Category: Daily Trust

The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Onne youths and other stakeholders have issued a four-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to suspend E-Call Up levies imposed on trucks entering Onne Port and fix the port’s dilapidated internal roads or face a shutdown of operations.

The stakeholders issued the ultimatum at a joint press conference in Onne, Rivers State, on Wednesday, warning that they would suspend business activities from Monday, August 17, if their demands were not addressed.

Chairman of the Maritime Workers Union, Eastern Port, Comrade Uche Ogbu, said the poor condition of the roads and the manner in which trucks are being managed under the E-Call Up system were disrupting port operations and endangering lives.

He also faulted the absence of adequate holding and loading bays for trucks despite repeated appeals from stakeholders.

According to Ogbu, the absence of designated facilities has resulted in indiscriminate parking of trucks along Onne roads, creating serious safety and traffic concerns.

‘We are the people carrying the burden of the E-Call Up levies. We, the maritime workers, in collaboration with other stakeholders and Onne communities, are going to down tools from Monday,’ he said.

He said the unions would also direct their members to stop E-Call Up operations at the port until the government responds to their concerns.

Ogbu argued that the NPA should communicate the infrastructure challenges at the Eastern Port to the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and the Federal Government, insisting that stakeholders could no longer bear the consequences of the poor facilities.

Also speaking, the Onne Chapter Chairman of ANLCA, Chief Ifeanyi Isikaku, called on the Federal Government to allocate part of the revenue generated from Onne Port to rehabilitate its roads.

He said the Onne Port Command generated approximately N439 billion in customs revenue between January and July 2026, while the Oil and Gas Free Zone Customs generated about N48 billion during the same period, bringing the combined revenue to approximately N487 billion.

Isikaku said it was unacceptable for the port to generate such revenue while its access roads remained in a deplorable condition.

He said the stakeholders had resolved to reject arbitrary payments associated with the E-Call Up system and demanded its suspension until adequate holding bays were provided.

According to him, the suspension would take effect from Monday, August 17, and remain in place until the identified challenges were addressed.

The stakeholders also demanded proper maintenance of all access roads leading to the port to reduce accidents, container falls, injuries and loss of lives.

The NPA management at Onne Port had not officially reacted to the demands as of press time. However, a source within the organisation said efforts were being made to address the issues raised by the stakeholders.

Stakeholders in seven states have approved wider use of Sentinel XS after pilot tests in Kaduna showed near-zero Fall Armyworm infestation and increased yields.

The endorsement came during a 2-day hybrid validation workshop held in Kaduna State, convened by the Kaduna Agricultural Development Agency (KADA) in collaboration with NISSCORP, Sentinel XS’s in-country provider.

The event brought together authorities and farmers from Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, and Jigawa, as well as regulators, researchers, banks, insurance companies, cooperatives, and development partners.

Sentinel XS is developed by Informiton and deployed by NISSCORP.

Sentinel XS is a photonic, non-chemical system which uses the sun’s near-infrared spectrum to stimulate crops to naturally repel pests like Fall Armyworm.

It requires no chemicals, GMOs, or new farm equipment. Farmers pay a single seasonal subscription instead of 3-4 rounds of pesticide and fertiliser spraying.

Data presented from Kaduna pilot farms showed near-zero Fall Armyworm infestation; measurable gains in crop performance and yield; lower input costs for pesticides, fertilisers, equipment and labour; reduced chemical exposure and residues in food.

Declaring the workshop open, KADA General Manager, Mallam Muhammed Rili, said the initiative aligns with Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani’s agenda on food security, climate-smart agriculture and farmer prosperity.

Speaking for the Kaduna State Government, Commissioner for Agriculture, Mallam Murtala Mohammed Dabo, urged stakeholders to adopt practical and affordable solutions that cut production risks and boost livelihoods.

NISSCORP President, Kingsley Obaji, and Country Manager, Igo Ogbu, pitched Sentinel XS as a safer, more affordable alternative that can make Nigerian produce more competitive globally by cutting chemical residues.

Stakeholders are already committed to the project. State ADPs like KNARDA’s Dr Farouk Kurawa and reps from Zamfara, Kebbi, Plateau states welcomed deployment in their states and urged adoption to meet global organic standards.

Representatives of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Mohammed Kabir and other groups, cited rising chemical costs and called for transparent subscriptions and farmer-group involvement.

Representatives of financial institutions, including the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), asked for bankable models, credible farmer databases and measurable indicators to fund scale-up.

Participants at the workshop, however, called for independent technical assessment by research and regulatory bodies, mass farmer sensitisation and stronger extension support.

In his closing remarks, Mallam Rili called for further nationwide validation and stronger collaboration among government, research, finance, insurance, and private-sector players to drive commercial adoption.

The workshop ended with a joint commitment to support the evaluation, financing and commercialisation needed to integrate Sentinel XS into Nigeria’s agricultural value chain.

The Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs and Zonal Coordinator, Zone B, Kaduna, Nsikak Patrick Umoh, disclosed this on Wednesday during a tour of the Niger/Kogi Area Command Headquarters in Minna, Niger, where she met with vehicle importers to discuss the command’s operational challenges.

Umoh said the security challenge had affected several Customs commands, particularly across the North-West, where officers are increasingly exposed to threats in the course of performing their duties.

‘The security challenge is not peculiar to only Niger/Kogi Area Command. A whole of North-West comprising Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina and Zamfara States, which are all under my command, are facing the same security challenge,’ she said.

Umoh said the resultant effect was that some Customs officers had been killed or maimed, while others had been forced to limit their operations because of fear for their lives.

She explained that the situation had contributed to a reduction in revenue collections in some commands, as officers were compelled to adopt more cautious approaches to their operations.

‘But we are trying our best to encourage them to use an intelligence-based operating system to do their job, and that is why in most of the commands, we have a reduction in revenue collections,’ the ACG added.

Umoh said insecurity was also taking a toll on the health of Customs personnel, with some officers developing hypertension due to fear of death.

She said despite the challenges, the Niger/Kogi Area Command had continued to record strong revenue performance, surpassing its monthly target of N17 million.

She disclosed that the command had generated more than N200 million as of August 12.

Five people have been killed, several others injured and many houses burnt in separate attacks on communities in Riyom and Mangu local government areas of Plateau State.

While two people were killed in attacks in Riyom, three others were reportedly murdered in Mangu.

Residents from the affected communities in Mangu LGA told Daily Trust that several houses belonging to both herding and farming communities were burnt.

The leadership of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Mangu and the National President of the Mwaghavul Development Association (MDA) confirmed the incident.

The Secretary of MACBAN in the area, Musa Muhammad, said two herders, Salisu Abubakar and Yusuf Ali, were attacked and killed in their homes on Wednesday in Jwak Maitumbi, Halle Ward, Mangu.

He added that several houses belonging to members of the community were also burnt.

‘They were killed for an offence they knew nothing about,’ he said.

However, the MDA president, Bulus Dabit, said several houses belonging to their members were attacked and burnt.

He said one member of the association was killed while others were injured and hospitalised.

Dabit said the attacks affected communities along the Sabon Gari-Mangu Halle-Mai Rana-Arangai-Mararaban Kantoma axis, forcing some residents, especially women and children, to flee their homes.

4 communities attacked in Riyom

Two people were killed in separate attacks on four communities in Riyom LGA.

The spokesperson of the Berom Youth Moulders-Association (BYM), Rwang Tengwong, confirmed the attacks on Wednesday in Jos.

He said the attacks, which occurred on Tuesday night, were reported in at least four locations, including Gwa-Wereng Rim, Kyeng, Dorong and Jol.

A resident of the area, Lyop Gabriel, said the attack on Gwa-Wereng Rim occurred at about 9:30pm when gunmen invaded the community and opened fire on residents.

He said Bulus Mwagwong, popularly known as Dikko, was killed while his cousin, Yakubu, was injured.

The association said 47-year-old Stephen Dachollom Kaze was also killed in Kyeng village, Bachi District, at about 8:30pm.

BYM said another attack was recorded in Dorong, where attackers allegedly set houses ablaze, destroying property and forcing residents to flee.

Efforts to obtain confirmation or reaction from the security agencies were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.

Nigeria’s oil production rose to 1.67 million barrels per day (mbpd) in July 2026, exceeding its Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) quota of 1.5mbpd for the third consecutive month.

The latest production data released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) on Wednesday showed that the country produced an average of 1.505mbpd of crude oil and 0.17mbpd of condensates during the month under review.

The combined output represents an improvement in Nigeria’s ability to meet its OPEC production allocation, although the figure remains below the Federal Government’s ambition of raising crude oil production to 2mbpd by 2027.

According to the NUPRC data, daily production peaked at 1.78mbpd in July, while the lowest daily output stood at 1.57mbpd.

Despite maintaining production above its OPEC quota, national output declined by four per cent month-on-month.

The commission attributed the decline largely to operational challenges at the Erha and Akpo fields, which affected production volumes during the period.

‘These disruptions constrained production volumes and contributed significantly to the overall reduction in national crude oil output,’ the commission said.

It added that production operations across most other producing assets remained relatively stable, with operators implementing measures to maintain efficiency and minimise the impact of operational constraints.

Routine production and crude evacuation activities were also largely sustained across the sector.

Nigerians are reportedly losing over 200 Billion annually to under-dispensing of fuel by service attendants, fueling fears of accurate calibration of products in the country’s downstream sector.

The act also raises concerns over trust and transparency issues in the sector and its repeated assurances to protect fuel consumers in the country.

Government agencies have lately sanctioned stations for malfeasance, but observers said weak enforcement may have been responsible for seeming reduction in the practice in spite of efforts to nip in the bud.

The advent of unmanned fuel service stations is generating optimism that Nigeria can stop the billions of naira lost yearly to petrol under-dispensing.

Stakeholders in the downstream sector said the automated stations, which operate without pump attendants, rely on digitally calibrated pumps and cashless transactions to ensure accuracy in fuel dispensing.

They also said that removing human operators reduces the chances of manipulation, adding that real-time data transmission from the pumps to a central server will enable regulators to monitor activities remotely.

Sunbeth Energies Limited recently unveiled its first self-service fuel station at its Ogba outlet in Lagos, introducing a digital fueling experience that enables customers to initiate, monitor, and complete fuel purchases independently through a secure, user-friendly platform.

Lateef Abioye, managing director of Sunbeth Energies Limited, explained that the launch represents a major milestone in the modernization of Nigeria’s downstream petroleum industry and reinforces Sunbeth Energies’ position as a leader in digital innovation, operational transparency, and customer-centric service delivery.

‘By launching Nigeria’s first self-service fuel station, we are introducing a new standard of transparency, convenience, and customer empowerment. Every customer deserves to know exactly what they are paying for, and this innovation gives them that confidence.’

One of the first customers to use the new system described the experience as both reassuring and refreshingly simple.

‘I have never experienced anything like this at a fuel station in Nigeria. Being able to control the entire process myself and watch every litre being dispensed gave me complete confidence. It was easy to use, fast, and transparent.’

According to Abioye, the Ogba deployment marks the beginning of a broader digital transformation strategy that will be extended across Sunbeth Energies’ retail network.

Auwalu Abdullahi Rano (AA Rano) Nigeria Limited, owned by Alhaji Auwalu Abdullahi Rano, had also unveiled 24-hour unmanned fuel stations in partnership with Petrosoft Limited, a Nigerian technology firm that developed management systems for the oil and gas industry in Nigeria.

The company’s first unmanned fuel-dispensing stations are digitalised and equipped with smart pumping technology that enables payments without the use of fuel attendants by motorists and customers.

Alhaji Auwalu Abdullahi Rano, a business mogul in the oil and gas sector, stated that, ‘The self-dispensing fuel pumps with instant payment are being launched in partnership with Petrosoft Limited, a Nigerian technology firm that developed management systems for the oil and gas industry in Nigeria.

He said the stations will depend on contactless payment systems, real-time surveillance technology and automated fuel pumps, thereby removing the need for pump attendants at the stations.

It was learnt that the automated fuel station technology is being deployed across A.A. Rano’s 200 retail outlets nationwide, including border communities with Niger, Chad, Benin and Cameroon.

The technology is designed to reduce the loss of man-hours at fuel stations, improve transparency and assure customers that they are receiving the exact volume of fuel dispensed for what they have paid.

The Chief Executive Officer of Petrosoft Limited, Dr. Joshua Denila, said the digitalised fuel dispensing and payment project demonstrates how home-grown technology can overcome the myriad challenges in Nigeria’s retail fuel market.

Daily Trust reports that some stakeholders have picked holes in the launch of unmanned fuel stations, stressing that the development could create massive unemployment in the country.

Petrol station attendants under the Concerned Petrol Station Workers, faulted the full automated, unmanned filling stations.

Its convener, Comrade Ibrahim Zango, said the initiative could strip many young Nigerians employed as fuel attendants of their source of income.

He added that the move was ill-timed, considering the nation’s ongoing economic difficulties and growing unemployment rate.

He implored stakeholders to consider the human cost of the innovation, stressing that thousands of families depend on earnings from petrol station jobs.

Many of the attendants, he said, had spent decades in the job and deserved better treatment than being displaced without a clear transition plan, insisting that advancement should not come at the expense of workers’ welfare.

He maintained that automation in the downstream petroleum sector should be tailored to open up new opportunities rather than wipe out existing employment.

Observers cautioned that challenges such as poor power supply, network failure, maintenance, and job displacement for attendants must be addressed.

‘This is very necessary in order to avoid unsettled effects in the country’s downstream sector which had enjoyed relative stability in the last few years.

There should be a level playing ground to strike a balance between automation and Human element in the sector,’ Mr. Rasheed Adeleke, an energy analyst, told Daily Trust.

Stakeholders posited that the gain of the model hugely depends on NMDPRA having reasonable access to live pump data and enforcing wielding the big sticke where necessary.

Officials of the regulatory agency confirmed they are measuring and monitoring the technology with a view to improving transparency and consumer protection in the downstream sector.

The Chairman of Kuje Area Council, Hon. Samuel Danjuma Shekwolo, has flagged off an anti-rabies awareness and free vaccination campaign aimed at preventing the spread of rabies and protecting the lives of residents, animals and communities across the council.

Shekwolo, while speaking during the flag-off on Wednesday at the council secretariat, said the initiative demonstrated his administration’s commitment to public health, responsible animal ownership and the prevention and control of diseases that could be transmitted between animals and humans.

He, however, called on dog owners across the various wards of the area council to take full advantage of the free vaccination exercise to ensure that their dogs and cats were vaccinated.

He noted that prevention remained safer, more effective and more economical than dealing with the consequences of disease outbreaks, stressing that people should not own pets they could not properly care for.

Shekwolo therefore called on traditional rulers and religious leaders to support the campaign by disseminating accurate information and ensuring that the message reached every household across the council.

He particularly encouraged parents to educate their children on the importance of safe interaction with animals, while urging residents to promptly report suspected cases of rabies and incidents of animal bites to the appropriate authorities.

The chairman commended the Department of Agriculture/Veterinary and Livestock Services, veterinary professionals and other stakeholders for their commitment and efforts towards making the campaign a reality.

Also speaking, the Chairperson of the National Veterinary Medicine Association (NVMA), Dr Chinnaemeka Joe-Iruobo, called on stakeholders to partner with the association to rid Abuja and Nigeria of rabies.

She emphasised that no animal bite should be ignored, advising anyone bitten or exposed to a suspected rabid animal to seek immediate professional medical attention and report the incident to the relevant health and veterinary authorities.

On his part, the Director of Agriculture and Veterinary Services, Kuje, Dr Sunday Agbana, said the exercise would last for five days and cover as many cats and dogs as possible.

He said the collective efforts of all stakeholders would contribute significantly to making Kuje Area Council a safer and healthier environment for both humans and animals.

The Federal Government has taken one of the most significant steps in improving the welfare of active armed forces personnel in decades, increasing their salaries from between 30 per cent and 80 per cent.

Indeed, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has implemented Nigeria’s most robust and historic pay reform for the military under the Consolidated Armed Forces Salary Structure (CONAFSS). Before this, in mid-June 2024, he approved salary increase from the baseline of N49,000 to N50,000 monthly where it has been for five years for the lowest-ranking soldiers to about N104,000 monthly.

Presidential Spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, in announcing the approval by President Tinubu on August 4, 2026, said: ‘The pay package will increase the yearly salary bill for the country’s armed forces personnel from N660 billion to N924 billion.’

Daily Trust commends this bold step by the President. It is a good step in the right direction. Indeed, this is an uplifting message of appreciation and encouragement to the sacrifices of the men and women of the armed forces who are on the frontlines, daily confronting the prevailing insecurity across the country and ensuring that Nigerians are kept safe and free to go about their businesses.

But we urge the federal government to go beyond the pay rise and implement comprehensive welfare programmes covering quality housing, world-class healthcare access for personnel and families, educational scholarships for children of serving and fallen personnel, expanded life insurance, mortgage facilities, psychological rehabilitation for combat veterans and accelerated pension administration including sustained support for families of the fallen. Improved housing within the barracks should be accompanied with schemes for affordable home ownership for personnel while frontline troops should have reliable feeding rations.

And for them to be alive to enjoy the benefits of the increased pay package while achieving optimal performance, the troops should be equipped with ultimate force multipliers through the deployment of significantly upgraded real-time intelligence assets such as expanded drone and satellite surveillance, to track non-state actors in dense forests and remote territories.

Yet, Daily Trust is shocked that the presidential statement put the total number of Nigeria’s active military personnel at 250,000, a figure widely considered inadequate for a population of over 250 million facing unprecedented internal security threats such that the Army, Navy, and Air Force are fighting multiple non-state actors across the nation’s geopolitical zones.

Generally, the figure represents approximately about 0.98-1.1 military personnel per 1,000 citizens, a ratio significantly lower than the NATO average (about 6 per 1,000) and far below the ratio for nations facing active counter-insurgency conflict, which often ranges from 20 to 50 per 1,000. We believe that the sheer size of Nigeria’s geographic expanse (923,768 square kilometers) with land area of about 910,768 square kilometers and water bodies taking up roughly 13,000 square kilometers means the current figure of 250,000 is too small and therefore spread too thin.

Therefore, we call for the speedy implementation of the directive given by the president for recruitment of troops. However, the process must prioritize fitness, ability, and opportunity for those with passion over other primordial factors in order to bring the full strength of the military in line with appropriate Table of Organisation and Equipment (TOE).

Also, there must be deliberate efforts to ensure that in increasing to the required number of troops, politicisation of recruitment must be dealt with by not allowing politicians and cronies to unduly influence the choice of recruits which may invariably dilute the quality of incoming personnel.

We also implore the federal government to work on general improvement of the economy so that inflation does not eat away at the gains of the pay boost. In addition, we call on the leadership of the military to reflect more and provide an effective, purposeful merit-based leadership that reduces corruption in procurement, payroll, logistics while being transparent and professional in its operational and administrative matters. Together, we look forward to an adequately paid military of commensurate size that is properly equipped and sufficiently motivated to move with effectiveness in defence of the country. Nothing is too much for the men and women who risk everything to ensure national sovereignty.

Again, we implore the president to also increase salaries of paramilitary forces in order to prevent institutional resentment and rivalry, ensure operational synergy in joint task forces, and maintain overall internal security. After all, they operate under the same hazardous conditions. Nothing should be done to lower their morale or disrupt inter-agency cooperation.

The latest claims by the self-styled Oil and Gas Professional Forum, including allegations that Ojulari influenced associates to secure an Oil Mining Lease (OML) and that NNPC has become unproductive, raise fundamental questions about whether the critics understand Nigeria’s post-Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) regulatory framework.

Under the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, the administration and award of petroleum prospecting licences and petroleum mining leases fall within the statutory mandate of the Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), subject to the provisions of the law.

Section 73 of the PIA further provides that petroleum prospecting licences and petroleum mining leases shall be granted through a fair, transparent and competitive bidding process in accordance with the Act, relevant regulations and licensing-round guidelines issued by the Commission.

NNPCL, by contrast, operates as Nigeria’s national oil company with a distinct commercial mandate.

Conflating NUPRC’s regulatory responsibilities with NNPCL’s commercial functions therefore risks creating a misleading impression about how petroleum licensing operates under the PIA.

Public officials and institutions should undoubtedly be subjected to rigorous scrutiny, but such scrutiny must be based on facts, evidence and the actual legal framework governing the sector.

Production figures tell a different story

The claim that NNPCL under Ojulari has been unproductive is also difficult to reconcile with available production figures.

Average crude oil production, including condensates, rose from approximately 1.60 million barrels per day in April 2025 to 1.67 million barrels per day in April 2026, an increase of about 70,000 barrels per day.

Gas production also increased from approximately 7,354 million standard cubic feet per day in April 2025 to 7,729 mmscfd in April 2026, representing growth of about five per cent.

These figures do not suggest an organisation moving backwards.

Nigeria’s petroleum industry continues to face challenges including ageing infrastructure, under-investment, insecurity, production disruptions and operational bottlenecks, making sustained increases in crude and gas output significant.

If the Oil and Gas Professional Forum has contrary data demonstrating that NNPCL’s performance has deteriorated, it should publish those figures and subject them to independent scrutiny.

Transparency must be measured by evidence

The allegation that NNPCL lacks accountability also requires examination against its publicly available financial disclosures.

NNPCL publishes regular financial and operational reports, providing figures that can be examined by investors, regulators and the public.

In June 2026, the company recorded ?535 billion in profit after tax, up from ?462 billion in May, while total revenue stood at ?4.389 trillion.

Cumulative statutory payments to the Federation between January and June 2026 were reported at ?6.286 trillion.

If these figures are disputed, critics should present the evidence supporting their claims rather than relying on broad allegations.

Accountability is ultimately about disclosure, measurable performance and the willingness to subject published figures to scrutiny.

Scrutiny must not become a weapon

There is nothing wrong with questioning NNPCL’s leadership or demanding greater transparency from the national oil company.

What should concern Nigerians is the possibility that legitimate oversight could be turned into a tool in the broader contest for influence, access and commercial opportunities in an industry undergoing significant structural change.

Nigeria’s petroleum sector requires transparency, competition, effective regulation and institutional discipline.

It does not need manufactured allegations, selective statistics or narratives designed to undermine institutions without verifiable evidence.

If the allegations against Ojulari and NNPCL are genuine, those making them should provide the documents, data and evidence necessary for independent scrutiny.

But where the law assigns petroleum licensing to NUPRC, production figures show measurable increases and NNPCL is publishing substantial financial disclosures, sweeping claims of regulatory interference, non-productivity and lack of accountability require considerably more evidence than has so far been presented.

Nigeria deserves scrutiny of its petroleum industry, but that scrutiny must be evidence-based, legally grounded and directed at strengthening institutions rather than advancing private interests.

A couple, Monday Williams, 38, and Helen Williams, 33, who allegedly beat up their neighbour over a The defendants, residents of No. 3 Jaba Road, Bayan Dutse, Kaduna, are standing trial on a two-count charge of conspiracy and assault.

They pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The prosecutor, Insp. Chidi Leo, told the court that the defendants, on Aug. 6 at about 4pm, conspired and beat up their neighbour over a vegetable garden.

He said the defendants, who lived in the same neighbourhood as the complainant, Vivian Dogo, accused her of destroying their vegetable garden, leading to an altercation.

Leo said that during the altercation, the defendants allegedly used wood to beat her, causing bodily injuries.

The prosecutor said the offences contravened the Penal Code of Kaduna State, 2017.

The Magistrate, Ibrahim Emmanuel, granted the defendants bail of N200,000 each with one surety each in like sum.

Emmanuel ordered that the sureties present two years’ tax payment clearance to the Kaduna State Government.