President Bola Tinubu extends his heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and associates of Prince Doyin Okupe, a medical doctor, politician, communicator and strategist who played a significant role in Nigeria's political landscape.
A prominent son of Iperu-Remo in Ogun State, Prince Okupe served as President Goodluck Jonathan's senior Special Assistant on public affairs and President Olusegun Obasanjo's special assistant on media.
During his political career of over three decades, Okupe served as the National Publicity Secretary of the National Republican Convention (NRC). He was prominent in the United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Accord Party, of which he was the national leader.
He was most recently the Director-General of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign for the 2023 election.
Prince Okupe made notable contributions to the medical field as the co-founder of the Royal Cross Medical Centre, Lagos, and the publisher of Life Mirror, a health-focused newspaper.
President Tinubu recalls Dr Okupe as a bold and articulate advocate for national development, expressing deep sorrow over his passing at a time when his wealth of experience and insight were still invaluable to the nation.
The President also commiserates with the government and people of Ogun State, particularly the Iperu-Remo community, who have lost an esteemed son and leader.
He recognises Prince Okupe's enduring impact on his home state and the deep void his passing leaves in the hearts of those who came in direct contact with him.
President Tinubu prays that God will grant repose to the departed patriot's soul and comfort all
Bayo Onanuga Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy) March 7, 2025
The President and First Lady's Message on Ash Wednesday, 2025:
This Ash Wednesday, we join in prayer with the tens of millions of American Catholics and other Christians beginning the holy season of Lent — a time of spiritual anticipation of the passion, death, and Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
During the Lenten season, Christians spend 40 days and 40 nights praying, fasting, and giving alms to deepen our faith and strengthen our belief in the Gospel. Today, followers of Christ wear crosses of ash on their foreheads— a sacred reminder of our mortality and our enduring need for Christ's infinite mercy and redeeming love.
As we solemnly contemplate Jesus Christ's suffering and death on the cross this Lent, let us prepare our souls for the coming glory of the Easter miracle.
We offer you our best wishes for a prayerful and enriching Lenten season. May Almighty God bless you, and may He continue to bless the United States of America.
On this Ash Wednesday, we are reminded of the profound symbolism of the ashes we receive - a sacred sign of our mortality, humility, and the constant call to repentance and renewal.
As we embark on this Lenten journey, I call on all Catholic faithful in Imo State, Nigeria, and the world over to embrace the virtues of charity, compassion, forgiveness, humility, and selflessness.
These virtues are not only essential for our spiritual growth but are also crucial for sustaining peaceful cohabitation in our society, thereby fostering an atmosphere where development and progress can thrive.
Let us also raise our hearts in fervent prayer to God, seeking His grace and mercy, so that this Lent becomes a season of true transformation for ourselves, our communities, and the world.
Today, during the Holy Mass at the Government House Chapel, Enugu, we reflected on the significance of Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season, a time of forgiveness, penitence, charity, empathy, and sacrifice.
As Christians, this 40-day journey is a call to spiritual renewal, a moment to forgive, love, and extend kindness to one another. This year’s Lent holds even greater significance as it coincides with Ramadan, another sacred period of fasting and devotion for our Muslim brothers and sisters. It is a profound reminder of our shared values and a call to unity and peace in our country.
Lent is not just about abstinence but also about deepening our faith through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. As Rev. Fr. Anthony Udeh reminded us in his homily, it is a season for purification and reconnecting with God, an opportunity to show love to those around us.
I urge Ndi Enugu and Nigerians at large to embrace these values not just for this season but as a way of life. Let us make sacrifice, moderation, and empathy part of our daily interactions, ensuring that the spirit of Lent continues beyond these 40 days.
At today’s mass, we also prayed for our state and nation, trusting that God will continue to guide us towards peace, progress, and prosperity.
As the Christian community around the world celebrates Ash Wednesday today, marking the beginning of the Lenten Season, a period of fasting, prayers and almsgiving, I wish all Christians in Nigeria a fruitful Lenten season.
This is a season of sober reflection on our journey as a nation in the light of our present challenges and our future opportunities.
It is also a season of personal sacrifices, not just for spiritual upliftment, but for national growth and development.
May we continue to show love to one another irrespective of tribe or religious background according to the Holy teachings.
May we also continue to support one another through these challenging times while praying for God's intervention in our nation.
I wish us all a fruitful Lenten season filled with blessings as we all continue to work towards the new and better nation we all deserve.
STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU ON THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE 2025 LENTEN SEASON
As the Lenten Season commences, I extend heartfelt wishes to all Christians in Nigeria and worldwide who partake in this sacred time.
Beginning on Ash Wednesday, the 40-day period is a time of fasting, prayer, and repentance, preparing believers for the joyous celebration of Easter.
During Lent, Christians engage in earnest prayer, self-denial, almsgiving, and deep spiritual reflection. It is a solemn reminder of life's transient nature, echoed in the Holy Scriptures: "By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground since from it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you will return." (Genesis 3:19)
This year's Lent, a time of devotion and reflection for Christians, coincides with the holy month of Ramadan for Muslims, a season that similarly emphasises devotion, sacrifice, and acts of kindness. This convergence of religious observances is a testament to the unity in diversity that characterises our nation.
Beyond fasting and prayer, I urge all Nigerians to embrace the love of Jesus Christ by showing compassion and empathy to those around us.
Let us extend a helping hand to those in need, comfort the grieving, visit the sick, and uplift the marginalised. The Scriptures remind us that our love for one another is a true testament of worship.
Let this season deepen our commitment to selflessness and service as we strive to build a nation where empathy and generosity shape our daily interactions.
This period of reflection coincides with encouraging progress in our nation. We ended 2024 positively, as our economy showed strong growth in the last quarter compared to the same period in 2023. Food prices are declining, the exchange rate is stabilising, fuel prices are dropping, and our internal security is strengthening. Our security and law enforcement agencies are making commendable strides. This progress fills us with steadfast hope and optimism for the future.
As we journey through this season with penitence and steadfast devotion to God Almighty, may His kindness bring healing to the sick, prosperity to our people, and peace to our nation.
May we experience God's goodness in a profound way this Lenten season. May He renew our hearts, strengthen our faith, and guide us on righteousness.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR President, Federal Republic of Nigeria March 6, 2025
GemUnique: A drug that should be taken with caution even in the approved dose was banned coz it is being produced in higher dose, and you are here yapping.
I'm sure you are ignorant of the pharmacological actions of these drugs.
In a sane country, these drugs shouldn't be available to just anybody.
Those drugs have been banned in India, where they were being produced and the managing director of the company that was producing it admitted to an undercover reporter that the drugs are very harmful and dangerous, but he is producing them because of business reasons, yet that guy that doesn't know anything thinks that he knows more than the manufacturer and the regulators.
Indian authorities have banned two highly-addictive opioids in response to a BBC investigation which found they were fuelling a public health crisis in parts of West Africa.
In a letter seen by the BBC from India's Drugs Controller General, Dr Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi said permission to manufacture and export the drugs had been withdrawn.
BBC Eye found one pharmaceutical company, Aveo, had been illegally exporting a harmful mix of tapentadol and carisoprodol in countries like Ghana, Nigeria, and Cote D'Ivoire.
India's Food and Drug Administration said the company's factory in Mumbai had since been raided and its entire stock seized.
The circular from Dr Raghuvanshi, dated to Friday, cited the BBC investigation in his decision to ban all combinations of tapentadol and carisoprodol, which was to be implemented with immediate effect.
He said this also came after officials had looked into "the potential of drug abuse and its harmful impact on population".
Tapentadol is a powerful opioid, and carisoprodol is a muscle relaxant so addictive it is banned in Europe.
Carisoprodol is approved for use in the US, but only for short periods of up to three weeks. Withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, insomnia and hallucinations.
The combination of the two drugs is not licensed for use anywhere in the world as they can cause breathing difficulties and seizures and an overdose can kill.
Despite the risks, these opioids are popular street drugs in many West African countries, because they are so cheap and widely available.
Despite the risks, these opioids are popular street drugs in many West African countries, because they are so cheap and widely available.
Publicly-available export data show that Aveo Pharmaceuticals, along with a sister company called Westfin International, has shipped millions of these tablets to Ghana and other West African countries.
The BBC World Service also found packets of these pills with the Aveo logo for sale on the streets of Nigeria, and in Ivoirian towns and cities.
Nigeria, with a population of 225 million people, provides the biggest market for these pills. It has been estimated that about four million Nigerians abuse some form of opioid, according to the nation's National Bureau of Statistics.
As part of the investigation, the BBC also sent an undercover operative - posing as an African businessman looking to supply opioids to Nigeria - inside one of Aveo's factories in India, where they filmed one of Aveo's directors, Vinod Sharma, showing off the same dangerous products the BBC found for sale across West Africa.
Filmed secretly, Vinod Sharma said Aveo's cocktail drug was "very harmful", adding "this is business".
In the secretly recorded footage, the operative tells Sharma that his plan is to sell the pills to teenagers in Nigeria "who all love this product".
Sharma in response replies "OK," before explaining that if users take two or three pills at once, they can "relax" and agrees they can get "high".
Towards the end of the meeting, Sharma says: "This is very harmful for the health," adding that "nowadays, this is business".
Sharma and Aveo Pharmaceuticals did not respond to a request for comment when the BBC's initial investigation was published.
India's Food and Drug Administration said a sting operation saw Aveo's entire stock seized and further production halted in a statement on Friday. Further legal action will be taken against the company, it added.
The agency said it was "fully prepared" to take action against anyone involved in "illegal activities that tarnish the reputation of the country". The FDA has been instructed to carry out further inspections to prevent the supply of the drugs, it said.
India’s Opioid Kings: Pharmaceutical Firm Behind West Africa’s Drug Crisis Unmasked
By Royal Ibeh
A shocking BBC Eye Investigation has uncovered how an Indian pharmaceutical company, Aveo Pharmaceuticals, was illegally manufacturing and exporting highly addictive opioids to West Africa, fueling a growing public health crisis.
The Mumbai-based company produced unlicensed pills containing a dangerous combination of tapentadol, a potent opioid, and carisoprodol, a banned muscle relaxant. These drugs, marketed under various brand names, were being widely sold on the streets of Ghana, Nigeria, and Côte d’Ivoire, despite being illegal in these countries.
A BBC undercover operative, posing as a Nigerian businessman, infiltrated Aveo’s factory and secretly filmed a company director, Vinod Sharma, openly promoting the dangerous pills.
In the footage published by the BBC, Sharma acknowledged the harmful effects of the drugs but dismisses concerns, saying, “This is very harmful for their health—but nowadays, this is business.”
The devastating impact of the opioids is evident in West Africa. In Tamale, Ghana, an increasing number of young people are addicted to the drugs, prompting local chief Alhassan Maham to form a volunteer task force to seize and destroy illicit pills.
In Nigeria, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd), chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), warned that opioids are “devastating our youths, our families, and every community in Nigeria.”
According to BBC World Service/BBC Eye report, “Indian law prohibits the manufacture and export of unlicensed drugs unless they meet the importing country’s regulations, however, Aveo has been shipping these opioids to Ghana, violating Indian and international drug laws. The Indian drug regulator, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), stated that the government was committed to preventing illegal pharmaceutical exports and has pledged to take immediate action against any companies involved in malpractice.”
Officials from Nigeria’s drug enforcement agencies, including NAFDAC and the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN), confirmed that efforts were underway to crack down on illegal opioid distribution network. Recent raids in Lagos State and other cities have led to multiple arrests and the seizure of billions of naira worth of illicit drugs.
Public health advocates are calling for stronger diplomatic pressure on India to hold Aveo Pharmaceuticals accountable.
For instance, the executive director of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Akinbode Oluwafemi, emphasised the need for punitive action, stating, “If you don’t get punished for a crime, you will do it again.”
The BBC’s findings have sparked outrage, with calls for tighter international controls on pharmaceutical exports. As the crisis deepens, authorities in West Africa continue to battle the influx of illegal opioids, hoping to protect future generations from the devastating consequences of addiction.
drerocker: Better do because Warri own derail last week N my younger sister was inside to God be d glory
Mr Sam (PositiveMantra) @skaalbgroup
When will u visit&pay attention to Warri- Itakpe route,that need serious attention by way of new coaches,repair of the tracks especially between Ajaoukuta-Itakpe end &the long awaited extension from Itakpe to Abuja-Idu Station?
NRC has been most unfair to the users in this axis
Attention is to all services. Will visit Warri Itakpe very soon
Mr Sam (PositiveMantra) @skaalbgroup
Thank you 🙏
el-suraj shittu @SurajAyodeji
Ramadan Kareem. A reminder that the generator in the Warri-Itakpe line has packed up, and the AC in the isn't working as 26/2/25 and 27/2/25 when I boarded. The VIP toilet was locked, so we couldn't use it. There's a need to improve the service.
Blacklisting of Aveo Pharmaceuticals and Banning of Tapentadol and Carisoprodol Combination – Tafrodol or Royal 225
A company named Aveo Pharmaceuticals, based in the outskirts of Mumbai, managed by Vinod Sharma is involved in the production, sale and exportation of a range of addiction pills containing a harmful mix of Tapentadol (a powerful opioid), and Carisoprodol, a banned muscle relaxant with addictive properties that can cause overdose, or death. The mix comes as Tafrodol or Royal 225.
The BBC World Service investigation revealed that packets of these brands, branded with the Aveo logo, have been on sale on the streets of Ghana, Nigeria, and Cote D’Ivoire towns and cities. Aveo Pharmaceuticals, India is also implicated in the manufacture of high dose tramadol for export to countries in West Africa, including Nigeria.
This press briefing is to inform the public that NAFDAC has never registered Tafrodol or Royal 225 or a strength of tramadol greater that 100 mg (the prescription strength), or any product manufactured by Aveo Pharmaceuticals Pvt Limited. Therefore, drawing from the NAFDAC Act Cap N.1 LFN 2004 and the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and unwholesome Processed Foods (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act Cap C.34 LFN 2004, NAFDAC has decided to BLACKLIST AVEO Pharmaceuticals Pvt Limited. We have also put in place measures to prevent future registration of any product manufactured by this company.
The public is therefore advised to support NAFDAC’s fight against fake, substandard and falsified pharmaceutical products. They are also advised to avoid the use of unregistered products and consumption of medicines without prescription from trained medical practitioners. This is to assure the public that NAFDAC will continue to deploy various methods to ensure that only quality, safe and efficacious medicines are available for distribution, sale and use within Nigeria.
An undercover operative sent inside the factory, posing as an African businessman looking to supply opioids to Nigeria with a hidden camera recorded his interaction with Vinod Sharma who confessed to exportation of large consignments of these combination of drugs across West Africa and their distribution for abuse as street drugs and opioids.
This combination of drugs is not licensed for use anywhere in the world, neither is it registered by NAFDAC and can cause breathing difficulties and seizures. An overdose can kill. Despite the risks, these opioids are popular as street drugs in many West African countries, because they are so cheap and widely available.
NAFDAC has consistently worked to ensure that public health is protected through the entrenchment of International best practices during product registration, which include dossier reviews, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) inspections, and laboratory analysis of products intended for registration. We also have Post Marketing Surveillance activities and Pre-shipment Inspection Scheme also called the Clean Report of Inspection and Analysis (CRIA) Scheme for high-risk countries like India.
These measures are there to support NAFDAC’s efforts at prevention of import and distribution of substandard, fake, and falsified pharmaceutical products in Nigeria.
Key findings
1️⃣ Aveo Pharmaceuticals, India, managed by Vinod Sharma is involved in the production and illegal exportation of Tapentadol to countries in West Africa, including Nigeria.
2️⃣ Aveo Pharmaceuticals is implicated in the manufacture and illegal exportation of Tramadol doses above 100mg, particularly 250mg.
3️⃣ The illegal opioid brands come in different brand names such as Tafrodol, Royal-225 etc.
4️⃣ The illegal brands carry the logo of Aveo pharmaceuticals.
5️⃣ The illegal opioids are street drugs causing opioid dependence in Nigeria, Ghana and other West African countries.
We have intensified our enforcement activities against the sale of illicit and counterfeit pharmaceuticals across major distribution channels and hubs across the country and this will continue to happen to make Nigeria an uncomfortable place to engage in such unethical and unapproved distribution of fake, substandard and falsified pharmaceutical products. We are also working with other regulatory authorities and security agencies to curb the entry into Nigeria through our borders and thereby prevent the distribution and circulation of these dangerous products.
With the partnership of the public, NAFDAC will continue to carry out the major mandate of safeguarding the health of Nigerians.
Thank you.
Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye FAS Director General
Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority LAMATA @lamataonline
LAMATA, NRC Forge Closer Ties for Seamless Rail Operations, and Opeifa Pledges Full Support
In a move to strengthen collaboration and ensure the seamless operation of rail services, the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) paid a courtesy visit to the newly appointed Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Dr. Kayode Opeifa, today.
The LAMATA delegation, led by Managing Director Engr. Mrs. Abimbola Akinajo, included Director of Rail Transport, Engr. Olasunkanmi Okusaga, Corporate Legal Secretary, Mrs. Abiola Ajayi and Head, Corporate Communication Kolawole Ojelabi.
What began as a courtesy call quickly evolved into a productive working session, as both LAMATA and NRC management teams identified and discussed critical issues requiring immediate attention.
The central focus of the discussions was the operational synergy between LAMATA and the NRC on the Blue and Red Line rail projects which it granted operational licences in 2024.
Dr. Opeifa assured LAMATA of the NRC's unwavering support, emphasising the importance of successful rail operations for Lagos residents and Nigerians at large. He urged his management team to prioritise cooperation and efficiency.
The NRC MD commended LAMATA for its pioneering role in establishing the Blue Line and its innovative partnership on the Red Line project. He highlighted the agency's achievements as a benchmark for other states, aligning them with the federal government's "Renewed Hope" agenda, which prioritises support for key state-level infrastructure initiatives.
Fed Govt is committed to modern train development, says Opeifa
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC),@info_NRC Dr Kayode Opeifa, has reiterated the commitment of the federal government to the sustenance of modern train development.
He said this while playing host to the Managing Director of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (@Lamataonline Engr Mrs Abimbola Akinajo), who led top management of the agency on a courtesy visit.
Opeifa said the @officialABAT administration would in the coming month unveil its plans on the development of railway infrastructure.
He disclosed further that the Federal Government under the Renewed Hope Agenda would put its full weight behind all state governments willing to develop intra-city rail networks from the national rail corridor in their state.
Opeifa lauded the Lagos State Government which through LAMATA has been operating the Red and the Blue train lines, based on the licenses issued by the Corporation, adding that LAMATA is proving to the world that nothing is impossible.
“The Blue line is an example that nothing is impossible. That is a line that runs exclusively on electricity and LAMATA has been able to keep it in operation for two years non-stop. In the next five years a lot of things will change in this country and soon, Nigerians will be able to even enjoy a new generation rail system. "In our generation, we shall be able to operate all modes of modern rail systems comparable to anywhere in the world,” Opeifa added.
The Managing Director who lamented that Nigeria built about 3,500 kilometres of rail tracks in 60 years and stopped for another 60 years, said this administration under its Renewed Hope Agenda is determined to put a stop to that and ensure that it sustain massive investments on rail transportation infrastructure.
He said as facilitator of trade and business, the corporation will continue to give priority to areas that would lessen the burden of transportation on the people, reduce poverty, and lower the rising inflation, adding that he looked forward to the time when all states of the federation will be able to run train Services round the clock, which would lessen the burden on the NRC and allow it to concentrate on freight movements.
He disclosed that he would continue to give Lagos State and other federating states expeditious approvals and partner with those interested in investing in rail developments.
He disclosed that four more states - Plateau, Niger, Bauchi, and Ogun States - are at various stages of readiness to join Lagos State as train-friendly states.
Opeifa, who was excited to receive the LAMATA team, said as a Lagosian, he is determined to push the corporation to continue to support all LAMATA’s initiatives, adding that with him at the helm of affairs at NRC, Lagos should consider the corporation as a ready and willing partner.
In her own remarks, LAMATA’s Managing Director Mrs Abimbola Akinajo said her team had considered it necessary to pay the new NRC Managing Director a visit because of the cordial relationship between the Corporation and LAMATA.
She said LAMATA is happy that a Lagosian and a member of the LAMATA family is now at the helm of affairs at the NRC.
“We are happy about your appointment and we are looking forward to more fruitful working relationship with the NRC. We are happy that both the NRC and LAMATA are driven by the passion to make rail transportation a viable alternative for Nigerians.
She said Lagos State has continued to make judicious use of the licences given to the state for both the Red and Blue Line as well as the track access approval granted it on the Red Line.
“We decided to pay you a visit and warmly welcome you back into the transportation family, knowing that under you, the Nigerian Railway Corporation would continue to play a major role in Lagos State’s transportation initiatives, especially relating to the rail development,” Mrs Akinajo said.
Politics › President Tinubu, Peter Obi And Dapo Abiodun Mourn Dr Doyin Okupe by naptu2(op): 4:18pm On Mar 07, 2025
