Author: Aminu Imam

NAHCON announces final 2026 Hajj fares, reduces cost by ₦200,000

Aminu Imam
NAHCON 2026 Hajj3

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has announced that the fare for the 2026 pilgrimage to Mecca will range between ₦8.1 million and ₦8.5 million, reflecting a reduction compared to the previous year’s rates. NAHCON Chairman, Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman, disclosed the revised pricing after the commission signed service agreements with providers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The new fare structure, approved by the Federal Government, introduces an average saving of about ₦200,000 per pilgrim compared to 2025. Maiduguri-Yola Zone pilgrims from Yobe, Borno, Adamawa, and Taraba will…

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Northern CAN leader, Hayab cautions against religious persecution

Aminu Imam
Northern CAN leader Hayab

The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for the 19 Northern States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Reverend John Joseph Hayab, has warned that sustained religious persecution poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s moral fabric, unity, and long-term stability. Speaking at the National Christian Leaders Forum on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FORB), Hayab said the erosion of religious freedom continues to undermine the values required for nation-building, while fostering mistrust, conflict, and underdevelopment. He stressed that Nigeria’s demographic reality – with Christianity and Islam as its…

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17 passengers abducted by pirates along Calabar Inland waterway

Aminu Imam
Calabar Inland waterway piracy

The Police Command in Cross-River state has confirmed the abduction of 17 passengers by sea pirates along the Calabar Waterways. The command’s Deputy Public Relations Officer, DSP Igri Ewa, who made the confirmation yesterday in Calabar, said that the passengers were abducted on Thursday. Ewa said that the command had already swung into action to ensure the ‘immediate and prompt’ rescue of the abductees. According to the Police spokesperson, a serving police officer in Akwa Ibom and a popular politician in Cross River who were on board the boat narrowly…

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Crisis deepens at Ɗangote Refinery; Naira petrol sales halted as PENGASSAN cuts crude, gas supply

Aminu Imam
Dangote Refinery crisis

Nigeria’s energy sector was thrown into fresh uncertainty yesterday as the $20bn Ɗangote Petroleum Refinery faced simultaneous blows: suspension of petrol sales in naira and a union-ordered shutdown of crude oil and gas supplies. In a notice to customers late Friday, Ɗangote Refinery announced it would stop selling petrol in naira from Sunday, September 28, citing depletion of its crude-for-naira allocation. The company explained that it had been selling “in excess” of its allocation under the Federal Executive Council’s policy to stabilise pump prices and reduce dollar demand. Customers with…

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Hardship: “We are seeing light after the tunnel”-Tinubu tells Nigerians

Aminu Imam
Screenshot 20250927 064239

President Bola Tinubu has declared that the nation’s economy had turned the corner for good, following the success of the economic reforms introduced by his administration over two years ago, adding that Nigeria’s economic suffering is now a thing of the past. The President stated this yesterday at the Mapo Hall, Ibadan, Oyo State capital, during the historic coronation of His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adewolu Ladoja, the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland. The President’s address was a blend of felicitations for the new monarch and a hopeful message for the Nigerian…

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NECO insists Kano 2025 ‘best examination performance state’ in Nigeria

Aminu Imam
NECO insists

The National Examinations Council, (NECO), has affirmed that Kano is the top-performing state in the Federation for the 2025 Council Examinations, with 5.886% and 39,351 candidates achieving five credits and above in both Mathematics and English. Earlier, some reports had disputed this, naming Abia as the best-performing state, citing its state code number 001 as the basis for their ranking. The reports stated that: “Kano candidates scored 50-16 percent, showing they failed; as only 49.84% of its total 136.762 candidates scored at least five credits, including Mathematics and English”. NECO,…

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Zamfara: At least 100 feared dead in gold mine collapse – Locals 

Aminu Imam
Zamfar gold mine collapse

At least 100 people are feared dead following the collapse of a gold mining pit in Zamfara State, according to survivors and residents, yesterday. The pit at the Kadauri mining site, in the Maru local government area reportedly caved-in on Thursday while scores of artisanal miners were working underground, witnesses told Reuters.  It was gathered that rescue operations continued into yesterday. According to a local resident involved in rescue efforts, Sanusi Auwal, at least 13 bodies had been retrieved from the rubble, including that of his cousin. “Over 100 miners…

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Voters Registration: Kaduna Gov. urges LG chairs, others to mobilise residents

Aminu Imam
Kaduna Gov. on voters registration

Concerned about the low voter registration turnout in Kaduna state, the state governor, Senator Uba Sani, has urged local government chairmen, traditional institutions, religious leaders, and the media to intensify mobilisation efforts to ensure maximum registration of citizens in the ongoing exercise. Commissioner for Information, Ahmed Maiyaƙi, at a meeting with Local Government Chairmen and other stakeholders, expressed the concern of the Governor on Thursday and said that Senator Sani, as a democratic and inclusive leader, has directed pragmatic steps to ensure greater mobilisation of eligible voters for broader participation.…

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“We reorganised our workforce over staff sabotage” — Ɗangote Refinery denies mass sack

Aminu Imam
Ɗangote Refinery denies

The management of Ɗangote Petroleum Refinery has denied reports suggesting a mass sack of its workers, clarifying that the recent reorganisation within its facility was due to repeated cases of sabotage. In a press statement issued yesterday, the refinery explained that the decision was not arbitrary but became necessary to safeguard operations and ensure safety within the facility. “The Ɗangote Petroleum Refinery wishes to clarify recent reports concerning the ongoing reorganisation within its facility. This exercise is not arbitrary. It has become necessary to safeguard the refinery from repeated acts…

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‘Wike looted $300m Ogoni cleanup cash to build ‘HyperCity’ malls’ – Sowore

Aminu Imam
Sowore Wike

Human rights activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, of diverting the sum of $300 million meant for Ogoniland’s environmental remediation into building a chain of supermarkets in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital. Sowore, convener of #RevolutionNow Movement, who made the revelation yesterday in a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account, said Wike used the money to build the ‘HyperCity Supermarkets’ in Port-Harcourt.  “The revelation is that thieving Nyesom Ezenwo…

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