The flagship upstream subsidiary and Natural Oilfield Services Ltd of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited, a subsidiary of Sterling Oil Exploration & Energy Production Company Ltd (SEEPCO), has announce the commencement of oil production at Oil Mining Lease (OML) 13 in Akwa Ibom State. A statement today, May 13, by the Chief Corporate Communications Officer NNPC Ltd, Olufemi O. Soneye said that the oil production, which commenced on May 6 with 6,000 barrels of oil is expected to be ramped up to 40,000 barrels per day by May 27. The statement said that the first oil flow from OML 13 is a historic milestone in the partnership between NNPC E&P Ltd and NOSL, highlighting their dedication to driving growth and development in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. It said that such partnership is a vital component of the nation’s economy. “The achievement does not only signify the culmination of rigorous planning and execution by the teams involved, but also represents a new era of economic empowerment and development opportunities for the host communities.” The statement said that for Nigeria, the first oil from OML 13 holds some significance as it contributes to the country’s efforts to increase its oil production capacity, which is crucial for meeting domestic energy needs and driving economic growth. “The NNPC E&P Ltd and NOSL partnership is also committed to operating in a manner that is safe, environmentally responsible, and beneficial to the local communities.”
Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, has announced the rescue of nine kidnappedt sudents of the Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, Kogi State.
In a statement today, May 12, the Commissioner said that local hunters and other security agents rescued the students who were kidnapped on Thursday, May 9.
The rescue of the students came hours after the Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, visited the institution and assured parents of his commitment to rescuing the students. According to the statement, local vigilante men and security agents engaged the kidnappers in a fierce shootouts to rescue the students. The kidnappers were said to have succumbed to superior firepower of the security agents, sustaining gunshot wounds in the process. They thus abandoned the kidnapped students who also ran in different directions to avoid being caught in the fire exchange. Fanwo said that it was not only the students that were rescued but other victims of the kidnappers. They have all taken to medical facilities for proper attention. Fanwo said security agents are currently combing the forests to ensure all the kidnapped students are found and brought home safely. He said that a local hunters and an operative of the Department of State Services sustained injuries during the exchange of gunshots, adding that they are receiving medical attention. “We commend our local hunters and all the conventional security agents for their bravery and gallantry. “Of special commendation is the DSS for acting on credible intelligence to coordinate a fearless confrontation on the outlaws. “The security agencies have once again demonstrated why Kogi State will remain an uncomfortable place for bandits, kidnappers and other criminal elements. “The success recorded so far is a clear testament of the readiness of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo to ensure adequate and uncompromising security for the people of Kogi State. “We urge residents to report anyone with gun wounds found in their communities to law enforcement agents.”
Let us face it and tell ourselves the truth, bitter as it is: all patriotic Nigerians conversant with happenings among our elite class will be disappointed with the sordid behaviour of most of them. And their behaviour is further putting a strain on the fabric that holds the country together. In the first place, they never consider justice or fair play. Many of them have a grandiloquent idea of being chosen, especially by God, and blessed above everyone else. Their regard and consideration are, therefore, only to their ilk. This is why they never think it is the right thing to do to respect even the laws and the constitution from which they derive their privileges. Some of them see it as doing the masses a favour when they use government funds to deliver some services. A few years ago, we had one governor who christened himself Chief Servant, and whatever the state government did, he had no qualms claiming it was “donated by Chief Servant”! Cheeky! And to think that he went to school and rose to the apex of the civil service before switching to political office. He once publicly said that those who cannot lie have no business being politicians. Fancy that! Some of the political leaders paint public structures in their image, affixing their unofficial names to them. This personalisation of governance and appropriation of the commonwealth is so brazen because they have already taken the people they govern for granted. And this is so because the people themselves do not seem to know their rights or, if they did, cannot demand them. And the people have so ceded their constitutionally given power over the so-called powerful men that they have become toothless. They will spend four years complaining, wailing, crying, and gnashing of teeth over their poor choice, but lo and behold, a packet of noodles is enough to make them “rechoose” their tormentors over better candidates who could not ‘shake body’. Sometimes, the elite are no better than the bandits terrorising the people. The differences are only that they may speak better English than the bandits because they had the opportunity to go to school. They have also found themselves in a position of leadership because our political leadership recruitment processes often give preference to political bandits over political ‘saints.’ Or how else would one explain the erstwhile strong man of Kogi State, the ‘White Lion’ himself, doing hide-and-seek with the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)? This was a man, codenamed “Tatatata” (mimicking the sound of gunfire) in the 2019 election, under whose watch thugs terrorised Kogites, even burning alive an opposition party’s women leader. Now, like Turji or Dogo Gide, he is hiding from the law. Turji and Dogo Gide did not have the privilege of running to the courts, but hey, a bandit is a bandit. One Igbo proverb says that when the mother goat is eating grass, the kid will be watching its mouth. Now even the children of the elite are treading their path. Just recently, the son of El-Rufa’i was cautioned by the Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Yusuf Liman, for sending him threatening messages via WhatsApp just because his father, who loaded debt on the state, is being probed. But if the sins of el-Rufa’i’s son can be overlooked, what of that of a sitting governor who is the chief security officer of his state? To be part of a conspiracy to whisk away a fugitive from justice is not a small infraction of the Constitution. In a saner nation, that act alone would cause him to lose his office. But then, we live in Nigeria, where anything can happen. Then we also see a state house of assembly, some newspaper houses, lawyers, organisations, and associations all rooting for someone who should know better but chose to be no better than those hiding from the law in the bushes. And you cry for Nigeria and wonder if there is any hope for her. However, if what has been going on under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is any indicator, then Yahaya Bello can only run for now but can not hide; the eagle claws of the law will clamp him. We have seen what befell the erstwhile Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin Emefiele, minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, Betta Edu (for how long will they remain suspended?), and many others, the latest of which is former minister Hadi Sirika of the Nigerian Air Debacle. President Tinubu has shown that he is not a tiger who is being wagged by its tail. In the last administration, the lawbreakers-in-office largely went scot-free, with the principal adopting a hear-no-evil, see-no-evil posture, ensconced in his Aso Villa cocoon. But not this president, who is committing class suicide by dealing with brigands in his social class. The Hausa man said, “Ba a yabon dan kuturu sai ya kai arba’in.” It is early days yet, and there is no hurray until we see the end, whether this is just a red herring or something serious. Hassan Gimba is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Neptune Prime.
A group of 43 advance team of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) will depart Abuja, Nigeria tomorrow, May 12, for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to mark the beginning of the 2024 Muslim Hajj operations. According to a statement today, May 11, by the NAHCON’s Deputy Director of Information and Publications Division, Mousa Ubandanwaki, the team is made up of 35 NAHCON Officials and 8 Medical Personnel. He said that members of the team are expected to prepare ground and receive the first set of Nigerian pilgrims from Kebbi State who would be arriving the Kingdom on May 15 for the Holy Pilgrimage. He quoted the Chairman/CEO of NAHCON, Malam Jalal Ahmad Arabi, as advising members of the team to discharge their duties in accordance with their mandate.
He reminded them that their performance could make or mar the success of the exercise. “You are the first point of call or contact with the pilgrims. Their impression and perception of your action or activities will go a long way towards assessing the Commission. Ií you get it right, we get it right and on the contrary, if you get it wrong, the rest will just be about crisis management. “Therefore, you must be up and doing in order to earn our reward here and that of Allah in the Hereafter for treating His Guests well. They are the reason you are there, so at every point in time, make sure you attend or treat them with courtesy and respect.” Arabi warned that the Commission would take drastic measures against anyone who deviates from the rules of engagement, and that he would not hesitate to recall any staff accused of dereliction of duties. He asked them to take the warning seriously, saying: “you have been carefully selected because of the trust we have in you and as such, you need to brace up. Laxity and procrastination will not be tolerated.” Malam Arabi also called on the medical personnel to respect their patients and pilgrims. “You must serve and treat them fairly, gently and with utmost respect.” The Chairman reminded the Team to work in unity and harmony as they are representatives of the Commission and Nigeria, saying that they would be assessed and monitored. “I want to urge you to work as team, cooperate with one another. Those of you who are veterans should assist and guide those who are new on the job so that we can achieve success collectively.”
The Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Usman Ahmed Ododo has fingered internal Collaborators in the invasion of the Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, by kidnappers that went away with some students in the night of May 9. He said: “we installed CCTV cameras in all the classrooms and the entire perimeter of the university campus, yet on the day of the attack, our investigation so far revealed that all the cameras were switched off and this can only be attributed to sabotage by internal collaborators.” Governor Usman Ododo, who visited the University today, May 11, and took a tour of the campus and its environs, promised that the security agencies are on the heels of the kidnappers, even as investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident is ongoing.
“All our students shall return safely and the perpetrators shall be brought to book.” Governor Ododo said that there will be regular review of the operation as more facts emerge from the investigation. “I am here to see things myself, to assess the situation and also to review the ongoing operation that will ensure the safe return of the students to the school. “What is most important now is how to rescue our students unhurt.
“We have the right information at our disposal but we can’t put all that out in the media. The Governor assured members of the university community of efforts by the government to improve the existing security architecture on the campus. “It is our duty as a government to protect lives and property in all parts of the state. “We are prepared to protect the students and that is why we allowed the students to stay on the campus. “I want the parents and students to be calm as we are making a concerted effort to secure the return of the students.” The Governor commended the security agencies for their gallantry in minimising the impact of the attack by preventing the attackers from gaining access to the university hostels. He stressed that nothing will be spared to bring back the students and to prevent a repeat of such an unfortunate attack on the university campus and elsewhere in the state.
The Nigerian National Committee of the International Press Institute (IPI Nigeria) has cautioned Journalists in the country to maintain ethical standards in their practice.
The advice came after it secured the release from detention, of Ibraheem Hamza Mohammed, a reporter with a Lagos-based online newspaper, First News. The journalist was released yesterday, May 10, after a Nasarawa High Court, sitting in Doma, granted him bail. He spent 10 days in jail. He will remain on bail till 13 May when the police are expected to withdraw the charges against him and discontinue the trial. The IPI, Nigeria, led by its President, Musikilu Mojeed, stressed the need for journalists to always uphold the ethics of their profession, desist from publishing false news and continue to observe a high degree of standard in their practice. Musikilu had led a delegation that visited Lafia, Capital of Nasarawa State on 6 May, to meet with top officials of the State government, including Governor Sule, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Labaran Magaji as well as the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ibrahim Addra. The delegation also visited and conferred with the affected journalist, Mohammed, in prison. The State Command of the Nigeria Police had arrested Mohammed on May 1, after he was accused of falsely publishing that N40 million was stolen from Governor Abdullahi Sule’s bedroom. The article was published on 22 February 2024. The police charged him with violation of the Cybercrime Act and secured an order for his remand at the Medium Security Custodian Centre in Lafia. Meanwhile, the management of First News has apologised to Governor Sule over the story, saying that it has since found “that the said story lacked any form of truth in it and that the reporter merely concocted the story in his bid to pursue a personal vendetta against the governor. “While tendering an unreserved apology to the Nasarawa State Governor, His Excellency, Alhaji Abdullahi Sule, we wish to assure him that such will not repeat itself ever again,” the newspaper added.
No fewer than 52 passengers escaped air crash on board a Nigeria aircraft belonging to XEJET Airlines skidded off the runway and landed in the grass at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos. The Airbus, with registration 5N-BZZ, departed Abuja and landed in Lagos at 11.29 am today, May 11. The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau confirmed the incident, saying that the aircraft belonging to XEJET Airlines skidded off the runway of the domestic wing of the airport. Following this development, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has shut the 18 Left runway of the airport.
A lecturer in the Department of English and Literary Studies at the Federal University Lokoja was allegedly caught engaging in sexual move with his 300-level female student. The lecturer, whose name was given as Theodore Shey, was said to have been under the university’s radar for some time. Source in the know said that luck ran out for him when the girl’s parents set up a trap and caught him in the act. It was learnt that messages sent by the lecturer to the girl were intercepted and reported to both the parents and the university authorities. Theodore was said to have pressurized the girl to the point of failing her in the previous examination, and that the girl’s parents set him up by asking their daughter to agree to his move. The randy lecturer, who was marched to the University campus with only boxer covering his groins, from his house, where he asked the girl to meet him for the act, has since been handed over to the Department of State Security (DSS). Source: Middle Belt Monitor.
Bandits unleashed a wave of violence on farming communities in Zamfara State, claiming the lives of at least 30 farmers and an Islamic cleric. The attacks were said to have occurred in Gidangoga village, Maradun Local Government Area (LGA), and Bilbis village, Tsafe LGA. According to sources, the bandits first struck in Maradun LGA, attacking Gidangoga village, where farmers were preparing their lands for the wet season. A renowned Islamic cleric, Mallam Makwashi Maradun Mai Jan Baki was brutally killed while working on his farm. He was known for reciting the Quran during Ramadan Tafsir at Maradun First Jumuat Mosque. . His two children remain missing after the attack. The bandits also attacked Bilbis village in Tsafe LGA, leaving 20 civilians dead. Sources reported that the farmers were attacked while clearing their fields It was also gathered that a district head, Alhaji Murtala Ruwan Bado, of Garbadu in Talata Marafa Emirate, narrowly escaped a bandit attack in the evening along Mayananchi road. The affected have called on communities authorities to take swift action to ensure justice and protect their lives. Source: PRNigeria
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi has disclaimed a man who claimed, in a viral video, to be his son. Ooni of Ife, who reacted in a statement by his spokesperson, Moses Olafare, said that Oba Ogunwusi, being a responsible father and custodian of tradition knew and acknowledged all his children and would stop at nothing to take full responsibility for them. “Our attention has been drawn to an amateur video clip featuring a grown-up individual claiming to be a son of our father, Arole Oodua Olofin Adimula, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja ll, the Ooni of Ife, virally trending across various online platforms. “We categorically condemn and denounce this shameless act of impersonation in the strongest possible terms. “It is imperative to clarify that the Ooni of Ife, as a responsible father and custodian of tradition, knows and acknowledges all his children and stops at nothing to take full responsibility for them (both those who are in Nigeria and outside the country).
“As all of Ooni’s children are well known to the palace and the people of Ile-Ife, the eldest child of the Ooni is Princess Adeola Ogunwusi, a Masters degree holder working and residing in Canada, followed by Princess Adewamiwa Ogunwusi, who recently relocated to further her education in Dublin, Ireland, from where she had come three years ago for her secondary school education in her home country, Nigeria. “Princess Adesewa is doing very well, Prince Tadenikawo Ogunwusi is widely known to be with his mother, hale and hearty while the newborn twins, Prince Adebisi Kehinde and Princess Taiwo Adeayo, are being planned to formally make their historic entry into the palace in a couple of days, in accordance with the customs and traditions of the Ife palace. “His marauding impersonation tactics to exploit the revered status of the Ooni of Ife for fraudulent personal gains is not only sacrilegious but also criminal. “Impersonation of any member of the royal family is a sacrilege against the sanctity of the palace and the heritage it represents. “While the palace leaves no stone unturned to go after this criminal using all possible means to scapegoat him, with a view to making him face the law for necessary deterrence, we hereby urge the law enforcement agencies, particularly the Nigerian Police Force and Department of State Security to thoroughly investigate this matter and bring the perpetrator to justice as swiftly as possible.” Olafare said anyone with useful information about the whereabouts of the man should reach out to the palace or the police. The man in the video had said: “Oba Enitan Ogunwusi is my father. “He hid me with my mother with a clear instruction that I must not reveal myself.” He said that though he is not living in penury, Oba Ogunwusi is living in affluence with his other siblings. “Anytime I desire to come to the palace, he (Ooni) would stop me saying it was not yet time. “Now is the time. “My mum might not talk, but I will say the truth. “Though I’m not suffering, there is a house, cars are there, there is money, but I’m no longer interested in them. “I want to be known as the son of the king, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II.” Source: The Eagle Online.
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“All our students shall return safely and the perpetrators shall be brought to book.”
“We have the right information at our disposal but we can’t put all that out in the media.
“As all of Ooni’s children are well known to the palace and the people of Ile-Ife, the eldest child of the Ooni is Princess Adeola Ogunwusi, a Masters degree holder working and residing in Canada, followed by Princess Adewamiwa Ogunwusi, who recently relocated to further her education in Dublin, Ireland, from where she had come three years ago for her secondary school education in her home country, Nigeria.
Elite Brigandage And Tinubu’s Class Suicide, By Hassan Gimba
Let us face it and tell ourselves the truth, bitter as it is: all patriotic Nigerians conversant with happenings among our elite class will be disappointed with the sordid behaviour of most of them.
And their behaviour is further putting a strain on the fabric that holds the country together.
In the first place, they never consider justice or fair play. Many of them have a grandiloquent idea of being chosen, especially by God, and blessed above everyone else. Their regard and consideration are, therefore, only to their ilk. This is why they never think it is the right thing to do to respect even the laws and the constitution from which they derive their privileges.
Some of them see it as doing the masses a favour when they use government funds to deliver some services. A few years ago, we had one governor who christened himself Chief Servant, and whatever the state government did, he had no qualms claiming it was “donated by Chief Servant”! Cheeky! And to think that he went to school and rose to the apex of the civil service before switching to political office. He once publicly said that those who cannot lie have no business being politicians. Fancy that!
Some of the political leaders paint public structures in their image, affixing their unofficial names to them. This personalisation of governance and appropriation of the commonwealth is so brazen because they have already taken the people they govern for granted. And this is so because the people themselves do not seem to know their rights or, if they did, cannot demand them.
And the people have so ceded their constitutionally given power over the so-called powerful men that they have become toothless. They will spend four years complaining, wailing, crying, and gnashing of teeth over their poor choice, but lo and behold, a packet of noodles is enough to make them “rechoose” their tormentors over better candidates who could not ‘shake body’.
Sometimes, the elite are no better than the bandits terrorising the people. The differences are only that they may speak better English than the bandits because they had the opportunity to go to school. They have also found themselves in a position of leadership because our political leadership recruitment processes often give preference to political bandits over political ‘saints.’
Or how else would one explain the erstwhile strong man of Kogi State, the ‘White Lion’ himself, doing hide-and-seek with the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)? This was a man, codenamed “Tatatata” (mimicking the sound of gunfire) in the 2019 election, under whose watch thugs terrorised Kogites, even burning alive an opposition party’s women leader.
Now, like Turji or Dogo Gide, he is hiding from the law. Turji and Dogo Gide did not have the privilege of running to the courts, but hey, a bandit is a bandit.
One Igbo proverb says that when the mother goat is eating grass, the kid will be watching its mouth. Now even the children of the elite are treading their path. Just recently, the son of El-Rufa’i was cautioned by the Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Yusuf Liman, for sending him threatening messages via WhatsApp just because his father, who loaded debt on the state, is being probed.
But if the sins of el-Rufa’i’s son can be overlooked, what of that of a sitting governor who is the chief security officer of his state? To be part of a conspiracy to whisk away a fugitive from justice is not a small infraction of the Constitution. In a saner nation, that act alone would cause him to lose his office. But then, we live in Nigeria, where anything can happen.
Then we also see a state house of assembly, some newspaper houses, lawyers, organisations, and associations all rooting for someone who should know better but chose to be no better than those hiding from the law in the bushes. And you cry for Nigeria and wonder if there is any hope for her.
However, if what has been going on under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is any indicator, then Yahaya Bello can only run for now but can not hide; the eagle claws of the law will clamp him.
We have seen what befell the erstwhile Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin Emefiele, minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, Betta Edu (for how long will they remain suspended?), and many others, the latest of which is former minister Hadi Sirika of the Nigerian Air Debacle.
President Tinubu has shown that he is not a tiger who is being wagged by its tail. In the last administration, the lawbreakers-in-office largely went scot-free, with the principal adopting a hear-no-evil, see-no-evil posture, ensconced in his Aso Villa cocoon. But not this president, who is committing class suicide by dealing with brigands in his social class.
The Hausa man said, “Ba a yabon dan kuturu sai ya kai arba’in.” It is early days yet, and there is no hurray until we see the end, whether this is just a red herring or something serious.
Hassan Gimba is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Neptune Prime.