Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Tony Elumelu, has accused former President Muhammadu Buhari of blocking his bid to acquire an oil field.

He revealed this in an interview with the Financial Times, highlighting a contentious decision made by the previous administration.

Elumelu alleged that he had been looking to purchase the oilfield since 2017 and raised $2.5bn for it, but Buhari and his late Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, blocked the deal.

He stated that he was advised Nigeria could not permit something of such strategic importance to be handled by a private operator.

“The rejection defied logic,” Elumelu expressed in the interview, highlighting his disbelief at the administration’s decision.

“We would have been purchasing it from a foreign company, so why was it such an issue?”

Elumelu, also the chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA), emphasized that his company’s offer was not merely a business transaction but a potential boost to Nigeria’s economy by retaining valuable assets within the country.

“We wanted to become a Fortune 500 company and we estimated what we needed. It’s not naira, it’s huge dollars. Energy security is crucial for a country that doesn’t produce enough electricity for its roughly 200 million citizens,” he added.

On Japa syndrome, Elumelu declared, “I support it, totally. “I don’t have a problem with people saying ‘I’m going to Canada, UK or US.’

“Joblessness is the betrayal of a generation. You’ve gone to school and come back with your dreams and aspirations and you don’t have the opportunity . For people who decide to find solutions elsewhere, no one should stop them. But for those who decide to stay, they should try to create an impact and build a legacy.”

Elumelu also recounted his struggles with oil theft, which has been a persistent issue plaguing the Nigerian petroleum industry.

He said, “The reason Nigeria is unable to meet its OPEC production quota is not because of low investment but because of theft, pure and simple! Meanwhile, oil-producing countries are smiling as their foreign reserves are rising. What is Nigeria’s problem? We need to hold our leaders more accountable!”

By Seun Adeuyi


Strong reactions have trailed a bandit kingpin in military camouflage who went live on TikTok to render financial assistance to his followers.

Videos of the live session were uploaded on X, formerly Twitter.

During the session, which has since gone viral, several of his followers were seen sharing their account numbers in the comment section.

This elicited anger, with many calling on the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies to track down and arrest the individual.


Writing via @revi_ofthehills, Comr. Isah Muhammed said: “Security personnels cannot find him because he’s not holding “end bad governance” placard.”

@solbabyz: “The fact this men’s are able to use smart phones comfortably is crazy How can Nigerian government not have the technology to track them even if the phones don’t have sim cards?? Bro it’s crazy how I It’s possible to isolate frequency coming out from a certain place.”

@Nairaexchanger: “He’s exploiting the banking system and telecommunications, while on social media, the government turns a blind eye. Anyone who calls this government responsible is a complete fool.”

@Ezeifeka_Obinna: “I don’t know why the military have drones, capturing this people is a waste of resources.”

@ikechukk: “These ones no get acct to freeze Abi ? No get number to trace Abi ? No get mothers to arrest Abi ?”

@moright20: “Government should ban tiktok.”

@ontophilll­_: “Why can’t DSS use the sender’s details from the bank and track them.”

@pdauda: “Our bandits are always well kitted in GI gear with full accessories and weapons. The same camo that soldiers will make young people roll in gutters for wearing is what terrorists and bandits show off with. And the CDS or COAS are not huffing and puffing over it.”

@abn_charles: “I wonder ooo! I doubt @PoliceNG is able to see videos like this or they are preoccupied with protests and harmless individuals.”

Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the Nigeria Police Force, Muyiwa Adejobi, reacted saying the police can not arrest all criminals at once.

In a post via X, Adejobi told Nigerians that rather than expect all terrorists to be apprehended at once, they should appreciate them for the arrests they’ve already made, because they are trying their best.

He was responding to three pictures posted by an X user showing suspected terrorists displaying bundles of naira notes suspected to be kidnapping proceeds.

“They are now posing with the ransom money. Showing that they are balling,” the user captioned the post.

The Force PRO said, “We can’t apprehend all the criminals at once. At least, appreciate us for the ones we have arrested. We arrest them on a daily basis, in large numbers.

“The armed forces and the police are trying their best. Efforts of security forces should be seen, noticed, and appreciated. We need to look towards having the collective efforts and individualistic involvement in tackling insecurity and other vices in Nigeria.”

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has given a reason for its search operation at Labour House, headquarters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abuja.

Daily Trust had reported how masked policemen in black shirts stormed Labour House on Wednesday night.

The officers who reportedly said they were in search of sponsors of the #EndBadGovernance protest were said to have carted away books and some other items.

The NLC which described the act as condemnable had given the police an ultimatum to return the books.

In a statement on Friday, Muyiwa Adejobi, Force Spokesperson, said the NLC was not the target of the operation but an individual who a shop within Labour House for his “criminal” activities.

“Detectives, armed with the appropriate legal authority, conducted an operation at the location, which turned out to be the NLC building.”

“This well-coordinated, lawful operation was solely aimed at apprehending the prime suspect—a foreign national implicated in numerous criminal activities across Nigeria and other African countries.

“We emphasise that this operation had no connection with the NLC, its Secretariat, staff, or leadership. The NLC Secretariat was not the focus of the operation, which was targeted at a rented shop within the building used by the suspect as a front for his criminal activities in Nigeria.

“The Nigeria Police Force seeks the cooperation and support of the NLC leadership as we continue this investigation, which is vital to safeguarding our nation.

“The high-profile nature of the suspect poses a significant security threat to Nigeria and other African nations, making this investigation crucial for the safety of all involved, including the NLC.”

by Oluwakemi Adelagun


The Word Bank has reacted to the allegation reportedly levelled against its officials by Nigeria’s Women Affairs Minister, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye.

Arise Television recently reported the minister accusing some unnamed individuals in the government of victimising her for refusing to sign a $500 million World Bank loan.

She was said to have alleged that staffers of the global financial institution usually collect 40 per cent of every loan granted to Nigeria as consultancy fees.

The ministry, however, later claimed that the minister never made such a claim, but both ThisDay newspaper and Arise Television, which exclusively reported it, have yet to delete the report.

The $500 million is a fresh loan granted by the World Bank to Nigeria’s Ministry of Women Affairs for ‘women projects.’

However, in response to PREMIUM TIMES’ enquiry on the matter, Mansir Nasir, a senior external affairs officer with the World Bank, described the minister’s claims as false.

Mr Nasir said the bank does not recruit project staff for any of its loanees.


The $500 million women’s project

In June 2023, shortly after President Tinubu’s inauguration, the World Bank announced its approval of $500 million for the ‘Nigeria for Women Project,’ which is now referred to in full as the (NFWP-SU).

According to the World Bank, the scale-up financing would help support the Nigerian government “to invest in improving the livelihoods of women in Nigeria.”

A product of the partnership between the World Bank, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning and the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, the first phase of this project is planned to run for five years.

It was designed to start in six pilot states of Abia, Akwa Ibom, Kebbi, Niger, Ogun and Taraba, representing each of the six geopolitical zones of the country.


Allegation

According to the report, the minister claimed there is a $500 million loan that was meant to be signed by her but that she refused to sign it due to certain unclear terms and conditions.

“There was also a case of $100 million earlier as well. Find out what it was meant for,” Mrs Kennedy-Onanenye was quoted as saying by the news channel.

She said: “All the loans they collect, including World Bank loans, etc, are you aware that the same World Bank staff in Nigeria takes back 40 per cent and calls it consultation fees?

“These are things you people should look into. You people should focus on where the problem is and let them leave me alone.”

The minister claimed that her life was “at stake” for refusing to sign the $500 million loan from the World Bank.

“Let me tell you, if I sign that loan today, I am entitled to five per cent of the money, but I refused to sign it. It is part of why the National Assembly and all of them are after me,” she further alleged.


U-turn

However, days after she alleged victimisation, the minister in a statement signed by her media aide, Musa Abdulrahaman, denied the reports surrounding the $500 million loan.

She described it as “false,” reports claiming she was being victimised for not signing the loan.

She encouraged women-affiliated groups and cooperatives to register on the Nigerian Women E-market portal to access the funds and broaden their socio-economic opportunities.

The new statement, however, said the president has “approved restructuring the loan to remove unnecessary expenditures like consultancies, advocacies etc and ensure direct benefits like Socio-Economic Empowerment for the target beneficiaries.”


World Bank speaks

In its reaction to the development, the global financial institution said its staff do not collect any consultancy fee and neither do ministers collect five per cent.

“In response to your query, please note that World Bank staff do not receive 40 per cent of project funds as “consultation fees” nor are ministers entitled to five per cent of project funds for signing loan agreements. Both assertions are unequivocally false,” Mr Nasir wrote.

“Recruitment of such staff is purely the responsibility of the government ministry in charge of the project.”

He added that World Bank-funded projects are implemented by recipient governments and that the projects are governed by rigorous policies meant to prevent the misuse of funds and ensure they are used for the purposes intended.

The 16th Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, on Wednesday, lamented the destruction and looting of properties during the hunger protest in the state.

Sanusi spoke when he inspected the Kano Printing Press, NCC Digital Industrial Park and Barakat Stores which were among public and private properties attacked during the incident.

He accused the security of allowing the destruction to happen despite the notice sent beforehand.

He said his grandfather worked with the Kano printing press adding that “it is sad that a place like this is destroyed by their grandchildren”.

According to him, “As we used to say, whoever had a hand in this is an enemy of Kano and he is an enemy to its people.

“My grandfather had worked here (Kano printing press). It is sad that a place like this is destroyed by their grandchildren.

“Before this happened, the security operatives were notified in writing that it is going to happen but instead of preventing it, it was allowed to happen”, he noted.

“We pray that God comes to the aid of these youth and whoever is behind it God will deal with them. We pray that we may not witness anything like this in the future”.

The Kano printing press was established in 1938 and has been serving the state since then.

The Federal Government disbursed a total of N1.03tn to boost the fight against insecurity and terrorism between January and June 2024.

In the budget implementation report for the first half of 2024 obtained by our correspondent through Open Treasury, a website that monitors government spending, the amount represents a disbursement rate of 42.80 per cent from its appropriation of N2.41tn and a balance of N1.38tn.

Despite this spending, no fewer than 5,801 Nigerians were killed in terrorist attacks, and 4,348 citizens were abducted in the first seven months of 2024, Findings by The PUNCH showed.

Data sourced from an Indigenous intelligence outfit, Beacon Consulting, revealed that the number of fatalities was recorded during the various attacks witnessed in 574 Local Government Areas across the country.

A breakdown, according to geopolitical zones, showed that 2,223 persons were killed in the North-East, representing 33 per cent of the total incidents, in which 1,609 individuals were killed and 614 kidnapped in 88 Local Government councils.

In the North-West, 125 councils recorded attacks leading to the death of 2,023 individuals while 2,607 were abducted.

No fewer than 96 councils recorded incidents in the North-Central region out of which 1,102 residents lost their lives and 847 were kidnapped.

South-West recorded attacks in 106 councils which led to the death of 434 individuals and 93 were abducted. Also, 275 persons were killed and 145 abducted in 81 councils of the South-South.

While, in the South-East, 358 fatalities and 42 abductions were reported across 78 Local Government Areas

Insecurity has severely hindered socio-economic development in Nigeria, impacting various aspects of life throughout the country. The widespread threat of violence and crime arises from multiple sources, transcending from terrorism into banditry, cattle rustling, and kidnapping for ransom.

Despite the government’s promise to tackle the menace by investing in advanced attack machinery, insurgents continue to operate with relative ease. Although the number of attacks and casualties has decreased, the persistent threats highlight the ongoing challenges in achieving comprehensive security.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government disbursed N9.53tn to Ministries, Departments, and Agencies as budgetary allocations in the first six months of the 2024 budget year.

The figure indicates a 24 per cent disbursement rate from the total appropriation of N38.83tn leaving a balance of N29.3tn.

The funds were disbursed to over 500 MDAs between January and June 2024 for its operations and infrastructure development in the country, according to data obtained and analysed by our correspondent using Open Treasury, a website that monitors government spending.

This development came amidst reports of poor funding by the government to MDAs.

Recently, the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mrs Oluwatoyin Madein, admitted that the government had yet to begin implementation of the capital component of the 2024 national budget.

She said the decision to continue with the implementation of the 2023 budget was taken after consultation with the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu.

However, the situation may impair the government’s January-December budget cycle, vis-à-vis its national development plan 2021-2025.

A breakdown of the data revealed that the Ministry of Finance topped the list with the highest allocation of N4.96tn, a 36.94 per cent disbursement rate of its N13.43tn appropriation leaving a balance of N8.47tn.

The increase in allocation for the finance ministry is likely due to its salary payment duties.

This was followed by the defence ministry with a payment of N1.03tn. This means a disbursement rate of 42.80 per cent from its appropriation of N2.41tn and a balance of N1.38tn.

The education ministry got funding of N600.25bn indicating a 29.52 per cent disbursement rate from its total allocation of N2.03tn while the police affairs ministry received an allocation of N424.13bn in six months, representing 42.17 per cent disbursement rate from its appropriation of N1.01tn.

On economic spending, the document stated that the government spent N1.28tn on defence and security, N859.9bn on economic affairs, N314.5bn in the health sector, N784.37bn in the education sector, and N103.5bn on social protection within the review period.

Other sectors including general public services got N5.42tn, public order and safety got N764.98bn, environmental protection (N11.67bn), housing and communities (N175.49bn) and recreation, culture and religion got (N31.79bn).

Speaking on the insecurity issue, a security consultant and Fellow of the Institute of Security, Nigeria, Chigozie Ubani, said there was a critical need for a comprehensive approach to national security.

He noted that despite repeated recommendations to the Federal Government, current efforts were ineffective.

Ubani lamented the cycle of arrests, detentions, and subsequent bail of suspects without addressing the underlying social and economic factors contributing to insecurity.

“We are running a reactionary police system. When it happens, we then move. We arrest people, detain them, and later bail them. The other day, we charged them to court. It’s just reactionary. What we’ve not done is to look at the social and economic angles to security. We might be lucky, but if not, we might have a bloody situation, because people are hungry. This is one of our major problems,” he stated.

Two Kano House of Representatives members, former House leader, Rep. Alhassan Ado Doguwa (APC,Kano) and Rep. Abdulmumini Jibrin (NNPP,Kano) have dared each other as their spat over the former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has deepened.

Jibrin had warned Doguwa to desist from making disparaging remarks against the national leader and founder of the Kwankwasiyya political movement.

However, in a statement on Sunday, Doguwa asked Jibrin to steer clear of the matter because he was not his political mate as he was a student when he was elected as a member of the National Assembly, the same time with Kwankwaso.

But, in a statement by his Media aide, Sani Ibrahim Paki, Jibrin told Doguwa to respect his age because if he reveals his secrets, he would be expelled from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

He said, “While I expected nothing short of an apology from Hon Doguwa to our national leader and zip his mouth while maintaining decorum in his public utterance moving forward and in the face of the tensed atmosphere in Kano.

“I am not surprised that Alhassan choose the path of a comedian by reducing the matter to his usual petty talks and superiority complex. The response of Alhassan should be viewed within that confines by the public and dumped in the largest dustbin in history.

“I stand by my earlier statement and in addition to what I said in my earlier statement and for further clarity, I wish to add the following statements as responses to Alhassan.

“I am glad Hon Alhassan Doguwa partially heed my warning and responded to me NOT Kwankwaso. I had in my earlier statement challenged him to bring his attacks on me because I am his mate, not Kwankwaso. For that response to me, he has confirmed I am indeed his mate, not Kwankwaso.

“I say thank you to Alhassan for that and I assure him I have the agility to continue to tackle him. I urge him to take a moment of introspection and ask himself why Kwankwaso NEVER replied him. He will realise it’s simply because Kwankwaso understands he is not his mate!

“I once again advise Alhassan to respect his age. He should restrict his fights, insults and reckless statements within his party where he has fought and still fighting everyone. The fact is, Alhassan will be summarily expelled from his party if some of the leaders especially those in Abuja he is trying to impress get to know some of his utterances in private. Let’s keep a date with history”.

But, Doguwa, in counter statement, on Tuesday, dared Jibrin to expose his secrets, saying he is not afraid of his antics.

He said, “I challenge Abdulmumini Jibrin to drop any bombshell he has against me. I dare him not to spare or keep secret whatever he knows about my political conviction and or commitment to my party, the APC. I remain a loyal and sincere member of the ruling APC.

“I also believe and have faithful confidence in the leadership of our party. I admire and believe in the governmental policies and programs of our party. I am not a coward politician and cannot be intimidated or blackmailed by sweeping accusations or phantom threats”.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has granted approval for a financial accommodation to support the proposed merger between Unity Bank Plc and Providus Bank Limited.

A statement by the CBN Acting Director, Corportae Communications, Mrs Sidi Ali Hakama on Tuesday, said, “This strategic move is designed to bolster the stability of Nigeria's financial system and avert potential systemic risks.

“The merger is contingent upon the financial support from the CBN. The fund will be instrumental in addressing Unity Bank's total obligations to the Central Bank and other stakeholders.

“It is unequivocal to state that the CBN's action is in accordance with the provisions of Section 42 (2) of the CBN Act, 2007. This arrangement is crucial for the financial health and operational stability of the post-merger organisation.

“Furthermore, it is important to emphasise that no Nigerian bank currently faces a precarious situation comparable to that of Heritage Bank, which was recently liquidated.

“The CBN remains committed to safeguarding depositors' interests and ensuring the smooth functioning of the banking sector through proactive measures and strategic interventions.”

“The CBN's decision underscores its dedication to maintaining financial stability and promoting confidence in the banking system during this transformative period,” it added.

The Department of State Services (DSS) said it has arrested some sponsors of foreign flag-flying protesters and insurrection in the country.

Spokesman of the DSS, Dr. Peter Afunanya, told newsmen today at Defence Headquarters that their identities would soon be made public, urging Nigerians to be patient.

Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has disclosed that the fuel subsidy, which was abolished by the President Bola Tinubu-led Nigerian government in 2023, has been reinstated due to soaring inflation.

The revelation contradicts Tinubu's declaration during his inaugural address on May 29, 2023, that fuel subsidy had been permanently removed.

The subsidy's removal led to a significant increase in petrol prices, from around N200 to over N600 per litre.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Obasanjo criticised the government's approach to removing the subsidy, arguing that measures should have been put in place before its removal.

However, he noted that the subsidy had effectively been reintroduced due to the current high inflation rate.

“There’s a lot of work that needs to be done. Not just wake up one morning and say you removed the subsidy. Because of inflation, the subsidy that we have removed is not gone. It has come back,” Obasanjo said.

He also highlighted the need for investor confidence in Nigeria, stating, “You have to go from a transactional economy to a transformational economy.”

One of the key demands of the ongoing nationwide protests is the reinstatement of the fuel subsidy regime.

However, in his recent Sunday broadcast, President Tinubu categorically ruled out the possibility of reviving the fuel subsidy. He described the decision to remove the subsidy as "painful but necessary", emphasizing that it had been a major obstacle to economic growth and development, likening it to a "noose around the economic jugular of our nation.”

A security operative was, on Monday, captured gunning down a protester in Azare, Katagum Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

The unidentified protester was pinned to the ground by some persons who tortured him.

In a video sighted by Daily Trust, the young man was seen lying on the ground as two or three persons hit him repeatedly.

Shortly after, his killer who was standing beside a white Toyota Hilux van belonging to security operatives, moved closer.

After hitting him twice, the officer point his riffle directly at the victim and immediately pulled the trigger.

The crowd at the scene yelled as the policeman walked away without looking back.

Daily Trust factcheck team ran independent checks on the video and confirmed that it was not doctored.

Checks showed that the incident happened in front of Katagum Local Government secretariat, where policemen and some protesters using Russian flag clashed.

A resident of Azare, who did not want his name in print, told Daily Trust that the deceased was one of the hoodlums arrested by the police, but this newspaper could not independently verify this claim at the time of filing this report.

As of the time of filing this report, SP Ahmed Wakil, spokesman of the Bauchi Police Command, had not responded to Daily Trust’s inquiry on the daylight killing.

Another effort to get the reactions of Bauchi State Government about the incident did not also see the light of the day, as spokesman of Bauchi State Governor, Mukhtar Gidado, neither answered calls nor responded to the messages sent.

Since the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protest kicked off on Thursday, there have been multiple videos of extrajudicial killings against the police, but the force denied each and all of them.

Amnesty International had condemned the use of lethal force against protesters.

In a statement, the human rights group said, “Our findings, so far, show that security personnel at the locations where lives were lost deliberately used tactics designed to kill while dealing with gatherings of people protesting hunger and deep poverty.”

But Muyiwa Adejobi, Force spokesman, had said while there were some instances of killings during the protest, none was by the police.

Following widespread killings in Kano at the weekend, Amnesty International asked Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to establish Judicial Commission of Inquiry into fatal shooting of protesters,

The agency said at least 10 protesters were fatally shot in Kurna and Kofar Nasarawa of Kano.

President of Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, also warned the Police and other security forces to stop what he described as “massacre” of protesters.

Ajaero, who also questioned the professionalism of the police high command and its officers being superintended by Kayode Egbetokun, said the police, the lead security agency in managing internal security bear the massacre.

The labour leader said the police officers should divert their energy towards marauding bandits wreaking havocs in the country and be brutal against them rather than innocent Nigerians demanding their rights.

“With unconfirmed reports putting casualties at 40+ in two days of managing the the EndHunger protest across the country, we have sufficient reasons (backed up by reports and video clips) to call to question the professionalism of our security personnel as this represents nothing but MASSACRE of citizens.

“Had the security personnel deployed the same thoughtless brutal precision against bandits or other criminals, our country would have been an eldorado. As the lead-agency in internal security management, the police bear the burden of this massacre,” he said in a statement,

In a piece titled: ‘The Hunger March As Universal Mandate’, Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, wrote, “Live bullets as state response to civic protest – that becomes the core issue. Even tear gas remains questionable in most circumstances, certainly an abuse in situations of clearly peaceful protest. Hunger marches constitute a universal S.O.S, not peculiar to the Nigerian nation. They belong indeed in a class of their own, never mind the collateral claims emblazoned on posters.”

By Ahmed Oluwasanjo


#EndBadGovernance protesters have returned to the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in Ojota after rejecting N5,000 offered to many would-be demonstrators not to return to the park on Monday.

With “Sanwo-Olu is a thief” chorus in the background, a protester speaking with a megaphone said in a video posted on X on Monday. “Make price of garri come down. They came to deceive us with N5,000, but we rejected it. We don’t need their money. We will continue to protest. This is our nation.”

Several Lagos residents returned to the streets 24 hours after President Bola Tinubu’s nationwide broadcast calling for the end of the protests.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had warned Lagos residents on Sunday to be wary of divisiveness.

“Now it is fit and proper to, once again, warn our citizens to be very vigilant. Those who seek to divide us are yet to give up,” said Mr Sanwo-Olu.

The Lagos Commissioner of Police, Adegoke Fayode, on Monday, granted Disk Jockey (DJ) Adekunle Opeyemi, known as DJ Opsson, permission to stage his musical instrument inside the Freedom Park, Ojota, Lagos.

Earlier, policemen had denied the DJ mounting his musical instrument inside the Park, claiming they were acting on the order from the CP.

The denial sparked a mild drama as the protesters tried to force the musical instruments inside, leading to slight outrage.

After two hours of non-musical interlude, the CP returned to the protest scene.

One of the lawyers to the protesters, Justice Ojienoh, approached him, requesting the DJ to mount his instrument.

The CP gave a nod to the request which elicited excitement.

The protesters are still at the scene, dancing to the songs by the DJ.

BY Claire Mom


Early Sunday morning, President Bola Tinubu addressed Nigerians in a televised broadcast amid the #EndBadGovernance protest, which commenced on Thursday in many parts of the country.

Hours before his address, his speech surfaced on the internet in what many called a “leak”.

Public figures, including politicians, knocked the presidency for “fooling Nigerians”, while some expressed concerns about the safety of other classified documents.

But was the president’s speech top secret in the first place? Here’s what to know about presidential broadcasts.


HOW IS A PRESIDENTIAL BROADCAST DISSEMINATED?

Hours before a presidential broadcast, an embargoed copy is disseminated to select media houses, especially the print media.

These media houses are trusted with the speech to enable them to prepare timely and accurate reports as the president delivers his address.


WHO IS IT SHARED WITH?

The presidential speech is usually dispatched to the editors of the media houses ahead of the broadcast.


WHAT ARE THE STIPULATED CONDITIONS WHEN SHARED?

The speech will be under strict embargo until the president delivers his address. In most cases, the media houses are permitted to share the speeches at least 15 minutes into the broadcast.

Sharing the speech before the president’s broadcast flouts the agreement with the media and creates a lack of public trust in the presidency. It also affects the relationship between the media and the government.


WHY IS EARLY DISSEMINATION IMPORTANT?

To ensure the broadcast makes the front pages of mainstream newspapers, it is expected that the speeches are disseminated the night before, especially for broadcasts that are made early in the morning.

For print media houses, this gives them ample time for production.


IS IT GLOBAL BEST PRACTICE?

Disseminating presidential speeches before they are televised is not a practice peculiar to Nigeria; it is done globally.

The practice is not only restricted to presidencies. Large multilateral organisations such as the United Nations (UN) and other international non-governmental organisations also engage in this practice.

Victor Olorunfemi


Two Nigerians have been arrested in Lagos for allegedly duping the Jamaican government of one million dollars.

The arrest was led by the country’s Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

According to Loop News, the two men were detained in their residence in Lekki Phase 1, Lagos following an investigation into the involvement of an international cyber group raced to Nigeria in the cyber fraud.

The three agencies subsequently coordinated an arrest warrant secured through international collaboration.

MOCA’s director of communications major Basil Jarrett said the agency had in 2023 received a complaint from the National Water Commission over an attempt to defraud them of over one million dollars through a business email compromise which had illegally routed the funds to the criminals.

Meanwhile, MOCA immediately launched an international investigation into the matter alongside US federal law enforcement partners which ultimately resulted in the stolen funds being seized while the majority of it was returned and also led to the location of the two perpetrators in Nigeria.

“MOCA, in collaboration with its US federal law enforcement partners, launched an intensive, international cyber investigation into the attack, resulting in the monies being frozen and ultimately, the majority of it being returned,” Mr Jarret said in a statement released by MOCA.

“This outcome not only highlights the resilience and preparedness of our cybersecurity defences but also underscores the critical importance of international cooperation in addressing cyber threats,” he added while also commending NWC quick steps following the incident.

Meanwhile, MOCA noted that investigation into the cybersecurity attack was still ongoing as the agency suspected that other individuals might be involved in the sophisticated cyber fraud scheme.

The enthusiasm and optimism exuded by the Minister of Sports Development Senator John Owan Enoh at Team Nigeria’s send forth to the Olympics must be eroding and gradually turning to frustration, one week into the Paris 2024 Olympics. He was full of hope; not just for medals, but also for a hitch-free participation in the games that would be free of controversies.

The Paris 2004 Olympics is the minister’s first. Coming from a background, not too conversant with the demands of the sporting sector, he had hoped to start on a clean slate, using his early months as a learning curve. On resumption of office, the Cross River State-born minister told Nigerians that “it is no longer going to be business as usual.” He hardly knew the magnitude of what he was into.

If the Senator must know, the story of Nigeria’s participation in the Olympics is one of twists and turns, dotted with pockets of successes and failures. Above all,hardly had there been one Olympic Games in which Team Nigeria would not have one scandal or another, coupled with the administrative ineptitude of officials. This has become a recurring decimal.

In the 1980 Moscow Olympics, Team Nigeria was engulfed in a reported sex scandal. A Lagos-based national newspaper published a story which alleged that the country’s delegation was rocked by a sex scandal in Moscow. Although it turned out to be a hoax, that scandal did a lot of damage to the psyche of Nigerian athletes.

Hameed Adio was team Nigeria captain to the Moscow 1980 Olympics held in Russia. He told www.aclsports.com that the story was not true but it had a negative impact on athletes’ concentration, training and mental toughness during the Olympics. Nigeria returned empty-handed.

Fast forward to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Team Nigeria was again distracted by so many scandals. The failure of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria to properly guide Nigerian athletes on doping regulations led to the disqualification of ten athletes of Team Nigeria. The athletes were disqualified from competing after they failed to undergo mandatory out-of-competition tests before the global sports fiesta.

Events at the Tokyo Games snowballed into the hunting down and subsequent ban on Blessing Okagbare, Divine Oduduru and lately Grace Nwokocha by the the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) . Blessing Okagbare was handed a 10-year ban in 2022, while Divine Oduduru got a six-year ban in 2023. Grace Nwokocha was given a three-year ban for using prohibited substances.6 June 2024.

Apart from the failure to properly guide her athletes on doping regulations, the AFN and the Sports Ministry under the leadership of Sunday Dare were locked in a kitting controversy.

A picture shared by the team after the visit of the Nigerian Ambassador to Japan, Abubakar Moriki, to the team’s camp, showed many of the athletes and officials in different attires, with one of the officials in the picture wearing an Arsenal jersey. Other videos shared by Nigerian athletes in Japan also showed them in different sportswears, like Nike and Adidas.

This came to the fore when Nigeria’s shot putter, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, washed the lone jersey issued to him by the Nigerian officials ahead of his final game at the Olympics.

The TikTok video, uploaded by the athlete on his Instagram page, @thechuksay, before he deleted it due to pressure from the Ministry, had the caption: “When you made the Olympic Finals, but you only have one jersey.”

This drew a social media rant which described the video as the “latest embarrassment from Team Nigeria Tokyo2020 drama series.”

The one jersey per athlete issue was brought about by Sunday Dare’s rejection of the jerseys supplied by PUMA to the Nigerian contingent. The former Minister of Youth and Sports Development insisted that the contingent would not wear the German sportswear kits because of a leadership tussle between the AFN board lead by Ibrahim Gusau and another faction championed by the Minister, Sunday Dare.

This crisis came to a head when the German company announced the termination of the four-year deal with the AFN in a letter dated August 4, which was signed by PUMA’s Director Manuel Edlheimb. It was rumoured that Puma would sue Nigeria for breach of contract. Nobody knows what became of that case, four years after.

When Senator Owan Enoh sent forth the Team Nigeria contingent to the ongoing Paris Games, his thoughts were on how well it would end as he believed, like most Nigerians, that Team Nigeria could pull the chestnuts from the fire this time round. The likes of Tobi Amusan, Ese Brume, Favour Ofili, Blessing Oborodudu, Oduayo Adekuroye, the D’Tigress were all seen as very bright medal prospects. No Nigerian boxer had qualified for the boxing event at the Olympics since 2016. This time, three qualified. Unfortunately, one got injured while preparing for the games and he withdrew, the other got beaten in the first fight; while the third, a lady was disqualified for doping offences.

In the main, Senator Owan Enoh’s young era has not escaped from tradition. Cynthia Ogunsemilore’s drug failure and subsequent expulsion from Team Nigeria camp and the Olympic village is another scandal bound to leave a huge impact on the Nigerian contingent.

As if that is not enough, the mishandling of Favour Oifili’s omission from the 100 mtrs race has raised a lot of questions. The affected athlete cried blue murder as she had trained and conditioned herself to participate in the race having qualified. Ofili won the Nigerian national title in June with a time of 11.06 seconds . Her personal best time of 10.93 may have probably put her in the final of the event at the Olympics. She will, however, be available for the 200 metres 1×400 mtetres relay.

A senior colleague, Onochie Anibeze believes the exclusion of Ofili from the 100 mtrs dash could have been deliberate by an official. “He could have done that for the good of the athlete,” he reasoned, adding, “she is expected to concentrate on 200 mtr which is her speciality and the relays,” Onochie guessed. Even at that, he was of the opinion that “if it is as I think, the said official should have done that with her consent. She should have been consulted and guided. Not telling her before now makes it bad.” But Anibeze did not also rule out an oversight, a complete error on the side of the officials.

After one week of competition, Nigeria no longer has any stake in boxing, badminton, women’s football among others, swimming, etc. The minister must be realising the cleansing he has to champion in Nigerian sports.

By Rilwan Muhammad


Ashraf Adam Lamido, one of the sons of the 16th Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, has tied the knot with his heartthrob, Sultana Nazif, daughter of a prominent Bauchi politician, Senator Dr. Suleiman Mohammed Nazif.

The wedding held at the National Mosque, Abuja.

The groom’s sister, Fulani Siddika, had earlier shared the pre-wedding photos and video via Instagram.

The marriage contract was attended by top government officials, traditional rulers, among other dignitaries of reputable standing.

See pictures below:

The Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria, Gbenga Adebayo, has stated that more than 30 million phone lines are not properly linked to a National Identification Number and remain at risk of disconnection.

He said these lines are mainly in car trackers, MiFi units, WiFi devices, and Point of Sale machines

“The numbers are staggering. We are looking at potentially over 30 million SIM cards, including those in various digital devices, that have not been properly linked to the NIN. Many of these SIMs are in car trackers, POS machines, MiFis, WiFis, and many other devices that use SIMs to operate,” Adebayo said during a recent interview with News Central and monitored by our correspondent on Thursday.

This revelation comes on the back of recent chaos caused by the unblocking of lines not connected to their NINs.

Last weekend, telcos began barring phone lines not linked with NINs days before the Nigerian Communications Commission’s July 31, 2024 deadline.

Since February 2024, telcos have implemented a phased disconnection of phone lines in compliance with an NCC directive. At the end of 2023, the regulator asked telcos to disconnect lines that had not been successfully linked with NIN across three phases, ending July 31, 2024.

Industry experts told The PUNCH that three million phone lines were initially blocked before the Nigerian Communications Commission directed telcos to restore the blocked telephone lines.

According to Adebayo, these subscribers were disconnected because of discrepancies in records between telecom operators and the National Identity Management Commission.

“There are instances where individuals provided their NINs, but the information did not match our records,” Adebayo noted. “These discrepancies must be resolved at service centers to ensure proper verification.”

While the timing of the disconnections coincided with nationwide protests, Adebayo emphasised that there was no link as the action had begun long before the protests.

“Unfortunately, the disconnection coincided with the planned protests, but it had nothing to do with stifling communication,” he said. “We are guided by our social contract with subscribers and provide services on a non-discriminatory basis.”

The ALTON boss further highlighted the role of accurate data in building a reliable national database. He stressed the importance of individuals providing truthful and consistent information during registration to avoid future complications.

“To have a reliable and equipped national database, all of us must contribute accurate information,” Adebayo urged. “This database can only be as reliable as the information provided by the public.”

“The consumer is our priority, therefore, considering the challenges the blockages have caused, the commission has directed all operators to reactivate all lines that were disconnected over the weekend… Reactivated consumers are to note that this is for a limited period to allow them to properly link their NIN to their SIM,” he added.

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The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, says security agents have received intelligence of a Senator sponsoring the #EndBadGovernanceinNigeria protests against the government.

The minister stated this at a press briefing, following a security meeting with heads of security agencies in Abuja, on Thursday.

PUNCH Online reports that the scheduled protests began today in Abuja and in several parts of the country despite calls by government officials for citizens to shun the protests.

Wike said the Senator, whom he said would be invited in due time for questioning by relevant agencies, took security agents with him to deliver food to the protesters.

“Now we also have intelligence that a senator had to invite some security agencies to lead some of them to go and provide food for the protesters. That is sponsorship.

“A senator providing food for protesters. At the appropriate time, security agencies will invite the senator and find out how you will be sponsoring this kind of thing against the government of the day,” he said.

The minister again called for protesters to obey the court order restricting them to the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, noting the violence and killings that had occurred in other parts of the country on the first day of the protest.

He disclosed that the security agencies also had intelligence that miscreants planned to hijack the protest to destroy properties tomorrow, stating, however, that security operatives would not allow it.

“We believe that this is a democratic government and so we must act according to the rule of law. We also believe that this protest is their entitlement so that the government can address the issues raised. Obeying the rule of law is obeying court orders.

“You saw what happened today when some people tried to move into Eagle Square. Miscreants may not have succeeded in what they wanted to do, but we have intelligence that they are coming out tomorrow to destroy property that will lead to loss of lives.
“The security agencies will not allow that. Every protester, please, go to the MKO Abiola stadium and do your protest. That is what the court said,” he declared.

A man, Abdullahi Idris, has been arraigned in a Kano State Sharia court for allegedly setting his girlfriend, Sa’adatu Ibrahim, ablaze for turning down his marriage proposal.

Idris, a resident of Rimi town in Sumaila LGA, was said to have dated Sa’adatu, a divorced woman, for seven days before she refused to accept his proposal to marry him.

He was charged with malice, arson and attempted murder, all of which he pleaded not guilty.

The prosecutor, Barrister Maryam Jubril, asked for another date for his re-arraignment.

The Khadiyya, Rakiya Lami Sani, ordered his remand in prison and adjourned to September 16.

By Adekunle Sulaimon


Twenty-four hours before the planned 10-day hunger protest, the Federal Government took some proactive steps to quell the demonstration.

Recall that recently, a group, the Take It Back movement called for a nationwide protest against hunger and bad governance in the country.

The group tagged the protest, “Days of Rage” which it said would hold nationwide from August 1 to 10.

However, there have been calls from top government personalities, groups, and religious bodies, including the Christian Association of Nigeria, the Muslim Student Society of Nigeria (Lagos chapter), and the Muslim Rights Concern, citing a palpable fear that it might be hijacked by infiltrators who do not mean well for the country.

Even the former Niger Delta freedom fighter, Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, warned organisers of the protest to desist from coming to Niger Delta.

Dokubo-Asari said the agenda of those behind the protest do not capture the problems of the people of the Niger Delta.

While daring them to come to the oil and gas-rich region, he said they would be resisted, alleging that they were merely interested in the resources coming from the Niger Delta, describing them as ‘anarchist.

Additionally, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has urged all groups planning to participate in the proposed nationwide protest to submit their details to the Commissioners of Police in their respective states.

He stated this was to ensure the protest remains peaceful.

Egbetokun said, “We acknowledge the constitutional right of Nigerian citizens to peaceful assembly and protest.

However, in the interest of public safety and order, we urge all groups planning to protest to provide the necessary details to the Commissioner of Police in the state where the protest is intended to take place.”

Although the protest, which has gained traction on social media, has been endorsed by presidential candidates Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party and Peter Obi.

Going forward, this report by PUNCH Online highlights the major steps the Federal Government has taken to stop the protest from being held, as they considered the demonstration unnecessary while demanding time for President Tinubu to govern.

1. Tinubu created centres across the country where Nigerians can purchase a 50kg bag of rice for N40,000.

The FG said it was one of the several initiatives by the Tinubu administration to ease living conditions for citizens.

2. Tinubu directed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to sell crude to the Dangote refinery and other upcoming refineries in naira.

The approval given by Tinubu for the sale of crude oil to the Dangote Petroleum refinery in naira is going to force the prices of domestically refined petroleum products to crash, oil marketers, refiners, and experts stated.

Operators in the downstream oil sector commended the move by the President, stating that it would boost the outputs of domestic refineries, shore up the country’s foreign exchange reserves, and strengthen the naira.

3. He met with governors from the All Progressives Congress, under the aegis of the Progressives Governors Forum at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, to discuss the growing calls for nationwide protests against economic hardship.

4. Although Tinubu had earlier announced that he may stop the importation of import duties on food and essential commodities, Tinubu suspended import duties to cushion the effect of the inflationary trend in Nigeria. On Monday, he removed the duties on the food importation.

5. The President held emergency meetings with prominent traditional rulers and Ulamas (Islamic religious scholars) at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja as part of efforts by the government to ensure the planned hunger protest, slated for August 1 to 10, is averted nationwide.

6. FG unveiled the Youth Internship Scheme initiated by the NDDC for 10,000 youths of the Niger Delta region and approved N50,000 monthly stipends for them.

7. The Nigerian Communications Commission has directed telecommunications operators to immediately restore all blocked phone lines due to the non-linkage of National Identification Numbers to SIM cards.

This directive was disclosed in a statement on Monday by the Director of Media and Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka.

The telecom industry regulator explained that this directive was in response to the widespread disruption caused by the blockages and to prioritise consumer convenience.

8. President Bola Tinubu, on Monday, signed the new Minimum Wage Act into law.

The brief ceremony was witnessed by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, and the House Leader, Prof. Julius Ihonvberem, who represented the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.

It came nearly two weeks after President Bola Tinubu and the organised labour unions—comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria—agreed on N70,000 as the new minimum wage.

The Court of Appeal in England has upheld the sentence and increased the jail time of Kelechukwu Orji, a 48-year-old rapist who fled to Nigeria after being convicted of multiple sex crimes.

A Crown Court at Lewes, a county town of East Sussex, England, had on 22 November 2023 convicted Mr Orji of two counts of rape, one count of attempted rape, one count of assault by penetration and one count of sexual assault.

After his conviction that day, the trial judge ordered a pre-sentence report to consider whether the convict represented a significant risk of serious harm from the commission of further specified offences.

The judge then adjourned the case to the following day and released Mr Orji from detention to allow him to put his affairs in order before sentencing and imprisonment.

But the convict failed to appear in court the next day. The court later found that he fled England on the evening of 22 November 2023 on a flight to Nigeria, where he is now believed to be hiding.

However, the court proceeded on 21 February 2024 to sentence Mr Orji in absentia as follows: count 4 (rape) nine years’ imprisonment; count 7 (attempted rape) five years’ imprisonment; count 8 (sexual assault) three years’ imprisonment; count 9 (assault by penetration) five years’ imprisonment; count 10 (rape) 10 years’ imprisonment.

All of the sentences were ordered to run concurrently. The total sentence was ten years’ imprisonment.

The then Solicitor General for England and Wales, Robert Courts, was dissatisfied with the judgment, saying the sentence was unduly lenient. He then filed an appeal under section 36 of the country’s Criminal Justice Act 1988.

In their unanimous judgment on 13 June 2024, Lord Justice William Davis, Mrs Justice McGowan, and Mrs Justice Cockerill agreed with the solicitor general and consequently increased Mr Orji’s jail term from 10 to 15 years.

The court criticised the original sentence, saying it failed to reflect the severity of Mr Orji’s crimes.

The judges noted that Mr Orji’s purported good character was of little weight, given the gravity of the offences, and that the sentence needed to be increased to ensure public confidence in the judicial system.

But the convict is evading justice, having escaped to his home country, Nigeria, where he is believed to be hiding.


Audience Survey

Mr Orji, his victim and multiple rape crimes
Mr Orji went to the United Kingdom in 2017. While there, he worked for His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC), the UK’s tax, payments and customs authority. He is married with three children. His wife works as a nurse, and the family resides in South London.

Both the Crown Court and the Court of Appeal heard that Mr Orji subjected his victim, identified in court documents as “AB”, to a “campaign of sexual abuse” over several weeks, including rape, attempted rape, and assault.

AB was in her early twenties at the time of the offences. She travelled from Nigeria to the United Kingdom in September 2020 to work as a house help for Mr Orji’s family.

However, according to court documents, Mr Orji took advantage of her vulnerability and subjected her to a series of rape attacks. AB stated that before her arrival, Mr Orji sent her a message which she thought was sexually suggestive. However, she still considered the offer and travelled to the United Kingdom.

The appeal court judgment gave a vivid account of Mr Orji’s multiple sexual assaults on his victim.

The court said, “The first occasion on which AB was raped (count 4) occurred when the offender came into her bedroom late at night. He pulled her from her bed and dragged her downstairs. He forced her into the living room, where he made her bend over. AB put up a struggle. Eventually, the offender was able to pull down her leggings. He held her from behind while he raped her vaginally. AB told him to stop. The offender ignored her. He ejaculated.

“The offender attempted to rape AB (count 7) shortly after the first incident. AB had come downstairs for something to eat. The offender took hold of AB and threw her to the floor. She was able to get up and run to the toilet. The offender pulled her out of the toilet. He said: “You’re ready for me.” For some 15 minutes, he tried to remove her clothing, saying things such as “Have sex with me” and “I want to eat your pussy”. Eventually, the offender gave up, and AB was able to go to her room.

“The remaining counts reflected a single continuing incident. It began in the kitchen. The offender’s wife had gone to work. The offender asked AB to come and make him some food. When she came into the kitchen, the offender pressed her breasts over her clothing (count . He then grabbed hold of AB. He said that she had to let him have sex with her. She struggled and begged him not to do it. As he held her down, the offender digitally penetrated AB (count 9).

“Thereafter, the offender pulled her into the living room. AB repeatedly said, “Stop, I don’t want this”. The offender ignored AB, who was struggling and trying to bite the offender. He held her down and raped her vaginally (count 10). He ejaculated inside her.

“AB had downloaded a recording app onto her telephone after the first incident of rape. She audio-recorded significant parts of this final incident.

“The offender had threatened AB that if she were to tell anybody about what had happened, she would not be safe in Nigeria when she returned home. AB did disclose something of what was happening to her boyfriend back in Nigeria. In October 2020, she contacted a support group for Nigerians in the United Kingdom. A member of the group contacted the police to say that they were concerned for the safety of AB. The address of the offender was given as the place where AB was living.

“On 29 October 2020, the police went to the address. They were able to speak to AB, who said that she was in danger because the offender was forcing himself on her. The offender was arrested the next day. In an interview, he made no comment to all questions. He was not charged with the offences until September 2022. His case at trial was that any sexual activity between him and AB was consensual.”


No longer safe – Victim

Because Mr Orji fled immediately after his conviction, the appeal court noted there was no pre-sentence report. However, the trial judge received seven letters from the rapist’s friends, work colleagues and a neighbour, speaking to his good character. He was described as a hard-working family man. One friend said he was humble and law-abiding.

Mr Orji’s victim, AB, made a personal statement to the court on 11 January 2024. “She said that the offences and their circumstances meant that she no longer trusted people,” the court quoted her as saying. “She found it difficult to make friendships. She could not concentrate at college and would become upset for no reason.

“AB said that she could not sleep. She suffered flashbacks. She said she blamed herself for what had happened. She had considered suicide. AB explained that she was still in the United Kingdom because she felt unable to return to Nigeria for fear of reprisals from the offender or his family. She was estranged from her own family in Nigeria. They had not wished the matter to be reported to the police.”

Oil and gas experts have said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent order to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited on sale of crude oil in Naira to Dangote Refinery and other local refineries will not end the 650,000 barrel per day refinery’s challenges in the sector.

DAILY POST reports that in a major decision on Monday at the Federal Executive Council, Tinubu approved NNPCL to sell crude oil to Dangote Refinery and other local refineries in Naira.

The move was aimed at ending the crude crisis being experienced by local refineries.

Recall in the last months, Dangote Refinery has continued to lament the crude oil supply crisis and other challenges experienced in Nigeria’s oil sector.

This is as it approached the US and Brazil for crude import despite Nigeria being Africa’s largest crude producer.

Dangote Refinery had accused International Oil Companies in Nigeria of sabotage over the supply crisis. The company later had a dispute with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority over regulatory compliance.

As the crisis raged, the Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, alleged that NNPCL officials own a blending plant in Malta, a southern European island.

However, on Monday, Tinubu ordered NNPCL to sell crude in Naira to Dangote Refinery and other local refineries.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Publicity, Bayo Onanuga disclosed this in a statement on his X account.

Onanuga said the move was to ensure the stability of the pump price of refined fuel and the dollar-naira exchange rate.

Accordingly, he said the country’s 450,000 barrels of crude meant for domestic consumption should be sold in Naira to Nigerian refineries with Dangote Refinery as a pilot.

This becomes expedited as “Dangote refinery currently requires about 15 cargoes of crude oil at about $13.5bn yearly. NNPC has committed to supply four”, he said.

In a further analysis of the development, the President’s Special Adviser on Revenue, Mr. Zacch Adedeji, who also serves as Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, said Monday’s move mitigates Nigeria’s heavy reliance on foreign exchange for crude oil imports, accounting for roughly 30 to 40 percent of its forex expenditure.

According to him, the decision will save the country an estimated annual savings of $7.3 billion and will reduce monthly forex expenditure on petroleum products by an estimated $660 million.

“Monthly, we spend roughly $660m in these exercises, and if you analyze that, that will give us $7.92bn savings annually,” he stated

Meanwhile, experts within the oil sector have expressed divergent views on the implications of Tinubu’s order and its impact on the Nigerian economy.


Experts React

The Managing Partner, BBH Consulting and Convener, Public Interest Advocacy Network, PIAN, Barr. Ameh Madaki believes that Tinubu’s order on crude oil sale in Naira will not solve Dangote Refinery’s crisis.

He said this was because the country had no spare crude oil to sell to any refinery.

According to him, the crude oil forward sale contracts secured for Nigeria by NNPCL meant that there was barely any production from the current 1.2 million barrels per day to sell to local refineries.

Ameh said the best way out was to sell the crude oil for domestic consumption at the wellhead cost of production.

“It will not solve the Dangote Refinery’s crisis. Because the country had no spare crude oil to sell to any refinery. With all their forward sale contracts, there is barely any production from the current 1.2 million barrels a day to sell to anyone.

“The only policy which will make some sense is to sell the crude oil for domestic consumption at the wellhead cost of production.

“Otherwise, we will be chasing shadows and people will be pocketing millions of dollars in fraudulent subsidy payments”, he told DAILY POST.

Similarly, an energy expert, Joseph Eleojo said: “Where is NNPCL getting the crude to sell to Dangote and other refineries from? This goes to tell Nigerians why the local refineries have not worked for 35 years.

“The decision to sell crude to Dangote in Naira is a wonderful decision as it will lessen the pressure on Dangote and the other refineries from sourcing FX to buy crude.

“Nigerians should not expect drastic price discounts because crude oil is sold to the local refineries in Naira”.

Meanwhile, Group Chairman of International Energy Services Limited, Dr Diran Fawibe said Tinubu’s decision to allow crude oil sale in Naira to Dangote Refinery will help the refinery to price its product properly.

He said that the indirect impact of the decision will reduce pressure on the Naira and importation of fuel.

“It is a good decision on the part of the Federal Executive Council and the President.

“About 300,000 to 400,000 bpd has been allocated to domestic, which has been the case for many years based on the capacity of Nigeria’s refineries. It makes a lot of sense to approve crude oil sales to Dangote Refinery and other local refineries in Naira.

“This will assist the refinery to price its product properly for the benefit of Nigeria. Hitherto, crude has not been sold in Naira.

“The indirect benefit is that petrol import with the operation of Dangote Refinery will be reduced. Similarly, the FX used for fuel import will be reduced to a reasonable extent.

“This will benefit the FX market. You can imagine if there is no fuel in the country, even the queue we are currently experiencing may reduce. I expect that a Naira crude oil price regime will impact sustainable product pricing in Nigeria and stem the importation of fuel”, he said.

On his part, the founder and CEO of Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, CPPE, Dr. Muda Yusuf, said the decision will ease the current pressure on petroleum products pricing in Nigeria.

However, Muda noted that the major challenge may be the capacity of NNPCL to supply the crude.

“This is surely a welcome development and will go a long way to easing the current pressure of pricing of Petroleum products in Nigeria, especially given the capacity of Dangote Refinery.

“The major challenge now is the capacity of NNPCL to supply the crude. It is one thing to give a liberal payment condition (that is paying for the crude in Naira), it is another thing to make the crude available.

“I think this remains a major challenge. If the NNPCL can make the crude available for Dangote refinery and other local refineries, it will be a great idea.

“The benefits will be transmitted to the citizens in terms of more supply of petroleum products, and moderation in the price of the product.

“Because we are in a situation where we worry about the cost of living, social stability, economic development, and the issue of production; in all these things, access to energy is central. It is paramount that NNPCL can provide the crude”, he told DAILY POST.

The District Head of Bosso in Minna Emirate Council in Niger State, Alhaji Mu’azu Adamu Laka Bosso, has relieved one Abdullahi Isah, aka Biodun, of the title: Wakilin Matasan Bosso.

In a letter titled: “Letter of dismissal”, Alhaji Mu’azu, who did not give the reason for the sack, said: “I hereby write to inform you that you have been dismissed from your title as Youth Leader of Bosso (Wakilin Matasan Bosso) with immediate effect from 28/07/2024. You should no longer call yourself as Youth Leader of Bosso.”

But in an interview with Tsalle Daya, a Hausa programme on Prestige, the district head said that Biodun was stripped of his title for declaring support for the forthcoming nationwide protest over hardship.

The district head was cited as saying his domain would not condone any act that would lead to breakdown of law and order.

THE Federal Government on Monday said it has started to distribute an additional 10 trucks of 50kg rice to each state to be sold at designated centres at N40,000

This is as the Federal Executive Council, FEC, has insisted that there is no need for the protest as most of the demands put forward by the organizers are being addressed.

Already, ahead of the August 1 national protest, President Bola Tinubu has said that he is protesting on behalf of the youth by addressing most of their grievances.

Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the Council meeting, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed that 10 trucks of rice to each state was a measure put in place to address poverty and high cost of living.

The Minister said, “And the position of the FEC is that most of the demands that the protesters are making are actually being addressed by the federal government and therefore it is the view of the government that there is really no need for the protests again because most of those things that the protesters are putting forward are already actually been addressed or are being addressed by government and like we have said repeatedly, this is a listening government.

“The President has listened to be voices of all those who are planning this protest. And the message is that there is no need for it.

“Indeed, the President is already protesting on their behalf by doing those things that they want a government to do for example, the effort that government is making, in ensuring that food is being made available.

“The last Council meeting here at the briefing, we announced that a number of trucks 20 precisely had been given to the state governors for onward distribution to those who actually In need of them to poorest of the poor in society and those who are actually in need, but government did not stop there there is also rice that is being sold at about 50% of its cost, a bag of rice is being sold at N40,000 as we speak now.

“This rice have been taken to various centers across all the states of the federation, and is being sold at 40,000 Naira, centers have been created. So that those who need this rice can go there and buy this rice at 40,000 naira

“In the first instance, about 10 trucks have been made available to each of these states and indeed, this is just the beginning I know that some of the comments you hear is that it is never enough. Government has not pretended that this supplies are indeed enough. But these are necessary first steps that are being made and more of such interventions are being made in the interim.

“Of course, this is like I I said an interim measure because there is so much investment that is going into the agricultural sector. And the rainy season is here. We expect that the prices of food items will come down as investments are also being made not just for the traditional agricultural produce, but also for the irrigation activities in many of these states of the federation. So we expect that as we move forward, prizes of food items, commodities will of course, come down.

“These are part of of the measures and the President feels and the federal executive council believes that already some of the youth wont protest, some of the answers that they are looking for are already actually being provided. For example, only recently the federal government has begun the disbursement of the students loans. There’s a provision already for
over two million students.

“Only about 110,000 applications have thus far been received as at last week, of course, more are going to come. So there’s adequate provision for all those who are qualified, who can access these loans and who have fulfilled this condition.”

He said that the desire of the President is to ensure that no student, no young person that has gained admission into any of the nation’s tertiary institutions will be left out because his parents or his guardian is unable to pay for his fees.

“But beyond that, there is also the provision that is being made for these young people. We are aware of the effort that is being made to ensure that about three million of them are being put into employment through the MTT program.

“There is also for the general public the reduction that is envisaged by the time the CNG initiative of the federal government actually takes full course .
Already, some of these buses have been imported. Some of the conversion kits are already available. The conversion centers are already beginning to get active. The delays are largely because you don’t just go to the market and get these things off the shelves.

“First the procurement processes have to be followed. And then of course you have to place order for them and it is envisaged that as we make the transition from fossil fuel to renewables, there is going to be a reduction of over 60% in the cost that people put in transportation.

“If you have your car, it is envisaged that you’re going to spend about 60% less and that money that comes back to your pocket, but the emphasis at the beginning is going to be on commercial busses, for mass transit so that workers especially and those who are moving around will have reduction in the fares that they pay.

“Now this in combination with so many other things that government is doing government is appealing once again, to those who have the intention of embarking on this protest to please think about it once again. There is just no need for that.

“Of course, it is the democratic right of every Nigerian to engage in peaceful protests. And the government is not an opponent to that .But what government is doing is to ensure that while there is this right for you to protest, your right will also end where someone else‘s own begin.

“Therefore, while you are thinking of protesting, government is appealing to you to first shelve it because it has the great likelihood that this protest may be hijacked and may turn violent by unscrupulous elements, and Nigeria will not be good for it.

“Of course, we know that people are saying that there is no intention for violence in this, but our history has shown that there’s the possibility that this protest can be hijacked and could turn violent.

“It is an appeal again that the federal government is making to ensure that as government is making an effort to satisfy the demands of Nigerians in several respects in health care, in agriculture, in the provision of infrastructure in ensuring that our youth the young population go to school, and that they can also get employed when they finish and even before they do that.

“The Social Security system is being put out there so that no one is left behind. Please, there is no need for this protest.”

No oil marketer is going to buy Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and sell at the prevalent pump prices at filling stations in Nigeria except the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, operators in the downstream oil sector have declared.

On July 15, 2024, The PUNCH reported that the President of Dangote Industries Limited, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, announced that the $20bn refinery was set to roll out its petrol in August 2024, having resolved its crude oil supply issues through the help of NNPC and the Federal Government.

“Gasoline (petrol) production is to commence in July with sales from August. Annual revenue is projected to exceed $26bn,” Dangote had stated while delivering a presentation at the plant last month.

But oil marketers told our correspondent on Sunday that no dealer in Nigeria would be able to buy the petrol from the Dangote refinery, because the product would be priced at the international market rate, far higher than the domestic cost at the pumps.

When contacted and asked whether oil marketers had been briefed about the price of petrol from the Dangote refinery, the Deputy National President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Zarma Mustapha, gave a negative reply.

He, however, stressed that PMS from the plant would be sold at the international market rate, adding that no marketer would want to pay such price currently.

“There has been no official communication from them yet on pricing for petrol. However, one thing I want you to understand is that even if the Dangote refinery starts to release products, particularly PMS, no marketer can be able to buy the product from him.

“This is because the refinery is an independent commercial entity and they must recoup their cost of refining and add some margin before they sell out the product. The current price of the product within the country is below the international price of a litre of PMS.

“So you cannot buy the product from the refinery at the international price and then sell it at the prevailing price at the retail outlets. If you do, you are going to lose a huge amount of money, which is a difference of between N400 and N500/litre,” Mustapha stated.

The IPMAN official, however, noted that for Nigeria to have Dangote petrol across its filling stations, the NNPC would have to intervene by purchasing the product and reselling it to dealers at discounted rates.

“NNPC may have to offtake the product, just like they are importing from other countries for upward supply to Nigerian marketers, I think only the national oil company can offtake PMS from them and know how best they can continue to supply it to marketers to sell at the approved current price.

“If it is not done this way, no marketer will be able to buy the product and sell it at a loss of over N400 to N500/litre. It is not possible” Mustapha stated.

On July 18, 2024, The PUNCH reported that the landing cost of petrol was N1,117/litre as of July 16, 2024, according to data released by the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria. MEMAN disclosed this during a webinar with journalists.

The association had also revealed that the landing cost of diesel was N1,157/litre, while that of aviation fuel was N1,127/litre, at the time.

The N1,117 landing cost of petrol is far above the pump price of the product in Nigeria. Currently, the pump price of petrol is between N660/litre and N800/litre, depending on the area of purchase.

When contacted and asked whether major marketers would be able to buy petrol from the Dangote refinery, the Executive Secretary, MEMAN, Clement Isong, said his group had earlier published the landing cost of PMS, adding that this was the realistic cost of the product.

“You have seen the price we published which is the realistic cost, and you know the cost at the pumps today, and Dangote refinery is a business entity that will not want to make losses. So that is all I will say,” he stated.

NNPC is currently the sole importer of petrol into Nigeria. Other marketers stopped importing the product due to their inability to access the United States dollar required for PMS imports. NNPC had yet to respond to enquiries on the matter when contacted, up till when this report was filed.

Arewa Youth Assembly has urged Dangote Refinery’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Aliko Dangote, to comply with guidelines and standards of Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited as the country’s regulatory body for the oil and gas industry.

The speaker of the Assembly, Mohammed Salihu Danlami, at a press conference in Abuja yesterday, said it would be selfish for Dangote to expect the NNPCL to bend the regulations to serve them.

Dangote and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, alongside the NNPCL, have been embroiled in a dispute recently, ranging from monopoly allegations to crude oil supply for the refinery, substandard fuel imports, and ownership of blending plants in Malta.

However, Danlami said before establishing the Aliko Dangote refinery, the NNPCL, NUPRC, and NMDPRA existed to carry out their duties as regulatory bodies.

He said Dangote should understand that these are sectors dealing with regulations.

“Therefore, the bodies expect him to abide by the rules and nothing more. Even the Dangote Group has rules and regulations that all stakeholders must adhere to.

“It is surprising that Aliko Dangote, as a businessman, has forgotten that competition is inevitable in business.

“Our findings show that he wants NMDPRA not to license anyone else to bring in products. They said no! He blackmails them and is trying to incite Nigerians against NMDPRA, claiming they are giving licenses to marketers who bring in substandard products into the country.

“We are calling on the National Assembly to make public the laboratory results from his own refinery because information we are getting from different sources indicates that the products are substandard.

“We know Mr. Dangote has been operating all his life in an industry without regulation, but the oil and energy industry has rules and regulations,” he said.

Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), says there are indications that telecommunications companies (telcos) in the country are trying to frustrate the planned protest.

In a statement on Sunday, Adegboruwa said complaints of network restrictions among citizens have risen as the protest nears.

The demonstration, slated to begin on August 1, is against the economic hardship in the country.

Adegboruwa warned that telcos should not attempt to sabotage the planned protest by restricting internet access among displeased citizens.

“For the past few days, some telecom companies have been disconnecting their subscribers for flimsy and untenable reasons,” the SAN said.

“Some allege lack of NIN registration or linking, while others didn’t give any reason at all.

“This action is coming on the heels of the proposed struggle of the people against hunger, poverty, suffering, and the suffocating economic policies of the Tinubu administration.

“From all indications, it would seem that the underlying target of the telecom companies is to limit the reach of their customers in order to restrict access and thus frustrate the protests.”

Adegboruwa said contracts between telecommunication companies and their subscribers remain sacrosanct and should not be tampered with.

“Sufficient information and opportunity should be given for subscribers to remedy any alleged breach or error,” he said.

“So many telephone users deploy their numbers for their businesses and other lawful engagements, not to talk of those who may have medical and health-related emergencies.”

The human rights lawyer urged the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to look into the matter.

Adegboruwa had written security agencies requesting protection for protesters.

The Federal Government may be forced to restrict British Airways from Nigeria’s premier airport, Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos over a slot issue in the United Kingdom.

The UK slot system has forced Nigeria’s airline Air Peace to fly to Gatwick Airport instead of Heathrow, the UK number one airport.

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, disclosed on Friday that the ministry had written to the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to allow Air Peace fly to Heathrow Airport in London in line with the reciprocity principle in the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA).

Daily Trust reports that Air Peace commenced direct flight to the UK Gatwick Airport in March this year after a long battle with the authorities in a bid to get a slot at Heathrow.

However speaking at the 28th Annual Conference of the League of Airports and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) in Lagos, Keyamo said it was unfair to allow British Airways unfettered access to MMIA, the country’s busiest airport while the same privilege was not accorded to Nigerian airline in UK in line with the BASA.

Keyamo said that the ministry was awaiting a response from the ministry in the UK.

He insisted that countries must abide by the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) arrangement that Nigeria reached with their governments, saying that failure to do this might lead to a reactive action from the Nigerian Government.

He said, “We have already written to the United Kingdom to give Nigerian carriers, especially Air Peace Heathrow Airport, which is a tier one airport, just as we have British Airways, using our Lagos airport. We may as well give BA Ilorin to operate to. When we asked for Heathrow Airport, you’re telling us to go to a slot committee. Who does that? Air Peace I can tell you is on its way to Heathrow away from Gatwick.

“The local operators are struggling to cover their routes locally, not to talk of our international routes; Air France is coming here 10 times a week, we are not going to Paris, Lufthansa is coming here, we are not going to Frankfurt, Delta and United from America are all coming here, but we are not reciprocating. Even, South African Airways is coming here, we are not going there.

“We only managed to have Air Peace in London and to Gatwick, but we are pushing for them to take us to Heathrow. You can’t tell us you have a slot committee. Your airport operator should know that you have an existing relationship and they should respect it.

“For connectivity, people prefer Heathrow. That is an airport you can have an airline to codeshare with so that there can be connectivity.”

The minister also invited investors around the world to take advantage of the huge investment opportunities in the aviation industry especially the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility.

He said: “For us, we are looking at various issues; MROs. People are already talking to us, we don’t want to let the cat out of the bag. Very soon we are going to advertise to call for partnership in the project.

“For our banks, financial institutions, financers, and others, don’t say foreigners are coming to take your business, it’s a big business. If we bring them in, we will take all the aircraft in West and Central Africa and even a part of Southern Africa if we can get the MRO into Nigeria.

“The Arabs, Chinese, Europeans and Americans; they all want to invest and they are talking to us. And something about MRO is that you can’t invest it in an independent environment, but an existing airport. You will need a runway for an aircraft to land. So, you need to talk to us to give you land within our international airports.”

Bags Of Rice Donated By Tinubu Government Repackaged In Kogi, Sold Out To Residents

The bags of rice recently distributed by the President Bola Tinubu-led Nigerian government have been seen in a video being re-bagged for commercial sale in Kogi State.

The government had earlier said it gave 20 trucks of 25kg rice to each state of the federation for free distribution to vulnerable households.

Each truck is said to contain 1200 bags as one the interventionary measures of the FG in tackling the surging food inflation in the country.

In the video obtained by SaharaReporters, residents were seen stating that as against the directive that the rice should be distributed for free, some persons are repackaging them to be sold in open market.

“The rice shared by the federal government is being repackaged for sale. As you can see on the body is written “not for sale”, however we accosted these persons trying to repackage it. They said they got the rice from the Agriculture ministry in the country” the incensed residents noted in the video.

They lamented the rising cost of living and how the intervention meant was also subjected to fraudulent practices.

“It’s unfortunate, I bought a tin of Beans for N380 yesterday and see what they are doing to this rice now” another person said in the video.

It would be recalled that the government said it is committed to tackling food inflation, rolling out interventionary measures to tackle the food inflation.

Distribution of palliatives has always come with corruption and corruption allegation in Nigeria.

During the COVID-19 era, different palliatives meant to be shared to residents of different states were seen hoarded in stores, a development that led to anger among citizens.

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Nigeria's largest, is taking the unusual step of reselling crude oil cargoes from the United States and Nigeria due to technical challenges at the plant.

Despite commencing production in January 2024, the refinery is facing operational issues, particularly with its crude distillation unit (CDU).

While a Dangote executive maintains that the CDU is functional, the refinery is reselling rare cargoes, including Nigerian Escravos and Forcados grades, as well as U.S. WTI Midland crude.

The refinery aims to become the largest in Africa and Europe, transforming Nigeria into a fuel exporter, but these technical hurdles may hinder its progress.

Constructed at a cost of $20billion by Africa's wealthiest individual, Aliko Dangote, the 650,000-barrel-per-day facility represents a significant investment in Nigeria's oil and gas sector.

Dangote's ambition is to eliminate Nigeria's dependency on imported fuel, an ongoing issue despite the nation being Africa's top oil producer.

According to Oli Price.Com citing Reuters sources, this situation arises amid other significant moves by the Dangote Group, which plans to list its refinery and a fertilizer subsidiary on the Nigerian stock exchange by early 2025.

This public listing strategy hopes to alleviate foreign exchange pressures on the Nigerian economy.

The refinery has been importing considerable volumes of U.S. crude, with more than 16 million barrels of West Texas Intermediate crude purchased in 2024 alone. This trend is expected to continue, with increased imports slated for the coming months.

While the plan is for the refinery to meet Nigeria's entire demand for refined petroleum products and generate a surplus for export, the current technical issues pose a significant hurdle.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission reached an agreement with oil producers earlier this month to supply crude oil to domestic refineries at market prices, ending a lengthy supply dispute.

Elder statesman and former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, on Thursday, said his mother carried his pregnancy for 12 months before his birth, attributing the delay to the handiwork of witches and wizards.

Obasanjo, who is the only Nigerian to have ruled the country as a military dictator and a democratically elected president, claimed the witches and wizards gave his mother a tough time before God’s intervention.

This was revealed in a statement by his media assistant, Kehinde Akinyemi,issued in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

The statement noted that the former president made the assertion during a drama presentation titled “Aremu Omo Asabi” held to mark the 66th anniversary of his late mother, Bernice Obasanjo’s passing.

The drama was held on Wednesday at the main auditorium of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The ex-president lamented that it was unfortunate that his mother never lived to see how marvelously God had helped him become great in life and enjoy the fruits of her hard labor.

He said that although his mother gave birth to nine children, only two of them, himself and his sister, survived.

“I was told I was in my mother’s womb for 12 months, and since I was born, I have not been left for once. She had nine children, but two of us survived, myself and my sister,” he said.

“I was the only one who went to school because my father’s belief was that no matter how educated a female child is, she would end up in the kitchen.”

The former president promised to support the troupe’s quest to present the longest open drama to clinch a Guinness Book of Records entry.

Speaking at the programme, the state governor, Dapo Abiodun, represented by his Deputy, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, said mothers will forever be the bedrock upon which the foundation of any society is built.

The deputy governor described Obasanjo’s mother as a great woman while alive, saying her influence would continue to endure through the lives of her children, especially Obasanjo, who remains a formidable figure in Nigeria’s history.

The governor added that the musical drama titled ‘Aremu Omo Asabi,’ performed in celebration of her life, was not just recounting history but also a prompt reminder of the sacrifices mothers make and the indelible spirit they pass on to their children.

“This tribute is also a call to action for all of us to honour and support mothers in every way possible. It reminds us of our collective responsibility to create an enabling environment where every mother’s hope for their children can flourish,” she said.

“This is why the present administration continues to pursue policies that ensure access to quality education, healthcare, and opportunities for all so that the dreams that mothers have for their children can be realised,” he said.