₦airaland Forum

A Port Harcourt based company, Hyper City Retail Limited is building a shopping mall on an Abuja plot of land meant for a memorial in honour of construction workers and hawkers killed in a 2008 building collapse on the site, Daily Trust investigations have revealed.

The land, located in Utako District of Abuja, the Federal Capital City, had its original allocation title revoked by then Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Aliyu Modibbo Umar to serve as a deterrent to property developers for violating building regulations.

Situated on the road leading to Jabi Motor Part on P.O.W. Mafemi Crescent, the plot is numbered 230, Cadastral Zone B05, Utako District.

It is now a beehive of activities as the construction of a sprawling shopping mall has reached an advanced stage.

Investigations revealed that construction giant, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc is handling the project on behalf of Hyper City Retails Limited, which has a chain of supermarkets in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

A visit to the company’s website showed that Hyper City Retails has four branches in the Rivers State capital.

They are located on Tombia Road, Opposite Polo Club, New GRA; Eastern Bypass Roundabout, Ogbunabali; Ikoku Junction, Olu-Obasanjo Road, Adjacent Ikwerre Road and Slaughter Roundabout, Trans-Amadi Road, Ogingba.

Findings revealed that the company was registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) on May 18, 2022, with registration number 1931320 as a private company limited by shares.

Its known address is Igwuruta Road, Igwuruta, Ikwerre, Rivers State, while its Principal Business Activities include retail trading in general consumer goods, estate management agency and importer of general goods.

The Directors of the company, as indicated in the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) updated status, include Chinda Chika Nwenenda of Old Refinery Road, Elelenwo Port-Harcourt, Obio/Akpor, Rivers State; and a Lebanese, Roukoz Sarkis Rachid of Aba Road, Port-Harcourt, Obio/Akpor, Rivers State. The Secretary of the company is Ekpunobi Samuel Chibuzo of Okota Road, Lagos State.

The company’s status listed the shareholders to include Aleed Construction Limited [307460] and has its address as Igwuruta road, Igwuruta, Ikwerre, Rivers state; and Tech Farms and Estates Limited [1826771] of Aba Road, Port-Harcourt, Obio/Akpor, Rivers State.

Not much is known about the directors of the company as of the time of writing this report apart from what is listed in the status from CAC, but the company was established during the tenure of Governor Nyesom Wike, who is now the minister of the FCT.

Residents of Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital linked Hyper City to a powerful politician from the state but could not provide any evidence.

“The first shopping mall was erected in a space that was housing some shops soon after the owners were relocated,” one of our sources said, and declined further comment.

Another source said within a span of three years, the other three branches were erected.

“Hyper City is one of the popular stores in Port Harcourt and receives visitors all the time. They sell all sort of things that you can find in exotic shops,” he said.

Back in Abuja, some sources said that going by the recent development, the land where the shopping mall is being constructed must have been reallocated to Hyper City after series of revocations over the years.

The Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS) is responsible for issuing new certificates for lands allocated in the FCT, and it is said to be under the purview of the lands department.

However, for over one month, efforts to reach the FCT Director of Land Administration, Chijoke Nwankwoeze, to explain how Hyper City got the land yielded no results as he was said to be in the field most of the times.

During one of the visits on Wednesday and Thursday, last week, he was said to be away for official assignment.

A WhatsApp message sent to him asking for details of the plot of land in contention was not responded to at the time of filing the report.

Also, Lere Olayinka, who is the spokesman of the Minister of the FCT, Wike, did not respond to several messages sent to him on the development.

He was said to be attending to official matter when Daily Trust visited his office on Thursday, in addition to several visits before. However, a senior staff of the department of land of the FCT told our reporter that the land was recently reallocated for commercial purpose.

The staff, who craved anonymity, said he could not independently identify the private company that acquired the land.

“What I can tell you is that it has been reallocated for commercial purpose and not for residential. It is now a private property,” the official said, without giving further details.

The building collapse

It would be recalled that on July 29, 2008, a four-storey building under construction on Plot 230 and an adjoining plot collapsed and killed at least six people while dozens of others sustained injuries.

Following the public outcry that trailed the collapse of the building, a development many attributed to poor enforcement of regulatory measures, the then minister of the FCT, Modibbo, ordered an investigation to unravel the circumstances behind the incident.

However, 17 years after the decision to build a memorial in honour of the victims, it was learnt that the plot has been reallocated for a different purpose.

When Daily Trust visited the site yesterday, construction work was ongoing as heavy duty equipment like cranes and mixers were seen. Dozens of masons, bricklayers, labourers, building engineers and supervisors were also seen.

Two construction workers who spoke to Daily Trust stated that the ongoing building was for commercial purposes.

“I am not allowed to talk to journalists but all I know is that this is a shopping mall with maybe a few office spaces. I understand that it is a storey building with many facilities,” one of them said, on condition of anonymity.

Another worker said even though they do not know who owns the building, they always see officials from the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) visiting the site for supervision.

“I don’t think any of us can tell you who owns this place because as you can see, there is no signboard to that effect,” the worker said.

Another person seen at the construction site, who claimed to be an engineer, said most of the senior personnel handling the civil, mechanical, electrical and other assignments are being routinely changed.

“It is therefore very difficult for someone to tell you who owns what here…But then, as you can see, it is a serious multi-billion naira project. We may likely know who owns it when it is completed and the business starts,” the engineer said.

Asked whether it is a normal practice to see such a massive project without the relevant signposts to show the details, the engineer said: “We have a lot of such buildings in Abuja that are wrapped in secrecy, especially those belonging to private entities.”

When contacted to know the level of their involvement in the project, including who awarded the contract to the company and at what cost, one of those who speak on behalf of Julius Berger said they got the contract from Hyper City Retail Limited and declined further comment.

Asked if we could get information on the cost of the project, the official said “no comment on that.”

Victims of tragedy deserve empathy – TPL Shuaibu

In an interview with the Daily Trust, TPL Umar Shuaibu, who had served as the Coordinator of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), said he was surprised when he discovered that the building plan of Plot 230 had been changed.

He said: “To my knowledge, there was a building collapse on that piece of land in Utako, in 2008, in which six people lost their lives. At that time, I think a committee was set up.

“Some staff members of the authority (FCT) were suspended, and investigation was carried out, and a report was submitted. The outcome of that report was that first of all, it (the plot) should be revoked from the owner”, he said.

TPL Shuaibu, who started his civil service career as a Town Planning Officer II in the FCDA in 1990, rose to the rank of Assistant Chief Town Planning Officer (ACTPO), before his retirement in 2004.

He confirmed to the Daily Trust that the plot under contention was revoked by the then FCT Minister, Modibbo.

According to him: “It was decided that the plot should be dedicated for a memorial park in honour of those that lost their lives, this is what I know about that issue.

“And subsequently, when I became the coordinator of the Abuja Metropolitan Council, there was a proposal, I think, by a beverage company which I cannot remember now….But I know that the concept at the time that I left office was that the place should be dedicated for a memorial park in honour of those people that lost their lives.

“And from 2008 to 2024, no government took any action to violate that proposal, but subsequently, I saw that place being developed. I don’t know what it is being developed for. But, certainly, what I see there now is not in line with the proposal to dedicate it for a memorial park. That’s what I can say for now,” he said.

On whether in his estimation families of those that died would have no issue with the conversion of the place to a shopping mall instead of a memorial park, TPL Shuaibu said, “You see, life is life. No matter the social standing of the person that lost his life, that life must be respected.

“The identity of the family of those that died there is not something we can say for now, because this thing took place in 2008, which is about 17 years. So, at that time, I was searching whether the committee (set up to investigate the incident) dug and identified the families. I don’t know.

“But I know that the concept was to have a memorial park there. And I know the way people work in Abuja, those that are labourers, mostly are those that become victims whenever there is building collapse like this. So, usually, identifying the family is difficult,” he said.

Asked whether there is the likelihood that the current Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike is not in the picture of the real status of the plot, hence its conversion to a shopping mall, he said, “There is no way…There are so many ministers that came and left before him.

“I know that the collapse happened during the time of Aliyu Modibbo. After he left, I think we had Adamu Aliero and then Bala Mohammed. We also had Mohammed Musa Bello. All these ministers, when they came, they respected that nobody violated that proposal. So, for a plot in that prime location not to be developed, there must be a reason.

“So, somebody doesn’t need to be told that there is a reason why this place is like this. In any case, if that proposal is violated, it’s wrong,” he said.

The collapse

Our reporters recalled that about 17 years ago, the Daily Trust took several days reporting what transpired at the site of the collapsed building and the actions taken by relevant authorities.

For instance, on July 30, 2008, this newspaper reported how some of the construction workers and hawkers were buried under the rubble.

It also reported the visit to the site by the then FCT minister, Modibbo and the then Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro who facilitated rescue operation.

The then Corps Marshal/CEO of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Osita Chidoka, equally visited the scene together with the then FCT Sector Commander, Nseobong Charles Akpabio.

On July 31, 2008, the Daily Trust reported that the Director (Building Permit) Mrs. Amina Egella and the department’s District Officer (Utako), Mr. Umoru Halilu had been suspended to pave the way for unfettered investigation into the incident.

A statement at the time by the FCTA’s Assistant Director for Communications, Diran Onifade, said Modibbo also constituted a high powered committee to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the building collapse.

Onifade also said preliminary investigations into the matter showed that the building, belonging to Exposee Nigeria Limited, was being constructed on two plots: 230 and 1161 at P.O.W. Mafemi Crescent, Utako.

The statement said: “The Company Directors are Jimmy Davies of plot 1154, Sirass Crescent, off Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse II Abuja; and Casafina Trading Company.

“Plot 230 was originally allocated to Exposee under the Accelerated Development Programme of the FCTA on the 5th of December, 2005”, it said.

The statement added that “Exposee got building approval only in respect of Plot 230. However, the company went ahead to illegally extend the building to adjoining Plot 1161, which is for residential purposes in violation of the terms of the approval.”

It said a stop work notice was immediately issued when it was found that the two plots were merged, and that a series of notices of “stop work” were issued to the developer on August 13th, followed by a “Quit Notice” on September 20th and finally a “Demolition Notice” was given on August 14th, 2007, respectively.

However, the company allegedly defied all those notices and continued with the construction work until the structure collapsed.

The then Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, who was at the scene, had called for urgent investigation into the incident, Daily Trust reported at the time.

The Speaker, who was accompanied by his deputy, Usman Bayero Nafada, called on all relevant agencies of government to take decisive action against violators of building code. He said it was necessary for government to take drastic action to serve as deterrent to those that have continued to violate the building code, thereby putting innocent lives in danger.

Daily Trust gathered that upon completion of its investigation, the probe panel recommended that the title of the land should be revoked from Exposee, and instead, a memorial should be erected at the place in honour of the deceased.

It was also learnt that a beverage company indicated interest in building the memorial park but along the line, there was no explicit clearance for the project to go ahead.

Since then, the place was left unattended to as only mechanics and other artisans were carrying out their trades until recently when it was allocated for the ongoing construction of a shopping mall.

Further checks by Daily Trust revealed that before the plot was allocated to Exposee, it was allocated to Island Services and Supplies Limited (ISSL), with Certificate of Occupancy number Misc 8998. It was subsequently assigned to a certain businessman from Yobe State, who registered its Power of Attorney and obtained building plans but the place was listed for revocation.

What victims said on the day of the tragedy

On August 3, 2008, Daily Trust equally reported different interviews with some of the victims, including Hamisu Abdullahi and Kabiru Habibu who sustained injuries.

Others who spoke to this newspaper included Emeka Offor who was a mason at the construction site, and a young groundnut seller (not named) who escaped unhurt. They all recounted their harrowing experiences.

Though none of the direct victims of the 17-year incident could be traced at this moment, a trader who sells kolanuts at the popular Jabi Garage, Aliyu Mohammed, who spoke to Daily Trust in Hausa language, said he was sad over the alleged change in the purpose for the plot.

He said: “I came to Abuja from Jigawa shortly after the building collapsed and I was told that some people lost their lives. Most of people who witnessed the incident have left Abuja during the demolition inside the Jabi Garage two years ago.

“However, what I heard from them when I came is that after the building collapse, the government through the then FCT minister said the place will be turned into a memorial to honour those who lost their lives in the incident.

“But, to my greatest shock, only last year, I saw that they have started building there and I saw Julius Berger carrying out the serious construction. When I asked around the place, some labourers told me that they are building a supermarket and other commercial shops there.

“I was disappointed because I believe that the families of those who lost their lives would be disappointed that the government instead of honouring the dead as promised, is now turning the place to a supermarket. I think it is not fair to those who lost their lives,” he said.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has said the incident involving Comfort Emmanson, the passenger who allegedly assaulted Ibom Air crew members, is different from the case of Fuji musician Wasiu Ayinde, popularly known as KWAM 1.

NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mike Achimugu, stated this during an X Space session on Monday.

He explained that the regulatory body did not direct the airline to prosecute or ban Emmanson, noting that Ibom Air acted independently based on available evidence.

He said, “In this case, the airline exercised its rights to do what they needed to do, right? And AON, based on some of the evidences already available, because while the investigations are ongoing, you can still be working with what is available to you.

“Now, for you who say you are in the industry, when you see a passenger hitting a cabin crew member in the way the lady was doing, and the fight she had with the people who came to restrain her, you may have to agree that the airlines had every right to announce a ban.

“Yeah, of course, one would expect that at the end of all of these things, maybe the ban could be shortened or even removed altogether.

“But as of the moment, if they feel that that’s the right thing, because again, don’t forget, airline staff are also human beings, and they’re also fellow Nigerians.


“Some of them are your brothers and your sisters, too. And they deserve the same courtesy that passengers also deserve. Now, nobody deserves to be beaten up or hit in the manner that occurred in this flight.”

Achimugu said the Airline Operators of Nigeria acted within its rights, citing other past incidents where lack of evidence hindered regulatory action.

“Remember, there was an airport incident where three drunk people had mid-air between London and Nigeria, caused a situation that could have crashed that flight.

“To date, Air Peace feels aggrieved that nobody issued an advisory for those passengers to be blacklisted. But you see, evidence of what happened on board was not made available to the NCAA. So it became a case of he said, she said.

“I just want to put it out there very clearly that the NCAA did not issue an advisory to AON, and AON is within its right to ban any passenger, to blacklist a passenger. Just to make this clear,” he said.

He added that while Ibom Air swiftly charged Emmanson to court, ValueJet did not press charges in KWAM 1’s case, prompting NCAA to petition the authorities.

Achimugu stated that the airline has the right to pursue prosecution, adding that the matter could still be resolved amicably.

“Cabin crew are in charge of, apart from your comfort, safety and security and everything on the aircraft. We have the authority there. Blocking the path of somebody who has assaulted you is also a form of restraint.

“She wanted to restrain the passenger without laying hands on her, she’s within her rights to do so. I don’t know if it’s standard practice. I will have to check with director Afsek at the NCAA to check the documents and see. But look, there are different ways to restrain an unruly passenger. Standard practices can always evolve and change,” he concluded.

Revenue generated from Value Added Tax, VAT, rose by 84.6 per cent year-on-year, YoY, to N6.72 trillion in 2024 from N3.64 trillion in 2023.

A Quarter-on-Quarter (QoQ) details of data from the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, VAT report for the review period showed that VAT revenue grew by 9.09 percent to N1.56 trillion in Q2’24 from N1.43 trillion in Q1’24.

The upward trend continued in Q3’24 in which revenue rose by 14 percent to N1.78 trillion and up by 9.5 percent to N1.95 trillion in Q4’24.

In its VAT report for Q4’24, released yesterday, NBS said: “On aggregate, VAT for Q4’24 was reported at N1.95 trillion, showing a growth rate of 9.5 percent on a quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) basis from N1.78 trillion in Q3’24.

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“Domestic payments were N917.40 billion, Non-import foreign VAT Payments were N554.68 billion, while import VAT contributed N474.75 billion in Q4’24.

“On a QoQ basis, activities of extraterritorial organizations and bodies recorded the highest growth rate with 180.05 percent, followed by agriculture, forestry and fishing with 70.83 percent, and human health and social work activities with 46.13 percent.

“On the other hand, activities of households as employers, undifferentiated goods- and services-producing activities of households for own use contracted by 28.97 percent, followed by information and communication with 23 percent.”

Despite the suspension of the controversial 4 per cent Free-on-Board (FOB) import charge, Nigerian importers continue to face skyrocketing costs at the nation’s ports, driven not by formal tariffs but by what many now describe as systemic overvaluation of goods by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

The real crisis lies in arbitrary customs practices, which have flourished under the Tinubu administration’s aggressive revenue drive.

Under the Bola Tinubu regime, the Nigeria Customs Service has become a major revenue-generating agency, with collections soaring to ₦6.1 trillion in 2024, nearly doubling the ₦3.2 trillion, which is a staggering 90.4 per cent increase in just one year, as recorded in 2023. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, the service reported over ₦1.3 trillion in revenue.

This financial performance is being achieved through questionable means.

The dirty secret? Customs officers are instructed to disregard the actual invoice values of goods and instead impose grossly inflated valuation benchmarks, often with zero transparency or accountability.

These benchmarks, determined internally by Customs, are used to assess import duties, VAT, and other levies, often inflating the actual value of goods by 50 per cent to 200 per cent. Importers say that despite providing complete documentation, including verifiable commercial invoices, customs officials override the declared values using opaque “valuation databases” not accessible to the public.

This practice, introduced initially to combat under-invoicing, has evolved into a blunt revenue-generation tool, with little regard for fairness or international best practices.

According to the World Trade Organisation’s Customs Valuation Agreement, import duties are supposed to be based on the actual transaction value, the price paid or payable for the goods. But Nigerian Customs frequently violates this principle, even when documentation is complete and verifiable.

An imported vehicle invoiced at $10,000 might be revalued at $25,000 or more. A generator worth $3,000? Customs could price it at $7,500, and all import duties, VAT, and levies are calculated on that inflated figure. Importers are left helpless, forced to pay or watch their goods rot.

The impact on the broader economy is severe. The inflated valuations are making it more expensive to import not just finished goods, but also raw materials and machinery critical to local manufacturing.

This is no longer just a port issue; it’s a national economic emergency. Businesses are shutting down. Prices are climbing. And Customs is being weaponised as a fiscal bludgeon.

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has also raised concerns, stating that non-transparent valuation practices discourage investment and hinder economic competitiveness.

Despite public backlash, the Tinubu regime appears undeterred. In July 2025, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, announced plans to reintroduce the suspended 4 per cent FOB charge following ongoing “stakeholder engagements.”

This move, alongside inflated valuations, will further compound hardship for importers and consumers alike.

You can’t run an economy on taxes and levies alone. Tinubu’s government is treating revenue like a scoreboard. But the pain is real, and it’s structural.

There is a need for reform and transparency. The federal government needs to:

Enforce compliance with WTO valuation rules

Publish customs valuation benchmarks

Create independent oversight of the Nigeria Customs Service

Stop using customs revenue targets to drive inflationary practices

Without such reforms, the economic fallout could deepen, with inflationary pressure, investor flight, and widespread job losses continuing into 2026.

As things stand, for many in Nigeria’s import-dependent economy, the ports have become less a gateway to commerce and more a choke point of government exploitation.

PRESS STATEMENT
African Democratic Congress (ADC)
Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, National Publicity Secretary

6 August 2025

ADC Knocks APC Over Premature Tinubu Endorsements, Says Nigeria Suffers While Ruling Party Goes into Campaign Mode Two Years Early.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has berated the ruling All Progressives Congress for what it calls a “non-stop victory parade” in favour of President Bola Tinubu, accusing the party of breaching electoral law and mocking citizens’ hardship with premature re-election campaigns and rallies.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, ADC spokesperson Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi said the choreographed endorsements rolling out from Abuja to Kano and the President’s campaign billboards lining the streets of Abuja, flout the Independent National Electoral Commission’s reminder that campaign activity is illegal until 150 days before the 2027 polls.

Abdullahi argued that while the APC is “hoisting billboards instead of fixing the nation’s broken economy,” inflation has soared, the naira has collapsed, petrol prices have multiplied, and kidnapping has morphed into an industry—evidence, he said, of a government distracted from its duty to govern. The ADC warned that every unlawful rally is a billboard of failure and pledged to challenge the ruling party “when the window opens, at the ballot box.”

The full statement read:
For several months, APC organs have staged rallies and erected billboards endorsing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term. From the Abuja national caucus that proclaimed him “sole candidate,” to choreographed declarations in Port Harcourt, Minna, Kano, and Akure. These theatrics brazenly ignore the Electoral Act and the fresh warning issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission, which reminds every politician that public campaigning is illegal until one hundred and fifty days before polling day.

While the ruling party chants “four more years” and sings songs of a sinking mandate, prices have galloped beyond the reach of ordinary citizens. Headline inflation, already twenty-two percent in 2023, rocketed to a thirty-year high of almost thirty-five percent last December and still hovers above twenty-two percent today, meaning food, transport, and rent now cost roughly sixty percent more than they did at the time he took office. The naira has crumbled from about N461 to the dollar in early 2023 to well over N1,500, wiping out savings and strangling small enterprises. Petrol that once sold for N185 per litre before subsidy removal now averages more than N1,000, turning every journey to work or market into an exercise in anguish.

Debt is devouring the treasury. The World Bank projects that servicing our obligations already swallows more than our total federal revenue, leaving scarcely a kobo for schools, clinics, or roads. Revenue mobilisation limps along at barely eleven percent of our Goss Domestic Product, far below the continental average, yet the government borrows again and again and again.

When it comes to insecurity, in communities across the nation, security has deteriorated into a national nightmare. Between April and June this year, 122 security personnel consisting of NSCDC, Police and Soldiers have been killed; 1865 civilians have been killed, and over 3132 security-related killings have been reported across the nation. Only last Friday, more than 50 people were seized in a major case of mass abduction in Sabon Gari Dirmi, north of Zamfara State. Nigerians are being abducted at an industrial scale while President Tinubu chases after adoption for second term. Instead of security personnel, our streets are lined with the President’s campaign Billboards

In the power sector, the national grid collapsed a dozen times last year and several times this year, exposing the hollowness of President Tinubu and the APC’s promises of reliable power. Corruption indices still rank Nigeria in the bottom quarter of the world and press-freedom scores have fallen ten places in a single year, as independent journalists face mounting pressure.

Under the APC, Nigerians are hungry, sick and scared, but instead of finding real solutions to these problems as they promised to do, the government has been busy building an army of digital propagandists and illusion creators.

The ADC therefore demands that the APC dismantles its unlawful campaign machinery, respect the law it swore to uphold, and focus on rescuing Nigerians from grinding inflation, a battered naira, rampant insecurity, and collapsing public services. Until the lawful campaign window opens, every political billboard is a billboard of illegality and should be removed as they are campaign materials.

The ADC will continue to hold the government accountable in the public square, and, when the time comes, at the ballot box.

Bandit kingpin, Bello Turji, has reportedly imposed a reign of fear and extortion across eastern Sokoto and parts of Zamfara State, forcing dozens of rural communities to pay over N100m in illegal levies within the last 50 days, local sources have revealed.

According to eyewitnesses and local monitors, 34 communities across eastern Isa and Sabon Birni local government areas in Sokoto, as well as Shinkafi LG in Zamfara, were compelled to pay what Turji’s gang calls “peace levies” — mandatory payments in exchange for access to farmland during the current rainy season.

The extortion scheme is said to be coordinated from Turji’s notorious Gwali Gwali camp, which has become a hub for armed operations and hostage detention in the region.

“The bandits told villagers they must pay or abandon their farms. It’s a tax system under threats and guns,” said Basharu Altine, a community advocate familiar with the situation.

Communities affected include many already impoverished by years of insecurity.

In several villages, farmers reportedly pooled resources to meet the gang’s demands, fearing violence or abduction if they failed to comply.

In addition to the levies, between 85 and 150 people, mostly from Isa, Sabon Birni, and Shinkafi, are believed to be held hostage at the Gwali Gwali camp.

Locals said many were abducted during attacks on rural markets and homes in recent months.

Many farmers who could not afford the levies abandoned their fields, raising concerns over looming food shortages.

“We cannot continue living under the shadow of warlords. Our people are paying to survive on their own land,” a local elder lamented.

Despite Turji’s years on the security watchlist, residents said law enforcement presence in affected communities remained weak.

When contacted, Sokoto State Police Command spokesman, Ahmed Rufai, said the command was unaware of the incident. He, however, assured The PUNCH that the police would investigate and act on the report.

Meanwhile, claims in some quarters that Turji had surrendered his weapons and renounced banditry have been strongly refuted by residents of Zamfara State.

Speaking to The PUNCH on Tuesday, Garba Sani, a resident of Shinkafi LG, said there was “no iota of truth” in the reported surrender of the bandit leader.

“It is not true that Bello Turji has repented and surrendered his weapons.

“The story is not only untrue but baseless, and we have yet to receive our people currently in his captivity,” Sani said.

The story of Turji surrendering some arms and freeing some hostages was viral online on Tuesday.

Sani, however, alleged that Turji and his fighters have a history of deception to avoid military offensives.

“They always pretend whenever arrests or operations are imminent,” he said.

He added that Turji remained active within parts of Sokoto, Zamfara, and across the border in the Republic of Niger.

“If he has actually surrendered and released his captives, let the relevant authorities come out and explain,” he said.

Efforts to reach the Special Adviser on Security to the Zamfara State Governor, Ahmed Danmanga, and the state’s PPRO, Yazid Abubakar, were unsuccessful as they did not respond to calls.

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has emerged as the top destination for foreign investment into Nigeria, according to a report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The report titled Nigeria Capital importation, Q1 2025, said the FCT attracted $3.04bn to come first from the $2.54bn Lagos attracted during the period.

Daily Trust reports that this will the first time Lagos will lose its first place as the top destination for foreign investment into the country.

The report added that Lagos is followed by Ogun State with $7.95m, Oyo with $7.81m and Kaduna with $4.06m.

The report went on to state that the country generated a total capital of $5.64bn, which is higher than the $3.37bn recorded in Q1 2024, indicating an increase of 67.12 percent.

It added that in comparison to the preceding quarter of Q4 2024, capital importation increased by 10.86 percent from $5.08bn.

It explained that Portfolio Investment ranked top with $5.20bn, accounting for 92.25 percent, followed by other investments with $311.17m, accounting for 5.52 percent and Foreign Direct Investment recorded the least with $126.29m (2.24 percent) of total capital importation in Q1 2025.

“The Banking sector recorded the highest inflow with $3.12bn, representing 55.44 percent of total capital imported in Q1 2025, followed by the Financing sector, valued at $2.09bn (37.18 percent), and Production/ Manufacturing sector with $129.92m (2.30 percent).

“Capital Importation during the reference period originated largely from the United Kingdom with $3.68bn, showing 65.26 percent of the total capital imported. This was followed by the Republic of South Africa with $501.29m (8.88 percent) and Mauritius with $394.51m (6.99 percent).

“Out of the five states that recorded capital importation during the quarter, Abuja (FCT) remained the top destination with $3.04bn, accounting for 54.11 percent of the total capital imported. Lagos State followed with $2.56bn (45.44 percent), and Ogun state with $7.95m (0.14 percent).

“Others were Oyo and Kaduna States with $7.81m and $4.06 Million respectively. Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Ltd received the highest capital importation into Nigeria in Q1 2025 with $2.10bn (37.29 percent), followed by Stanbic IBTC Bank PLC with 1.39bn (24.78 percent) and Citibank Nigeria Limited with US$1.05bn (18.66 percent).”

In two years, FCT overtakes Lagos as Nigeria’s top foreign investment destination — Q1 2025

🟢2023
Q1
Lagos: $704.87m
FCT: $410.27m

Q2
Lagos: $778.06m
FCT: $194.28m

Q3
Lagos: $303.83m
FCT: $194.66m

Q4
Lagos: $711.68m
FCT: $370.80m

------------------------
🟢2024
Q1
Lagos: $2.78bn
FCT: $593.58m

Q2
Lagos: $1.37bn
FCT: $1.24bn

Q3
Lagos: $650.41m
FCT: $600.02m

Q4
Lagos: $3.20bn
FCT: $1.85bn

--------------------
🟢2025
Q1
Lagos: $2.56bn
FCT: $3.05bn

Only six states and the FCT secured foreign investment in Q1 2025
FCT: $3.05bn
Lagos: $2.56bn
Ogun: $7.95m
Oyo: $7.81m
Kaduna: $4.06m
Kano: $117,000
Ekiti: $4,250

Total in Q1: $5.63bn

The Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, has said Nigerians will enjoy uninterrupted electricity supply before the end of President Bola Tinubu’s tenure in 2027.

Adelabu gave the assurance on Saturday during the commissioning of the Kwaru 1X15MVA 33/11KV injection substation in the Ikotun-Egbe area of Lagos State.

He said the Federal Government was taking a multi-pronged approach to address long-standing challenges in generation, transmission, and distribution.

“The present administration in Nigeria, led by His Excellency, Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with the Renewed Hope Agenda, recognises that energy is not merely a commodity; it is the backbone of economic growth and job creation.

“Nigerians can be assured of the President’s determination to ensure that citizens enjoy full and uninterrupted electricity supply before he leaves office,” the minister stated.

During the 2023 electoral campaign, Tinubu promised to work towards ensuring an uninterrupted power supply within four years in office.

This promise was recently questioned by the African Democratic Congress Interim National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, who noted that more than halfway into Tinubu’s administration, there has been little progress in meeting the commitments made to voters.

But on Saturday, Adelabu said while the promise may not be fully met within four years, Tinubu’s goal remained achievable before 2027.

“To ensure the growth and sustainability of the sector, the Federal Government of Nigeria continues to implement a multi-pronged approach, which has yielded some remarkable achievements.”

Beyond improving electricity supply to communities such as Abaranje, Isijola, Igando Road, Omoboriowo, Okerube, and surrounding areas, Adelabu emphasised that the project would have far-reaching benefits for Lagos State’s economy.

“This initiative will reduce operational challenges caused by power shortages, provide direct support to small and medium-sized enterprises, stimulate economic growth, and create new job opportunities,” he said.

The minister highlighted key achievements under the Renewed Hope Agenda, including “the decentralisation and liberalisation of the power sector through the Electricity Act 2023, which has activated twelve state electricity markets and led to the development of a National Integrated Electricity Policy after 24 years.”

He noted, “The attraction of over $2bn in fresh investments to expand electricity access,” as well as “the transition towards full commercialisation, which increased the sector’s revenue by 70 per cent in 2024.”

Other milestones, according to Adelabu, include “an increase in Nigeria’s installed generation capacity from 13GW to 14GW, with an all-time peak of 5,801.44 MW and a maximum daily energy record of 128,370.75 MWh on March 4, 2025.”


He stated, “The stabilisation of the national grid through the Siemens Project, adding over 700 MW of transmission capacity,” and “the successful mobilisation of N700bn from FAAC for the Presidential Metering Initiative, alongside a $500m World Bank DISREP fund, which will add 3.45 million meters to the sector.”

However, Adelabu acknowledged ongoing challenges, particularly in distribution, where “loss levels exceed regulatory limits, market remittances fall short, and customer complaints about service disruptions persist.

“Under my leadership, the Federal Ministry of Power remains fully committed to working with Distribution Companies (DisCos) to address these issues and ensure energy security nationwide.”

The minister further commended Ikeja Electric for completing the substation project within 12 months, praising their “diligence, proper planning, stakeholder engagement, and technical expertise. Ikeja Electric is one of the top-performing DisCos in Nigeria.

“We recognise their efforts and urge even greater strides in expanding access and improving service quality.

“The Federal Ministry of Power remains committed to supporting initiatives that enhance energy reliability and affordability for all customers,” he said.

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has appointed David Bird as the chief executive officer (CEO) of its petroleum and petrochemicals business.

The appointment took effect from July 2025, according to S&P Global, which first reported the development on Friday.

The move comes at a time when the refinery is striving to surmount production challenges and advance its expansion plans, which include a nationwide distribution of fuel in Nigeria — a scheme already facing significant pushback.

A source within the company told TheCable that Bird, a mechanical engineer, has worked with Shell for about 20 years.

“He is a mechanical engineer. A graduate of Imperial College, London. He has an MBA from Sandford University,” the source said.

According to the report, Aliko Dangote, the chairman of Dangote Industries Limited, will retain his role as chairman of the refining business while continuing to serve as CEO of the broader group, which operates cement, fertiliser, and sugar refining subsidiaries.

Bird is the former head of Oman’s Duqm refinery. He previously served as SVP of production operations and supply chain at Santos Ltd.

As vice-president of Prelude FLNG at Shell, he led the world’s first floating LNG facility and chaired Shell Australia’s RAP board. The oil and gas professional also served as head of operations at Pulau Bukom in Singapore, Shell’s largest refinery.

Commenting on his latest appointment, Bird said his focus would be on expanding the group’s footprint beyond the Nigerian market and across the African continent.

In a LinkedIn update cited by S&P, he added that he would be responsible for driving maximum output and operational efficiency to position the company as a global market leader.

Bird’s appointment comes at a pivotal time for the refinery as it ramps up operations and cements its position as a major player in Africa’s energy sector.

The 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) capacity refinery was inaugurated by former President Muhammadu Buhari in May 2023.

On January 12, 2024, the refinery announced the commencement of diesel and aviation fuel production following the delivery of its sixth one-million-barrel crude cargo.

The plant, on September 3, 2024, confirmed the start of petrol production at the facility, stating that the product meets global quality standards and can compete with products from any part of the world.

The refinery later announced an exclusive partnership with Premier Product Marketing LLC, a US-based field marketing company, to export its polypropylene to global markets outside Nigeria and Africa.

By August 15, Dangote refinery is expected to begin the distribution of fuel to end-users, deploying 4,000 compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered trucks for the operation.

A social critic and advocate of good governance, Aisha Yesufu, has alleged that President Bola Tinubu is destroying every fabric of the nation’s institution.

Yesufu stated this in a post on her X handle on Friday, claiming that Tinubu is desecrating the institutions.

She said: “We are watching Tinubu destroying every fabric of our institutions. Desecrating them!”

The statement comes after Tinubu approved a one-year extension of the tenure of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.

Adeniyi’s tenure was initially scheduled to end on August 31, 2025, but will now remain in office until August 2026.

Adeniyi was appointed Comptroller-General in October 2023 after serving in an acting capacity.

Dr. Emeka Kalu, President of ECK Foundation, has said he is supporting Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s 2027 presidential ambition because Atiku is a detribalised Nigerian and has the necessary experience to take the country out of the present economic and security challenges.

A statement by Kalu on Thursday, cited Atiku’s experience and tenacity as key factors that made him a strong candidate to defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

He also said that supporting Atiku could be ” a strategic move for the Igbo people, potentially paving the way for Mr. Peter Obi in the future and giving the Igbo community a say in the Nigeria’s power dynamics.”

Dr Kalu further said that Atiku’s leadership experience and vision was the “essential assets for revitalising Nigeria’s economy,” noting that Atiku’s tenure as Vice President showcased his ability to drive economic liberalisation, trade investments, and job creation.

Also, he expressed that Atiku had the political ability to foster relationships across Nigeria’s diverse regions, stressing that this made him an ideal candidate to unify the country.

According to him, Atiku’s national appeal could bring people together, transcend ethnic and political divides.

He added: “An Atiku presidency will lead to significant advancements in investment, infrastructure, security and will ultimately revitalise Nigeria’s crumbling economy.

“Also, Atiku as a detribalised Nigerian who can bring people together. It is regrettable that ethnic tensions have plagued Nigeria’s political landscape for a long time.”

Kalu also emphasised the importance of unity among opposition parties, warning that any coalition without a unified purpose would be ineffective.

He further urged Nigerians to rally behind Atiku’s candidacy, citing the need for selfless, capable, and trusted leadership to restore Nigeria’s economic stability as some of his belief in the 2023 presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Former governor of Lagos State and ex-Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola, has advocated the preservation of Lagos’s history to avoid distortion and promote values, particularly as the discussion on street naming in Lagos continues to generate controversy.

Fashola spoke on Tuesday at the public presentation of “Discover Lagos State: A History Puzzle Book (Volume 1)” held at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

At the event, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, also echoed the importance of documenting the state’s history, hailing the Lagos State Records and Archive Bureau for the timely presentation of the book.

Fashola referenced the works in the digital archives of the University of Glasgow, noting that the past works of the university’s staff and students played a role in influencing the historical development in other countries, even in the area of landmarks.

“The archival heritage is a valuable testimony to the sociopolitical and economic development of humanity.

“For instance, the Glasgow University archives service gives fascinating insights into the influence that the university, its staff and students have had in the history and development of many countries, including Nigeria,” he said.

He said records also contain information about the first Nigerian students at the University of Glasgow at the time, including Dr Issac Ladipo Oluwole, who was enrolled in 1913 and graduated in 1918.


Referencing the archive, Fashola said, “Dr Ladipo Oluwole returned to Nigeria to become the first African medical officer of health in the Lagos colony.

“He pioneered school health services, with school inspection and vaccination of children in their schools, and started the first Nigerian school of hygiene at Yaba in Lagos in 1920. So that’s the Ladipo Oluwole. But the records were kept well in Glasgow, Scotland.

“So those of us who drive through streets such as Ladipo Oluwole Street in Ikeja will probably now understand and contextualise the contributions of such a man and why it was considered such a high honour to immortalise him by naming a street in his memory.

“But it is perhaps instructive that we are discussing street naming and street unnaming and I keep my gunpowder dry,” he added.


“Today I reiterate those words about street naming and Dr Oluwole and with a greater conviction to reinforce my message that the preservation of our history and the documentation of our progress should be taken seriously,” Fashola said.

The former governor said the work of LASRAB extended beyond the production of educational books, noting that the ultimate goal was to create a central hub of a trustworthy and comprehensive repository of Lagos State memory.

“To make this a reality, LASRAB must be adequately resourced. Mr Governor, LASRAB must be well-funded.”


On his part, Hamzat said he was delighted for the presentation of the puzzle book on the history of Lagos State, describing it as an “initiative that uniquely blends education, creativity and cultural preservation.”

He said, “This project is an innovative learning tool designed to stimulate young minds, especially.

“It will also promote curiosity, deepen our pride as Lagosians and our collective understanding of the history and heritage of our dear state.”

Hamzat hailed Fashola, whose administration established LASRAB.

“I recall very clearly that he wrote an executive order directing that all documentation, when we build schools, when we build bridges and anything, we just have five copies, one in the Ministry of Science and Technology and one in LASRAB, and all over.

“This foundational act was not merely administrative. It was an intentional effort to institutionalise, preserve, document, and disseminate Lagos’s narrative for posterity.”

He added, “It is important that we don’t only understand ourselves, but we must understand our history so we don’t lose ourselves.


“This book is a creative method of crafting historical consciousness that informs while it also entertains. That way, we don’t distort our history and we don’t misunderstand our being.”

Former Osun State governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has argued that instead of the “Renewed Hope” promised during the 2023 campaign, Nigerians are currently experiencing a period of renewed agony under the Tinubu-led administration.

Oyinlola stated this on Tuesday while featuring on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese Ijebu, and monitored by DAILY POST in Abeokuta.

The retired Nigerian Army general was Governor of Osun State from May 29, 2003 to November 26, 2010.

Assessing the current administration, Oyinlola expressed deep concern over the state of the nation, accusing the government of failing to deliver on its promises.

“When he was campaigning, he promised a Renewed Hope. What we are seeing now is nothing short of bad governance. The economy is in terrible shape, and it’s affecting every Nigerian,” he said.

Recall that last week, the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, and the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state endorsed the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.

The endorsement followed a stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House in Oke-Fia, Osogbo.

Oyinlola, while admitting and not distancing himself from the endorsement, described it as a strategic political move and not a declaration of ideological alignment or trust.

He pointed to widespread poverty, insecurity, and the deteriorating quality of life as evidence that the administration has not only fallen short but has worsened conditions for ordinary citizens.

“We have a very bad economy, bad security, and hard-biting poverty. The common man cannot afford basic medication. We are also plagued by religious tension, war, banditry, terrorism, and insurgency. What we have is renewed agony not renewed hope,” he declared.

Many pensioners in the Federal Capital Territory have expressed frustration over the delay in the payment of pension arrears.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that President Bola Tinubu had given approval for the N758 billion Treasury Bond by the Federal Executive Council in February for payment of the arrears.

However, the National Assembly has approved the implementation of the N758 billion Treasury bond on July 22.

The bond was to clear all government liabilities under the Contributory Pension Scheme for retirees for more than decades.

The pensioners, who lamented over their sufferings, also urged the immediate implementation of the N758 billion Treasury bond to increase their monthly pension in line with the present economic reality.

In an interview with NAN, Hajiya Amina Lawal, said that even some workers could not afford three meals, adding that it is harder for pensioners.

“We were happy after the announcement by the president that we are going to be paid, but we did not know we would have to wait this long for processing.

“Our hopes were raised and some have died while waiting for the money to be paid.

“We are begging for the immediate implementation, we are too old to be on the streets,” she said.

Another pensioner, George Ose, said they were going through a lot, revealing that some pensioners have lost their lives in the struggle.

“My family and I are hungry. I can’t pay my children’s school fees.

“My landlord is on my neck and to top it all, I can’t access the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) anymore.

“If you look into my eyes, you will know that I need urgent medical attention.

“We the pensioners in this country are suffering.


” After working hard, if I knew I would suffer like this, I would not have given them the services I gave them,” he said.

Joy Adewale, who retired with her husband in 2016, said she had been struggling with life.

“We have been struggling to feed with this stipend. l am suffering, my husband is suffering too. What is our offence? We served our nation for 35 years.

“After retirement, I opened a shop to sell soft drinks, but the government demolished the shop.
“Some of us couldn’t cope with this hardship. Even my neighbour who retired two years ago died two months ago. People look down on us because we are retirees,” she said.

Adewale said that when her shop was demolished, she ran to the company that she was selling their products for help, in terms of getting the product on credit to sell and repay, but her appeal was turned down.

“Even my bank refused to grant me loan to continue the business because l am a retiree.

“No friend again, only God is sustaining me and my family now.

“I am now appealing to this present government to help us pay all our rights now that we are alive.

“I pray that all our colleagues that have fallen, that God will accept their souls. For those of us still alive, I also pray God will help us to reap the fruit of our labour,” she said.

Nkiru Offor, who retired in 2019, said her entitlements were paid in 2021 and the payment had been regular, but there was a need to increase it.

“My NHIS that was stopped immediately after my retirement has been a huge challenge, I spend a lot on lab tests and drugs instead of just ten per cent.

“In fact, it is difficult to register for the private NHIS programme with N50,000.

“They are even telling me I have issues with my payment that it has not dropped for the past three months that I registered. So no access to cheap medicals,” she said

Evans Ubah, urged the Federal Government to come to their aid, saying,”Today I can’t feed myself, see how my face is, its hunger.

“Look at how harsh the economy is because of our leaders.

“We don’t have anything to live on now, every year they will tell us in the media that pension fund assets have increased, but why are pensioners not paid?

“We have a constitution in the country that every five years salaries will be increased and pensions will increase too,” Ubah said.

The price of rice, which went down to about N65,000 per bag about six months ago, is on the upswing again, signifying more hard times for Nigerians.

Sunday Vanguard’s survey in some markets in Lagos shows that some brands of rice now sell for as high as N100,000 while others are a little lower than about N65. 000 Nigerians bought it before.

Dealers blame the development on the presumed end of the 150-day duty-free import window for essential food items as part of the Presidential Accelerated Stabilisation and Advancement Plan.

Meanwhile, millers are alleging that the presidential initiative, announced in July 2024, was conducted in secrecy as only a few firms allegedly benefited from the waivers to import duty-free grains, among which was rice.

“From what we know so far, (only) three big firms, including one in Lagos and another in Kaduna, are said to be beneficiaries of the waivers”, the Chairman, Board of Trustees, BoT, Competitive African Rice Forum, Nigerian Chapter, CARF-FSD Nigeria, CARF-FSD Nigeria, Peter Dama, told Sunday Vanguard.

Dama, who is also the President of the Rice Millers Association of Nigeria (RIMAN), also criticised short-term measures like waivers to crash prices as detrimental to local rice farmers, millers, processors and marketers, saying long-term measures to support them were what the nation needed to ensure food security.

Dire situation
Dealers in some markets in Lagos, who spoke to us about the increase in the price of the staple food, said they were frustrated about the development, describing it as a dire situation.

Mrs Bolatito Yunisa, a rice dealer at Daleko Market Lagos, lamented: “Honestly I can’t understand Nigeria system again. We are frustrated. We are not in business.

“A bag of short grain rice we saw going down to as low as 65k has gone as high as 85k, the long grain sells between 90k and as high as 100k and it’s still going up.

“We learnt that the temporary relief has ended. Really, is this how we will continue to live as a country?

“Where is the Nigeria rice? Millers are complaining of not seeing enough paddy. Many millers are no longer producing because of FX issues. Do we go hungry? I think there is confusion somewhere”.

On her part, Mrs Bukola Osagie, another rice dealer at Mile 12 International Market Lagos, said: “It’s not funny at all. I don’t even know how families are surviving. Price keeps flying up.

“Even as a dealer, we now sell in Derica measurement because many people cannot afford to buy bag of rice anymore. We share for them so that we can also make sales”.

At the Mile 12 International Market, a bag of 50kg short grain rice that was sold for between 60k and 65k, now sells for between 77k and 85k depending on the quality.

Long grain version sells in the market for between 85k and 90k.
The price of locally produced rice that sold in the market for between 70k and 72k has also increased.

Dama, speaking to Sunday Vanguard on those who got the waivers, said, “What we know is that the rice value chain actors, who laboured to build the rice processing industry, were the ones who proposed solutions to the government about the rising costs of rice through memos and advice.

“The solutions included import quotas and waivers to deter hoarding and make up the shortfall in primary production without hurting rice millers, processors, farmers or the agriculture value chain.

“Again, some rice value chain actors amongst us, who had strong networks in India, even got to the Indian government to drop its 20 per cent export duty on rice, so that Nigerians can benefit from lower prices.

“However, as we speak, none of the companies within our members were granted waiver licenses or quotas for brown rice imports.

“For those who got the waivers, we are sure of one big rice mill because the Chairman stated it during his recent visit to the president and he announced it at the Presidential Villa. “We have also heard unconfirmed reports of two other firms also being part of those who received the waivers.

Details
“We are not privy to the details.

“One of the firms, however, mentioned 200,000 tonnes of brown rice with a value of about $84 million. “The waivers are presidential waivers.

“There is supposed to be a process for issuance of these waivers, starting from the Ministry of Agriculture, Trade and investment and ending up in the Ministry of Finance.

Our members applied, but have not received any response from government to their applications”.

Dama said what has just happened serves as a reminder to consider the long-term implications of government decisions and to strive for more sustainable solutions whenever possible.

“Findings revealed that brown rice, under temporary waivers on import duties for essential food imports gulped a total of N1.9 trillion ($1.17billion) from Nigeria in the second half of 2024”, he said.

“2.4 million tonnes of brown rice were shipped to the country by Nigerian firms between July and December last year.

“Also, 10,000 tonnes of another rice ferried by African Swift in the first week of July 2025 are being offloaded at Lagos Port, after 32,000-tonnes shipment of brown rice from Thailand was facilitated in January 2025 by a logistics company, DUCAT, as importation of brown rice was permitted to help address rising food cost.

“Despite the imports, consumers in the country were still paying between N70,000 and N78,000 per 50 kg on smuggled parboiled rice from Benin Republic due to local production deficit.
“What is the end result? We are back to where we left and even worse.

“Nigeria has more than enough rice mills to feed the nation but the policy inconsistencies and selective import duty waivers has threatened the viability of Nigeria’s rice industry which has led to underutilization of productive capacity.

“Also, the high cost of FX for imports and high costs of shipment, inputs and other goods and services still persist.
“Local rice millers are struggling to compete with cheaper, subsidized imports.

“This has led to the collapse in demand for paddy rice, leaving farmers with unsold harvests and forcing many rice mills to shut down or scale back on operations.

“The major issue of insecurity following constant kidnapping of farmers still persists and high cost of farm inputs and services is also an issue because it equally affected the production output of our paddy which is the sole raw material for the production of rice.

“Electricity is not stable, we use generators in order to mill rice for at least eight hours, cost of fertilisers is high and even to cost of labourers. “You don’t expect rice millers to mill his rice without making profit.

“Yes, we can feed the nation but with the situation of things, Nigerians can’t get it cheaper unless a drastic measure is taken to address food insecurity that is biting hard on both the rich and the poor”.

“Although the intention behind this policy may have been commendable, aimed at alleviating the impacts of inflation and hunger affecting the nation, it has unintentionally sparked a new crisis that jeopardizes the very foundation of Nigeria’s food security. “Where were you when the Chairman of one of the beneficiaries went into the Villa to thank the president about the tons of rice he brought into the country that later led to the crash of the price of rice in the country?”

Smuggled rice
The RIMAN President also spoke on the consequence of rice smuggling into the country, saying it has continued and threatening local production of the staple food. “Smuggling is inherently illegal and shrouded in secrecy too. Thus there is no way to get a definite figure”, he said.

“Estimates, however, indicate that over 1,000,000 metric tonnes of finished rice has been smuggled from January to date into the country.

“The information we have is that the Ministry of Agriculture has submitted their vetted list to the Ministry of Finance containing who they believed to be genuine rice millers and rice processors in the country.

“But there is as yet no action taken by the Finance Ministry on the list submitted.

“There is complete silence from both ministries about the threat to the Nigerian rice milling industry, rice farmers, Nigerian agriculture ecosystem, food security and need for self-sufficiency in the rice sector. “There is no indication that the government is aware of the repercussions of its actions.

“And this is coming a few years after COVID-19 epidemic when Nigerian farmers fed this country and prevented starvation.
“We may have collapse of the achievements recorded in the rice value chain in Nigeria: Job losses; private and public investments are lost.

“Some of our members collected loans to invest in these ventures following appeal by government that we must eat what we produce.

Kdon2:
This dauda shehu too dey lie!

Not enough original content
Please take a moment to write a quality post with at least 40 characters.
This will make the forum more interesting for everyone.

Garba Shehu, former media aide to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, has said the former leader’s regular medical trips abroad were not a rejection of Nigeria’s healthcare system but a matter of personal preference.

Shehu made this known during an appearance on Inside Sources, a Channels Television programme, where he responded to recent comments by Femi Adesina, Buhari’s former spokesperson.

Adesina had suggested that Buhari “could have died a long time ago” if he had relied solely on Nigerian hospitals, citing a lack of expertise in the country.

Contradicting that view, Shehu said Buhari remained under the care of Nigerian doctors throughout his presidency.

“I think it is wrong to assume that he fenced himself off from the Nigerian medical system,” Shehu said.
“He had a Nigerian doctor — a chief personal physician and a state house clinic, also led by a medical consultant, a distinguished doctor of many years of practice.

He emphasized that the president’s medical team was always available to meet his immediate health needs.

“In terms of the immediacy of his own medical needs, they were always present to administer to his own needs,” Shehu added.

While acknowledging Buhari’s consistent visits abroad for treatment, Shehu said this was due to the president’s longstanding medical relationship overseas.

“As for his attachment to his past practice abroad for his medicals, he had an attachment to that,” he said.
“It was not that he was disrespectful of Nigeria’s medical practice or that he didn’t believe.”

Shehu also highlighted the presence of Nigerian-trained doctors working globally, noting that their competence is recognized worldwide.

“For most people who also travel abroad and they need to see doctors — I have experienced this in America — you go into the office of the doctor and you find that it’s a Nigerian surgeon, it’s a Nigerian doctor,” he noted.

Liverpool to remember Jota with permanent tribute
President Muhammadu Buhari died on July 13 in a London clinic after a prolonged illness. He was buried at his residence in Daura, Katsina State, on July 15.