The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says its will auction 15,325 litres of seized premium motor spirit (PMS), popularly called petrol, to ease transportation during the festive period.

Hussein Ejibunu, national coordinator of the service’s operation whirlwind, made the announcement on Saturday at a press briefing held at the Customs Training College, Ikeja, Lagos state. 

Ejibunu said the product, valued at N27.5 million, was seized during operations in Lagos and Ogun states.

He said Adewale Adeniyi, the comptroller-general of customs, has directed that the products be auctioned at the rate of N10,000 per 25 litres.

The coordinator further said a court condemnation order and all legal processes have been finalised by the office of the legal adviser to aid the auctioning.

“This operation has been on since 27 May 2024 and has yielded positive results, as the CGC has urged the operatives to continue sustaining the tempo until the activities of these economic saboteurs are stamped out of this country,” Ejibunu said.

“On this note, the CGC has directed Auctions of the seized product to members of the public at the rate of N10,000 per 25 litres. This will ease the transportation hardship during this festive period.”

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has credited the recent drop in petrol prices to heightened competition between Nigeria’s two leading refineries — Dangote Refinery and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited.

Market checks revealed a significant reduction in pump prices across major retail outlets in response to lower ex-depot prices from the Dangote Refinery and the Port Harcourt Refinery.

NNPC Retail reduced its pump price from ₦1,030 to ₦965 per litre, while AA Rano and AYM Sharfa brought their prices down from ₦1,070 to ₦1,020 per litre.

Despite these adjustments, some retailers have maintained higher prices. Notably, Conoil outlets still sell petrol at ₦1,090 per litre, unchanged from November.

In an interview with Vanguard, IPMAN’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Chinedu Ukadike, highlighted the positive impact of competition between local refineries on price stability and availability.

He said, “It is a good development for independent marketers and for consumers too. Now, because of increased demand, price normally goes up during this period but right now the opposite is the case. ‘’Availability has been taken care of and we are now seeing price war among the gladiators, NNPC and Dangote.

“By next year when the Warri and Kaduna refineries are expected to come onstream, things will even be more interesting.”

Ukadike noted that independent marketers were now able to buy directly from both refineries because “there is a slight increase in turnover. When the price was around ₦1,300/litre most of our members barely sold 5,000 litres daily but we are doing far better than this.

“We are also now able to get products directly. NNPC portal is open now for marketers to take as much product as they want. Dangote has also heeded our call and reduced the volume for bulk purchase eligibility.

“Initially it was limited to 10 million litres but now they sell at two million litres which is about N2 billion. This is more bearable for independent marketers who are now able to come together to place orders for the product.’’

There were indications that the coming on stream of the Port Harcourt Refinery and Dangote Petroleum Refinery would impact Nigeria’s foreign exchange rate in 2025.

The old Port Harcourt refinery and the Dangote Petroleum refinery can process 560,000 barrels per day (bpd) and 60,000 bpd of crude oil, respectively.

Before the two refineries came on stream, Nigeria depended on the international market for its petroleum products.

he Agidigbo FM management has debunked reports suggesting that its chairman, Oriyomi Hamzat, the estranged wife of the Ooni of Ife, Naomi Silekunola, and the Principal of Islamic High School, Abdullahi Mfasasi, have been released from prison custody.

In a statement on Saturday shared on Oriyomi Hamzat’s Facebook page, the management described reports of their release as "fake news" and urged the public to disregard them.

The statement, however, warned those spreading the news to desist from such act.

The statement reads, "The Management of Agidigbo FM has described as fake news, the rumour circulating round that the chairman of Agidigbo 88.7FM Oriyomi Hamzat, ex-queen of Ooni of Ife Naomi Silekuola and the Principal of Islamic High School Abdullahi Mfasasi, have been released from prison, therefore urged the public to disregard the rumour and warned those spreading it to desist from such act.

"Stop the spread of fake news!!"

SaharaReporters reported on Saturday that Naomi Silekunola, who is being detained at Agodi prison following the stampede that claimed the lives of 35 people in Ibadan, Oyo State, was on hunger strike.

It quoted the mother, Mrs Funmilayo Ogunseyi, to have revealed this in an interview, claiming that when she visited her on Thursday at the custodial centre, she wasn’t feeling fine.

"She wasn’t happy about the whole incident. She loves children. The queen loves and helps children, single mothers, old women, and widows. She is still in pain that those children lost their lives because her intention was pure," Ogunseyi said.

Ogunseyi explained that organising such an event to help people was what Naomi had been doing for years.

Hamzat and Mfasasi were arraigned on December 24 before a Magistrate Court in Ibadan and subsequently remanded in prison.

Local councils in Nigeria are set to start receiving direct allocations from the Federation Account next month, marking a significant shift in their financial autonomy.

Naija News reports that this follows the Supreme Court’s July 11 ruling granting financial independence to councils.

A source familiar with the matter confirmed to The Nation that the disbursement for December’s allocation will be sent directly to local councils in January, ending months of delays in implementing the court’s judgment.

While some councils have already been receiving their allocations directly, this new directive will ensure all 774 local councils nationwide gain financial independence.

According to a member of the Inter-Ministerial Committee overseeing the process, all outstanding issues have been resolved to enable the smooth rollout.

Governors’ Resistance and Autonomy Challenges

The joint state-local government account, which previously controlled council allocations, has faced resistance from many governors who are unhappy with the Supreme Court’s decision.

Despite this, the Federal Government is moving forward with plans to fully operationalise direct allocations.

The committee member explained: “A few LGAs have already started receiving their direct allocations but all of the 774 LGAs will fully start receiving their allocations from January 2025.

“Our committee will reconvene in January to review its progress and finalise measures before the Accountant-General of the Federation issues authorisation for the complete rollout.

“This is a critical juncture in Nigeria’s governance structure.

“Our January 2025 meeting will also address the actions of governors attempting to undermine the autonomy of democratically elected LGA chairmen, deputies, and councillors, ensuring they are not coerced into serving state interests.”

The committee is also set to address governors’ interference in local council operations.

This includes cases like in Edo State, where the governor allegedly influenced the suspension of elected local government chairmen over financial disputes.

“It is highly undemocratic for governors to dissolve elected LGAs.

“Such actions undermine the autonomy granted to local governments and create an environment where LGAs become pawns in the hands of state executives,” the source added.

Federal Government’s Commitment

The Federal Government, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has strongly supported the financial autonomy of local councils.

The Inter-Ministerial Committee, chaired by Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) George Akume, has worked diligently to implement the Supreme Court ruling.

Committee members include Coordinating Minister of the Economy Wale Edun, Attorney-General of the Federation Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Minister of Budget and Economic Planning Abubakar Bagudu, Accountant-General of the Federation Oluwatoyin Madein, Central Bank Governor Olayemi Cardoso, and the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission Chairman Muhammed Shehu, among others.

Controversial social critic, Verydarkman, has revealed that ₦78 million out of the ₦160 million allegedly stolen from his NGO’s account has been recovered.

This update comes days after he took to Instagram to report the hacking of the organization’s account, alleging that N180 million had been siphoned.

The initial claims of the alleged hack sparked mixed reactions across social media, with some questioning the authenticity of the incident.

Critics doubted the existence of such a large sum in the NGO’s account, while supporters urged patience as investigations unfolded.

On Sunday, Verydarkman provided an update on Instagram, expressing gratitude for the progress made in recovering part of the stolen funds.

He said, “Thanks to the people who called to check up on me. I also want to thank God for the process so far: we have been able to recover N78m, even though the suspect pointed out that the person he did with has run to Ghana, so hopefully, we would be going to Ghana very soon.”

Meanwhile, Nigerian cryptocurrency entrepreneur and businessman, Linus Williams, known as BLord, has called out VeryDarkMan on an alleged loss of charity fund.

Reacting to the controversy, BLord, who Otse had criticized, demanded that he provide the ₦160 million donated to his charity foundation by Nigerians for helping the poor.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has taken decisive action against Libya by imposing a substantial financial penalty of $50,000 and mandating that the national team play two upcoming matches behind closed doors.

This decision comes in response to alarming incidents of misconduct by both supporters and officials during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Benin, which took place in Benghazi on November 18.

This latest infraction follows closely on the heels of another significant disciplinary action against Libya just two months prior. In October, the Libyan football authorities faced backlash for their handling of a separate AFCON qualifier against Nigeria.

Libyan officials were accused of deliberately diverting the Nigerian Super Eagles’ aircraft to a potentially unsafe airport, an act that drew widespread condemnation and raised serious concerns about the well-being of the visiting team.

In addition to Libya’s sanctions, CAF’s disciplinary committee also addressed a separate matter concerning Guinea. The committee dismissed an appeal from Guinea, which sought to have Tanzania disqualified from the upcoming 2024 AFCON.

Guinea’s complaint centred on the claim that Tanzanian substitute Ibrahim Ame wore an incorrect shirt number (26) that was not included in the official team sheet for their qualifier, leading to questions about compliance with tournament regulations.

In addition to Libya’s penalties, CAF has also handed down sanctions to other nations, including Benin and Equatorial Guinea, though the specific details regarding their punishments are yet to be disclosed.

fter the last game of the year involving Nigerian players abroad, ABIODUN ADEWALE presents the numbers of five forwards with Ademola Lookman reigning supreme again

Ademola Lookman (Atalanta – 22 goals and 12 assists)

African Player of The Year for every reason, Lookman has once again come tops with his contribution for his club among Nigerian strikers thanks to his 22 goals and 12 assists in 42 games across all competitions (excluding club friendlies) for Atalanta in 2024.

Despite missing the start of the year with the club due to his participation at the 2023 AFCON which was held between January and February in Ivory Coast, the 27-year-old returned to action on February 25 against AC Milan.

His first goal of the year for the club came against Bologna in a 2-1 home defeat on March 3 while his first assist was also during a 2-1 defeat at Cagliari on April 7.

Lookman didn’t look back from there and added more goals, including a historic hat-trick in the final of the UEFA Europa League which sealed Atalanta’s first-ever European title.

The England-born forward surely had a great year and capped it off by winning the 2024 African Player of The Year award.

Victor Osimhen (Napoli/Galatasaray – 21 goals and 4 assists)

Like Lookman, Osimhen started the year with Nigeria in Ivory Coast and didn’t return to club football until February and ended the year with 21 goals and four assists in 29 games. But the year 2024 could be described as a stormy one for the 26-year-old and he did weather the storm, particularly in the summer transfer window when he had a failed transfer away from Napoli before landing a surprise loan move to Galatasaray.

Osimhen’s first game at club level in 2024 was a 1-1 draw between Napoli and Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League and the Nigerian announced his return in style with Napoli’s goal in the game. By summer, his relationship with the club had completely broken down and he was looking for a way out before the Turkish giants called.

In Turkey, the striker began life with three consecutive assists before netting a brace in their 3-3 draw against Kasimpasa on September 28. He also scored a brace in his last game of the year as they beat Kayserispor 5-1 away from home to solidify their top position in the league.

Cyril Dessers (Rangers – 25 goals and 8 assists)

Glasgow Rangers forward Dessers played more games than other strikers on this list (54), scoring 25 goals and eight assists in the process. He had the most goals but was bettered by Lookman in terms of goals plus assists while Osimhen’s less number of games gave him the edge ahead of the Scotland-based Dessers.

The 30-year-old has been busy from the second day of the year, providing an assist in their 3-1 win over Kilmarnock in a league game before grabbing his first goal of the year 18 days later in the 4-1 Scottish Cup win over Dumbarton.

Tolu Arokodare (Genk – 20 goals and 4 assists)

Arguably one of the most in-form Nigerian strikers abroad, Arokodare has been on the ascendancy since joining Genk in January 2023 and seems to have settled fully in Belgium. He played his first game for Genk this year on January 20 and his first goal was on February 11 during their 1-a draw at Mechelen. He has been in great form since the start of the 2024 campaign and that has propelled him to the top of the Belgium Pro League scoring chart with 13 goals in 20 games so far this season. His club Genk are also on top of the table with 42 points from 20 games.

Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen – 13 goals and 2 assists)

Plagued by injury at the start of the year, Boniface is currently sidelined and has managed a decent 13 goals and two assists in 26 games, proving he can be a prolific goal scorer when fit.

The 23-year-old started the year on the treatment table, missing three months of action including the AFCON. He returned in April, playing 26 minutes in a DFB Pokal game and marked his return with a goal during their 2-0 win over West Ham United in the Europa League. His last goal of the year was scored in October and he’s been out with a thigh injury since the end of November.