Kerosene consumers in December, 2023 experienced unprecedented increase in retail price of the product, which rose to N1,362.27 per litre nationwide.
This marked a 5.84 per cent increment compared to the N1,287.10 recorded in November the same year.
A report released by the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, on Tuesday stated that on a year-on-year basis, the surge amounted to a 23.33 per cent increment, from N1,104.61 in December 2022.
The report added that an in-depth state analysis unveiled differences in prices across the nation.
NBS noted that Abuja led the pack with the highest average price per litre at N1,650.00, closely trailed by Ogun at N1,609.52 and Benue at N1,594.44, while Kwara has the lowest price recorded at N917.14, followed by Rivers with N969.70 and Nasarawa with N1,071.43.
According to the report, the southwest experienced the highest average retail price per litre of household kerosene, reaching N1,455.21.
The northwest, according to the report, followed closely at N1,420.48, while the southeast recorded the lowest at N1,264.49.
“Consumers paid an average of N4,529.92 for household kerosene in December 2023, indicating a slight decline of 1.17% from the N4,583.44 recorded in November 2023 by shiftingthe focus to the per-gallon prices,” the report explained.
It added that there was a substantial increase of 20.69 per cent from N3,753.38 in December 2022 based on a year-on-year basis.
The state-level analysis for per-gallon prices revealed Bauchi topping the list at N5,600.00, trailed by Lagos at N5,273.53 and Ekiti at N5,234.38.
Conversely, Delta recorded the lowest price at N3,234.29, followed by Bayelsa and Kaduna with N3,538.03 and N3,560.00, respectively.
Zone-wise, according to the report, the northeast led with the highest average retail price per gallon of Household Kerosene at N5,077.08, closely followed by the southwest at N5,014.48.
In contrast, it explained that the south-south recorded the lowest average price per gallon at N3,957.17, rounding off the challenging pricing landscape for consumers in the final month of 2023.
The Ogun State Police Command has confirmed that Olumide Openaike, a staff member of a Microfinance Bank, Kemta Oloko faked his own abduction.
Recall that he was declared missing and found in Mokwa, Niger State.
Speaking on Tuesday, Police confirmed that Openaike staged his abduction over N1.7m debt.
The spokesperson of the state police command, SP Omolola Odutola, confirmed this to our correspondent on Tuesday.
The wife of the banker, Temitope, had told journalists how her husband, Olumide went missing on January 17 on his way to work.
Temitope had, however, on Thursday told our correspondent that “I am happy to tell you that my husband has been found in a place called Mokwa in Niger State. He called me on Tuesday afternoon.
“He got the phone from one of the residents there because he said those who abducted him collected his phone. We then told him to make a report at the police station there, the police officer on duty who spoke to us said he was in Mokwa.
“Transportation money was then arranged and sent to him, he got to Ibadan yesterday, Wednesday where he slept, and his family members are at Ibadan. He will be back to Abeokuta today”.
The police have, however, described the reported abduction of the banker as fake.
Confirming the incident, Odutola said, “Yes, the police have found out that the banker, Olumide Openaike, faked his abduction over N1.7m debt. The money belongs to the bank where he works.
“What happened was that a customer was remitting the money to the bank but Openaike was diverting it to personal use. He said he then got depressed and decided to fake his abduction. He is already detained by the police.”
Teachers and pupils of a private nursery school in Emure, headquarters of Emure Local Government Area of Ekiti State have been abducted by gunmen.
The gunmen intercepted the school bus conveying the pupils and the teachers at about 5pm on Monday, January 29, along Eporo-Ekiti, in the Emure area of the state.
Sources said six of the pupils, three teachers and the bus driver were kidnapped and their whereabouts yet unknown.
“They were kidnapped after their school bus was intercepted in Eporo Ekiti, at a location that shares a boundary with Ondo state on Monday evening, ” the source said.
This incident happened the same day when gunmen shot dead two traditional rulers in Oke-Ako axis of Ikole Local Government Area of the state.
Watch a video showing the school bus that was attacked below;
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Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has stated that President Bola Tinubu ridiculed the nation by travelling to France.
Recall that President Tinubu travelled to France on a private visit last week Wednesday and is expected to return to the country in the first week of February 2024.
Speaking during an interview with Rudolf Okonkwo on 90MinutesAfrica on Sunday, Falana slammed Tinubu for exposing Nigeria to ridicule by travelling to France, where his presence is not officially recognized.
The senior lawyer stated that as the country with the largest concentration of black people in the world, Nigeria ought to carry herself with some dignity.
He said: “I hope this will be the last time that a president of Nigeria will expose the country to embarrassment and ridicule by going to a country where his presence is not recognized.”
According to Falana, the Nigerian constitution does not make provision for a private visit by the president, stating that he can’t go on a private visit and still be running the country.
He said: “There is no provision in the constitution for a private visit by the Nigerian president. Therefore, he cannot go on a private visit and still be running the country.
“So to the extent that the activities of the state are still being conducted by him, the question of a private visit does not arise.”
Falana narrated how the late Afrobeat musical legend, Fela Anikulakpo Kuti, used to be invited to the Presidential Palace in France by President Francois Mitterand for recognition during the musician’s private visits to the country.
The senior lawyer, however, wondered how, years later, a Nigerian president would travel to the same country on a “private visit” and get no official recognition.
The foremost lawyer further berated the trip embarked on by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State to Grenada to attend a birthday party of a socialite.
Falana said Sanwo-Olu’s visit to the prime minister of the nation of 130,000 people was just an afterthought designed to make the trip look official.
He said: “The governor of a state in a federation does not conduct foreign affairs.
“He knows he cannot tell Lagosians that he went on a private visit to attend a birthday party. That is why he had to quickly call on the PM to make it look official.”
Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has lashed out at President Bola Tinubu for failing to address insecurity.
He was reacting to the recent surge in the kidnapping and killing of unsuspecting citizens across the nation.
He recalled the killing of a nursing mother and her mum in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, and the murder of two monarchs in Ekiti State.
The former VP wondered why the President embarked on a private visit to France amid the ravaging banditry and other security issues bedevilling the nation.
In a post on his official X handle, Atiku wrote, “Tinubu is playing fiddle while Nigeria is drowning in the ocean of insecurity. Imagine that the Commander-in-Chief is on a so-called private visit.
“At the same time, kidnappers kill a nursing mother and grandmother in Abuja for failing to pay N90m ransom and two monarchs in Ekiti, among other regular tragedies besetting Nigerians.
“If the shoes are too big for Emilokan, he should step aside. Nigeria does not need another Tourist-in-Chief. The country needs 24/7 leadership to confront the pervasive insecurity and collapsing economy.”
Super Eagles head coach, Jose Peseiro has refused to rule out Stanley Nwabali from the side’s quarter-final fixture against Angola.
Nwabali sustained a knee injury in Nigeria’s thrilling 2-0 victory against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon last Saturday.
The 27-year-old was replaced by Francis Uzoho 10 minutes from time.
The Chippa United shot stopper sat out training on Monday night at the Police College, Cocody.
“He (Nwabali) is with us, we are hoping he will be available for the game against Angola,” Peseiro told reporters.
“He will undergo another test on Wednesday. After that we will know whether he can play or not.”
The Super Eagles will take on the Palancas Negras of Angola at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, Abidjan on Friday.
According to Global Rights, an international civil society organisation, since Tinubu became Nigeria’s president in June 2023, at least 2,423 Nigerians have been killed and no less than 1872 people abducted in various attacks across the country.
Nigeria has been battling insecurity for more than a decade. Boko Haram, ISWAP and other terrorist organisations have relentlessly wrecked havoc on communities across states in northern Nigeria. Bandits are also beginning to walk in their footsteps, killing and kidnapping innocent Nigerians.
“Road ambushes have made interstate travel more perilous. Reported incidents such as the abduction of 30 passengers near Katari along the Kaduna-Abuja highway and the kidnapping of 45 passengers in Orokam on the Benue-Enugu route underscore the gravity of the situation,” the report by Global Rights read.
While the Tinubu administration still makes promises to combat insecurity and put an end to these incessant attacks that have claimed the lives of many, Nigerians have yet to see any positive change.
Addressing a news conference in Abuja on Monday, Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria under the auspices of the Civil Society Joint Action Group, Community of Practice Against Mass Atrocities, and, Nigeria Mourns, expressed deep concern over the deteriorating state of security across Nigeria including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The Group says its mass atrocities and fatality tracking across the country by Nigeria Mourns revealed that at least 2,423 people have been killed in mass atrocities-related incidents and at least 1,872 persons abducted between May 29, 2023 to January 26, 2024 under President Bola Tinubu.
It added that under President Buhari’s second term alone (2019 to 2023), at least 24,816 Nigerians lost their lives, and at least 15,597 persons were abducted.
Nigeria has shown a notable improvement in the global fight against corruption, moving up five places in the 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).
This advancement was reported on Tuesday by Transparency International, a leading global coalition against corruption.
In the latest CPI ranking, Nigeria scored 25 out of 100, a one-point increase from the previous year.
The country is now ranked 145th out of 180 nations and territories evaluated for perceived levels of public sector corruption.
This information was officially released on the Transparency International website.
The 2023 ranking marks a positive shift for Nigeria, which was placed 150th in 2022.
This improvement builds upon the nation’s gradual progress in the CPI over recent years.
In 2021, Nigeria was ranked 154th, maintaining its score of 24 out of 100 from the previous year. Comparatively, the country scored 25 in 2020 and 26 in the 2019 assessment.
This upward movement in the CPI is a significant indicator of Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to tackle corruption within the public sector.
It reflects the government’s commitment to implementing anti-corruption policies and strengthening institutions to promote transparency and accountability.
While the climb in the ranking is a positive sign, Nigeria’s score remains below the global average, indicating that much work remains to be done in the fight against corruption.
The improvement in the CPI ranking, however, provides a basis for optimism and an incentive for the government to continue its reformative measures.
Chair of Transparency International said, François Valérian, “Corruption will continue to thrive until justice systems can punish wrongdoing and keep governments in check. When justice is bought or politically interfered with, it is the people that suffer. Leaders should fully invest in and guarantee the independence of institutions that uphold the law and tackle corruption. It is time to end impunity for corruption.”
The Nigerian authorities have yet to respond to the latest report.
South African club, Chippa United are demanding €2m to sell their Nigerian goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali, DAILY POST reports.
Nwabali has been one of the standout performers for Nigeria at the ongoing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.
The 27-year-old has kept three clean sheets in four outings for the Super Eagles in the competition.
The shot stopper has also cut the eye with his impressive displays for Chippa United this season.
Belgian Pro League outfit, Union St Gilloise are reportedly leading the chase for Nwabali.
The former Katsina United goal tender is a major doubt for Nigeria’s AFCON 2023 quarter-final clash with Angola on Friday.
He sustained a knee injury in the Super Eagles Round of 16 victory against perennial rivals, Cameroon last Saturday.
Popular singer, Crown uzama, aka Shallipopi, has revealed how he spent his first music earnings.
Recall that Shallipopi rose to prominence last year after his song, ‘Elon Musk,’ became a viral hit.
In a recent interview with Turntable, hosted by rapper, Odumodublvck, Shallipopi was asked how he spent the earnings from his first hit song and he said he used it to order “oscroh,” a street slang for sex workers.
Odumodublvck asked, “When Elon Musk blow, wetin be the first thing wey you buy?”
Shallipopi replied, “I chop ham na, normal. I used ham order oscroh [sex workers].”
The ‘Elon Musk’ crooner also revealed why he doesn’t reply to trolls criticising his music on social media.
“When my music was being trolled online, I ignored because you don’t have to listen to the naysayers. Just keep doing your thing. Who like you like you, who no like you, no like you. Everybody can’t like you,” he said.
Shallipopi also disclosed his relationship status, saying he is currently single.
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OdumoduBlvck: When Elon Musk blow, wetin be the first thing wey you buy?
— ???? @???????????????????????????????????????????????????? (@OneJoblessBoy) January 30, 2024
Shallipopi: pic.twitter.com/hzuANwKuCM
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Popular actor and comedian, Babatunde Bernard Tayo, aka Baba Tee, has claimed that cheating is natural for men.
According to him, men would always cheat, as cheating is a “man’s next skin.”
The skit maker spoke in the latest episode of The Honest Bunch Podcast, co-hosted by actor, Chinedu Ani Emmanuel, popularly known as Nedu.
Baba Tee said cheating doesn’t necessarily mean a man does not love his partner
“A man will always cheat till thy kingdom comes. Even when a man is cheating, his mind is still with his partner. Cheating is men’s next skin, whether you like it or not,” he said.
He said any woman who is not comfortable with a cheating husband should consider marrying a robot that she can control or be ready to be lonely for life.
Controversial Nigerian singer, Portable has dragged his baby mama, actress Ashabi, over her latest interview.
Recalls that Ashabi had a few days ago in an interview with actress Biola Bayo, gave an insight into their love life, admitting how skeptical she was of their relationship.
She noted that despite the singer being married and having multiple women, she still feels like he is married to only her.
Reacting to the viral interview in a series of videos on his Instagram story, Portable slammed the actress, reminding her that she was just a side chick.
While questioning what he did wrong by accepting her pregnancy, Portable stated that she can never stand beside his wife.
“Which useless interview were you granting? You are just a side chick. I’m a responsible man and I have a wife at home with children.
“You got pregnant and I accepted your baby. Have I done bad? My wife has never for once fought any of you. Do you know how many women had kids for me? They are more than seven. Even if they are asking you unnecessary questions, must you cast your relationship?
“You can never be like my wife. Are you the only side chick I have? You can never stand beside my wife.”
The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has said solving the problem of food insecurity in the country should remain a top governance priority.
Obi stated this on Tuesday after visiting the headquarters of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
In a series of posts via his official X handle, Obi said the obvious neglect of agriculture is the cause of hunger and food insecurity, resulting in the high food inflation rate in the nation.
He said the high rate of food inflation, which is currently at 33%, signifies that more concerted efforts need to be made in moving the nation from consumption to production, in the agricultural sector.
Obi said he learned during the visit that IITA actively collaborates with local farmers and agricultural stakeholders to enhance farming practices in the nation.
He wrote: “In Ibadan yesterday, I, accompanied by Mrs. Aisha Yusufu, Dele Farotimi, and Dr. Moses Paul visited the headquarters of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), the organization whose duty it is to engage in agricultural research for the development of sustainable and innovative farming practices aimed at solving the problem of hunger and poverty in the nation.
“Part of the mandate of IITA is to work through research for improved food security and employment.
“During the visit, I learned that IITA actively collaborates with local farmers and agricultural stakeholders to enhance farming practices. By working closely with these key players, IITA ensures that their research outcomes and innovations are effectively disseminated and adopted, leading to tangible improvements in the agricultural sector which, as I have maintained, plays a very critical role in our nation’s economy.
“Our obvious neglect of agriculture is the cause of hunger and food insecurity, resulting in the high food inflation rate we have today. Solving the problem of food insecurity currently faced by millions of households in Nigeria remains a top governance priority.
“In the 2023 Global Hunger Index, Nigeria ranked 109th out of the 125 countries measured, showing a serious hunger level in the nation. Our food inflation rate is currently at 33% , signifying that more concerted efforts need to be made in moving our nation from consumption to production, in the agricultural sector.
“I thank the management and staff of IITA for their very significant contributions to our agricultural sector, especially in ensuring higher agricultural productivity.
“With organizations like IITA, we will be able to fully explore our untapped natural resources, especially the vast uncultivated lands in the North, and put them into maximum productive agricultural use for the benefit of the nation. This will help us achieve food security, eradicate hunger, and drive down inflation in the New Nigeria we are working towards.”
Despite heavy criticism over the relocation of some departments of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to Lagos State, about 1,500 members of staff are set to resume on Friday in the state.
Recall that some individuals and groups, especially Northerners, had condemned the decongestion of the bank to Lagos.
The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) had, in a statement, expressed worry over the potential negative impact of relocating the essential departments.
“The movement would involve increased costs, loss of talent, disruption in operations, reduced coordination, regional economic disparities, impaired economic development in Northern Nigeria, and decreased investor confidence in the nation’s economy,” NEF said.
Also the Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Ali Ndume, warned that there would be “political consequences” if the plan to relocate some departments of CBN as well as the corporate headquarters of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria to Lagos were implemented.
He said, “Those misleading the President are not doing him any good because this is going to have some political consequences. If Tinubu were not elected president, the CBN governor would not be there. It was not Lagos votes that put Tinubu there.”
However, sources in the apex told Punch that though the move was heavily criticised, it was still in motion and affected staffers would be resuming on Friday
“Yes, the plan is still on and they will resume work by February 2, which is the first week of next month,” an official said.
Another source who spoke to the publication said that some of the affected staffers had started relocating to Lagos.
“Some have already gone ahead. Over 80 per cent of the Banking Supervision Department staff have been redeployed and the same for the Payment System Department,” the source hinted.