Owowoh Princess Oluchukwu has become the first-ever Nigerian female officer to graduate from the United Kingdom’s Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS).

The 24-year-old was one of the 135 officer cadets to graduate during RMAS’ sovereign’s parade in London on Friday.

In 2018, Owowoh joined the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) in Kaduna where she was appointed as a cadet lance corporal in her second year.

Owowoh says she is “committed to representing Nigeria with pride, and to making a positive difference in the world”.

She rose to a cadet sergeant in her fourth year and was appointed company senior under officer Charlie (CSUO C) in her fifth year.

Owowoh held the appointment with two other female counterparts and made history as the first female to assume the position of CSUO in the academy.

In her fourth year, she also completed the academics wing of the commissioning course and achieved first-class honours in biological sciences.

“It is a profound honour to be the first Nigerian female officer to be commissioned from the esteemed Royal Military Academy Sandhurst,” Owowoh said.

“This achievement is not mine alone, but a testament to the unwavering support of my family, mentors, instructors, and countless individuals who believed in me every step of the way.

“As I look ahead to the future, I am committed to representing Nigeria with pride, and to making a positive difference in the world.”

Some of the RMAS Nigerian alumni include Yakubu Gowon, former head of state, and Emmanuel Undiandeye, chief of defence intelligence.

Betta Edu, suspended minister of humanitarian affairs, says she has no link with the N30 billion purportedly recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

On January 8, President Bola Tinubu suspended Edu and directed the EFCC “to conduct a thorough investigation into all aspects of the financial transaction” involving her ministry.

The social investment programmes – N-Power programme, conditional cash transfer programme, government enterprise and empowerment programme, and homegrown school feeding programme — were put on hold after the suspension of the minister.

The EFCC has since been investigating the suspended minister and the ministry.

In an update contained in a bulletin titled “EFCC Alert,” the commission said it is also investigating 50 bank accounts, adding that the N30 billion recovered is in the coffers of the federal government.

“We have laws and regulations guiding our investigations. Nigerians will also know that they are already on suspension and this is based on the investigations we have done, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has proved to Nigerians that he is ready to fight corruption,” Ola Olukoyede, EFCC chairman, was quoted as saying in the bulletin.

“Moreover, with respect to this particular case, we have recovered over N30 billion, which is already in the coffers of the Federal Government.”

However, in a letter issued on Wednesday, Chikaosolu Ojukwu, lawyer to Edu, said: “Neither N30bn nor any amount whatsoever has been traced to or recovered from our client’s bank accounts nor has any proceed of crime been traced or recovered from her…”

The letter addressed to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) offices in Abuja and London, also threatened to take legal action against the media house if the publication on the matter was not taken down on its website.

“First and foremost, the language used in describing our client’s purported involvement in the alleged corruption case suggests guilt without allowing for the presumption of innocence, which is fundamental in any fair and unbiased reporting,” the letter reads.

“The reckless manner in which the article was crafted, without providing our client with the opportunity to respond to the allegations before its wide publication, is a clear breach of journalistic fairness and due process and demonstrates a complete disregard for journalistic integrity and professionalism.

“This is a blatant attempt to tarnish our client’s reputation and undermine her credibility which she has earned over the course of her distinguished career in both private and public life.

“For the avoidance of doubt, our client has neither been indicted nor found culpable of any act of financial impropriety in relation to her stewardship of the Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Ministry in Nigeria.”

The lawyer said the former minister has “suffered immeasurable reputational damage, psychological trauma and anguish as a direct consequence of the publication and dissemination of the article”.

The letter further demanded a retraction of the article and an apology within 48 hours.

Ojukwu said failure to comply with the demands, legal actions would be taken before the appropriate courts.

He said the actions would be “to obtain redress for the injurious falsehood peddled in your article and to seek punitive and exemplary damages in the sum of US$ 50 million against the BBC for the damage and injury suffered by our client”.

The Nigerian Army says soldiers killed in the Okuama community in Delta State are to be buried on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at the National Cemetery, Abuja.

This was disclosed in a statement posted on the Nigerian Army’s X handle on Tuesday, adding that the burial will hold by 3pm.

President Bola Tinubu is billed to be the Special Guest of Honour at the event.

Details later…