The Federal Government is turning to public transport operators in a fresh attempt to ease the pressure of rising fuel costs, announcing a 30-day petrol discount at NNPC filling stations while negotiating a ₦1,350-per-litre landing-cost ceiling. Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, announced the measures in Abuja on Thursday, saying public transporters would receive priority under the temporary discount scheme. The intervention comes as rising petrol and transportation costs continue to squeeze household budgets and increase pressure on businesses. Oyedele said the government was negotiating a ceiling of ₦1,350 per litre on petrol’s ex-gantry or…
Author: National Update
The parents of abducted prospective corps members have claimed they raised millions of naira in ransom to secure the release of their children, directly contradicting the Imo State Government’s declaration that no payment was made. The family of one of the 20 victims said it raised N6m through loans, donations and contributions from relatives, friends and sympathisers after the kidnappers demanded money for his release. The mother of the victim, Alirat Wahab, said the abductors initially demanded N50m for each of the 20 prospective corps members, before reducing the demand after the parents pleaded with them. She said the kidnappers…
Fear of violence may keep thousands of Nigerians away from the polling booths in 2027 if politicians continue to inject threats, gun references and war-like language into election campaigns, activist Prince Babawale Sayo has warned. Sayo said politicians who casually invoke weapons such as the AK-47 risk turning elections into events voters associate with bloodshed and danger rather than the peaceful exercise of their democratic rights. The activist spoke against the backdrop of the controversy over Edo State APC Chairman, Jarrett Tenebe’s reference to “AK-47 fire” while discussing the party’s target of 2.5 million votes for President Bola Tinubu in…
Schools, hospitals and government offices across the Federal Capital Territory face an indefinite shutdown as the Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) escalates its battle with the FCT Administration over the promotion and career progression of teachers. The labour body began the strike on Wednesday after accusing the FCT Administration of ignoring key demands aimed at ending what it described as years of stagnation for teachers. The immediate flashpoint is the requirement that teachers must wait for vacancies before they can secure promotion. The NLC says the policy has trapped qualified teachers on the same grade levels for years. The FCT Council of…
A Nigerian Air Force helicopter on a close air support mission against suspected kidnappers in Benue State on Wednesday made a precautionary landing after completing its operation. The incident occurred just two days after an NAF aircraft crashed in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, killing all 32 people on board, according to the Air Force. The latest incident has heightened attention on military aviation operations, although the NAF said the Benue helicopter was not involved in a crash. The helicopter had reportedly provided air support to ground troops operating against suspected kidnappers in Ogbadigbo Local Government Area,…
By Tunde Olusunle “My brother Tunde,” Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, the attorney and daring disruptor who is reengineering Enugu State said to me as he received me into his office in “Lion Building,” the seat of government in Enugu, the famous “coal city” capital of Enugu State with a warm handshake. “We’ve kept you so long here now that in the traditional African society, you would have been due for a new wife. I’m happy madam is not here to hear us, though,” he smiled as he waved me to a seat. He courtesied the gentleman we had both sat…
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has demanded an explanation over the circumstances surrounding the release of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps members abducted in Imo State. The group welcomed their safe return but questioned why none of the suspected kidnappers had been arrested, captured or neutralised. The corps members were abducted seven days ago while travelling from Oyo State to their orientation camps in Abia State. They were reportedly attacked along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Umunoha, Imo State. The victims are now receiving treatment at the Department of State Services hospital in Owerri. The NYSC Director-General,…
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has demanded the immediate release of Nasarawa activist Abdulkarim Allanana, popularly known as Oscar Keana. The group warned against the alleged use of the criminal justice system to silence critics of government. Keana was arraigned by the Department of State Services (DSS) before the Federal High Court in Lafia on two counts bordering on alleged false information against Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule. The court remanded him and adjourned the case until November 26 for hearing of his bail application. HURIWA said it was disturbed by reports that Keana had been transferred…
Months after the reported presidential approval of the 150-kilometre Oba–Nnewi–Uga–Ihube road project, communities along the Anambra-Imo corridor are still waiting to see the construction activity they say they were promised. The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has now challenged the Federal Government to move the project beyond approval and procurement, warning that prolonged inaction is fuelling disappointment among residents and road users. HURIWA, in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, said communities that had endured the road’s deplorable condition for years needed visible intervention rather than further assurances. The association specifically called on…
Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has said he would take direct charge of government if elected in 2027, arguing that former President Muhammadu Buhari could not effectively fight corruption because he was not fully in control of his administration. Obi made the claim in a recent interview with the BBC African Service while outlining his approach to corruption and presidential accountability. “He was not in charge. The difference is this: I will be in charge,” Obi said. The former Anambra State governor said his anti-corruption campaign would begin with the conduct of the president and…