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 Nigerian govt warns against illegal sale of fuel as scarcity lingers The Federal Government, through the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, has warned Premium Motor Spirit (Petrol) retailers against illegal sale of the product as scarcity lingers in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and neighboring Nasarawa and Niger states. NMDPRA issued this warning in a statement through its official X account. The regulator urged retail outlets to desist from servicing black marketers. “NMDPRA embarks on a war against the illegal sale of petroleum products, especially PMS in jerrycans. “Filling stations are advised to desist from servicing illegal peddlers, failure to do so would result in the suspension of retail licenses,” it warned. This comes on the back of the deepening fuel scarcity in the Nation’s capital. Checks by MAGIC FM on Friday showed that the majority of filling stations are not dispensing fuel, while few are open for business with the p...

 Kidnapping: Declare War On Insecurity — Peter Obi A former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has called on the government to declare war against insecurity following incessant reports of kidnapping sweeping across the country. In a statement on X.com on Saturday, Obi wrote, “When I say we should declare war on the economy, power, and insecurity, some people spin the narrative, while others complain. But what else can we do? “In the last 24 hours, several people have been kidnapped across Nigeria, including about 20 dental students from Maiduguri and Jos in Benue State. “An Anambra State Commissioner and his wife were abducted in Edo State, and others travelling with them were killed. These are just a few of the many tragic incidents happening across the country.” “We cannot continue living like this,” Obi said. “It’s time for bold action, collective resolve, and a united front against these challenges.” “We must declare war on this massive insecurity and other ills t...

 NYSC Demobilises 54 Fake UNICAL Graduates, To Face Prosecution In its continuous effort to prevent unqualified graduates from obtaining the national service certificate, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) said a total of 54 corps members who were illegally mobilised by the University of Calabar, have been demobilised. The NYSC Director General, Brigadier General YD Ahmed disclosed this on Saturday in Abuja. He also said they would face legal prosecution. According to him, another 19 among them who initially registered online for mobilisation have been prevented from service, while four Certificates of National Service for other culprits were not produced by the scheme. This is in addition to the earlier 101 certificates that were recently voided by the scheme, making a total of 178. The Director General also showered encomiums on the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Professor Florence Obi for her forthrightness to have earlier hinted the NYSC on the mobilisation ...

 UNICEF warns of dire situation for children in Sudan amid war, climate crisis Children in Sudan are facing an increasingly perilous situation as the ongoing civil war and climate crisis converge, potentially leading to tens of thousands of child deaths in the coming months, warns a UNICEF spokesman.  James Elder, speaking to Anadolu from Sudan where he is recently assigned, described the situation as “critical,” highlighting that Sudan is experiencing the “largest child displacement in the world.” “We talk about 10,000 girls and boys displaced every day,” Elder said, emphasizing that the war has been impacting five million children for nearly 500 days. The displaced children often end up in camps that lack clean drinking water, medical supplies, and adequate sanitation. Elder reported severe food shortages across the country, worsened by warring parties frequently blocking access to aid.  “Children are under threat from many fronts,” he stated.  “I recently saw chil...

 Nearly a dozen inmates killed in Haiti prison break A prison break in central Haiti has resulted in the deaths of at least 11 inmates, the authorities said, the third such incident this year amid a continuing humanitarian crisis fuelled by gang violence. Police said inmates broke out of a prison in the coastal city of Saint-Marc, some 88km (55 miles) north of the capital, Port-au-Prince, on Friday, Al Jazeera reported. Eleven suspected escaped inmates were killed in shootouts with police and one was arrested, according to Michel Ange Louis Jeune, spokesman for Haiti’s National Police, according to The Associated Press news agency. He did not provide further details, including how many inmates escaped. “The situation is under control but the results are catastrophic. All the cops’ dormitories have burnt down. The archives have burnt down. They’ve set everything on fire except their cells,” State Prosecutor Venson Francois said, the Reuters news agency reported. Francois warned that...

 NAFDAC uncovers illegal alcohol production factory in Lagos, seizes N200m goods The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) enforcement officers acting on intelligence reports, have uncovered an illegal facility producing various alcoholic beverages on Lagos Island area of Lagos. After thorough surveillance, the officers discovered that several packing stores and rooms in Oke-Arin market had been converted into makeshift factories where different brands of alcoholic drinks were being produced, packaged, and distributed in the open market. During the raid, over 2,000 cartons of empty bottles and already packaged drinks were seized, along with a mini plastic mixing tank, an improvised filter, and various packaging materials. NAFDAC has estimated the street value of the seized items at N200 million and is urging the public to remain vigilant, especially when purchasing alcoholic beverages. The agency said investigation is ongoing, and that the suspects w...

 Claims I have paternal Igbo origin make me laugh – Obasanjo Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has finally reacted to the claim of his Igbo paternity. He said the insinuation makes him laugh, declaring he doesn’t believe anybody should be driven away from any part of the country because “we own this country together.” Obasanjo spoke when he received in audience the leadership of Ndigbo Amaka Progressive Market Association, an umbrella body of major markets in Lagos State at the boardroom of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) Abeokuta, Ogun State on Thursday. In a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo who did not speak much further on the paternity claim issue, simply said: “it just make me laugh.” Speaking on the meeting, the former President said the leadership of the group reached out to him to support the establishment of the Owerri Central Market positioned to be the best of its kind in the country. He acknowledged that the Cent...