice Ijelu, thereafter, adjourned the case till October 8, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application and the commencement of trial.

The Judge also ordered that the defendant be remanded in the Ikoyi correctional Centre.

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NSIB Faults Runway Identification, Reveals Cockpit Disagreement in Asaba Jet Incident

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The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) says the flight captain of the VMO Aero aircraft that landed on a roadway near Asaba Airport in Delta State told investigators that the observer pilot mistakenly identified the paved road as the runway before touchdown.

The bureau disclosed this in a preliminary report released on Thursday on the June 10 incident, which prompted the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to ground the private jet.

The aircraft had seven people on board, including the pilot-in-command (PIC), second-in-command (SIC), an observer pilot, a cabin crew member and three passengers.

According to the report, the aircraft was cleared by Air Traffic Control (ATC) to approach Runway 11 at Asaba Airport after the crew requested a right orbit.

The crew initially discontinued the approach, executed a missed approach and repositioned for a second landing attempt.

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NSIB said the crew reported that the aircraft’s navigation systems indicated it was correctly established on the published RNAV Runway 11 approach.

“The PIC and SIC reported that the observer pilot identified the paved surface ahead as the runway,” the report stated.

However, the observer pilot gave investigators a different version of events.

According to NSIB, he said the aircraft remained inside cloud until late in the approach and that the Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) repeatedly issued “TERRAIN, TERRAIN, PULL UP” alerts.

He also said he observed a telecommunications mast directly ahead and instructed the flight captain to abandon the approach and climb immediately.

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The bureau further disclosed that a cabin crew member reported that one of the passengers became concerned after overhearing discussions among the pilots and asked whether one of them was undergoing training. The passenger was reportedly reassured that all three pilots on board were experienced captains.

NSIB said no abnormal events were reported in the cabin before touchdown.

The aircraft eventually landed at about 8:57 a.m. on an under-construction paved roadway near Asaba Airport instead of the designated runway.

The bureau said its investigation into the incident is ongoing, while the preliminary report highlights conflicting accounts among the cockpit crew over the circumstances that led to the erroneous landing.

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EU warns Meta over addictive Facebook, Instagram designs, threatens fines

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European Union has warned Meta Platforms Inc. that it could face a significant financial penalty unless it changes what regulators describe as the “addictive design” features of Facebook and Instagram.

EU warns Meta over addictive Facebook, Instagram designs, threatens fines

The European Commission issued the warning in preliminary findings released on Friday, saying Meta had failed to sufficiently address risks posed by its platforms, particularly to children and vulnerable users.

The Commission said features such as infinite scrolling, personalised content recommendations and automatic video playback were designed in ways that encouraged excessive engagement with the platforms.

EU Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, said protecting the physical and mental well-being of European citizens should be a priority for social media companies.

The Commission said Meta should consider introducing design changes, including disabling autoplay and infinite scrolling by default, providing effective screen-time reminders and adjusting recommendation systems to reduce the focus on maximising user engagement.

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The findings were issued under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which sets obligations for major online platforms to address risks associated with their services.

Meta, however, rejected the Commission’s conclusions, saying it disagreed with the findings but would continue engaging with European regulators.

The company said it had already implemented measures aimed at protecting younger users, including Teen Accounts that allow parents to manage screen time limits and restrict access during night hours.

The EU said its investigation, which began in 2024, found that existing time-management tools on Facebook and Instagram could easily be bypassed, while parental controls required technical knowledge that limited their effectiveness.

Regulators also expressed concerns over children’s nighttime use of the platforms and the possibility that features such as Reels and Stories could encourage compulsive behaviour.

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If the Commission’s preliminary findings are confirmed, Meta could face a fine of up to six per cent of its annual global revenue under the DSA.

The warning comes as the EU steps up efforts to strengthen online safety measures for children, with an expert panel established by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expected to present recommendations on protecting minors online.

Several EU member states, including France, have also supported discussions on restricting social media access for children, following Australia’s decision to ban users under 16 from accessing social media platforms.

Meanwhile, the Commission is continuing a separate investigation into whether Meta’s recommendation algorithms create “rabbit hole” effects by directing users towards increasingly extreme content.

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