Category Nigeria News

As a way of giving back to oil-producing communities, the Federal Government said it has embarked on a total of 536 community projects across the Niger Delta.

In a statement on Monday, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) noted that the projects are being held simultaneously in the region.

It cited a case of before and after photos of a school in Obagi oil-producing community in Rivers State.

“The school is just one out of the 536 community projects being handled simultaneously through the Host Community Development Trust (HCDT).”

Delivered projects include a two-storey classroom block comprising 18 fully furnished classrooms, the remodelling of Ogbogu Cottage Hospital with a 20-bed capacity and new diagnostic centre, and the upgrade of the Ogbogu Ultra-Modern Civic Centre.

Others include road pavements at Oboburu community, a bottled and sachet water factory in Amah community, and the installation of gas skid plants and school renovations in Erema and Akabuka communities.

READ ALSO: German Inflation Rose To 2.4% In September

According to the Commission, the HCDT has risen to ₦373bn as of October 13, 2025, in accordance with section 235 of the Petroleum Industry Act of 2021, which mandates settlors (oil companies) to incorporate HCDT for the benefit of host communities where they operate.

A statement signed by the Commission’s Head of Media and Strategic Communications, Eniola Akinkuotu, also said the fund comprises ₦125bn and $168.9m, contributed by oil companies operating under the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021.

The HCDT requires oil companies to deposit three per cent of their operating expenditures of the preceding financial year into a trust fund, which will be housed in a bank with a BBB rating.

While the NUPRC does not have direct access to the funds, it monitors the fund through a dashboard known as HostComply.

The Commission also monitors the implementation of the fund as mandated by the extant laws, in line with the PIA.

Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court Abuja has fixed October 16 for ruling on whether the Managing Director of SunTrust Bank, Halima Buba, can cross-examine the EFCC’s witness on issues raised while giving his evidence-in-chief.

Justice Nwite adjourned the trial following an objection raised by the Counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, against a question directed to its witness by Johnson Usman, SAN, who appeared for Buba in the Alleged Money Laundering Charge.

While cross-examining the first prosecution witness, mister Sulieman Ciroma, the owner of Funnacle BDC Ltd, the defence lawyer had asked him to confirm to the court the names of those who collected the money in United States dollars from Mrs Aisha Achimugu, the MD of Oceangate Engineering Oil and Gas Ltd.

Earlier, Usman asked Ciroma to confirm that Mr Hassan Dantani is the MD/CEO of Ashrap Energy Oil Ltd and the witness answered in affirmative.

The witness also confirmed that Dantani is the MD/CEO of Ashrap BDC Ltd when he was asked by the lawyer.

The witness equally confirmed that Trimisi is the director of Triple A and D BDC Ltd.

READ ALSO: Lagos Re-Arraigns Evans For Alleged Murder Of Two Policemen

The anti-graft agency’s lawyer argued that the fact in issue before the court as contained in the charge, substantially bordered on allegations of cash transactions.

He submitted that the question put to the witness was not relevant in issue or remotely connected to the facts in issue.

“My lord, there are two separate legal entities that are involved or that have featured.

“They are Ashrap Energy Oil Services Ltd which is contained in the charge before your lordship and the Ashrap BDC now being introduced by the defence to the witness.”

He said though the word, “Ashrap” featured in the two entities, they are different companies.

“The case of the prosecution as contained in the charge in which the defendants are only entitled to defendants are transactions conducted by Ashrap Energy and Oil Services Ltd.

“The core issue for determination in this case is that those transactions, which perforce, exceeded the legal threshold were conducted without going through financial institutions.

“I refer your lordship to Section 21(a), Section 2(1), and Section 19(1)(d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition and Prevention Act.

“Furthermore, by the provision of that law, the financial institutions as defined are not only limited to commercial banks but also extended to registered and licensed BDC firms regarded as authorised dealers,” he said.

Oyedepo argued that the attempt by Usman to cross examine Ciroma on the question was not only to mislead the witness but to also introduce a strange fact that was not in issues between the parties.

But Usman vehemently disagreed with Oyedepo ‘s submission.

“My lord, the effect of the entire argument of my learner brother is that the defendants standing trial should kowtow to his charge and lead evidence in support of the charge.

“The defendants, having pleaded not guilty, have shifted the burden of proof on the prosecution. In effect, they denied liability 100 per cent,” he said.

Citing Section 223 of the Evidence Act, he enumerated the purpose of a cross examination in a trial.

The lawyer, who cited Section. 215(2) of Evidence Act, said though a cross examination must relate to relevant facts, he argued that the law equally “states that this need not be confined to what the witness testified in his examination-in-chief.”

Usman further argued that while giving his evidence-in-chief, Ciroma mentioned that Dantani and Trimisi collected the money from Mrs Achimugu.

“My lord, we are only referring to what he had said earlier as can be seen in the record of proceedings.

“He said Dantani of Ashrap and Trimisi collected the USD and credited her (Achimugu’s) account with naira equivalent,” he said.

The lawyer expressed surprise that Oyedepo did not interrupt him while he was earlier questioning the PW-1 about Dantani and Trimisi only to raise objections on how the money was received.

“Having regard to this, I humbly urge my lord to discountenance this objection.

“It is an objection attempting to muscle the defendants from defending themselves.

“I urge your lordship to direct the witness to answer my question,” Usman said.

Justice Nwite adjourned the matter until Oct. 16 and Oct. 17 for ruling and continuation of trial.

Buba and her co-defendant, Innocent Mbagwu, the Executive Director/Chief Compliance Officer of SunTrust Bank, are being prosecuted on money laundering offences to the tune of $12 million.

The Federal Government has imposed the no-work, no-pay policy on striking members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

This was contained in a circular dated October 13 and signed by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa.

Alausa expressed the Federal Government’s displeasure with ASUU’s decision to embark on a nationwide strike despite ongoing negotiations and calls for dialogue.

He, therefore, directed vice-chancellors of federal universities to implement the no-work, no-pay policy against ASUU members participating in the ongoing nationwide strike.

Roll-Call Of Workers

Governor Dauda Lawal has reaffirmed the Zamfara State Government’s commitment to continuing its partnership with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

The governor attended the 2025 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction and the launch of the related strategy on Monday at the NAF Conference Centre in Abuja.

A statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, revealed that Vice President Kashim Shettima, led the official launch of NEMA’s strategic plan (2025 – 2029), the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) strategy (2025 – 2030), and the Action Plan (2025 – 2028).

The statement added that the event with the theme ‘Fund Resilience, Not Disaster’ gathered all stakeholders across Nigeria.

In his goodwill message, Governor Lawal praised NEMA for organising a timely dialogue and for their dedication to enhancing Nigeria’s disaster risk management framework.

READ ALSO: FG Disburses ₦300bn To Over Eight Million Households

He said: “Disasters occur in a vicious cycle where one disaster fuels another. Our experience underscores the saying that no risk is truly isolated; it is interconnected, and managing it requires a strategic approach.

“Therefore, I also commend you on the formal Launch of your 5-year strategic plan, tagged “The National Disaster Risk Strategy 2025 to 2030.

“As we launch the Strategic Plan and deliberate on funding models, I urge all stakeholders to deepen collaboration and ensure that no stakeholder is left behind in our collective effort to build a safer, more resilient Nigeria.

“The theme of today’s International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, ‘Fund Resilience, Not Disasters,’ must be transformed into concrete plans during this roundtable.

“To ensure sustainability, it is crucial to build resilience in funding, as disaster management is a dynamic and evolving process. Funding mechanisms should be dynamic, flexible, and readily available.”

Governor Lawal further added that Zamfara faces many disasters and emergencies, both natural and man-made, such as insecurity, fires, displacement, mining shaft collapses, floods, and other adverse effects of climate change, among others.

“Through it all, we can always count on NEMA to be there as part of the management, recovery, reconstruction, and mitigation efforts. Therefore, I thank you on behalf of the Government and People of Zamfara State for your efforts and interventions and for always being there in our times of need.

“The Zamfara Emergency Management Agency (ZEMA) has been granted greater powers to enhance its emergency response. We are integrating disaster risk management into governance through early warning systems, community engagement, and institutional reforms, as we believe systemic resilience starts at the sub-national level.

“Before I conclude, I want to express our sincere appreciation to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, for his leadership during these challenging times.

The Lagos State Government has sealed off illegal reclamation sites and issued a stop-work order to individuals reclaiming and narrowing sections of the Ikota River around Partibons Homes Estate and Bee-Forth Estate Phase II off Orchid Road in the Lekki area of the state.

In a statement posted on its official X handle on Monday, the government said the enforcement followed an inspection tour by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, over the weekend.

Wahab described the illegal reclamation activities as “heart-wrenching,” lamenting that some individuals have deliberately chosen to destroy the natural ecosystem.

He explained that the ministry had received an SOS alert indicating that some people were aggressively reclaiming parts of the Ikota River and erecting illegal structures with the intent of selling them to unsuspecting citizens.

“There’s no way flash flooding can be completely stopped in a coastal state like Lagos, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, lagoons, and rivers. What we can do is mitigate it through resilient infrastructure and sustainable approaches,” Wahab said.

READ ALSO: Lagos Shifts Commencement Of $3bn Marina-Lekki Rail Line Construction To December

The Commissioner noted that some unscrupulous individuals had blocked stormwater channels, specifically systems 156 and 157, which are designed to discharge into the Ikota River and further into the lagoon.

He warned that human interference with these natural alignments worsens flooding, adding that the state government will not fold its hands and allow the actions of a few to endanger the lives of many.

Wahab also inspected the ongoing restoration of the right-of-way along the Ikota River alignment at Oral Estate II, where 17 illegal structures had already been demolished.

He was accompanied by the Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi, during a joint inspection of environmental infractions along the Lekki–Epe Expressway.

The exercise is in preparation for the upcoming Green Rail Line project planned along the corridor.

According to Wahab, abatement notices were earlier served on September 26, 2025, to automobile dealers who had encroached on wetlands and under high-tension power lines, beyond the temporary site approved by the government.

He said such actions violate the original master plan for the Green Line project being coordinated by the Ministry of Transportation.

He reiterated that the temporary approvals issued to the automobile dealers clearly prohibited the erection of permanent structures, stressing that the state remains committed to preserving wetlands as part of its long-term flood mitigation strategy.

Wahab directed immediate enforcement against all identified infractions, while Osiyemi disclosed that the Green Line project will commence in December.