Anger Spreads Over Tariff Hike

Lagos, Kano, and 10 other states have concluded plans to start generating power in their respective states in conformity with the Electricity Act 2023.

The PUNCH gathered on Thursday that some of these states had established their electricity market laws and were waiting for the approval of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission to have independent regulatory bodies different from the NERC owned by the Federal Government.

As the states stepped up efforts to generate electricity, the Federal Government’s 240 per cent power tariff hike for consumers in Band A enjoying 20-hour electricity attracted more condemnations on Thursday.

Groups including the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Associations of Nigeria, civil society organisations and the Nigeria Electricity Consumer Advocacy Network warned that the hike would worsen the plight of Nigerians.

The subsidy on electricity has been withdrawn completely from the tariff payable by power consumers in the Band A category, who constitute about 15 per cent of the total number of power users across the country.

The government, through the NERC, announced the hike in the electricity bill on Wednesday, adding that those affected would now pay a tariff of N225 per kilowatt-hour, up from the previous rate of N68/kWh, representing about 240 per cent increase.

However, there are strong indications that many states are taking advantage of the new Electricity Act to establish their electricity generation firms.

In June 2023, President Bola Tinubu signed a new Electricity Act into law, heeding the calls of Nigerians that the power sector be reformed and removed from the exclusive list, to give states the power to generate, transmit and distribute electricity within their jurisdiction. This, Nigerians believe, would help in proffering lasting solutions to the electricity problems in Nigeria.

The PUNCH reports that the new law replaces the 2005 Electricity and Power Sector Reform Act as it seeks to promote private sector investments in the power sector. It provides for a holistic integrated resource plan and policy that recognises all sources for the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity.

Electricity Act

The new act permits the state electricity board or any state authority by whatever appellation, to grant licence for mini-grids and provide the framework for the operation of such licensees. With this, the Federal Government has succeeded in removing electricity from the exclusive list, allowing states and private individuals to invest in the sector.

Though a state can regulate its electricity market by issuing licences to private investors who can operate mini-grids and power plants within the state, the act, however, says that until a state has passed its electricity market laws, the NERC will continue to regulate electricity businesses in such states.

Inner sources at the NERC told The PUNCH that at least, 12 of the 36 Nigerian states were set to have their own independent electricity regulatory commissions following the enactment of the 2023 Electricity Act.

It was reliably gathered that the states had applied to the NERC, seeking independence in regulating their electricity markets without the interference of the Federal Government commission.

The NERC official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to speak on the issue, hinted that the NERC, which is presently regulating the Nigerian electricity market, must transition regulatory responsibilities from itself to state regulators when they are established.

“This means that, until a state has passed its electricity market laws, NERC will continue to regulate electricity businesses in such states. 12 states have applied to have their regulatory commissions and once the necessary things are done, the NERC will no longer regulate electricity in those states.

The states will be on their own. That will allow them to generate, transmit and distribute power within their states only. Some of them who have been generating power before the act can now commercialise it and even grant licences to investors to invest in their states,” the source said anonymously.

Another source said, “I can confirm that 12 states have applied to have their regulatory bodies. But I can’t give you the details. Our legal team is still working on the requests by the states.”

Similarly, a source close to the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, confided in one of our correspondents that 12 states were ready to start generating electricity in their states, saying more states should follow suit to solve the nation’s electricity challenges.

The PUNCH reports that Nigerians have continued to languish under a deteriorating power sector supervised by the Federal Government for many years. On many occasions, the national power grid keeps collapsing, plunging the nation into blackouts while affecting businesses.

The power grid collapsed 46 times in six years, according to a report by the International Energy Agency.

As a way of ending the power problems in their domains, some states appear to be leaving no stone unturned. As of February, checks with the Ministry of Power revealed that Lagos, Edo, Kaduna, Enugu, and Oyo have signed their electricity laws.

Ekiti project

Ekiti State Commissioner for Information, Taiwo Olatunbosun, said that the state government had domesticated the Electricity Law, stating that it had been generating and transmitting electricity through the Independent Power Project.

Olatunbosun said, “We have domesticated the Electricity Law here in Ekiti State. The IPP that we have is doing well. The state government plans to upgrade it to 5MW and from there, we improve and establish some other areas.

“The places and businesses the IPP is presently servicing include the Government House, government offices, State Secretariat, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital and we are extending to Ekiti State University as well. It is equally servicing some conglomerates and other people who are already requesting for it”.

The commissioner said that the present administration in the state would continue to provide strategic interventions in electricity and other infrastructural development “to make Ekiti a destination for investors and uplifting the social life of our people and others promoting their business without any form of challenges that power generation may cause now and in the nearest future.”

According to him, the present IPP structure was built to accommodate future expansion to about 5mw from its present 3.6mw capacity.

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotosho, in an interview with our correspondent on Thursday said following the passage of the Electricity Act, Lagos had been at the forefront of championing independent power generation.

Omotosho said, “Lagos has been at the forefront of unbundling power generation and power distribution systems. Lagos was the very first to start an independent power project in the days of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as governor, who is now our President.”

He said although the project could not fly then due to some constraints, Lagos did not give up.

“For Lagos State, everything is being put in place to ensure that our people can enjoy stable electricity. We are all for it because it’s about our people.

“We’re having discussions with so many entities in the private sector on how Lagos can generate its electricity, and people have been showing interest,” Omotosho stated.

The Benue State Government disclosed that it had put efforts in top gear to establish its electricity firm.

The state Commissioner for Power and Transport, Omale Omale, who spoke to one of our correspondents on Thursday stated that the state had begun its transmission programme and policy in the power sector.

According to him, the state government has started working on the legal framework that will give electricity law which will help articulate how the power sector in the state would be run.

He said, “Our power market is opening up with investors and our power market is end-to-end where the state will create a market for the private sector to come in, to transmit and distribute.

Omale added that already the state government has had intensive stakeholders’ interactions with the Jos Electricity Distribution, the Transmission Company of Nigeria, customers as well as other critical stakeholders.

He expressed assurance that by the end of the second quarter of this year, the legal framework and policy in the power sector would have been concluded.

Nasarawa partners firm

The Nasarawa State Government said it had entered into a partnership with the Nigeria Off-Grid Market Acceleration Programme to ensure the rapid development and implementation of the state’s energy projects, and to enhance its power and sustainability agenda.

Speaking with journalists in Lafia on Thursday, the Managing Director of the state’s Investment and Development Agency, Ibrahim Abdullahi, said the partnership was a step towards bringing the Nasarawa State vision of becoming one of the top three most competitive economies in Nigeria to actualisation.

He explained that the collaboration, which was formalised with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the state government and NOMAP, was carried out by the Agency, and the Nasarawa Electricity Power Agency as the technical lead.

Also, the Governor of Kebbi State, Dr Nasir Idris, has assured people of the readiness of his administration to create an enabling environment for Fadel International Holding Group to generate solar power for the state.

The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Ahmed Idris, said “Electricity is one critical area that touches the lives of many. “We don’t have power, but coming of this independent power company is going to help us and help our businessmen and women to grow,” he said.

On its part, the Kano State Government said its independent power project was almost completed, saying it established the power company more than 10 years ago during the second tenure of Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso.

The Director General of the Media and Publicity, Sanusi Tofa, said the two ongoing independent power projects in Tiga and Challawa Goje Dams were at 90 per cent completion, saying there was over $40m in the company’s account to ensure the completion and take-off of the project in no distant time.

“This was established when the new law was not even anticipated. Unfortunately, the money was misappropriated, and the projects were abandoned for eight years,” he said, adding that the projects were completed and tested in January 2024.

Speaking with one of our correspondents, the Osun State Commissioner for Energy, Mr. Festus Adeyemo, said the state had commenced work to generate and distribute energy.

Adeyemo, however, identified funding as a major setback against the plan, adding that the state was relying on support from the World Bank and private investors that have been showing willingness to partner the state.

He said, “We are interested, and we are going to start work on it very soon. We have been working on it, but there some basic things we need to do before going into the real project. We want to have a solid foundation. We are looking at the technical aspect of it.

“The major of challenge is that of funding, but we are getting over it because we have the backing of World Bank. There are some little technical aspects of the project too. We have reached out to the Federal Ministry of Power and we have been given the go ahead. There are some paperwork that we need to do at the federal level before we can commence work on the project”.

The Ondo State Government said it was the first state that domesticated the electricity law in the country even before it was signed it to law.

A top government functionary told one of our correspondents that the electricity bill was passed and signed into law during the administration of late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu .

He said, “The state government was planning to license some companies to generate and distribute electricity in the state, but the process was stalled as a result of the sickness and death of the former governor.”

The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Ebenezer Adeniyan confirmed the development as he said, “We are the first to domesticate the electricity law during the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu. “

In Zamfara, the state government is looking into the possibility of establishing an electricity generating company following persistent power failure in the state.

The Special Assistant to Governor Dauda Lawal on Media and Communications, Mustafa Kaura said the state government had conducted a survey on how to generate electricity from Bakalori dam.

According to Kaura, the work on electricity generation had started in the state during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, adding that, “the work will continue by the administration of Gov Lawal”.

In Sokoto State, the government said it had intensified efforts to improve on electricity supply through its independent power project.

Governor Ahmed Aliyu begged the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, recently on a courtesy visit to the Government House, Sokoto, for the support of the Federal Government on the project.

According to him, the State IPP, which is at 90 per cent stage of completion was initiated by the Wamakko-led administration to boost socio-economic activities in the state.

“The project is almost completed, so, we need the support of the Federal Government to ensure its take-off,” the governor said.

Anger grows

Meanwhile, the PENGASSAN, CSOs , and the Nigeria Electricity Consumer Advocacy Network have lambasted the Federal Government for allowing the implementation of the 240 per cent tariff hike regardless of the class of customers being affected.

Speaking on the sidelines of the National Executive Council meeting of the association in Abuja, PENGASSAN’s President, Festus Osifo, said the tariff hike would compound the perilous nature in Nigeria.

“Jumping from N68/kWh to N225/kWh is enormous. We think that the government should exist for the purpose of serving the people. Adding that to the perilous nature of the society today, the currency floatation that has put us in this mess that we are in today, and the fuel subsidy removal, I think it is quite drastic. So, we will interrogate the process and take a formal position about it,” Osifo stated.

The National Secretary of Nigeria Electricity Consumer Advocacy Network, Uket Obonga, said the Discos lacked the capacity to provide 20- hours supply and would not meet the target, but would bill consumers based on the new rate.

“This is not the first time they are talking about delivering a minimum of 20 hours supply. It is becoming clear that the regulator is making money from the DisCos and it is now dancing to the tune of the Discos,” Obonga alleged.

In his reaction, the Chairman of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran, described the hike as an “ill-timed oppressive policy”, noting that the hike would drive industries out of business.

“It is an ill-timed oppressive policy, and of course, there is no basis for the classification of consumers into all of those bands that they’re talking about,” Adeniran declared.

He said if there had been an improvement in the supply of electricity, the tariff hike would be understandable.

“It is a shameful thing for the electricity regulators to accede to the claim that the whole of Nigeria cannot be serviced with 24-hour electricity,” he said.

The TUC insisted on Thursday that the hike was a recipe for industrial unrest in the country. The union had on Wednesday condemned the tariff hike.

On Thursday, the TUC’s deputy president, Tommy Etim, in an interview with The PUNCH, said“The hike in electricity tariff for those who enjoy electricity for 20 hours daily is totally unacceptable and a recipe for industrial unrest.

“ Today, we are still battling with the fuel subsidy removal without any corresponding remedy and yet the increase in the electricity tariff without even the supply of electricity. I think the government should know that they were not voted into office for the enslavement of the citizens but to protect and better the lots of the masses. This is an indication that the poor can no longer breathe,” Etim said.

Similarly, the Executive Director of the Rule of Law Accountability and Advocacy Centre, Okechukwu Nwaguma, said the government must decide whether it wants to serve or punish the people, adding that the policy marks an addition to the pains of the citizens.

“This is an addition to the pains and deprivation of the people. It seems to me that this government is out to punish Nigerians. We were expecting that policies will be put in place to actually cushion the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy.

“But to further remove subsidy on electricity, even when the electricity is not available, people are being made to pay for services that are not provided, it simply shows that this government is out to punish Nigerians.

“If there was improvement in the supply of electricity and this increase comes, it would be understandable, on the contrary, there is no improvement. I think the new government should decide whether they want to serve the people or punish the people,” he said.

Godswill Akpabio, senate president, says the resolution to suspend Abdul Ningi, senator representing Bauchi central, was not his sole decision.

Akpabio said this in a letter issued by his counsel, Umeh Kalu, in response to a letter by Femi Falana, counsel to Ningi.

In March, Ningi sparked controversy when he alleged that the 2024 budget was padded by N3 trillion and that the country is operating two budgets concurrently.

Subsequently, the senate debated the matter at the “committee of the whole”.

The senator was thereafter suspended for three months for allegedly not providing evidence to back his allegations.

In a letter dated March 27 and addressed to Akpabio through his counsel, Ningi gave the senate president a seven-day ultimatum to lift his suspension from the upper legislative chamber.

Ningi described his suspension as “illegal”, saying he would approach a federal high court for his reinstatement if the suspension is not lifted within seven days.

In response, Akpabio, through his lawyer, said the decision to suspend the Bauchi senator was that of the senate.

“We have carefully read through your analysis of the facts and circumstances leading to your client’s suspension from the senate,” the letter read.

“We are unable to find reason in your verdict of our client’s sole culpability in the said suspension. We therefore plead non est factum for our client. In addition to the above and contrary to the contents of your letter under reference, our client was at no time your client’s accuser, prosecutor and judge.

“Our client’s role at the session of the senate that led to your client’s suspension was and remains the statutory role of a legislative house presiding officer, which role equally includes pronouncing the majority decision of the legislative house at the end of debate and voting.

“Permit us to mention your attempt at drawing our client’s attention to legal authorities and pronouncements of our courts of record on the unconstitutionality of suspending members of legislative houses, which attempt we dare say was unhelpful, due to your failure or refusal to make available the relevant particulars of the said court decisions in your letter.

“You may wish to provide these legal authorities which you have alluded to, bearing in mind that every decision of a court emanates from its peculiar facts, circumstances and extant laws. In as much as it may not be necessary to canvass herein all the remedies available to our client, in response to your threats of court action and petition to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC)…

“It is important we mention that legislative proceedings are guided by rules. We urge you to give due consideration to the legal issues raised in this letter and be guided accordingly in your further and future action in respect of this matter.”

The Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, has made a vow. He promised to re-arrest Nadeem Anjarwalla, the Binance Regional Africa Manager, who escaped from custody in Nigeria.

The IGP said he will realize this with the help of the International Criminal Police Organisation.

Egbetokun said this on Thursday while fielding questions from journalists at the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, Louis Edet House, Abuja.

Egbetokun said, “I am not going to tell you what INTERPOL is doing, but I must tell you that we are doing a lot. I can assure you that the suspect would be re-arrested.”

Anjarwalla, 38, escaped from custody on Friday, March 22, 2024, from a ‘safe house’ where he and his colleague were detained.

The IG further revealed that kidnapping and murder cases have increased in the past eight weeks, as the Nigeria Police Force recorded 214 cases of kidnapping and 537 homicide cases.

Egbetokun noted that 3,685 suspects were apprehended for their participation in various crimes, while 401 kidnapped victims were rescued.

He said, “On the flip-side, we will continue to strive for excellence by being more proactive in our policing approach. Our responses to the current internal security threats require strategic deployments that are not only proactive but also technology and intelligence-driven.

“Through meticulous analysis of available information, we shall endeavour to pre-empt criminal activities, disrupt their illicit networks, and apprehend perpetrators swiftly. It is essential that we remain vigilant and adaptive in our approach, continuously refining our strategies to stay ahead of evolving threats.

“I am pleased to report a substantial advancement, propelled by the execution of diverse strategies aimed at mitigating the escalating trend of criminal activities across the nation after our last conference held on February 8, 2024.

“In the past eight weeks, we recorded 141 cases of terrorism/secessionist attacks, 537 cases of murder, 126 cases of armed robbery, 214 cases of kidnapping, and 39 cases of unlawful possession of firearms.

“Also, during the period under review, the Nigeria Police Force arrested 3,685 suspects for their participation in various crimes, 401 kidnapped victims were rescued, 216 various firearms, 3,601 ammunition and 82 vehicles were recovered.

“We have in the last nine months cumulatively presented cheques totalling N7,263,391,051.73 to 2,5143 families of deceased police officers.”

Popular singer Kingsley Chinweike Okonkwo aka Kcee has narrated how he lost $70K.

He spoke while explaining why he has not been doing remixes of his top songs.

Speaking in a recent episode of Isbae U’s YouTube series ‘Curiosity made me ask’ the father of two talked about his music career, evolution and how he had stayed relevant in the industry despite having been around for more than three decades at the highest level.

The ‘Ojapiano’ crooner shared how he once tried to get an American artist to feature on his song some years back, but unfortunately, got duped.

He also shared how the American band One Republic reached out to him and asked for the opportunity to be on the remix of his song, Ojapiano.

The host, Isbae U asked KCee to confirm if he didn’t pay for the remix, he reiterated that he didn’t and was shocked that One Republic would reach out to him and want to be on the same song.

His words: “Well I don’t need to say too much but I can’t pay anybody for a remix. Actually I tried to pay for a remix like about eight, nine years ago and they duped me about $70k and that was when I said I would never pay anybody a dime for collaboration.

“I didn’t beg them, they messaged me. The truth is the sound was very good. The sound was new and the sound was fresh.

“A lot of people tried to hit me up for a remix and anybody that knows me, I hardly do remixes of my hit songs. And most of my hit songs are always with me but this one when they came for it, I was like who am I, I was shocked.”

Primate Elijah Ayodele has sent a warning to President Bola Tinubu over the recent increase in electricity tariff.

Speaking on Thursday he slammed the Federal Government for increasing electricity tariff by over 300 per cent.

Ayodele, who foretold the increment last year, stressed that it will not bring any difference to the power sector because electricity will still not be stable as it’s supposed to.

The Federal Government announced the increment on Wednesday and explained that Band A users will be required to pay more for electricity.

In his reaction, Ayodele stated that the tariff increase will affect so many people in the country and that the idea will lead to disappointment in the government.

The cleric explained that the best thing the government should do is make the electricity supply stable in order to help local manufacturers and improve the economy before increasing tariff.

In a statement by his Media Aide, Oluwatosin Osho, Ayodele said: ‘’Despite increasing electricity tariffs, it won’t guarantee 24/7 power supply in the country. It won’t make any difference because what is needed right now is anything that will improve the economy and make it better.

‘’Nigeria is still battling with a stable power supply and increasing electricity tariff will not help the country at all. It will only be justifiable if we have electricity stability across the country’’

‘’Increase in tariff will affect a lot of people, it’s an idea that will not last because Nigerians will still be disappointed in the power supply. The best thing the government can do is to make light stable so that the economy can boom and help local manufactures before an increase in electricity tariffs.’’

‘’The government is supposed to increase power supply by working on all our dams for the purpose of stability. The increment is a good idea but it’s wrong timing. It won’t give the country what is needed; there won’t be any serious result.’’

He advised the government to make a lot of changes in the power sector, expressing the need for states to be empowered to transmit power.

Ayodele also called on the government to check the power supply to neighbouring countries, alleging that there is corruption in the system.

‘’The government has to make a lot of changes in the power sector; states should also be empowered to transmit power. We shouldn’t be doing shifts when it comes to electricity. If we have enough power supply, increasing tariffs won’t be a problem.

‘’There is a lot of supply the government is doing, they need to check supply to other countries because there is so much corruption in the system. The system needs to be cleared. I also urge the government to pray against explosion in any of our power transmission facilities,” he added.

Rick Slayman, the man who happens to be the world’s first living recipient of a genetically edited pig kidney transplant, has been discharged from the hospital.

CNN reports that Slayman was discharged on Wednesday, two weeks after his operation, according to a statement by Massachusetts General Hospital.

“He is recovering well and will continue to recuperate at home with his family,” the hospital wrote on X.

Slayman was quoted in the statement issued by the hospital saying: “This moment – leaving the hospital today with one of the cleanest bills of health I’ve had in a long time – is one I wished would come for many years. Now, it’s a reality and one of the happiest moments of my life.”

Recall that Slayman, a 62-year-old manager with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, had previously said his doctors suggested that he try a pig kidney when he was diagnosed with end-stage kidney disease last year.

His doctors stated last month that they thought Slayman’s new kidney could last years but also acknowledged that there are many unknowns in animal-to-human transplants.

Slayman’s surgery is the third such xenotransplant of a pig organ into a living human.

The first two transplants were hearts transplanted into living patients who had run out of other transplant options.

The organs were transplanted under special rules that permit compassionate use of experimental therapies for patients in especially dire situations. However, both patients died weeks after receiving their organs.

Slayman said he was grateful for the response to his surgery, especially from other patients who are waiting for a kidney transplant.

“Today marks a new beginning not just for me, but for them, as well,” Slayman said.

A police escort attached to the Abuja-Kaduna train route reportedly died aboard the train while conveying passengers from Kaduna to Abuja on Thursday.

A source privy to the incident disclosed that the officer allegedly complained about chest pain before succumbing.

The source revealed that before a passenger, identified as a doctor, could attend to him to manage the situation, the police officer had already passed away.

The source said, “A police officer, who was one of the escorts on an Abuja-Kaduna train, just died. He left home in good health. But later during the journey, he complained of chest pain and asked his colleague to get him some glucose and water.

“There was no emergency medical care on the train. Before a doctor, who was also a passenger, could come, the officer had already passed away.”

It was further gathered that a few minutes after the train arrived in Abuja, a police team drove into the train station to retrieve the corpse for transportation to an undisclosed location.

When contacted for a reaction, the spokesperson for the Nigeria Railway Corporation, Mahmud Yakubu, promised to get back to our correspondent but had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report, despite repeated calls to his line.

Efforts to reach the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, also proved abortive as calls and messages to his line were unanswered.

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has vowed to keep making the camp of his estranged benefactor, Nyesom Wike, restless.

There has been crisis in Rivers since Fubara fell out with his predecessor who is now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Speaking at the ground breaking of automobile spare parts market in Port Harcourt, on Thursday, Fubara declared the purported list of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Caretaker Committee members for the State, circulating on social media as fake.

He described the list, which has the names of some Wike’s loyalists, as the handiwork of cheap publicity seekers and agents of crisis.

“I know that a lot of you saw something flying in the social media, dailies. Let me brief you, we hard a meeting, and we agreed that, not just in Rivers State, but in all the States affected, that the Executive Councils (of PDP) should be extended for three months.”

“This extension is not meant to bring in new names. The extension also did not say that you are working without the authority of the Governor. So, for those lists that you saw and those ones altered, I can assure you that they are not going to stand.

“For record purposes, so that you will understand, we also agreed that there is going to be a NEC meeting on the 18th of this month (April) that should ratify that decision.

“So, what you are seeing is the handiwork of desperate people who like media publicity. In fact, empty drums make loudest noise. So, don’t bother about anything. Nothing is happening.”

Governor Fubara alluded to the fear that has come upon his detractors given the warning he issued a day ago that he will surprise those who dare him, and vowed to continue to make them feel restless.

The Governor said Rivers State remains a very important stake to protect, which is why his Administration chose the path of peace in order to engender progress.

“You can see how restless they have been since I made just one statement, yesterday. We will continue to make them restless.”

“They won’t know where we are coming from. We will also continue to hit them hard the way we hit them, yesterday. So, those of you who were worried when you saw those lists that were flying, go and rest, nothing is happening.”

Justice John Okorowo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has awarded N5m damages against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for wrongfully parading a photographer, Nasiru Saidu-Ali, popularly known as Kozzo, as a fraudster.

The incident happened in May 2019 when the photographer was arrested from his Abuja home and his photos splashed on the social media pages of the EFCC alongside those of other alleged internet fraudsters.

He was later released after his innocence was established, but Sa’idu-Ali dragged the anti-graft agency to court for criminal defamation..

The photographer, through his lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, demanded N100m damages from the EFCC, but after five years, the court, in a judgment delivered on March 22, 2024, awarded a N5m damages against the EFCC and ordered the anti-graft agency to tender a public apology to the photographer.

Details of the court judgment was revealed in a Certified True Copy obtained by our correspondent on Thursday.

The CTC read in part, “An order of mandatory injunction is hereby granted, ordering the respondent, whether by themselves, their officers, servants or agents to forthwith remove the image and name holding out of the applicant as a fraudster to the public from the respondents’ Instagram and other social media platform.

“An order of mandatory injunction is hereby granted restraining the respondent, whether by themselves, their officers, servants, or agents from further holding out the applicant as a fraudster to the public without judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction.

“An order of this honourable court is hereby granted directing the respondent to pay the applicant the sum of N2.5m as exemplary and punitive damages for the unlawful publication of the applicant’s image on the respondent’s Instagram, amounting to a breach of his fundamental rights to privacy.

“An order of this honourable court is hereby granted directing the respondent to pay the applicant N2.5m as general damages for loss suffered herein, amounting to a breach of his fundamental rights.

“An order of this honourable court is hereby granted directing that the respondents tender public apology on their online social media platforms to the applicant.”

Meanwhile, following the judgment, the lawyer to the claimant, Pelumi Olajengbesi, reiterated that it was unlawful and amounted to an abuse of powers for the EFCC to have publicised the images of individuals arrested for alleged crimes when such persons have not been convicted by the court.

In an interview with our correspondent, the lawyer said his firm, Law Corridor, took up the photographer’s case pro bono, and after extensive legal proceedings before the Federal High Court, Abuja, justice was finally served.

Olajengbesi said, “Following numerous legal arguments and delays orchestrated by the EFCC, Justice John Okoro of Court 8 of the Federal High Court, Abuja delivered the landmark judgment on Friday, March 22, 2024.

“The court deemed the EFCC’s actions unconstitutional, as they violated Ali’s right to human dignity, encroached upon his privacy, and disregarded the noble and fundamental principle of presumption of innocence to have posted his picture on their social media.

“We’re happy that the court awarded ₦5million in exemplary, punitive, and general damages against the EFCC. As you can see from the CTC, the EFCC was also ordered to publicly apologise to the young photographer.

“Even though we asked for N100m, the court awarded N5m and also granted a perpetual order against the EFCC from arresting the photographer again.”

The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) PATHFINDER has uncovered 16 illegal refining sites with refining capacity of 9.6million litres of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) popularly known as ‘Diesel’ in a creek in Rivers State.

The operatives of the NNS Pathfinder led by its Commander, Commodore Desmond Igbo, during an operation at the creek around Elem -Krakama in Degema Local Government Area, also arrested 14 suspects, recovered over 1.5m litres of diesel already refined at one of the illegal sites in the area.

THISDAY at the illegal refining sites, observed that three wooden boats with a storage capacity of 70metric tones of crude oil worth 210metric tones still siphoning crude from a tapped oil wellhead owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) were also arrested by the Navy. 

It was further observed that the activities of the suspects at the oilfield wells owned by the NNPC’has dastardly polluted the environment, as crude oil illegally exploited from the wells by the suspects littered on the rivers, destroying the mangroves and other living plants in the area.

Speaking with journalists at the incident sites, Commander of NNS Pathfinder, Commodore Desmond Igbo, identified the oilfield as Oil Mining Lease(OML) 18, owned by NNPCL, saying that the wellhead badly compromised by the suspected oil thieves was well 15 in the same oil field.  

Igbo, who expressed shock at the wide-scale economic sabotage going on in the location, said the site has 16 cooking pots with the capacity to contain 600,000 litres of AGO each, assuring that the Navy will not relent in ensuring that illegal oil refining activities become a thing of the past. 

Igbo said: “This is Elem-Krakama in Degema LGA of Rivers State, we have come here to ensure that this oil stealing will not continue. We have about 16 cooking pots and some of them contain about 600,000 litres. It is very quite huge, as you can see where they are tapping it right from the oil wellhead belonging to NNPCL.

“We have made arrests, we arrested about 14 of them in the act of stealing the crude and also illegally refining this crude. Behind me is oil well head 15 belonging to OML 18, of NNPCL. You can see a very big 14-inch hose connected illegally to this oil well head 15. They are transferring it to this big wooden boat also known as the Cotonou boat. 

“The boats contain 70 metric tons of crude oil, the crude is still there, they will connect it to the reservoirs through the 4-inch hose from there they will start cooking it. We have three of these wooden boats in this camp. The cooking pots also contain about 1.5 million AGO. This is not good for our country, not good for the economy.”

Igbo continued that the success of the operation was in furtherance of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral,  Emmanuel Ogalla’s mandate to them to fish out the economic saboteurs and not to deter in ensuring that oil theft in Niger Delta become history are thing of the past, adding that they will continue to stamp out oil theft in the region.

He, however, revealed that both the arrested suspects and seized crude would be handed over to appropriate agencies for prosecution, saying his personnel would dismantle the illegal connection, just as he noted that the attention of the owners of the oil field has been drawn to clampdown the spilling wellhead. 

He urged community leaders to urge their youths to desist from such criminal activities for a safe and cleaner environment, warning that anyone caught in the act of sabotaging the national asset will be made to face the wrath of the law.

“It is actually economic sabotage.  The cooking pots, we are going to crush them and we have already told the company operating OML 18 owned by NNPCL to clamp down the wellhead permanently so that they cannot come back and engage in it and they said they would do so. We are hoping that they would do that and we will give them the necessary security and safety they would need to do that,” he said.

Meanwhile, the 14 suspects handed over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), were received by the Desk Officer, Intelligent and Investigation Rivers state chapter of NSCDC, Omale Ene.