Naira-for-Crude Deal Begins: NNPC To Supply Dangote Refinery 385,000 Barrels Daily

The Technical Sub-Comitee on Domestic Sales of Crude Oil in Local Currency has confirmed that the supply of Crude in Naira by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited To the Dangote Petroleum Refinary is To begin on Tuesday, October 1, 2924.

On September 13, 2024, the committee announced that the Federal Executive Council under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the sale of crude to local refineries in naira and the corresponding purchase of petroleum products in naira.

From October 1, NNPC will commence the supply of about 385kbpd (385,000 barrels per day) of crude oil to the Dangote refinery to be paid for in naira,” the committee had declared.

Mr Dare Adekanmbi, the Special Adviser on Media to the FIRS Chairman, Zacch Adedeji, the Chairman of the Technical Sub-Committee, confirmed this during a media enquiry.

He said, “I can confirm to you that the Chairman, Sub-Technical Committee, Zacch Adedeji, is working day and night to ensure that things go according to plans. He knows how important it is to have the agreement implemented as has been planned for the benefit of Nigerians.”

This implies that NNPC is to supply about 11.5 million barrels of crude oil to the Dangote refinery monthly, and based on the deal, the plant will release equivalent volumes of refined diesel and petrol to the domestic market also in naira.

The panel explained in September that this initiative would help reduce pressure on the naira, eliminate unnecessary transaction costs, and improve the availability of petroleum products across the country.

Since then, the implementation committee chaired by the Minister of Finance and we, the technical committee, have worked intensely with NNPC and Dangote refinery to fashion out the details of the modalities for the implementation of the FEC approval,” Adedeji had stated.

While stating that crude would be sold to Dangote in naira from October 1, in return, the Dangote refinery will supply PMS (petrol) and diesel of equivalent value to the domestic market to be paid in naira.

“Diesel will be sold in naira by the Dangote refinery to any interested off-taker. PMS will only be sold to NNPC. NNPC will then sell to various marketers for now. All associated regulatory costs (NPA, NIMASA, etc.) will also be paid in naira. We are also setting up a one-stop shop that will coordinate service provision from all regulatory agencies, security agencies, and other stakeholders to ensure a smooth implementation of this initiative.”

Adedeji explained that the technical committee that worked to flesh out the initiative would transition to an implementation execution and monitoring committee that would be working out of Lagos for the next three to six months.

I Can’t Feed My Family Again, I Make N20,000 Daily But Spend N17,000 On Fuel — Taxi Driver Laments

A commercial driver identified as Wahab Ajibaye based in Ilorin, Kwara State has expressed frustration over the rising fuel prices, saying it has left him struggling to provide for his family.

Despite earning N20,000 daily, Ajibaye says he takes home only N3,000 after fuel expenses, leaving him unable to cater to his children and wife.

He said: “I am buying fuel for N1100 and I make N20,000 (daily) but I take only N3,000 with me to my house (after work). I am the owner of my car but I am no longer making enough to cater to my children and my wife. The All Progressives Congress (APC) government will not end well. Nigeria is becoming worse and we pray God takes away this set of current leaders.”

Ajibaye blamed the ruling APC government for the hardship faced by Nigerians, saying, “Their government is bringing more suffering. They’re not ashamed, despite many Nigerians cursing them. They should rethink.”

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had recently agreed that the policies initiated by President Bola Tinubu resulted in growing economic hardships in Nigeria.

The party in a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Barrister Felix Morka had said this, while responding to a former national vice chairman (North West) of the party, Salihu Mohammed Lukman.

Recall that Lukman had berated the party for bad governance, adding that former President Muhammadu Buhari and incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have failed to deliver on their campaign promises.

Lukman, therefore, urged opposition leaders to unite and work hard to defeat the APC-led government in 2027.

But reacting, Morka in a statement on Tuesday argued that President Tinubu was taking bold measures to reset the country’s “long broken economy”, explaining that his reforms had increased economic hardship in the country.

About 10,000 MonkeyPox Vaccines Doses Donated To Nigeria From US

 

The United States government on Tuesday, August 27, donated 10,000 doses of the Jynneos vaccine to Nigeria to aid in the fight against monkeypox.

The Jynneos vaccine, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, is designed to prevent smallpox and monkeypox in adults aged 18 and older who are at risk of infection.

During the official handover ceremony in Abuja, Prof. Muhammad Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, expressed gratitude to the U.S. government for the generous donation.

Represented by Permanent Secretary Daju Kachollom, Pate emphasised the Federal Government’s commitment to improving public health in Nigeria.

He said, “This is a spirit of cooperation and collaboration through the years, and this vaccine will be of great help to us.

“The Federal Ministry of Health understands the importance of having a healthy nation, so all the policies that we implement and the collaborations are focused on ensuring our citizens’ health.”

On August 13, 2024, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention declared monkeypox a public health emergency of continental security.

August 27As of last Friday, Nigeria’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention reported 40 confirmed cases of monkeypox out of 830 suspected cases nationwide.

Minimum Wage: NYSC Clears Air On Payment Of N70,000 To Corps Members

 

The National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, has reacted to a report making the rounds on social media that corps members’ bank accounts are being upgraded to accommodate the new N70, 000 minimum wage.

In a statement signed by Eddy Megwa, Director, Information and Public Relations of NYSC, the Scheme described the story as misleading.

The NYSC said no directive has been given by the relevant authority for it to start the payment of #70 000 minimum wage to Corps Members or to upgrade their accounts.

“This is absolute falsehood which is far from the truth,” it said.

“Corps members, parents and members of the public should note that no directive has been received from the relevant sector of government responsible for wages matters. It is therefore impossible for the NYSC to issue any information on such.

“Corps members already know the approved channel and mode of communication in the Scheme and should therefore ignore the directive accordingly.

“The NYSC by this release therefore admonishes corps members to desist from allowing mischief makers who are set to mislead Nigerians from continuing to play on their intelligence.

“Bloggers and social media influencers are warned to stop issuing statements that concern the management of the National Youth Service Corps without authorization,” it stated.

Minimum Wage: Governors Won’t Pay Above N70,000

 

Governors are not considering a minimum wage that is higher than N70,000, it was learnt last night.

At a meeting yesterday in Abuja, the state helmsmen reviewed the economic situation and concluded that anything above N70,000 will not be affordable and sustainable.

They ruled out the N100,000 option being dangled by some people.

Sources at the meeting said the governors, who met under the auspices of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), considered options between N60,000 offered to Labour by the Federal Government before the strike, and N70,000, which is what the Edo State Government has started paying.

Having failed to reach a consensus on a uniform amount, a committee headed by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma was set up.

Uzodimma is the chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) – governors elected on the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Yesterday’s position of the governors is in line with a previous statement by Chairman of NGF and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq that states will only agree to a minimum wage that is “affordable and sustainable”.

A source at the meeting said: “After deliberation on the minimum wage, we decided to consider options between N60,000 and N70,000 a month. We could not reach a concrete decision on the wage rate for states.

“Eventually, a committee, to be led by Governor Uzodimma, was mandated to look at all presentations and make recommendations.

“The NGF will soon reconvene to consider the Uzodimma Committee report.”

The source added: “No state can afford to pay a N100,000 minimum wage and we have ruled out this benchmark.

“Records available to us indicated that some states are still paying N18,000 because they are unable to afford N30,000 (which came into effect in 2019). Only a state has adopted a N70, 000 wage.”

No N105,000 proposal, says Presidency

The Presidency debunked claims that the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, submitted a N105,000 new minimum wage proposal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The President met yesterday with Edun after an audience with an International Finance Corporation (IFC) team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

It was gathered that Edun submitted the proposal for a new wage for the least-paid Nigerian worker to the President.

However, reports published by some online media platforms claimed that the minister proposed N105,000.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the N105,000 proposal as false.

“The Honorable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has not proposed N105,000 minimum wage.

“The contrary story being disseminated is false”, Onanuga wrote on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle.

Minimum Wage: Why We Rejected FG’s ₦60,000 Offer — TUC President

 

Trade Union Congress (TUC) President Festus Osifo on Tuesday shed light on organised labour’s decision to decline the Federal Government’s latest ₦60,000 minimum wage offer.

Osifo in an exclusive interview with Channels TV, articulated the meticulous approach taken by labour representatives during negotiations, emphasising the need for transparency and a detailed breakdown of living expenses embedded within the proposed wage.

“The division of labour has been very clear. The government came to the negotiation table. If you remember the last time, it was fifty-seven thousand naira, so they moved to sixty thousand naira.

“When they moved to 60 thousand naira, the first thing we asked was, ‘Please, can you tell us how you want a Nigerian to survive on this? Let’s assume this person is working in central area and lives in Lugbe or Maraba.

“Can you kindly give us the breakdown? What is the cost of transportation that is embedded in this sixty thousand naira? What is the cost of feeding? Give us the breakdown’ but they did not,” Osifo explained.

Drawing attention to the stark contrast between the proposed wage and the actual cost of living, Osifo pointed out, “So our problem is not actually the volume of money. You will hear 60 thousand naira and think this is a huge amount of money, but the question is, what is the value of this money?

“Our currency has eroded over time, and the purchasing power of our naira has greatly reduced, so fifty thousand naira today cannot buy for us what eighteen thousand naira could buy for us in 2011 or what thirty thousand naira could buy for us in 2019, so that is the essence of discussing the minimum wage.”

Despite the Federal Government’s revised offer, Organised Labour remains steadfast in its stance, citing the imperative to not only meet but exceed previous standards of living.

Osifo asserts, “So for us, we’re rejecting it. We are not there yet.”

As labour representatives persist in advocating for a wage that truly addresses the needs of Nigerian workers, Osifo maintains, “If the government sits up and tightens all loose ends, if they do what other governments in different parts of the world are doing, we believe they can offer Nigeria a minimum wage just as it is demonstrated today in Angola and several countries in Africa.”

It is worth noting that NLC President Joe Ajaero had also described as “unsubstantial”, the fresh proposals by the government.

“It is still not substantial compared to what we need to make a family move,” the labour leader had said of the current ₦30,000 wage paid to workers in the country.

“The economy of the workers is totally destroyed. In fact, the workers don’t have any economy. I think there are two economies in the country; the economy of the bourgeoisie and the economy of the workers.

“I think we have to harmonise this so that we can have a meeting point,” Ajaero had said.

Nigeria’s President, Tinubu Approves Additional N10,000 For Workers

 

President Bola Tinubu has approved additional N10,000 for workers for a period of six months.

This follows a meeting which the Federal Government officials had with labour leaders on Sunday to avert the looming nationwide strike.

At the meeting chaired by Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President, it was agreed that the N25,000 which the president promised low-cadre workers for six months would be made available to all workers.

However, the Labour leaders reportedly rejected the offer and demanded more.

Shortly after, reports on the development were filed, the presidency issued a statement announcing the additional N10,000 increase.

“The Federal Government, on Sunday, October 1, 2023 met with the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) on measures to address the dispute arising from the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

The parties noted the following:

i) The Federal Government has announced N35,000 only as provisional wage award for all treasury-paid federal government workers for six months following further consultation with President Bola Tinubu.

ii) The Federal Government is committed to fast-tracking the provision of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses to ease public transportation difficulties associated with the removal of PMS subsidy.
iii) The Federal Government commits to the provision of funds for micro and small-scale enterprises.

In light of the discussions held during the meeting, the following were the major highlights:

The Federal Government urged the Labour unions not to embark on strike action as the issues in dispute can only be resolved when workers are at work.

Labour Unions made a case for higher wage awards. A sub-committee to be constituted to work out the details of implementation of all items regarding government interventions to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal.

The labour delegation was led by NLC President, Joe Ajaero, Dr Tommy Etim Okon, Deputy President, TUC, NLC General Secretary, Emma Ugboaja, TUC General Secretary, Nuhu Toro, among others.”

I Pay My Cleaner 60,000, Workers’ Minimum Wage In Nigeria Is ‘Criminal Wage – Oshiomhole Fumes

The Senator representing Edo North district in the 10th Senate, Adams Oshiomhole, has described Nigeria’s N30,000 monthly minimum wage as a “criminal wage”, saying he pays his cleaner with only primary school education N60,000.

Oshiomhole said this on Sunday night while featuring on Channels TV’s politics programme.

“What we call minimum wage is a criminal wage,” he said.

Speaking further, the former leader of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) said, “If you exchange N30,000 at N800 or N700 to the dollar, what does that translate to? So, the value of that minimum wage when it was N125 – when it was first introduced under, I think, (Shehu) Shagari’s government – is about two times or three times the value many years later, even in the public service.”

According to him, he decided to pay his cleaner N60,000 because he could not bring himself to do less.

“I can tell you what I have decided to pay my cleaner. My cleaner is just a primary school – I’m not sure she has even a school leaving certificate. But she’s knowledgeable enough to clean the house,” he said.

“I found myself unable to pay her less than N60,000 – in fact, N60,000. It’s about my conscience. I’m trying to imagine what she has to pay for a house. She told me she has four children.

“I’m trying to imagine how she has to look after those children and I cannot question why she should have four children.”

The former Edo State governor is in the ruling All Progressives Congress.

Governor Hope Uzodinma Increases Minimum Wage To N40,000 Over Fuel Subsidy Removal

 

Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo state has increased the minimum wage of workers in the state to N40,000. The governor made this known while addressing members of the state executive council on Saturday, July 15. He said the current economic situation caused by the removal of fuel subsidy is biting hard on the people and that the increment in salaries is to help cushion the hardship civil servants in the state are facing due to the fuel subsidy removal.

In a statement by his chief Press Secretary, Oguwike Nwachukwu, Governor Uzodinma said his administration will give out soft loans, grants, provide seedlings and farm tools to qualified farmers in the state.

“There shall be an immediate upward review of the salaries and wages of workers in the state. The minimum wage is hereby raised to forty thousand naira (N40,000) with discretionary consequential adjustments. At least, your salaries would be able not only to take you home, but to also provide your basic necessities to enable you to make ends meet.

Apart from the free transport which the workers are already enjoying, I shall increase the fleet of buses carrying workers to and from work with ten more new buses. This is to ensure every nook and cranny of the state capital is captured in the routes that the buses ply, to bring the service closest to the doorsteps of every worker.

Also, plans have reached advanced level to recalibrate the tax system in Imo state, with Governor Uzodimma hinting that those who earn below N100,000 annually are likely going to be yanked off the State’s tax net.

I have discovered, with pain, how some traders are taking advantage of the economic situation to increase the prices of food items in the market.

Against this backdrop, the government will soon establish Imo State Marketing and Commodity Board (ISMCB), which will ensure food items are sold at normal prices. We shall achieve this by setting up low cost markets in the state where prices of food items and commodities will be affordable for the masses. The markets will be situated in all the 27 LGAs of the state.” the statement in part read

 

12 Million Households To Get N8, 000 For Six Months – President Tinubu Announce

 

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said 12 million families will get N8, 000 over a period of six months to help cushion the economic hardship being faced by all Nigerians following the removal of fuel subsidy.

The Nation reports that the President stated this in a letter addressed to the House of Representatives read by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas during plenary on Tuesday, July 11. President Tinubu said the money will enable poor and vulnerable Nigerians cope with the cost of meeting basic needs.

The letter was for approval of additional financing for the national social safety net programme scaled up by the National Assembly.

The President said this would have a multiplier effect on about 60 million individuals.

In order to guarantee the credibility of the process, he said digital transfers would be made directly to beneficiaries accounts.

Abuja Man Sells Stolen N1 million Electric Cable For N1,000

Suspected thief Awal Abdullahi stole an electric cable worth N1 million from an estate in Abuja and sold it for N1,000.

 

 A Grade 1 Area Court, Dei-Dei, Abuja, heard on Thursday.

Mr Abdullahi, 30, is standing trial for criminal trespass and theft.

Police prosecutor Chinedu Ogada told the court that complainant John Behora of Sunshine Estate Gwarinpa Abuja had reported the theft on December 30, 2022.

Mr Ogada said that the complainant alleged that on December 28, the defendant criminally and smartly trespassed into the estate without the consent of the owners and carted away the cable belonging to the estate.

Mr Abdullahi was later caught and handed over to the police.

During a police investigation, the defendant confessed to the theft and said that he sold the cable to Fahat Aliyu, for N1,000 only, the prosecution counsel told the court.

He said the defendant further told the police that sometime ago, he stole a piece of iron rod from the estate and sold it to Aliyu for N1,200.

The offences contravened the provisions of Sections 343 and 288 of Penal Code law, Mr Ogada said.

Mr Abdullahi, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against him.

The trial judge, Saminu Suleiman, ordered that Mr Abdullahi be remanded in the Correctional Service facility in Suleja, until February 13, for hearing.

 

How Two Lagos Teenagers, Sold Their Organs To A Medical Doctor In Abeokuta, For N200,000

 

17-year-old Precious Ikechukwu, daughter of a Pentecostal Bishop in Lagos, and her father’s secretary, 19-year-old Theresa Obam, allegedly connived with an adult member of the church, Mrs. Adeleke Blessing, and went to a medical doctor at Redwood Specialist Hospital, Abeokuta, where their organs were sold for N100,000 each.

 

 

The bubble reportedly burst in September 12, 2022, when Precious, the daughter of the bishop and Founder of Living Word Anointed Gospel Mission, located at Iyana-Ipaja, Lagos, started vomiting and she was taken to hospital by her father, Ikechukwu Umeayo, and the doctor requested for medical test which later revealed that her åňůš and přïvåte pařť were damaged.

It was gathered that the sick girl, who became unconscious after her health condition was blown open, regained consciousness and disclosed to her father that a female member of his church, Mrs. Adeleke Blessing, traffićked them to Ogun State, where their organs were sōld to a medical doctor. The teenagers further alleged that Mrs. Adeleke convinced them to carry out the illegal act because the bishop, her father, was not paying them enough money and that she would take them to where they would be handsomely paid N100,000. They also alleged that Mrs. Adeleke warned them not to tell their father/parents, that if they do, she would kiłł them.

Giving details of how the transplant was carried out, the teenagers said that Mrs. Adeleke Blessing, also known as Mummy K, without the consent of their parents traffïćked them to Redwood hospital in Abeokuta, Ogun State and conspired with the doctor identified as Dr. Durodola and injected them some drugs. They alleged that they were further forcefully taken to a PDF hospital in Surulere, Lagos where they were also coerced and their ovaries/eggs/organs were harvested illegałľy by the medical Doctor without their consent, resulting in severe pains and bleeding.

Vanguard learned that based on the startling revelations, the teenagers were taken to another hospital in Surulere, Lagos, where they were referred to a medical laboratory test and scan, which revealed that their liver, uterus, urinary bladder, kidney, spleen, gall bladder were damaged as result of their ovaries/eggs about (46 ovaries) that were harvested in the hospital at Abeokuta.

However, the alleged major suspect, Mrs. Adeleke, told Vanguard that ”the two girls volunteered to donate their eggs to the hospital, after listening to my phone conversation with a doctor and, in return, they were compensated with N100,000, of which Favour gave me N20,000 for introducing them to the hospital.”

When contacted, Lagos State Police spokesman, David Hundeyin, said; “It was not organ harvesteřš, the operation was carried out by a professional doctor and the process was legal. All documents were signed and the girls stated in the document that they were above 18 years. The doctor told them about the consequences of feeling pain for two days, after and they accepted and donated their organs. Unfortunately, they did not inform their father about it and the father is requesting for a N200 million as compensation.”

 

Breaking: CBN Will Not Wait Till December 15th, New N1,000, N500 And N200 Notes To Be Unveiled Tomorrow – Emefiele

 

Accounting to the governor of Central Bank Of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele, President Muhammadu Buhari will unveil new N1,000, N500 and N200 notes tomorrow Wednesday, November 23, 2022.

Mr Emefiele on Tuesday said this during the apex bank’s Monetary Policy Committee monthly meeting in Abuja.

Emefiele said that the CBN will not shift its deadline for all old notes to be returned to commercial banks in exchange for newly designed ones.

Recall that Emefiele had on October 26, 2022 announced that the apex bank will issue redesigned N200, N500, and N1,000 notes, effective December 15, 2022, while the new and existing currencies will remain legal tender and circulate together until January 31, 2023.

However, he made a surprise announcement on Tuesday, saying the CBN will not wait till December 15 anymore as the President will unveil the new notes on Wednesday.

BRT Murder: Bamise’s Family Laments Debt Burden As Lagos Mortuary Requests N500,000

 

The family of late Bamise Ayanwola, who died after boarding a Bus Rapid Transit vehicle in Lagos State, have said the Mainland Hospital mortuary, Yaba, where her corpse was deposited, is demanding N500,000 from them.

 

The deceased’s elder brother, Pelumi, who spoke to our correspondent on Tuesday, said the money was for the period his late sister’s body was in the hospital’s morgue.

the money was for the period his late sister’s body was in the hospital’s morgue.

 

Pelumi said, “The head of the mortuary attendants at the Mainland Hospital, Yaba, called my elder brother, Oluwatobi, to inform him that nobody had been coming to check on her corpse and nobody had paid anything after the autopsy was carried out.

 

“The person said the bills were accumulating and demanded that we come. My brother asked if we were the ones they should be calling for that. My brother later went to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, to verify why they said we should be paying when we were not the one that brought her corpse to that place.

 

“At Panti, we were told that after the autopsy was carried out, the responsibility was on us and that it was no longer under their care and that our family was to be paying the bill. My brother went to the mortuary to collect the bill and the amount as of two weeks ago was N499,200. But the money is over N500,000 now.”

 

Pelumi noted that the longer Bamise’s corpse stayed in the morgue, the more traumatising the situation was for the family.

 

He added that the 22-year-old deserved a burial sponsored by the government since she was allegedly killed while on a state-owned commercial bus.

“As a family, aside from the justice that we have been clamouring for, we believe that the circumstances that led to her death shows that she fought hard and the situation exposed darkness in the Lagos Bus Services Limited and some governmental set-ups.

“So, we believe she died a hero and we want her to be buried as such. We want her to be given a state burial and immortalised.

 

“The LBSL is still operating, but as a family, we are still crying every day. Nothing has stopped their operation since the incident happened about eight months ago. Since the incident, we have not heard anything from LBSL; no official visit to our house by any representatives,” Pelumi stated.

 

Bamise went missing after boarding a BRT vehicle on Saturday, February 26.

 

Her lifeless body was found by the roadside on Carter Bridge, Lagos Island, as the driver of the vehicle, Nice Omininikoron, was arrested and arraigned for murder.

 

 The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said the LBSL would settle the mortuary bills and take care of the burial expenses.

 

He said, “I have spoken with the Managing Director of the LBSL, and he continues to sympathise with the family and he says that he will not expect them to look for that kind of money to pay.

 

“I really do not know what they mean by a state burial. Is it the kind of burial that a state flag should fly at half-mast or is it the kind of burial that security agency services will be marching and we have a colourful and ceremonial spectacle?

“But if it is to settle the expenses incurred in the cost of the burial, I think the company will not leave them alone. Whatever they need to make them comfortable, I am saying, on behalf of the Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who has always sympathised with them, they will get it concerning the burial.”

 

Man Pays 5,000, Four Measures Of Rice To Arsonist To Kill A Newly Married Woman For Jilting Him In Adamawa

 

Adamawa police command has arrested one Ibrahim Muhammadu for allegedly conspiring with another man to set ablaze a newly married woman and her husband because she jilted him.

 

The police said the suspect from Gadawaliwol in Jabbi Lamba, Girei Local Government Area, hired someone to set the couple on fire on September 6, barely two weeks after their wedding.

The woman died on Saturday September 10, due to severe burns while the man is still receiving treatment in the hospital.

It was gathered that Ibrahim Muhammadu who is married with four children, fell in love with the deceased and spent about N150, 000 on her after she agreed to marry him.

The deceased after allegedly collecting the money, declined the proposal and got married to another suitor: the man currently battling with his life at the hospital.

Angered by this, Muhammadu gave one Ibrahim Savanna N5,000 and four measures of rice to get the couple killed.

After collecting the money and the rice, Ibrahim Savanna, armed with petrol and matches, went to the room of the couple in the night and set it on fire after locking it up.

The Nation reported that the arsonist ran off and had not been found. Muhammadu has been arrested and is currently being detained by the police.

The Police Public Relations Officer in Adamawa State, SP Suleiman Nguroje, confirmed this, saying the Criminal Investigation Department of the Command is investigating the matter after which the suspect would be charged to court.

He assured that the suspect would be duly investigated and prosecuted, advising the general public to desist from taking the law into their own hands.

 

Police Arrest Woman In Ogun For Selling Three-week-old Daughter For N600,000

 

Mary Olatayo 23years old has been detained by the Ogun State Police Command for reportedly selling her three-week-old child for N600,000.

 Abimbola Oyeyemi, the command’s police public relations officer, revealed this in a statement on Thursday.

According to Oyeyemi, the suspect was detained after the baby’s father filed a complaint.

The PPRO claimed that the father reported the incident to Mowe divisional headquarters.

He claimed that he met Mary Olatayo sometime ago and they started dating each other.

The statement reads: “The man stated further that Mary got pregnant in the process and he rented an apartment for her where she lived till she was delivered of a baby boy.

“He complained further that the lady suddenly disappeared with the baby from the apartment three weeks after delivery only for her to be found in a hotel where she has gone for a hook-up with another man.

“All efforts to know where the baby is proved futile; on the strength of his complaint, the DPO Mowe division, SP Folake Afeniforo, detailed detectives to the scene where the suspect was arrested and brought to the station.

“On interrogation, Mary Olatayo confessed to the police that she has sold the baby to someone in Anambra State at the rate of N600,000. She confessed that it was her friend, Chioma Esther Ogbonna, who led her to the buyer in Anambra and that they both shared the money equally.

“Her confession led to the arrest of Chioma Esther Ogbonna who also corroborated Mary’s claims. Further investigation revealed that Mary Olatayo, a native of Omu-Aran in Kwara State, is a call girl, who sees the baby as a disturbance to her business. Hence, she decided to do away with the baby.

“Fortunately for her, she has an accomplice in Chioma, a native of Imo State who quickly contacted the buyer in Anambra State.”

The PPRO further said the Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, has ordered the transfer of the suspects to the anti-human trafficking and child labour unit of the state Criminal Investigation Departments for further investigation.

“The CP also directed that everything possible must be done to recover the baby.”

 

I Get Paid N5,000 For Every Child I Kidnap — 15-Year-Old Boy

 

A15-year-old boy has been apprehended while allegedly stealing a child.

In a video shared online, the teenager said he gets paid N5,000 for each child he is able to get for those who sent him.

According to the teenager, he was apprehended while he was trying to kidnap a child in the vicinity where he had abducted two people before.

The boy disclosed that he abducted the victims around a filling station identified as Olakins.

He said his mother does not know about his actions.

When asked if he knows what the kidnapped victims are used for, the boy said he does not have an idea.

The teenager further stated that he knows the houses of two of the people that sends him to kidnap people in the community.

Borno Governor Calls For Sustained Prayers As Over 50,000 Insurgent Surrender

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has felicitated Christians on their Easter celebration and urged for prayers for the success of the ongoing fight against terrorism and the mass surrender of insurgents.

The governor spoke in a statement on Monday by his Senior Adviser on Communications and Strategy, Malam Isa Gusau.

Zulum urged Christians and other citizens to pray and reflect on the key message of Easter.

He said the message aligned with Borno State Government’s programme that welcomed the mass surrender of insurgents who are undergoing stringent security profiling, disarmament, demobilisation and safe reintegration.

He said the procedure would guarantee the full return of sustainable peace in the state.

He said: “To my understanding, some of the main reflections of the Easter festival are the importance of making sacrifices for the greater good of humanity, having the strength to forgive offenders and being able to re-emerge stronger from serious difficulties.

“In over 12 years of our battles with insurgents  (Boko Haram and later ISWAP) Borno State, for the first time, has a golden window that has the potential of ending the insurgency.

“The mass surrender of over 35,000 fighters and commanders is certainly one of Allah’s many miracles towards healing Borno and rest of the North-East.

“This mass surrender is a product of the endless prayers citizens across Borno, the North-East, the rest of Nigeria and indeed the world have been offering, seeking God’s intervention to heal Borno State.

“It is the product of immense sacrifices by the Armed Forces and volunteers. It is a product of repeated calls by political leaders, clergy, elders and traditional rulers, asking insurgents to lay down their arms and embrace peace.

“We must, therefore, be optimistic in welcoming the likely benefits of disarming, demobilising, rehabilitating and reintegrating mass-surrendered insurgents.”

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that there is drastic reduction in insurgents attacks on civilians in Borno for the past three months, particularly the abduction of travellers along the busy Maiduguri-Damaturu Road by the insurgents.

Meanwhile, the Theatre Commander of “Operation Hadin Kai” North East, Major General Christopher Musa, said that so far more 50,000 insurgents, comprising members of their families and hostages, have surrendered.

Man Offers Friend N10,000 To Kill His Pregnant Wife In Ogun

Nuella's News reports that a 35-year-old man, Eluyera Wasiu has been arrested in Ogun State for allegedly planning with his friend, to kill his pregnant wife.

His friend, 29-year-old Adeniyi Samuel has recounted to police how Wasiu Eluyera offered him N10,000 to kill his pregnant wife.

Wasiu was allegedly trying to get rid of the woman in order to keep the pregnancy from his new wife.

Police said the duo were arrested following a distress call received by the DPO of Ogijo divisional headquarters, Ogun State, from concerned members of the public on January 1, 2022.

Ogun Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the police were informed that the two men had engaged each other in serious physical combat at Oponuwa area of Ogijo as residents feared they might get injured.

The DPO of the Ogijo Division, CSP Muhammed Baba, had mobilised his men to the scene, where the two suspects were arrested.

“It was during interrogation to know the cause of the fight that Adeniyi Samuel opened up and informed the police that Eluyera Wasiu contracted him to kill his pregnant wife, one Bola Taiwo.

He stated further that Eluyera Wasiu promised to give him N10,000 for the job, out of which he had already given him N5,000 to pay the balance on completion of the job,” Oyeyemi said.

According to the PPRO, police preliminary investigation revealed that Wasiu had been married to Bola Taiwo before they got separated

The said Wasiu later got married to another woman who, it was learnt, now lives with him.

However, the husband reunited with Taiwo, who later got pregnant.

To avoid the announcement of his new wife, Wasiu had requested Taiwo to abort the pregnancy, but the woman refused.

After he failed in his efforts to make the woman terminate the pregnancy, he decided to eliminate the woman and the pregnancy, said Oyeyemi.

“In his confessional statement, he stated that he had twice bought food for Taiwo from one eatery and laced the food with poison, but the lady by providence did not eat the food.

“It was when all his personal efforts to kill her failed that he contracted Adeniyi Samuel to help him eliminate her,” Oyeyemi quoted Wasiu to have written in a statement.

Wasiu was said to have confessed further that he personally took his accomplice to Taiwo’s house, giving him her photo for easy identification.

“But when he didn’t carry out the assignment as agreed, he demanded the refund of the advance payment he made to him, and his refusal led to the fight which led to their arrest,” the police spokesman further explained.

The Commissioner of Police in Ogun, Lanre Bankole, has ordered a full-scale investigation of the case.

Outrage As A Bag Of Beans Hits N100,000

 Following the recent hikes in food price in Nigeria, it is safe to say that more Nigerians will be afflicted by hunger and malnutrition as food prices continue to spike, market survey indicating that a bag of beans now sells for as high as N100,000.

On a monthly basis, prices of food items appear to be rising in major cities in Nigeria. For example, the prices of beans have gone up over the last one month compared to previous months.

A bag of beans sold at N30,000 in early September now costs between N50,000 and N100,000 in early October.

In a market survey by People Gazette across Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Bauchi, and Bayelsa, showed that the prices of beans have doubled in the past weeks.

The price of a big bag of beans, the ‘oloyin’ variety, ranges from N88,000 to N100,000, while ‘plastic rubber’ cost between N3,500 and N5,500. Another beans variety, ‘drum’, cost between N80,000 and N95,000, while the ‘plastic rubber’ cost N3,000 or N3,500. A big bag of white beans cost between N50,000 and N60,000, while the ‘plastic rubber’ price could be N2,500 or N3,000.

The prices of other staple foods such as rice, yam, egg, garri, groundnut, and maize are also on the rise. Groundnut oil cost N27,000 for 50kg and N5,400 for 5kg. A bag of rice cost N30,000 and N4000 for ‘plastic rubber’. A bag of garri was priced at N16,000.

In August, food inflation rose to 21.03 per cent due to the hike in local food items. The inflation growth and depreciation of the naira against the dollar have put pressure on the prices of commodities consumed by Nigerians, with prices of foods constantly changing.

The current realities are forcing many households further down the depth of hunger and malnutrition.