Category Nigeria News

In a gesture marking both Ramadan and the Christian observance of Lent, Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has approved the payment of fines and settlement of compensation for over 90 inmates serving sentences for minor offences across the state.

READ ALSO: ‘Promote Peace, Pray For Security Of Our Nation,’ Tinubu Tells Nigerians At Lent, Ramadan

The initiative, according to a statement by the Commissioner for Information, Ahmed Maiyaki, is designed to provide relief to deserving inmates, foster reconciliation, and offer a fresh start, reflecting the moral values highlighted by both sacred seasons.

He urged the beneficiaries to embrace peace, seek forgiveness where necessary, and commit to lives of integrity, obedience to the law, and service to God and society.

The governor also extended warm greetings to Muslims in the state, across Nigeria, and worldwide on the commencement of the holy month of Ramadan, urging citizens to embrace reflection, compassion, and peaceful coexistence.

He also prayed for strength, serenity, and abundant blessings for Muslims observing the fast.

He described Ramadan as a sacred pillar of faith that nurtures the soul and elevates the spirit.

Beyond fasting from food and drink, he said, the holy month is “a school of character and a sanctuary for the heart,” encouraging believers to deepen devotion, practice charity, and strengthen bonds of brotherhood.

Governor Sani called on residents to extend kindness to vulnerable members of the community by sharing meals and resources, emphasising that the season should reaffirm the dignity of every person and the shared humanity that unites society.

He also appealed to citizens of all faiths to pray for continued peace and harmony across Kaduna State, stressing that the state’s diversity is its strength and that its people share a common destiny.

Former Minister of External Affairs, Bolaji Akinyemi, has eulogised the late US civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, recalling how he was part of Nigeria’s June 12 struggle, a day that reflects the country’s arduous journey toward democratic governance.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Akinyemi, a professor, said Jackson contributed a lot to Nigeria and must be remembered.

READ ALSO: US Civil Rights Leader Jesse Jackson Dies At 84

“Jesse Jackson invested part of his political career in Nigeria. He was part of us in the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO). Yes, the President of the United States had appointed him a Special Envoy for Democracy.

“But that was just a cover for him to be involved in the June 12 struggle in Nigeria. To show you he paid particular attention to me, whenever we were in the United States demonstrating, he would ask me to please stand aside and not be arrested by the Washington Police. He took that particular interest, not only in me but on other Nigerians in the struggle,” he said.



The diplomat cited instances where Jackson played a crucial role in the formation of Nigeria’s foreign policy.

“He was not doing this for every country; it was just Nigeria. He also sought to get me involved with the activities of the Africans in the diaspora.

“I had to point out to him that as Foreign Minister, protocols dictate that there are some events that I couldn’t associate myself with,” Akinyemi said.

“That was when he explained to me that Nigeria was key to what the black race became in the world, not just the African race, the Nigerians in the diaspora, but the black race, and that the success of Nigeria was intertwined with the success of the black race in the world.

“If you understand that, you will understand why he became part and parcel of the Nigerian foreign policy establishment,” he added.

Each year, Nigeria commemorates June 12 as Democracy Day, a day of solemn remembrance.

Far beyond a mere public holiday, it symbolises the Nigerian people’s resilience, sacrifice, and unwavering determination.

On 12 June 1993, Nigerians united across ethnic, religious, and regional divides to participate in what is widely considered the freest and fairest election in the nation’s history.

Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola, a revered businessman and philanthropist, emerged as the presumed winner.

Jackson died peacefully in his sleep on Monday.

The Federal Government has ordered the closure of areas covered by Mining Licence 11810 in the Wase Local Government of Plateau State.

This followed the deaths of villagers allegedly mining in a pit containing gaseous emissions.

READ ALSO: Many Feared Dead In Suspected Gas Leak At Plateau Mining Site

According to a statement by the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development on Wednesday, the licence is operated by Solid Unit Nigeria Limited, owned by Abdullahi Dan-China in Zuraq.

In a condolence call to Governor Caleb Mutfwang, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, sympathised with him over the loss of the innocent citizens who died while trying to earn a living.

The minister has also dispatched a team of officials and investigators led by Permanent Secretary, Yusuf Yabo, to probe the remote and immediate causes of the incident and recommend sanctions.

“The team also includes experts in mining, environmental compliance, and artisanal cooperatives. The minister is coordinating the team and the support services to ensure effective management of the situation.

“The actions were taken as preliminary reports indicated that the company ceded the pit where the incident took place to the community to mine following agitations by villagers for empowerment,” the statement, signed by the Special Assistant on Media to the minister, Segun Tomori, read in part.

It said findings showed that the area was an abandoned lead site with the stored mineral prone to emissions of sulphuric oxide.

“Unaware of the poisonous nature of the emissions, the villagers reportedly engaged in extraction while inhaling the gaseous substance.

“ML 11810 lies between longitudes 10.34.45, and 10.35.50 and latitudes 9.13.45, 9.14.40,” it added.

The minister promised to make further disclosures as investigations continue.

An unconfirmed number of persons reportedly died following a suspected toxic gas exposure at a mining site in the area, sparking renewed concerns over unsafe mining practices and regulation in the area.

The Wase Youth Leader, Shafi Sambo, said he received an early-morning call alerting him to the tragedy because of his position as the youth leader of the area.

“It happened at a mining site in Company Zurak, Wase Local Government. We got information that the miners dug deep into the ground and were exposed to a gas that killed 37 of them instantly,” Sambo said in a phone interview.

He stated that several other miners were rescued alive and rushed to nearby hospitals for urgent medical attention, though the exact number of survivors remains unclear as of press time.

Sambo disclosed that the youths were mining zinc on behalf of a company said to be a Chinese-owned mining firm operating in the area.

President Bola Tinubu has issued an Executive Order (EO) to safeguard and enhance oil and gas revenues for the Federation, curb wasteful spending, eliminate duplicative structures in the sector, and redirect resources for the benefit of the Nigerian people.

According to a statement by the presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, the President signed the EO in pursuance of Section 5 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

The Executive Order is anchored on Section 44(3) of the Constitution, which vests ownership, control, and derivative rights in all minerals, mineral oils, and natural gas in, under, and upon any land in Nigeria—including its territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone—in the Government of the Federation.

The directive seeks to restore the constitutional revenue entitlements of the federal, state, and local governments, which were removed in 2021 by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

According to Onanuga, the PIA created structural and legal channels through which substantial Federation revenues are lost via deductions, sundry charges, and fees.

READ ALSO: Tinubu Signs Electoral Act 2026 Into Law, Says ‘We Need To Avoid Glitches, Unnecessary Hacking’

Under the current PIA framework: NNPC Limited retains 30% of the Federation’s oil revenues as a management fee on Profit Oil and Profit Gas derived from Production Sharing Contracts, Profit Sharing Contracts, and Risk Service Contracts.

Additionally, the company retains 20% of its profits for working capital and future investments.

The Federal Government considers the additional 30% management fee unjustified, as the 20% retained earnings are already sufficient to support NNPC Limited’s functions under these contracts.

Moreover, NNPC Limited also retains another 30% of profit oil and profit gas under the Frontier Exploration Fund, as stipulated in sections 9(4) and (5) of the PIA.

Onanuga noted that this fund, devoted to speculative exploration, risks accumulating large idle cash balances and encourages inefficient spending at a time when resources are urgently needed for core national priorities, including security, education, healthcare, and energy transition investments.

The EO also addresses the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund (MDGIF), funded by gas flaring penalties under Section 104 of the PIA. Onanuga explained that Section 103 of the PIA already establishes a dedicated Environmental Remediation Fund, administered by NUPRC, specifically designed to rehabilitate communities impacted by upstream petroleum operations. The continuation of MDGIF payments, he said, constitutes duplication.

“All these deductions far exceed global norms and effectively divert more than two-thirds of potential remittances to the Federation Account. The continuing decline in net oil revenue inflows is largely attributable to these deductions and fragmented oversight under the current PIA architecture,” Onanuga said.

The Executive Order seeks to eliminate overlapping and redundant provisions in the PIA and NNPC Limited’s governing structure, including the duplicative 30% deduction for profit-sharing arrangements.

The objective is to ensure that revenues meant for the Federation Account are preserved, enabling the three tiers of government to pursue critical national priorities.

Onanuga added that President Tinubu has identified structural concerns regarding NNPC Limited’s continued role as a concessionaire under Production Sharing Contracts.

Allowing the company to influence operating costs while functioning as a commercial entity creates potential competitive distortions and undermines its transition into a fully commercial operator, as envisioned under the PIA.

The Executive Order introduces immediate measures to curb revenue leakages, enhance transparency, eliminate duplicative structures, and reposition NNPC Limited strictly as a commercial enterprise while safeguarding the Federation’s interests.

The President emphasized that the reforms are of urgent national importance, given their implications for budgeting, debt sustainability, economic stability, and the overall well-being of Nigerians.

President Tinubu also announced a comprehensive review of the Petroleum Industry Act in consultation with relevant stakeholders to address fiscal and structural anomalies.

According to the gazetted Executive Order: NNPC Limited will no longer collect and manage the 30% Frontier Exploration Fund. All profits currently earmarked for this fund will henceforth be transferred to the Federation Account.

NNPC Limited will also no longer be entitled to the 30% management fee on profit oil and profit gas revenues due to the Federation Account.

All operators/contractors of oil and gas assets under a Production Sharing Contract shall, from February 13, 2026, pay Royalty Oil, Tax Oil, Profit Oil, Profit Gas, and any other government dues directly to the Federation Account.

Payments of the Gas Flare Penalty into the MDGIF are suspended. Proceeds from penalties for flaring gas shall be paid directly into the Federation Account, and any expenditure from the MDGIF shall comply with public procurement laws.

President Tinubu has approved the constitution of a joint project team to execute integrated petroleum operations, with the Commission serving as the interface with licensees and lessees where upstream and midstream operations are fully combined.

Additionally, an Implementation Committee has been established to oversee the effective, coordinated execution of the EO.

An officer of the Department of State Services has told Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, how cell phone analysis of the four men being prosecuted for allegedly carrying out the June 5, 2022, attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, placed them at the crime scene.

The officer, with code name S.S.J,  told the court that phone calls by the defendants about the time of the attack, put them in the vicinity of St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo.

He disclosed that the DSS had sufficient technical evidence to show that the first to fourth defendants were around the church premises during the attack.

The officer explained that the technical evidence showed that their phones and conversations were around the telecommunications cell site location around the attack.

Aside from the phone records’ analysis conducted by the DSS, according to the officer, the defendants voluntarily made confessional statements linking them to the attack.

READ ALSO: How Terror Attack On Owo Catholic Church Was Planned, Executed — DSS Witness

The witness said the statement-taking session was witnessed by the Director of the Legal Aid Council, when the defendants said they could not afford to have either their lawyers or family members around to witness the session.

He identified the five defendants, giving details of how he obtained the confessional statements from the first to fourth defendants, which he said they offered voluntarily.

An objection raised by the defence lawyer, Abdullahi Mohammad, to the admissibility of the defendants’ statements was overruled by the trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite.

In a ruling, Justice Nwite also rejected Mohammad’s request that the court order the conduct of a trial-within-trial to resolve all the doubts about whether or not the defendants made the statements.

Justice Nwite upheld the submission of the prosecuting lawyer, Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN), that a trial-within-trial could only be ordered where the issue is about the voluntariness of the statement and not where a defendant denies making the statement, as it is in the case.

After the 10th prosecution witness gave evidence about how he obtained the confessional statements from the first to fourth defendants, Adedipe applied to tender them in evidence.

Muhammad objected to the admissibility of the statements and urged the court to order a trial-within-trial on the grounds that the said statements were not made by his clients.

Testifying earlier under cross-examination by Muhammad, the ninth prosecution witness, S.S.I, insisted that the defendants were involved in the attack and gave further details of what the investigation conducted on the case by the DSS revealed.

SSI, who told the court on Tuesday that he led the investigation team, restated that the defendants were arrested in August 2022, in both Kogi and Ondo States, while they were interviewed in Abuja.

He confirmed that all defendants are members of ISWAP, who belong to a cell operating as Al Shabab.

He stated that there is also a Mahmuda group of ISWAP in the area.

The witness told the court that after the attack, the fourth defendant returned the weapons used for the attack to Odoba and also returned the car to where he rented it from.

SSI confirmed that the case was thoroughly investigated and that evidence that indicted the defendants were duly obtained.

The witness confirmed that the defendants used two vehicles during the attack, adding that while they drove in a rented vehicle to the church, they snatched another vehicle from a worshipper, who was returning from church service, which they used as a getaway vehicle.

He further confirmed that the defendants had a meeting at Government Secondary School, Ogaminana, where one Odoba gave the instruction to the 2nd Defendant for the attack.

The meeting, the witness said, preceded two other meetings they held on the third and fourth of June, 2022, before the attack.

SSI confirmed that the defendants used both explosives and several rounds of ammunition during the attack.

He insisted that no other persons outside the defendants were arrested by the DSS in respect of this case.

The Ondo State Police Command has confirmed the killing of two persons and injuries to three others during Wednesday’s ward congress of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Idanre town.

In a statement, the Command’s Spokesperson, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, said Commissioner of Police Adebowale Lawal immediately deployed a tactical team to the scene to restore peace and prevent the crisis from escalating.

Jimoh stated, “During the incident, five persons, yet to be identified, were reportedly attacked, and a vehicle was set ablaze. Three victims sustained varying degrees of injury and are currently receiving medical attention, while two others were confirmed dead at the hospital. The Commissioner of Police visited the injured victims to assess their condition and assured them of the Command’s support.”

READ ALSO: Troops Kill Five Suspected Kidnappers, Rescue Abducted Woman In Plateau

The police spokesperson noted that an investigation has commenced into the incident, assuring that those responsible for the killings would soon be apprehended.

He also appealed to law-abiding residents of Idanre and the state at large to remain calm, assuring them of adequate security for their lives and property.