Reps mourn, confirm death Deputy Chief Whip Onanuga

Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Adewunmi Onanuga, has passed on at the age of 59.

Spokesperson for the House,Akin Rotimi, announced this in a statement on Wednesday night.

He said Onanuga, who represented the Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North Federal Constituency in Ogun State, died on Wednesday after a brief illness.

The green chamber has now lost four members in the 10th assembly.

“It is with profound sorrow that the House of Representatives announces the passing of Rt. Hon. Adewunmi Oriyomi Onanuga,” the statement reads.

Onanuga, born on December 2, 1965, was first elected to the House in 2019 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

She chaired the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development in the 9th assembly.

After her re-election in 2023, she was appointed the deputy chief whip of the 10th assembly.

Rotimi stated, “Affectionately known as ‘Ijaya’—Rep Onanuga’s intellect, passion, humility, and drive for excellence earned her admiration among her colleagues and constituents alike.

“Her impactful contributions to Nigeria’s political landscape reflected her passion for creating a better society and her tireless dedication to public service.

“We extend our heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, associates, the government and people of Ogun State—particularly the Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North constituency—and the entire membership of the National Assembly.”

Military bans use of drones in North East

The military has stopped the use of drone by government agencies, private firms and individuals in the North East.

It said the use of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), popularly known as drones in the region was posing serious security problems in the region.

This came in a statement on Wednesday by the Operations Hadin Kai, the Joint Task Force.

Air Component Commander, Air Commodore U. Idris, said in a signal that the use of drones had become a major security threat in the Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.

The statement read, “The proliferation of drones for domestic and commercial purposes has led to serious security concerns. These concerns mainly stem from their possible use by non-state actors and criminal elements for subversive and offensive activities.

“More disturbing is that government agencies and private individuals operate these drones without due regard to the extant regulations on their operations.

”Also, the non-state actors have perfected the use of drones against military targets and Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) as witnessed in other climes.

“Recently, there have been reports of drone sightings and unauthorized drone operations in the Theatre.

“On 7 January 2025, for instance, a passenger onboard an NGO flight from Maiduguri to Monguno was intercepted with a drone during a search at the helipad. The drone was confiscated, and an investigation is ongoing.

“These incidents among others revealed trends by individuals to operate drones without due course to safety and security with detrimental consequences.

“The Air Component OPERATION HADIN KAI (AC OPHK) is saddled with the responsibility of monitoring and regulating aerial platform operations including aircraft and drones in the North East Theatre.

“This is aimed at de-conflicting the airspace to ensure safety and security for all operators in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa airspace.

“Considering this, it is pertinent to reiterate the ban on drone operations in the North East Theatre as directed by the Appropriate Superior Authority.

“It is noteworthy to state that breaches of this restriction no matter how insignificant would be viewed very seriously.

“In view of the aforementioned, you are please requested to strictly comply with the regulation on the ban on drone operation in the North East Theatre comprising Borno, Yobe and Adamawa airspace in the interest of safety and security.”

Woman abducts 5-yr-old boy returning from Lagos mosque

A woman alleged to have abducted a five-year-old boy, Mohammed Naziru, who was returning from the mosque in the company of his eight-year-old sister, last week Friday, in the Iwaya area of Lagos, last Friday, has been arrested by the Police.