Trackers, Profiling as FG Unveils Special Guards to Secure Coastal Highway

By Dada Jackson

The Federal Government has stepped up efforts to safeguard the multi-billion-naira Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway from vandalism by profiling all 40 newly inaugurated Coastal Road Guards, documenting their guarantors and installing tracking devices on their patrol motorcycles to ensure they are used strictly for official duties.

The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Mr. Olufemi Dare, disclosed this on Thursday during the inauguration of the specially trained guards, saying the initiative was designed to provide round-the-clock surveillance and protect the strategic highway from criminal activities and infrastructure vandalism.

According to Dare, the decision followed repeated cases of vandalism along the highway, where newly installed manhole covers, directional signs and other road facilities were stolen or damaged shortly after installation, even after being replaced.

He said the persistent destruction of public infrastructure made it imperative for the Ministry of Works to establish a dedicated security outfit focused solely on protecting the highway and preserving the huge investment committed to the project.

Dare explained that the 40 guards underwent specialised training conducted by the Nigeria Police Force and were equipped with motorcycles, helmets, walkie-talkies, flashlights and other operational tools to enhance their efficiency on patrol.

He stressed that every member of the team had been properly profiled, with guarantors documented, while trackers had been fitted to their motorcycles to ensure accountability and prevent misuse of government property.

The controller urged the guards to discharge their responsibilities with discipline, professionalism and integrity, warning that any misconduct would attract appropriate sanctions.

He outlined their responsibilities to include preventing the use of motorcycles and tricycles on the highway, stopping indiscriminate parking of trailers and trucks, checking illegal U-turns, curbing vandalism of road facilities, preventing illegal grazing, street trading, unlawful occupation of the highway corridor and indiscriminate dumping of refuse.

“The guards are expected to monitor the highway day and night, arrest offenders where necessary and hand them over to the appropriate security agencies,” Dare said.

He also commended the supervisors, administrative officers and guards for their dedication throughout the training programme and urged them to justify the confidence reposed in them.

Speaking on behalf of the team, the Deputy Team Lead of the Coastal Road Guards, Mr. Kelvin Okereke, expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Works, David Omahi, for creating the initiative, describing it as a valuable source of employment and empowerment for many Nigerians.

Okereke noted that beyond opening up economic opportunities through the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the project had also reinforced the need for Nigerians to protect critical national infrastructure.

He appealed to members of the public to regard the protection of government assets as a shared civic responsibility.

Also speaking, the Chief Security Officer of the Coastal Road Guards, Mr. Paul Mbam, said the initiative had not only provided him with gainful employment but also equipped him with valuable security training and operational skills that would enhance his effectiveness on the job.

The Administrative Officer of the Coastal Road Guards, Mr. Augustine Usumero, assured that the team would maintain proper operational records, ensure prudent management of government assets entrusted to it and work closely with relevant authorities to achieve the programme’s objectives.

He expressed confidence that the initiative would deliver the desired results, noting that the guards had already demonstrated a high level of commitment during their training and preliminary assessments.

68 Lawyers Elevated to Senior Advocate of Nigeria Rank in 2026 Exercise (Full List)

The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee approves 67 advocates and one academic for Nigeria’s highest professional honour following its 174th plenary session in Abuja.

The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) has approved the conferment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) on 68 legal practitioners following the conclusion of its 2026 selection exercise. The approvals were granted at the LPPC’s 174th plenary session held on Thursday, July 23, 2026, in Abuja under the leadership of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun. According to the list released by the committee, the successful candidates comprise 67 advocates and one academic, Prof. Nnamdi Onyeka Obiaraeri. The swearing-in ceremony for the new SANs is scheduled to take place on Monday, October 12, 2026.

In a statement signed by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court and Secretary of the LPPC, Kabir Akanbi, the committee described the SAN rank as the highest professional distinction available to legal practitioners in Nigeria. The honour is reserved for lawyers who have demonstrated exceptional excellence in courtroom advocacy or made outstanding contributions to legal scholarship. The LPPC said all successful applicants must participate in and successfully complete the mandatory Pre-Swearing-In Induction Programme. The committee said the programme will be organised in line with directives of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN), adding that attendance and successful completion are mandatory conditions for the formal conferment of the rank. The date for the induction programme will be communicated in due course.

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The committee reminded the successful candidates that they are prohibited from publishing or encouraging the publication of congratulatory advertisements, goodwill messages or notices in connection with their nomination or conferment. The restriction is in line with Paragraph 25(1) of the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Guidelines and Rule 39(3) of the Rules of Professional Conduct, 2023. The LPPC warned that any breach of the provisions could attract sanctions under the relevant professional and ethical rules. “Any breach of these provisions may attract sanctions for violations of statutory or ethical rules, as expressly stated,” the committee said.

The following legal practitioners were elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria:

1. Ibrahim Gamdeh Adamu

2. Jude Chukwuemeka Okafor

3. Godwill Achibong Umoh

4. Sunday Samuel Obende

5. Adebayo Olugbenga Adaralegbe

6. Jimson Ejovi Okodaso

7. Olalekan Lawrence Bade-John

8. Olaotan Thomas Olusegun

9. Philemon Audu Daffi

10. Adenrele David Adegborioye

11. James Eromosele Agbonhese

12. Alexander Nduka Muoka

13. Onome Okodiya

14. Emmanuel Akunke Akomaye

15. Ikhide Ehighelua

16. Mas’ud Mobolaji Alabelewe

17. Ogunmuyiwa Olayinka Balogun

18. Anthony Auditz Iroagalachi

19. Mohammed Tajudeen Mohammed

20. Odion Peter Odia

21. Gbemiga Adaramola

22. Moses Okoh Onyilokwu

23. Charles Azubuike Obodozie

24. Hakeem Obafemi Agaba

25. Bimbo Felix Atilola

26. Okechukwu Steve Emelieze

27. Joshua Demilade Olaniyan

28. Igonikon Abiola Adekunle

29. Christian Nnadozie Nwokorie

30. Sadiku Momoh Ilegieuno

31. Sarafa Kolawole Idowu

32. Olujoke Enitan Alwus

33. Oliver Onyenucheya Amuzie

34. Adebisi Emmanuel Adeniyi

35. Faruk Abdullah

36. Sagir Gezawa Suleiman

37. Ifeanyi Godwin Ezeuko

38. Adebayo Folorunsho Ologe

39. Sabiu Gumba Adamu

40. Eric Keme Egolukumor Omare

41. Soibi Ideriah Ovia

42. Somina Peter Johnbull

43. Chinedum Ikenna Umeche

44. Emmanuel Eghiegba Ekhasemomhe

45. Mohammed El Hassan Sheriff

46. Junaidu Bello Marshall

47. Olawale Sunday Fapohunda

48. Adebiyi Alaba Adetosoye

49. Senior Sulyman Ibrahim

50. Agba Eimunjeze

51. Ayobamidele Oyekunle Akande

52. Adetunji Taiwo Adedoyin Adeniyi

53. Olamide Mojigbotoluwa Adekunle

54. Umaru Yunusa

55. Akorede Habeeb Lawal

56. Darlington Nnabuike Ozurumba

57. Nnaemeka Francis Patrick Egonu

58. Kayode Orire Omosehin

59. Mitchel Akinrinsola Aribisala

60. Bolu Agbaje Akadri

61. Oluwaseun Asimiyu Alao

62. Olugbenga Olusanya Ajala

63. Mustapha Olayinka Ajenifuja

64. Afees Hassan Adebayo

65. Mohammed Abiodun Adelodun

66. Jonathan Akintola Makinde

67. Olajide Salami

68. Prof. Nnamdi Onyeka Obiaraeri (Academic)

68 Lawyers Elevated to Senior Advocate of Nigeria Rank in 2026 Exercise (Full List)

BREAKING: 68 Passengers Escape Death as Enugu Air Crash-Lands at Benin Airport

Aircraft overshoots runway and enters nearby bush; all passengers and crew evacuated without casualties as aviation authorities launch investigation.

No fewer than 68 passengers narrowly escaped death on Thursday, July 23, 2026, after an Enugu Air aircraft crash-landed at the Benin Airport in Edo State. The aircraft, with registration number 5N-ENR, was operating on the Enugu–Benin–Lagos commercial route when the incident occurred around midday on Thursday. According to a source at the Benin Airport who spoke on condition of anonymity, the aircraft overshot the runway after landing and veered into a nearby bush. Visuals from the scene circulating on social media showed the aircraft resting on a grassy area beside the runway, with its tail and one wing visibly detached from the fuselage. Passengers and airport personnel were seen walking around the wreckage, with no visible signs of casualties in the footage reviewed.

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Officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) responded promptly to the incident and safely evacuated all passengers from the aircraft. No casualties were recorded. The exact number of crew members on board at the time of the incident could not be immediately confirmed.

Enugu Air is a commercial airline owned by the Enugu State Government and was launched in July 2025. It is the second state-owned commercial airline in Nigeria after Ibom Air, which is wholly owned by the Akwa Ibom State Government. This latest incident comes after a previous mishap in November 2025, when an Enugu Air aircraft suffered a nose-landing gear failure while arriving at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu. In that incident, all passengers and crew were also safely evacuated without injuries.

Aviation authorities, including FAAN and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), have yet to issue official statements on the cause of the incident. Investigations are expected to commence to determine what caused the aircraft to veer off the runway.

BREAKING: 68 Passengers Escape Death as Enugu Air Crash-Lands at Benin Airport