Author: Aminu Imam

Kaduna: NSCDC repels bandits’ ambush, kills 50 

Aminu Imam
Kaduna NSCDC repels

A special squad of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) neutralised 59 bandits who ambushed them in Kaduna State. The attack occurred shortly after the squad concluded a patrol of the national grid installation in Shiroro local government area of Niger State. It was learnt that the ambush happened at around 3:40 p.m. in the Farin-Kasa area of Chikun local government area. The squad, comprising nine officers and 71 operatives from the Commandant General Special Intelligence Squad (CG SIS), the Federal Capital Territory Command, and the Kaduna State…

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Alleged misconduct: Senate removes CCT chairman, ?anladi Umar

Aminu Imam
Senate removes CCT chairman

The Senate has removed the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, (CCT), ?anladi Umar, over alleged gross misconduct. This decision was made pursuant to Section 157(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, (as amended), which empowers the Senate to remove key public officials following due process. The sacking followed a closed-door session lasting over one and a half hours. Upon resumption of plenary, the Senate announced that more than 84 lawmakers supported the decision. The Motion leading to Umar’s removal was sponsored by the Senate…

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Kerosene prices skyrocket, straining household budgets

Aminu Imam
Kerosene prices

The latest report from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) highlights a significant increase in the price of kerosene, placing additional strain on household budgets. The report, part of the NBS’ Price Watch series, shows that the price of kerosene has risen both month-on-month and year-on-year. Residents in the North-Central region are paying the highest average retail prices, with Abuja, Kaduna, and Akwa Ibom States topping the list. In October 2024, the average retail price of Household Kerosene (HHK) reached ?1,957.44 per litre, marking a 3.07% increase from the ?1,897.12…

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Insecurity: CDS Musa renames North-West task force to ‘Operation Fansan Yamma’ 

Aminu Imam
CDS Musa renames

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen Christopher Musa has directed the reorganisation of the former ‘Operations Hadarin Daji’, covering Katsina, Kebbi, and Sokoto) and ‘Operation Whirl Punch’, encompassing Kaduna and Niger states into a unified Joint Task Force for the North-West, designated as ‘Operation Fansan Yamma’. This is contained in a statement issued by Lt. Col. Abubakar Abdullahi, acting coordinator Joint Media Coordination Centre, ‘Operation Fansan Yamma’ in Gusau, Tuesday. The statement reads in part: “This restructuring aims to better align our military operations with current operational needs”. According…

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NNPCL: “Importation of 1.6bn litres of PMS will cripple our economy” – CSO warns

Aminu Imam
CSO warns on NNPCL

…Threatens mass protest if… The Coalition of Civil Society Organisation, (NICOSO), has threatened to go on protest over the decision by the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), to import over 1.6 billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS). The group, on Tuesday, described the move as “not just a policy misstep but a deliberate move to undermine Nigeria’s local refining potential, cripple the economy, and deepen the hardship faced by ordinary Nigerians”. It therefore listed out certain conditions to be met, failure of which it said “NICOCSO will organise…

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Court stops NBC from imposing fines, threatening sanctions on broadcast stations 

Aminu Imam
Court orders NBC

The Federal High Court, in Lagos, has ordered the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to “stop using the NBC Act and the Nigeria Broadcasting Code to impose fines, or threaten to impose sanctions, harass and intimidate broadcast stations and other independent media houses in the country”. The court declared that “the NBC and its agents lack the legal power and authority to impose penalty unlawfully and unilaterally, including fines, suspension, withdrawal of license or any form of punishment whatsoever on independent media houses for promoting access to diverse information on issues…

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Tinubu departs for Brazil to attend G-20 Leaders Summit 

Aminu Imam
Tinubu departs

President Bola Tinubu has departed Abuja for Rio de-Janeiro, Brazil yesterday, to attend the 19th meeting of the G-20 Leaders’ Summit taking place in the South American country. The Nigerian leader’s participation is at the instance of the Brazilian President and current president of the group,  An issued statement by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, explained that the Summit holding from Monday, November 18 to Tuesday 19, will bring together leaders from the world’s top 20 economies, including the European Union (EU), the African…

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World Bank uncovers $32m ‘missing funds’ in Nigeria’s water project

Aminu Imam
W'Bank on water projects

The World Bank has uncovered $32 million in unaccounted funds in Nigeria’s water project. The report, disclosed in the banks’ recently released ‘FY2024 Sanctions System Annual Report’, showed that the missing funds were intended to bolster water infrastructure in Nigeria but were not adequately accounted for, prompting an intervention to safeguard the project’s integrity. “INT followed up on risks identified regarding a project in Nigeria’s water sector and flagged the operations, which was associated with $32 million of unaccounted funds”, stated the report. In a move to recover the fund,…

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Northern Coalition rejects new tax reform Bills; says it is “anti-North”

Aminu Imam
Northern Coalition rejects

 …To embark on protest A Northern Coalition group, known as ‘Forum for Growth and Development of Arewa’, has expressed dissatisfaction and anger over recent open support of some northerners for the new tax reform Initiative. This is as the group has decided to embark on protest in order to express their anger. The Coalition, which fixed Wednesday as the day they would embark on protest, described the Initiative as “anti-North”. According to the group, the decision to embark on the protest is to send a strong message to President Bola…

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‘Nigeria’s reforms are not working’ – IMF Report

Aminu Imam

The latest International Monetary Fund (IMF) report on the economic outlook for sub-Saharan Africa has indicated that Nigeria’s ongoing economic reforms are struggling to deliver meaningful results, even 18 months after their implementation. The report, presented on Friday at the Lagos Business School (LBS) by IMF Deputy Director, Catherine Patillo, highlighted a mixed performance of economic reforms across the region, with notable successes in countries such as Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Zambia. However, Nigeria was conspicuously absent from the list of success stories. According to the report, sub-Saharan Africa’s average…

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