Author: Aminu Imam

Two-year project to strengthen FCT indigenous cultural ties launched 

Aminu Imam
IMG 20250624 WA0043

FCT’s original inhabitants have called for the further strengthening of their cultural ties under a two-year project that will train 300 women and youths.  Godwin Arome Onoja, Program Manager, Helpline Social Support Initiative, who addressed a press conference in Abuja, said Helpline, in partnership with the Resource Centre for Human Right and Civic Education CHRICED, continues to seek to promote the Rights of the Original Inhabitants (OIs) of FCT with support from MacArthur Foundation.  He said the 2-years project is to promote the cultural rights of the OIs on three…

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NNPCL hikes petrol price to ₦945 in Abuja, ₦915 in Lagos, amid global oil tensions

Aminu Imam
NNPCL hikes petrol price

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, (NNPCL) has quietly increased the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), better known as petrol, to ₦915 per litre in Lagos and ₦945 per litre in Abuja, amid growing global oil market volatility triggered by escalating tensions between Iran and Israel. This marks a ₦45 increase in Lagos from the previous ₦870 and a ₦35 rise in Abuja from the prior ₦910 per litre, as confirmed by checks at various NNPCL retail outlets across both cities yesterday. The increase follows Ɗangote Refinery’s hike…

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US advisory: FG declares Abuja safe for citizens, visitors

Aminu Imam
Info Minister Idris

The Federal Government has assured citizens, residents, and visitors that Abuja remains safe, following a recent travel advisory issued by the United States Embassy restricting non-official visits by its staff to military and government facilities in the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT). In a statement issued yesterday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said there was no cause for alarm and that Nigeria’s security agencies are fully engaged in keeping the FCT and the rest of the country secure. “Abuja remains safe for citizens, residents, and visitors alike.…

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“Security will collapse if hunger, poverty are ignored” – CDS Musa

Aminu Imam
CDS Musa on insecurity

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, has warned that poverty and hunger have escalated beyond social issues, now posing serious threats to Nigeria’s national security. Speaking at the opening of the 14th National Security Seminar in Abuja yesterday, Gen. Musa, represented by the Chief of Defence Training, Rear-Admiral Ibrahim Shettima, stressed that insecurity in the modern world is no longer solely defined by armed conflict, but also by widespread economic hardship, food insecurity, and social dislocation. The seminar, themed: “Combating Hunger and Poverty for Sustainable Peace and Development…

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“No political party applications yet, only Letters of Intent” – INEC

Aminu Imam
INEC on registration

The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), says it has not received any formal applications for political party registration, despite receiving over 100 Letters of Intent from interested groups. According to INEC’s National Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Sam Olumekun, none of the associations, including the much-publicized All Democratic Alliance (ADA), has moved beyond the preliminary stage. He emphasized that a letter of intent is only the first step and does not constitute an official application. Olumekun reiterated that associations must meet specific legal and administrative criteria before submitting an…

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2027: ‘SDP best platform for coalition’ – el-Rufa’i

Aminu Imam
El Rufa'i on SDP

The former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufa’i has said that the Social Democratic Party (SDP) remains the best platform for the coalition in its plot to oust President Bola Tinubu from power. Speaking during an interview during a television programme, el-Rufa’i said the key political leaders involved in the planned coalition had reached a consensus on which platform would be used ahead of the 2027 general elections. According to him, the coalition champions have agreed that once they reach a consensus on a political platform to use for the…

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Muslim travelers’ killing: MURIC slams Plateau Gov. over comment

Aminu Imam
MURIC slams Plateau Gov.

Islamic human rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern, (MURIC), has condemned the killings in Plateau State, just as it slammed the Plateau State governor, Caleb Muftwang, for seeking to trivialize the attack on Muslim travellers by his kinsmen. Recall that last Friday, a bus carrying twenty-eight (28) Muslim passengers, mostly Hausa, was ambushed by suspected youths from Mangun village, Mangu local government area, eight were brutally murdered, six sustained various degrees of injuries, one very critical while four others are still missing. In a statement issued yesterday, the group described…

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Alleged  $5bn fraud: Protesters occupy AGF, ICPC, CCB offices

Aminu Imam
Protesters occupy

…Demand NMDPRA boss probe Protesters from the Situation Room for Oil Sector Reforms yesterday occupied the offices of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) in Abuja, demanding the immediate resignation of the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, (NMDPRA), Engr. Farouk Ahmed. The protesters alleged the misappropriation of over $5 million in the NMDPRA under Ahmed. They also raised the issue of conflict of interest concerning Ahmed’s son, Faisal,…

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2027: Baba-Ahmed casts doubt on ADA registration

Aminu Imam
Baba Ahmed casts doubt on ADA

…Warns against old faces leading opposition Former Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu and northern elder statesman, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has voiced strong skepticism about the chances of the All Democratic Alliance (ADA) being registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the 2027 general elections. Speaking during a televised interview on Monday, Baba-Ahmed described the process of registering a new political party as extremely challenging, warning that unless a “miracle” occurs, ADA’s application could be “dead on arrival”. “There are a huge number of pending applications before…

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Widows Empowered At Int’l Widow’s Day Celebration

Aminu Imam
IMG 20250623 WA0052

As the world marks the 2025 International Widow’s Day, several widows were at the weekend empowered by the Helpline Social Support Initiative, based in Abuja. In collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, with a theme “Empowering Widows: Building Resilience, Restoring Dignity”, the International Widows Day, celebrated every year on June 23, is a special day established by the United Nations (UN) dedicated to addressing the poverty and injustice faced by millions of widows and their dependents. Minister for Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-IbrahimWidows, who graced the event, performed…

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