Author: Mujeedat
Emergency teams have successfully extinguished a significant fire erupting from a Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited gas pipeline along Agege Motor Road, ensuring no damage reached surrounding homes, commercial sites, or vital facilities. Following urgent alerts via the state’s emergency hotlines, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) mobilised its rapid-response unit, reaching the Ile Zik location in Agege around 3:13 a.m. where the pipeline was fully ablaze. Responders reported zero casualties or injuries, attributing the clean outcome to their immediate action in clearing the vicinity, establishing safety barriers, and shielding local residents, drivers, and adjacent fuel depots. Fire…
France has announced a €23 billion investment initiative targeting Africa, unveiled by President Emmanuel Macron at the Africa Forward Franco-African Business Forum in Nairobi. The two-day summit brought together African heads of state and business leaders as Paris seeks to revitalise and reframe its economic ties with the continent amid past tensions with former colonies. The package comprises €14 billion from French public and private entities, spanning major corporations, mid-sized firms, and SMEs, alongside €9 billion mobilised from African investors. Funds will channel into priority areas such as energy transition, digital technology and artificial intelligence, the maritime economy, and…
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has foiled a major drug‑smuggling attempt at the Apapa seaport with the interception of a large consignment of cannabis concealed in a shipping container. In a press briefing held at the Command on Wednesday, 13 May 2026, the Director of Seaport Operations, Assistant Comptroller General (ACGN) Ibinabo Achie Abia, fsi, revealed that the seizure came just two weeks after another high‑profile interception at the same port, underscoring the persistent attempts by criminal networks to use Nigeria’s seaports to push illicit substances into the country. Acting on credible, jointly gathered intelligence between the Nigeria Customs…
Justice Maryann Anineh of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, has revoked the bail of former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, and issued a bench warrant for his arrest after he failed to appear in court on Monday, 11 May 2026. The judge ruled that the trial for Mamman and seven co‑accused will proceed in his absence under Section 352(4) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015. Mamman is standing trial before Justice Anineh on a nine‑count charge involving conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence, and intent to defraud, to the tune of N31,070,541,349.64. This is separate…
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening Shariah governance, regulatory clarity, and risk management in the non‑interest financial services sector. The Bank said this is essential to sustaining public confidence, financial stability, and the orderly growth of the Islamic and Shariah‑compliant finance sub‑sector. The commitment was restated at the 2nd Annual Interactive Session between the CBN’s Financial Regulation Advisory Council of Experts (FRACE) and the Advisory Committees of Experts (ACEs) of Non‑Interest Financial Institutions (NIFIs), held on Thursday, 7 May 2026 at the CBN Auditorium. Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability, Mr. Philip Ikeazor (represented…
The Comptroller‑General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, has restated the country’s dedication to the modernisation of customs administration across West and Central Africa, even as the region converges on shared goals of trade facilitation and border security. Speaking at the 32nd Conference of Directors‑General of Customs for the West and Central Africa (WCA) Region in Freetown, Sierra Leone, from 7 to 8 May 2026, Adeniyi placed Nigeria’s role in the broader context of collective advancement, stressing that regional progress is the ultimate measure of success. CGC Adeniyi, who also chairs the World Customs Organisation Council, highlighted the…
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, has pledged to deepen the institutional partnership between the Nigeria Customs Service and Yakubu Gowon University (formerly University of Abuja) as part of efforts to strengthen learning, research, and student development. The commitment was made at the Customs Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, on Tuesday, 5 May 2026, during a courtesy visit by the Vice‑Chancellor, Professor Hakeem Fawehinmi, and the university’s leadership team. CGC Adeniyi traced the roots of the relationship to his earlier tenure as Commandant of the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, when the Service and the university first moved to…
The Nigeria Customs Service has intensified its efforts to curb money laundering and terrorism financing with a sensitisation and training session on Anti‑Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism at its National Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja. The event, held on Monday, 4 May 2026, formed part of the Service’s first‑quarter operational review and brought officers of the Anti‑Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Unit together to deepen technical skills, reinforce ethical standards, and strengthen inter‑agency coordination. Assistant Comptroller‑General in charge of Headquarters, Muhammad Shuaibu, described the workshop as evidence of the growing strategic importance of the…
The International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria has announced plans to commission a new Press Freedom Hub in Abuja as part of activities marking 2026 World Press Freedom Day. The initiative is being framed as a key step to intensify the campaign against media harassment and to provide a dedicated support centre for journalists and media professionals across the country. The facility, located along Kado Expressway in Abuja, is scheduled to be officially opened on Wednesday, 6 May 2026. IPI Nigeria, which is affiliated with the International Press Institute, a global network of editors, media executives, and journalists active in…
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo‑Olu has urged political leaders and public office holders to conduct themselves with honesty, transparency, and accountability to both the people and God. Speaking at the opening of the 36th Synod of the Diocese of Lagos in the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), he described governance as a sacred stewardship and said that his administration has always approached public office with the awareness that it will be scrutinised in time and eternity. The Governor, who was accompanied by his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, delivered the address at Our Saviour’s Church, Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, during the…