About 37 persons have reportedly died after inhaling fumes from a petroleum product at a jetty in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The incident occurred on Thursday at the Okari Jetty in the Okrika Mainland area, where youths from Okrika and neighbouring communities had reportedly gathered to load a petroleum product from an illegal tapping point

Many others were said to be missing following the incident, which occurred in the mainly coastal community.

A source in the community told our reporter that more than 100 persons had stormed the jetty with locally made boats while a vessel was anchored at the riverside to load petroleum products.

The source said trouble started while the youths were loading the product, as a strong smell suddenly saturated the air, causing several of them to collapse.

“Many of them collapsed into the river, while others who managed to escape the scene had serious respiratory disorders and were being treated at the hospital.

“As I speak to you, over 37 bodies were identified as Okrika people, while six others were yet to be identified and many are still missing,” the source, who pleaded anonymity, said.

(PUNCH)

The Presidency has clarified that the ongoing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) case before the United States District Court for the District of Columbia is a civil records-disclosure dispute and not a criminal case against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The court has not found the President guilty of any criminal wrongdoing.

In a statement issued on September 3, 2026, Special Adviser to the President (Information and Strategy), Bayo Onanuga, addressed recent speculative reports surrounding the matter.

The statement recalled that 23 years ago, on February 4, 2003, the American Consulate in Lagos informed the then Inspector General of Police, Mr Tafa Balogun, that an FBI records check found no criminal arrest records, wants, or warrants for then Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

In 2022, Mr Aaron Greenspan, known to work with Nigerian opposition figures including David Hundeyin and Atiku Abubakar, submitted FOIA requests to several United States government agencies seeking records relating to President Tinubu. After the agencies withheld certain records or declined to confirm or deny their existence, Mr Greenspan filed Civil Action No. 23-1816 in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in 2023. The court later allowed President Tinubu to participate as an intervenor.

During the proceedings, the defendants invoked the “Glomar defence,” a standard position under which a US government agency neither confirms nor denies the existence of records in order to protect personnel, techniques, and sources. On this basis, the court granted summary judgment in favour of the CIA, EOUSA, Department of State, Department of the Treasury, and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), removing them from the case. Claims involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) remained for further consideration.

In compliance with court orders, the FBI and DEA produced 399 pages of records with portions redacted under statutory exemptions. The plaintiff challenged the redactions. The agencies, through the United States Department of Justice, defended the withholdings on the following grounds:

• Protection of grand jury materials and pen register information under FOIA Exemption 3
• Attorney-work product and attorney-client privileges under FOIA Exemption 5
• Records prepared for law enforcement purposes under FOIA Exemption 5
• Protection against unwarranted invasion of personal privacy under FOIA Exemptions 6 and 7(C)
• Protection of confidential sources and law enforcement techniques under FOIA Exemptions 7(D) and 7(E)

President Tinubu has also asserted his rights under FOIA Exemption 7(C) on the advice of his lawyers.

The plaintiff has until September 11, 2026, to file any opposition, while the FBI, DEA, and the intervenor have until September 18, 2026, to respond.

The Presidency emphasised that the release or withholding of records under FOIA does not, by itself, establish criminal liability. The case concerns access to government records and the proper application of statutory exemptions. It remains exclusively under the control of Judge Beryl A. Howell of the United States District Court, who will decide the matter based on the evidence, applicable law, and the parties’ arguments—not political preferences.

Recent public commentary by Mr Karl von Batten has inaccurately portrayed him and his client as central to the proceedings. Neither is a party to the case.

The Presidency urged the media and the public to distinguish verified court proceedings from partisan speculation.

Eko Electricity Distribution Plc (EKEDP) has announced a power outage across parts of Lagos, including Lekki, Ajah and Ibeju-Lekki, following a loss of supply affecting 12 feeders.

The affected feeders are Ibeju, Ajah Local 1, Medallion Data, Urban Prime, Main One, Maroko, Chevron, Oke-Ira, Ikate Express, Ilasan, NTDA 1 and Eleko.

In a notice to customers, EKEDP said the VGC, Oke-Ira and Agungi injection substations were also affected by the disruption.

The distribution company attributed the outage to a fault affecting electricity supply within the Lekki, Ajah and Ibeju-Lekki axis.

The following feeders are currently out of supply: Ibeju, Ajah Local 1, Medallion Data, Urban Prime, Main One, Maroko, Chevron, Oke-Ira, Ikate Express, Ilasan, NTDA 1, Eleko,” the company said.

EKEDP said it was working with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to restore the affected transformer and reconnect all the impacted feeders.