News
The Editor of First News Online Newspaper, Mr. Segun Olatunji has been released by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), after 13 days in custody.
He was released to the General Secretary of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mr. Iyobosa Uwugiaren and the Deputy Editor of The Nation Newspapers, Mr. Yomi Odunuga under a bridge in Asokoro.
The security goons were masked with number plates of their vehicles covered up.
All the documents for his release were signed inside a security vehicle with heavily armed operatives.
Upon enquiry by the NGE sureties, one of the security men simply said he was arrested for “terrorism.”
The International Press Institute, Nigeria, has alleged that the missing Editor of FirstNews, Segun Olatunji, was in the custody of the Defence Intelligence Agency.
The DIA is an agency under the command of Major General Emmanuel Undiandeye, who, in turn, reports to the Chief of Defence Staff.
The IPI, in a statement on Wednesday signed by its Nigeria’s President, Musikilu Mojeed, urged President Bola Tinubu to direct the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, to produce Olatunji who was abducted from his home in Lagos.
“Multiple checks by IPI Nigeria revealed that Mr Olatunji was in the custody of the Defence Intelligence Agency, an agency under the command of Major General Emmanuel Undiandeye, who, in turn, reports to the Chief of Defence Staff, General Musa.
- FAAN Shuts Down KFC Outlet At Lagos Airport
The Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities has issued a stern condemnation following a discriminatory incident at a KFC restaurant in Lagos State on March 27, 2024.
Recall that Debola Daniel, an individual with a disability who relies on a wheelchair, was unjustly denied access to the lounge area of the KFC establishment located within the departure hall of Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
According to a press release made available to the press, the SSA, Hon. Mohammed Abba Isa, stated that this discriminatory act is deemed unacceptable, as it infringes upon the fundamental rights and dignity of persons with disabilities.
Expressing solidarity with Daniel and others who have faced similar discrimination, the office reaffirms its commitment to safeguarding the rights of all citizens, regardless of their abilities. It asserts a zero-tolerance stance towards any form of discrimination or marginalization within society.
Hon. Isa pledged to pursue this matter vigorously until justice is served and corrective measures are implemented, while demanding public apology from KFC, to be published in national dailies, as a means of rectifying the discriminatory conduct.
"We hereby pledge to vigorously pursue this matter until the narrative is changed, and redress is found. Additionally, we demand a public apology from KFC, to be published in national dailies, for their perverse discrimination and misconduct. Failure to heed this demand will result in legal action, as we will not hesitate to seek justice through the appropriate channels.
“Discrimination against persons with disabilities has no place in our society, and we call upon all stakeholders to join us in ensuring equal access and opportunities for all. Let us work together to create a more inclusive and equitable Nigeria.,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, the management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has shut down KFC facility at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos with immediate effect.
A statement by Mrs. Obiageli Orah, Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, FAAN, said that this was in connection with the discriminatory treatment received by a Passenger with Reduced Mobility (PRM) at the airport on Wednesday from the outlet.
The statement said that the closing down of the company was in line with Lagos State Law on People with Special Needs, Part C, Section 55 of General Provisions on Discrimination.
The law states that: “A person shall not deprive another person of access to any place, vehicle or facility that members of the public are entitled to enter or use on the basis of the disability of that person.”
The statement hinted that Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, the Managign Director, FAAN, immediately intervened by deploying a management team comprising the Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mrs. Obiageli Orah, the Regional Manager South West, Mr. Sunday Ayodele, Ag. General Manager Public Affairs, Mrs. Ijeoma Nwosu-Igbo and the International Terminal Manager, Mr. Kerri, to investigate the allegation of discrimination against the physically challenged traveller.
Orah emphasised that the shutting down of the facility at the MMIA where the incident occurred, was based on the findings of the team deployed by FAAN to carry out investigation into the matter.
FAAN also directed the KFC management to tender an unreserved apology, in writing to the affected PRM and a policy statement of non-discrimination written and pasted conspicuously at the door post of their facility at the airport before it would be allowed to resume operation.
“FAAN uses this medium to express our unreserved apology to the affected passenger with reduced mobility and assures all airport users that we shall continue to work tirelessly to ensure that the rights of every passenger are not infringed upon,” the statement said.
It would be recalled that Debola Daniel, the son of Senator Gbenga Daniel, was ridiculed yesterday because of his disability by staffers of KFC.
Senator Gbenga Daniel's son, Debola Daniel has called out a popular fast food restaurant, KFC, located at the Murtala Muhammed international Airport, Lagos for allegedly denying him entry into their lounge because of his wheelchair.
Debola Daniel who condemned the act which he termed 'vile discrimination' on his twitter page said "to be a disabled in Nigeria is to be undesirable".
Below are excerpts of his words where he asked if he was not human enough for KFC :
"Being disabled often rolls over my spirit, leaving behind a trail of shattered dignity and forgotten humanity. Nowhere more so than in Nigeria.
"The vile discrimination I faced today at one of these global fast food restaurants, I don’t think I can find the words, but I will search for them because enough is enough.
"I have never been the type of person to make a fuss or complain about my disability. My approach has always been “laissez faire”. Ultimately, it is what it is. It is a part of my identity and like everyone else, I have my days of self doubt and confusion as to how/if I fit in society.
"To be a disabled in nigeria is to be undesirable, unwelcome and unaccepted. As I’ve said before, it’s a lonely, scary and isolated place.
"Never has this been more true than it has ever been today where I faced the worst sort of public humiliation that I have ever experienced. To think that this happened at an international brand @kfc @kfcnigeria at an international airport - Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos - is unthinkable.
"I arrived at the airport as normal for my Virgin Atlantic flight to london. I’m a frequent flyer and I’m extremely familiar with all due processes at Murtala Muhammed Airport. Years ago, after all security and immigration formalities have been completed, I would normally go to the OASIS lounge to wait for my flight.
"For the past 3 years, the lift to the lounge has been out of service so I’ve often found solace in other establishments, sometimes lounges, sometimes restaurants such as @kfc @kfcnigeria
"Today I chose KFC - what a colossal mistake. I entered the restaurant with 4 other travel companions consisting of my brothers and wife. The security personnel at KFC, Samuel, greeted me by name as I’ve been there multiple times. Just as we were about to sit, the lady at the till - who was apparently the manager - called out loudly, “NO WHEELCHAIRS ALLOWED”.
"Our group paused in confusion, before my brother, Taiwo, asked what she meant. She refused to listen to reason and stood her ground that at @kfc @kfcnigeria Murtala Muhammed branch, wheelchairs and wheelchair users of all shapes and sizes were not permitted in the premises and we should leave immediately.
"My siblings and wife became instantly irate and proceeded to debate her position with her, ultimately cumulating in raised voices and strong verbal protests. If there’s one thing I hate more than anything in this life is to create a scene. I detest it. I do not like to draw attention to myself and as such I began pleading with my people that we should just leave.
"My wife took some video footage and my brothers took some pictures. There were at least 5 other witnesses at the scene, who tried to intervene as things unfolded. Eventually our party departed to another lounge upset and quite frankly pissed off.
"Normally I would let these things slide but not today. When calmer heads prevailed, my wife and brother - Mayowa - went back and under the guise of buying some food and while audio recording, she questioned the lady again and the lady reiterated her position that the business does not allow wheelchairs into their premises.
"She stated that although she recently just transferred to that branch, it is something that has been drummed into them. NO WHEELCHAIRS ALLOWED.
"It harkens back to dark periods in recent history…
"No wheelchairs allowed…
"No coloureds allowed….
"No blacks allowed…
"Today I felt less than human, like a guard dog not allowed into the house. Lonely and isolated.
"I will continue to escalate this exponentially until I get a reasonable resolution and there’s no stopping me. You cannot treat people this way. There are approximately 27 million Nigerians living with some form of disability. That’s over 13% of the country. 1 in 6 people on the planet are disabled. You MUST NOT treat people this way.
"So my question to @kfc @kfcnigeria is simple. Does this represent your approach to disabled customers or will you be looking into this? Am I not human enough for KFC?"
Nigeria's Defence Chief, Chris Musa, said on Monday the military was being fed bad intelligence by informants, hampering the fight against armed kidnapping gangs who continue to abduct students and residents in the north of the country.
The military announced on Sunday that it had rescued 137 students abducted by gunmen earlier this month in northwestern Kaduna state. The school children arrived in Kaduna on Monday.
Musa told Reuters that the military was too stretched and often relied on informants to pursue the armed gangs, known locally as bandits, often with little success.
"They (informants) make the troops go elsewhere and when they get there, they meet nothing and allow the bandits to commit acts of criminality," said Musa.
Musa said there had been no confrontation with gunmen during the rescue of the Kaduna students. But he would not say how the students were freed or if any of the gunmen were taken into custody.
There have been at least 68 mass abductions in the first quarter of 2024 mostly in northern Nigeria, according to risk consultancy SBM Intelligence.
Musa said once bandits retreat to Nigeria's vast forests, it becomes difficult to pursue them. That is because gunmen quickly trek through the forest, often for days with their victims.
"Once they go in there, getting them out is difficult. The aircrafts cannot see them quite easily," he said, adding that Nigeria's vast and loosely patrolled northern border made the situation worse.
The kidnappings have prompted some state governments to recruit what they call community guards.
"Now, state governments on their own are going to pick people who have no training and deploy and we are discouraging them from doing that," he said.
Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has confirmed that Nadeem Anjarwalla, a suspect in the ongoing criminal probe into the activities of Binance has escaped from custody.
The NSA has now activated its dragnet involving Interpol and other MDA’s to apprehend the fleeing suspect.
Spokesman of ONSA, Zakari Mijinyawa, who confirmed the escape noted that the suspect eloped using a smuggled passport.
“Upon receiving this report, this office took immediate steps, in conjunction with relevant security agencies , MDAs, as well as the international community, to apprehend the suspect. Security agencies are working with Interpol for an international arrest warrant on the suspect.
“Preliminary investigation shows that Anjarwalla fled Nigeria using a smuggled passport.
“The personnel responsible for the custody of the suspect have been arrested, and a thorough investigation is ongoing to unravel the circumstances that led to his escape from lawful detention.
“Recall that the Federal Government of Nigeria, like other governments around the world, has been investigating money laundering and terrorism financing transactions perpetrated on the Binance currency exchange platform.
“Until his escape, Nadeem Anjarwalla, who holds British and Kenyan nationalities and serving as Binance’s Africa regional manager, was being tried by Nigerian courts. The suspect escaped while under a 14-day remand order by a court in Nigeria. He was scheduled to appear before the court again on April 4, 2024.
“We urge the Nigerian public and the international community to provide whatever information they have that can assist law enforcement agencies to apprehend the suspect.”
The Nigerian Army has confirmed the killing of its officers who were on a peacekeeping mission to two warring communities in Delta State, in a Vanguard News report.
Those who lost their lives include a Lieutenant Colonel, two Majors, one Captain and 12 soldiers.
The Director, Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, confirmed the incident, yesterday.
The soldiers were on a rescue mission to Okuama community to free a hostage, one Mr. Anthony Aboh, allegedly abducted over the lingering land dispute between Okuama and Okoloba communities when they were ambushed and killed.
Gusau said: “The troops of 181 Amphibious Batallion, Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State, while on a peace mission to Okuoma community in Bomadi LGA of Delta State, were surrounded by some community youths and killed on Thursday, 14 March 2024.
"The unfortunate incident occurred when the troops responded to a distress call after the communal crisis between the Okuama and Okoloba communities both in Delta State.
“The reinforcement team led by the Commanding Officer was also attacked, leading to the death of the Commanding Officer, two Majors, one Captain and 12 Soldiers.
Invasion
Meanwhile, the Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, General Christopher Musa, has ordered the immediate arrest and investigation of all those involved in the heinous crime.
"The occurrence has been reported to the Delta State Government. However, the military remains focused and committed to its mandate of maintaining peace and security in the country.
"So far, a few arrests have been made while steps are in place to unravel the motive behind the attack”, the Defence spokesperson stated.
However, following the killing of soldiers and the consequent invasion of the Okuama community in Ughelli South LGA, more dead bodies were said to have been recovered from River Forcados in Burutu LGA.
Findings by Sunday Vanguard revealed that some of the soldiers, including ranking officers were taken hostage and were later killed. In retaliation, the military reportedly invaded and burned down houses in the community.
However, tension was heightened in Bomadi, headquarters of Bomadi council, weekend, when convoys of Military Police, MP, trooped into the JTF command in the early hours of yesterday, with a helicopter hovering around the town.
According to community sources, several bodies were seen floating on River Forcados towards the Ayakoromor community axis in Burutu Local Government Area.
Some of the recovered bodies were brought to Bomadi on speedboat over the weekend with sympathisers weeping at the community waterfront.
Bullets
A security source, who pleaded anonymity, disclosed that the Bomadi JTF Commander, Maj. Jaffa and his men were taken unawares while on their way back to the waterfront after a deadlocked round table discussion over the kidnapped youth at Okuama community.
"We were coming back to our boats after the unfruitful discussion to release the kidnapped youth. Suddenly, there were rains of bullets coming from all directions and some of us managed to escape. Many people were killed during the ambush.
“But, the commander and other soldiers were held hostage and taken to an unknown destination towards the creek opposite the community”, he said.
In his reaction, the Head of Personnel Management, Bomadi LGA, who is at the helm of affairs of the council, Dr Ighomrore Hope, said: “My counterpart in Ughelli South and I went to Asaba when we heard of the first hostage-taking. We reported the matter to government office in charge of the issue headed by one Chief Uzor. But we were told there was an already signed peace pact between the two communities.
"What is happening now is really beyond me and I don’t know how to describe those behind this gruesome killing of people. I want to appreciate the effort of the security forces in Bomadi for the endless efforts made to curb the crisis between these two communities before this unwarranted incident”, he said.
But the Chairman of Okoloba community, Mr Clement Koki, said no Ijaw community killed any soldier. “I want to say that no Ijaw community killed any soldier as I have just read on the internet. The military knows who ambushed and killed their men and they have reacted accordingly.
"We have also found the lifeless body of Mr Anthony Aboh floating on River Forcados, and like other victims, he was blindfolded with hands tied behind his back”.
Meanwhile, efforts to speak with the President-General of Okuama community, Mr Akata, were futile as he responded with a text, “Just a moment, I will be right there”. Also, the mobile phone of the Chairman of Okuama, Mr Vote, was switched off at the time of filing this report.
Prosecute
Reacting to the incident, a human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, called on federal government to isolate and prosecute the murders of the soldiers without delay.
Falana, who said this in a statement, urged Delta State government to assist in identifying the suspects to ensure they are brought to book.
His words: “We join the members of civilised humanity in condemning the brutality meted out to the military officers and soldiers as they were deployed for a peacekeeping mission to resolve the crisis in two warring communities in Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta state. We are, however, pleased to note that the military remains focused and committed to its mandate of maintaining peace and security in the country.
“Having regard to the massacre of innocent people when the military invaded Odi in Bayelsa State and Zaki Biam in Benue State in similar circumstances, we commend the military authorities for resisting the temptation to subject the two warring communities to a reprisal attack. By all means, the army should avoid a repeat of the history of having multiple tragedies.
"We have confirmed that in line with the directive of the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Gwabim Musa, some of the gunmen involved in the heinous crime have been arrested. The Delta State Government, the respective local governments, and the leaders of two warring communities should assist the police in identifying and isolating the remaining reckless murderers and unravel the motive behind the heinous crime.
"While we commiserate with the Nigerian Army and the bereaved families of the slain military officers and soldiers, we call on the authorities of the Nigeria Police Force to ensure that a thorough investigation is conducted into the case with a view to prosecuting the suspects without any delay. "
MainOne, a Digital Infrastructure Service Provider on Saturday said that it had restored service to some customers and was actively working on restoring all services through capacity acquired on available cable systems.
The organisation made this known via a statement on its website in response to news reports that it would take two weeks to five weeks for it to restore internet services.
The statement said that the estimated repair time that it had earlier declared was for its submarine cable fault to be fixed.
“The repair time is to enable our services to become fully restored and independently supply capacity to customers.
“We have already restored services to some customers and are actively working on restoring services to others via capacity acquired on available cable systems,’’ the statement said.
Earlier, MainOne said that it recognised the impact of the outage and was working tirelessly to make available restoration of capacity for temporal relief where feasible.
‘’We are very optimistic that our cable will be repaired as planned and services fully restored so that we can continue to operate with continued integrity of the submarine cable,” it said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) had said that the internet disruptions being experienced by organisations, banks, individuals were as a result of damage affecting major undersea cables near Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire.
The NCC said that the damage was causing downtime across West and South African countries.
It said that the cuts occurred somewhere in Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal, with an attendant disruption in Portugal.
It said that cable companies – West African Cable System (WACS) and African Coast to Europe (ACE) in the West Coast route from Europe – had experienced faults, while SAT3 and MainOne had downtime.
The regulatory body added that similar undersea cables providing traffic from Europe to the East Coast of Africa, like Seacom, Europe India Gateway (EIG), Asia-Africa-Europe 1 (AAE1), were said to have been cut at some point around the Red Sea.
This, it said, resulted in degradation of services across these routes.
Recall that in an earlier statement, MainOne had declared a force majeure on its contractual obligations while explaining steps to restore connectivity.
The force majeure is an unforeseeable circumstance that prevents someone from fulfilling a contract.
The unforeseen circumstances maybe natural disasters (fire, storms, floods), or governmental or societal actions (war, invasion, civil unrest, labour strikes), or infrastructure failures (transportation, energy).
MainOne, an Equinix company, is one of the leading data centre and connectivity solution provider with presence in Nigeria, Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire.
Nigerians are lamenting the consequences of epileptic power supply that has characterized the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) in recent times, according to a Daily Trust report.
Nigeria’s electricity generation, which was around 4,000 Megawatt (MW) in the past 10 years, has further plunged to 3,500 MW lately.
The drop in generation was attributed to the inability of the electricity generation companies to pay for gas suppliers that feed their plants, according to people with knowledge of happenings in the industry.
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, had said that gas companies are being owed over N3 trillion, with the government having N1.3 trillion debt yet to be redeemed.
Similarly, the lack of rainfall because of the dry season has reduced the flow of water to hydro power plants that contribute 27 per cent of electricity to Nigeria’s energy mix.
Business owners grumble
With the price of alternative energy from fossil fuel rising by more than 100 per cent due to removal of subsidy, small business owners who spoke to Daily Trust on Sunday said the continued poor power supply from the national grid is having huge negative effects on their businesses.
This is just as they said they have stopped buying large quantities of perishable goods due to poor electricity to sustain their ventures.
The most affected include barbers, hairdressing salons, welders, printers, computer operators, dry cleaners, cold soft drink vendors, grinding machine operators, restaurateurs, tailor, who use industrial sewing machines, among others.
In Minna, the capital of Niger State, fresh tomato and pepper sellers have attributed low patronage to the power crisis as customers are finding it difficult to preserve the commodities in their refrigerators.
The Chairman, Fresh Tomato, Pepper, Onion and Vegetable Sellers Association, Alhaji Bala Kura, said the patronage in the past month has dwindled, calling on the government to intervene.
A Minna based printer and publisher, James Adelowo, said the epileptic power supply situation has been frustrating.
He said engaging in small business is no longer profitable.
"It is frustrating and really killing. Every profit we make goes back to fuelling the generator. Most of the time, we can’t even afford the fuel, so businesses are really going through a very tough time now,” he said.
Another printer, Sunday Samuel, disclosed that: “Some days, I don’t do anything because if I buy N5,000 fuel, it doesn’t take me anywhere. Before you know, it is finished.”
Another resident, Mrs Amina Sadeeq, said she often purchases tomatoes and meat in large quantities and stores some in her refrigerator but the poor power situation has forced her to stop.
“We now buy what we can use for the day because there is no light to store them. In my area, Gbeganu, we have less than an hour of power supply daily, so, how do you store fresh meat, tomatoes and pepper? Recently, I had to throw away large quantities of tomato and pepper that got spoiled,” she said.
Aisha Mohammed Kudu, a housewife, said, “The heat is much and the weather is not friendly at all. The electricity situation is not helping matters. One can’t sleep comfortably in this heat at night and the generator is a no-go area. So, we use local fans”.
The situation is the same in Ilọrin, the Kwara State capital, where Hajia Fatimah Alasela, a frozen fish seller, closed her business due to lack of electricity supply.
“We have folded up the business for now. The beauty of the business is regular power supply, but sometimes for three days we won’t have light and when available, it lasts for one hour. At the end of the day, the fish will get spoiled and all the investment will vanish. So, we have to suspend the business until the power situation improves”, she said.
She added that attempting the use of diesel, which goes for over N1,600 for a litre, as an alternative, would increase the price of the fish which is already high.
“I even tried to smoke the fish first to reduce the amount of electricity we would need to preserve it, but it didn’t work out. There are two issues we need to get out of this situation: regular power supply and a reduction in the price of fish, which is increasing astronomically every day,” she explained.
“From a carton or more, I resolve to buy 1/8 which is the smallest you can buy. Now, just one Shawa is N800 and a kilo of Titus goes for N4,600, which is just two maximum,” she said.
For Mrs Oladuni Abdullahi, a civil servant, the current power situation calls for urgency before it becomes too late.
She reiterated that she cannot stock the house with perishable goods to avoid frequent visits to the market.
“There is no electricity, which is a huge disadvantage considering the way prices of foods and goods are increasing daily,” she said.
While begging the federal government to intervene in solving the power crises in the country, she said she purchased a solar fan at the cost of N45,000, but was not sufficient enough for her family as they live in a three-bedroom flat.
“The next time we tried to get another one, the price went up to N110,000 and we had to leave it,” she said.
For small business owners in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, it was the same tales and woes.
A tailor in Makurdi, Hassan Jato, said for the past three months, he was unable to deliver finished clothes for his clients due to inconsistency of power supply.
“As the poor power supply persists, my earnings too have become so lean. I don’t know exactly what has gone wrong with the electricity but the government needs to come to our aid, especially as we can’t run this business on fuel,” Jato said.
Blessing Jeremiah, another resident of Makurdi, said life is tough and called on political leaders to fear God and fix electricity supply.
For those in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, operating their businesses at a loss has become the order of the day, leading many to close their shops.
A restaurant director in Lokoja, Comfort Bode, said she was forced to reduce the quantity of food she cooks because it is difficult to preserve some condiments for further processing.
“We can no longer enjoy storing fish, grinded tomatoes, pepper and meat in the fridge because of frequent power outages. To make it worse, patronage has dropped because of the lean purchasing power of customers. To worsen it all, every month, the electricity (distribution) company will bring outrageous bills to us, making it difficult for us to operate effectively,” she said.
A hair dressing salon operator in Ganaja area of Lokoja, Mrs Abigail Jonathan, also complained of losing customers because of incessant power outages in the vicinity, and her inability to buy fuel for generators to keep the business running.
Despite Plateau State having two sources of electricity supply from the Jos Disco and NESCO, a private power supply located in Barkin Ladi, near Jos, the state capital, residents expressed their displeasure at the unsteady power supply.
A welder, Dominic Eric, said, “Within the last one month, I hardly see the power to work for two hours. I end up sleeping in the shop waiting for the power to come. At times, the light comes by 1:30am, and before completing a work, the light goes off. The high cost of a litre of petrol is not an option for my welding work.”
Keneng Luka, who owns Fine Look Salon in Tudunwada, also said, “The last two weeks have been horrible for my kind of business.
“I have reduced my work to pedicure, which does not fetch me substantial income. They restore power in the night when I am sleeping at home. By 6am, they would take the light,” she said.
Restaurant owners in the city are also counting their losses as Marylin Pam told correspondent that she cannot preserve her foods anymore.
A resident of Rantya, Jos South Local Government Area, Mrs Tongnaan Bawa, had a more terrible experience.
“Our transformer packed up since the last two weeks. Jos Disco officials came and picked it up for repairs and have not returned it till this moment. We are in a heat period and only God knows what we are passing through. I can’t keep any food anymore in my deep freezer. The entire community is not happy, you can’t iron your dresses, you can’t relax in your room, you can’t even sleep,” she lamented.
In Nasarawa State, residents of Lafia appealed to authorities concerned to look into the power supply across the 13 local government areas of the state and Nigeria as a whole.
Some of them have even asked President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to call the AEDC to order and ensure that every Nigerian gets light as expected.
A resident of Tudun Gwandara community in Lafia, Danladi Abdullahi, said that if nothing was urgently done to improve electricity supply in the entire country, Nigerians would have no other alternative than to come out en masse for a peaceful protests.
Abdullahi further said that despite issues of insecurity, including banditry and kidnapping continuing unabated in most communities, the persistent blackout has heightened the sufferings of the people.
“After the inauguration of the Akurba 330KVA project in February 2022 by former President Muhammadu Buhari, we thought that the issue of blackout has ended. But surprisingly, the AEDC only increased its bills and stopped supplying adequate electricity. The situation became worse compared to how it was when we did not have the Akurba 330KVA substation in Lafia.
“The AEDC had sometime last year migrated us to tariff band A from tariff BAND D, which made monthly bills jump by almost 100 per cent without commensurate supply of the electricity in the state.
“We were informed at that time that any consumer on Band A is supposed to enjoy electricity for 20 hours and above in a day, but that is not happening in Nasarawa State,” he said.
Meanwhile, a resident of Bukan-sidi community in Lafia, the state capital, Mrs Mary Abalaku, explained that in the past six months, she had experienced a serious decline in her business because of the poor electricity supply to the area.
Reacting to the situation, the Regional Manager of AEDC, Engr. Baro Ahmad, said that the country was presently generating only about 4,000 megawatts of power, and that this was the reason for the epileptic power supply across Lafia and other parts of the country.
Ahmad, who described the 4,000 megawatts as grossly inadequate, posited that Lafia, which used to get 20 megawatts daily now gets only 7 megawatts of electricity.
“We will communicate further on the willingness of the state government to partner the power company with a view to constructing another substation that would serve to decongest the valuable feeders,” the regional manager said.
Reports have it that economic activities are badly affected following the outage in the FCT, with residents saying they are recording losses.
Yahaya Isah, who owns a laundry services shop in Dutse, Bwari Area Council, said running his business has not been easy.
“Honestly, this past week has been a very difficult period for me and my partner. We have been using generators to keep the business moving and it is already affecting us negatively,” he said.
Emeka Chuks, who owns a gaming centre at Central Market, Kubwa, said he buys fuel worth N10,000 daily to keep his business going.
“Before this issue started, I could get fuel worth N10,000 and use it for a week. But it is now on a daily basis despite having an inverter. It is quite worrisome because it is affecting the business negatively,” Chuks said.
Govt needs to step on toes to cleanse power sector – Expert
The President, Nigeria Consumer Protection Network, Kunle Kola Olubiyo, said the federal government needs to take a firm decision on the inefficiency of the electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) in the country.
Olubiyo, who stated that the model the country adopted after the privatisation of the NESI is not working.
While blaming lax regulations in the sector for the current crises, he said the president will always be blamed despite the sector being in the hands of the private sector.
“It is not that the government did not know what is wrong with the sector but it is the lack of will to take the necessary action that is holding the sector. The DisCos have violated all regulations that should guide the sector, but we have a regulator that is afraid to strike for fear of loss of jobs as the owners are powerful people.
“The generation companies said they are being owed; why can’t the government investigate this to know the reason? If the government eventually pays, what assurance do we have that the debt will come back again when the DisCos over-bloat their bills that Nigerians can’t pay?”
While admitting that any action by the government to take over any DisCos may result in litigation and affect the economy, he said the fight is worth it to rid the country of the rot of those who have held the power sector to ransom.
Tinubu working to deliver 24hr power supply – Gbajabiamila
The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, yesterday said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had engaged with stakeholders to achieve 24hours of power supply.
He spoke in Lagos while commissioning two 20MVA injection substations in Surulere, Lagos.
The project was facilitated by Gbajabiamila when he served as Speaker of the House of Representatives and lawmaker representing Surulere 1 federal constituency.
He said the newly commissioned injection substations represented one of the efforts of the Tinubu-led administration towards solving power supply challenges in the country.
He said his commitment could be seen with the signing of the 2023 Electricity Act, just days into taking over the reins of power of the country.
The former Speaker said, “The Tinubu administration has shown its dedication to solving the power supply challenges of Nigeria from the get-go, with the signing of the 2023 Electricity Act, just days into taking over the reins of power of our country.
“Stakeholders and professionals have been engaged to achieve our dream of attaining a 24hour, uninterrupted power supply in our country.
“Today’s commissioning is a testament to the power of partnership and the tireless efforts of all the stakeholders involved.
“Mr President has made an allocation of over N340billion in the 2024 budget towards improving infrastructure in the power sector. President Tinubu is also concerned about cases of energy theft, estimated billing and stealing of power infrastructure. Citizens must protect power infrastructure in their various communities as we expect electricity distribution companies to address cases of estimated billing and poor meter distribution.”
Gbajabiamila further said the collaboration with Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), alongside other stakeholders, had been pivotal to bringing the project to fruition.
Some Nigerians have expressed displeasure over the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the ministry of transportation and MPH Rail Development Limited.
The company, registered in the UK, is expected to manage the design, construction, commissioning, operation, and eventual transfer of the Port Harcourt-Enugu-Calabar-Abuja standard gauge rail line.
“The Minister of Transportation, Said Alkali on behalf of @NigeriaGov has signed an MoU with Messrs MPH Rail Development (UK) Limited for the design, construction, operation & transfer of the Port Harcourt–Enugu –Calabar–Abuja SGR Line on a PPP basis,” the ministry wrote on its X page.
The ministry said the signing followed the approval of the outline business case and the issuance of a compliance certificate by the Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission (ICRC).
This clearance, the ministry said, enables the firm to focus on compiling the necessary documentation for the federal executive council’s (FEC) approval to advance the project.
In another statement, the ministry said vital documents required for the project’s progression include a comprehensive feasibility study report, a complete business case study, an environmental and social impact assessment, the development of a resettlement action plan, and the formulation of a financial model to facilitate project implementation.
The ministry said this would ensure the transfer of the project to the government under a PPP arrangement without incurring loans or debts for the Nigerian government.
However, social media users have knocked the agency for signing an MoU with a company that was only incorporated less than five years ago — September 26, 2019.
Others have described it as a “PI&D (sic) saga in the making”, adding that a project of such magnitude should not be entrusted to a young company of unknown history.
Checks by TheCable confirmed that the company was formed by one Andrew James, a British citizen, in 2019 and went on without any relationship with the Nigerian government or private sector untill August 24, 2023, when the company appointed Osinowo Rotimi as the first director with a Nigerian background.
Subsequently, Osinowo Sayeed was also appointed as a director in January 2024.
Further checks showed that the company had filed as a dormant organisation three times since its registration in 2019.
Other discrepancies pointed out by disgruntled Nigerians are that the company, since its incorporation in 2019, has no track record of engaging in any rail construction business and lacks a website.
Disruption to internet services for millions of users in Africa could take weeks or even months to fix, following damage to undersea cables off the continent’s west coast.
Eight West African countries were suffering a second day of major connectivity issues on Friday with users in South Africa also affected, after damage to four sub-sea cables. The cause of the cable cutting was still not known, though a shifting of the seabed was among the likely possibilities.
“Repairs can take weeks to months, depending on where the damage is, what needs to be repaired, and local weather conditions,” said a spokesperson at internet analytics firm Cloudflare. “The assignment of repair ships depends on a number of factors, including ownership of the impacted cables.”
The West Africa Cable System, MainOne, South Atlantic 3 and ACE sea cables — arteries for telecommunications data — were all affected on Thursday and Friday.
MTN Group Ltd. – one of the largest wireless carriers in Africa – said that ACE and WACS have jointly initiated the repair process, and that they would send a vessel to fix the damaged cables.
Orange Marine said the firm was one of the specialist companies that would be involved in the repair operations for the cables, adding that other companies are also involved in efforts to restore the various cables. It said the repair time is not yet known.
Data show a major disruption to connectivity in eight West African countries, with Ivory Coast, Liberia and Benin being the most affected, NetBlocks, an internet watchdog, said in a post on X. Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon are among other countries impacted. Several companies have also reported service disruptions in South Africa.
Ghana’s main stock exchange extended trading hours by an hour on Thursday and Friday, while Nigeria’s second-largest cement maker scrapped a call with investors as the damage to four subsea cables off the west coast of Africa, stymied businesses across parts of the continent.
“This is a devastating blow to internet connectivity along the west coast of Africa, which will be operating in a degraded state for weeks to come,” said Doug Madory, director of internet analysis firm Kentik.
Ghana’s National Communications Authority said cable disruptions also occurred in Senegal and Portugal.
“This has led to a significant degradation of data services across the country, with mobile-network operators working around the clock to restore full services,” the authority said.
Red Sea
The cable faults off Ivory Coast come less than a month after three telecommunications cables were severed in the Red Sea, highlighting the vulnerability of critical communications infrastructure. The anchor of a cargo ship sunk by Houthi militants was probably responsible, according to assessments by the US and cable industry group the Internet Cable Protection Committee.
The Red Sea is a critical telecommunications route, connecting Europe to Africa and Asia via Egypt.
Together, the problems with cables on either side of the continent create a capacity crunch, with customers of those cables scrambling to find alternative routes.
Microsoft Corp. reported disruptions to its cloud services and Microsoft 365 applications across Africa.
The Downdetector website showed that a number of companies in South Africa were still severely affected on Friday, including Microsoft and Nedbank Group Ltd.
Telkom SA SOC Ltd.’s Openserve fiber unit and Standard Bank Group Ltd. were also affected, they said in statement, with Openserve adding it had re-routed traffic.
Off the southeastern coast of South Africa, the island country of Mauritius also experienced outages, with Mauritius Telecom Ltd. having to arrange to redirect traffic to other cables, it said.
Last year, WACS, along with another pipe – the South Atlantic 3 – were damaged near the mouth of the Congo River following an undersea landslide. The loss of the cables knocked out international traffic traveling along the west coast of Africa and took about a month to repair.
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Gunmen suspected to be soldiers on Friday abducted the Editor of FirstNews and former Kaduna Bureau Chief of The PUNCH, Segun Olatunji.
He was picked at his home in the Iyana Odo, Abule Egba area of Lagos State.
The management of the online Newspaper linked the action to a recent story published by FirstNews titled, "Revealed: "Defence Chief running office like family business - Public Interest Lawyers", published by many other online platforms.
But the management also linked his abduction to another report titled, "EXCLUSIVE: How contractor, company stole N100bn, laundered funds for top govt officials - Investigation", which was later pulled down.
The arrest has thrown panic among staff of the Newspaper.
His wife, Abiodun Olatunji, said the armed men numbering ten arrived at their residence, a few minutes after 6pm and whisked her husband away without leaving any information behind as to where they were taking him to.
She said her husband's abductors reached for his phone and seized it immediately they arrived before bundling him into a van like a common criminal and zoomed off.
While further narrating the incident, she said efforts to know his offence or where they were taken him to were rebuffed by the stern-looking men.
"Some armed men dressed in military uniform totaling ten in number (two in uniform and the remaining 8 in mufti but all armed) arrived at our residence at Dauda Oriyomi street, Iyana Odo along Joke Ayo in Abule Egba area of Lagos State and took away my husband.
"They refused to state his offence and where they were taken him to despite all the efforts to make them do so", she said.
The Publisher of FirstNews, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, who also confirmed the incident, said there has been no trace of Olatunji, as his phone line has been switched, neither has anyone reached the family or the management of FirstNews to disclose the real reason behind his abduction.
While condemning the way and manner Olatunji was whisked away, Iworiso-Markson stated that he was never invited formally to answer any issue that bothered on national security.
"The management of FirstNews is using this opportunity to call on the military high command and the security agencies to let us know his whereabout and the reason why he was arrested.
"FirstNews (online & print) is a reputable independent digital news network that prides itself on being a frontline media outfit committed to engaging her world-class audience with factual, authentic, and credible information.
"We conduct our journalism activities with strict observance of the high standards of ethics, accountability, professionalism and legality, while exercising our rights to freedom of expression and information, all in a bid to ensure credible reporting of the news behind the news in Politics, Business, Education, Sport, Health, Entertainment and many more.
"If there was any infraction that bothers on national security, Olatunji should have first been formally invited rather that this gestapo style of arrest that reminds of the dark days of the military era, where press freedom was stifled".
Consumer prices remain high in Nigeria, as the February Consumer Price Index (CPI) reading otherwise known as inflation, released yesterday by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) indicated that headline inflation scaled by 1.8 percentage points (ppts) to 31.7%, the highest level since April 1996.
The inflation rate, which was a negative surprise to analysts, outpaced the Bloomberg consensus estimate of 31.3% and the 31.1% projection of analysts at CardinalStone Finance, a Lagos based investment house.
The unabated inflation pressure indicates that Nigeria remains within the top 10 countries with the highest inflation reading in Africa.
Most inflationary pressure in Nigeria remains skewed to the food basket of the CPI, with the corresponding food inflation reading settling at 37.9% in February 2024, 2.5ppts higher than in January 2024.
The analysts stated: ”This is unsurprising, as our channel checks indicated a material jump in prices of food products like rice, a consequence of the increasing depletion of food reserves and incessant insecurity issues in food-producing regions.
”The rising food prices appear to be hitting Nigerians hard, as it triggered protests in some parts of the country during the review period”.
Also, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that 8.0% of Nigerians are at a high risk of food insecurity if the current trajectory persists.
Also the elevated energy prices have continued to pressure transport inflation, with a second-order impact on food prices.
NBS said: “In February 2024, the headline inflation rate increased to 31.70% relative to the January 2024 headline inflation rate which was 29.9 %.
“Looking at the movement, the February 2024 headline inflation rate showed an increase of 1.8 % points when compared to the January 2024 headline inflation rate.
“On a year-on-year (YoY) basis, the headline inflation rate was 9.79% points higher compared to the rate recorded in February 2023, which was 21.91%.
“This shows that the headline inflation rate (YoY, basis) increased in February 2024 when compared to the same month in the preceding year (i.e., February 2023).
“Furthermore, on a month-on-month (MoM) basis, the headline inflation rate in February 2024 was 3.12%, which was 0.48% higher than the rate recorded in January 2024 (2.64%).
“This means that in February 2024, the rate of increase in the average price level is more than the rate of increase in the average price level in January 2024.”
On food inflation, it stated: “The food inflation rate in February 2024 was 37.92% on a YoY basis, which was 13.57% points higher compared to the rate recorded in February 2023 (24.35%). The rise in food inflation on a year-on-year basis was caused by increases in prices of bread and cereals, potatoes, yam and other tubers, fish, oil and fat, meat, fruit, coffee, tea, and cocoa.
“On a MoM basis, the Food inflation rate in February 2024 was 3.79% this was 0.58% higher compared to the rate recorded in January 2024 (3.21%).
“In February 2024, Food inflation on a Year-on-Year basis was highest in Kogi (46.32%), Rivers (44.34%), and Kwara (43.05%), while Bauchi (31.46%), Plateau (32.56%), and Taraba (33.23%) recorded the slowest rise in food inflation on Year-on-Year basis.
”On a MoM basis, however, February 2024 food inflation was highest in Adamawa (5.61%), Yobe (5.60%), and Borno (5.60%), while Cross River (2.08%), Niger (2.56%), and Abuja (2.60%) recorded the slowest rise in food inflation on MoM basis.
Blessing Joseph has been weaving bags, sandals and jewellery earning enough money to feed her son and send him to school. But since November, she has fallen on hard times as customers have stopped coming and she and her son routinely go to bed hungry.
She is among millions in Africa's largest economy, grappling with the worst cost of living crisis in decades, that has deepened since President Bola Tinubu assumed office last May.
Last year, Joseph could easily make 30,000 naira ($18.83) a week but now she will be lucky to get 5,000 naira, she said.
"People used to place orders. I'll design for them, sometimes even (for) weddings I'll make souvenirs for them, but now those orders are not coming," said the 29-year-old Abuja resident.
"It has been very, very difficult, especially that I have a son and he needs to go to school, he needs to eat."
Tinubu inherited an economy that was already struggling with record debt, high unemployment, low oil output, subsidies that drained government finances and power shortages that have crimped growth.
Reuters Graphics
Nigeria imports food and fuel and was buffeted by high global prices due to the Russia-Ukraine war, just as it had exited a Covid-19 induced recession in 2020.
Tinubu, who campaigned on a "Renewed Hope" slogan, removed a costly petrol subsidy and foreign currency controls, in an effort to improve government finances, restore credibility with investors and kick-start the economy.
But inflation has soared to its highest in three decades and the naira currency is slumping to record lows, pressured by acute dollar shortages. Prices of food, cooking gas, medicines, fuel, and public transport have shot up, squeezing household budgets.
Reuters Graphics
"With about 8 percent of Nigerians deemed food insecure, addressing rising food insecurity is the immediate policy priority," the International Monetary Fund said on March 4. after a staff visit.
Nigeria's problems have also rippled through company boardrooms.
Foreign companies like Procter & Gamble will stop manufacturing in Nigeria, while drug makers GSK Plc and Bayer AG will contract third parties to distribute their products, in part due to tough operating conditions and the naira slump.
Africa's biggest telecoms operator MTN Group (MTNJ.J) posted a big fall in full-year profit citing naira devaluation, which also prompted soap maker PZ Cussons Plc (PZC.L) to issue a profit warning.
FOOD PRICE SURGE
At Agodo market in Lagos, tomato seller Farouk Dalhatu has just served his first customer in eight hours. The market is unusually quiet for the time of day when there is often a cacophonous din of traders and customers haggling over prices.
A basket of tomatoes now costs 55,000 naira - about double the national minimum wage - up from 12,000 naira in December. That has forced many of Dalhatu's friends to quit the business.
Reuters Graphics
"They are just trying to find what they can eat now and not do the tomatoes business," he said, pointing to several empty stalls.
Escalating food prices are the major driver of inflation.
Widespread insecurity in food growing areas - including abduction for ransom by armed gangs, a long-running Islamist insurgency and farmer-herder clashes - is adding to the woes by keeping many farmers away from their fields.
"We have an emergency on our hands in terms of the social consequences of this reform, in terms of this food insecurity," said Muda Yusuf, CEO at business advocacy firm Promotion of Private Enterprise, referring to the currency and fuel subsidy reforms.
Labour unions led some protests last month and have threatened to shut down the country to demand a tenfold rise in the minimum wage.
In response, the government on Thursday started national consultations on a new monthly minimum wage, which has been pegged at 30,000 naira since 2019.
A presidency spokesman declined to comment, but Tinubu's administration has announced handouts of cash, grains, fertiliser and seed to vulnerable groups.
Unions say this is not enough and that focus should be on "substantive issues" that have been under discussion with the government since June 2023.
"These include critical matters such as wage increases, social welfare programs, infrastructure development, and the revitalisation of key sectors such as education and healthcare," the Nigeria Labour Congress said in a statement.
For Joseph in Abuja, a thriving business and providing for her son is all she wants.
"I am just thinking about what he will eat if he comes back (from school)," she said while shuffling through empty pots.
($1 = 1,593.3400 naira)
Reuters
No fewer than seven people were shot dead and many others injured, on Sunday, when gunmen attacked a market in Zurak Campani in Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State.
According to residents, the attack occurred on a market day when residents gathered to buy and sell at the community’s main market.
Abdullahi Hussaini, a youth leader in the area who confirmed the incident, said the gunmen arrived at the market around 2 p.m. and opened fire at people transacting businesses.
“The gunmen arrived at the market in their numbers riding on motorcycles. They started shooting sporadically, killing seven people instantly while many others were injured. The gunmen did not encounter any resistance because people were not expecting any security threat,” Hussaini said.
“The gunmen later fled to the bush but the police have been deployed to the community to restore law and other. We are calling for more security deployment in the area because we don’t know what may happen anytime again,” the youth leader added.
Spokesperson of the police in Plateau State, Alabo Alfred, did not respond to calls made to his phone about the incident.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Plateau witnesses different forms of violence including ethno-religious crises usually fuelled by the competition for land between resident farming communities and herders. Last Christmas day, gunmen attacked many communities in coordinated attacks that left scores of people dead but with none of the perpetrators yet to be apprehended.