News
Reps invite minister over lingering petrol scarcity
The House of Representatives has summoned Minister of State (Petroleum Resources) Heineken Lokpobiri to address the ongoing petrol scarcity across Nigeria. The invitation was made following a motion of urgent importance by Umar Ajilo. Relevant stakeholders in the petroleum industry have also been summoned.
Before the invitations were issued, the House expressed concerns over the difficulties Nigerians are facing due to the scarcity and the rising cost of petrol. They criticized the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) for failing to resolve the perennial fuel scarcity problem despite having sufficient resources.
Umar Ajilo highlighted the hardships faced by Nigerians, with petrol prices soaring as high as N1,200 per liter in some states. He called for immediate action by the government to address the situation permanently.
The NNPCL expressed hope that normalcy would return soon, with the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN) evacuating 300 million liters of petrol from Apapa and other parts of Lagos. MEMAN believes the scarcity will end in a few days.
However, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) threatened to shut down filling stations if the Federal Government fails to pay over N200 billion owed to them from the subsidy regime era.
NNPCL stated that logistical issues caused a three-day disruption in distribution, which has since been resolved. They assured that product scarcity has been minimal, but some may be exploiting the situation for profit.
MEMAN assured the public of adequate petrol supply, with their members evacuating 300 million liters of petrol, well above normal levels.
IPMAN demanded payment of their outstanding debt and warned of a nationwide shutdown if not paid promptly.
The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) denied profiteering from the scarcity, stating they sell at NNPC’s approved prices.
In Lagos, filling stations had long queues, with prices ranging from N567 to N700, while black market prices reached N1,000 per liter. Badagry was severely affected, leading to transport fare hikes.
In the Federal Capital Territory, queues were longer than usual, and prices ranged from N700 to N1,000 per liter.
Ogun Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) deployed personnel to maintain order at filling stations.
In Osun State, the Taskforce on Petroleum Price Monitoring warned against hoarding petrol, while The Osun Masterminds (TOM) called for the shutdown of schools to alleviate the suffering caused by the scarcity.
Similar situations were reported in Ondo, Rivers, Kwara, Kano, Adamawa, Niger, Plateau, Taraba, and Jigawa states, with pump prices ranging from N670 to N1,200 and above in black markets.
Finnish prosecutors on Friday said they had charged a man with inciting terrorism online who a media report identified as Nigerian separatist leader Simon Ekpa.
According to the prosecution authority, the accused remained in custody and denied the charges.
AFP reports that Finland’s National Prosecution Authority said in a statement that it had charged “a Finnish individual in a case involving suspected public incitement to commit crimes with terrorist intent and participation in the activities of a terrorist group.”
It added that the alleged crimes had been committed in the city of Lahti between 2021 and 2024 and were related to the suspect’s efforts to establish Nigeria’s Biafra region as an independent state.
The prosecution authority did not name the accused but Finnish public broadcaster YLE identified him as separatist leader Simon Ekpa.Ekpa — who claims to lead the Biafra Republic’s government in exile — was detained in November.
According to the prosecution authority, the accused remained in custody and denied the charges.
News
Tinubu to attend Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration May 18
The inauguration marks the formal beginning of the Pontificate of Pope Leo XIV, the 267th Bishop of Rome.”
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will depart Abuja on Saturday for Rome, Italy, to attend the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV as the new head of the Roman Catholic Church.
The President will be accompanied by a delegation that includes the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Archbishop Lucius Ugorji, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria; Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja; Archbishop Alfred Martins of Lagos; and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Sokoto Diocese.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, confirmed in a statement via X.
‘Tinubu is travelling at the invitation of the Vatican and will lead Nigeria’s delegation to the solemn installation mass scheduled for Sunday, May 18, at St. Peter’s Square.
The inauguration marks the formal beginning of the Pontificate of Pope Leo XIV, the 267th Bishop of Rome.”
A fire broke out on Thursday at the General Hospital in Ifako-Ijaiye, Lagos, engulfing parts of the three-storey building and causing panic among residents and patients.
Videos from the scene showed thick smoke pouring from the hospital building as onlookers gathered in distress. Firefighters later arrived to battle the blaze.
An eyewitness, Modinat Melemuku, who shared footage of the incident on Facebook, called for urgent help.
She said: “Happening now at General Hospital Ifako-Ijaiye, College Road. Please repost.
Help is needed,” she wrote.
An eyewitness also told reporters the fire began in one part of the hospital before spreading to other sections.
“The fire then spread to the prenatal and postnatal rooms, after which it affected the pediatric ward,” the eyewitness said.
There were concerns that nursing mothers and infants might have been trapped inside, although no casualties were confirmed as of the time of filing this report.
Emergency responders were still on the ground trying to bring the situation under control.
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