The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • NNPC records N6.33b trading surplus in May

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has announced a trading surplus of N6.33 billon for May, which is 13 per cent higher than the N5.60 billion surplus posted in April.

    Details of the report contained in the May edition of the NNPC Monthly Financial and Operations Report (MFOR) released yesterday attributed the modest rise to the increase in gas and power output, which contrasts with the figure for the preceding month.

    The report, made public by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of the corporation, Ndu Ughamadu, also attributed the result to the surplus recorded by the corporation’s downstream entities, like NNPC Retail, PPMC, NPSC and Duke Oil.

    The report further indicated that within the period, the NNPC recorded $580.32 million in export sale of crude oil and gas, which is 23.39 per cent higher than the previous month’s figure.

    From the number, crude oil export sales contributed $458.59 million, which translates to 79.02 per cent of the entire dollar transactions compared with $342.11 million contributed in the previous month.

    Read Also: What Nigerians expect from new NNPC helmsman

    The report also showed that between May last year and May this year, crude oil and gas valued at $5.97 billion was exported.

    In the downstream, to ensure uninterrupted supply and effective distribution of petrol across the country, a total of 2.06 billion litres of petrol, translating to 66.49 million litres/day, were supplied for May.

    It was noted that beyond supply, the corporation continued to diligently monitor the daily stock of petrol to achieve smooth distribution of petroleum products and zero fuel queue across the nation.

    Within the period, 60 pipeline points were vandalised, representing a remarkable 52 per cent decrease from the 125 points vandalised in April.

    The Atlas Cove-Mosimi and Ibadan-Ilorin pipelines accounted for 38 per cent and 23 per cent and other locations accounted for the remaining 39 per cent of the total breaks.

    The report noted the spirited efforts by NNPC, in collaboration with the local communities and other stakeholders, to continuously strive to reduce and eventually eliminate this menace.

    The May NNPC MFOR is the 46th in the series designed to provide greater transparency and remove the perception of opacity hitherto associated with the operations of the national oil company.

    The new NNPC management, headed by Mallam Mele Kyari, has pledged to enhance the current approach to encourage increased citizenship participation and greater accountability to the public.

  • Gunmen kidnap four Turkish expatriates

    Armed bandits have abducted four Turkish expatriates at a drinking joint at Gbale village in Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State.

    The incident, it was gathered, occurred at about 10pm on Saturday while the men were having fun at the joint.

    The victims are Yasin Colak, 33, Senerapal, 40, Ergun Yurdakul, 35 and Seyit Keklik, 25.

    The victims are said to be expatriates working with Instabul Concrete Ltd in the village.

    Police spokesman Ajayi Okasanmi confirmed the kidnap.

    Read Also: Gunmen kill two soldiers, abduct expatriate in A’Ibom

    He said Commissioner Kayode Egbetokun had dispatched a team under “Operation Puff Adder” to rescue the expatriates and arrest the hoodlums.

    Okasanmi said the efforts were beginning to yield results.

    He, however, did not confirm if anybody had been arrested.

    Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq last night called for calm following the abduction of the Turkish nationals.

    “The governor is working with security agencies to ensure prompt rescue of the expatriates. He urges the people to go about their normal and lawful businesses and not to entertain any fear, as doing so may embolden the criminals,” said a statement by his Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye.

  • Robbery suspect who operates in Army uniform arrested

    A robbery suspect, Egbeke Ifeoluwa, who operates in Army uniform on Sango-Ijoko Road in Ogun State, has been arrested by the operatives of the Ogun State annex of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response team (IRT).

    A source said the suspect was the leader of a robbery gang that specialised in one-chance robbery in different parts of Ogun State and nearby states, adding that they carried out their operations anytime of the day.

    The source said Ifeoluwa, 25, wore Army uniform to intimidate the public and scare away law enforcement agents.

    Following the gang’s operations, road users and residents gave intelligence report to the IRT annex in Sango on the nefarious activities of the gang.

    Based on the intelligence report, the IRT Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police Abba Kyari, directed the Ogun State annex to arrest the hoodlums.

    Read Also: ‘I built my house with proceeds from robbery operations’

    The Nation learnt that the operatives swung into action and saw a commercial bus driver in an Army uniform plying the road. They stopped the bus with number plate XV 14 AKD and the driver, who was later identified as Egbeke Ifeoluwa, the wanted gang leader, was nabbed. His colleagues, however, escaped.

    It was gathered that when the vehicle was searched by the operatives, they found one live ammunition, two jack knives, five military vests, one military beret, military gadget and one Navy ID card hidden under the bus seats.

    The suspect, who initially insisted that he was a soldier, later confessed that he was a fake soldier and the gang leader the police had been looking for.

    He confessed that they usually hid their weapons and army uniforms under the vehicle’s seats and only wore them when they wanted to operate, noting that the uniforms helped to scare away the police and other security agents.

    On how he could assist the police to arrest his fleeing colleagues, he said it would be difficult to get them because none of them had permanent addresses or phone numbers.

  • Traders swindle Nigerian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia 

    Nigerian pilgrims, especially the non-educated ones, are being swindled daily by traders in Madinah, Saudi Arabia.

    The unsuspecting pilgrims easily fell into the dubious actions of the traders.

    Most of the traders involved in the dubious acts, The Nation learnt, are not Saudi citizens.

    The pilgrims’ inability to know the exchange rate between Saudi Riyal and Nigerian Naira, made it easy for the traders to dupe them.

    A Riyal is equivalent to N100.

    Unfortunately, the pilgrims do not go with guides or their states’ officials when making the purchases.

    Some female pilgrims from Osun, Lagos and Kwara states, The Nation gathered, were most affected.

    Our reporter had to convince some women pilgrims from Osun State on Saturday not to buy caps a shop attendant said cost 30 Riyal (N3,000) each, instead of two Riyal (N200).

    On sunday, SIM cards that were given free to pilgrims were sold for 15 Riyal (N1500) to some pilgrims from Kwara State.

    Some goods that cost less than N500 were sold to the pilgrims for between N2800 and N4500.

    Unfortunately, those who bought those goods thought they bought them cheap, not knowing the exchange rate.

    A Lagos pilgrim, who simply gave his name as Tayo, said he bought a big walking stick for N250, as against N70 in Nigeria.

    “The attendant initially called it 10 Riyal (N1,000). I left his shop in annoyance. At another shop, the attendant insisted on 5 Riyal (N500). I later bought it for N250 each in the third shop I checked. Our people were just buying things at a high rate ignorantly,” he said.

    Read Also: Don’t carry drugs to holy land, Dabiri-Erewa warns pilgrims

    The Nation saw an unlicensed money exchanger approaching Nigerian hotels to exchange Naira for Riyal.

    A Riyal, he said, is exchanged for N111, instead of the official N100 rate.

    The Executive Secretary, Lagos State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Mr. Rahman Ishola, told The Nation that the board had held several enlightenment programmes to sensitise the pilgrims on the issue.

    He said it was regrettable that many of them did not listen to the warnings of the board.

    Ishola said some of the goods they bought with huge amount were substandard to what they would get at cheaper prices in Nigeria.

    “It is painful seeing the pilgrims being swindled of their hard-earned money by the traders here. Unfortunately, we didn’t know when they were buying the items. We could have prevented them from being ripped off,” he said.

    Ishola added: “Pilgrims rushed to buy things due to anxiety. We can’t compel them on what to do, but we’ll continue to educate them. Some of the things they bought are inferior and they paid heavy amount for them. We have told them not to buy many things here in Madinah. Many of these goods are also available in Makkah and will be cheaper after the Arafat Day.”

    He advised the Saudi Arabian government to monitor the activities of the traders and ensure quality goods are brought into the country.

    Meanwhile, 850 Lagos pilgrims have taken part in the performance of Umrah (lesser hajj) in the city of Makkah.

    The pilgrims, who were on board first and second flights, arrived Makkah a few days ago to participate in the first major rite of hajj, that is Umrah.

    Pilgrims on third and fourth flights are on their way to Makkah to join their counterparts to fulfil one of the obligations of hajj.

    The Amir Hajj, Dr. Abdul Hakeem Abdul Lateef, yesterday arrived Madinah with the remaining pilgrims.

    With this, Lagos has completed the transporting of 2264 pilgrims for this year’s holy pilgrimage.

  • Traffic ‘robber’ lynched

    A suspected traffic robber was on Saturday night lynched and later set ablaze by a mob along the Badagry Expressway in Lagos.

    It was gathered that the incident occurred under the bridge at International Trade Fair in Ojo, about the time traders were going home.

    The suspect, it was learnt, was a member of a three-man gang that had terrorised motorists in the area.

    Sources said the young man and his colleagues were earlier seen roaming the area between Trade Fair and Mike Two, which aroused the suspicion of onlookers that they could be traffic robbers.

    It was learnt that the suspects rode on three motorcycles, which they later parked off the road near Abule-Osun.

    “People observed them there, including policemen. One of the suspects later moved quickly to the other side of the expressway and attacked a motorist.  Policemen pursued him, but he ran away.

    “He abandoned his motorcycle around Trade Fair and fled. Because of the traffic, the policemen could not give him a chase. But they seized his motorcycle and a locally-made gun.

    “Unknown to the fleeing robber, he was running to his death, as motorists, who observed what was happening from their mirrors and traders going home immediately identified him and knocked him down.

    Read Also: Police arrest five ‘robbers’, 72 ‘cultists’

    “They set him ablaze before the police could get to the location. The boys have made life unbearable for people using the road because of the bad portions. Traffic usually builds there, so they make it a habit to terrorise road users.

    “No one saw his other accomplices. I don’t support jungle justice, but I think people are tired of waiting for the Nigerian legal system,” said a source who pleaded not to be named.

    The Nation also learnt that three robbery suspects at the weekend escaped a mob action at Fagbemi Street, Apapa after they escaped from members of a vigilance group.

    It was gathered that the hoodlums, who wore black clothes, were seen around 6am by some residents.

    A teenager, Quadri Shittu, said he was opening his sister’s shop when he saw the guards chasing the suspected robbers.

    “I was about to open my sister’s shop when I heard people shouting thief, thief. Then I saw three men dressed in black clothes, they were being chased by the guards,” he said.

    Another resident, who preferred anonymity, said the robbers escaped because the guards didn’t raise the alarm early.

    Police spokesman Bala Elkana, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), confirmed the lynching of the suspected robber.

    He said: “It is true. The hoodlum attempted to rob a victim, but he was chased by policemen and he fled. Unfortunately, he ran into a mob that set him ablaze before the police arrived the scene.

  • LAWMA clearing Adeniji-Adele canal

    The Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) is clearing the Adeniji-Adele Road canal.

    It urged residents to think of making money from recyclable items, instead of dumping them in canals.

    The agency, in a statement yesterday in Ikeja by the Assistant Director, Public Affairs, Mrs. Folashade Kadiri, said the clearance followed an executive order on zero tolerance for reckless waste disposal, signed by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

    The statement said: “We embark on this campaign pursuant to the executive order signed by Governor Sanwo-Olu to pave the way for a cleaner and healthier Lagos. This shows total commitment of the government to environmental sustainability.”

    It said the exercise would be extended to other clogged drainages to ensure that no part of the metropolis was left behind in the quest to ensure a clean environment.

    Read Also: LAWMA shuts Sangotedo market for illegal dumping of refuse

    “The clearing of the canal will be extended to other clogged canals. The exercise will ensure free flow of water and help mitigate the problem of flooding. We, therefore, appeal to residents to shun throwing wastes into canals and drains, as this causes problems for the environment and people,” the statement said.

    It said most of the wastes cleared are recyclable materials and urged residents to recycle them, stressing that the act of sorting from source would encourage reduction of wastes at the landfill sites, improve the economy while serving as an empowerment for youths by engaging them in meaningful ventures.

    The statement added that residents would further be educated on the menace of plastic wastes, which posed danger to the environment.

    Residents hailed LAWMA for the timely intervention and suggested that the exercise should be a continuous one. They promised to support the government in its quest for a cleaner and healthier environment.

  • RRS nabs robbery suspect

    Operatives of the Lagos State Rapid Response Squad (RRS) have arrested one of the robbers who attacked a television presenter on July 12.

    The suspect, Timileyin Adebayo, 23, claimed he earned N8,000 after each operation.

    He and his colleagues, Olabanji, Ahmed and Lekan, were said to have robbed the unnamed female presenter while pretending to be passengers in a tricycle.

    They were said to have used knives and cutlasses to dispossess the woman of her phones and handbag containing other belongings.

    In his statement to the police, Adebayo said: “The operation was my fifth robbery with the gang. I joined them this month. For each operation, they gave me N8,000 only. No matter what we made, that was the amount they gave me. They gave me this amount maybe because I’ve just joined them. They don’t treat me as a colleague at all.

    Read Also: RRS nabs suspected pickpocket

    “I was asked to join the gang by one of them after one of their members pulled out. They had been operating for a long time before I joined them. I was a bus conductor, I had no job. They promised to assist me and invited me to join the gang.

    “We robbed between Ogba and Ikeja. We used two knives and short cutlasses. I snatched phones and other belongings from our victims.”

    The female presenter, according to the police, was robbed around 10pm after she boarded the tricycle at Coca-Cola en route to Ogba.

    “They were all men. I didn’t suspect anything because there were other ‘keke’ there. I noticed that as soon as the driver linked Wempco Road, the two passengers at the back and the one sitting in front brought out knives and a cutlass and threatened to kill me if I did not co-operate.

    “They snatched my two phones,  handbag, jewellery and money. I can’t even recollect how much it was. Then, they pushed me out of the ‘keke’ while speeding.

    “I was struggling to get up, to avoid being crushed by oncoming vehicles, when one motorcyclist stopped and assisted me. We chased the robbers and caught up with them on Akilo Road, Ogba.  Unfortunately for us, they used their ‘keke’ to hit us.

    “Then RRS patrol team saw us and chased the robbers. They abandoned their ‘keke’ and fled, but one of them (pointing to the suspect) was arrested,” the presenter said.

    Police spokesman Bala Elkana said yesterday in a statement in Ikeja that a tricycle and a dagger were recovered from the gang, adding that Commissioner Zubairu Muazu has ordered the arrest of the fleeing suspects.

    The Nation learnt that the matter has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID).

  • Artisan charged with stealing motorcycle

    An 18-year-old artisan, Oluwagbemi Abiola, charged with stealing a motorcycle valued at N230,000, has been arraigned at an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court.

    The defendant, whose residential address was not provided, was arraigned before Magistrate Mrs. O.A Aderibigbe on a one-count charge of stealing.

    Abiola, however, denied committing the offence and was admitted to N50,000 bail with one surety in the like sum.

    Aderibigbe said the surety should be employed and show evidence of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

    Prosecuting Inspector Mojirafe Edeme said the defendant committed the offence on July 20 at Alagbado, Lagos.

    Read Also: Artisan ‘robs’ man of phones

    She said the defendant stole the motorcycle belonging to Mr. Anam Cypran.

    “The complainant parked his motorcycle in his compound and the defendant came early in the morning to roll it away.

    “Unfortunately for him, two landlords accosted him and asked him where he got the motorcycle. He refused to talk and was taken to the police station along with the motorcycle.

    “When the complainant woke up and could not find his motorcycle, he rushed to the station to report the theft.

    “He was told that a young man was just brought to the station for his inability to give a satisfactory account of a motorcycle in his possession.

    “The motorcycle was released to the complainant after presenting documents to prove ownership,” the prosecutor said.

    The offence violates Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.

    The case continues on Thursday.

  • Police arrest five ‘robbers’, 72 ‘cultists’

    Five suspected robbers and 72 cultists were at the weekend arrested by operatives of the Lagos State Police Command in different areas.

    The robbers, according to a statement by spokesman Bala Elkana, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), were arrested at about 1:30pm on Friday behind Angle 90 Bar, Ilasan in Lekki.

    He said the police had received a distress call about the presence of suspected robbers and cultists at the place and deployed men there, adding that the leader of the gang, Ibrahim Abu, 32, and four others identified as Samuel Usai, John Nwaru, Emmanuel Moro, and Michael Daniel were nabbed.

    “On searching the suspects, one locally-made pistol with 10 unexpended cartridges were recovered. Investigation is on. The suspects will be arraigned after investigation,” Elkana said.

    He said the police also arrested 72 suspected cultists comprising 34 Awawa boys at Akerele in Agege and 38 others at Idiroko in Ikorodu, following clashes in the areas.

    Read Also: Five injured as suspected cultists attack Lagos residents 

    Elkana said the Awawa boys were arrested on July 17, at about 8:30am and seven bags of weed suspected to be marijuana were recovered from their hideout.

    “The suspects were handed over to the task force at Oshodi for prosecution. Thirty-eight others were arrested on July 6 around 9:30am after youths from Idiroko, Adeola and Ajose in Owutu, Ikorodu, clashed.

    “The youth attacked passersby and damaged vehicles. However, the combined teams of policemen mobilised to the scene and restored peace.

    “Thirty-eight suspects were arrested and taken to the task force at Oshodi for prosecution. Security has been tightened in the area to forestall further threat to law and order.

    “On July 20, at about 9:45pm, men at Bariga Police Station arrested Alayakin Azeez Olawale, 32, at Egbenrogde Street. The suspect was identified as the leader of Aiye confraternity in the area that had earlier in the day attempted to cause a breach of the peace at Bariga. Investigation in ongoing, the suspect will be charged to court.”

  • Dad remanded for allegedly defiling three daughters

    An Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, has ordered that a 57-year-old father, Mr. Mojeeb Fashola, accused of sexually assaulting his three daughters, be remanded in prison pending legal advice.

    Magistrate Olufunke Sule-Amzat, who did not take Fashola’s plea, remanded him at Kirikiri Prison and ordered that the case file be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice.

    She adjourned the case till October 14.

    Prosecuting Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Benson Emuerhi had told the court that the defendant committed the offences between April and May at his home in Ayetoro, Ijanikin, near Badagry.

    He alleged that the defendant sexually assaulted one of the girls aged eight by using his finger to penetrate into her private parts.

    Read Also: Two teenagers remanded for allegedly defiling 13-year-old girl

    Emuehi added that on a later date, the defendant also unlawfully assaulted his two other daughters, aged 10 and 12 by touching their buttocks and breasts seductively.

    The prosecutor said when the victims’ mother threatened to report the matter to the police, the defendant beat her up and hit her head and hand with a pestle.

    He said the defendant was arrested by the police and that the case was transferred to the Gender Section at Ikeja Police Command for further investigation.

    Emuerhi said the offence contravened sections 135, 170 and 261 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.