On Tuesday, Aliko Dangote showed off the new colourless petrol from his refinery — a stark contrast to the colour which Nigerians are used to, which is typically yellowish or reddish-pink. This made people question the quality of petrol in Nigeria.

“You might think it looks different, but this is the real thing,” Dangote said, while pointing at the bottle.

“You will now have good petrol and your car engines will last longer. You won’t have engine problems like we used to. It won’t happen at all.

“The quality here is as good as anywhere in the world. We will make sure nobody beats us on quality.”

This statement and the colourless appearance of his product have stirred conversations and doubts about the quality of petrol in Nigeria.

Some think the yellowish or reddish-pink colour widely distributed in the country is of inferior quality because of Dangote’s comments. But does the colour really matter?

WHAT IS PETROL?

Petrol or gasoline is fuel for cars. The National Geographic Society describes the fuel as liquid that is clear, yellowish, and burns easily. Petrol is made from crude oil, which is usually black or dark brown. But crude oil can also be yellowish, reddish, tan, or even greenish.

WHAT IS PETROL’S TRUE COLOUR?

Car from Japan, a car marketplace in Japan, says petrol has no original colour, as it is a mix of various other gasoline and hydrocarbons. The marketplace said hydrocarbons, typically heptane and octane, also come in different types for different vehicles.

According to the platform, the colour can vary from yellow, orange, or brown depending on what is added to it.

“So, the answer is that the colour can vary! It will be no wrong if we say that gasoline has no colour or it is simply clear. Take a glass of clean water and see how it looks; this is how exactly the gasoline looks, in reality. It is only after we mix other substances into it when it becomes yellowish in colour. So, next time someone asks you what colour is gasoline, the answer would be it has no colour, it is clean,” the website stated.

IS COLOURLESS PETROL THE BEST?

Joe Nwakue, former chairman of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, said the colour of the petrol can change during production.

“When you produce it (petrol), it’s light. It’s almost like water. If you want to distinguish between different grades, you can colour them differently. You can put a colour agent,” Nwakue told TheCable.

“If nobody does anything to alter the properties, the colour on its own does not signify the quality. But the maker can decide what grade of petrol they’re producing and colour them differently so the person either selling or buying it knows which one it is.”

HunterLab, a colour measurement spectrophotometer manufacturer in Virginia, US, said checking the colour scientifically helps ensure petrol is made to the right standards.

“When it is tested right, you can identify the genuine quality of the gasoline. After that, you can decide which one is good and which one has a bad effect on the car’s engine,” HunterLab stated.

“Colour is a key indicator of quality in petroleum-based products and developing a colour range is an important part of the refinement process.

“A colour range can often be used for monitoring contamination and quality control. Petroleum-based products make up a wide variety of manufactured goods; with consumers relying on colour for acceptability, it’s crucial to meet the quality standards of visual perception.”

Akpunonu Okey, a professor of petroleum geosciences, Nnamdi Azikwe University, told TheCable that the type of crude oil used is also a determining factor for the colour of petrol.

“What determines the colour is the type of crude oil, not the quality,” Okey said.

“What determines the colour is the presence of sulphur and then the imperial history of petrol determines the quality whether it will be light crude or heavy crude. Imperial history is determined by the temperature, they work hand in hand.”

Hence, it is safe to say that the colour of the petrol does not necessarily indicate if it is of good or bad quality.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says the suspension of duties on imported food items will be implemented as soon as it receives the list of beneficiaries from the ministry of finance.

Abdullahi Maiwada, spokesperson of the NCS, spoke on Thursday at a joint press briefing of security agencies, organised by the strategic communications inter-agency policy committee (SCIPC) in Abuja.

The development comes almost two months after the federal government directed the suspension of duties, tariffs, and taxes on the importation of food staples through land and sea borders to reduce inflation.

On August 14, the NCS said it had begun implementing the policy to allow the importation of maize, husked brown rice, beans, millet, and wheat.

The waiver, which took effect from July 15 and billed to end on December 31, is part of measures to combat rising food inflation across the country.

Providing updates at the news conference, Maiwada said the directive is yet to be implemented because the ministry of finance has not provided the list of those who will benefit from tax exemptions.

“The issue of food security. You made mention of the policy that was announced by Mr. President and we have issued a statement on the guidelines on how to benefit from that policy,” he said.

“Well, I would like to discuss in such a way that the common man would understand how these things work.

“People think that me and you can just go and import rice. No, that is not what the policy is all about. We have policy issues that have a long-term effect. We have the medium-term and we have the short-term effects.

“So, while formulating policies that are related that have a short-term effect, we have to do it in such a way that it will not have adverse effects on long-term policy issues.

“Our responsibility as an agency of government, NCS, is to implement government policies.

“That’s why the statement we issued is based on the guideline issued by the federal ministry of finance.”

Maiwada said the ministry of finance issued a guideline on the conditions and the requirements for participation in the zero import duty scheme.

“We have three lines, six lines of tariff line with the HS code (harmonized system code) with initially a duty of 35% and leave you some of the items and they have all been waived,” he said.

“However, the policy stated clearly that you must be a miller, you must be a taxpayer, you must have been into operations for a certain number of years and there will be a quota that will be issued by the federal ministry of finance.

“So, the list of those who benefit from those exemptions will come from the ministry of finance and our role as an agency of government is to implement the directives of the government. So we are policy implementers, not formulators.

“So, by the time we get those lists, within the twinkle of an eye, we are going to implement those directives from the federal ministry of finance.”

‘OVER N277 BILLION REVENUE COLLECTED IN AUGUST’

Speaking on revenue, Maiwada said the service collected N277.5 billion in import duties for the month of August.

He said the service also collected N15.8 billion in excise duties, reinforcing its commitment to optimising revenue generation.

According to the NCS spokesperson, the agency recorded 83 seizures across various commands as part of its efforts to curb smuggling.

“The NCS also intensified its Operation Whirlwind” (OPWW) to combat the smuggling of petroleum products, especially in border states,” he said.

“The operation over the months has led to the interception of seven PMS trucks, the sealing of 12 retail outlets, and the seizure of 466,000 litres of PMS and 23 vehicles.”

Maiwada said the investigations had resulted in the prosecution of seven suspects, while three marketers were fined by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

He added that the sealed filling stations were handed over for further action.

The Plateau State Police Command says it has arrested a teenager for having sexual intercourse with three sisters in the state

The state’s Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel Adesina, made this known in Jos on Friday while briefing journalists on the operational breakthroughs recorded by the command in the state capital and other parts of the state

According to the Commissioner, the sixteen-year-old suspect identified as Miracle Igwebuike was arrested in the Tudun Wada community, Jos North Local Government Area, after having carnal knowledge with the victims aged 6, 9, and 12

The Commissioner said, “On 24/08/2024 at about 4:30 pm, one Victoria Livinus and one Kauna Stephen, both female of Tudun Wada Jos, reported at the ‘A’ division Police station that one Miracle Igwbuike male, 16 years of the same address, has been having carnal knowledge of their daughters, one Josephine Livinus, 9 years old, one Jennifer Livinus, 6 years old and one Blessing Stephen, 12 years old, all female of same address.

“Upon receipt of the report, the suspect was immediately arrested by officers attached to the division and brought to the station for interview.

“He confessed to the crime and further stated that one Bongkat Dombin, female, 38 years of the same address, had been seducing and having sexual intercourse with him since he was 13 years old.

The said Bongkat Dombin has also been arrested, and she confessed to the crime.

The commissioner also paraded over 20 other suspects for various offences, including armed robbery, kidnapping, criminal conspiracy, extortion, illegal possession of firearms and intimidation, among others.

He said all the suspects would be charged in court after the investigation was concluded

“I want to take this time to appreciate the members of the press for cooperating with the police and for ensuring that you feed the good people of Plateau State with accurate information.

“I also wish to appreciate the government of Plateau State for the overwhelming support given to the command.

“To the good and peace-loving citizens of Plateau State, I want to thank you for collaborating with us and feeding the command with accurate, timely, and useful information that has helped us in our job of securing lives and properties,” the commissioner added.

A United States Court has sentenced two Nigerian siblings to 17 years and six months in prison over sextortion.

Aside from the 17 years and six months, the two convicts, Samuel Ogoshi, 24, and his brother, Samson Ogoshi, 21, from Lagos, Nigeria, would also undergo five years of supervised release.

The two brothers were extradited to the US to be tried on charges of conspiring to sexually exploit multiple minors.

Their scheme led to the death of a 17-year-old high school student, the US Justice Department said in its announcement of the judgment on its Facebook page on Thursday.

The victim, Jordan DeMay, was a male school student in the state of Michigan.

Aside from DeMay, the Ogochi brothers were said to have exploited more than 100 victims, including 11 minors.

“These defendants sexually exploited and extorted more than 100 victims, including at least 11 minors, resulting in the tragic death of a 17-year-old high school student,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in the same Facebook post.

Also reacting to the judgment, US Attorney Mark Totten for the Western District of Michigan, said, “To criminals who commit these schemes: you are not immune from justice. We will track you down and hold you accountable, even if we have to go halfway around the world to do so,”

According to the details shared on its Facebook post, the Ogoshi brothers used hacked social media accounts to create fake profiles.

They also conducted online research about their victims to learn where they lived, attended school, worked, and the identities of their family and friends.

After their research, they solicited their minor victims to produce sexually explicit images of themselves, and once they received the images, they created a collage of pictures that included the sexually explicit image with other images of the victim and their school, family, and friends.

The Ogoshi brothers threatened to disclose the collages to the family, friends, and classmates of the victim unless the victim agreed to pay money using online cash applications.

The Ogoshi brothers were charged in November 2022 alongside Ezekiel Robert, also a Nigerian national, in connection with the sextortion scheme that led to DeMay’s death.

They were extradited to the US in August 2023 and pled guilty in April.

The third Nigerian Robert’s extradition is pending following an appeal in his home country.

Nigerians were taken aback earlier this week by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) announcement of a new petrol pump price.

The NNPCL increased its retail price from N617 to N857 per litre on Tuesday, a development that has worsened the suffering and hardship in the country.

Petrol queues across the country, especially in Abuja, have lasted over two months now, but the situation has now worsened amid the present pump price increase, with only few filling stations dispensing the product.

Meanwhile, there are also concerns that even with the high price of the commodity, the meters are being adjusted by the filling stations, including the government-owned ventures, thereby short-changing the people.

This comes just as the NNPCL management admitted that it was facing a debt challenge to the tune of $6billion from its supply chain abroad.

The pump prices had varied since the May 29, 2023 removal of subsidy by the Nigerian government. While the NNPCL had retained its fuel price at N617 per litre while other retailers sold at different higher prices.

The company, through a statement by its Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, had subtly confirmed that the debt was the cause of fuel queues springing up in filling stations across the country, lamenting that it is impacting supply sustainability.

There were speculations that the national oil company began struggling to meet fuel supply demands.

Even at that, the Federal Government had consistently debunked claims that it was still subsidizing petroleum products.

The latest development is having a ripple effect on the masses, with private retailers selling at N900 and above. The queues have also refused to clear up.

Meanwhile, DAILY POST reports that the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has demanded an “immediate reversal” of the pump price of petrol across the country.

The union claimed they felt betrayed by President Bola Tinubu, after the NNPC, increased the official price of fuel from N617 to N897 per litre which has seriously affected the new minimum wage agreement it reached with the President Tinubu administration

In the same vein, the Network Against Corruption and Trafficking (NACAT) has kicked against the increase and demanded an end to what it described as the imposition of toxic economic hardships by the current administration.

DAILY POST spoke to some Nigerians on the streets of Abuja and it was nothing but an expression of agony and disappointment.

“It is a terrible situation we’ve found ourselves in this country. No wonder people are running away to other countries, even the ones poorer than Nigeria.

“This morning, I paid N500 from Lugbe to Berger [which used to be N100] and as I’m returning home this evening [the same day], it has increased to N700, some are even charging N800.

“I’m a businessman. I sell shoes at Utako Market and I must go to my shop every day. Now how do I make gains? While at the shop, won’t I eat?

“They said the government has increased the price of fuel again, this means that the price of foodstuff and other basic needs will also increase.

“It’s getting harder for everybody,” an aggrieved passenger at Berger bus stop, Ejeh Samuel told Daily Post.

Many passengers sighted by Daily Post were reluctant to pay the new fare as they preferred to wait for the big buses which are very few on the road.

Speaking, a taxi driver, who gave his name as Toffik Musa, said, “It’s not the passengers’ fault. We’re all in this together.

“That you drive a car doesn’t mean all is well. ‘Fuel don increase and na so transport go increase’. Everybody knows that one. For us drivers, our problem is double. We can’t even see the fuel to buy. There’s no fuel.

“Like yesterday, I entered one of the long queues in Utako here and ended up not buying. I had to buy from black market. ‘Things don spoil and everybody dey suffer am. My joy be say, passengers know say no be drivers like me dey cause am’”.

“You people, you journalists are not reporting this government the way it is.

“It seems everybody is afraid,” a civil servant in the Ministry of Agriculture, who refused to say his name, told Daily Post.

“Now, what is the effect of the new minimum wage? When I deduct my transport fare from my salary as a junior staff member, I’m left with almost nothing. I have a family.

“And if you take the money to the market, you can’t buy anything. We are suffering. We are in pain.

“But we have a government only interested in buying private jets, building big houses and buying big cars for themselves. Now that fuel is N1000, food and other things, everything will add money. Nobody cares about us,” he lamented further.

On his part, Owoicho Emmanuel, civil servant told DAILY POST: “It’s not funny, it started yesterday when I was going home. I almost went back to my office to spend the night.

“We usually have a lot of vehicles at the park to choose from but that’s no longer the case because of the fuel scarcity. As of yesterday, vehicle owners were the ones making the selection on whom to enter their buses.

“Just going home yesterday, I spent an extra N500. It’s not easy. This administration is just a year old and the suffering is more than what Buhari did in four years.

“Buhari used koboko on us but Tinubu is using scorpion sting. All the people that shouted ‘jagaban’, I hope they have their special market.

“Commercial motorists insisted on collecting N1500 from Berger to Bwari and everybody refused to enter.

“We waited until one El-Rfai bus came and parked all of us like canned fish for N400. If Tinubu cannot handle the issues of this country, can’t he just resign? Is it when everyone dies?”

Another aggrieved Nigerian, Onwa Amadi, said, “I wonder what this government wants us to do. My problem now is not to buy a litre of fuel for N1000.

“The major issue is- where do I see the fuel to buy. I can’t stand in the queue for three hours and still pay such money. It’s painful what we’re going through in our country in the hands of our fellow citizens.”

Speaking to DAILY POST on the subject matter, Eleojo Joseph, an Energy Expert, said the increment was done in bad faith.

According to him, “The decision to increase the pump price at this time is done in bad faith.

“Foremost, Nigerians are going through the most excruciating pain of the sudden fuel subsidy removal and yet NNPCL has the guts to increase it again. It is the most insensitive thing ever.

“Two, I think it was done to paint Dangote in a bad light that nothing will change despite his refinery coming on stream or just to spite him. Don’t forget the battle is still on between Dangote and NNPCL/cabal.”

On the scarcity of the product, he added, “The long queues will persist until Dangote ramps up production. NNPCL does not have funds to import and their credit line with suppliers is exhausted due to debt as the foreign companies are not ready to give any line of credit to NNPCL.

“It’s the hard reality we find ourselves in due to bad decisions and corruption over the years.”

Eleojo further stated that, “Pump adjustment has been with us for a long time. The regulatory agency is corrupt and the marketers too are fraudulent.

“It’s a Nigerian thing as we take joy in cheating each other in all spheres of our lives. Unless the regulator enforces the law on the petroleum marketers, the sleaze will continue.

“On the whole, it’s about time the government removed the MD of NNPCL and other regulatory agencies in the petroleum sector.

“Give Dangote refinery more crude and stop breathing down his neck. Ultimately, Dangote will excel and stabilize the sector.”

Meanwhile, just yesterday, Thursday, the federal government assured Nigerians that the fuel crisis will soon be a thing of the past.

Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), gave the assurance while briefing State House reporters after meeting with Vice-President Kashim Shettima, joined by the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari.

It is left to be seen how the meeting will resolve the twin issues of pricing and scarcity.

The Federal Ministry of Education has clarified that it has not prohibited students under 18 from taking the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) exams.

The Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu, made the clarification in Abuja on Friday while fielding questions from journalists at an event to mark the 2024 International Literacy Day, ILD.

Recall that Education Minister Tahir Mamman had on August 25th said the Federal Government instructed the West African Examinations Council, WAEC, and the National Examinations Council, NECO, not to allow underage children to write their examinations.

But Sununu said that the public misconception and misinterpretation of what was said by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, was highly disappointing.

He said that the minister was actually speaking on the 18 years entry age into the tertiary institutions as was practiced in the 6:3:3:4 system of education.

“We have agreed that we are going to consider it as a work-in-progress. The National Assembly is working and we are also working.

“It was shocking to say that a university in this country gave admission to children at ages 10, 11 and 12 years. This is totally wrong.

“We are not saying that there are no exceptions, we know we can have talented students that have the IQ of an adult even at age 6 and 7, but these are very few.

“There must be a rule, and the ministry is looking at developing a guideline on how to identify a talented child, so that parents don’t say we are blocking their children’s chances.

“Nobody said no child will write WAEC, NECO or any other examination unless at age 18. This is a misconception and misrepresentation of what we have said,” NAN quoted him as saying.

As hardship in Nigeria has increased since President Bola Tinubu took office, Senior Pastor Adewale Giwa of Awaiting The Second Coming of Christ Ministry has cautioned Nigerians that Tinubu is not the Messiah they are hoping for.

Since Tinubu assumed office, Nigerians have been lamenting over the rate of hunger and increased prices of items due to policies of his administration.

The current economic downturn in Nigeria has been traced to Tinubu’s announcement to end the fuel subsidy regime.

Speaking during his inaugural speech in Abuja on May 29, 2023, Tinubu had said fuel subsidy regime was “gone”.

Lamenting over the current situation, Pastor Giwa, in a statement, said: “Tinubu is not the Messiah Nigerians are expecting, he is not the one God wants to use in solving the crisis of Nigerians.

“Nigerians should not rejoice over Tinubu’s presidency because there will be no way out, the solution to insecurity and economy is not with Tinubu.

“Under Tinubu, everything will be destroyed and Nigeria will disintegrate if Tinubu is sworn in after Buhari’s tenure. This is why Tinubu should return the certificate of return back to INEC.”

The clergyman likened Tinubu to the Bibilical Abimeleck who was the “son of Gideon in the book of Judges 9 who forced himself to become the King of Shechem after killing 70 of his brothers, yet there was no peace within three years of his reign”.

He added: “I’m certain that Tinubu is not the Messiah that will lead us to the Canaan land, no good thing will come out of his administration, he has no plans to return Nigerians to God.”

A Lagos Chief Magistrate’s Court has ordered the detention of Ganiyu Oyedepo, popularly known as Koko Zaria and a prominent member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), for allegedly assaulting Nollywood actor Alhaji Ade Adele, also known as Baba Lawori.

Oyedepo was arraigned on charges of conspiracy, assault occasioning harm, and conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace.

The incident occurred on June 5, 2024, at Idimu, Lagos, where Oyedepo and his associates allegedly attacked Adele, injuring him with a bottle.

Presiding over the case, Chief Magistrate B. Sonuga remanded Oyedepo in custody after he pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The prosecutor, Morufu Animashaun, from the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (FCIID), informed the court that the defendant’s actions violated sections 411, 173, and 168 of the Lagos State Criminal Law.

The charges read, “That you Ganiyu Oyedepo on or about the June 25, 2024 at Idimu, Lagos in the Lagos Magisterial District, Lagos conspired to commit Felony wit: Assault Occasioning Harm and committed an Offence contrary to Section 411 of the Criminal Law Ch. C17, Vol. 3, Laws of Lagos State

“That you Oyedepo on the said date unlawfully procured one of your boys (now at large) who unlawfully broke bottle and inflicted injuries on the head of one Alhaji Ade Adele and committed an Offence contrary to Section 173 of the Criminal Law Ch. C17, Vol. 3, Laws of Lagos State 2015.

“That you Oyedepo conducted yourself in a manner likely to cause breach of peace when you threatened and procured one of your boys (now at large) to break bottle on the head of Adele and committed an Offence contrary to Section 168 (l)(d) of the Criminal Law Ch. C17, Vol. 3, Laws of Lagos State 2015 and punishable under Section 168 (2) of thé same Criminal Law Ch. C17, Vol. 3, Laws of Lagos state 2015.”

However, Oyedepo denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

His legal team, led by S. Bello and S. O. Ajetomobi, applied for bail, arguing that the charges against their client were bailable.

They urged the court to grant bail on the most lenient terms possible.

After considering the submissions, Chief Magistrate Sonuga granted Oyedepo bail set at N2 million, with two sureties in like sums.

The sureties, as stipulated by the Chief Magistrate, must have good character, provide proof of employment, and reside within the court's jurisdiction.

Additionally, the sureties were required to present evidence of three years' tax payments and have their addresses verified.

Chief Magistrate Sonuga adjourned the case to October 29 for mention and ordered Oyedepo's remand in the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) until the bail conditions were met.

Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Mathew Hassan Kukah, has urged the leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to come up with a way to reduce the current pump price of fuel.

Recall that there has been an increment in the pump price of petrol to ₦855, ₦918 or higher depending on locations.

Reacting to the development, Kukah lamented that Nigerians are hungry and urged those in power to find a way to combat the situation.

He spoke on Friday in Abuja during the official unveiling of The Progressive Institute (TPI).

He said, “We Nigerians are hungry. Find a way of reducing the price of fuel.

“Unless democracy is anchored on sound foundation, we will be building on sand. I am concerned about the quality of democracy in Nigeria. We need to fix the problem with democracy in Nigeria.”

APC leaders at the event, which is ongoing at the Abuja Continental Hotel, are the APC national chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje; President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio represented by the deputy Senate president, Senator Barau I. Jibrin; and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume.

Others are the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) and Imo State governor, Hope Uzodinma; Ondo State governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa; ministers; APC state Chairmen; and many others.

Onyinyechi Mark from Nigeria has set a new Paralympic record in the women’s 61kg powerlifting division.

Mark lifted an impressive 150kg to make this extraordinary achievement, surpassing the former record established by fellow Nigerian athlete, Lucy Ejike.

Mark’s outstanding performance guaranteed Nigeria its third medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

She overcame the challenge from China’s Cui Jianjin, who won silver after lifting 140 kilograms.

Mexico’s Amelia Perez won bronze, falling 10 kilogrammes behind her Chinese rival after pulsating lift attempts.

Onyinyechi-Mark

Nigeria has a rich legacy in the Paralympics, particularly in powerlifting and athletics. During the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, the nation earned a total of ten medals, including four golds.

The Nigerian team has consistently demonstrated its prowess in powerlifting, with athletes such as Lucy Ejike and Bose Omolayo achieving world records and securing numerous gold medals.

The ongoing success of Nigeria at the Paralympics underscores the country’s commitment to nurturing and advancing its para-athletes.