Category Nigeria News

The Federal Government lost a total of 13.5 million barrels worth $3.3 bn to oil theft and pipeline sabotage between 2023 and 2024.

This was revealed by the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Ogbonanya Orji, at the 2025 Association of Energy Correspondents of Nigeria (NAEC) conference in Lagos on Thursday.

While speaking to this year’s theme, ‘Nigeria’s Energy Future: Exploring Opportunities and Addressing Risks for Sustainable Growth,’  Orji noted that the lost revenue could have financed a full year of the federal health budget or provided energy access to millions of households.

“These losses are not just economic—they represent broken trust, institutional weaknesses, and missed opportunities for national progress. This is precisely why transparency and accountability are not optional. They are existential.”

According to him, Nigeria’s energy future will not be defined by the size of its reserves or production capacity, but by how transparently and prudently it is able to manage its natural resource wealth—the revenues, data, contracts, and decisions that shape its national destiny.

He said the era of secrecy in resource governance was over.

“The global energy transition towards cleaner fuels, gas optimisation, and renewable energy requires openness, responsibility, and innovation at every stage of the value chain.

“At NEITI, our philosophy is clear and uncompromising:

“Data builds trust, and trust drives investment.”

“Transparency is not a bureaucratic exercise—it is an economic imperative. It attracts capital, technology, and partnerships. Our latest NEITI industry reports make this truth evident.”

The NEITI boss also revealed that its 2021–2022 Oil and Gas Industry Reports revealed that Nigeria earned $23.04 billion in 2021 and $23.05 billion in 2022 from the sector.

READ ALSO:  Oil Bid: Ensure Full Disclosure Of Beneficial Ownership,’ NEITI Urges NUPRC

However, it identified outstanding remittances of ₦1.5 trillion owed to the Federation by some companies and government agencies—funds that could significantly support energy infrastructure, education, and healthcare if recovered.

“Over the past decade, NEITI has evolved from an auditing agency to a governance reform institution.

“We have institutionalised regular audits of oil, gas, and solid mineral sectors, tracking production, payments, and remediation; developed Nigeria’s Beneficial Ownership Register, unmasking the true owners of over 4,800 extractive assets, and helping the government combat corruption and illicit financial flows; and launched the NEITI Data Centre—a national open-data infrastructure that provides real-time public access to industry information.

We have also strengthened partnerships with NUPRC, NMDPRA, and NCDMB to promote transparency in licensing, metering, and host community trust management and introduced the Just Energy Transition and Climate Accountability Framework to ensure that Nigeria’s shift to cleaner energy is transparent, inclusive, and fair.

“These are not ceremonial milestones. They are practical governance instruments designed to make transparency the DNA of Nigeria’s extractive sector.”

As Nigeria positions gas as its transition fuel and renewable energy as its future, Orji advised the government to keep pace with innovation.

“Our energy future must rest on verifiable data, open contracts, measurable emissions, and accountable institutions.

“NEITI envisions a sector where every dollar is traceable, every contract is public, every decision is transparent, and every Nigerian citizen can see how natural resources translate into national prosperity.

Abuja-based lawyers, Victor Giwa and Ibitade Bukola, have been arraigned before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Apo Division, over charges of alleged document forgery and impersonation.

The defendants, who are facing a three-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy to commit forgery, false personation, and fraudulent execution of documents, pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

According to the charge sheet, the alleged offences were committed on June 28, 2024, when Giwa and Bukola purportedly forged a letter using the official letterhead of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Awa Kalu and addressed it to the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi.

The forged letter allegedly sought to influence the AGF to stop Giwa’s arraignment scheduled before Justice Samira Bature at the High Court, Maitama.

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The matter, presided over by Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie, was previously stalled on September 15, 2025, prompting the issuance of a bench warrant against Giwa, who was later arrested.

During the day’s proceeding, prosecution counsel Asaph Eristo informed the court that the matter was scheduled for arraignment. The charges were read in open court, and Victor Giwa and his co-defendant pleaded not guilty.

The prosecution requested that Giwa be remanded in prison custody, citing the need to prevent interference with investigations.

However, Edwin Anikpenu (SAN), appearing for the defence, applied for bail, stating that both defendants are legal practitioners and argued that the second defendant, Bukola, is a nursing mother.

Anikpenu sought leave of the court to orally amend the existing bail application to include the second defendant.

Justice Onwuegbuzie, criticised the defence for presenting an oral bail request despite being represented by over a dozen lawyers.

The court subsequently refused bail for the second defendant and asked she be remanded at the correctional facility in Suleja, Niger State

Regarding Giwa’s bail, Anikpenu urged the court to consider admitting him on self-recognition or to the custody of a reputable executive of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Garki branch, promising that he would not interfere with the case.

The prosecution opposed the application, citing a counter-affidavit and evidence suggesting Giwa posed a flight risk, noting that public funds were used to effect his arrest.

After hearing both sides, the court granted victor giwa bail in the sum of ₦30 million, with two sureties in like sum, indicating he remains in police custody till he perfects its conditions.

The sureties must be civil servants not below grade level 16, resident in Abuja, with verifiable addresses and valid ID cards. They must also submit their international passports.

The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) has launched a fresh probe into the alleged diversion of over ₦4 billion in state funds by the administration of former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje into the Dala Inland Dry Port (DIDP), despite reports suggesting that the state had been stripped of its equity stake in the project.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the funds were allegedly released in 2020 under the guise of infrastructural development for the inland port, even though Kano State’s purported 20% equity share had allegedly been transferred to members of the Ganduje family, making them directors and shareholders and effectively removing the state from co-ownership.

PCACC: Investigation Nearing Completion

Confirming the investigation, PCACC Chairman, Saidu Yahya, disclosed that the Commission acted on public petitions alleging large-scale financial misappropriation tied to the Dala project.

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“Yes, we received petitions from the public on the alleged over ₦4 billion Kano State fund diverted into the Dala Inland Dry Port by the immediate past administration of Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje,” Yahya said.

He noted that the investigation is at an advanced stage, with several persons of interest already invited for questioning. One individual has reportedly been arrested and released on bail after providing what the Commission termed “vital information.”

Another key individual connected to the probe is said to be residing in Yola, Adamawa State, and efforts are underway to bring them in for questioning.

“The matter would soon be charged to court, as a prima facie case has already been established,” Yahya confirmed.

The alleged transfer of the state’s equity and subsequent multi-billion naira fund release without due process has raised concerns about transparency and accountability under the previous administration.

Critics argue that committing public resources to a project the state no longer legally co-owns could point to gross abuse of office.

‘No Stake Held by Ganduje Family or Kano Govt’

In a swift rebuttal to the allegations, the management of Dala Inland Dry Port issued a press statement strongly denying any ownership links to the Ganduje family or the Kano State Government.

In the statement signed by the Company Secretary, Barr. Adamu Aliyu Sanda, the company described the reports as “false and misleading,” stating that no member of the Ganduje family has ever held shares, directorship, or signatory authority in the company.

Key Points from the Company’s Rebuttal:

No Ganduje Family Involvement:
The company insisted that verified records from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) confirm that neither Dr. Ganduje nor his family members have any ownership or official involvement in DIDP. The company was initially controlled by Ahmad Rabi’u before 80% was sold to City Green Enterprises (CGE). The remaining 20% is held by Rabi’u, who allegedly has not completed payment for it.

Forgery Alleged Against Former MD:
The company claimed that an “ordinary resolution” document showing share allotments to Ganduje’s children is forged, having been authored solely by Ahmad Rabi’u without board consent. This, they allege, was part of an attempt to politicise the company’s internal matters after Rabi’u’s removal as MD.

Kano State Govt Never Owned Shares:
Contrary to the PCACC claims, the company maintains that Kano State never held equity in DIDP. The state’s involvement was limited to providing infrastructure as a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative — not an investment.

No Official Board Representation by Kano State:
The company also refuted claims that an official named Abdullahi Haruna, allegedly representing Kano State, sat on the board. They assert no such person was ever involved in DIDP’s operations or board meetings.

“You cannot ‘remove’ an entity that never existed as a shareholder or director in the first place,” the statement reads. “CAC filings from inception to date confirm that neither the Ganduje family nor the Kano state government has ever appeared in the company’s ownership or directorship structure.”

The management described the allegations as part of a “coordinated attempt to malign Dr. Ganduje’s reputation.”

Accountability

The development has triggered strong reactions in Kano, with residents and civil society organisations demanding transparency and urgent steps to recover any misappropriated public funds.

“It is disheartening that such a huge sum could be spent on a project the state no longer owned,” said Musa Aliyu, a Kano-based civil society activist. “We commend the anti-corruption agency and hope this case will not be swept under the carpet.”

The Dala Inland Dry Port, a flagship infrastructure meant to boost trade and logistics in northern Nigeria, has now become the center of a politically charged legal and public controversy.

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has warned that it will mobilise students across the country to occupy federal highways if efforts to sabotage private refineries, particularly the Dangote Refinery, continue.

In a strongly worded statement delivered during a national warning protest held simultaneously in Abuja, Asaba, and Lagos, NANS President, Comrade Olushola Oladoja, condemned what he described as a coordinated attempt by vested interests to frustrate Nigeria’s refining independence.

He criticised the ongoing pressure by trade unions, especially PENGASSAN, to impose union membership on private refinery workers, calling it unconstitutional and a threat to investment.

READ ALSO: SSANU, NASU Mobilise Members For ‘Massive Protest’ Thursday

“This is coercion and a direct violation of Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees freedom of association,” he said.

NANS accused international oil companies, product importers, and local unions of conspiring to maintain Nigeria’s dependency on imported fuel by frustrating local refining efforts.

The association likened the situation to the collapse of the country’s textile industry, which it blamed on similar sabotage and lack of government protection.
The students’ body presented five demands, including:

1. Priority crude oil supply to Nigerian refineries;
2. An end to the undervaluation of crude sold to foreign refineries;
3. De-emphasis on fuel importation in favour of locally refined products;
4. Protection of private investments and workers’ rights;
5. An end to union harassment and industrial blackmail.

Comrade Oladoja warned that if the government fails to act, NANS will escalate its actions with nationwide student protests.

The ranks of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Senate have risen to 73, following the defection of Senator Kelvin Chukwu of the Labour Party.

READ ALSO: Senate Swears In Two New Senators From Edo, Anambra

The Senate formally announced Chukwu’s defection during plenary, marking another shift in the composition of the 10th National Assembly.

The lawmaker, who represents Enugu East Senatorial District, says his defection followed what he described as the disorganisation within the Labour Party.

But the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, in his remarks, called on opposition parties to reorganise and provide credible alternatives, warning that their current disarray poses a threat to democratic vibrancy in the country.

‘I want a strong and vibrant opposition in Nigeria, but when they are in tatters, what can we do? Please, put your house in order. That’s why INEC is registering more political parties,” Akpabio stated.

Echoing the Senate President’s sentiments, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele attributed the growing support for the APC to the administration’s handling of the economy.

“This shift in the Senate reflects a broader national trend; the APC-led government is working.

“Our foreign reserves are improving, and the GDP shows signs of steady growth; these are clear indicators that the economy is bouncing back,” said Bamidele.

With the latest development, the current distribution of seats in the Senate shows that the APC has 73 members, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has 28, and the LP has four.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced a four-day extension of the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

This followed a review of ongoing electoral activities during the Commission’s third quarterly meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), held on Tuesday, October 7, 2025.

According to a post shared on the Commission’s official X handle on Wednesday, the exercise, which was initially scheduled to end on Wednesday, October 8, will now continue until Sunday, October 12, 2025.

INEC explained that the extension was to accommodate the high turnout recorded across the capital, and to ensure that eligible residents who were yet to register were not disenfranchised.

“As of 7th October 2025, a total of 55,346 new voter registrations had been recorded in the FCT, comprising 38,528 online pre-registrations and 16,818 completed physical registrations,” the statement read. “This impressive turnout underscores the growing civic awareness among residents and the effectiveness of devolving the exercise to the grassroots.”

The Commission, however, noted that the online pre-registration option in the FCT remained suspended to allow all pre-registrants to complete their registration in person at designated centres, in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.

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INEC further appealed to all eligible citizens who are yet to register to take advantage of the extension period, while reminding Nigerians that multiple registration is a punishable offence under the law.

“Registered voters who wish to transfer their registration to the FCT, or within the FCT, are also encouraged to do so within this period,” the Commission stated.

The list and addresses of all registration centres, it added, are available on its website and official social media platforms.