Category Nigeria News

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the head of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), has responded to claims made by an investor who has been affected by the ongoing construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal road, stating that all legal procedures must be followed when seeking redress.

On Wednesday’s edition of Channels Television’s breakfast program The Morning Brief, the NiDCOM boss said, “We were reading the newspapers about Winhomes, and then we looked for the diaspora investors.

Someone reached us and we struck up a conversation after about two months. Our team traveled to Lagos with their representative and a lawyer, and we discovered that the case was in court.

The investor, Stella Okengwu, the Managing Director of Winhomes Global Services Limited, had charged the Lagos-Calabar Coastal road project’s minister of works, David Umahi, with contempt of court.

Read more about Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway: A ” Scam ” and Babachir Lawal Alleges.

She claimed that the minister cheated on a court order and violated the law by rerouting the highway into Winhomes’ residential development in Lagos’ Okun Ajah.

Dabiri-Erewa, a former House of Representatives member, claimed the Commission had previously warned the investor that legal proceedings would obstruct any form of intervention.

A woman called me from the United States, telling her that there is nothing we can do if the case is in court.

The NiDCOM boss added that discussion could have ended the dispute sooner by identifying the reasons behind Umahi’s criticism.

We informed them that there was a meeting with the Minister when this first began. She continued, “We’ve done it in a number of other cases.”

She reaffirmed Umahi’s willingness to meet with the residents who have been affected and said, “There must be a way to prove that if you claim to have invested $250 million.” Again, the court has to make a decision regarding that.

The NiDCOM chief criticized the use of media as a platform for attacks on government officials, claiming that doing so could damage Nigeria’s reputation abroad.

She noted that they travel abroad and bring the country down because someone has already sued them for what happened to them.

According to her, President Bola Tinubu’s administration has put a premium on protecting diaspora investments and ensuring fairness.

The First Lady and Chairperson of the Renewed Hope Initiative, Oluremi Tinubu, has donated ₦1 billion and a large consignment of relief materials to the Niger State Government to assist victims of recent natural and human-induced disasters across the state.

The donation, which includes 2, 000 bags of 50kg rice, 16, 000 wrappers for women, clothing, and over 100 pairs of shoes, is targeted at residents affected by floods, boat accidents, banditry, and fire outbreaks in different parts of the state.

Announcing the support during a visit to the Niger State Government House in Minna, Remi Tinubu said the initiative aligns with the goals of the Renewed Hope Initiative, which aims to rebuild lives, restore dignity, and offer hope to those affected by crises.

“We understand these are difficult times for many families”, she said. “But we pray that God comforts the bereaved, heals the injured, and strengthens the displaced. As a mother, I share in your grief and pain. Together, we can bring hope and relief to these communities”.

The First Lady also expressed condolences over the recent flood disaster in Mokwa, which claimed several lives and displaced many residents, as well as the tragic boat accidents and banditry incidents across the state.

READ ALSO: Remi Tinubu Donates ₦1bn To Displaced Families In Benue

Senator Tinubu praised President Bola Tinubu for his swift approval of emergency relief interventions, including food support and funds for the reconstruction of homes lost to the Mokwa flood.

She also commended Governor Umaru Bago for his quick response and proactive support to affected families, describing him as a “compassionate and committed leader”.

In his remarks, Governor Bago expressed deep gratitude for the First Lady’s visit and intervention, noting that Niger remains the only riverine state in Northern Nigeria, hosting four hydroelectric dams and two major waterfalls.

“We have faced multiple challenges—from floods to insurgency and boat mishaps. But with support like this, we are confident in our recovery efforts”, the governor said.

He also revealed that the ₦1 billion donation has already been credited to the state’s emergency relief account and will be deployed transparently for the benefit of the victims.

“This gesture by the Renewed Hope Initiative has brought real hope to our people”, Bago noted. “We thank you, Your Excellency, and pray that God continues to replenish all that you have given”.

In its most recent situation report, the country reported 811 confirmed Lassa fever cases and 152 fatalities this year, according to the Nigerian Center for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).

Ondo, Edo, and Benue States reported 11 new confirmed cases in the Lassa Fever Situation Report for Week 28 (7th–13 July, 2025), which was released on Monday.

Lassa fever is related to 811 confirmed cases and 152 deaths, according to the NCDC. The Case Fatality Rate (CFR) is 18.7%, which is higher than the 17.3% that were reported in the same time in 202.9% of cases that have been confirmed are from Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, Taraba, and Ebonyi.

Additionally, the report further revealed that 105 local government areas and 21 states each had at least one confirmed case in total for 2025.

Additionally, same number of new confirmed cases were present as in 2025’s epi week 27.

In high-burden states, the NCDC organized a Lassa fever Environmental Response Campaign. However, it lamented that the rate of fatalities had increased as a result of late diagnosis.

Additionally, high-burden communities reported poor health-seeking behavior as a result of the high cost of Lassa fever treatment and clinical management, poor environmental sanitation practices, and poor awareness of the condition.

Therefore, the NCDC urged the general public to report suspected cases of people who had diarrhoea, myalgia, chest pain, sore throat, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, myalgia, chest pain, and hearing loss.

Lassa fever is an acute viral condition brought on by the Lassa virus, according to the World Health Organization.

It is endemic in Benin, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and other West African nations, and is thought to be the same thing.

Five members were suspended from the House of Assembly in Benue, Benue on Tuesday.

The lawmakers were suspended for three sittings for allegedly disagreeing with the report on the Chairman’s, Otukpo Local Government Area, Maxwell Ogiri, according to Terver Zamber, the chief press secretary to the speaker.

Hon. was chosen by him. Hon. Shimawua Terna Hon. Matthew Damkor Hon. Cephas Dyako Hon. and Moses Egbodo. According to Isaac Echekliye, they are all members of the House Standing Committee on Local Government, Security, and Chieftaincy Affairs.

The committee chairman and members deviated from the actual findings when the report was presented on the house’s floor, according to the statement.

A five-member ad-hoc committee led by Hon. Ipusu to conduct further investigation and find out what is actually happening.

NAFDAC Seizes $1. 5 billion worth of expired products from the Lagos market.

Accordingly, the house ordered the Otukpo Local Government Chairman to step down from office and suspend the members of the committee for three sessions in order to protect him from punishment.

See the following statement:

FIVE MEMBERS ARE SUBSCREENED IN THE BENUE ASSEMBLY.

House of Assembly in Benue, Benue members were suspended for three sittings today because they disagreed with the chairman’s report on his and the area’s activities, Hon. Otukpo Local Government Area. Maxwell Ogiri .

Hon. Hon. Shimawua Terna Hon. Matthew Damkor Hon. Cephas Dyako Hon. and Moses Egbodo. They all belong to the House Standing Committee on Local Government, Security, and Chieftaincy Affairs, led by Isaac Echekliye.

Observe the Hon. Chairman of the Local Government, Security, and Chieftainship Affairs Committee. The house gave Terna Shimawua and the committee members the task of looking into allegations of abuse of office and misappropriation of local government funds by the chairman Otukpo Local Government Hon. Maxwell Ogiri .

The committee’s chairman and members deviated from the actual findings when the report was presented on the house’s floor.

A five-member ad-hoc committee led by Hon. Ipusu to conduct further investigation and find out what is actually happening.

In order to protect the chairman of the Otukpo Local Government from punishment, the house suspended the members of the entire committee for three sittings while disclosing the truth about the misappropriation, abuse of office, and closure of the Legislative Chamber.

Isa Pantami, a former minister of communications and digital economy, has demanded compensation from the Federal Government for Nafisa Aminu, a 17-year-old Nigerian student who won the 2025 TeenEagle Global Finals’ top English language performer.

Pantami applauded Nafisa’s outstanding accomplishment in a post on his official X handle on Tuesday. According to him, Nafisa deserves praise like the heroic Super Falcons and the D’Tigress, who were given $100, 000, a three-bedroom apartment, and a national award from the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).

The former minister said, “I firmly recommend that Nafisa deserves $100, 000, a three-bedroom apartment, and a national honor from the Nigerian federal government.”

“She also deserves a reward comparable to what the football and basketball players’ technical and coaching coaches were given. We must still take education very seriously and acknowledge the contributions of our citizens.

To take home the top prize, Nafisa, a student at the Yobe State-based Nigerian Tulip International College (NTIC), defeated over 20, 000 contestants from 69 nations, including native English-speaking individuals.

Pantami attributed her success to a combination of her parents’ and the schools’ support, as well as her natural talent, dedication, discipline, and determination.

He cited Nafisa’s success as evidence that, with the right opportunities and a supportive environment, Nigerian students can compete and succeed internationally.

“She excels without a doubt because of her natural talent, dedication, discipline, and the support she received from her parents and the schools she attended,” he said.

“Nafisa’s success highlights her as a shining example of Nigerian students’ potential to excel internationally with the right opportunities and enabling environment,” she said. More government support is needed for this kind of feat.

Eterna Plc’s profit has been maintained thanks to its $1. 6 billion pre-tax profit from H1 2025.

Revenue increased to 157.7 billion in the company’s unaudited financial results, or 7% from 147.85 billion in the prior period of 2024.

Improved operational execution and strategic market positioning primarily contributed to this improvement.

Eterna’s period gross profit for the period was $6.9 billion, with a 4% resistance margin, which fully accounts for the industry’s post-deregulation effects. Operating profit exceeded the previous year’s 14.5 billion FX loss, which was offset by a 2.3 billion dollar increase in other income, which was supported by a 575 million dollar increase.

Compared to a loss before tax of 3.57 billion in H1 2024, the profit before tax was 1.57 billion. Eterna Plc reported a net profit of $574 million for the first half of 2025 after accounting for a 995 million accounting tax expense.

In a statement on the performance, Eterna Plc’s managing director/chief executive officer Olumide Adeosun said, “The company has maintained its ability to remain agile and flexible in the face of an evolving downstream sector. Additionally, it highlights our efforts to create new revenue streams and maintain a cost-effective lubricant industry competitiveness. We think our investment team has the right priorities to deliver our investors ample returns.