US President Joe Biden has officially endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to succeed him as President of the United States.

The announcement came, few minutes after Biden revealed he would not seek reelection due to health concerns and a recent COVID-19 diagnosis.

“My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made.

“Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this,” Biden said in a statement on X.

Harris, who has been a loyal supporter of Biden’s agenda, is now poised to become the Democratic Party’s frontrunner for the 2024 presidential nomination.

Her campaign has gained significant momentum in recent weeks, with many describing her as a “natural heir” to Biden’s legacy.

The marginal rise in crude oil production in June 2024 increased Nigeria’s earnings from crude oil sales by about N91bn in the same month.

Latest oil production data obtained from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, an agency of the Federal Government, indicated that Nigeria’s oil production rose from 1,251,494 barrels per day in May to 1,276,159 barrels per day in June, representing an increase of 24,665 barrels daily.

This implies that the country pumped an additional 739,950 barrels of crude oil in 30 days in June.

The average price of Brent, the global benchmark for crude, was $82.25/barrel in June 2024, according to data from countryeconomy.com, an international analytical firm.

Also, the average exchange rate of the United States dollar in June, according to exchangerates.org, was N1,489.88/$.

Therefore by increasing oil production by 739,950 in 30 days, Nigeria’s earnings rose by $60.86m, an equivalent of N90.67bn in the review month.

Further analysis of NUPRC’s data showed how the country’s crude oil production fluctuated in the first half of 2024.

Nigeria produced 1,426,574 barrels of crude oil daily in January, but this dropped to 1,322,208 barrels per day in February and further declined to 1,230,518 barrels in March.

The downward trend was halted in April as the country produced 1,281,478 barrels of crude per day in that month. This was, however, not sustained as crude oil output from Nigeria dropped to 1,251,494 in May, before rising marginally to 1,276,159 in June.

The low crude oil production from Nigeria has remained a source of worry for operators in the oil sector.

Findings by our correspondent, as reported recently, showed that Nigeria failed to meet the crude oil production quotas approved by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries all through 2022 and 2023 and had been unable to meet those approved since January 2024, worsening the oil supply crisis to indigenous refiners.

OPEC is an intergovernmental organisation that enables the cooperation of leading oil-producing and oil-dependent countries to collectively influence the global oil market and maximise profit.

Refineries in Nigeria, including the $20bn Dangote Petroleum Refinery, as well as modular refiners, have been starved of adequate supply of crude required for the production of refined products such as Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, Automotive Gas Oil or diesel, and JetA1, otherwise called aviation fuel, among others.

They called on the Federal Government to work harder in partnership with International Oil Companies to ramp up Nigeria’s crude production, stressing that the lack of crude has remained a disincentive to investors, particularly those interested in modular refineries.

However, data obtained from NUPRC indicated that crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and force majeure at two key terminals, among others, stopped the country from meeting various OPEC oil production quotas, hence making it tough to get crude to local refineries.

Had Nigeria met its crude production quotas, it would have earned more United States dollars by exporting the commodity. Crude export is Nigeria’s major source of earning foreign exchange required to boost its foreign reserves.

Also, had the country produced enough crude for domestic refining, it would have been able to reduce the cost of refined petroleum products, cut down on the importation of PMS, save the dollars used in importing these products, and create jobs, among other benefits.

However, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, recently declared that the government had awarded a $21m contract to meter all 187 crude oil flow stations in Nigeria to properly account for what the country produces and exports.

He also said the government awarded another contract for software to enable the government to monitor the movement of Nigeria’s crude from the point of loading of every cargo in Nigeria up to the cargo’s destination.

Lokpobiri, who disclosed this at a press briefing in Abuja, stated that the initiatives would further give clarity on the volumes of crude produced in-country as well as the amount exported to other nations.

He said, “The Federal Executive Council meeting was held, presided over by Mr President, where we took bold steps to reorganise the oil and gas sector. One of the key approvals by the Federal Executive Council has to do with awarding a contract for the metering of our 187 flow stations across the Niger Delta region of Nigeria by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission.

“NUPRC is the apex regulatory agency or commission for the Nigerian oil and gas upstream sector. As part of our steps to ensure that we have proper accountability, the Federal Executive Council approved the metering of all our production. We have 187 flow stations in the country, and there was a contract awarded for us to meter all the flow stations so that we’ll be able to properly account for what we produce and what we export.

“It’s a major development that has never happened in this country. This project is meant to be completed within six months, within 180 days. And Nigerians must know some of the key steps that this government is taking to ensure that we maximise opportunities that other countries are getting by the availability of oil and gas in Nigeria.”

Barely a few hours after the police mowed down nine billionaire kidnappers said to have been terrorizing Lagos and its environs for a long, revelations emerged that a popular Nollywood actor and producer based in Port Harcourt, simply identified as Ode, was amongst those killed during the encounter with police.

While scepticism over the report continues to linger, it has been authoritatively confirmed that the actor and producer was one of the billionaire kidnappers killed by detectives from the Commissioner of Police Special Squad in the Ladipo area of Lagos. Sunday Vanguard learned that since the news broke, detectives have been making frantic efforts and carrying out both discreet electronic and intelligence investigations to identify the nine kidnappers they confronted at the popular Ladipo auto spare parts market where they came to kidnap a wealthy businessman.

It was learned that they continued further investigations after recovering four mobile phones from the pockets of the dead kidnappers and other vital and personal items. Police sources said the first shocking discovery made by detectives was that the two vehicles used by the kidnappers – a Lexus 350 Jeep and 4 Runner Jeep – belonged to the actor. The two vehicles that were discovered to be their operational vehicles were duly registered in his name.

Conversely, the two mobile telephones they used for operations were also registered in the name of the actor but with pictures of two yet-to-be-identified young men and fake addresses. Sources said that apart from that, every other information in the documentary information detectives got was in his name.

Sunday Vanguard also gathered that while detectives are working hard to unravel the true identities of the remaining members of the gang killed during the encounter, their efforts are paying off as they have been able to discover that one of them is a twin and they lived together in one of the suburbs of Lagos. However, sources said the twin brother fled from their residence after he learned of the fate that befell his brother. This is after a WhatsApp user wrote that he knew the twins and had been able to identify five of the killed kidnappers.

He wrote: “Yesterday was a very revealing and eye-opening day for me. Five of these kidnap gangsters were identified, and the shocking part is that two of them live in my immediate environs, and I know them from a particular bar I frequent in my area. I was showing the owner of the bar the gruesome videos and pictures, and she suddenly screamed out aloud. She pointed to the picture and shouted … Don’t I know these guys? But the bloodied faces did not make me recognize them. She proceeded to unlock her phone and showed me pictures of the guys in fresh clothes when they attended her birthday on the 27th of June, last month. I was also at the birthday and my brain just immediately rewound, and I recollected them spraying her mint notes of N500 denominations and remembered their table that was doused with very expensive liquor. They were the ‘Dorime’ masters of that night.”

It was further gathered that one of the fleeing members of the gang was traced to a popular city in the North, and efforts are in top gear to arrest him. This is just as another of their popular rendezvous in Lagos has been discovered and detectives are keeping close watch over activities going on there to identify more of their gang members and arrest them. Already, the owner of one of the popular beer parlours, which the kidnappers reportedly frequent, is already in the police net and has given useful information to the police.

Furthermore, it was gathered that the kidnappers were able to escape the police searchlight for that long because they were always fully fitted with military uniforms and other accoutrements, which gave them easy passage at police checkpoints. The camouflage uniforms were among the items recovered in their cars after their encounter with the police at Ladipo.

 

Meanwhile, police sources said executive members of the Ladipo market recently paid a solidarity visit to Lagos State Police Commissioner, Adegoke Fayoade, where they commended him and the police for the feat they have achieved in flushing criminals out of the market so far. During the visit, they also presented a certificate of commendation to the police boss and promised to cooperate with the police in their tireless efforts to curtail crime in the area.

In the same vein, it was learned that some hoteliers and businessmen also visited the police boss and revealed that a few days after the billionaire kidnappers were decimated, their businesses started booming based on the fact that customers who were afraid of coming out in the night now feel free to enjoy all night long.

…Asks NASS to test all available products from standard laboratory to disclaim NMDPRA’s assertions

President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, weekend revealed that Dangote Petroleum Refinery has continued to receive repeated orders for its products from all those who have purchased the same since the commencement of production.

The refinery has so far exported its products to some European countries, Singapore and offshore Lome.

Speaking during a tour of both Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals and the Dangote Fertiliser Limited complex by members of the House of Representatives, Dangote wondered why a regulatory authority, such as the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, that should protect local industries was castigating the latter and even lying in media reports to justify the need to continue importation of dirty fuel into the country.

He said: “I urge you to even set up a committee that will take samples at filling stations and take our own sample because I must tell you that all the test certificates people are flaunting around are fake certificates.

“Where are the laboratories where those tests were conducted? By doing this, you will be able to tell Nigerians the very truth that they deserve to know. De-marketing of a company by a regulator that it is supposed to protect it, is very unfortunate.

“We didn’t know that you were going to ask us to stop by the road and take samples from other filling stations. I didn’t know what you wanted to do until we got here and you requested for a test.

“It is even good that it is your members that went directly to get our samples and I am sure you were shocked by the result. With the result, you can see that we produce the best diesel in Nigeria.”

Dangote openly challenged the regulator, NMDPRA, to compare the quality of refined products from his refinery with those imported, while advocating an impartial assessment to determine what best served the interests of Nigerians.

“We produce the best diesel in Nigeria. It is disheartening that instead of safeguarding the market, the regulator is undermining it. Our doors are open for the regulator to conduct tests on our products anytime, transparency is paramount to us.

“It would be beneficial for the regulator to showcase its laboratory to the world so Nigerians can compare. Our interest is Nigeria first because if Nigeria doesn’t grow, we have limited capacity for growth.

“Speaker and esteemed members, you have witnessed the results of the credibility test. I appreciate your wise counsel in procuring samples from filling stations alongside our refinery’s product.

“Ours shows a sulphur content of 87.6 ppm, approximately 88, whereas the others exceeded 1,800 ppm. Although the NMDPRA permits local refiners to produce diesel with sulphur content up to 650 ppm until January 2025, as approved by ECOWAS, ours is significantly lower.

“Next week, we aim to achieve 10 ppm, aligning with the Euro V standard. Imported diesel is capped at 50 ppm, but as you have seen, those from the stations, imported by major marketers, fall well outside this standard,” Dangote observed.

He pointed out that high-sulphur content diesel regularly imported into the country often came with dubious certifications.

He emphasised that the most effective method to verify the quality was to purchase the product directly from filling stations and conduct credibility tests.

Dangote, who noted that the issue has resulted in both health riss and financial losses for Nigerians, said: “Dubious certifications often accompany the importation of high-sulphur diesel into Nigeria, causing both health risks and financial losses for Nigerians.

“The best method to verify this is to purchase the product directly from filling stations where end-users obtain it. I believe Farouk Ahmed (Chief Executive of NMDPRA) speaks without sufficient knowledge of our refinery.

“We have successfully exported diesel and jet fuel to Europe and Asia without any complaints; in fact, we have received repeated orders, indicating satisfaction with our products.”

Supporting Dangote’s assertion, the Vice President of Gas and Oil at Dangote Industries Limited, Devakumar Edwin, highlighted recent actions by European countries, such as Belgium and The Netherlands.

“These countries have expressed concerns about the carcinogenic effects of high-sulphur diesel being dumped into the Nigerian market, prompting them to impose bans on such fuel exports to West Africa,” he said.

Edwin informed the visiting federal lawmakers that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, designed to process a wide range of crudes, including various African and Middle Eastern crudes, as well as US Light Tight Oil, conforms to Euro V specifications.

He said further it was designed to comply with US EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency), European emission norms, Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, emission/effluent norms, and the African Refiners and Distribution Association, ARDA, standards.

While noting that products from the $20 billion facility are of high quality which met international standards, Edwin said the refinery can meet 100% of Nigeria’s demand for petrol, diesel, kerosene, and aviation fuel, with surpluses available for export.

The Group’s Vice President, Olakunle Alake, expressed disappointment over accusations of monopoly against the Dangote Group, noting that there are multiple players in the industry, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, NNPC Limited, which operates four refineries.
Expressing concern over the controversy surrounding the quality of imported refined products into Nigeria, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abass, in his remarks, stated that the Green chamber will establish a committee to investigate the matter thoroughly.

The Speaker also noted that sampled products from various sources would undergo testing as part of this initiative. also expressed admiration for the infrastructure at the Dangote Oil Refinery, describing it as a significant asset in Nigeria’s quest for self-sufficiency in petroleum products.
He noted also that the refinery has positioned itself as a pivotal player, especially at a time global concerns over energy security and sustainability were paramount.

“Today’s visit to the magnificent facilities of Dangote Industries Oil Refinery section has been nothing short of enlightening. It has afforded us a rare opportunity to witness first-hand the monumental strides your organisation has made in transforming the landscape of petroleum production in Nigeria.

“The sheer scale and sophistication of this facility are awe-inspiring; it stands as a beacon of hope for our country as we navigate through the turbulent waters of energy supply challenges,” he said.

Commending the state-of-the-art technology implemented at the petroleum refinery, Abbas praised it as revolutionary and a shining example of engineering and innovation excellence.

He added: “Each corner of this facility resonates with the echoes of hard work, dedication, and an unyielding pursuit of quality. Every drop produced here carries not just oil but also the hopes and dreams of millions who yearn for a brighter future.

“We are deeply impressed by what we have seen during this visit which confirms the rating of this industry as the single largest oil refinery in Africa. This remarkable achievement does not merely reflect corporate success, it symbolises national pride, a tribute to what can be accompanied when visionary leadership meets relentless determination.’’

Acknowledging the numerous challenges likely encountered during the construction of the refinery, the speaker lauded Dangote for his steadfast commitment to achieving excellence.

“I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the myriad challenges that have beset this remarkable facility.

“The regulatory hurdles that often loom like dark clouds over progress, the complexities surrounding crude oil supplies that can stifle even the most ambitious endeavours, and the daunting economic landscape we navigate especially in these times when our economy grapples with foreign exchange constraints, are all formidable adversaries.

“Yet, despite these tribulations, your unwavering commitment to excellence shines through,” he said.

Prominent pro-democracy advocates, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria or HURIWA has condemned the Bola Tinubu-led federal government over claims ex-presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi is behind the planned hardship protest billed for August.

He cautioned the presidency to stop forthwith attempts to criminalise peaceful protests, alleging that some members of the current administration are attempting to go hard on peaceful protesters by criminalising any protest, a situation the group said is undemocratic.

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A statement on Sunday by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, said protests are civic actions are aimed at advocating for accountability, transparency and good governance.

THE WHISTLER reports that the Special Adviser to President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, had accused Peter Obi of being the brain behind the looming protest, warning of the consequences.

The Labour Party however denied the accusation with the media office to the ex-presidential candidate alleging that it was a pretext to arrest Obi by the government for his frequent criticisms.

The group described the allegation against Obi as unsubstantiated, affirming that “the statement by Bayo Onanuga amounted to a reckless, careless, ruthlessly lawless rumour mongering which is overheating the public space unduly.”

HURIWA has asked President Tinubu to call his media adviser to order and caution him to stop “behaving and speaking like a fascist because only in fascism or totalitarianism is peaceful assembly by the citizens to agitate for good governance is criminalised.”

Democracy, the group said, thrives on hearing the positions of all sides and that any democracy that does not allow peaceful protest is sick.

HURIWA has also condemned what it called “unconstitutional and illegal arrest and arbitrary detention of Mr.Junaidu ‘Abusalma’ Abdullahi, a Kano-based TikToker, for mobilising mass protests over the country’s widespread hunger.”

The group said it completely backed Amnesty International in demanding the immediate release of Mr Abdullahi, accusing the Nigerian government of punishing him for exercising his fundamental rights.

“The Nigerian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release social media activist Junaidu Abdullahi (Abusalma), who was imprisoned in Kano for posting a viral TikTok video calling for a peaceful protest against widespread hunger across the country. #FreeAbusalma,” Amnesty International was quoted to have stated.

HURIWA said peaceful demonstrations are legitimate and legally recognised means of passing on a message from the citizens to the government on the way forward in the area of framing and implementation of economic, sociopolitical policies that would culminate in the enthronement of good governance and the strict adherence to the democratic and constitutional principles of transparency and accountability by government officials.

The rights group said it is “shameful that someone who claims to be speaking for a democratically constituted central government headed by Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a tested civil society leader known to have organised, funded and participated in several pro-democracy protests in the past, is now pontificating like a tyrant in his opposition of civil protests.

“It is equally shameful to even recall that Mr. Bayo Onanuga is a trained journalist and yet he is the person who is deploying incendiary and unprintable terms in denunciation and repudiation of peaceful protests. Such a crying shame!

“It is a fact that the cost of living crisis has become highly combustible and most Nigerians are approaching the points of death,” the group ssid in the statement on Sunday.

“Why is this government driving people to their early grave with poor economic policies but yet doesn’t want the dying people to protest? This is wickedness at an unprecedented rate. This is absolutely reprehensible and despicable,” the group said.

HURIWA warned that if the government does not want people to protest peacefully then it is “directly telling the hungry and dying population to do their worst which might result in a very unpredictable and unpleasant turn of events.

“The government should chase after the black goat now that it is still daytime,” the group advised.

Paris Olympics supremo Tony Estanguet said Sunday that the city was “ready” for the Games as he played down complaints from some residents and businesses about the impact of the event.

“We are ready as we head into the final phase,” Estanguet told a press conference in Paris, five days from the opening ceremony next Friday.

He added: “For as long as the closing ceremony hasn’t finished, we need to remain vigilant. But today we are exactly where we would have dreamed of being a few years ago.”

Finishing touches are being applied to the venues across the City of Light and thousands of athletes and officials are pouring in, while the weather has brightened up after months of rain.

In a further boost for organisers, the water quality of the river Seine — which is set to be used for outdoor Olympics swimming events — has also improved dramatically since the start of July.

“All the indicators for the Seine are positive at this stage,” Estanguet added.

The river is set to host the opening ceremony which will see 6,000-7,000 athletes sail down it on 85 barges and boats.

It will be the first time a Summer Olympics has opened outside the main athletics stadium, with up to 300,000 ticketed spectators set to watch from stands and on the river banks and another 200,000 expected to watch from the overlooking apartments.

Around 4,000 tickets are still available for the ceremony, Estanguet said.

“We’ve always tried to maintain as high a level of ambition as possible so that these Games make France shine,” Estanguet added.

‘Disruption’

The vast security operation for the opening ceremony is causing some friction, however, with large parts of central Paris along the banks of the river and around Olympic venues off-limits for most people.

Trade groups representing Paris shops, restaurants, bars and clubs complained on Friday that they were facing an “unprecedented slump in business and footfall”, blaming in part the “heavy security measures”.

“It was always a choice made in full conscience that the success of Paris 2024 would mean having the Games in the city,” Estanguet explained. “That was the completely unprecedented concept for Paris 2024.”

As well as the opening ceremony in the heart of the city, much of the sport is set to take place at temporary venues around Paris, with beach volleyball at the Eiffel Tower, archery at the Invalides and skateboarding at the Place de la Concorde.

“We can’t do it without some disruption. We can’t do it without some restrictions,” Estanguet said.

He thanked “those who have understood this because it’s really to honour our country in the most beautiful way.”

Around 45,000 members of the French security forces are set to be on duty on Friday when the Olympics kick off at 7:30pm (1730 GMT).

“Security was the number one priority for Paris 2024,” Estanguet said.

Cybersecurity is also a major concern, with a global IT outage last Friday caused by an update to CrowdStrike software leading to temporary disruption to accreditation system for the Games.

The International Olympic Committee has said it is bracing for disinformation attacks targeting the Paris Games following recent incidents blamed on Russia, in response to a near-ban on Russian athletes because of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

In another development, a major French Jewish group on Sunday slammed a hard-left MP for saying Israeli athletes were not welcome in Paris because of the war in Gaza.

Yonathan Arfi, head of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France (Crif), said on X that France Unbowed (LFI) lawmaker Thomas Portes was “putting a target on the backs of Israeli athletes”.

Portes had said at a rally in support of Palestinians that “Israeli sportspeople are not welcome at the Paris Olympic Games”.

Opposition to Israel’s actions in Gaza featured heavily in his party’s campaign for European elections last month.

Arfi said Israeli athletes were “already the most in danger at the Olympic Games”, recalling the 11 “murdered by Palestinian terrorists” at the 1972 Munich Games.

The territory’s Hamas-run health ministry said Sunday that almost 39,000 people had been killed in the fighting, which was sparked by the bloody October 7 attacks by Hamas.

The Appeal Court Lagos Division has dismissed the appeal of a Denmark national, Peter Nielsen, who was sentenced to death for killing his Nigerian wife, Zainab and daughter, Petra Nielsen.

The appellate court upheld the conviction of Nielsen by the trial court and dismissed his appeal for lack of merit.

When the case was called on Friday, Mr Adebayo Haroun, leading Jubril Kareem, announced his appearance for the respondent, while Mr A.D Taiwo Nsirim with Tochukwu Amaefule, appeared for the appellant.

Delivering the judgment, the appeal court held that the respondent (Lagos State) proved the offence of murder against the appellant beyond reasonable doubt.

It resolved the appeal in favour of the respondent and dismissed the appellant’s case.

The appellate court held, “The corroborative evidence of DNA also strengthened the circumstantial evidence against the appellant.

“There was no proof of breaking into the apartment as suggested by the appellant. 

“The missing exhibits as a result of the #EndSARS attack on the court do not affect the defence of the appellant as he had ample opportunity before the attack on the court. The findings of the forensic examiner corroborate the evidence of the children.”

Nielsen was found guilty and convicted of the murder of Zainab and Petra, by Justice Bolanle Okikiolu-Ighile,(retd.), of the Lagos State High Court, at the Tafawa Balewa Square.

Okikiolu-Ighile, in her judgment delivered on May 20, 2022, held that Nielsen smothered Zainab and Petra Nielsen to death.

She ruled, “He was the one who killed Zainab, and Petra Nielsen. Zainab had already predicted her death when she told their driver that this man would kill her. She told her stepfather, Chris Madaki, when she went to Abuja that this man would kill her.”

The judge also held that the evidence of the sixth prosecution witness (PW6)  that on April 5, 2018, at 4:10 am, she saw Peter Nielsen beating and hitting Zainab’s head on the floor collaborated with the oral evidence of Prof John Obafunwa (PW4).

The judge held, “It is the judgment of the court that you, Peter Nielsen, is found guilty of the murder of Zainab and Petra Nielsen on April 5, 2018.

“I hereby pronounce that you Peter Nielsen shall be hanged by the neck till death. May God have mercy on you,” she said.

Justice Okikiolu-Ighile found him guilty of counts one and two of murder preferred against him by Lagos state.

She held that the oral and documentary evidence before the court showed that the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that Nielsen killed his wife and daughter.

“This is one of the cases of domestic violence. The DNA analysis of nail scraping brought out the assailant of Zainab.

“Zainab tried so much to defend herself. The evidence shows that Peter Nielsen killed his wife and daughter.

“There is evidence before the court that there is a fight between Peter Nielsen and his wife,” the judge held.

She held that Prosecution Witnesses (PW5 and PW6) testified that they heard Zainab calling Mimi (one of the girls living with the couple) for help and they heard Zainab telling Nielsen to check her phone but he kept hitting her head.

“The act of Nielsen shows that he suffocated his wife and daughter.

“Nielsen has always domestically abused his wife which was shown in the police extract from the Ikoyi Police Station.

“She didn’t know that her marriage to the convict was void abi nitio because Peter was already married in Denmark.

However, on the issue of the nightgown worn by Zainab on the night she died, the judge expunged the evidence.

She said that the pathologist who analysed the DNA on the nightgown was thoroughly examined and cross-examined by the defence.

The judge, however, said that on October 20, 2020, the High Court of Lagos was vandalised and burnt, during the #EndSARS protest which affected the nightgown, a jumpsuit, towel and pants worn by Zainab and Petra.

The judge, however, said that the contention of the convict was not for cross-examination but for them to take the items for DNA examination for their case.

“It is trite law that all documentary evidence must be scrutinised but the defence argued that the convict didn’t have the opportunity to produce his examination. 

“The defence made an application to expunge such items from the evidence.

“I have considered the application, exhibits, PWN (Zainab’s nightgown, Petra’s jumpsuit, towel and pants) is hereby expunged,” she said.

But dissatisfied with the judgment Nielsen approached the appeal court to challenge his conviction.

Nielsen was arraigned on June 13, 2018, on two counts of murder.

He pleaded not guilty, to the two counts of murder contrary to Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015, following which trial commenced.

The Lagos State Government accused Nielsen, now 57, of smothering Zainab and their daughter Petra Nielsen, to death at about 3:45 am, on April 5, 2018, at No. 4, Flat 17, Bella Vista Tower, Banana Island, Ikoyi.

When the trial commenced, the prosecution called nine witnesses and closed their case on  September 20, 2019.

The defence opened its case and also called nine witnesses with the

convict as the ninth witness.

Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote has dismissed the claims that his group of companies enjoy monopoly, insisting it is not true.

Dangote stated this on Saturday when he received the leadership of the House of Representatives led by the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas and his deputy, Benjamin Kalu.

Africa’s richest man said the labelling of his group of companies as monopolistic is disheartening.

He said his group of companies had never stopped anyone from doing the same business that they are doing.

He said: “If you look at all our operations at Dangote (Group), we add value; we take local raw materials and turn them into products, and we sell.

“We have never consciously or unconsciously stopped anybody from doing the same business that we are doing.

“When we first came into cement production, it was only Lafarge that was operating here in Nigeria…Nobody ever called Lafarge a monopoly,” he said, adding that labelling his group of companies as monopolistic is disheartening.

“Monopoly is when you stop people, you block them through legal means. No, it is a level playing field whereby whatever Dangote was given in cement, for example, other people were given because some of them even got more than us,” he said.

Nigerian political economist, Pat Utomi, has debunked a statement by the presidency alleging his involvement in the planned August nationwide protest.

Recalls a presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, on Saturday, accused supporters of the Labour Party presidential candidate in the last election, Peter Obi, of organizing the ‘End Bad Government’ protest scheduled for August 1st to 10th.

According to Bayo, some X users, including one “FS Yusuf, a supporter of Peter Obi, Professor Pat Utomi, a Labour Party chieftain and another X user with the handle, Peter Obi’s First Son” are behind the planned protest.

Reacting, Utomi in a post on his official X handle, said he has nothing against the planned nationwide demonstration.

Utomi stated that his involvement in any protest would be made public and not wait to be called out by Onanuga.

He said, “Let it be clear that I have nothing against protests. It is a legitimate instrument of democracy for raising the voice of citizens.

“I have participated in many in my time. From my undergraduate days at UNN to marching with concerned professionals following the June 12 election annulment.

“So if I were part of whatever is being planned for August, I would wear it as a badge of honor and not wait to be called out by Bayo Onanuga.”

A social and political critic, Aisha Yesufu has said that Nigeria kills its own.

While appealing that the Dangote Refinery not be allowed to fail, Yesufu urged all hands to be on deck to ensure it succeeds.

Her statement comes after the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority said the Dangote refinery has not been licensed to begin operations in the country.

Farouk Ahmed, the Chief Executive Officer of NMDPRA, had made the claims during a chat with journalists at the State House, Abuja on Thursday.

Ahmed revealed that the refinery was still in the pre-commissioning stage and had not been licensed yet, noting that there were concerns about the quality of petroleum products produced by the Dangote refinery.

He had alleged that the quality of product churned out from the new refinery was inferior to imported commodities.

He said, “So, in terms of quality, currently, the AGO quality in terms of sulfur is the lowest as far as a West African requirement of 50 ppm”, he said.

However, reacting to a call by an X user @Oluseun Onigbinde for the regulator to be sanctioned for the claim against the Dangote refinery, Yesufu said Nigerians should speak up.

The social critic said that Dangote now feels what Nigerian business people with no government connections feel and go through always.

She said: “Nigeria kills its own. I truly agree with you, the refinery should not fail. All hands should be on deck to ensure it succeeds.

“Alhaji Dangote @AlikoDangote now feels what Nigerian business people with no government connections have always felt and gone through.

How dreams are stolen and destroyed. Just yesterday LandMark got its share and there was silence from the business community.

“When you speak up when others are affected, it is to ensure that a stop is put to such injustice so it never gets to you.”