The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja (NAIA) has been voted the most improved international airport in Nigeria for the year 2017 at the 8th Nigeria Aviation Award.

The award ceremony, which took place on Monday, also saw the Airport Manager for NAIA, Mr Sani Mahmud as the Airport Manager of the year.

The organisers of the event, Nigeria Aviation Awards (NIGAV), acknowledged the improvement recorded by NAIA management in ensuring the timely completion of the runway rehabilitation in 2017.

Centre for Citizens with Disability (CCD), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NG0), has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari not to deny or delay assent to the Disability Bill whenever it is transmitted to him by National Assembly.

Executive Director of the centre, Mr David Anyaele, made the appeal at a stakeholder’s forum on Thursday in Abuja, to examine the state of the bill at the National Assembly.

President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, had on February 28, promised to ensure that the bill was transmitted to the president within 30 days for his assent.

Five of the 110 Dapchi schoolgirls that were abducted by Boko Haram insurgents died as a result of heart attack and trauma, one of them has revealed.

The insurgents had kidnapped the girls from their school in Dapchi, Yobe state, on February 19.

On Wednesday, 105 of them were released with one still in their custody.

“Five of our colleagues died of heart attack, trauma and stress as a result of the long trip,” Khadija Grema, one of the freed girls, told Channels TV.

“They didn’t allow us close to them. One of us was held back on the religious ground. She is a Christian and refused to denounce her religion.”

Grema said they were “well treated” while in the custody of the insurgents.

She said after being taken away from their school, they travelled through the bush and “as we continued (the journey), they (Boko Haram members) asked for those who are fasting among us. They then serve us drinks, meat and food after which we say our prayers and continue the journey.

“We crossed several rivers and streams and into one house where we leave on till our departure day.

“But to be honest we were well treated. They didn’t torture us as they treated us well throughout our stay in captivity, neither did they subject us to any molestation (or) any kind of sexual harassment.

“We didn’t know why they brought us back but they told us we are Muslims and we share the same faith and they don’t want us to suffer.”

The federal government has said the girls were released “unconditionally”.

An Aero Contractors flight from Sokoto to Abuja made an emergency landing on Wednesday due to a faulty landing gear. The Boeing 737/500 aircraft was said to have touched down at the Sultan Abubakar III Airport, Sokoto, at about 2:45pm while the passengers were asked to disembark and wait at the departure lounge for further briefing.

Nigeria has been ranked the fifth-happiest nation in Africa and 91st globally according to the 2018 United Nations World Happiness Report.

In 2016, Nigeria stood at 103 in the world and 6th in Africa respectively.

The country then moved up from its position of 95 in 2017 at the global level, indicating that Nigerians are happier people now, despite the nation’s economic and security challenges.

The 2018 report assessed 156 countries happiness levels based on six factors – per capita Gross Domestic Product, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, social support and absence of corruption in government or business.

The scheduled arraignment of the Chairman of Code of Conduct Tribunal, Mr. Danladi Umar over an allegation of receiving N10million from one Rasheed Owolabi Taiwo has been stalled.

Mr Umar was to be arraigned before the Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, Justice Ishaq Bello, but court authorities said the matter has been transferred to FCT High Court, Jabi.

The charge was filed on behalf of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by Festus Keyamo, SAN, at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.